The Chickadee's Nest

Introducing Bright Forest!!

2011-12-08T17:45:00.001-05:00

I have decided to open another shop!!

I'm so proud to introduce Bright Forest!

The shop is full of vintage style art prints taken from wonderful vintage images, cleaned and enhanced and very affordable!

2011-11-24T21:06:00.001-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

Photo via Black and WTF

A New Etsy Shop!!

2011-10-30T18:24:00.002-04:00

I know that it has been quite a while since I last posted but there is a very good reason.

I have been hard at work on a brand new Etsy shop!

I am so happy to announce Golden Apple Jewelry!

It's an ecclectic mix of new and vintage pieces.

I am so excited about it.

Here is a small sampling with lots more to come!

Pride And Prejudice

2011-09-16T13:06:00.001-04:00

The charming and romantic Mr. Darcy and Ms. Elizabeth Bennet have made their way to my shop.

You can find them right here.

A New Necklace

2011-09-14T11:02:00.000-04:00

My latest necklace available here.

A Little Moby Dick And Dracula

2011-09-13T18:01:00.001-04:00

Two new silhouettes have made their home in my shop!

These were inspired by characters from classic novels. The silhouettes are filled with some of my favorite quotes from their books.

Above is Ishmael from Moby Dick and below is Count Dracula, himself, from Dracula.

You can find them right here.

An Adventure

2011-09-06T18:41:00.002-04:00

This latest print is a bit of inspiration to hang on your wall.

It's my favorite new phrase and a good way to look at challenges and new events in your life.

This print is (quite affordably) available in my shop.

New Nautical Silhouette!

2011-09-01T14:36:00.001-04:00

Here is the latest silhouette addition to my nautical family. It's available as a print and as an original. You can find it here.

More Natural History

2011-08-29T13:39:00.006-04:00

A few more little jewels of natural history.

You can find them here.

The Captain's Wife

2011-08-17T18:41:00.002-04:00

My latest silhouette, The Captain's Wife.

You can find her right here.

Jewels Of Natural History

2011-08-08T19:39:00.006-04:00

Are you a nature lover? A history lover? Do dusty, cloth-bound tomes and dictionaries call to you? Can you sit in a quiet corner of a museum and lose yourself in the dimly lit dioramas? Then these necklaces are just for you. A page out of natural history to wear close to your heart.
Available right here.

Sail Away

2011-08-02T18:51:00.002-04:00

Be the captain of your own ship with this lovely necklace.
A ship in full sail glides across the blue ocean. A delicate anchor is waiting, should you need it.
It's right here in my shop.

A New Necklace

2011-08-01T15:27:00.002-04:00

This is, in my mind, the most memorable quote from Bram Stoker's Dracula. "For the dead travel fast." Now you can keep these words close to your heart. It is paired with a small cross to keep your delicate neck safe in the darkest hours of the night.
Available here in my shop.

The Tame Fox

2011-07-27T18:12:00.003-04:00

In the classic tale The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the fox tells the Little Prince "If you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life." Now you can keep these words close to your heart. An enticement, perhaps? Or a promise . . .

Paired with the pendant is a very elegant fox with soulful eyes.

My latest necklace.

Available here.

Tag! You're It!

2011-07-18T15:29:00.002-04:00

My brand new notecards!

Available as a single card or a set of four.

Find them right here in my shop.

Unusual Pictures

2011-07-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

I have a mad love for unusual old black and white photos. I was beside myself with joy when I recently stumbled on Black and WTF . Such a treaure trove! I could have spent all day looking through them. Here are a choice few.

This is so Stanley Kubrick's The Shining.

A Wealth of Words Necklaces!

2011-07-12T12:00:00.001-04:00

My lastest necklaces featuring my favorite snippets of poems and stories.

Available in my shop!

Birth Moon Necklace

2011-07-11T17:21:00.004-04:00

Did you know that the moon has a nickname for each month of the year? So romantic! Were you born under the thunder moon? The strawberry moon? Maybe the Hunter's moon? Celebrate the month of your birth, or the birth of someone you love, with this silver pendant necklace. It features the full moon in all its glory. Beneath is the name of the moon that corresponds to your month.

