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A few weeks ago we headed west to Three Creeks Farm for shearing day. It was a beautiful yet chilly spring day on the small farm.
While it was a busy day, I felt relaxed being in the countryside and I loved the sense of community with the other folks who came to help.
We all brought food to share and the girls ran free as we watched the sheep being sheared and then picked the fleece.
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When I was a kid, Mother’s Day meant breakfast in bed.
My sister spent a good part of our childhood planning and concocting breakfasts that included her favourite food - pineapple chunks. And my Dad would get up at the crack of dawn with us, pretending not to know what we were doing, to make sure we didn’t burn the house down.
It takes a very special mum to accept years of cold, stogy homemade breakfasts with pure delight and surprise. But my Mum did it every year.
Now, it is my turn to ‘sleep’ in while hearing crashes and giggles all in the name of breakfast in bed. It is my very favourite day of the year!
The girls (and I) made this tray cloth last year to use on Mother's Day. It is simple to make, yet will last forever and always be meaningful.
Continue reading "Quick Craft: DIY Breakfast in Bed Tray Cloth for Mother's Day" »
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Have you heard of spine poems? In honor of National Poetry Month, my sister wrote one and I thought it was such an effortless way to write a poem. To write one... take a look at your books and stack them up so the titles form a poem.
Here is mine:
Founding mothers
Watching the English.
Whisper and shout
Raising their Voices.
Imagine Childhood (with)
Instant love
All year round.
Ain't I a woman,
Sew liberated.
I feel liberated! Writing poetry can be slightly intimidating, but this was 10 minutes of creative and inspired fun in the middle of my rainy day. I can't wait for the girls to get home and try it too.
And now I'm looking forward to re-reading some of these books that have been forgotten on the shelf for years. I'm a tad bit worried that Watching the English was my sister's book and I'm caught after borrowing it 6 years ago.
Send me your poem - I'd love to read it.
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Dear Spring,
You bring such warmth and growth, and you fill our house with light and happiness. When you're around we want to run, skip, jump and stay up all night just to be with you.
Why then, Spring, do you taunt me so? Your pretty chirping birds and beautiful flowers tempt me outside only to make my eyes water. You attack my sinuses with pollen and make my lungs work over-time.
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Thank you to the lovely folks at Roost Books for sending me a review copy of The Artful Parent.
I am a huge fan of Jean Van't Hul's blog, The Artful Parent, and have been looking forward to Jean's book ever since she announced that she was writting one.
The Artful Parent: Simple Ways to Fill Your Family's Life with Art & Creativity is chock-a-block full of very do-able art projects.
The book covers everything from choosing art supplies, talking to kids about their art, displaying kid's art, and over 60 art projects for kids ages 1 - 8.
Even though Jean is obviously very knowledgeable about studio art, the book is so warm and inviting that you feel more like you are hanging out with your artsy friend and her sweet girls, than reading a book.
What I love the most about this book is that the pictures are of real kids making real projects.
With titles like 'Getting Fancy' the girls and I were ready to make!
And we have lots of plans...
The Artful Parent is perfect for parents, grandparents, and teachers. It is the type of book that will be used over and over again and referred to for years.
The book is available from Amazon, Roost Books, Barnes & Noble, and your local independent bookstore.
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Hi Friends,
I have a very special post for you… today is the girls' school picture day and I asked my bloggy friend, Celina of Petit à Petit and family, to help me to find perfect outfits for the occasion.
Not only is Celina half British and super-nice, she also has years of experience as a kid’s fashion designer and has incredible taste. Celina’s Pinterest boards are phenomenal (I really just want to pin everything she pins), and her blog Petit à Petit and family documents kid’s fashion...
Hello! My name is Celina and I blog over at Petit à Petit and family, where I talk about children's design in shapes and form. I was so excited when Helen asked me if I could write up a post to help her choose her daughters outfit for Picture Day at school.
I remember growing up and picture day was a big day- I would wear my prettiest outfit, my mom would take extra time to make my hair pretty and as I got older I would think about what I was going to wear weeks before. Now that I have kids of my own, I like to continue and perpetuate this tradition, I also happen to like children's fashion and every occasion I get to dress my kids a little extra special, I jump on it! I don't go overboard, but I like to pay attention to a few details and add a special touch. So for this post I decided I would put together 3 different outfits and give you a few tips on how to make it your own and perhaps find things you could already use from your kids wardrobe.
