A Treat for Mother's Day

Mother's Day is fast approaching. In years past I haven't given much thought in to how Mother's Day would go, but this year, as I'm surrounded by my ever expanding brood, I'm realizing that in celebrating this day given to being a Mother, it's important that I, too, experience the day as I wish.

This year, in honor of Motherhood, I will be doing a three part series on how to celebrate the Mothers in your life, including  yourself. Yes, I am suggesting you celebrate just being you, the radical, amazing, beautiful Mother that you are! This series will include many wonderful things including a mind blowing giveaway from an amazing artisan who creates absolutely breathtaking pieces of work! I can't wait for you to see it!

Today, I would like to direct your attention toward a lovely discovery called Treat, a part of the Shutterfly family! Here is their description from their website::

 

www.treat.com

"Welcome to Treat, your online home for making, sending and putting some real love and personality back into greeting cards. Treat is all about customizing, personalizing and making your cards one-of-a-kind creations that could only come from you. We're talking about adding your own words and pictures so your cards stand out from the crowd and the person who receives them will be totally psyched—blown away actually. These aren't your typical boring greeting cards from the drugstore—these ones actually have thought behind them.  Our reminder service will make sure you never miss a birthday, anniversary or important milestone. At a loss for exactly the right words? Our Message Library will help inspire you. Need a gift on the fly? We got you covered with integrated gift cards printed right inside the card you create. Treat is fun and easy to use, but more importantly, helps connect you and all the people in your life in a more personal and caring way."

I was immediately intrigued because I am a sucker for a unique card and because of that, we always make our own cards or seek out those ultra unique ones at our local specialty stores. Our children really enjoy the process of creating a card; thinking of just the right words, what pictures to draw, and so on. Using Treat, you create your own card with the help of various templates available to you that you can make your own by adding your own photos and creating your own personal message. Your littlest ones would need assistance with the process but it would be a cinch for the older ones. Our eldest daughter, who is 11, created one all on her own. She uploaded a photo to the card she liked the best and changed the words in the template to create her own unique message. I also joined in on the fun and created one for my own Mother. We received our cards in the mail just the other day and they are beautiful. The cards are a heavy card stock paper, the photos are matte, and the colors are vibrant. I was most impressed with the quality of the photos. They are clear, no pixels are visible, and the colors are just as I would have hoped them to be. This is quite an improvement as our printer tends to give us photos of an interesting color palette, not like I would have hoped most times. 

If you'd like to check out some of the other templates available at Treat specifically for Mother's Day, click the photo below!

These are our cards! Aren't they beautiful?!

More Mother's Day Cards
 

There is a card for every season at Treat; birthday cards, holiday cards, and your everyday greeting cards. I can't help but think of the next birthday around the corner with a family of our size! What I absolutely can get behind is the scheduler that is available for your cards. You can create and schedule delivery of your unique card up to a year in advance! For me, that is revolutionary because typically speaking, I'm the one that ends up calling a day to two after the birthday has passed. That's not the most fun place to be and I look forward to growing out of that particular experience :)

 

 

I hope you come back tomorrow to see how we've been inspired through our Pinterest board and for a lovely craft idea that we're making for the Mama's we know and love xo 

 

 

The Art of Spring Cleaning

Well! We certainly wasted no time upon reentry of our 10 day holiday to dive right in and create mayhem in our home. These past few days have been warm and quite Springlike so we threw open the windows and inch by inch tore up the stacks and stuffiness of the back of the house (which inevitably means the rest of the house, too).  It all started with these shelves.......

 

These are my craft supply shelves. Over the past few months I haven't been the best at keeping things organized and when I am afforded the time to create I usually just leave everything laid out on our dining room table. Of course, we have to eat so everything gets quickly shoved into where ever it might fit. Ironically, these shelves still haven't been straightened! LOL

 

This is where we chose to begin. The closet. This 8'x10' room was a closet for 5 people! Me, Lee, Charlotte, Kiki and Seraphina. Utilizing dressers, shelves, and a homemade armoire we somehow (kinda) made it work. There is no door to this room so we  hung a curtain in the doorway to keep visitors eyes from drifting too deeply inside. We very rarely could keep it neat; clothes would easily pile up after being laundered, baskets captured most of the dirty clothes, and a myriad of other non-clothes items would find their way into this space simply because we lack the storage and space in this 1000 sq. ft., one floor, home.  Needless to say, I'm glad we made my craft shelves wait.

