4 down, 4 to go.

We're smack dab in the middle of Hanukkah right now. And, as Naomi pointed out last night as we lit the candles--the days go too fast. I suppose that's what happens when you fill them to the brim with fun little activities.

balloon man at the downtown lighting of the Menorah 

felting balls 

So far the crafts have included making dreidels out of clay. Trying our hand at German paper stars. Felting balls in hanukkah-ish colors. Coloring printed out coloring books. Making Sugar Cookies and today decorating them. Tonight latkes, hopefully sufganiot (donuts), assembling our felt balls into a garland of some kind, and a few more are on the list for the week.

If we run out of ideas there's always pinterest, and the ideas we've used in years past. 8 days can seem a little daunting, but when you get to it it turns out there's always more fun things to do. And with everyone around doing special crafty things for whatever holiday they celebrate, there's a plethora of ways to alter and rework to make them appropriate for the Festival of Lights. 

spinning 

melt-in-your-mouth shortbread

Short-Shortbread recipe:

1 1/2 cups butter at room temperature.

1/2 cup sugar

4 cups flour

preheat oven to 350F. Cream butter and sugar. Add in flour and mix well. If it doesn't come together in a roll-out-able fashion add 1/2tsp of ice water at a time until it does. Usually no more than 1tsp is needed. Roll about 1/4inch thick and cut with the cutters of your choice. Or stamp and cut. Bake about 15 minutes, they don't need to brown too much.

Chag Semeach Hanukkah!

Paper Chain Crowns

Sometimes the simplest crafts provide the most joy. This is a great thing for me to embrace. Though I always have grand ideas and notions of what we can accomplish in a single day, sometimes the cranky baby that can't seem to be calmed throws us for a loop. Today was one of those days, so we have Hamantaschen half made and some paper crowns to show for it.

this one is very elvish

course, we also made penguins and racoons 

If you're familiar with making paper doll strands, snowflakes, and the like, you should have no trouble picking up some paper and scissors and getting to business. I had lots of ideas to take the craft one more step, like fabric or pretty wrapping paper...but, for today the simplicity of construction paper served us well.

these new costumes are what they'll dress up in tomorrow for our party, scored Naomi's at a local consignment store--it's really cute!

Birthday for the Trees

Tonight starts Shevat 15 according to the Hebrew Calendar, thereby making it Tu B'shevat.

"Legally, the “New Year for Trees” relates to the various tithes that are separated from produce grown in the Holy Land. These tithes differ from year to year in the seven-year shemittah cycle; the point at which a budding fruit is considered to belong to the next year of the cycle is the 15th of Shevat."

-chabad.org

We rounded up fruit yesterday and today has been a fun day of tree recognition around our home. Later we'll enjoy a dinner that revolves around reading scriptures, thinking about the trees and the providence we are offered. It's a less well known but enjoyable holiday that gives us a chance to take it easy and splurge on non-local, unseasonal fruits that we tend to avoid in these cold months of winter. It's about Israel's produce, the Land of Milk & Honey, not so much about here--though we are using one of our own Meyer Lemons!

click on the picture to see the directions.

To commemorate we created this tree decor. A simple project that started yesterday with the painting of the big sheets of watercolor paper. That was fun for everyone, we even had a chance to talk about mixing colors.  Now we're just waiting for Drew to trace and cut out his hand so the tree will be complete.

And, the table was prepared by the girls this morning. We use this guide to commemorate, and it calls for 4 plates. The girls sorted them well. 1. Fruit with a hard peel that isn't edible (mango, orange lemon) 2. Fruit with a hard pit (olives, dates, peaches, plums) 3. Fruit that is soft all the way through (grapes, figs) and 4. Things that come from trees that you don't necessarily eat but use (cinnamon, rosemary, bay leaves, cloves). And, for good measure we put a branch candle in the middle that Drew made a few years back. Seemed only fitting...

Hello Twenty Twelve! And, A Vintage High Chair

So, there's always potential that the fresh, clean, new year is full of promise. It is, as was last year. I don't want to forget or think that it's time to start over--last year was great. We had a baby, who is amazing. We, well...we had a baby. Really, anything else pales. We had fun, lots of it. Friends getting married, celebrations, holidays, business growing, vintage boothing, markets, shabbats, countless hours spent lolly-gagging and dreaming together. All in all 2011 is and was exactly what I hope every year is: joyful.

