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Family Letter Writing

Remember that life-long project I talked about earlier?  (You might have to stretch your memory cells for this one.) If not, that's okay.  This is nothing earth-shattering, but in a slow and steady way, we're implementing it.

Letter writing is becoming a lost art.  At least for me.  I confess that even when letter writing was more in vogue, I was rather 'fashionless' when it came to sitting down purposefully, with the intention of putting words to paper and sending those thoughts through the mail.  Those who know me, can attest that I very rarely send cards or notes or emails...okay, even phone calls are few and far between.  My own children tease and say that I must be related to a hermit!  Surely the warm thoughts in my mind and those filling our conversations at home about friends and family should count for something, yes?  I mean, I do think of others regularly...

Besides the time & desire to write, I want to make our family writing time accessible...ready-to-go...as to encourage all those get-well, thinking of you, happy birthday sentiments.  Now in reality I could just simply pick up a pencil and a piece of paper and scribble away, but I want to make it tad more 'artistic'.  Within reason of course.  I know myself too well...if I get caught up with making everything pretty and artistic, the letters will never get sent off! Sort of defeats the purpose.

I already covered one pretty area: the addresses, and I did mention a few cards that I made from last year's calendar.  I'd like to make a whole slew of cards, but that won't get done until later.  So for now, I'm using up cards from my card collection. Plus I bought a few new ones to add to the bunch.

Honestly the two biggest  'problems' to our letter writing?  The time to write and the place to write.  We decided that Sunday afternoons were best for our family, and right now we choose to gather around the kitchen table.  I'm so glad to have found a vintage drawer from bonnbonn.  It makes our letter writing event portable.

I filled it with the essentials: stamps, pens, address book, cards, paper & envelopes.  We have no 'rules' to our notes and letters.  Just something quick to family or friends, far away or close by.  We've encouraged the kids to simply think about the person to whom you're writing.  Wouldn't they like to get a nice surprise in their mailbox? 

So within half an hour, we've gotten about 12 cards ready to send off!  For two months (give or take a week) this has been going on.  Now if someone will just write back...

Do you write letters?  Any tips?

 

 

Making Cards

This past weekend was rather a wash in terms of getting things done.  As mentioned earlier, the stomach bug that had hit my husband and two older children last week finally chose me as its target on Friday evening.  Saturday I spent the entire day in bed sleeping, and by Sunday I was pretty much back to normal (except for eating and feeling achy and afraid to touch any surface in the house!).  Don't you hate stomach bugs?  I not only dislike getting them for obvious reasons, but also for the amount of time spent dealing with them and the worry (will he get it?  will she get it?) that pervades our thoughts.

So what does a stomach bug have to do with this post?  Nothing except decideding to pull out an already-made post about being frugal while making cards rather than omit yet another day of posting.  This is basically one idea - I know there are tons out there. In fact, I had hoped to include many ideas in one post, but it wasn't meant to be.  So...

In true Flour-Sack fashion, I wondered how to reuse one of our calendars from last year. (my daughter made our other calendar so that'll go into a keepsake pile) 

Rather than simply toss it, I cut it into several pieces, added a few unclaimed envelopes and within a few minutes...voici:  note cards.  The remainder of the calendar (all except the numbers running along the side) went into our scrap paper container. 

Another Flour-Sack idea literally has arrived on my doorstep.  Okay, my mailbox.  You too have these arriving in your mailbox I'm sure: security envelopes from bills and other mail. Reusing security envelopes is not  a new idea by any means.  I'm still in the process of collecting enough to hopefully make some very inexpensive cards. I've included links to creative solutions for inspiration.

How about you? 

What do you like to make cards from? 

 

 

What to do with security envelopes:
make tape
homemade cards
make wreaths
make a memory game
cut up some for bookmarks
make your own scratch paper (and a box to hold it)
lots of ideas here
more lots of ideas here

or you get really 'wild' and make art with them like these

or simply browse this flickr set for interesting patterns

Addressing Others: Address Book

I don't know about you, but I always find it hard to throw out old address books for fear that I might actually need that particular address or phone number.  So I keep them.  When I was cleaning out my kitchen drawer (which by the way is still in great order!), I pulled out these rather sorry-looking address books. I've had them for years.  The covers were torn; many of the addresses inside were ancient and obsolete.  In some cases, a family member or friend had moved so many times, that their name and new address appeared multiple times and without the former address being crossed out. Little slips of paper with unassigned phone numbers jotted down spilled from their pages...what a mess. I started looking for a new address book.  I wanted something pretty but also very simple.  User friendly.  Something I could add to or delete from with ease.  Something that was very portable. 



Enter my new address book. 
Sort of like a rolodex.
It fits all those categories I mentioned. 
Simple.  Pretty.  Portable.

And if I need to make a change, I rip out the page and insert a new one.