 

This was an in between shot. Partially finished but with plenty more yet to do.

 

This is what happened to the bathroom.....yes, that's a ton of stuff just piled into the bathtub!

 

This is Bella's room. The poor Dear had just cleaned her room and we took full advantage of the space while she was at her riding lesson. She just about cried when she saw this picture. I assured her it would be back in order before she went to bed, at it was......more or less!!!

 

This is the laundry space. Just stacks and stacks and stacks. Oy! I dreaded getting in here because a.) I couldn't just close a door and hide it, this space is right in our hallway. There was no way to avoid it and b.) all of the storage that exists was currently being used for other stuff. Where and how the heck was I going to somehow make room!!!

 

 

In the end, it was all well worth the suffering.

 

This is our finished bedroom. Just to give you an idea of why this is a monumental moment, my husband and I had shared a room with the 3 littles. A 10'x10' room that held a queen size bed, bunk beds, a dresser, a shelving unit, a co sleeper, a micro book shelf, and the cozy corner. Cozy in every sense of the word. For the first time in 7 years, Lee and I have our own room, we do share it still with Seraphina but we still feel like grown ups! Big people! It's just so nice.

 

 

This is my side of the room. Heaven!

 

 

This is now the "somewhat organized, at least manageable, I can reach what I need" laundry space. That huge black case to the left is my massage table. I'm finding that even though I'm not in school anymore (you can read more about that here) I'm still finding use for it, however obtrusive, it'll have to stay there for now.

 

 

The bathroom is back in order except for some shelves that need some minor organizing. For now, it's manageable. In case you were wondering, NO, there is nothing hiding behind the shower curtain!!!

 

 

 

This is Charlotte and Kiki's room. Where the long dresser on the right sits is where our bed used to be. Their room is largely acceptable. We still have clothes piles to contend with but they can be assimilated slowly and at a more leisurely pace.

 

 

This is a view to their bunks. Just out of bed but so much more room to jump into from bed. They have a huge bit of space to play in now, thank goodness. Next in here will be a new floor and some minor details like silk curtains and taking those stickers of the bed!! Those stickers used to go on our car window (we were those people!!!) I'll have to figure out another way for them to keep their prized "visit to the bank" stickers.

 

 

Now, I just have to clean off the dining room table and.......

 

 

.....reinvent this corner. This used to be Rosco's window. His bed was right under the window and gave him the perfect spot to watch us from his resting spot. The window will get spruced up, the radio in the corner will be moved, along with the stash of boxes from various trips to the basement that never got returned. My hope is that my craft shelves can fit here, those drawers can stay and be used for homeschool supplies and the like and a few really beautiful plants can sit atop the dresser  and soak up the sunshine from the south. For me, it feels really important to make that space a beautiful one to look at. I miss my boy everyday and to leave his spot empty just reminds us that his little body is gone. Gotta bring some life back into his space, make it a shared space.

 

 

This mess is our home.....and even though it feels so good when it's not quite as messy, it's doesn't feel any less like home even when it's the messiest.

 

Are you spring cleaning? How's it going for you?

 

Meet Flora and Blossom

 

Good Monday, friends! I'd like to take a moment and introduce you to my darlings, Flora and Blossom. These ladies will be sent away to my buddies in a peg doll swap that I'm participating in started by Margaret over at We Bloom Here. This is my first swap and I'm so excited!!

 

Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul. ~ The Koran



Hi! I'm Blossom :)

Hi! I'm Flora :)

 

First Knitting Project.......Ever!

 May our hands complete our task with patience,

May our work be done with care,

May our fingers work as friends together,

Then may we our handwork share.

Our hands have completed the task with patience,

We have done our work with care,

Our fingers have worked as friends together,

And we have our friendship shared.

 

I'm joining Nicole at Frontier Dreams for Keep Calm Craft On.

