Winter in Omaha

For almost the entire last week we've had this amazing, creepy, gorgeous fog engulfing our city. 

And then today we woke up to a pretty, soft blanket of fresh snow!

So, mama spent the morning making homemade bread. 

Because warm bread is cozy and yummy and well...why not!?

It turned out deeelicious! 

Bird Bath

Poppy loves baths. We've never had a problem with her crying because she had to take a bath. We've only ever had a problem with taking her OUT of the water. She loves splashing around and playing with the rag and she even has a little dance she does. I tried to catch it on video, but she suddenly got camera shy. Still, here's a little peek at bath time with baby.

A Jacoby Violin Sighting!

Fun news! Christopher's violin was used in an A. Cavallo Violin ad in the March 2013 edition of the well known music magazine called STRINGS! Click HERE to read more about the publication. His instrument is on page 27. Here is a snapshot we got of the ad. Both front and back views are Chris'  instrument.

Poppy's 6 Month Check Up

Poppy had her 6 month check up today! She was such a brave little babe. The doctor said she's off the charts in size and weight and in the 90th percentile for head size. She weighs a whopping 20.8 pounds! and is 28 inches long. Our Doc says she's "technically" a skinny baby, ha! (have you seen those cheeks!?) because she's longer than she is wide. She also got her next round of shots, which is always much harder on mama than it is on baby. She did great. She cried really hard for just a second and dozed off and slept it off. Now, as I type this, she is rolling around on the floor and making silly noises. We're very proud of her. Here are some photos from our Doctor visit today.

Daddy kept her mind off the owies.

To you, from me.

Brittany has been diligently creating little handmade cards to be sold (hopefully!) at a bookstore and a coffee shop in town. Here is a little peek at what she's been working on.

Don't worry, the bottom card is supposed to have coffee stains

this one is my favorite, so far.

The Joy Jar

The year 2012 was rough on the J-birds for a handful of reasons. Between moving our home twice and living in three different states in a matter of months, a terribly rough pregnancy,  perpetual car problems, custody agreements, money, and all the other not-fun things that plagued us last year, we are VERY hopeful that 2013 will be a brighter and sweeter experience. So far, so good. We have made a resolution to NOT move this year. Not once. We are staying put and enjoying our nest and taking miniature adventures, but not moving. No thank you. Mama and Papa are also taking action and pursuing the things that make them most happy, as individuals, while supporting each other as a duo. Brittany with her arts and getting involved in the community. Chris with his instruments and opportunities as a Luthier. And both with helping Poppy conquer all her major baby milestones she's sure to have this year. We're also making it a point to indulge in the little things that make this life not only bearable, but absolutely enjoyable. Those are the things we intend to share with you on this blog. Today's post is about our "Joy Jar" that mama is implementing. Although we are hopeful that 2013 will be friendly to us, there is always the possibility of unexpected difficulty, and so it is important to be able to focus on the tiny, happy moments. This jar is meant to do just that.

Here is the concept.

Here is the jar.

I'm excited to fill this up and then reminisce about all the happy things, at the years end!

Poppy's New Talent

Today's talent is Poppy and her fart noises. Yup, I said fart noises. She does these all day long and it's still as cute as it was the first time she tried it. Here's a video of the silly girly.

(Again, I haven't figured out how to make the videos work on a mobile device,

 so you'll need a computer to view them, for now)

She seems to be trying all sorts of tricks, these days. So, "Poppy's New Talent" will be a regular post to keep family up to date on her adorable developments.

Valentine Package

Since Lil' O is only with us part of the year, we tend to miss out on some fun holidays with her. But, to help remedy the distance just a little, I (Brittany) like to put together packages with a few fun things in them to let her know we're thinking of her, here in Omaha. Here is a peek at the Valentine's Day package I've been working on.

This is my favorite item in the package, for very obvious reasons.

I like to wrap the presents individually, rather than just stuff them
all in the box, so it's more fun for her to open.

And I like to put special touches on the box.

I can't wait to send this off to her in a week!

Papa Post: A Tour of Violin Shop

So, Foxwife asked if I would give a glimpse of what I am doing at work right now. A tour!

Below is a shot of the workshop, with woodchips and fiddle parts and instruments baking in the UV light box, and a few toys and bottles of hot sauce, too. The bench against the wall there is set up so that I can do most of my work while standing. It saves a lot of neck and back pain while I gouge and dig and saw about on things.

