arts and crafts birthday

belated birthday post

getting ready, 2 craft stations


aaron helps out










arts and craft tables, pizza, pinata, ice cream sundaes and present unwrapping...perfect!

(mostly) handmade christmas, complete!

we did so great on the homemade gifts this year, so proud of us! lots of magnets made and gifted, i finally got around to making the soft trees (and BOY are they addictive) as well as the gnomes (i had to make a dozen or so). lizzie was the recipient of most of the handmade things and she liked them all. i even tried to make a marushka doll last minute that came out ok, with a few alterations i would really like them more but not sure if i will make too many. i got the idea from here and still am in love with these (fantastic versions hoping to get one someday) there still was a lot of bought gifts but i focused on buying handmade if possible (the girlie handwriting print, beeswax candles) or something based on a charitable cause (chris got the whale shirt) and his birthday present for tomorrow fits the criteria. i also chose two cooperative board games which i have never played before (never even heard of the concept). lizzie got a sewing toy (waldorf inspired) and a memory game based on story book creatures. emily got a kit to learn to sew, lacing cards (also from the waldorf store). there were some art supplies, oil pastels and drawing books. of course books!! (one of emilys is still in transit, which has a handmade set of wood dolls bought on etsy that goes with it, she will probably get that tomorrow). had to get the new jk rowling book which i am looking forward to sitting down with to look at with the girls. we bought the book written by dallas clayton, he's a local and i dont think many were made, its great! i plan on checking out "twilight" finally... cant wait for a new series, hope it delivers!

so with all that, here we go: photo heavy post!

there are just too many fun ones to pick... i will put a set on flickr if you want to see more. merry christmas everyone! hoping to head up to the cabin for a few days but with this blustery storm we are having right now, it might not be in the cards. we may just have to stay bundled up with new movies and our new toys and games for three days, oh darn.

christmas parties

i will have to post lizzies birthday party later, cant get the pictures to download correctly. my computer is maxed out with no more storage so i am using the big computer... anyways... more on her crafty party later. today was her preschool christmas party and our camp fire christmas party, two in one day!

oh man, this was a CLASSIC preschool christmas presentation with the crying kid, the kid picking her nose in the front row (and eating them!!) and the kid sticking his tongue out, making faces the whole time. it was a BLAST!








on to camp fire, our annual christmas party (this year it was only hand made gifts)

a cleaver christmas party

we finally got to cleaver's annual christmas party (i think we have missed a few years in a row) the girls were cute and helpful, they really love cleaver

lots of yummy snacks, great music, some cool "artist friend" art, cleaver's pad always delivers. so glad we could make it this year, even though we had to leave early, passing crowds of arriving guests as we headed to our car and off to bed. the girls both fell asleep on the way home.

today is lizzies arts and craft birthday party, stay tuned!

christmas countdown

remember these guys?


funny what you find under beds, buried in boxes, in the back of the closet. we're still decorating around here, taking our time with this christmas season. making it last.

i'm a winner!

ok, time to brag, i actually WON something (see my name all in lights??)! out of more than 1700 comments, mine was picked! who would have known how cool this is, since my christmas theme this year is all fairies and gnomes and waldorfy stuff. i am sooooo happy!

soon to be wrapped for lizzie, cant wait!
there is a waldorf school just starting out in our area, i have been loving the interactions with some of the staff and parents. they recently had a winter festival and liz and i were in heaven making some very fun crafts. check this windchime out:


and we made hand dipped candles (present for grandma, she will love it) and christmas ornaments and decorated a candle with this great little tool that carves our shapes from thin sheets of wax. i also bought some beeswax candles for gifts (seems like candles are a theme every year for me, sorry if you are the recipient of a candle year after year, i just like them!) we ate gingerbread cupcakes and oh... the highlight was lizzie tripping over the hot wax on container and spilling it into a perfect maple leaf shape on the floor. only waldorf parents would point this fascinating fact out, its ok, no one was hurt AND look at that marvelous maple leaf shape of hot spilt wax on the floor, lovely! we had a blast!

wendy crabb

well we set up a meeting with wendy crabb and just about everyone had plans that conflicted so my little "group" of camp fire girls set off for noho (north hollywood) to see her artwork at cella gallery. the girls were so excited, lizzie has been drawing crabs to present to her for weeks now. they all wanted to see where the movie stars live (not sure how they know so much about it but they sure had a long list of stars to look for). we saw wendy walking along the street with baby jasper and the girls yelled from the car at her, they recognized her from her blog. we had hot dogs then headed over for a look at the gallery. the space was gorgeous and all the artwork was lovely up close, cant beat seeing art in real life.



a personal favorite








you know i could live in a place like this, just put a bed off in a corner somewhere.


the girls got these shirts and emily is wearing it again today, i think it will be a favorite for a long time. lizzie is asking to go back to the "nursery" today, i finally figured out she means "gallery" and from the fit she is throwing about it, i think i did good with trying to influence the girls on viewing art at a gallery. meeting wendy (who is so sweet and i didnt get a SINGLE picture of!) and visiting a gallery was a great way to spend an afternoon, well worth the drive. thanks again wendy for meeting with us! we will keep in touch!