January - Wolf Moon
February - Snow Moon
March - Crow Moon
April - Pink Moon
May - Flower Moon
June - Strawberry Moon
July - Thunder Moon
August - Corn Moon
September - Harvest Moon
October - Hunter's Moon
November - Frost Moon
December - Cold Moon

Available in my shop.

I'm a harvest moon.

How about you?

Movies To See

2011-07-10T16:52:00.002-04:00

Heidi from My Paper Crane made a wonderful list of movies she wants to see. I borrowed a few that look just wonderful.

A Little Animation

2011-07-06T08:00:00.000-04:00

Summer Music

2011-07-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Radio Songs

2011-06-29T08:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not much of a radio listener, except for NPR. I prefer to listen to my favorite songs on CD or from trusty old YouTube. But every now and then a song will catch me and I can't stop singing it. Here are a few that I've found recently.

Alice Originals

2011-06-27T14:56:00.000-04:00

Three of my Alice in Wonderland series are now available as original handcut papercuts.

You can find them right here in my shop.

Fox and Hounds

2011-06-26T18:15:00.010-04:00

Another addition to our growing collection of vintage boardgames.

The box and board sold me right away.

Then I opened it and found the tiny metal fox and hounds and I was in love.

Did I mention there's a spinner with a galleon ship on it?

Too good to be true.

Big Machines

2011-06-24T06:00:00.007-04:00

We stopped by the Big Machines exhibit at COSI.

O, my pint-sized genius, spent a lot of time figuring out how the hydraulics work.

Personally, I liked the stylish, graphic quality of the logos and warning labels.

Tiny Treasures

2011-06-22T18:18:00.005-04:00

Lately, my boys have been bringing me gifts.

The kind of gifts that only summer and warm weather can offer.

So far I have received flowers plucked from the garden, dozens of dandelions, an assortment of rocks, a pale blue robin's egg, one teeny tiny snail and this glorious moth.

Of course, we didn't keep it-or the snail or the egg.

But for just a little while they were mine.

I feel very rich indeed.

Google Guitar

2011-06-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

We love the Google guitar logo!
Not only can you strum it, you can record your own little songs.
Here are our songs.
My song

O's song

H's song
Record your own song and post it in the comments section! I'd love to hear it!
P.S. You can type the letter keys to pluck individual notes.

Down The Rabbit Hole

2011-06-11T19:06:00.015-04:00

I am so very excited to share my newest series. It has been a while in the making and so much fun!

It is my own take on Alice in Wonderland and I've imagined it rather differently than the original illustrations.

Here is my cast of characters...

The White Rabbit
The Mad Hatter and a Dormouse or two.

The Queen of Hearts
The Cheshire Cat
Tweedledee and Tweedledum

The Five of Spades

They are all available in my shop.

Invite them home for a little bit of Wonderland that's all your own.

A Hoot

2011-06-08T06:00:00.001-04:00

My mother gave me this wonderful vintage owl planter filled with Johnny Jump Ups from her garden. It's like having a little piece of her garden right here with me.

Thank you Mom!

Prehistoric

2011-06-05T14:30:00.010-04:00

Our fabulous science museum is hosting a dinosaur exhibit. You can bet we were there!

Animatronic dinosaurs, video games. a rock climbing wall and a zipline.

Tons of prehistoric educational fun.

Don't Burst My Bubble

2011-06-03T06:00:00.003-04:00

I was so sad this Spring because I was sure that my boys had grown too big for sidewalk chalk and bubbles. It just isn't Spring without sidewalk chalk and bubbles. So I was thrilled when they asked me to get out this new bubble set. Apparently, little bubbles are no longer fun but giant bubbles are awesome.

Thank goodness.

Basketball

2011-05-31T15:16:00.002-04:00

This is how we spent our Thursday evenings for the past two months.

More New Necklaces!

2011-05-27T14:48:00.006-04:00

I've added four new necklaces to my shop!

I just love them and I hope you will too!

I'm particularly pleased with the little Alice in Wonderland playing croquet.