 

I've been working on this in the round knit for quite some time. My free time to sit empty lapped and with enough to time to focus (I'm a really new knitter) is limited. I've got this lovely bit of work up at my eye level so I can see it whenever I'm walking through the house, reminding me to be patient, keep my eye on the prize, all things come to those who wait.

 

I have always wanted to knit, even when I was a little girl. I asked my Mom over and over again to teach me but for whatever reason, she didn't. My high school best friend's Mom crocheted and so she taught me how to do that. My Mom briefly attempted to show me to knit when my son was learning at his Waldorf school......again, I guess it was too frustrating for her to try to teach me and my son. Finally, after being inspired by a beautiful knitted playscape I saw I sat up late one night and taught myself with the help of YouTube videos.  Those little lessons gave me the confidence to knit little hats for our St. Nicholas peg dolls and I adored every minute of it.

 

The only downfall to teaching myself is I really haven't any clue how to read a pattern. I find it terribly frustrating when I've tried and then to discover what I thought it said wasn't what it truly said so my first knitting attempts always got pulled out.  This time, I'm kinda, well......I"m just going for it. I'm knitting and purling and decreasing in a kinda proportioned way.

 

insert shaking head and shrugging shoulders with a "we'll see" smirk on my face

 

The one thing I can say with absolute satisfaction (aside from the shear joy I get from simply knitting at all), is that this yarn is phenomenal! I haven't the faintest idea what brand it is, I got it from our local yarn shop. It is a wool/mohair blend, that I remember. The colors as so beautiful and the texture is divine, the easiest yarn I've worked with so far. I guess, I'm aiming for a hat? Seems the most logical. A sweet friend suggested a vest, but, I'm feeling quite inferior for that for a first project.

 

I think for a Mother's Day gift (it's months away, I know), I'll request a knitting class.

 

For all you knitters out there......I'd love any suggestions/help/ideas/links/ANYTHING that will help me on my journey to being a knitter. My goal, is to be able to knit sweaters. My Mom used to knit for us, and she knit for the grandkids......I'd love to continue that tradition. Thank you, dear ones xoxo

Valentine's Day Window Hearts

 

Candle light, moon light, star light,
The brightest glow is from love light.

~Terri Guillemets

 

We made a simple Valentine decoration today to adorn our front door windows. I am in love with window transparencies; I love the colors that shine through, how they instantaneously beautify a space, the time and patience it takes to create them. These were awfully simple to create. Using white coffee filters, we water colored them and after they dried, I cut them into heart shapes and glued them to our front door windows (using a glue stick). Using homemade window paint (a simple mixture of tempura paint and dish soap. I didn't measure, I just eye balled it and hoped for the best) I traced the hearts on the window and there you have it!

 

Valentine's Day, I have found, can be such a bright and fun day while we are in the midst of February. At this time of dark and cold days, it's nice to have a day that is simply focused on just being kind and sweet and in love. We'll pull out the Valentine hearts we made last year and use them to decorate our nature table as well as create a few new ones to add to the lot.

 

 

As we get over the February hump and get closer to seeing the stirring of Springtime, I can't help but feel hopeful for the newness that we'll begin to witness. The sheep are beginning to show signs that lambing season will soon be here, birds are busy and chirping away, days are becoming longer and longer, and I know soon enough we will begin to see buds popping up from beneath the snow. Valentine's Day, for me, is a day to stir the sleepy busyness within me. It's been dark and cold for many months and while Valentine's Day isn't warmest or sunniest day of the year, it helps me to remember that with love......all things are possible. We can brighten each others day by simply acting out of love, being love, seeing love within each other. I'll be the first to admit, that it's been hard to be in that place this winter. It's been a trying time and I know I haven't offered up my best self on more than one (or two, or three) occasions. The light that will shine through each of the hearts on our front entry way will serve as a reminder to try to recommit myself to this virtue::

“Before you speak ask yourself: Is it kind, is it necessary, it is true, does it improve upon the silence?”   
~ Shirdi Sai Baba

 

*sigh* Love is good. It softens the heart and brightens the day. How might Valentine's Day shake the winter blues out of you?

