So many of us are drawn to Tasha’s philosophy on living. Not every life has to be one of hustle and bustle. We partnered with The Posy Collection to create a new sampler incorporating Tasha's illustrations and her feeling that “there is no peace that cannot be found in the present moment.” Bring Tasha's gentle encouragement into your day while you're stitching this sampler and when the finished piece is displayed in your home. 

Making advent calendars is a fun and accessable craft project for young and old alike. This holiday season, why not try your hand at making one yourself?

We're happy to announce that you can now download Sparrow Post templates here and use them on any of your favorite papers, magazines or in any way you can imagine (personal use only please).  Looking for inspiration and instructions? Check our Sparrow Post DIY / craft article from last December. 

One of the most exciting things about February 14th is making and exchanging paper valentines. A Valentine Mobile makes a creative and unique substitution for a card, and also serves as a re-usable decoration for February 14th. 

In the wonderful book Tasha Tudor's Old-Fashioned Gifts, Tasha Tudor and Linda Allen include instructions for making Valentine Mobiles and today we are going to show you how to make our own, somewhat simplified, version!

The Sparrow Post is one of the most beloved and enduring traditions in the Tudor family. Every year, especially near Christmas and Valentines Day, Tasha Tudor, her children, and (later) her grandchildren would spend hours crafting miniature letters or valentines, envelopes, and post-boxes. Once constructed, the family would hang their little post-boxes on their bedroom doors and every morning they would wake eagerly to check to see if any mail had arrived in the night. Sometimes they would use the Sparrow Post to write to each other and sometimes the letters were addressed to or from their famous dolls such as Thaddeus Crane and Melissa Shakespeare who were considered part of the family. 

Tasha was in the habit of forcing bulbs to grace her home throughout the winter months.  Bulbs of choice were, tulips, hyacinths, amaryllis, and paper whites (tender fragrant narcissi).  My son, Benjamin,  who is an avid gardener, recently remarked that one of his favorite childhood memories was coming downstairs each morning to the enveloping fragrance of a large bowl of paper whites in bloom. 

The time came to try our hands at making a Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) tincture for bug bites and other skin irritations.  The magical forest we live in extends its reach to exclude poison ivy from growing here.  But if it grew here, this recipe would be good for poison ivy bites too.  Like many of the most enjoyable projects, this one came on its own.  We noticed. And we followed it.