Back from Summer Vacation

We’re back from a week in hot, humid, beautiful Orlando, Florida. Yes, we took a family trip to Walt Disney World. I’ve missed writing this summer (so hard with the family schedules), but I’m looking forward to sharing crafts and recipes again… especially some dishes inspired from Disney’s Dessert cookbook. I totally had to pick this up while we were there.

Just glad we’re home, even though it’s just as hot, if not hotter than Florida – and just as humid. Our plants didn’t die while we were gone *whew*, and our basement didn’t flood with the epic storm that happened while we were away. So, so thankful. How’s everyone been lately?

Tags: summer, vacation

Inspired by Maroon 5

(A little backwards today -  Day 17: Sing.  Sing a song… make it simple to last your whole life long!  How did that feel?)

I’m so excited to see Maroon 5 this week. So. Excited. Missed them in October, so I made sure I bought tickets early when I found out they were making another stop here. My kids are looking forward to it, too – so much so that we’re jamming along to the albums and practicing on Band Hero.

So, yes, my husband and I are taking them to the concert. It’ll be fine, it’s outdoors… the weather is supposed to be fantastic. I’m just a little worried that they’ll be too tired and miss the songs they want to hear, or the little guy will miss seeing Adam Levine in person. You can’t imagine how angry Ollie gets. Let’s just keep our fingers crossed.

Day 16: Do you create best when your emotions are high?  Do you turn to creative endeavors when you are sad, angry, or just filled with joy?

I used to think I created best under pressure. It’s just that I finish projects under pressure, self-inflicted or not. Creating for me isn’t when emotions are high; inspiration seems pretty random for me. Whatever I’m feeling, when I create, I’m transported, distracted for a little while. I empty my head, and fill my heart. Does that make sense? Then I finish, and voila! – I return to my routine.

So I offer my Maroon 5 inspired art. Music moves me… what better way to get in a creative mood than to immerse myself in their albums? Try it sometime. Listen to your favorite artists and create. Maybe you already do.

Can you guess which songs inspired which pieces? (Click on the thumbnails to zoom.)

All Tangled Up, the “Monster” and last little inchie (number 7)… really like those.

Tags: 30 days, art, concert, doodles, doodling, Maroon 5, music, music groups, summer

30 Days of Creativity – Day 14: Farewell Gifts

Day 14: Make something to give away.  Send a card to a friend or make a little gift for someone you care about.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve been busy making a few things to give away. It’s just that time of year: end-of-school, graduation parties, summer birthdays, etc. And, I have all these ideas and inspiration, but there’s just never enough time. For my daughter’s teacher who is retiring, the class wrote letters of gratitude (or poems and just goodbyes). I put their little works of art together with pictures from school parties and their last field trip.

Over the weekend, we also hosted a going-away party for my sister-in-law and her husband who are moving out to the West Coast. *sad face* Really, we are so proud and excited for them. We will miss them so much… thank goodness for video chatting. So, a few friends and family came over, we laughed, we feasted on some favorite foods and bid them farewell. The thing about going away parties (I don’t like saying “goodbye”.), it’s all about spending time with your family and your pals. You could go nuts with decoration or theme, and I might have if there were more time. We just pulled together a few things. My daughter and I wrote cute messages on some vellum that we embossed, then we taped them to some glass jars for homespun hurricane jars.

And for our guests, something to conjure up Washington (state): some Starbuck’s to go, a copy of a vintage downtown Seattle postcard, and my sister and brother-in-law’s new address.

How would you prepare for a farewell party? Share some website loves in the comments!

Tags: 30 days, farewell, Friends and Family, going away, party, summer, teacher gift

Enjoying the Garden

We finally have a break in the weather. From the heat and humidity, we’re enjoying a preview of autumn with highs in the 60s and lows going into the mid-40s in some areas nearby. We’ll be back in the mid-80s in a few days, but for now, I’m loving the crisp, cool air in the morning and early evenings. Then pair that with the earlier sunsets. Ah, late afternoons in the fall… It’s my favorite time of the day. Ask my husband, he might say, “Yes, my wife loves the sun in her eyes when the sun sets.” It’s all about the lighting and how everything looks to me when there’s that slight tint of peach-orange sunset. I could just drink it up.