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Ironically, as I was perusing Pinterest after this post was published, I came across this post with the exact same Valentine activity!! This has happened before and I love it!! It's amazing to me! Nonetheless, I feel it's important to include it here :)

http://innerchildfun.com/2013/01/quick-valentine-window-display.html

Snow Magic

 

Look into the garden

Where the grass was green,

Covered by the snowflakes,

Not a blade is seen.

Look outside the window,

All looks still and white;

Under snowy blankets,

What a pretty sight!

~ J.D. Macey

We're buzzing with excitement in our little hobbit home today! According to our local weather reports we're to expect quite a bit of snow throughout the day and overnight into tomorrow. We haven't had a good bit of snow in quite some time. The last real snow  we can remember (the kind of snow that slows and bring everyday life to a halt, the kind of snow that brings a rumble or two of thunder, the kind of snow that requires constant shoveling to keep walkways clear) was back in 2007. We had back to back snow storms, one of Valentine's Day and one of St. Patrick's Day. We've had a few good storms here since, but truly, nothing like those. We're anticipating good sledding, lots of baking so the oven can help keep our home extra warm, snuggling in to a movie or two, working on some Valentine treats, and really, just hunkering down and being together.

 

 

The littles woke up with so much energy (maybe they're feeling the energy from these two storm that have converged around us). They could barely contain their joy and excitement. After a little stroll around Pinterest I found this really fun idea for homemade snow at The Imagination Tree.

 

Using ingredients that I had on hand, cornstarch and vegetable oil (and glitter), I brought out a plastic storage tub, had Charlotte and Kiki pour the cornstarch into the bin, I poured the oil over the top of the cornstarch, and as they littles mixed and sifted the cornstarch I sprinkled glitter all over their little hands.

This simple sensory activity provided lots of fun (and mess, so be prepared!!) According to the post at The Imagination Tree children exploring with this sensory activity are learning::

Sensory: exploring through sensory investigation, learning new descriptive language
Literacy: story telling, vocabulary development
Science/ Knowledge & Understanding of the World:

combining materials, recipes, geography and habitats
Creativity: imaginative play, forming sculptures
Maths: counting out measurements

They made snowmen, piles of snow, sprinkled snow all over each other and all around them :) We didn't have any moulds of any kind, that might have made the play a bit more exciting but it was still magical and they thought it was a ton of fun to have some snow in the house.

 

Snowflakes falling soft and light,

Snowflakes falling in the night,

Soft and light, pure and white.

When the sun shines out so bright

All the earth is dressed in white.

Candlemas

 

 "At the beginning of February, when the infant light of spring is greeted thankfully by the hoary winter earth, it seems fitting we should celebrate a candle Festival to remember that moment when the Light of the World was received into the Temple, when the old yielded to the new.”

~ from All Year Round

 

I was a bit overwhelmed on Friday when I realized that the first of February was upon us and I hadn't prepared at all for St. Brigid's Day and Candlemas. This past week was filled with wonderful  distractions but the re-entry into reality was a bit of a rough landing! As always, what's meant to be will be and and things don't always need to go as planned. Being alright with that and letting go of expectations is the trick! I'm learning :)

 

It seems as we've studied more about St. Brigid we've come to really adore her. As I stood at my counter this morning and began to piece together the cross above (with Iris leaves that my hunny picked just for this occasion), we sat there, watching it come together and were struck by the reverence and especially beautiful rhythm making this cross possesses. It's simple but divine. Hanging this on our entryway seemed only fitting and as we learned, that is part of the tradition! I believe, we as a family, have found our patron saint!

The littles and I also made our super, special Celtic Tea Cake this morning in honor of St. Brigid

 

We even braved the blustery, winter day and ventured out to finish our ice lantern and earth candles.

 

Tonight, as we sit down to a pancake supper by candlelight, we will gather our thoughts toward the Light; thinking of what it means to begin anew, accept what works and what doesn't and somehow make sense of it all. I'll lovingly look at my children and my husband and thank God that I've been given this chance to shine my light with them. They help me to remember who it is I'm meant to be, who I was, why I'm here, what this whole thing called Life is about. Candlemas is such a reverent time, honoring the Light that lives within us all, reminding each other that we're each good enough just as we are.