Raindrops On Roses

2011-05-25T19:04:00.001-04:00

These gorgeous yellow roses grow along the side of our house. They smell like lemon and clover. My dear husband went out into the rain to bring them to me.

Then I couldn't stop singing this song.

Soccer

2011-05-24T19:01:00.003-04:00

This is how we've been spending the past two months of Saturdays.

Groovy Moovy Salad

2011-05-18T06:00:00.001-04:00

Blueistheteacher's link to a phenomenal Lennon Sisters video, complete with one seriously groovin' gorilla inspired me to post this bizarre little gem by the Ross Sisters. I don't know what's weirder-the song or the crazy rolling dance at the end. Regardless, I love the exaggerated facial expressions of the one in the middle.

Night Sky Silhouettes

2011-05-14T18:33:00.012-04:00

I'm thrilled to introduce a brand new series of silhouettes inspired by a benevolent night sky. Each silhouette is dusted with stars and constellations to give it a rich depth like looking up into a midnight sky.

Domo Arigato, Mr. Roboto

2011-05-11T08:00:00.003-04:00

O put together his solar powered robot.

It worked like a charm

He was one happy guy.

In There Own World

2011-05-08T10:29:00.004-04:00

By lucky happenstance, I watched both of these documentaries in a row. They are a perfect match. Both stories are about men who suffered trauma in their life and found their way back through art. Each made and populated their own rich world, a place where they could make sense of life again. Their worlds are strange, beautiful, touching and uplifting.

Marwencol

In the Realms of the Unreal

Don't Worry

2011-05-01T08:59:00.001-04:00

I can't seem to get this song out of my head right now. It's very comforting.

Tree Climbing

2011-04-26T17:31:00.006-04:00

A Windy Day

2011-04-25T19:20:00.009-04:00

The weekend before last we had the windiest day. We dusted off our kite and headed straight for the park. Unfortunately the wind was too much for our little discount kite.

(The one in the photo belonged to someone else. I shamelessly stole the photo opportunity.)

So, we spent our time playing soccer followed by a game of freeze tag on the playground.

All in all, a fine day!

Reading Silhouettes

2011-04-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

There are few things better than a good book and these two silhouettes prove it.

I've just added this lovely pair to my shop.

Scribbling

2011-04-21T06:00:00.004-04:00

H and I spent some time scribbling with chalk pastels.

We made a mess but the results were well worth it.

I just love how children draw. It's so perfect and effortless and full of joy.

And The Winner Is...

2011-04-19T08:09:00.002-04:00

The winner of the blog Giveaway is...

Blueistheteacher!

Simply email me your address and which necklace you would like and I will send it on it's way!

Thank you so much to everyone who left a comment!

I'll be doing more giveaways soon!

More Necklaces and A Giveaway!!!

2011-04-13T17:34:00.005-04:00

I've added three more necklaces to my shop, bringing the total number of designs to 14!!

To celebrate, I'm offering a Giveaway!!

Simply leave a comment on this post between now and Monday at midnight.

I will choose a winner at random and the winner will receive a free necklace of their choice!!

I hope to hear from you!!

More Pretty Necklaces!

2011-04-13T16:44:00.005-04:00

More pretty jewels from my shop!

The last two are from a series of personalized monogram alphabet necklaces. You can see more of the letters here and here.

Paper Snow

2011-04-12T21:35:00.005-04:00

My littlest one wanted to make paper snowflakes. Even though we've had more than enough snow around here, I said yes.

They turned out quite lovely.

We hung them by strings over the doorways. Now, when we have the windows open, they blow around in the spring breeze.

Grand Opening

2011-04-08T21:03:00.009-04:00

January 1st was the grand reopening of the Columbus Museum of Art. It was shut down for renovations and we were so glad to see it open again.

The whole place was filled with beautiful art, wonderful interactive displays and fun activities.

Dread Pirate

2011-04-05T06:00:00.003-04:00

So you may have noticed by now that nautical stuff is pretty popular around our house.

Dread Pirate is one of our new favorite games.