At this end of the workbench I have two violins from the turn of the 20th century that I've restored, meaning I dragged them apart and fixed all their cracks and bad repairs and cleaned the mold and dirt out of them, and then got them up to a nice shine again, ready for fresh ebony pegs and setup. This work is rewarding because I serve the instrument, making it the best it can be, knowing that it will outlive me by three or four hundred years, brightening the lives of people not born yet. 

The orange violin is a 1909 A. Heuyauer made in Salt Lake City, and the brown one behind it is a 1912 Heberlein made in Markneukirchen, Germany. These fiddles will go out to a dealer in Milwaukee tomorrow-- he has been calling all week to hurry me along- apparently excited to get his hands on them.

Below are my next two violins, opus 42 and 43, still in pieces, though the one on the left will be put together by the weekend. I am very proud of the scroll I've carved for it- it has a lot of character and compliments the rest of the fiddle nicely. The one on the right had a different back to begin with, a beautiful quilted piece of maple that was cut in the 1960's, and chosen for this violin by Foxwife from my stash of wood. Unfortunately, a large seam of checks was hidden in the piece, and I had to scrap the almost-finished back after 20 or so hours of work. So it goes...

These violins are modeled on a G.B. Rogeri violin of 1704, although most of the stylistic points reflect my own taste by this point. Violins built on this form have a rich, even sound; very fun to play.

Next is my new viola, opus 41, with it's first layer of varnish drying on it. The ground varnish goes on the protect the wood, and is harder than the consequent layers that give my instruments a depth and rich color I couldn't achieve without this first, golden field. This is a fairly accurate copy of a 15 5/8" da Salo viola that Mark Womack gave me a mould for. It's sunning in the light box right now.

And below is that mould! The plywood form with the holes drilled into it holds the ribs, or sides, of the viola to the blocks, helping to form the instrument to the right dimensions. This bad boy is ready to go back into production after I have my violins drying, as I've gotten a commission for one from Park City, Utah from an old friend. Her daughter will be a senior next year, and she promised her a Jacoby viola some years ago. 

I'll go back to playing with blocks of wood now, and let Foxwife walk you out.

-Chris

**Christopher is employed by A. Cavallo Violins. Learn more about the shop HERE.

baby bird food

Poppy is 6 months of wonderful, as of last week, and we've been easing her into solid foods. She caught right on and is eating like a pro. Her favorite foods, as far as we can tell from her reactions, are banana (she reeeally likes banana), oatmeal and avocado. This brave little bird has also tried watered down hummus and licked a lime wedge. She LOVED the lime wedge, which we found surprising, but we told her she'd have to wait till she's a bit older for more of those. Here are some photos of the littlest Jacoby learning how to eat like a big girl.

Olive feeding her little sister. I love this photo.

And here's a little video from Miss P

(apparently the video doesn't work on mobile phones... sorry guys)

Adventure walks

Mama and Poppy try to get out of the apartment and into the world as often as weather allows. We have a favorite route we like to take to the nearby park. But, sometimes we mix it up a bit. Poppy loves the way the breeze feels on her face and coos the whole time, until she falls asleep from the motion of the stroller. And, mama likes the exercise. Here are some photos of things we've seen on our walks.

Bird Book

Brittany has been working on a children's book to be sold at a craft fair this summer. 

It's still in the very beginning stages, but here is a sneak peek. 

Most mornings look like this around here. 

We, more specifically Brittany, seems to be constantly
drawn to birds. Birds in nature, birds in artwork, birds in
books, birds in movies, bird feathers, bird cages...etc.
Hence, the name of this blog. Hence, the title of this book.

The sentiment of this book is simplicity and meant to have that sort of kitschy charm.

It will be some time before all the little crafty kinks are worked out with this, but it should

be done come spring time and then we'll send out little copies to our family members. 

Happy Saturday!

A Tour of Our Nest: Part 1

Our tiny in-home cafe

Breakfast nook wall

Breakfast nook

Part of our reading area (yes that's an old car hood)

Part of the living room

Bathroom

Little bird's room

Guest bed/O-bird's bed

Ma & Pa's bed

Our home also has two balconies and lots of big windows that offer us natural light all day long.
Hope you enjoyed your peek into our home, now come visit us and put that guest bed to use!