 

 

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."

Coloring Winter (an older post for today)

Feeling like a wee bit of color is needed in these dreary, wintry days. Here is an older post (tutorial) on bringing in the forthcoming season of St. Valentine. A bit early, I know but who cares!! It's all in good fun :)

Click the link below for the full post and tutorial!!

Valentine Window Transparency

Peace at Home

Gifts

by William Ward

 

On the day of your birth

You were given gifts,

The seeds of your own will,

To sow upon the Earth,

That through your work

The seeds might grow

Into a fruitful garden

Protected by the Tree of Life

Whose branches hold up Heaven.

 

Now your roots grip solid ground,

Glad to be alive.

Your head bears a golden crown

Like the sun that lights the sky.

Your breath weaves in and out

Like the ocean tides,

As the fountain of your heart

Sings the song of life.

 

You crossed the rainbow bridge,

You left your Heavenly home

To walk the green, fruitful Earth

Beneath the starry dome.

You know this is the place

To give your gifts away,

Scattering them like golden seeds

Unfolding every day.

Seed-deeds ripen beneath the sun

Rooted in fertile will

To become the Bread of Life

When the seeds are milled.

 

For the past few years we, as a family, have done something special and unique to honor the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. We've hosted several fundraisers, visited the animals at our local shelter, cooked a meal for our neighbors in need, and last year we made a simple Peace Tree to honor the peace that lives within us all; the peace that is yearned for across all borders. This year, it has been my greatest intention to create more peace at home. With 7 people under one roof, a myriad of chores that never get done, stress about school, home school, stress about the world outside our door, fears etc. sometimes our home can seem a bit harried. The thing about blogs is that you can only give a small glimpse into the window of your life. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but most blogs I read (including my own) portray the positive glories of their life. Sometimes, reality sneaks in and we shine a different light, but all in all......we highlight the wonderful, beautiful, glorious moments of our home and our life with our families! And rightfully so! We have so much to celebrate within our days that, by all means, we should shout it from the roof tops! But.....what about those other moments. You know, the ones where you have to bite your tongue so hard in order to keep a harsh word hidden or maybe not? What about those moments when we are at our weakest, our most vulnerable, those moments when we throw our hands up in surrender? Those deep, dark moments when our peace is taken from us......

 

Let this be the moment now.
With every step I take,
Let this be my solemn vow;
To take each moment and
live each moment
In peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth
And let it begin with me.

~ excerpt from Let There Be Peace on Earth

By many strides, we are quite peaceful. We laugh, we sing, we play, we spend beautiful time  together. We also argue, yell, cry, and say hurtful things to each other. We are not unlike any other family......the thing is, I would like to see us building up our foundation for a deeper connection to each other, a deeper level of respect for each other, a shared vision of our family culture and the impact we'd like it to have within our community. My goal for this weekend is to acknowledge those dark moment we have together and to introduce a simple way to cultivate more peace at home.

 

In an effort to create a space, free from worry and noise, I've dedicated a small corner of our bedroom, for anyone who wishes to use it, as the Quiet Corner. Here they will find a small rug for sitting, books that are peaceful and kind, cards I've made with words (for those of us who can read) to sit and meditate on, and cards with pictures for the littles to sit and think about. There is a candle, a rocking chair, and a notebook where those of us who sit in that space can write or draw about whatever comes up for them. It's a sit-spot, placed right next to our biggest window where you can see the sheep meadow, our beautiful apple tree, and listen to the many birds that live among it. It's the perfect natural vista to contemplate the many things that make noise in our minds. This quiet spot is where one can just be and release and accept all that is or isn't. This is my way of bringing more peace into our home so that we can fully use our gifts out in the world. My hope is that this safe space will allow each of us to cultivate that inner stillness which will open our hearts to our greater selves.

 

Like the poem above "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."