It has a tiny little jolly roger flag, gemstones and gold coins.

Once you become Dread Pirate you get to raid the gold on Dread Island.

What's not to love?

Broadside

2011-04-02T06:00:00.005-04:00

This past Christmas gave us lots of new board games including one of our new favorites-Broadside.

It's a sort of naval chess.

I just love all the little ships and sails.

O loves all the strategies and planning.

He beats me every time.

House Plants

2011-03-31T06:00:00.001-04:00

My little collection of house plants has been keeping me going all winter.

I am slightly amazed that I have kept them alive this long.

I have grown quite attached to them and I hope that they last for many more seasons to come.

Presenting...My New Line Of Jewelry!

2011-03-29T07:21:00.001-04:00

I am so happy to share these with you!!

My newest line of jewelry with, hopefully, lots more to come!

You can find them in my shop.

Pieces of the Sea

2011-03-26T10:07:00.002-04:00

In response to a special request by Ms. Blueistheteacher, here are the souvenirs that we brought home from Tom's in St. Augustine, Florida.

All of these stray pieces remind me of a wonderful poem by Pablo Neruda called

Of Solitude And The Sand

On blue shores of silence

among the things the sea throws up,

let us hunt for the most petrified,

violet claws of crabs,

little skulls of dead fish,

smooth syllables of wood,

small countries of mother-of-pearl;

let us look for what the sea undid

insistently, carelessly,

what it broke up and abandoned,

and left behind for us...

Let us look for secret things

somewhere in the world,

on the blue shores of silence

or where the storm has passed

rampaging like a train.

There the faint signs are left,

coins of time and water,

debris, celestial ash

and the ireplaceable rapture

of sharing in the labor

of solitude and sand.

Ohio

2011-03-24T08:00:00.004-04:00

Spring Is Here...

2011-03-22T08:00:00.006-04:00

Spring has finally come to Ohio.

Oh, how I have missed it.

A trip to the park revealed Spring peeking out from all kinds of little hiding places.

A Few Films

2011-03-15T15:29:00.002-04:00

I can't wait to see both of these movies.

I watched this one last night.

It's hard to imagine it from the trailer, but it was wonderful.

It's slow, strange and very sweet.

I loved it.

Please Hear Me Ohio

2011-03-11T18:30:00.000-05:00

Souvenirs

2011-03-09T17:29:00.009-05:00

While in St. Augustine we stumbled across a real treasure.

A bone fide seaside souvenir shop!
It isn't that souvenir shops are hard to find, but most of them, nowadays, sell more swimming trunks and flip flops than good old-fashioned souvenirs.
When I walked into Tom's I actually got weak in the knees.

Rows upon rows of turquoise and sea foam green shelves lined with nautical treasures.

Bins of glistening shells, knobby white coral, pale pink sea fans hanging from the ceiling.

There were tiny wooden ships and ridiculous little animals made out of glued-together shells.

I was in heaven.

I combed the place over three times before I settled on a few treasures to take home with us.

The boys each picked out a shell and a treasure map.

We left happy, clutching our bits of the sea to bring home with us.

Castles In The Sand

2011-03-08T16:47:00.008-05:00

Temporary masterpieces

By The Sea

2011-03-05T21:38:00.009-05:00

I am finally making good on my promise to show more vacation photos.

Our day at the beach was glorious.

The boys were overjoyed, as you can see.

We splashed our feet in the water even though it was absolutely freezing.

We collected shells, walked along the beach and built sandcastles (pictures coming soon!).

The seaside always feels like home to me.

I love it so.

We Need You Wide Awake

2011-02-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

I heard about Agnes Obel on the lovely blog Black Eiffel. The songs and the videos just swept me away.

Excused Absence

2011-02-25T21:40:00.003-05:00

I apologize for the long absence.

Life has been throwing me some crazy curveballs lately.

I've been doing my best to field them but a few of them have gotten me right between the eyes.

I'm hoping to get back on track and start blogging again.

Wish me luck.

New Originals Now In The Shop!

2011-02-10T17:49:00.005-05:00

Both of these charming gentlemen are now available as original papercuts in my shop!
Not only are they handsome, they are excellent company.

