Girls Craft Weekend...

This sounds silly to say but, I am rejuvenated by the weekends. We usually have just a few things planned and we spend the majority of our time together, cooking, playing games, playing trucks, dressing up... you know all the things you want to do when you're in preschool.

This weekend was a bit different, about once a quarter my girl friends get together for a crafty weekend. We rent a space at a local church and set up tables then spend most of Friday and Saturday together. We craft or scrapbook, sew and paint, eat and laugh.

I love these weekends-- it's rare to get that much time with each other without kids and husbands. So we cherish-- and look forward to our next weekend.

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Exciting house keeping:

What am I cooking? is a new food blog with a few blogging friends. I have a gluten free beef and veggie soup up for today.

Revisiting Sanctuaries is filling up, secure your place soon!

Kerry is starting a new series tomorrow! Yay!

Allison won the spot in Revisiting Sanctuaries! We'll be so glad to have you!

{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. ~Amanda Soule

For Today:

I keep this little note tacked up on my computer screen. It helps me remember who I am, what I'm about and how to live my life. Even when it's hard to do these things.

Kerry is giving away a spot in Revisiting Sanctuaries today. Stop over!

Corner View: Favoirte Artist

Favorite Artist is so hard to choose.
At first thought Helen Frankenthaler, Freda Kahlo and Lee Krasner. But modern women would include Emily Sweet, Sabrina Ward Harrison and Sarah Genn.

Who would you choose? Who have I forgotten?

Find about other Favorite Artists Here. 

A Little Secret About Animal Crackers

Friday night, the kids wanted to make animal crackers. NOT graham crackers.

They were thinking about the large bag from Walmart with the slightly-sweet, majorly-addicting, animal-like-shaped cookies.

I was not sold on this idea.

So I searched around a bit and found Smitten Kitchen's Graham crackers. But since life is all about marketing, I just rebranded them. And said "THIS recipe would make perfect animal crackers." They bought it. I have a feeling, I'm going to be in trouble next year after they start to read.

For our first batch we made larger cut-out crackers. A few cats, some dogs,  a monkey and bear. Our next few batches, I used a tiny heart cookie cutter. I didn't have much dough waste that way.

They are good. A nice cracker crunch and a bit of chew. But what does it for me is the honey/butter combination.

Yikes. THESE are addicting. But this recipe made about 280 quarter size crackers. We divided the dough into four sections, which allowed us to make a bit at a time.


I'm thinking about making these for our school Valentines. In little bags with funny tags like last year. But this time, I think the kids will help!

Today is the Day!

Hello Loves, today is the day and the launch of my new website and eCourse: Revisiting Sanctuaries.

So many of you have expressed interest in signing up, I'm excited to be journeying with you!

Weekending: Around the Kitchen Table

This weekend was wonderful... both kids have Strep and though that was a bummer, we had a few great days of housebound-ness. It was just what the doctor ordered.

On Saturday we spread out on the kitchen table. Breakfast and beads intermingled with water colors, finger paints, crayons, markers, window markers.

They felt too awful to really move any where, so I just brought all the stuff to them and we spent a few hours together staring out the front window and enjoying each other--  I got some time for journaling/water coloring and Eric baked!

{Lemon Cream Tart}

Finding Beauty: Winter Colors

Winter gets a bad rap sometimes with all the apparent grayness and lack of blue skies and green grass. But this afternoon, armed with my camera and my family we drove just out of town looking for the beauty in a -7 and snowy day.

What beauty can you find today?

Eating and sharing

We ate so well this weekend. And I'm still full thinking about it. I love sharing meals, it just fills up my soul. Good food + sharing = heaven.

Lasagna TWICE! First when our friends came over dinner at our 'Italian restaurant' which was just our white paper wrapped kitchen table with candles in the middle. The kids were thrilled about coloring.

Eric made Eclairs... so delicious. Trubey kept stealing them out of the fridge. Aren't they beautiful??

Sunday lunch with more friends-- Lasagna round #2!

