hurrayic

Enjoying

Good morning, Monday!

Another busy and quick week.

Wondering if I blink more s-l-o-w-l-y, will the days follow suit? 

Right now, I'm attempting to take senior photos and having impy little brother jump in unexpectedly...

Still working at it...

 

Hope you have a good week!

 

{this moment}**

setting up her still life

 p.s. - she's also working on poetry...come & read...

{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. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

 

Enjoy your weekend!

Yarn Along: Husband's Scarf

For Ginny's Yarn Along, I had hoped to show you the finished scarf for my husband.  You know the one.  The scarf that should have been a Christmas present?  Well...my progress was the close-but-no-cigar type progress... and honestly, I've done little knitting this week.  In fact, my needles have been relatively quiet for some time now.  I think it's the weather.  I keep staring at my pile of fabric and want to sew rather than knit.  I also think it's just the busyness of the season.  I know we're busy doing something, but when I look back at what those things are, I can't remember.  Nothing memorable or creative.  Just a whole bunch of must-do projects: dentist visits, renewing temps, piano lessons, car fixing, grocery shopping, running around with a seemingly endless number of errands...

So you can probably guess how my reading this week has been as well.  Not a whole lot of in-depth study other than browsing more new books that we'll hit next year for school...like, for instance, King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.  I'm previewing it for the boys.  I'm sure they'll like it! 

What are you hoping to knit or read in the coming week(s)?

Enjoying

Happy final Monday of April!

I'm enjoying:

a new bowl of mangoes

a free bouquet of flowers

rain rain and more rain

the Tenant of Wildfell Hall

hamburgers with feta and sauteed onions

extra sleep

a husband home from a trip

saving grace by Christ alone

Hope your week is a sweet one...

{this moment}**

brothers ('bookends') sharing one of my favorite games as a child

 

{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. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

 

Hope you try an old favorite this weekend.

Yarn Along: Knitted Pockets

For Ginny's Yarn Along this week, I whipped up a few pockets after seeing Lori's post.  I chose some watery blues and greens, both bright and muted.  All Cascade wool.  You might recognize a few of the colors from other projects.  What a fun little distraction this project provided: quick and wonderful knowing that they'll be going to a good cause. 

The knitting portion was easy, but the crochet portion?  Stinky.  My daughter knows how to crochet and taught herself.  I do not.  Yes, a single chain and edging wasn't too difficult, but weaving in the ends proved a bit challenging.  Oh well.  They're made with a little sprinkling of love and care.  Did you join in too? 

Reading has been simply browsing through some new homeschool books (when I really should first finish my other school books for this year!).  I'm excited about using Artistic Pursuits with my two younger boys next year.  Funny, I went to art school but found in our homeschool journey, that art was/is often pushed to the side for other must-do's.  I reasoned with myself (with pride I might add, ugh!) that "I could teach them that...why do I need a program?" or "yuck, I dislike the drawings/artwork in this curriculum, so I'll just make up my own"...

Well, art (vs crafts) simply didn't get done unless we were in a co-op or someone else was teaching the course.  This year, I hope to use Artistic Pursuits.  It teaches the elements of art in simple ways, includes art history and art appreciation as well as exercises and finished projects to work towards.  I've also been scouting the internet for some interesting videos to demonstrate the art elements as well as using some art books we already own.  Throw in more picture studies, and It should be fun. Have you used the program?  Likes/dislikes?

So what are you knitting and reading this week?

Family Letter Writing

Remember that life-long project I talked about earlier?  (You might have to stretch your memory cells for this one.) If not, that's okay.  This is nothing earth-shattering, but in a slow and steady way, we're implementing it.

Letter writing is becoming a lost art.  At least for me.  I confess that even when letter writing was more in vogue, I was rather 'fashionless' when it came to sitting down purposefully, with the intention of putting words to paper and sending those thoughts through the mail.  Those who know me, can attest that I very rarely send cards or notes or emails...okay, even phone calls are few and far between.  My own children tease and say that I must be related to a hermit!  Surely the warm thoughts in my mind and those filling our conversations at home about friends and family should count for something, yes?  I mean, I do think of others regularly...

Besides the time & desire to write, I want to make our family writing time accessible...ready-to-go...as to encourage all those get-well, thinking of you, happy birthday sentiments.  Now in reality I could just simply pick up a pencil and a piece of paper and scribble away, but I want to make it tad more 'artistic'.  Within reason of course.  I know myself too well...if I get caught up with making everything pretty and artistic, the letters will never get sent off! Sort of defeats the purpose.

I already covered one pretty area: the addresses, and I did mention a few cards that I made from last year's calendar.  I'd like to make a whole slew of cards, but that won't get done until later.  So for now, I'm using up cards from my card collection. Plus I bought a few new ones to add to the bunch.

Honestly the two biggest  'problems' to our letter writing?  The time to write and the place to write.  We decided that Sunday afternoons were best for our family, and right now we choose to gather around the kitchen table.  I'm so glad to have found a vintage drawer from bonnbonn.  It makes our letter writing event portable.

I filled it with the essentials: stamps, pens, address book, cards, paper & envelopes.  We have no 'rules' to our notes and letters.  Just something quick to family or friends, far away or close by.  We've encouraged the kids to simply think about the person to whom you're writing.  Wouldn't they like to get a nice surprise in their mailbox? 

So within half an hour, we've gotten about 12 cards ready to send off!  For two months (give or take a week) this has been going on.  Now if someone will just write back...

Do you write letters?  Any tips?

 

 

Enjoying

Good Morning, Monday!

I'm enjoying...

Throwing together a new salad and tweaking a new chicken dish for our tournament judges (I substituted sundried tomatoes for the grape ones and parsley for the basil and was heavy-handed with the spices and lemon!)...

Watching my boys relax by playing games...

Thankful for more sleep these past few days...

Looking forward to making time to look at all the new homeschooling books for next year...

Waiting for more books to arrive in the mail...

Participating in a hoedown (okay, I watched my kids & husband participate in a hoedown since my feet were hurting after 4 days of standing on them all day long)

Eating some of this Greek Orzo Salad again and wanting to make more of it this week...

Thankful for a fun tournament this past week (and glad that it's over)...my daughter placed 7th, my son was both a semifinalist and a 3rd place finalist...which means...

Anticipating (with mixed emotions) our next stop...a National Tournament!

 

What have you been enjoying?

{this moment}**

a flower in her hair

 

{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. ~ Soule Mama

{this moment}** a single photo with a few accompanying words ~ hurrayic

 

Have a lovely weekend!

Ribbon Flowers

Years ago (I won't tell you how long ago...but my oldest was just a babe...), I used to sew flower brooches made from little bits of ribbon and seed beads and soft velvety leaves together and glue on a tiny bit of felt to the back along with a pin clasp.  (Remember, Mom?) I even sold a few along the way.  And then, like a lot of crafts, the ribbons and seed beads and pinbacks got stored away for 'safekeeping' as we were blessed with three other little babies to attend to. 

Fast forward to a few days ago...my daughter wanted something for her hair, and as we rummaged through my stash (never know what you'll find), we rediscovered all those ribbons that I had sewn together and which were waiting for beads and finishing touches to be added.  Don't know if I'll actually add the seed beads anymore or pinbacks for that matter.  My tastes have changed. 

But I do know that she fiddled with one and pinned it to her hair with a few bobby pins.  Now there's an idea...I think I'll sew on a few hair clips or ponytail holders to the existing flowers for some quick accessories. 

Do you have any crafty things that you've rediscovered?