That said, there's always room for improvement. I don't have a long list of things to change, but things are always moving and shaking around here. Like rearranging furniture, there are certain habits that can use a good dusting, places that could stand a meeting with a vacuum. Our rhythm needs some fine tuning...again.

We are taking deep breaths and thinking about all this. What parts of our daily lives are important to us? What aren't? What are beneficial to our children and ourselves? What dust bunnies need to come out of hiding and where should we re-settle the furniture in the coming months? It's all in my mind.

One thing that I've determined important to me is this space. This little nook of the web where I deposit thoughts, photos, inspiration, dreams and sometimes even pain. This hidden alcove of intimate Grim moments is a sort of refuge where I know I can share something and come back to it, often I even get feedback. Though it doesn't encompass the entirety of us, it is a log of where we've been and looking over the last 3 years of postings is unspeakably meaningful for me. I thank God for the friends who encouraged me to join this 'blogging' world (and out of it), when I scroll through old posts there are bits and bobs that would be forgotten if not documented. A million pictures can't always express the thoughts that go with them...So, my hope is to be more diligent and focused with this space. Maybe a little more frequent, a little more personal, a little more of the kids...that's a goal.

I'm not entirely sure how well I mesh my vintage life with this blog, but I sell vintage stuff. It's a habit that can really help give us some extra money and it's been growing, particularly these last few months. Well, if you come to my house you'll see quickly that vintage is more than something I sell, it's something I've surrounded our family in (sometimes we're bursting at the seams with inventory!). Decor, furniture, clothing...there are a lot of ladies like me out there, filling their homes with goods that aren't new, but come pre-loved, broken in and somewhat free of the guilt of consumerism.

For example, we needed a new high chair. We bought one for Naomi at Ikea SEVEN! years ago. well, the tray broke, the plastic is grubby, the buckle frayed and fell off--hardly a stand-the-test-of-time article. So, instead of rebuying one from Ikea, I did a little hunting. It was inconvenient and required the compliance of my parents who picked it up for me, and the lady in Raleigh who was willing to take it out of her way...but, we have a superbly adorable high chair that has years on our cheap Ikea one, and will be adorable long beyond Eliza is through. It's fantastic, (and it was cheap), and I just have to share a picture...

This is most definitely something a little ordinary about our lives, the addition of something vintage that makes me smile. But, it's a little miraculous. I've also set my mind on--coming out of the season of miracles--not to overlook the little things that bring joy into our lives because I'm sure that they are gifts from the One who loves us. Not every miracle needs to be headline-news-worthy. But, the more I open my mind to noticing them, the more I allow myself to realize the many many miracles that fill up our days, the more delightful life is.

Gingerbread Temples and Beeswax Crayons

Naomi loves to make gingerbread houses, and this year it occurred to me that we could really make it part of our Hanukkah celebration by modifying a kit to make a Temple with some Macabbean soldiers. It was pretty fun to play with candy, and a great way to deplete a stockpile of candy we never let our kids eat anyway...

Then, last night everyone opened a gift. Leviah chose her new set of 24 Beeswax crayons and the two girls played all morning coloring pages we got from the Hanukkah storytime a the library last night, and this cute coloring book we bought last year from this sweet shop, and reprinted. It should keep them busy for a while! Naomi has been kind of interested in robots lately, so it worked out well. She was talking in a robot voice all morning.

oh. and this happened...hint.

Judah Maccabee and other Stamped Cookies

I saw these via pinterest and actually used the idea!

this is my plate of favorites, but we made all kinds.

It was a great way to decorate shortbread cookies, especially for little hands. The end result is a bit like old-timey shortbread molds which can be difficult to make work.

It was very simple, we rolled out the dough  and stamped.

Glazed with egg wash to make them shine.

And baked.

Shortbread cookies are probably my favorite, and this recipe worked perfectly--others I've tried have been too dry and difficult to make cut-out cookies from.

:RECIPE:

4 sticks of butter

1 cup of packed brown sugar

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

5 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 275F degrees. Cream the butter and sugar. Add salt, flour and vanilla and mix until well blended. Roll out to about 1/4inch thickness and cut shapes on a generously floured surface at will! Collect scraps, re-roll out and repeat until you've used all your dough. Bake for 45-50 minutes.

