My favorite month, June, is upon us. My love for June has very little to do with that fact that it is my birthday month, and everything to do with what's happening out-of-doors. A quite reliable warmth begins to take over, the sunshine seems to beam just a bit stronger, the sounds of birds and children alike seem to echo in a new way and everywhere I look, flowers, trees and gardens are in bloom.
Since my two little ones, Luca who has just turned four and Cecelia who is six months old, are participants in the seven o'clock bedtime, there is a little time to exhale between dinner and bedtime. Lately, we have been enjoying that sweet morsel of time outside in our backyard.
The scene goes something like this- me laying out a soft, old quilt for baby to roll and play on, Luca filling pail-after-pail of water to mix with our garden dirt to make mud and dip his feet in, peaceful birds landing (and just as quickly flying away from) our fence, and the sun casting a warm shade of golden light onto 'our spot'.
And oh, there are fairy houses. Each night a new one is built. It doesn't take much in the way of materials for Luca to fashion a house to his liking- dried bark from the woodpile, grass clippings, a bit of clover and a golden dandelion for detail. He things they are fancy. He feels proud as he builds them, steps back, and then admires his handiwork. I sit quietly and smile. No praising, just happiness at my little boy's innocence and contentedness in the simple things.
Years ago, my older pair started building fairy houses. I am certain there are books (how-to perhaps) on the details of these magical little dwellings. We never needed them. We simply followed the rule- one can use anything to build the house that is of natural material.
It had been so long since we've been in the fairy house building stage that I had nearly forgotten about them. I'm so pleased that Luca has brought me back to that enchanted period of motherhood again.
My 'secret' project is complete. It's only taken me a full year to complete. The better part of that year was spent thinking about what I wanted to do with these vintage patio chairs and planning how I was going to get the job done. The actual work itself only took days to complete. I guess you could say I had trouble getting to the real project. No regrets though. I am exquisitely satisfied with my pair of chairs.
My Nana gave me these chairs last spring. I have always been quite infatuated with and drawn to anything vintage. Beautiful and useful items in life seem to be my thing, and these chairs certainly fit that description.
I knew all along the color I wanted for these chairs. And I knew I wanted the arms to be painted white, in contrast to the vibrant robin's egg blue of the seat. In the end, the project beyond surpassed my expectations. These chairs scream summer! They beg to be sat in, whether in the shade or sun, preferably with a nice iced tea in hand! They are perfect in my book!
Happy New Year, Happy Three Kings Day and Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas! It is bittersweet that today is the last day of Christmas, but I feel we are ready to take on the new year and all that it holds for our family.
This week we started back to school. Even though we loved having several weeks off with no real agenda other than to relax, celebrate, feast and be merry, it felt splendid to get back into our routine again.
We have spent several days this week doing some wet-on-wet watercolor painting, a technique that we had never tried before. After acquiring some of our supplies over the Christmas season we were ready to give it a try.
I have ready many tutorials explaining this technique of wet-on-wet watercolor painting. This one is really useful.
This week the children are painting with only one primary color each time. Next week we will combine two of them and see what the results are.
They have been loving the process of wetting the paper, watching the paints get mixed and sliding their smooth brushes across the glossy, textured paper to see what intensities of color arises from their applications.
One element of our homeschooling is handwork- making something with our hands that is beautiful and useful. This certainly falls under that category. We plan on stringing up the paintings in our schoolroom to decorate one of the big, empty walls!
Last winter during my pregnancy with Luca I had the luxury of free time. Although I was mothering three young children and homeschooling at the time, none of my three were babies or toddlers. Children who sleep through the night, dress themselves, feed themselves and are capable of their own personal care (save a few nights a week where I trim nails, 'go over' brushed teeth and floss those little teeth meticulously) translates into a lot more downtime for a mother to read, knit, write, sew, socialize, ponder life and do whatever else she wishes to do without being quite so 'needed'.
During that time I was blessed enough to be able to read several books, blogs and articles which have really offered immense amounts of insight, encouragement and inspiration along with spurring me on to focus more intently on my purpose in life and to be able to formulate mentally what my true core values are.
