Gift Bag Sewing Project

We have an invitation to a birthday party!

In my desire to live more simply...

I want to stop buying a gift bag or wrapping paper...so how about a beautiful hand made bag that can be reused for so many other things...

We went to this really beautiful fabric store here in our neighborhood The Whole 9 Yards and Maxx picked out the cutest "tweet tweet" fabric, and we had 1 yard of pink ribbon cut for our birthday bag project.

...and today he learned to thread a bobbin.  Of course the best part was pushing the pedal at FULL BLAST watching the bobbin fill with thread!  I really like that too! ;)

While I continued the sewing...with some pedal pushing help 
He worked on the Birthday card and drew a  "dancing flower".  

I totally see it, dancing!

Once finished we pulled out our scrap papers and crafting odds and ends.  Together we worked on making the envelope special too. 

...then  filled the bag with the birthday surprise.  

I just loved how it turned out.

What a special way to give a gift.

Happy fifth birthday, Rachel!

This Moment

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember...

This is a sweet weekly tradition in my blogging rhythm inspired byAmanda of SouleMama

Gratitude Friday

This spring has been so amazing!!!  

What I am so grateful for this week...

• May Faire, what a beautiful celebration!
• Schools that see how important it is to surround a child in beauty and teach through art
• Cute spring fabric!!! ...we have turned it into a sweet bag to wrap a birthday surprise for a soon to be five year old
• Invitations to birthday celebrations
• Sewing a gift with Maxx 
• "Watch this Mom!!!"... "tricks" on his bike (with the training wheels still on... my daredevil :))
• Having a very special dinner out with some of my new girlfriends...with sake and sustainable sushi
• Dad's wisdom ...and for the moment he takes to sometimes repeat...and help me work through what I already know.

Have a very special weekend!!!

Block Crayon Drawing...peek into my journey

I am really enjoying my Waldorf teacher training.  This is my third month on this new journey.

During this block...Art (Drawing, block crayon, watercolor)  

Last week learning what lines feel like, to a child (1st-3rd grades),
What does a straight like feel like? Curvy? Movement of lines across the page all connected. Patterns, compliments...line on paper...
How art is connected to each of us and especially to children...and how drawing can calm a rowdy class or wake up a sleepy one...

This week learning techniques in block crayon drawing.  How to draw with and use block crayons in the lower grades (Early Childhood, and 1st-5th)

Here is a peek of two of the techniques and two of my pictures, from tonight, using our block crayons.  By no means are they finished...due to needing to move on to the next technique.

The first...
Using the block crayons and adding a rainbow to the page very lightly (like above photo row 3 top drawing)...learning how to move the crayon across the page...inhale, exhale... 
Then adding movement to your rainbow (like above photo row 3 bottom drawing)moving color and directions with the crayons on top of the rainbow. 
Looking at the movement what do you begin to see? Let your creative soul be your guide... 
Here is what I was beginning to see in mine:

The second.
Randomly add color to the page.  No rhyme or reason.
Once the page is filled with color...turn it upside down...
What do you see?  Begin to bring out what your imagination sees. Here is what I was beginning to see in mine:


I wish I could have taken a photo of everyone in the classes pictures...amazing how beautiful and connected they all felt...and how so much of ourselves come out in our art.  The colors were incredible.  Some of the words used to describe how we felt after looking at all of them...blissful, dream like...emotional...
With each drawing we took them out to the hall and laid them on the floor and just experienced them. To be able to see what others see... Very moving!

I will keep working on my pictures and will post what they look like when I have had some time to really bring them to life.

Happy Coloring!!!!

Spring Fever!!!

We are nursing a fever.  Maxx has come down with a cold and has had a fever for the past few days.  I feel so powerless...and amazed while leaning on the power of healing.

Maxx is so alive all the time and to see him just want to stay in PJs and lie in the bed...it is soooooo quiet around here.  Too quiet.  Alot less spunky!

We have missed two days of school which he so looks forward too. His said today, "I miss my 'mates!"  

Selfishly I admit that I am enjoying the warm need for extra lov'in...and cuddling while telling stories, dreaming about the summer, and reading some of his books.

I know he is strong and this will be short lived and the spunk will be back, and things will be lively again.  To a speedy recovery!

May Faire

See our Maypole filled with flowers,
From above, the blossoms tower,
Fragrance rich, and perfume rare,
Pretty scents that fill the air.
Violets blue and daisies white,
You are here for our delight;
Daffodils and roses, too,
Pretty flow'rs for me and you!
Tell us what the flowers say,
As we sing and dance and play.
Tell us what the flowers say,
On this special day!
This is what the flowers say,
As we sing and dance and play.
This is what the flowers say:
It is bright May day!

********************

 

What a beautiful day!
What a beautiful time!

Making flower crowns, dancing, playing, singing, picnicking...

What a celebration!
Happy May, every one!!!

Sunday: Laundry

A friend of mine asked about our weekly rhythm, and how I break down my week.  So I thought I would share in this space...here is our weekly rhythm. 

Since I am a full time working momma...and in my work, my schedule is never the same from week to week. One of my goals is to live more simply.  To make it all work I feel strongly on having set days that we do each big chore, for many reasons.  The biggest is to help my little one with predictability and security in this BIG busy abstract world. 

Our first day of the week, Sunday, is "Laundry Day".

"this is the way we wash our clothes, wash our clothes, wash our clothes...soo early in the morning!"

We live in an urban setting so our "Laundry Day" works best at the laundromat.

Now that I have gotten this down...I don't think I want to do it at home ever again...

What I have discovered while knocking this big ole chore out each week, I consume less, YES!!!

...it is a time saver, less waste for the environment, better for our clothes, and cost effective.

To be able to do this once a week, the one thing you need to know is how much you need for the week. (clothes, undies, socks, towels, etc...) This was the hardest thing for me to get at first...but it did not take long...going down to the basement in the middle of the week to start a load...then go back to put in the dryer and then go back to get it out and bring up to fold...a motivator to perfect this task just once a week. 




How we do Laundry Once a Week...

We each have a set wardrobe, each a towel and wash cloth set, a set amount of cloth napkins, cloth place mats, and cloth towels (I use instead of paper towels), and our sheet sets

Two laundry baskets and a hamper

I can get 7 loads of laundry washed to folded in 1 1/2 hours

$15 in quarters for wash and dry

5 loads of colors in a "Big Loader" and 2 loads of whites in a "double loader"

Front loaders are easier on clothes, they use less water than top loaders = Front loaders need less soap (save money and waste), they Spin... Really... spin the water out...so less time in the dryer. (When I pull the sheets out of the wash they feel almost dry.)

Maxx and I stand at our machines, and put our quarters in at the same time as quick as we can... for fun to get them to start at the same time.
Machine Hissing...
... and the water begins to spray I set my alarm for 30 min

...dry our clothes, dry our clothes, dry our clothes...

30 min flat...Maxx and I each get a rolling basket, and we unload our washers and head straight for the dryers #16, #17 and #18. I get my dryer going, then help Maxx and that gives us a little break so I can fold the first...and Maxx brings the rest.

We love to people watch...this couple has their systems down as well...they were so sweet working together!

foldy, fold, fold, fold...

"this is the way we fold our clothes, fold our clothes, fold our clothes...so early in the morn..ing"

1 1/2 hours later...and we are finished until next Sunday.