 

We, as a family, have many "seed-deeds" we wish to accomplish in this lifetime but first, we owe it to ourselves to know the deepness that peace has to offer us, within our own hearts. SO! For this weekend before we celebrate the life of  Martin Luther King, Jr. we will celebrate and honor our life's work as a family. Then, on Monday, we will embark on a journey through own little village and bring some of what we may experience together to others. This is our way of bringing peace to our greater home. On Monday I will post our plan for the day....stay tuned :)

 

 

How do you cultivate peace within your family culture?  I'd love to hear how xo

 

 

Self-Care and Something FUN!!

 

 

The photo above represents many days over the past month. Our wee Seraphina has been so sick over the past 4 weeks. She's been struck with this on and off again super, raging fever. She presents no other symptoms, just fever.....for days! The last fever lasted 10 whole days reaching as high as 105.2*F. After all these years of being a mother, I have never, once, had a child reach a temperature quite like that. It was scary, unbelievable, stressful, sad, frustrating, you name it and I probably felt it. Not to mention how terrible she felt. But, boy, what a trooper she was. Super snuggles all day and all night, nursing every 20-30 minutes around the clock to keep her hydrated and preventing the need for IV fluids, blood work every few days, sleeping fewer than 45 minutes at a time. I'm noticing that I'm using the word "was" but really, this is where we are now. We're back in this God forsaken territory. The land of the never ending fever with no other symptoms. It's been 4 days now. We've been to the doctor, we've had the blood work and we'll do the follow up appointment tomorrow. Who knows where this one will take us, or how far. It scares me beyond belief to think for a moment what she may have to endure.......even if it's just a bunch of days more of this fever. Seraphina is only 7 1/2 months old!!! Her little body, however strong and resilient, is still so young and vulnerable. *sigh* I'm just a worried Mama wishing I could just make it go away. I don't doubt for a second that many of you have been in similar shoes as I am right now.

 

The last time our babe was ill I didn't take much interest in finding ways to alleviate my stress and worry. I spent 10 days with that little soul strapped to my body. We never parted, I think I may have only showered twice that whole time and didn't even contemplate going to school. This time around, seeing as the sleep deprivation is beyond acceptable limits, I'm realizing that I truly need to take a moment just to breath, think, cry, soak, and be. The photos below chronicle how I will spend those moment, not all at once, but spread out over the course of this illness......I make that promise myself and my baby that I will also take care of myself.

 

 

This gorgeous book was a gift from my husband. He knows me best and must have had an intuition that I would need some fortification along this journey. This book has been deeply satisfying.

 

I try to keep organic, dried flowers on hand for various projects. My plan is to put some in a little muslin bag and soak them in a bath......just for me, and baby, too! But me first!! The soothing and aromatherapy qualities of each of these flowers will prove to be so healing. I can't hardly wait!! I can't remember the last time I had a bath.....really!!

This picture is of some corny bags. They are simple and wonderful. (I didn't make these ones, these were gifts from my Mother and sister.) All corny bags are is square sacks filled with dried corn. Period. Its what you do with them......you warm them up  and use them as heating pads. The warmth they emit is just so healing and deep. Somehow better than just a regular 'ole heating pad.

 We were gifted a microwave (used) with these as the preferred method to warm them up. You can also just put them on a heated oven stone or on top of your wood stove, turning them every few minutes to heat them through. The microwave does work a bit faster. I plan to open a few up and pour in some lavender flowers so that when they are heated they will also release they healing scent of lavender.

 

 

Above is a simple photo of a candle. I will, with much zeal, sneak to find 10 minutes where I can just sit in silence and meditate. I think when we're in crisis it's so important to allow ourselves the space to just be in it, release what we can and accept the rest so we can keep moving forward. Otherwise, we'll just keep stewing and stagnating and never getting anywhere. Not to mention, it's so important to release the stress of being on 24/7 without a break in sight. I read a beautiful post in tribute to Mama's caring for their sick children, here is a quote from it ::

 

You can do this. 

You can do it with grace. You will do it beautifully. I know you will.

You may need help lifting a bag of dog food.

You might need someone to get a bowl from the top shelf in the cupboard.

But hidden behind your skirts is safety found nowhere else.

It’s okay to cry. It’s okay to be scared. It’s okay to be mad.

But be fierce, my friend.

Fight hard.

Push back.

Love your little one.

This is what being a Mom is all about.

