Eating local...

You may see a few changes here--visually speaking. I hope you're okay with them. Feel free to offer any suggestions you might have, Drew prefers the old, but I was in need of a change.

We went out to lunch the other day. It was hands down the best & most fulfilling meal out we've had in a while. Having lived in the mountains of NC, our standards on restaurant food are a bit high & I'm not talking pricey. Granted, actually good food does tend to cost more, but I'm talking wholesome, local & more than your average burger and fries. Those of you who are in the area are on the edge of your seats, I can feel it. Well, check it out.

Wait no!! Check them out HERE!! If you are in the Triad please come down & support your local crafters, shop keepers, music makers, & food culinaters. (I know some of you are headed down toward the southern end of town & oh how I'd love to be 2 places at once! but, it was a farm weekend last weekend for us.)

Work and progress...

remember this? probably not...

they say it takes 3 times, in the marketing world, for folks to actually act on what they've seen. Initial inspiration came here. Then again here. & I was reminded of to pick it up again here. Thanks to you all! I'm now inspired by the formation I see happening.

Making a Spinning Snake Spiral...

Just wanted to share a fun & easy letter S project for little hands from our curriculum. We had a great time & can't wait for little sister to wake up so we can hang it in their room.

Naomi chose the type of snake (diamond back rattler), although it took on many characteristics & turned into a great way to practice pattern mimicking, which Naomi tends to dislike.

To make your own simply cut a spiral out of an old box & decorate! Add a string to the center (which you can make the head or the tail).

Inoculating sheep...

A few weeks back when we last visited Rising Meadow, we mentioned that we'd be happy to volunteer should they need a hand. Anne emailed Drew last week &, of course, we were excited to get our hands dirty. We helped get new lambs their vaccinations (one shot, garlic & a quick hoof 'clipping') & checked the Ewes hooves & 'wormed' them as well.

note the grooming at center ;)

I did remember the camera but didn't get many shots as we were busy from 9-5. The sound alone was indescribable, unless you've been in a barn with over 200 bleating lambs & their mothers. It's like waves, or loud music & seems like it would be pleasant & cute. I assure you, the brief seconds where they accidentally stopped all at once were like water in the desert, and it sticks with you, like the waves & the ringing...but, their physical cuteness & the job at hand served as great distractions.

I was in charge of record keeping, so I managed to stay remotely clean, but Drew reeked of garlic and lanolin until he showered.

All said & done, it was eye-opening for us on the livestock front. We had so much fun & gently wrestling an animal to make certain it stays healthy is a far cry from the McLamburger. (heehee).

sweet pea & buddy are both bottle babies. and irresistible.

oh. the girls didn't go. we hated for them to miss the experience, but while sheep are soft & cuddly, they're much bigger than both my children & aren't too fond of being examined. It was better we left them with their aunt for the day. Next time...

Exploring Waldorf-y materials...

First. YAY! I won an adorable give away (which if you'll notice via the right sidebar I share the ones I've entered & you should as well. The list is pretty long right now! feel free to let me know about yours, I'd be thrilled to add them--I do try to keep them appropriate to this space').

Anyway, Ancient Hearth had their first give away & I'm so excited because we now have the sweetest Wild Mother Nature you ever did see. She has a nest of eggs in her hair, rain & sun & fire & lightening & Einstein hair & she's quite large, bigger than we expected! There are more pics here.

Another exciting thing came in the mail last week, a book about wet-on-wet water color painting & teaching it to children, per the Waldorf manner (if you're interested, email me & I'll send you info on how to order it). We'd explored some before, but this book really outlines & is written in a very jolly and entertaining tone. Naomi loved the 'spreading' effect & was totally amazed. I like giving her a less structured medium, I think it only encourages her imagination.

So, getting the mail has been done with wonder & zeal this week, anything you're doing wondrously zealously?

stay tuned. Drew & I have a BIG day tomorrow...I'm certain I'll have something to share. (& this has nothing to do with fertility or moving).

Wednesday WIP: Sewing Projects...

I don't often participate in WIP, but I wanted to actually show some things underway & show this little matryoshka (that I talked started back here) that has taken much longer than expected, due mainly to unplanned illness, travel, & Spring.

I'm making my first dress & it's pretty much done, just needs snaps. I intend to TRY & sew one project a week. While knitting is great, I'm more of a sewer & by doing this I hope to broaden my sewing skills.

& the garden is well underway, but these are the newest part of that project:

In Search of...

recipe below.

What a few weeks we've had. I haven't shared much on the day to day & I'll get back in that habit soon. But, for now I'll make a short list.

1. we met some friends at the Zoo for a great day. Even at 18months Leviah seemed to really enjoy seeing all the animals, of course Lion, Elephant, Ostrich--they're all puppies. & Naomi's favorite event was seeing this ostrich with an egg:

2. We've had friends of days-gone-by visiting this season. What a joy it is to catch up & find out that though years have soared by we still have many things in common. The downside? The longer you've known someone the older you are & farther from the youthful days of Summer Camp & Youth Group, & now even college campus adventures seem long ago.