The other day, the lighting was just beautiful, and I wanted to capture some colors around and in our garden beds. Enjoy and happy Labor Day!

Tags: color, garden, plants, summer

Summer Reading

I feel like it’s been a long time since I’ve read books that don’t rhyme every other sentence. I mean, I do read from time to time, but mostly it’s with the kids. And then there’s my long relationship with craft books and other DIY manuals, but not a lot of fiction.  Abby is an avid reader (we are so proud of her), and right now she loves mysteries. She would rather read than play soccer, I think.

Ollie on the other hand is still in the picture book stage, and once in a while we borrow graphic novels from the library (think comic book) like Teen Titans or Iron Man, to satisfy his superhero cravings.

So, the last two summers I signed up for the reading club at our local library. If the kids signed up, why shouldn’t I? It definitely forced me to pick up books I normally wouldn’t even give a second thought, and in one case, I was introduced to a historical fiction/mystery series that I’ve come to enjoy. Unfortunately, since I’ve only read them during the summer months, my husband pointed out that it may take me sixteen more years to finish (eighteen books in the series – I’ve read 2).

Here are some favorites:

Food Books for Kids

picture from taliajenea.blogspot.com

Food for Thought: The Complete Book of Concepts for Growing Minds (Elffers & Freymann) * The pictures are clever, creative and well done! Makes you want to take a closer look in the produce section.

picture from www.jamakimrattigan.com

Dumpling Soup ( Jama Kim Rattigan) * In this book, the family celebrating New Year’s with dumplings and relatives is so much like our our family. If you go to the author’s site, you’ll find a recipe!

By Amy Wilson Sanger: Yum, Yum, Dim Sum (board book) and First Book of Sushi and Let’s Nosh * I love the colorful collage images

Mom’s Historical Fiction Picks

Picture from www.ameliapeabody.com

The Ape who Guards the Balance by Elizabeth Peters (The Amelia Peabody Series) * A slow start for my second book by this author, but I’ve grown fond of the characters. I really should start with the first book next time. Set in 1900s Egypt, follow the Emerson family through archaeological exploration, mystery and murder.

Picture from www.ameliapeabody.com

The Hippopotamus Pool by Elizabeth Peters (The Amelia Peabody Series) * My first Amelia Peabody book, but number eight in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the banter between protagonist, Amelia Peabody, and her archaeologist husband, Radcliffe Emerson. In 1900, The Emerson family gets caught up with a mysterious criminal to find a lost queen’s tomb in Egypt.

Loving Frank by Nancy Horan * Take a (fictional-with-a-bit-of-fact) look into the life of architect Frank Lloyd Wright, his choices, and relationship with Mameh Cheney. I’ve studied FLW’s work and biography, so I knew how the story ended. And even then let’s just say, without spoiling it too much, I had a slightly difficult time getting through the tragic ending.

Anyone out there have favorite summer reads from this year to share?

Tags: books, reading, summer

Did I Hear My Kids Singing?

Alright, my kids really don’t perform in front of people. With the older one, it’s definitely not her style, she doesn’t enjoy it (she’s quite talented when it comes to drawing, though). I still have a chance for a fine arts performer with the little one… maybe. But the other day, my husband and I were sitting at the dining room table and all of a sudden we heard Ollie’s little voice singing to the tune of Smash Mouth’s “All Star”:

Somebody once told me the world’s a macaroni/so i took a bite out of a tree
It tasted kinda funny so I spitted out a bunny/and the bunny started pooping on me

Apparently, it was his older sister’s creation and she lovingly taught it to him. Precious. I can only imagine what I have to look forward to as their music tastes develop.

Unrelated updates

• Some of my recent article postings at Craft Critique can be found here and at this search results page.
• I’ve finally restarted my t-shirt quilt and am happy to report it’s shaping up nicely. Pictures soon!
• The garden has survived the crazy 90+ degree weather we’ve been having. We’ve even had a few tomatoes.  Unfortunately, I haven’t put as much time into the garden as I would like because of the heat, rain and vicious mosquitoes. (Sounds like we live in the tropics or something.)
• Lastly, the compost barrel is working out nicely, but I’m afraid to look inside it. I just open the hatch, dump my scraps, latch it back up and run.
• School starts next week for my daughter!

Tags: kids, music, singing, Smash Mouth, summer