a number of things

Fall Fever

The laundry needs folding,

the bathrooms need scrubbing,

the floor needs sweeping,

and the dishes need doing.

It must be autumn. :)

I get this way every year.  I actually plan for it by getting "extra" schooling done in those last sultry weeks of summer.  It's those cool, autumn changes that get me utterly distracted.  This is only the beginning, I know it will get much worse. It begins with a touch of fall decorating, then spills over into fall crafting which will, by the time the temps are truly autumn-like, have us spending nearly every waking hour either outdoors or doing something other than "school" and housework.  I love this time of year!

              

This year, we discovered the book Wee Felt Folk, and what fun has sprung from it!  As you can see above, wee folk have taken up residence in the center piece on our table.

         

The wee felt lady likes to keep the pine cones and pumpkins nice and tidy...

         

...while the little gentleman attempts to rake the giant leaves.

         

These wee ladies and baby were made by Amelia (10)! 

         

There has been some pretty intense gnome construction going on also between Joseph (5) and Issac (8)...

         

...and they seem to have taken over the popsicle stick village!

   

The September Toymaking Fair!

Hop on over to Rachel's lovely blog and check out the fabulous Beauty of Toymaking Fair she is hosting!!  So many lovely  pictures and inviting links!

Have fun!

 

Tea & Cake, Anyone?

I thought that since the new book will be out soon,  I'd tell you a bit more about "Tea & Cake with the Saints... A Catholic Young Lady's Introduction to Hospitality and the Home Arts".

Why hospitality?

Well, the Bible mentions hospitality many times in the Old Testament as well as the New.  Genesis 18:1-8, 2Kings 4:1-7, Matthew 10:40, Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:2, and 1Peter 4:8-10 are just a very few.  Indeed, Jesus calls us all to hospitality when he says "I assure you, as often as you did it for one of my least brothers, you did it for me." (Matt 26:40)  

                

The purpose of the book is to get across the idea that hospitality does not have to be elaborate or difficult, and that it can begin right at home with one's siblings and parents! It can be as simple as a picnic with a friend to celebrate their name day (or feast day) or surprising your sister with breakfast in bed.

                      

Many of the ideas in "Tea & Cake" focus on using various Saint's feast days as the occasion for practicing hospitality in the form of simple tea parties, but almost all of the ideas given can be used for any occasion a girl can dream up!

In the book, young ladies will also be encouraged to start their very own homemaking notebook (modeled after the ones our grandmothers and great-grandmothers depended on) and fill it with some of the ideas and recipes found among the varied chapters on everything from basic cleaning and organizing, to simple gardening.

                

Tea & Cake with the Saints (aimed at girls 10 & up) is not meant to be a home economics text, but a light, fun and inspiring introduction to "hospitality & the home arts".  It includes suggested menus with recipes, articles, copy-n-clip recipe cards, hostess gift ideas, and much more!

The book will be available for shipping on November 10th, but CHC will be taking pre-orders before then for those that wish to give the books as Christmas gifts.  I hope you like it! :)

     

Don't Forget...

The September edition of The Beauty of Toymaking Fair is coming right up!  It will be hosted by Rachel, of The Jacobite Rose, on the 25th. Get your toymaking ideas, thoughts, memories, book recommendations, etc to her and join in the toymaking fun!!

For more information on the Toymaking Fairs, click the link in the left hand sidebar.

    

A Proper Pinny

"There's one of my pocket-handkins!" cried Lucie- "And there's my pinny!"  Mrs. Tiggy-winkle ironed it, and goffered it, and shook out the frills.  "Oh that is lovely!" said Lucie.   ~ From The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-winkle

 

I love the idea of little girls in pinafores.  They are so very practical! This one is based on one I made for Amelia when she was small.

          

I did not use a pattern for Amelia's, but for Marie's new one, I made a pattern so that I might reproduce them more easily.

         

This simple "pinny" would hardly be considered "proper" in Miss Potter's world, but I am not altogether fond of ruffles. :-) (Though I do like a bit of smocking!)

   

Flooded Caterpillars

Well, Humberto passed just to the west of us this morning, and left even more rain.

           

When the kids went out, after the rain had stopped and just the gusty tropical breezes were blowing, they discovered hundreds of these little caterpillars. 

      

They had crawled up out of the flooded yard and were clinging desperately to every blade of grass that was growing above the water level.  I'll admit, my first reaction was not, "wow what a cool learning experience", but more like "yuck".  However, these little creatures are now climbing onto the porch, and I am getting kind of curious as to what exactly they are / will become.

           

So, are there any professional or part time entomologists out there who can give us a clue? Or at least point us to some helpful websites?  The caterpillars are all about 7/8" long.

Thanks, from a semi grossed out mom.