Harry Potter Fever

2011-02-07T12:02:00.011-05:00

We are big fans of Harry Potter around here. O just started the series a few months ago and has been voraciously tearing through them ever since. I literally have to pry the book out of his hands at meal times.

So we were exceptionally thrilled when we got the chance to go to Universal Studios, while on vacation, and visit The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

It was so much fun!

Apart from the amazing shops, we had Butter Beer and Pumpkin juice.

The boys were each given a wand by their exceptionally generous grandmother.

O chose Sirius Black's.

H, who doesn't mess around, chose Voldemort's.

It really was amazing to see so many parts of the beloved books brought to life and the timing, for O, was just perfect.

Lights Out

2011-02-03T22:23:00.007-05:00

Tuesday night in the midst of the storm, right in the middle of dinner, our power went out.

Heavy ice and fallen branches had brought down power lines all over the city.

We finished our dinner by candlelight.

The boys played checkers by flashlight.

We told ghost stories and made shadow puppets on the ceiling.

It was all fun and games until we woke up the next morning.

The house was freezing cold.

We left to go hang out at the science museum all day while we waited for the power to come back on.

Encased in Ice

2011-02-01T18:24:00.007-05:00

Another winter storm has swept over us with more to come. Everything outside is encased in a glittering layer of ice. The boys were off school today. We made cinnamon rolls and played Dread Pirate.

P.S. I just figured out how to make my pictures big on blogger. Hooray!

Was I the last person to learn how to do this?

P.P.S. More vacation pictures soon!

New Things

2011-01-29T21:31:00.005-05:00

I have a brand new Valentine in my shop. This lovelorn deep sea diver is my newest addition.

I'm also very happy to announce the return of my Fox and Crow bookplates.

They're one of my favorites and I'm so glad to have them back!

Disney

2011-01-28T17:23:00.007-05:00

Here's Part 1 of my vacation posts!

We had so much fun at Disney World that I can hardly describe it all.

Most of my family went so the boys had their cousins to play with and I had my amazing mother and sisters to visit with.

So much fun!

We rode rides, ate at crazy restaurants, bought light-up balloons, watched parades, took train rides, saw pirates and ghosts and spun in giant tea cups, just to name a few.

Our favorite little out-of-the-way place to stop and get a funnel cake dusted with powdered sugar.

Chock full of ghosts.

The Sci-Fi Diner where we ate lunch. Even though it's indoors it is made to look like an old fashioned drive-in at night. The tables are shaped like cars from the 50s and the movie screen shows snippets from fabulous old sci-fi movies.

I'm Back

2011-01-26T17:48:00.005-05:00

Hello!

I'm back!

Sorry for the long lapse between posts. Our family was wisked off on an expected and deliriously enjoyed trip to Florida. Then we returned home and came down with colds. I'm currently on the mend and will be back to posting with lots of pictures from our trip.

See you very soon!

My Valentine

2011-01-12T15:43:00.003-05:00

My Heart Is Yours Valentine is back in my shop!

The Deep

2011-01-12T15:42:00.000-05:00

Oh, my goodness. I love this video.

Random Photos

2011-01-12T09:49:00.004-05:00

Photos via : FFFFound

Party Dresses

2011-01-07T15:44:00.009-05:00

My sainted mother invited my boys to stay with her over New Year's weekend. That meant that my Mr. and I were free to paint the town red. It was the perfect and long-awaited opportunity for me to dress up and I took full advantage of it!

Zoo Lights

2011-01-06T15:03:00.007-05:00

This post should have happened before Christmas but I didn't quite make it.

Oh, well. Better late than never!

Our fabulous zoo outdoes itself each holiday season with their Wildlights display. Nearly every inch of the zoo is draped and adorned with colorful, twinkling lights. Christmas music is in the air. Stands are set up to sell hot chocolate, apple cider, kettle corn and roasted nuts. We were lucky enough to get a few warm days to go and stroll around.

