Instagram Flashback: December

Happy new year to you! Happy 2013! Two-thousand and twelve was a great (one of the best really!) year -marked by some big transitions for my family -one finishing school and one starting school. Both of these events allowed me to make some creative magic at Benzie. My customers have been nothing less than fabulous -and truly creative beings. I thank you!!! But there is one last Instagram flashback. The month of December. The month of Jesus's birthday...

1. Dala horse cookies to celebrate Santa Lucia. And to brush up on my decorating skills. I used to be pretty good, I guess. Good enough to get into a book!
2. Mermaid for my daughter and my niece! Pattern from Bit of Whimsy.
3. Giraffe for my son -pattern also from Bit of Whimsy. They have patterns great for the beginner -I feel a bit more confident to move up to the more complex!
4. Christmas card season!!!
5. Christmas tags -thanks to my 6 year old. Handwriting is just so sweet at this age!
6. And off to visit family -the best part of the holidays. This is the little town in Iowa I grew up in. Full of frosted, snowy trees. I wish you all a beautiful 2013!

@benziedesign

Instagram Flashback: November

1. One of the things I love most about Benzie (which is a lot!) is building customer orders. One by one the colors come off the bolt to create the custom picked rainbow. Oh, the things it will become!
2. Every year the youth group in my church host a bake sale called Yule Time Market -it's a way to raise money for summer camps and service projects. My part is designing and creating the packaging for the cookies and soup mixes we sell -I love that I can use my ribbon gifts in this way!
3. Did you see the most recent tutorial round-up at Benzie? Seriously fun!
4. I was in charge of making place-settings at our families thanksgiving celebration. Each leaf was made individually using polymer clay and alphabet stamps. It was baked then painted with metallic acrylics. Totally want to make more!
5. I'm thankful for my husband. We may be totally different on the Myers-Briggs or Ennegram scale -but we both take our oath of "for better or for worse" seriously. There is unique sort of intimacy that happens under the umbrella of commitment and I'm thankful that I get to do life with him!
6. And closing out with this custom garland for a christmas tree! In Red, Fern and Sky.

See you next month!
@benziedesign

Instagram Flashback: September

1. September was full of organizing, cleaning, and restocking. See last months #4 on the reason for my recent interest in cleaning. But isn't that a pretty view of my studio?
2. The most anticipated craft show of the year -Renegade!! Here is what my friend Katie said about it... and senior citizens. Next year I'll take a cue from them and wear my white rubber soled sneakers, it's really not worth the blisters kids. My favorite vendor by far was Poppy and Fern -oh, my -her embroidered items were just beautiful! I picked up a bowtie wearing giraffe necklace, I'm told he knows how to party. I also got to say hi to Susannah Bean, one of my very first felt customers. But most importantly I got some good friendship time in with Katie. There's nothing like an old friend.
3. We took my new 6 year old to see Disney on Ice as a late birthday present. It was done well -in traditional Disney style. I definitely appreciated the more artistic and theatrical aspects and hearing my daughter gasp 'Ariel' at the sight of The Little Mermaid. It was magical for her. Not so much for big brother. P.S. Check out the felt wand she is holding -it's from the tutorial!
4. I've had this dream of making no-knead bread in my dutch oven. But first I had to get a dutch oven. When I finally got it for a steal at a garage sale it still just sat in storage until this month. But I made chicken in it instead. Anybody have some great bread recipes? Preferably whole grain ones?
5. More organizing. I love my needle holder from The Small Object. I got that at Renegade last year.
6. And we ended the month with an 8 year old! Really! A Nerf party was in order -I made bullet baggies out of felt of course. I think I'm going to like this year. He's becoming more thoughtful and I see seeds of kindness starting to sprout. In ten years he'll be a senior in high school. Oh the places he'll go!

See you next month. For more instagram fun my name is @benziedesign.

Instagram Flashback: August

1. Last month of summer started out with a camping trip to the Indiana Dunes -the dunes were beautiful! The bogs not so much due to our lack of rain -but I love the other wonderfully made treasures found on our hikes!
2. Iowa. Isn't it beautiful?
3. The Mister and me. I love being married to him!
4. See those little ones? This pic marks my first day as a mother to school aged children! I'll be honest, the past 7 years haven't been all magical play-doh time and bedtime cuddles. I've got two of the most rotten, stong-willed, obstinate children on the face of the earth. But before you read me wrong -I say all those adjectives with much love and admiration for children come out much like their parents. I have and continue to be sanctified by my children. Now I give their teacher a turn. 
5. Did you know that lentils are high in iron? Especially the brown ones. Red are much prettier though!
6. What do I do all day with my kids in school?! I've been cleaning out closets, cooking and of course crafting! Feels so good!


Happy September everyone! 
More instagram love @benziedesign...

Instagram Flashback: June

1. First thing on Junes bucket list was a visit to the Art Institute to see Roy Lichtenstein's exhibit. Images of hotdogs, comic strips and out of proportion brush strokes filled each room as we walked through his early images of Mickey Mouse to his final landscape images. All made with his signature pattern of dots -inspired by newsprint -but painted, not printed by hand and with a help of a stencil. Big, bright and bold -this is how I would paint, if I were a painter.

2. We are crazy about Legos over here! My son wakes up playing with them, talks about Legos when he can't play and falls asleep building. Every day! We spent some time organizing by color -here's the gray pile. Good thing I like organizing!

3. Easy meal: Get a tortilla, add favorite pizza toppings and grill. Feta and dill and lovely additions.

4. Our church has a day camp of sorts (vbs anyone?) every summer and this year I took on as the craft lady. You wouldn't think it to be difficult to come up with five 15 minute crafts -would you? I totally underestimated the time constraints thus it ended being a bit crazy. This watercolor day was my favorite.

5. Our first family vacation ever! Well, we have taken trips before -but always with family and friends and not just the four of us. We stayed at a little resort in Wisconsin -swimming, putt-putting, canoeing and enjoyed just being us.

6. We also did a bit of geocaching and gave up on our first one ever -but not without a fight! We went two different days -three different times (one time through thick buggy woods) with 2 different gps's. It was located in an active logging forest so it must have gotten logged away. But at least I got a cute picture in of my little troopers!

Also -remember Crafternoon? Read more about it on Katie's Blog -did someone say 'tattoo parlor'?!

Enjoy your summer and more Benzie instagram photos, my name is benziedesign. See you there!