Here are a few rules you should keep in mind...
Rule 1: choose something your kids are used to wearing and will be comfortable in. It's already awkward posing in front of the camera, don't add more stress my making them wear something they don't feel good in.
Rule 2: Keep it simple- you can still have fun with colors and patterns and try not to accessorize too much.
Rule 3: Focus on the top part mostly- the photos are usually portraits so don't worry too much about what's on the bottom.
Rule 4: Don't make your kids wear new shoes. This goes with rule 1, 2 and 3!
And now for some styling tips...
Outfit #1 ( images 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.)- keep it traditional.
I like dresses a lot and so does my daughter, so whenever we dress up for a special occasion we usually end-up choosing one, actually that is what my daughter wore for her picture. When choosing a dress, you can have fun with patterns and colors but limit it to a few colors. If it's still a little cold pair it with some tights or even some leggings. I added a bright cardigan- but that was more for the the walk to and from school! Actually try to avoid to many layers- they can make your kid look bulky and stuffy. Have fun with your kids hair, add some nice barrettes or even just some ribbon. Once again avoid anything to out of the ordinary- unless your child requests it.
Outfit #2 (images 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.)- keep it cool.
Your girl isn't into dresses, how about a skirt? Blouses and tunics are very fashionable item these days, pair them with a skirt or even some jeans to dress it down. Once again, have fun with colors and prints- choose something that suits your daughters complexion. I avoid yellow with my daughter, she looks much better in purple and red, so I keep that in mind, especially photo day! You can also choose to go for a solid color on top and a fun printed skirt- especially if you like the photo to be a little more conservative. When choosing the colors for your accessories, such as the shoes and hair clips, find an accent color in your tops that isn't necessarily in your bottoms- this will add some whimsy to your outfit. Don't be afraid to mix a bright colors with it's pastel, such as green and mint- it’s the biggest trend at the moment.
Outift #3 (images 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)- make it funky.
Do you have a little fashionista? So why not dress her in the latest trends! You might be laughing when looking back at the photos- honestly those are my favorite, they are fun and show the times we where living in! I also made this outfit a comfortable one with a t-shirt and a pair of skinny jeans, but to make it extra special I added a funky blazer which dresses it up. You don't need to go with a floral blazer, any jacket would be a nice touch. If you want to add some jewelry, opt for something small, just like the hair clips- after all you want your daughters to be the center of attention.
The Golden Rule: What ever you do, make sure your kids like it too!
Oh and I haven't forgotten about the boys! Just head on over to my blog for the 3 little boys outfit as well.
Thank you so much for having me Helen, I had such fun preparing this post, I only wish I had done it before my kids had their pictures taken!
Thank you so much Celina! Be sure to visit Petit à Petit and family for 3 picture perfect boy outfits.
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I was quite delighted when the folks at Tea Collection asked me to create a craft inspired by the dresses in their new Spring 2013 South African Style catalog.
I was so taken by the vibrant colors and beautiful flowers in the dresses, and I loved the descriptions of the clothes that included 'blazes of color' and 'twirl factor.'
As I thought about the clothes, I could imagine Nola and Kira twirling in the dresses. I created a little story book for my girls. I really want to wrap the dresses up and top the packages with my book as the gift card.
It is a wordless picture book with endless story ideas. Our version goes a little like this:
Nola and Kira put on their new spring dresses and thought that something was missing.
The girls looked around to see how they could make their
dresses more colorful.
Nola took her paint brush and dipped it in the dazzling yellow sun.
Kira found pretty wildflowers and used the purples, blues, yellows and greens to make her dress feel more like spring.
The girls were so happy in their beautiful dresses that they
danced and twirled all day long.
The End!
Nola's dress was inspired by the Woodstock Twirl dress.
Kira's dress was inspired by the Strandveld Wrap-Neck dress.
Visit the Tea Collection blog to see the latest in spring fashion, South African culture, and children's global incentives.
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