every year for as long as i can remember i have made the majority of my holiday gifts. i've always enjoyed this way of giving - it feels much more natural, comfortable and rewarding for me. last year was uber fun as several of the components we made comprised a theme - we had ourselves a mixed jam.
we spent many of our weekend days that summer hand picking fruit - blueberries, loganberries, raspberries and strawberries - then stockpiling all the just-picked berries in the freezer. it was stuffed tight, that freezer. i was determined to make jam for the first time that fall - something i've always wanted to learn, and which also happened to be on the list. once properly trained by the lovely and generous donna paulson, we were off and destroying the kitchen, and developing scrummy fruit combinations along the way.
then there was lots of tie-dying to be done. lots. we tie-dyed tea towels, and no two were the same. each one was like a fresh new palette to go crazy on. every rubber band, pot, pan, pushpin and clothespin were employed, and towels were hung on makeshift lines all around the house to dry.
but you know, we couldn't stop at the grooviness of the colors and patterns alone. they still needed a bit more rock and roll, so we used some of our favorite stencils from the awesome ed roth book, stencil 101.
after all the washing, more drying, stenciling, then ironing, we moved on to the final touch of the package, and a "mixed tape" was born (well you know, on disc.) hence, all the pieces for a box of mixed jam.
this year will be much more low key, but some kind of something will get created here, and that's the goal here this weekend, to figure out what that will be. schemes and plots will be hatched, and in turn more production havoc will be wreaked in this house, and we will love every messy minute of it.
grateful today for: friends to make stuff for, a home to create in, tie-dye, and a two-year supply of jams
