happy halloween!

max, king of all the wild things wishes you a wonderful, candy-filled halloween!

halloween cards

it has been pretty rainy here so we have been indoors more often than not. stamping is one of calvin's favorite things to do, and he asked to make halloween cards the other day (he actually asked to make halloween thank you cards because it seems that whenever we write cards they are thank you cards and i am afraid that he thinks all cards are for saying thanks...) so we dusted off our halloween stamps and set to work on cards that were not thank you cards.

i love that his drawings are starting to be recognizable. here he drew several pumpkins (some upside down because sometimes the paper was upside down...) and the tall thing in the middle is a birdhouse. earlier in the day we put up a birdhouse that we bought at the agricultural fair awhile back. we (sam) put it just outside our dining room window and as we were sitting in the dining room making these cards, calvin looked out and drew the birdhouse and the branch it is hanging on. i loved watching him draw as he looked at his drawing, then out the window at the birdhouse, then back to his drawing. he is starting to understand that his writing can have meaning, which for a literacy teacher, be stills my heart.

crown

i made this little pink and yellow birthday crown for miss charlotte who turned 6 months old this month. in my family we celebrate half-birthdays (a small celebration, usually just family, but you get to wear your birthday crown) for the yellow i used 100% wool felt and for the pink i used a blend, because that was what i had on hand in pink and, well, charlotte is a pink girl, i think, so i wanted to use pink. oh how i do love the 100% wool felt better though. it is so soft and thick, but a bit pricey. i used my own pattern that i created for calvin's birthday crown.

as i look at the picture though i realize i need to work on my embroidery stitches. maybe i will do some embroidery for christmas (i know it seems early to be thinking about the holidays, but i want to make most of my gifts and that requires time and forethought and more time, so i must start now). i found these tutorials here and here to get me started. now to find the time...

happy half-birthday charlotte!

autumn cooking and craft

calvin and i made the maple nut granola from feeding the whole family a few weeks ago for my mom. she was coming for a visit and she loves yogurt and granola for breakfast. my mom didn't love it, but calvin and i sure did. it was delicious! great for breakfast, snacking or even dessert!

i also made the emerald city salad from the same book. as i was making it, i wondered if it would taste too earthy because it is mainly wild rice and kale. i loved it. calvin loved it. even my mom loved it. it was a terrific and very healthy salad to have it the fridge to put on the side of anything. my mom and i even put it on tacos.

my sister took calvin out for a walk and they collected some fallen pine cones, leaves and acorns. then they drew pictures of their collection. such a simple and wonderful idea. (the stick colored pencils came from my aunt, they were perfect for this project!)

a trip to the nature center

::sleepy sheep::

::guinea fowl::

::squash and pumpkins::

::leaves starting to turn colors::

::bee on a flower::

the nature center in our town has certainly changed in the last week. autumn is here. calvin collected about 50+ acorns, feathers and leaves. we don't have space for a 'nature table' so i created a nature box for him. every leaf he sees, he squeals with delight, "oh mom look at this one! it's really special." we had to have a talk about how he couldn't collect every leaf, acorn and feather... we had to leave some for other kids to discover. this satisfied him for a moment, but still he kept on collecting little bits here and there.

we start a class there this week that centers on autumn flora and fauna, with a bit of storytelling and art thrown in. i can't wait!

i have been doing a fair amount of sewing and knitting lately. i hope to share some of that soon...

goodbye

as the last day of summer comes to a close, i am taking a moment to reflect on the busy season it was for us this year and anticipate a glorious autumn. this was the summer of maeve. we anxiously awaited her arrival and then once she came, we have all spent our days watching, kissing, loving her. calvin did get a few (less than usual) beach days in, he could never have enough. we also spent some lovely evenings dining by the shore. we have had loads of family visiting, which is always such a treat.

but autumn... my favorite season now that i live in new england. the trees are already starting to change and show hints of the bright oranges, yellows, golds and reds that are to come. we are looking forward to more family and friends coming to visit us. the cool crisp air during the sunny days and cold, cold nights are already here. i have some major sewing and knitting in the works because autumn always inspires me to create.

goodbye summer... hello autumn.

birthday

it was sam's birthday a couple of weeks ago. i like to cook, but he loves to cook. he loves to make new and different recipes and he loves eggplant. i don't love eggplant. but for his birthday i was determined to find an eggplant recipe to make for us all that was tasty and everyone (including me...) would eat.

so i made rigatoni with eggplant puree. it was delicious. seriously. calvin and i ate eggplant happily (plus my sister and nephew too). sam said it was the best thing i have ever made.

sam also loves nectarines so i made a nectarine galette. it was my first time making anything pie-like from scratch. everyone loved it! i especially loved the almonds on top. fruity and nutty together is so good.

sam is one amazing guy. he works so hard at his job and then makes the most of every moment he spends with us. he cooks, he cleans and makes me feel special every day. happy birthday babe!