Happy Thanksgiving ~

table blessings
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

Rejoice

Rejoice
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

This mixed media piece began with all the little watercolor squares and rectangles. Next I glued them down to the paper (handmade and aquirred from some swap-bot swap) and attached that to the felt.
That sat for days, really weeks as I wasn't sure where to go with it next. I knew I wanted it to be a hanging piece, but just not sure.
One morning I was struck with the thought, "What would Peggy do?"
I love her textured pieces like this. So a little browsing around her blog and inspiration struck... I needed texture, I needed gesso, I needed some color burst.. and so the piece began to take shape.
I finished it the night before the art for Jamaica show and nervously set it out that day. People stopped, one lady tried to peel the felt away from the canvas ("Oh!" I gasped, "It doesn't come apart!"), another person inquired the price... and soon my mom arrived at the sale and snatched it up.....just as a good momma should.

advent envelopes
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

the finished envelopes ~

and here are our leaf creations from the leaves we gathered on our nature walk.

mouse
bunny
deer

and with the leaves we have left, I'd like to do something like this from the Salt and Chocolate blog for our Thanksgiving meal!

This week Kids Craft Weekly
is about Advent ideas. Now, we have multiple advent calendars, including Playmobil (I believe we have three) and Littlest Pet Shop --- and we have had chocolate advent calendars from Trader Joe's (which I just googled and found you can get on ebay.. oh my.). We've had advent wreaths and probably my favorite, an advent candle that burned down every night during devotions. It was something like this.
But I love the simple idea of Advent activities in an envelope.
I've just taken plan white mailing envelopes, stamped the daily numbers on it and added a star in colored pencil. I'll put them in a small basket on the kitchen table, and each day we'll open one. Here are some of the ideas from Kids Craft Weekly with a few of my own tossed in ~


1. Paint everyone’s toenails
2. Have hot chocolate with all the fixings
3. Make paper snowflakes
4. Give everyone crazy hairstyles
5. Go to the bookstore
6. Lucy chooses the dinner meal
7. Have an indoor picnic
8. Write letters to Baby Jesus
9. Make a Christmas book together
10. Have breakfast for dinner
11. Make decorations for the tree
12. Have bedtime stories around the Christmas tree
13. Grace chooses a treat for everyone
14. Fancy dress for dinner time
15. Wrap a toy and take it to a charity Christmas tree
16. Make handmade gift tags for relatives
17. Go out for egg rolls and crab rangoon
18. Parker chooses the dinner meal
19. Dance like crazy to music
20. Watch a Christmas movie with popcorn
21. Go out for ice cream
22. Take Grandparents out to see the Christmas lights
23. Pray for other families and make them postcards to let them know
24. Make brownies

163rd Returns to Hero´s Welcome at National Guard Armory

our own parade
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

This morning we bundled up and headed to the pedestrian walkway over the expressway to join our city in welcoming home the 163rd field artillery.





it was mighty chilly, but so worth it to see these heroes ~

saying yes to her and no to everyone else

yes
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

You can read between the lines on this post ~ we're busy. We're going and going, and coming and going again and suddenly we weren't together. Suddenly I was yelling and sick and oh so tired.
So Thursday I told three friends no, and the three friends said, "Hey -no problem".
But I told Lucy yes, after so many times of her asking. Everyone else left~ playing at a friend's house, and off skating with friends. She and I sat, lit candles, pulled out my parent's old boardgame and she learned how to beat mommy.
Can I order more of that, please?
Make it a double.

artist to artist, week eight Robert Ingpen
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

This week, Robert Ingpen. He has published over 100 books and many of them are nonfiction, which inspired one artist in our group.


He also has stories of folklore ~ we loved "The Dreamkeeper" which is a letter he's written to his granddaughter about the dream keeper who gathers all the bad dreams by using magic & spells and baskets before they can come to life. The illustrations are captivating.
There are 2 full page spreads of all kinds of dreams gathered to the dream tree. Imps, goblins, wizards, beast.. they all intertwine and inspire ~




The kids have also been working on a book in the style of Eric Carle to give out at Christmas.
They are nearly done ~


You can see nearly (nearly because I missed a week somehow) all eight weeks on my flickr photostream.

color my world

color my world
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

Welcome back google readers ~ after a hiatus from public blogging I am back and in the midst of many new ventures! I'm thrilled to have you join me and I believe if you read through the most recent posts you will be up to date. There's a new etsy shop, a mission trip in June, several posts about our artist to artist class... and of course, many glimpses into our daily life in which I learn from my kids every day! I hope you find creativity here, and many ideas that you can take back and use with your own family.