Did you make your favorite cookies this holiday season?

Are Your Candles Rolled?

We took one morning last week to work as a candle factory. (we used this kit)

We are ready to burn-em-up!

on the to-do list (among other daily necessities):

make some cookies like these. (we should be so talented)

tell the story.

keep reciting this poem.

maybe make some of these for 'wrapping'.

clean this house. then, that's ALWAYS on the to-do list...

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! 

Hope everyone enjoys seconds, pie, and loosened belts.

these are some of our holiday decorations. Felted acorns and paper Pilgrims and Native Americans from the Toymaker.

Holiday Reminiscing

Tonight is the first night of Sukkot (feast of tabernacles). So, amid the rush of getting everything packed and ready to go for a week of camping and fellowship, I'm stopping in to share a few photos of years past.

2004: Went into labor the next day. (this is proof to those who don't believe I gained a ginormous amount of weight when I was pregnant the first time. whew.)

2005: Naomi was born at Sukkot in 2004, so here she is almost 1.

2006: The Sukkah in the backyard. (Naomi 2)

2007: Naomi's 3rd birthday fell on Sukkot, so we partied extra hard.

2008: Sweet Lady blowing a Shofar
(I was due a week after sukkot with Leviah--hence, my midwife kept the feast with us, just in case we'd need to do a 'tent' birth).

2008: Sweet kiddo decorating the Sukkah.

2009: Naomi turned 5 and Leviah was almost 1.

2010: The kids enjoyed a field movie night. This is a new tradition and we're looking forward to this year's show. Drew's mad A/V skills make this all possible.

A Week of Celebration

We are full swing in our craziest time of year.

Yesterday was Rosh Hashanah and we spent the day in the mountains, per our tradition. (We visit the creek there every year in part to perform the ritual of Tashlich that Margaret speaks of here.) It was great, and friends/family joined us this year which made it even more adventurous. The weather, as it has been in years past, was perfect. 70s, cooling off in the evening.

We enjoyed honey cake & round challah, kite flying, hiking, dam building, downtown perusing and a delcious dinner at a new place in Boone (at least new to us). There should be heavy napping today...

On top of all that, tomorrow we are headed to Raleigh so I can go to a friend's bachelorette party--i love a good night out with the girls. Sunday Naomi will be 7. WHAT?! so, we'll be celebrating that with the requested picnic with family and friends. Then, back home and Monday will be a day that goes down in infamy as my 30th birthday. I'll take a slow day for that, the older I get the less I want to do and the more I have to, so a nice day of mosey-ing about would hit the spot.

Anyway, older is better. Recently one of my oldest friend's and I discussed our aging. It's not nearly as dreadful as you think it will be. When you're twenty you think life can't get better, but it does and that's surprising and it's really the best part of my birthday is thinking about how I have SO much of what I want out of life and I'm still relatively youthful. Not that I can't think of other places to go, or more goals to reach, but, to quote Anne Shirley, "I'm pretty nearly perfectly happy."

The fun won't end this week. October is FULL of camping for Sukkot, Leviah's birthday, and the general celebrating of Fall--which is (once again) my fave.

Shavuot

In years past we haven't put much effort into the exploration of this Biblical holiday. I'm not sure why, something just seemed so foreign. Growing up in a Christian home, the holidays have become a reflection of what I've always known, that God is with us and wants to participate in our lives. The holidays are not just a frivolous good time, but they are specifically designed to provide regular times of meeting--specific times to convene with the Creator in a way that helps us understand Him and the world around us.

So, we are trying harder this year to get-it. Tonight we had a little potluck with friends to learn and 'convoke' (one of the commandments). Shavuot marks the end of the Passover season, which for us has been very eventful! It feels a little like the unwinding--the resolution. It's the end of one harvest, the beginning of another; it also marks the giving of the Law to the Israelites, a people floundering in the desert, a people without direction.

For me, there's been a revelation. The Hebrew people were freed from bondage, freed from enslavement. A lot of folks look at the commandments as a new bondage, but the truth is it only gave them more freedom. They wandered meaninglessly in the desert, repeatedly doing the same silly things and forgetting the bondage they escaped--or worse, remembering it fondly, some wanting to return. Without the gift of the law we'd all still be in the desert--it's the Torah that maps a path straight to the Promised Land, even though we don't deserve it...

the kiddos lined up for learning...

