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Handmade Home

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A while back, I posted a review of a book by Amanda Blake Soule. I also mentioned that I was looking forward to getting her second book and giving it a read. I waited, as I said I would until we got stateside, I put it on hold at the library (our bookshelves are FULL), and waited, patiently, for my copy.

I was delighted when I went over the weekend to find my copy sitting on the hold shelf, just waiting for me. Delighted!

Handmade Home Cover

Just as I did with The Creative Family, I immediately set aside the other books I am reading at the moment (Unconditional Parenting and Teach me to Do it Myself) and gave it my undivided attention. Reading her beautiful words. Looking at her inspiring photographs. And thinking about the projects and the way that I want to fit them into our family life.

The only problem is that I am finding myself wanting it all, all the handmade goodness, right now.

Broadturn Bag

The handmade market sacks, those would liven up a trip to the store.

Potholders

The patchworky potholders, gorgeous!

Rag Rug

Rag rug, a great way to reuse and remember all those bits and bobs.

Slings

Handmade slings, can you ever really have too many babywearing options?

Journals

Journals, made with recycled papers, perfect for all the lists I make.

Beach Blanket

A beach blanket. I am already having dreams about spring and summer days filled with trips to our great lake.

Wool Scrap Garland

A wool scrap garland, this is so up my alley.

Memory Quilt

A miniature memory quilt, made up of old baby clothes, love it!

And so, despite enjoying the book immensely and feeling tremendously inspired by it, I am also left feeling a little, well, impatient. I want it now. I want my home to be filled with handmade, filled with things that have history, stories, memories. Things filled with soul and love. Things that I remember creating.

I know that I shouldn’t feel impatient, after all the author has had YEARS of being an at home mama to help create this for her family and I haven’t even finished my first year yet. I know that it will come, and I know that our home will be, is, starting to be filled in this way. With handmade creeping in, just as quickly as my little hands can make.

I know this. But, I can’t help it, I still want it now.

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The Creative Family

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Long before I got pregnant, long before we even started thinking about it, actually, I discovered the blogger, SouleMama, through a link on another site.

It didn’t take long, even though I wasn’t yet a parent myself, to be inspired. Her photography, her positive take on life, her creativity by herself and with her children, it’s all good. When she first mentioned her book project, I was excited knowing that it was something I would want to get my hands on someday. Then, once the book finally was finished, I just couldn’t quite bring myself to buy it.

After all, it was summer of 2007 and Aaron and I had just moved to Japan. We were, it seemed, ages away from having our own creative family. And buying the book seemed, well, a little premature. So, I didn’t buy it, but it never left my mind.

Once our little guy got here I knew it was my chance. Finally, I had a reason, albeit a very small one, to buy the book. Sure, it will be a while before we can actually start doing many of the things in it, but just having it and reading it makes me feel ready, excited, and, most importantly, inspired.

Creative Family Cover

Once my copy arrived, I set aside everything else that I was reading at the moment and read it cover-to-cover in a matter of days. It is chock full of great creative ideas, I especially love the idea of the Family Draw and Art Wire for making children’s, and adults for that matter, art an important part of family life and home.

While not everything in the book made my list of things that I LOVE, a lot of it did. While I won’t be able to implement many of these ideas for quite some time, I feel like I learned a lot from the book and, already, it is impacting the way I am thinking of myself and the way I think about what I want our family life to look like. (And it has heavily influenced a project that I am in the process of working out.) Certainly many of the ideas will influence the way we set up our new home in the States and the choices we make about what we choose to surround ourselves with.

Overally, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read the next one, although I will be waiting until I get stateside to pick that one up. Already I’m not sure that we can fit everything that we have here in our limited suitcase space and another book certainly wouldn’t help.

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