Quite The Nod

2011-01-06T14:52:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I was honored to have been featured on one of the my favorite (and what I think is one of the best) blogs. I'm talking about the Nie Nie Dialogues. Mrs. Nielson was generous enough to pick me as one of those featured in her Homemade Christmas. I should have posted about it right away but, with all the attention and all the Christmas frenzy, I didn't manage it. So here it is now.

Nie Nie's Homemade Christmas

Candlelit Nights

2010-12-31T20:26:00.011-05:00

The marvelous Franklin Park Conservatory hosts several evenings of Candlelight Nights in December. They stay open late and dim all the lights. Every room and walkway is lined with little candles. It is magic. I love the dark hush of the place and the occasional surprising chirp of crickets that have found the perfect place to hide from winter. We listened to music, tossed pennies into the fountain and found a blossoming citrus tree to smell.

A little bit of summer's splendor on a cold winter's day.

And my other favorite part?

The delightful shadows.

Tonight, as we say goodbye to 2010, I would like to wish you a very happy New Year full of wonderful and marvelous things.

Christmas Cheer

2010-12-28T21:32:00.012-05:00

The boys' favorite Christmas gift, by far. Balloons have been whizzing through our house since Saturday.

Seashore goodness.

Gifts from my boys.

Stocking stuffers for me.

Stocking stuffers for my boys.

Santa was so very good to us this year. He stacked piles of presents beneath the tree and filled our stockings to overflowing. We spent the day eating and playing and lounging and having way too much candy. We listened to Christmas carols, watched A Christmas Story and went outside to play in real, genuine Christmas snow.
A truly magical day.

Ribbons and Wrapping

2010-12-24T08:00:00.005-05:00

We have been busy little elves the past few days. We have been wrapping, ribboning and tagging lots of gifts and boxes and bags. We keep The Man Who Came To Dinner playing in the background. It is one of my all time favorite Christmas movies. Bette Davis is simply wonderful as Maggie Cutler. If you haven't seen it yet, you must.

I hope that your Christmas preparations are coming along nicely.

A very Merry Christmas to you!!

A Strange Little Christmas

2010-12-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

I stumbled across this video the other day and just had to share it. It's so strange and sweet. And I absolutely adore stop motion animation.

Enjoy!

Santa School

2010-12-22T08:00:00.001-05:00

Check Mate

2010-12-21T17:33:00.005-05:00

During the winter boardgames are very popular at our house.

Can you tell?

We're all hoping that Santa will bring a few more on Saturday.

I have a sneaky suspicion that he will.

Right now, both my boys are very into chess.

O is determined to learn each and every rule (many of which, I do not know).

H is learining how each of the pieces move and I have to be sure to let him win or he gets very discouraged.

That's one of those secret Mom things that you have to learn-how to lose at games without them catching on.

Suzy Snowflake

2010-12-17T08:00:00.001-05:00

This seems like the perfect thing to watch during all this snowy weather!

Not Exactly Christmas Songs

2010-12-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

These two songs aren't exactly Christmas songs but I still like to listen to them around this time every year.

I prefer the Bobby Darin version of this song but I couldn't find it.

The wonderful Billie Holiday.

I hope you're having a lovely December so far.

O Christmas Tree

2010-12-15T08:00:00.001-05:00

Our tree is so fat this year that we named him Jolly.

He is strung with tiny colored lights and lots of mismatched home made and hand made ornaments.

The perfect little Christmas tree.

Let It Snow

2010-12-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

We had quite the winter storm over the weekend and we were quick to get outside and play.

Pink cheeks.

Snow angels.

We capped off the fun by making Snow Ice Cream with the freshly fallen snow.

We use this recipe but I add 10 cups of snow instead of 8.

You just have to love a recipe that lists cups of snow in the ingredients!

Sugar and Spice

2010-12-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Every year my incredible mother bakes individual gingerbread houses for each of her grandchildren to decorate. Here are our two beauties.

Now, I know that I am biased but I think my boys did a pretty amazing job.

And they smell wonderful!!

Thank you Mom!!

Sick Day

2010-12-10T15:08:00.001-05:00

H insisted I take a picture of the snoman's bum.