One of these books was Mitten Strings for God- Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison. I was wise enough to make several journal entries as I read this book and to write down, ponder and eventually journal about those sentences, thoughts or chapters that struck me as wise and really spoke to me.
The chapter on 'Balance' is what I spent most of my journal entries on. Kenison writes:
" 'With our pitchers we attempt sometimes to water a field, not a garden' Anne Morrow Lindbergh wrote. How easy is it to find ourselves sprinkling droplets over a field, spreading ourselves too thin, giving without replenishing, accomplishing nothing of real value. And so I strive to keep my garden small, but to care for it joyfully and well. We bloom here."
This image of my life as a 'garden' will stay with me forever. How often do I overextend myself only to be left shaking my watering can in hopes of getting just a few more needed droplets of water out only to be ultimately left standing a dry and thirsty field. In the end, I am left angry, frustrated and depleted at having neglected my own small garden and to disappoint those around me. What a lesson!
She also encourages the reader to make a list and to think about our own days and weeks; to take a long hard look at our schedules, routines and rhythms. She asks us to ask the tough questions about how we are spending our time, what we love most to do (and if we are actually doing them!), what activities and obligations 'steal' our time, what undertakings are getting in the way of the simpler life that we wish you lead and to ask our selves what emotion is leading us to do the things we do (obligation? fear of being judged, left out or because our children are begging for them?).
I took the time to answer these questions and find myself, nearly a year later, still pondering them and attempting to dig deep and be brave about living an authentic life.
I am still striving each day. The journey to balance all that God has blessed me with is no easy feat but is valuable and worthy enough to demand my full attention along the journey.
A very wise and humble friend recently gave our baby a handmade gift with a card attached that read
'Like me, this gift has imperfections- but comes with lots of love'.
To me this really captures the essence of motherhood. There are no perfect mothers. No perfect families. No perfect children. But if we are living each day out of love then those imperfections and inadequacies become part of the rich thread that weaves and holds our beautiful lives together.
So humor me for a moment. Since I have always believed that writing is my most creative outlet, way to release all of these ideas that often get stuck inside my head and one of my most beloved hobbies, I thought I would exercise that part of me tonight and do a little writing experiment.
How about an alphabet of my day today?
I thought I would choose a word or two for each letter of the alphabet that describes a part of my day- something that I have experienced in mind, body or spirit. So here goes. I'm just writing the first word that comes to mind- nothing terribly artistically crafted here.
A- air conditioning B- Brambley Hedge C- cloth napkins D- dinner E- earrings F- fairy tales G- grateful H- homeschool planning I- irritable J- joke book K- kefir L- letters to mail M- mastitis N- nutella O- Olive Juice P- pasta Q- questions at bedtime R- reservation making S- spinach bagels T- three-month old baby U- undoing words V- Viking stories W- Wooden Wagon delivery X- anXiety Y- yellow squash Z- zucchini
Luca's first week at home has come and gone. I have to say, it has been a dream.
I keep finding myself hesitant to say how wonderfully it is going, bringing home a fourth child and all, and feel that everyone around me is thinking just wait. Just wait for the gas to start, the sleepy baby perking up and getting fussy, the sleepless nights to come. Just wait.
I guess that is the only negative thinking that is going on around here lately. I don't want to appear naive or overly positive and then have things deteriorate quickly leaving me sorely disappointed and pitied by friends and family.
But I am going against my prideful feelings and shouting to the world... things are just perfect!
We had a chance to resume some normal activities over the weekend and found ourselves (mother and nursling that is) at a baseball game, church and a ballet rehearsal. I am taking it slow and easy but also feeling that tug to be present for my other children as well.
It was a wonderful weekend full of firsts and exciting events... photos for the ballet that Sophia will dance in next weekend as a pixie, the game ball for Nicolas on Sunday and Elias chose to lose his training wheels and is zooming full-speed ahead on two wheels. So much pride as a mother.
