Friday, December 19, 2008

Painted Family

I painted these figures for my niece. I got the people from Casey's Wood Products. I decided to make her little family, so there is Emma on the left, her mom (the greatest sister-in-law in the world), my bro and little Even. I hope she likes them!!


From behind!

Thursday, December 18, 2008

Things I love

I love that Neva is really getting in to drawing and creating


I love her little fingers and miss the baby dimples that use to be on them


I love the look on her face when she is using her scissors, her favorite thing ever!


I was reading Neva stories tonight and felt like I could read to her for 3 more hours. I loved having her on my lap, I love the way she would get up after a book, walk to her bookshelf, and say "hmmmmmmmm" as she searched for another. I was thinking that these moments are such a short time in her life, that in a few years she may not want to sit on my lap and let me put my lips to her cheek. She may not let me nibble on her ear and stroke her hair. I just felt like I could have sat there with her forever.....

Monday, December 15, 2008

Our New Addition

I grew up with a piano in our house and have many memories of hearing my mother play it. I never formally took piano lessons but being a violinist I knew how to read music, so I would tinker around on it. Ours was in our dining room and thinking back I love the mixture of food and music. Our sweet house is 100 years old, has 2 tiny closets in the whole thing and is about 800 square feet. So when I was offered this FREE piano, I said "I'll make it fit, even if we have to get rid of the couch!" So here it is:


It's a tight fit, makes for coming in with groceries a little bit cramped, but I LOVE having it here and it feels like home. It sounds great, has been nicely kept up, and could use a little bit of a tuning. It is a Francis Bacon, and is a converted player piano. Neva loves opening the doors and seeing the inside. I love letting her, until she started dropping various trinkets in to it.

She loves playing Happy Birthday in her birthday suit! She did come up with a new song that goes like this "I love you, I love you, I love you , I love you" as she bangs away. The other night I was playing (well, trying to play) some Christmas Carols, Neva was in the bath with Stuart and when I finished I hear her start to clap and say "Yeah Mommy!" Awwww, glad she liked it!

Sunday, December 7, 2008

Our Alter

Adding to our Advent Calendar Alter we have 4 candles. On the first Sunday, November 30th, we lit one small candle and the bigger white, soy, Solstice Candle made by Pacifica. That first week we added crystals, rocks, shells and bones. Tonight we begin the honoring of the plants by lighting 2 small candles and the bigger one. During the week while moving the sun baby down, we will add plant objects. Happy 2nd week of advent!




Saturday, December 6, 2008

"Advent" Calendar

For my birthday this year my dear friend Tina and I went to a Felt Advent Calendar Class. I have been wanting to get in to needle felting and this was the perfect intro. She had 2 examples to choose from as ideas, one was a Traditional Advent with baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, etc. And a Pagan version with Mother Earth and a sun baby. We chose the Pagan version, I liked the honoring of the Solstice better. Don't get me wrong, I am down with Jesus too, but thought the more earth centered calendar fit me more now. So here is the finished product:


There are 29 stars that represent the days leading up to Christmas or the Solstice, which ever we choose to do. The baby starts at the top most star and everyday we move the sun baby down one representing the sun getting lower in the sky.

Getting lower.......


And lower still.......


Until the Sun Baby comes back to Mother Earth symbolizing the light returning to the planet after Solstice.

I mostly needle felted it, used some blanket stitch embroidery around the edge and on Mother Earth. I just love her hair and also love the squirrels! The one part I wish I did differently is the lamb, she just doesn't stand out enough, maybe I'll add some gray to her.

So there it is, I love the way it came out and Neva loves moving the sun baby, I think it will be a tradition she will enjoy every year!!