Later in the afternoon we took a drive to pick up some paint to finish up a project and while we drove home we all brainstormed dinner ideas. We listed off the ingredients we had in the house and thought how to use them best. Isabel loves soup right now-- and so with the drawer of veggies, left over chicken and some cheese we thought up, broccoli soup with chicken.

Little do they know that now we have an emersion blender.... so much more went into broccoli soup than broccoli!

Broccoli Soup with Chicken
1 small onion (or half a medium onion)
2 carrots chopped fine
2 medium potatoes chopped fine
1 clove of garlic
1 cup of loosely packed spinach
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1 cup of low fat cottage cheese
1 cup whole milk
1 medium head of broccoli and stem roughly chopped
1 tsp of honey
1 piece of bacon
2 tablespoons of butter
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cooked chicken breast shredded (warm)

In a medium stockpot add butter and keep on medium heat until melted then add onions, garlic cook until translucent and soft. Add the bacon, stirring until bacon is cooked. Add potatoes, carrots and broccoli then add about a table spoon of olive oil if needed. Lightly salt vegetables. Let cook for 5-7 minutes. Then add spinach (lightly salt again) and stir until wilted. Add chicken stock and let boil until potatoes are tender. Add the cottage cheese and milk. Salt and pepper to taste. Use an emersion blender or blend in a regular blender in small batches until soup is smooth. (If using a regular blender: return to pot). Add shredded chicken.
Stir in the whole milk and honey. Salt and pepper more if needed.

Serve with shredded sharp cheddar cheese on top and crusty bread! Serves about 4 people.

Kids Yoga

After dinner tonight, the kids were begging for kids yoga. Truman usually wants to participate, but then he sits in my lap while I'm in lotus position or tries to use me as a jungle gym while in downward facing dog.

Tonight for the first time, he did all the poses for these two videos (our favorites!). His attention span is getting just a bit longer everyday and it was really fun to see him whole heartedly enter into practice.

I'm so glad that we have something to add to our evenings inside that help us 'shake our silly's out' and get a bit more active!

Sarah Klein and her niece do a good intro video easy to understand and so fun!



And this one is from the Bari Koral Family Rock Band, the kids love this video. I think it's a great way to introduce them to poses. Plus you'll catch yourself singing the lyrics on the way to a meeting the next day.

His Girl Friday

This morning was wonderful. The kids have been crabby all week. You'd think with a week of snow days we'd be a little more joyful. But they have not been. Finally this morning, they slept until they woke up (which was on time!!) then all four of us snuggled in the big bed until it was time to get ready for our day.

I am eternally grateful for mornings like this. Happy kids: no teeth-brushing-negotiations, no snow-boot-wearing-negotiations and no coat-and-hat-negotiations.... ahhh wonderful.

Thank you for your reception to Revisiting Sanctuaries. All your words, calls and emails-- I am excited too! More information out next week. Plus a little look into the heart of it.

Here are a few things around the web that have been keeping me going this week.

This scene of Yosemite, I miss this place-- being thousands of miles away. 

I'm loving my free Owl Lover Calendar. You could make one too! 

This Recycled Canvas Bag from etsy. 

This week I made laundry soap and I'm reminded why I love this so much. Cheap and cleans our clothes so well! I'm not trying to jinx it but, we have had the laundry caught up for three weeks. That's the longest it's been caught up in our marriage. And something about a clean laundry room is more motivation to keep it cleaned up!

Eric made Chicken Stir-Fry with Soba Noodles last night. It is such an easy week night meal!

This sweet moment from by hand at home.

This perfect latte. Some wonderful looking eggs.

And this book. Which I'm devouring.

What have you been admiring? Give me some link-love for today!

Photo from Country Living via here. 

News! Revisiting Sanctuaries

It is a valuable practice at night to spend a little while revisiting sanctuaries of your lived day.  Each day is a secret story woven around the radiant heart of wonder.  We let our days fall away like empty shells and miss all the treasures.  -John O'Donohue
 
I read this quote last spring at Kerry's blog and it seemed to sum up all the things I had been reading, thinking about and trying to deciper in my own daily life. Really what I needed the most was honesty in myself. This honesty came through seeing. But I couldn't see with my eyes tightly shut, my ears closed and my heart firmly locked up.