3. We've been looking hard. Our search for our 'land' feels like the Oregon trail. No, we haven't hunted wild Bison or forded rushing rivers, but there is something very draining about hoping & having to move on. But, even yesterday we hiked a property with great potential, is it the one we were dreaming about last month? no, but there are new & different possibilities here...

4. We've been outside. Whether driving in the country or maintaining the garden beds, swinging on the swing set or exploring lands that could be ours, we have been soaking up countless amounts of sunshine & blue skies. It's as if rain doesn't exist & the scorching days of July & August plan to take it easy this year. I'll take cool mornings & medium afternoons that frame evening bonfires perfectly any time of year.

5. We've been learning. While formal study time has taken a back seat to just being out doors, visiting the zoo, independent exploration & imagination, we have been baking a lot. We made Roly Poly Pudding according to our curriculum & to go along with this story. (more accurately they'd be described as personal pies). & over the weekend we whipped up some cookies a-la what we had. They're not healthy, but they are delicious & because the recipe has been requested I'm adding it here.

Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Chips:

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1 package peanut butter chips
• 3/4 cup dutch press cocoa powder

PREHEAT oven to 330° F. (we use convection, so without make it 350)

COMBINE flour, baking soda, cocoa and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in peanut butter chips. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 7 to 9 minutes (I undercook all cookies. They continue baking on the pan & I like them soft). Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; cool & enjoy! (great for dipping in coffee or milk!)

Capturing Memories...

We took some 'portraits' this week & while we had minimal success, we did have a little fun. Of course there were moments of true frustration, but I did get this shot, which I feel is a great representation of how the girls interact--moments of shocking serendipity. So, it's not wordless like Soulemama, but it's a single shot I don't want to forget.

'Good sabbath' --Tevye (Fiddler on the Roof)

Selling on Etsy...

lemon meringue

I have really enjoyed Etsy in so many ways. First--the shopping. Second--the inspiration. Third--the community of great people I've come to know on account of it. Fourth--the 'shop' I'm able to keep to meet that craving for a 'business' of my own. Thank you Etsy for coming to the world & reminding everyone how talented they are!!

raspberry cordial (go easy Diana)

My talent? Well, perhaps there are others, but: being at the right place at the right time. Such an occurrence took place this afternoon & so I reveal to you some pictures of vintage delight. Like draping my dress form in layers of candy...delicious. There's not pictured, but i'm having some technical difficulties with the zipper. We'll get it.

magnificent mojito

So, which is your favorite? Surely there's one...

Finding Shops...

(this is EASY for me to do with wonder & zeal!)

I recently decided to try an 'affiliate' program. A you scratch my back & vice versa set-up.

To start I was worried that I wouldn't find participants that I was excited about. Well, that's just so silly...

Thus far I've found several & we'll see what comes; but what adorable shops there are to choose from!!

For the next few weeks you'll be able to click right through to them from the left side-bar.

First: Gracey May. Caution: you'll want something! Her vintage inspired needle-point work is heart-warming. It's like a step back in time! Now you can hang some of your favorite childhood storybook characters on your own child's wall or be inspired to clog by a jolly pair of folk dancers. Simple & uplifting. Who doesn't enjoy lunch more from a bag with smiling fruit faces?

Second: Sunny Side Up Studio

Spool People, barrettes & custom felt crayon wallets...adorable. What kid wouldn't adore these 'little people' for reenacting the stories they know so well? Or what mom wouldn't want to make her own with the pattern for her own delight?

This is just the tip of the ice-berg, i'm certain. I'm already inspired to search out more mom-shops like these. Recommendations?

A Fortress out of a Sandbox...

We turned the sandbox into a cathedral fort this weekend. It works great & was simple--a $4 project.

Last birthday we dyed a bunch of play silks & through the winter used them in the girls' room, but outside they just seem to catch the light more whimsically. Plus, the breeze makes them 3 dimensional. Of course, we want a playstand, but this is a quick & cheap fix for us penny pinchers.

Anyway, here are the quick steps it took to make our swing set the perfect place to build a fortress with a sanctuary feel.

1. Paint some wooden clothes pins (available at the dollar tree). I thought the slide on kind would be easier for little hands & water colors worked great--an easy project for kiddos, too.

2. Screw in some eye-screws. This can be difficult to start, I took advantage of some cracks in the wood to get the screws turning. Pre-drilling holes would make for easy turning.

3. String some twine or laundry line through the eyes of the screws, pull taught & tie off.

4. Hang away!

I think we'll add line to the bottom as well eventually--it might 'fortify' the walls just a little more. This system is a great way to give the kiddos some privacy, a way to build forts easily, & also keeps the sandbox shady & cool. We also got thicker line to make the silks stay in place even better. Leviah is insane with them--& waddles around with them over her head like E.T. on Halloween. They make great dress up clothes & dancing accessories...

Don't you love playsilks?

Exploring...

chicken mischief.

apple blossoms.

old homesteads.

baby hikes.