H stayed home from school yesterday (and today) with a fever. We read books, listened to Christmas music and played The Snowman Game. It's one of our winter favorites. After about 5 minutes of enduring my picture taking, he asked me to stop.

And I did.

Because he's sick and I have to humor him.

I read in the news about another little boy who is sick.

His parents are trying to raise money so that he can have a life-saving operation.

Here is the link if you would like to help.

Seth Benjamin

Book List

2010-12-08T16:48:00.000-05:00

Chronicle Books is having a Happy Haul-iday giveaway! You simply post a list of books up to $500 by December 1oth. One blogger and one person that comments on the winning blog post get the entire list of books! So feel free to comment away! Here's my very long list of books.

1. The Exquisite Book

2. Paper and Craft

3.The Sounds of Star Wars

4.The Small Object Labels and Stickers

5. The Small Object Thumbprint Notecard Set

6. Shadow

7. Magic Scratchers

8. Mini Lunch Notes

9. Magical Menagerie

10. Day & Night

11. The Englishman Who Posted Himself and Other Curious Objects

12. Mysterio's Encyclopedia of Magic and Conjuring

13. Lost States

14. The Art of The Slow Cooker

15. Dr. Mao's 8 Week Program

16. Just A Minute!

17. The Anatomy of the Sea

18. 52 Amazing Science Experiments

19. There was an Old Lady

20. Animal Faces

21. The Enchanted Dolls' House

22. All Mixed Up

23. Lunch Lines

Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Make A Wish

2010-12-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

While we were at the Conservatory, we stopped at the large fountain in the Palm House.

We made wishes and tossed our pennies into the tinkling water.
I really really hope my wishes come true.

Gingerbread Lane

2010-12-07T08:00:00.003-05:00

Tiny gingerbread chickens with poppy seed chicken feed!

A tropical gingerbread island on a blue hard candy sea.

What a completely fabulous idea.

The Charlie Brown house complete with sad little Christmas tree.

The Grinch down in Whoville.

The Franklin Park Conservatory, which just happens to be one of my favorite places to visit, holds a gingerbread house competition every year. They have several catagories-youth, teen, adult, etc. The last one of the Worthington Inn is my favorite. It looks exactly like the real one, flowers and all!

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas

2010-12-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

My decorations are up and so is the tree (I'll do a seperate post on it soon).
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here and I couldn't be happier about it.

The kids pitched in by drawing festive pictures on the chalkboard.

In case you were wondering that's a christmas tree with a cat who is smiling because it is Christmas.

I apologize for the slightly dim pictures. I took these in the evening when the room was only lit by a few lamps and the christmas lights. Very cozy but not the best for taking pictures.

How are your Christmas preparations coming along?

Turkey and Monopoly

2010-12-03T16:17:00.005-05:00

This Thanksgiving was spent warm and snug at home. My husband made the most amazing turkey and while we waited impatiently for it to cook we played a very long, very fun game of Monopoly.

O won.

He always wins.
I just love board games.

Don't you?

Games and Prizes

2010-12-02T17:04:00.009-05:00

My little H turned 6 last week on Thanksgiving day. The day before we took him to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate. While it may not be my favorite place, it is a child's paradise. We played games and H got to ride lots of silly little rides that don't really go anywhere. I got to play skee ball, my favorite even though I lost terribly. Then we cashed in our tickets for prizes-stickers, Tootsie Pops and one pair of green, plastic vampire teeth. We capped off the day with cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven.

Latest Original

2010-11-26T22:59:00.003-05:00

This Young Captain is my latest original silhouette.

You can find him right here in my shop.

P.S. Next week I'll have lots of holiday and birthday photos to share!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

A very happy Thanksgiving to you!

Ballet Behind The Scenes

2010-11-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

And that's the last of my ballet posts.

Photos via: LIFE

Ruby Tuesday

2010-11-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ballerina and Danseur

2010-11-22T08:00:00.000-05:00

Photos via: LIFE

Dancing In The Darkness

2010-11-19T08:00:00.000-05:00

Just a little upbeat song for Friday.

Hope your weekend is wonderful.