What does it look like to view nature, family, community, gratitude all in the context of seeing our own life? How can I be a person of gratitude-- and have gratitude for the beauty in my daily life? 

I don't have answers, but I would love if you would join this conversation.

To open our eyes and ears-- for a deeper nourishment of self and in turn to nourish our community. What could life be like if I lived with my ears, eyes and heart opened-- what if you did it with me?

So I'm will host a five week workshop called, Revisiting Sanctuaries: a workshop for daily seeing.

This workshop is set up on a five week schedule. Each Monday you'll get a new workbook on a new facet of seeing-- with journal prompts, videos, thoughts, interviews, tutorials-- each week experiencing seeing in a different way. An 8x10 printable poster by artwork made by me. A private blog for deeper discussion, a private forum for conversations. 

Registration starts January 25 for $40. The workshop begins February 14th. But each week is set up to work along as you can.

So let's start together. And really see.

With Wild Abandon

It's been snowing and snowing. Last night, Isabel suited up and 'helped' Eric scoop. Which basically meant she spent the whole time waist deep into snow banks. And it kept me looking out the window every thirty seconds. I was SURE she was going to fall in over her head to an Isabel sized snow bank.

One of my Peeping-Tom /Hover-Mother moments, I looked out the window and there she was on her belly rolling in the snow. Not phased, not cold-- but adoring every moment. Jumping in over and over without abandon and with sheer delight.

Her love of snow and out door play actually reminded me of her love of swimming. Her wild abandon satisfies her heart so deeply.

As a mother, something in me stirs too. When do I unleash myself like that? When do I jump head first into something with wild abandon, for the sake of enjoyment?

Let's do one thing today with wild abandon. What will yours be?


Photo

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Tomorrow is the day I announce my big news! (no I'm not pregnant) So stop by and see what I'm up to!

Christmas Printing...

A few days before Christmas, I was knee deep into making. Ask my family.

The living room was covered in sewing-- fabric and thread. Towels lots of towels. I made 9 hooded towels for nieces and nephews, and little friends. The kitchen covered in embroidery and felt at one end of the table, drawing and painting in the middle of the table, print making on the end of the table... and ironing in the laundry room.

And then there was printing. I wanted to use these wooden printing blocks that my mentor, John had given me years ago. I do drag them out for projects once in a while but I'd wanted to organize them in alphabetical order. So I didn't have to play the "Who can find Mommy an S? Now an R?!" game.

And organizing them gave me so many options. Oooo what if I printed on paper, for cards! Posters! Tea towels!

With a few short lengths of furring strips and hot glue, held everything in place as I printed.

And I used acrylic paint as ink-- so it would dry faster.

I loved how these turned out. And the process was just so fun. I think I will get these out more often.

What have you been working on?

A New Year: Watching, Listening

"Are your listening ears on?" I ask as we wheel our cart stuffed with luggage, gifts, back packs and beloved dolls. There are people everywhere. And this is an attempt to snap my dreamy little girl into  reality-- just for a few minutes-- for her own safety.
Isabel reaches to her ears one at a time. "Click! Click, they're on!"

"Are your observation eyes on?"
"Click! Click! Yep!"


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I usually use my time at Lent as a New Years resolutions. I resolve to do something to better me or my family, not to restrict or not eat chocolate (I am realistic... hehe). This year for Lent, I gave up time wasters, and it was the most amazing thing. I was able to embrace that new time fully.

And now that I have recouporated from studying and graduating, from Christmas sewing and from holiday traveling (and I have an empty laundry room... gasp I know).  I feel like it's time now to refocus, refresh and take in a deep breath. To take 2011 as a chance to learn about myself, my family and others.

And for this year, I'm only asking myself two things. "Are your listening ears on?" "Are your observation eyes on?"

My goal is just to be the best version of me. Letting go of perfectionism and replacing it with trying hard, being consistent and loving deeply. I am going to wake up each day with a song in my heart and eyes on that see the beauty in the daily.

Will you journey with me? Ears and eye 'clicked' on-- noticing beauty?