I am posting by the skin of my teeth! It is 11:26, I am up way later than usual, but here I am!
So.. the name for the shop. Well, my family surprised me once again.
My hubby decided to write in a name suggestion and by a vote of three to two, his name won. There is a long story to go along with his suggestions, but again.. it is 11:32 and I gotta get moving here.
So without further ado

~ my new etsy shop, From the stacks ~

So ~ the winner of the altered moleskine will not be Jonathan, because even though he won the election with his write-in, it's just not cool to give him the journal too.
The winner of the journal is Peggy!
Because up until yesterday her suggestion of "Once Upon a Ukulele" was in the top spot! Congrats!

THANK YOU!!!
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

she baked every night this week ~ something like 15 dozen cinnamon butter cookies, and about 5 dozen dog biscuits


here, cat shaped dog biscuits (we also had dog bone shapes)


Jonathan helped with much of the sewing


And finally the day of the sale


as we unpacked we stacked all our good wishes notes on the table ~ such encouragement!


So many friends and family stopped by and supported us ~ it was amazing!
I think the sale was really successful ~ we made enough for the trip deposit and their passports!!
I'll be working on the Etsy shop over the next couple of days. I didn't realize until today that one of Etsy's rules is that you cannot sell items made by someone else. So I have some items left that I won't be able to list there. (bummer!) I will try to sell them in the local community here, or put them on my blog.
The name suggestions are awesome and have created much discussion in our family. We love them! We have narrowed it down to two names and are trying to decide. I will announce the shop and the giveaway winner Monday ~ which will be a big day, the shop will open and this blog will be public!

exploring
Originally uploaded by hsmom2luge

Number 7 from my list of 10 things I'm loving right now, was road trips with family. (Oh, and yes, the tree hugger picture isn't from our trip, but I love that photo and it works with this set :-)
The trip was great, tons of laughing, a Nana nearly spewing soda out her nose (much to the kids delight), lots of scrabble, lots of food

and as always, some frustrating times. Ah family.
But mostly joy & even in the frustrating times life lessons about sticking up for yourself. (and knowing that mom will be there for ya too)
And now ~ some changes around here.

It's been nearly five months since this blog went private. Five months of journaling our days, being more blunt about my faith and our unschooling life as it unfolded around me. In those five months, I've learned to share more, worry less.
Now with the Jamaica art project wrapping up, a new etsy project is starting and I need to take this blog in a new direction. More projects, still loads of sharing, still much less worry, but I have to be out there for folks to see my goods and desire to visit my shop.
And for some fun ~ a giveaway!
I need a name for said Etsy shop ~ please leave a suggestion in the comments & you'll be registered to win a custom-designed, by me, moleskine!

Yesterday I posted the 10 things I'm loving right now, number ten being Autumn
~ we found this book at the library and decided to add a walk on a beautiful tree lined street






plus a little time to clean and press the leaves



and we expect to end up with cute critters like this

(butterfly credited to link above)

I'll post our results next week!

~10 things I'm loving right now ~

1) The history we made Tuesday!
Oh and read this great blog post about the Obama Election Night Rally in Grant Park!


2) a reminder to go slow...

3) recipes that include pumpkin
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1 t. baking soda
1 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1 cup chocolate chips
-cream butter and sugar, add pumpkin, egg, vanilla and mix
-whisk together dry ingredients and add to pumpkin mixture
-mix in chocolate chips
-bake on greased cookie sheet for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly browned, at 350 degrees

4) finding pictures, taken by the kids, on my camera


5) great original costume ideas & storing them away for next year

6)listening to the rain

7)roadtrips with the family

8)hanging with friends

9)Carbon Leaf

10)Autumn