We also had a chance to introduce Luca to our amazing homeschool community during our Share Day with our homeschool co-op on Monday. The children shared what they had learned and practiced for all season- a chorus performance, some Keva building and an Artist Trading Cards display and swap. Not everyday is so full. I need to now more than ever remember my vision of being at home more than I am out of the home especially during these early days of bringing home a new baby. Today I have cozied in, donned my wool socks and layers of soft stretchy clothing, enjoyed a super chocolaty brownie brought by a friend and am secretly feeling thankful for the chilly, wet day that is keeping us indoors.
There has been plenty of time for reading these days. I went a little overboard putting books on hold at the library but don't regret taking the time to choose the titles I have been meaning to bring home for long, long time.
These are the types of books that one can just pick up and read for a while and put down without feeling compelled to finish the entire book in one sitting. On any given night I am jumping from birth stories to how to make my own sauerkraut. Very exciting stuff.
We recently purchased this book after weeks of loaning it from the library and not wanting to return it. It is filled with the authentic, original fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and it has all three of my children completed enchanted and captivated each time we sit down to read.
We have been reading one fairy tale three days in a row and usually on the last day of reading the children like to act out the tale- costumes and all (I still have flour imprinted on my front door screen from when each child took turns playing the wolf from The Wolf and the Seven Kids who tried to hide his black paw by going to the baker and the miller for dough and flour to make it appear pure white like their mother's!).
Completely worth the elbow grease it takes to clean up after these plays.
This book is just beautiful to look at. I like to leave it out because it adds so much richness and loveliness to our home.
** The Pantheon Edition is the one that I chose in the end based on some research and reading. It is the most authentic and the art is amazing. **
Today marks my fifth full day on bed rest. My midwife told me that if I start to feel tortured then I'm doing it right.
If that's the case, then I've perfected the act of bed rest, torturous feelings and all.
So you may wonder what I'm doing with all of the newly founded downtime?
What I essentially doing is fighting nature. I have been having strong nesting instincts for nearly a week now and it feels nearly torturous to try and take it easy while my insides are screaming go scrub something!
There has been a bit of washing and tidying and some light scrubbing. I will not lie. But there has been lots of virtual nesting as well. I have been been adding to my current nest to make room for a new baby while simultaneously maintaining the nest that I am already responsible for. I have to say that I am thankful for the internet and for this laptop for that matter.
In addition to browsing many beautiful things on the web, I've also purchases a few. I had started to lose count and then today realized that I will be receiving five packages at the start of this week... and that's not counting this amazing book that just got delivered last Wednesday.
The urge to sew has suddenly struck hard and so I have become a bit covetous of some of the amazing projects that are out there just waiting to be mail ordered and sewn.
Here are some of the books and patterns that I have been drooling over of late and some images to go along with them. And although it feels oh-so right to start sewing up a batch of dresses made of French color cloth for mama and girls I know that it would be cheating.
So I must resist the urge to begin any major sewing projects and sit still and wait patiently for my next big project to begin... birth.
Beeswax has several advantages over playdough or clay including it's wonderful sweet smell, the mess-free area after use, the non-staining factor, the ability to use it over and over again and the fact that it requires nothing more than a child's warmth and patience to create what they'd like.
To use it, take a small bit of the beeswax and hold it between your palms to warm it. This can take several minutes and can be a good time to tell a story or just sit and enjoy the feeling of the beeswax in your hands.
It was so interesting to see how each child responded to the beeswax and the emotions and creativity it brought out in each.
Elias was most impressed by the sweet beeswax aroma (as seen in the below photo). He spent a bit of time simply pinching and stretching it and came to me to warm his pieces for him.
Nicolas had the most patience with warming his beeswax and set out from the get-go with the idea of creating a dinosaur in mind. He knew just what colors he wanted to use for which parts and really spent some time daydreaming as he warmed his beeswax (as seen in the below photo!).
Sophia did not have a bit of patience for the beeswax at first. She tried to warm it in her hands and quickly grew frustrated when it did not bend and give as she hoped it would. After a bit of encouragement and a little demonstration she gave it another try and set out to make Pippi Longstocking. I think she got as far as the peach-colored face and the bright orange pippi braids.