Right here. In this moment.

It isn’t about the Little League games, or the perfect nursery, or empty laundry baskets, or college scholarships.

It’s about shining for your baby when they need it the most.

Shine on, Sister.

God is good. Always. No matter what.

 

You can read the whole post here:: Life Rearranged

Now! For a total non sequitur :) I do have a bit of fun news, A sweet friend of mine emailed me with then news that she had nominated this blog for the Circle of Moms Top 25 Creative Moms award. I wasn't sure I believed her at first, I mean, it's not something that has happened to me......ever!! It wasn't until I received the confirmation email from Circle of Moms that I received the link to my nomination. I am unbelievably humbled. My blog is a very special place for me and my family. It's the place where, one day, my children will be able to look back and see the living proof of their childhood and our life together. It's been my greatest hope that our life's work would somehow inspire others to take a second look to notice the beauty in the little things, the simple things. I feel ever so blessed that it seems as though my wish has come true. I am so inspired by other blogger friends (one in particular:: Sara Wilson from Love in the Suburbs  who has also been nominated for this same award) so I'm finding it to be beautifully uplifting that some folks might feel the same way about our work here, in this blog.

If you feel called to do so, I would love it if you might help me get into the Top 25. Click on the button below and scroll down until you find A Simple Life. And while you're there, maybe you could share a vote for my friend Sara from Love in the Suburbs? You can vote for more than one blog at a time, you can vote once everyday until January 30th when the voting closes. I think it would be quite wonderful to be included in the Top 25! My vision for the future of this blog is ever changing......it would feel wonderful to invite others to come along for the ride!

 

From the bottom of my heart......thank you for your support and friendship and gentle pushes of encouragement to keep following my bliss here in blogland xoxo

Snow Fairies

The snow fell softly in the night,

All the world was glistening white.

The angels from the stars looked down

On Mother Earth's new shining gown.

The moonbeams danced down silently,

And kissed each sparkling branch and tree.

 

 

It's the January thaw here. All the glorious white and puffy snow we had over the holidays has begun to melt off. It's warm! It's funny how after a spell of 20*F and below 35* and higher feels like a heat wave! The down coat my husband gave me for Christmas hangs from it's hook in our entry way and hasn't moved in more than a week! The littles are amazed that they can go outside with a wool sweater and cap and feel warm!!! "It's winter, right?!" they say! What amazes me is how different winters are from when I was a child. It was cold, that I remember. And there was snow, and lots of it! My Dad has an old 1930's John Deere tractor that he would attach a plow to to move all the snow around.  One of my favorite memories, and the first inkling I knew we had a good snow over night, was being woken to the sound of the tractor in the wee pre-dawn hours as my Dad plowed us out! *sigh* Snow has become more of a novelty and less of a nuisance, I think. We've gotten so little over the past few years that when it finally comes, it's worthy of celebration. It feels like somehow things are as they should be, ya know?

 

That aside, the littles and I were wondering how we might invite some more snow to visit us. I told them a story of how when folks wish for rain they do a special rain dance. They looked at me with bright eyes and wondered if maybe doing a snow dance would work.

 

As they were dancing on the sofa :) I got out the usual suspects and fashioned together a quick Snow Fairy. Using just a wooden bead, half of a pipe cleaner, and a scrap of wool felt this is what I came up with. 

 

 

 

I added some wool roving between the folds of her dress and gave her some long white, braided hair. In her hands, I stitched a long piece of thread and attached little puffs of white wool to create the illusion that she was sprinkling snow. I attached her to the grapevine wreath that hangs above our nature table. I wish I could get better pictures of her dancing above it all, but.....I just couldn't seem to find the right angle. You can see in the first picture that I also added some wool felt stars. I wanted it to feel as though she were flying through the night sky dusting everything below in puffs of glistening, white snow. The girls came out and were super surprised to see this new addition to our little table. They were singing and dancing and making little Seraphina giggle (which was why I was afforded this extra bit of time! Her laughter makes the littles so happy that they will do anything to keep her laughing and smiley!!)

 

 

So, I guess we'll see if our efforts worked. A snow dance invitation and our little snow fairy......fingers crossed :)