**UPDATE**

Theresa, from LaPaz Home Learning, says that she thinks it is some sort of cutworm or armyworm.  She also recommended a great web site called What's This North American Caterpillar.  Thanks Theresa!

 

A Girl & Her Duct Tape

In the midst of my striving for more handmade and homemade beauty in our lives, Amelia (10) made a request.  She asked if she might have a roll of duct tape.  Her "very own roll", to be exact.  I offered her some of the household supply, but she wanted a roll that she could "use whenever" she wanted to.

Duct (or Duck, if you like) tape did not exactly fit into my plans for crafting with beautiful and natural materials, but far be it for me to stand in the way of creativity.  Besides, I was curious to see what she would do with it. :-)

          

Well, since getting her the roll a couple of weeks ago, she has been churning out all sorts of interesting creations.  Her specialty seems to be duct tape "books" and "wallets" and she has been making them for all her siblings.  Who would have thought!  When I asked her what she liked so much about duct tape, she said that it was because "you could make anything with it and it stuck together real well."

           

I have been working on rosaries and chaplets for the autumn shop update, which I will hopefully have ready for the beginning of October.  Yesterday I took a break from the beading, and Marie and I made a little "pillow person" from this little excerpt from Amanda Soule's upcoming book.  So simple, and so fun!

   

Wee Garden Revisited

Some of you may remember the wee garden that we started back in March.  Well, it has basically been languishing in the heat and constant rain.  But this morning...

         

... we discovered that a regular "forest" (for a wee garden anyway) of pale yellow mushrooms had sprung up!  The kids immediately thought of the wee gnomes that they have been crafting lately.

         

It was pretty amazing; the whole scene looked almost like something out of an Elsa Beskow book.

Have a blessed day!

 

Reflection

A few days back, the lovely Jennifer, from S/V Mari Hal-O-Jen, tagged me with the Blogger Reflection Award. Wow, somehow I never think of myself as much of a deep thinker, but thank you Jennifer!

The recipient of this award is to, in turn, reflect on five bloggers who have "been an encouragement, a source of love, impacted you in some way, or have been a Godly example to you."  Now the difficult part is, to narrow it down to only five.  Ok, here goes:

First off, I'd have to say Lissa over at Here in the Bonny Glen has inspired me in so many ways with her fabulous suggestions for amazing books and audios.  Even my kids know her as the lady who convinced mom to switch from Kids Discover to Muse magazine. (A BIG hit!) I can totally relate to her latest post about her towering to-be-read stash of books.  My stack is borderline ridiculous.

Next, is Kim from Starry Sky Ranch. Her "Prairie Home" posts always make me take another look at my surroundings, and to try and see what I can improve on.  Not only that, but she is an absolute whiz at helping a girl decorate her new living room via e-mail!! (Thanks again Kim!)

And then there is Dawn from By Sun and Candlelight.  Yes, I know she has already been tagged, but I can't help it.  Her blog is a regular part of every day right now, as I try to taste the Autumn she is experiencing.  The Autumn that is still so very far away for me.

Next up is my new-found-in-real-life friend, Cay Gibson from Cajun Cottage Under the Oaks.  She is so peaceful and wise and I cannot wait to sip many more cups of tea in her company. (Notice, Cay, that I did not say "sweet". ;-)) I wish I could have gone with her on her Little House trip!

And last but not least, I tag my friend and neighbor Colleen, over at Footprints on the Fridge. Until she started her blog recently, I had no idea what a truly "reflective" person she was!  Behind that quick wit and sharp mind there is a lot of pondering going on, and I am truly glad that she has decided to share those ponderings with the rest of us.

Have a wonderful weekend!

   

Wanna Play?

Well, I got to pondering a bit more about the Toymaking  Fair, and I though how great it would be to have more terrific toymaking inspiration in these months leading up to Christmas. (I know I need it!) There are so many great ideas out there, we have barely scratched the surface!  I know the August Toymaking Fair was done on such a whim, that some did not have time to get their entry in.

SO, are there any bloggy persons out there who would like to host a Fair for the months of September, October, November & December?  The little acorn-cap lad has volunteered to be the logo for the Beauty of Toymaking Fair, wasn't that sweet of him!  If you would like to host, let me know and grab the little sign above.  Or, if you prefer a slightly larger version, one can be found here.

Have a wonderful day!

** UPDATE: **  Wow, that was fast!

September's Beauty of Toymaking Fair ~ Hosted by Rachel on the 25th

October's Beauty of Toymaking Fair ~ Hosted by Almamater on the 20th

November's Beauty of Toymaking Fair ~ Hosted by Fe in Australia on the 12th

December's Beauty of Toymaking Fair ~ Hosted by Colleen on the 8th