Our first experience certainly won't be our last. I just love that this simple toy brought so much joy to our morning!
It seems that nearly every time I look up it's Friday afternoon. This has happened four times already since Christmas ended and here I am in February with January already behind me.
It's not that busyness has gotten the better of me. It's just that I'm in the midst of a time of deep concentration and focus- to stay committed to schooling, to taking care of myself, my home and my family- that each day seems to go quicker than the next.
This week marks the beginning of the third trimester for this pregnancy. And with my arms spread open wide, I generously embrace the next three months ahead of me with one arm while preparing, nesting and planning furiously with the other arm.
I know that three months is not long. I know that there is much to do, to decide upon, to create, to plan, to wash, to organize and to enjoy.
Tonight I am thinking about sewing and spring.
I am thinking ahead to the items I'd like to make either before or after this little babe arrives. And although there are dozens of ideas and projects tumbling through my mind, I have chosen to focus on one theme- Sophia's Spring wardrobe.
Little by little. Stitch by stitch I will make something for this child to wear during the warm and breezy months ahead of us (I know they are there just waiting... I just can't feel them yet!).
In my heart of hearts I truly wish that I had the opportunity to write in this space daily. But instead I write when I can. When I have a quiet moment. When children are playing in the other room or finishing their breakfast. At times after they have gone to sleep and other times before they are awake for the day.
But I'll take what I can get.
And today all I can manage is a little update and some quiet thoughts.
week 24 of my pregnancy has begun. It feels good to be starting my sixth month and to feel this baby's movements getting stronger each week.
made the switch to tea. My morning, afternoon and evening cup of tea are treasured moments that symbolize an opportunity to slow down and warm up.
my new love grows. A dear friend taught me how to purl on Monday afternoon. I have a baby hat in mind and cannot wait to cast on at the next spare moment of down-time. And now a member of this community.
gearing up for the winter session of our homeschool co-op. We'll be spending the afternoons taking Drama and Drawing.
giving much thought to spending time one-on-one with each child. Planning to make a special time each week to spend alone with each child. Inspired by this book.
Like I mentioned in my last post, it is books and things that keep us going during our indoor time during the winter months.
I decided for this post that I would share some of the things that keep me as in individual busy, cultured, nurtured, connected and peaceful instead of focusing on what I enjoy with the children or the family as a whole.
Charlotte Mason eludes to this needs for mothers to refresh their souls, rejuvinate their minds, reflect their creativity and refocus ther vision. This term Mother Culture has been coined and I think this perfectly describes what any good mother must create for herself in order to continue on in contentment and peace as she meets the needs of those around her.
“What we need is a habit of taking our minds out of what one is tempted to call ‘the domestic rag-bag’ of perplexities, and giving it a good airing in something which keeps it ‘growing’ ” (Parents Review, Vol. 3, No. 2).
and although it pains me not to mention books in this list (they are such a shaping force in my life) I wanted to share some of the things that help to give my mind a good airing...
my new love. yes, I have finally been bit by the knitting bug and haven't put down my needles since before Christmas. I am still learning but enjoying the early part of the journey tremendously. Since I am still in the I-only-know-how-to-knit-stitch-stage, I have been churning out scarves every few days. My goal is to have a knit scarf to warm every neck in our family. I'm working on my third out of five currently.
a pen pal. A dear person that I met at work and I became fast-friends nearly two years ago. And then she up and moved to Big Sky, Montana to live in a wonderful, little ski village and work as a massage therapist. The life. So we decided that we would be pen pals. My first letter arrived last month and it was complete with photos of elk, her current reading list and a retelling of her experience during the Big Sky Christmas Stroll. She says it was enchanted! I'm going to love exchanging letters across the miles!
