Piapie

Hearts Strung Out

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Happy Valentine's Day

Halloween 2011

Just stopping in to share some Halloween pics, because it's what you do when you have a blog and cute kids:

(not our house but down the street and very cool)

Someone wanted to be a red tulip petal flower fairy.  She had a vision of her costume that I think we were able to execute fairly well.  The felt petals detach from a sweet dress I made (to be shown later).  The leaf hat kept my fingers busy during round three of chemo.

Of course someone else decided that she needed to be a pink rose petal flower!

And well, here I am, proving that I can, indeed, DO IT!

Valentine's Day 2011

The house is decked out in hearts.  Red and and pink can be spotted everywhere.  Valentines will be exchanged throughout the day.  We have been talking about all the people we hold dear, be they near or far.  There are so many wonderful, inspiring, engaging, lovely people in our lives.  We are blessed.

Wishing you all a delightful and blissful Valentine's Day.

Heart Crayons

Last year I melted crayons and cut out heart shapes to attach to the valentines Funky B handed out at her preschool.   I was pleased with how they turned out and when the Old Peep gave me a cigar box filled with crayon nubs, I knew just what I was going to do with them.  More heart crayons!  This time for our friends on the West Coast!

It turns out that these cards were a great multi-day activity for Funky B.  We spent a morning peeling papers off crayons and chopping them into chunks.  Quiet time was filled with melting wax and cutting out the shapes.  

Stamping "color" and signing her name provided the perfect just-before-bedtime calming activity.   She's feeling proud of all her work, as well she should.   Now I need to go out and get them some red and pink crayons as a Valentine's Day gift.

Felt Hearts

Last year I decorated a corner of our living room with hearts made from crayons melted on wax paper.  I loved them more than I anticipated--the way they caught the light, the way they spun slowly around.  

But I knew that they were not going to survive a baking hot cross-country drive without melting into a giant mess in the back of the truck.  I also wanted something that could be used from one year to the next.  My solution came in the form of felt:

They may not be translucent but they are bright and cheerful and spin around in a fascinating way.  Plus they were super easy to make, especially since the Old Peep needed something to do with her hands one evening during her visit :-)

Fairy Tree House

Santa's Master Carpenter pulled through this year.   Earlier in the autumn, I spotted this and began to covet it on behalf of the girls.  When I proposed getting it for them, Santa's MC said, "Pshaw!  I can make that!"  I didn't doubt his skills, although I did wonder about his lack of workspace and busy schedule.  He wasn't going to be deterred by either of those.  So with the help of a generous and fully equipped carpenter next door, Santa's Master Carpenter set to work each night until he finally had this:

Well done, Master Carpenter.  This one is a keeper, most definitely.

 

Twas...

...and all through this house, there will be much excitement (and a little Alison Krauss.)  

Nana and Grandpa will sing songs and play games,

Like "Princess" and "Ballet" and "Tiger-to-Tame".

They will read lots of stories till they no longer can.

Then we'll make special cookies for a red-suited old man.  

Santa bags will be brought out and stockings hung up.  

Water will boil for tea in a cup.

Two little girls will curl up in my lap 

And then lay their heads down for a long winter's nap.

Candy Houses

That garland of paper gingerbread men was just a prelude.  Funky B's preschool hosted a holiday party at which there was singing, a little play, art projects, and candy houses to decorate.  The girls smeared frosting on the graham crackers and then added candy wherever they could.  They worked diligently while one seat over a classmate approached the whole project a bit differently.  One smear of frosting for the house, one for me,...  I can't say that I envied that mother's afternoon but boy that kid was in heaven!

A few days later we gathered with friends for a gingerbread house party.   Days prior  Papi Chulo and I helped with the baking and construction of the houses so that the kids could just decorate away.  Again, the girls tended to the task at hand while eight other children licked icing off their fingers and sugared themselves up with an assortment of candy that would make a Halloween bag envious.  

We now have four candy houses sitting in the dining room and at the rate we are going (one piece of candy a day) there'll be treats in our house long after the snow melts away in Minnesota.

Inspired by the Source

...the Paper Source, that is.  It may not surprise you to know that I love that store.  I walk in there and it's all eye candy for me.  Fancy paper, adorable notecards, stamps, pretty things.   Mmmm.  Just thinking about it makes me smile.  I've avoided the actual store this season, but did get a bit inspired by their catalog

One look and I thought, "I can do that!"  And I did.

Then I saw something along the lines of this:

Not bad for someone who had a hard time getting motivated this year.

ZooLights

Since the topic du jour seems to be holiday activities, I thought I'd share some photos from our trip to see the ZooLights display at the Oregon Zoo.  We went while Uncle Pace was in town.  A dry but very cold night drew big crowds to the zoo.  We sipped on spiced hot cider that I made that evening and ate the last of a batch of chocolate cookies.  There was lots of oohing and aaahing and "My face is cold."  All in all a good way to kick off the winter holidays.