Anyway, these little nuances of our faith add such depth. So, tonight and tomorrow we think about the giving of the Commandments. One fun way to do this? Making Blintzes--of course! and piling them high to represent Mt. Sinai. Oh, and reading this book.

Blintz Recipe We Followed from this book

Blintz Recipe and Great Visual Directions

Hope that wasn't too much reflection for everyone!

Pesach Semeach

I won't go into a lot of detail about our Passover meal this year, it wasn't traditional at all, but it was magnificent! Friends and new experiences and LOTS of learning. I think we all are feeling like we walked away a little more in tune with the original Passover experience, a little more in touch with what it all represents...


Matzo Brei
I think I made this a long time ago, but I don't remember liking it. This time it was good. Pretty much just soggy broken matzo pieces dipped in a egg/milk/cinamon/vanilla mixture and cooked like a pancake. So, Passover french toast...it was delicious.

Our first real Nature Table
I designated this table a while back, but it was filled with seedlings and a grow light until last week. This morning the girls and I added everything you see here. We blew out some eggs, added our hens that represent our actual hens outside (I purchased those a few years ago from here), added select books commemorating the season, crafted birds and baby Moses'.

A simple baby Moses in a walnut shell floating down the silky Nile...before its waters were turned to blood--of course.

the Renewal of Every Spring & our winner!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the little garden giveaway! Sonja said...
I just found your blog this morning and love it. I look forward to reading more in the future.

Thanks Sonja! I hope you do continue to visit! & make sure I get your address so we can ship off your little garden!

In other news, we've been spending our time this week getting ready for Passover. It's a big holiday for us, and the build up is half the fun! Over the past month we've been careful about the things we bring into the house from the grocery store because in a few days we're purging all the leavened items from our home to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread..

While planning is important to avoid throwing out loads of leavened items, the actual act of cleaning our house in a way that removes every last crumb, or shred of 'chametz' is such a physical way of representing a spiritual state. We clean it up, throw it out ,and wipe our hands of it; it represents a renewal of spirit and a cleansing like no other. It's such a story of salvation. Leaven represents sin, and the idea that leaven is permissible throughout the year with this one chance at true purging just reiterates the expectations of the Creator. To know us so well--and how like leaven our sinful nature permeates our lives; Passover gives us this opportunity to purge and really represents the grace we all depend on, the opportunity we are offered to just throw that away and start fresh. Sure, the leaven will return, but in the upcoming week we will focus on life without leaven--life free of the crumbs in the corner or hidden stashes in the back of the freezer, which we always find at some point during the week we live without it, more great imagery...


Anyway, it's a special time of year for most right now, even if it's just spring cleaning. This change of season resonates renewal and I welcome that! Are you feeling a renewal coming?

Needle Felted Queen Esther Crowns and the Beautiful Day.

It's traditional to dress like Queen Esther, or one of the characters from the story, so we had to finish up our crowns...

I cut a simple pattern out of paper (folding in half again, then using a straight edge to draw the 'peaks')

then, I cut some simple 'jewels' out of felt & put Naomi to work. 

We attached a band of elastic with my sewing machine and they were ready to go! Simple enough...

I've already warned Naomi that the other plastic/ridiculous crowns we have kicking around are going. We're slowly weeding out the junky play clothes in favor of sturdier and more modest ones. The older Naomi gets, the less I like her flouncing around in some of those extremely skimpy ones!

Here are a few pictures of our all our Queen Esthers, Hamantaschen, and an around beautiful day. (There were some handmade dresses (note the gold) that were extremely adorable--I should have taken the opportunity to create something for our dress-up chest that could be reused...maybe next year!)

Listening to the story of Esther and shaking noise makers (groggers) to boo the name of Haman.

Everyone in the group brought Hamantaschen for our bake-off. There was pumpkin, chocolate, cherry, strawberry, and chocolate 'bump'. All were good in their own way, but I'm going to claim pumpkin as the best filling and Mr. Watkin's cookie as the best cookie.

there were no complains from Leviah. 

and filling paper hamantaschens with candy is another special treat! We did this last year, and while I forgot, Naomi didn't. So, before we left for the park she reminded me to bring all the supplies! I guess that's how traditions really get started...