completing a project. There is always something waiting to be planned or organized when one has a family. My current project is tackling a good meal plan for our family. I have been thinking about this for over two years and really feel that it's time to have a plan in place. Simple right? Simply pick eight to ten of our favorite meals and rotate. Voila! I'm closer than I think. It's just a matter of sitting down and giving it some good thought.
baking. In life there is baking and cooking, and no, they are not one in the same. Although I love to cook wholesome and tasty meals for my family, baking is my truer calling. At the end of the day when the house is quiet and the children are slumbering soundly I often get the urge to bake something. Of course then there is the daytime baking that is done while the children are awake and able to help. Both are therapeutic times for me. And the end result is something that can be shared with friends and family. A few of my favorites include chocolate chip cookies, blueberry scones, pear tart, apple crisp, chocolate cake, banana bread and pumpkin muffins.
tidying and cleaning. I happen to one of those people who can't think straight in the midst of clutter or untidiness. I also happen to be a mother of three who homeschools. This translates into 5-6 eating experiences throughout the day, corners of every room filled with remnants of play, building, make-believe and art projects and lots of little foot and hand prints at nearly every turn. I try to maintain the level of tidiness each day and also choose one form of deep cleaning to tackle each day (cleaning out refrigerator- food and wiping down shelves, polishing wood in living room, cleaning windows, vacuuming under all furniture in any given room to name a few). Our space is small and brimming with loads of living and creating each day. I want to keep it simple and beautiful. A place where we can feel peaceful and warm all at once.
an afternoon out. Choosing to spend time alone each week is something that didn't come naturally for me at the start of motherhood. I used to wait until I felt toxic emotions bubbling up inside me and then declare that I needed to get out of the house this instant. I felt guilty at first for the need I felt to have time to myself each week and wouldn't even ask for this time. It used to be a daily need I had when my children were babies and toddlers and taking care of them was so much more physical (nighttime wakings, breastfeeding, dressing, bathing and feeding them) than it is currently. And now sometimes a stretch of four or five days goes by without any real need or desire surfacing to spend time alone. But yet I know now that this time out is really a preventative measure that allows me to keep on top of the burnout and resentment that can sometimes accompany a mother who is at home with her children day in and day out. So I plan time in even when I don't feel that I need it. A trip to the bookstore, an errand or two, some time spent at local thrift and consignment stores and sometimes a quiet lunch out alone with a good book or a journal.
an evening out. After nearly ten years of marriage, Mike and I are still very diligent about planning date nights. We are blessed to have my family very nearby. This translates into grandparents who are happy to sit with the children and often tuck them into bed while we enjoy a quiet dinner out. It feels so good to step away and know that everyone back home is safe, sound and thrilled to have their Nannie or Grampie with them.
And although the list is in constant motion as the seasons of life come and go, I am certain to always have something going to keep my mind, hands and heart busy other than my children.
Winter is always a big time for reading in our home. While the call to play and be outdoors is still present, sadly it is not as strong as it is during the milder months. And when we do venture out of doors, bundled up usually in the face of snow, it is for much shorter periods than in the Spring, Summer and Fall.
I must admit that I secretly like being somewhat housebound due to snow, cold and early nightfall during these New England winters and count it as an excuse to enjoy other worthwhile indoor activities.
To many parents, myself included at times, being shut up in doors with their children is not something they look forward to with pleasure. And although I have not always felt this way, I have grown to enjoy and treasure the time that I spend at home with my children.
The nagging thought of needing to get out today has slowly slipped away and been replaced with a contentment and an anticipation for our quiet days at home. And although we still manage to possess an active social life, and probably do leave the house at least once daily, a balance has been struck between simple time at home and social time outside of the house.
When we do head out and about, it is not in search of a fleeting thrill to pass an afternoon away or a visit of distraction to a store to buy things that none of us need. Instead it is for worthwhile activities and visits with friends and family. I have become choosy over the years in deciding what and where we will spend out time. There are many good activities out there. But are they the best for my children?
There was a time when sadly my children would ask me if we were going to the store today or who was coming over. Before I found my place and purpose in life, much time was spent frittered away at simply trying to get through the day while keeping my sanity with two or three little ones. It was a survival mode of sorts. But in the end, all we had to show for were days marked off the calendar and bits of money spend that didn't need to be.
Of course we still do go out to stores... but only when there is something that we need to buy. I don't consider window shopping a worthwhile activity to pursue with young children in tow. I feel it can be overwhelming to them and can create battles over toys that they feel they need to have right then and there that didn't exist in the first place.
Which brings me to the original focus of this blog post: books and things.
I wanted to share some of the books and things that we we are currently enjoying as a family.
For those of you who know us personally, you know that my Mike and I are avid health and wellness enthusiasts. What else can you expect from a nutritionist and a personal trainer couple? So needless to say there has been a recent influx of books relating to nutrition and wellness making their way into our home. And although we are both guilty of having at least three books going at once, we are thoroughly enjoying each book in it's own time.
The Crazy Makers: How the Food Industry is Destroying our Brains and Harming our Children by Carol Simontacchi Nutrtion and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price The Diet Cure by Julia Ross
Two books that I am just loving right now both pertain to simplicity and parenting. So much of what these authors are writing about I have already felt the conviction about years ago. But these books go into so much more and address some practical ways to simplify as well as offering that extra nudge that is sometimes needed to go even further with the vision that has been given to you about what your family really needs.
Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier and More Secure Kids by Kim John Payne and Lisa M. Ross Mitten Strings for God: Reflections for Mothers in a Hurry by Katrina Kenison
Sophia is encouraged to always have a book going on the side for free reading that is from her book list. This is usually a book that is a good work of literature, one that no child should miss. This winter she has chosen Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink.
And although we have been without TV for nearly a year, we still like to indulge in the occasional movie. We rely on our library for children's books and DVDs that they would like to read and watch. One of our favorite DVDs is the series Faerie Tale Theater by Shelley Duval. It is a collection of the TV series from the late 1980s featuring portrayals of popular fairy tales by the Brothers Grimm and various tall tales and legends. The stories are enchanting and engaging and we have read most of them already so their is some history behind the stories.
There are many more things that we do to enjoy a rich home life that I will have to save for another post sometime soon...
We had a chance on Monday to participate in our third and final Winter Craft Days with our homeschool co-op. This week we dipped candles. We took turns walking in a line and rotated dipping our candles. Some of the younger dippers tuckered out before their candles were finished so I ended up dipping two sets while my kids played with their co-op friends for one of the last times this year.
Some of the other handicrafts that we've had a chance to experience were making felted wool soap and braiding rag rugs.I have so enjoyed these crafts and can't wait to try them on my own at home.
After the candles were dipped and we hung them to set, we all gathered around and sang Christmas songs. It was a spectacular and precious hour where the children were given the opportunity to choose their own carols and lead the rest of the group in chorus.
The children felt so proud to be able to stand on stage and sing their songs. There were some sweet moments, like when Sophia and her friends sang Silent Night. There were also several comedic moments such as when Nicolas, Elias and their good friend Michael and his little brother Mark volunteered to lead the group in singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. There was not a dry eye in the room after laughing so hard that we cried . These boys need to take their show on the road. Seriously.
It was a wonderful time spent using our hearts and hands to prepare for the Christmas season.
Monday was Parent's Observation at Sophia's ballet school. Each semester the parents get to sit in on a class and observe their child taking and executing instruction. It's always so interesting to see how my children respond to other teacher's authority when I am so used to living out my mother-teacher role with the children on a daily basis.
This is Sophia's fourth year of taking ballet lessons. Her school is a classical ballet school in the area that also presents The Nutcracker each holiday season for the community to enjoy. This year Sophia was cast as a Toy Soldier in the battle scene. Her brothers are quite proud that their sister gets to fight off the mice and rats with a weapon. Terribly exciting.
The thing that strikes me most about the whole experience is the degree of concentration with which each girl responds to her teacher's instruction. It is truly a result of continual training and consistent attention.
I have to admit to the amount of pride that swells inside of me during each of these times of parent observation. Seeing how she grows each time is really remarkable and knowing that it is her taking the lead and asking for this ballet instruction makes it even more enjoyable.
A little Halloween art from my pair of author/illustrator children. They sat down a couple of weeks ago to compose a poem about trick-or-treat and took their task quite seriously. Sophia wrote the majority of the poem and she asked Nicolas to draw a picture to show what an autumn night might look like.
On Halloween night, the kids are in sight And everyone will not be sleeping. The kids run around the entire town And the grown-ups just sit around waiting. Six little feet enter the street, The leaves blow around And the children no frown. What a Halloween night that was!
After spending several weeks scouring local thrift shops, consignment stores and one of my favorite online clothing shops for children without any success, I decided to take matters into my own hands.
What I was looking for specifically were a few summer dresses and skirts for Sophia.
So I did what any decent mother with a sewing machine and a set of some basic sewing skills would do and made her a few summer skirts.
I used linen for the fabric and chose some contrasting ribbon for the hem. I am really loving these skirts and the way they fit Sophia- she looks like a little girl and I love that. So far she has worn them with a peasant-style blouse and a pretty tank and they look adorable both ways.
Spring. It's here and it feels oh-so good. One of the things I love most about Spring is the change that it brings. Lighter. Fresher. A chance to start new.
I thought I would share a little inspiration with you and a few treats that I have found as a way to mark the change of the seasons. Like I've said before, my mind is always turning and spinning up ideas of how I'd like to transform my world to be more beautiful and useful.
Here is a bit of what I'm liking, no, loving, right now...
This darling little (free, yes, free) print that I got from Feed Your Soul: the free art project site. I chose this print for Sophia's room and I find the motto so fitting for this child- Do Something.
My creative, spirited, wheels-always-turning seven-going-on-eight year old is always, always doing something. I cannot keep up with all of her plans, but she usually finds a way of executing them with or without me. I love that she has imagination, determination and the courage to begin new things in life each and every day. I know she will love this.
This quirky little print below is all mine. I'm fond of everything in it, from the colors, to the birds, to the striped tights that this little headless woman is wearing. Strange. Bizarre. Yes. But somehow oh-so appealing to me. This is, of course, for my side of the bed.
You know those curtains that I am always writing about? Well here are two dream fabrics that I've spotted that look like they're just waiting for me to cut, pin, sew and hang in my living area. Big decisons. Really big.
And now for my favorite. I spotted this bag a month ago and agonized about whether or not to buy it. It is called Plain Leaves in Sky Blue from bayan hippo handmade and just seems to embody everything that I love about this season (not to mention that there is enough space in it to carry a good book for when I am out and about alone and some necessary kid-essentials when I am traveling with three little humans in tow). I did buy it. I love everything about it. It was a very good decision.
So that's my little bit of sharing for today. Just a few things that are bringing a smile to my face and a bit of color to my world right now...
Art. It is made often in our home by various members, in various mediums and at various times of the day. Whether it be a play put on by my older pair or an impromptu watercolor painting session by all three of them, art is a daily part of our lives.
This lovely little video was so inspiring to me. I watched it last week for the first time and couldn't get the music or images out of my head. So simple. So honest. It gave me chills.
One of my favorite lines from the video says great ideas come from great bike rides. Yes. Great bike rides are good. So are long, lazy afternoons with no agenda, no classes and no commitments.
Giving my kids raw materials to work with are so, so important to me. I try to stay away from coloring books or other types of "art" that limit their imagination or show them what to draw or how to create their art.
I can see how proud they feel when they create something new. A new painting. A new tool. A new piece of jewelry.
We find time every day for some sort of creating. Sometimes it is what you would think of as traditional arts and crafts. Other times it may just be a new fort that is built. Or a scene that is recreated from a book or movie (like the photo below where our coffee table was turned into Mr. and Mrs. Beaver's dinner table from The Chronicles of Narnia a few weeks ago)
soap carving (photos below) Art. I hope that their love of making art and creative imaginations stay with them through childhood and remains their constant companion throughout their lives.