I decided to print out the names and addresses onto mailing labels then affixed each one to a page.  Now I just need to handwrite the phone # and email for each.  Hopefully this will help me with my new project (yes yes, I mentioned doing this 'lifelong project' about 1 month ago, but got side-tracked...)

I purchased it from Beth Bee Books. 

Galen and the Gateway of Medicine and other school stuffs

Just so you know...I do do other things besides knit and cook!  I just find that I don't usually blog about those other things on a regular basis.  Since September, my two younger ones and I have been studying Ancient history.  We've covered Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt and are now just about finished with Ancient Greece.  Next we'll be visiting Ancient Roman times.  When my two older ones were covering that portion of history, we did all kinds of crafts and fun hands-on items as well as notebooking pages.  My two younger ones have been rather neglected in the crafts and hands-on departments when it comes to studying history.  Oh well.  I'm sure they'll survive!

Anyway, for many years, I've appreciated Jimmie's Collage and Notebooking blogs.  She's always doing some really neat and creative things with her daughter for homeschooling.  And she's been generous in sharing those things and ideas she's created.  In fact, I've used some of her ideas and many of her free printables for our own homeschooling projects.  Of course besides Jimmie, there are many other blogs and homeschool sites that offer wonderful free printables and lapbook ideas (some of which I've used over the years).  Actually there are too many helpful sites to list!

Anyway, getting back to our Ancient study...I made up a few notebooking pages and worksheets for my children to use while covering certain topics with Ancient Greece.  Things that I couldn't readily find already-made.  If they can help you in your study, feel free to download them below (for personal use only, please). 

Galen and the Gateway to Medicine questions

Greek theater pages

Greek Philosophers

Additional Greek gods and goddesses

A little step forward

I'll be honest, I really don't like cleaning and housework.  I'd much rather spend my time cooking or knitting or reading a good book.  My house has dust, the windows are so fingerprinted and dirty that I do believe it acts as another protective layer against the sun's rays. If you visited (unexpectedly without prior notice) you'd most likely find that you could in fact eat off my floors (crumbs everywhere), or be treated to a free acupuncture session (step on a stray lego piece) or better yet...try your hand at the world's most challenging puzzle (walking through the maze of clutter in my home).  Seriously, that's how I feel some days about the state of my house.  I know in the scheme of everything, will it really matter?  No.  But it does help my sanity when the house is at least picked up and organized. 

So for 2012, I've begun a tiny baby step: organize the kitchen drawer.  You know the one.  The catch-all one (Not to be confused with the other catch-all drawer from several years ago. Once again, that one needs organizing.) near the phone that holds the address book(s) which may or may not be up-to-date, business cards, pencils, pens and all kinds of odds and ends that you don't know what else to do with.   Ours was overflowing to the point that I was having trouble closing it and papers would fall down behind it onto the shelf in the cabinet below.  It was a mess! I emptied it, threw out a whole slew of papers, changed my address books to something else (which I'll show you next week), and bought a Fohoja cutlery tray from Ikea to hold certain essentials.  The small box on the left was a thrift store find that I bought for a quarter.  It holds all the odds & ends that we don't know what they're for but don't want to throw out yet. 
So now I have a place for pencils, tape, sticky notes, scissors and sharpies.  There's still a little room in the back of the drawer for collected business cards (which I rubberbanded) and a copy of church's directory (only the most recent one). 

Admittedly, this is only a little step forward in organization, but a big step for more clear thinking.  While I was at it, I reorganized a few other kitchen drawers. Presently, I've got a nice pile of 'stuff' to give away or as the kids are urging me to do, add to our tag sale bags so that when springtime comes, we'll be ready.  Don't know if I can wait that long... may have to make a trip over to the thrift store for dropping off de clutta...

Enjoying

Good morning, Monday even if I'm not ready for you...

Hope all of you have had a productive weekend. 

Right now, I'm enjoying...

Seeing the bright cheery color of a new knitted project...

Gobbling up a make-shift lunch.  A favorite around here...a little cheese, black beans, green chilies atop corn tortillas, broiled for a minute or so then topped with avocado, salsa, sour cream and black olives!

Thinking how this month's calendar page was fitting for our home improvement project ~ a little 'destruction' in order to rebuild ~ Not sure if that was the artist's intent, but that's one interpretation. (I'll share some more progress soon)...

Liking a not-so-little spool (1/2 lb!) of red & white baker's twine that arrived in the mail a few weeks ago...

Embarking on a new little hopefully life-long 'project' for this year.  Will share later.  Stay tuned...

Wondering if I should make something with these or simply look at them.  Like jewels.  And wondering if I'm not alone in that line of thinking... (tell me I'm not alone)

Hoping that winter's weather will be more consistent and settle into a rhythm again.  Perhaps a little snow, please? 

What are you enjoying today?

A New Month: April

Happy April! 

April is a finicky month.  It utters forth with rain and wind and warmer temperatures that melt the last specs of snow into mud and mush and make a sport out of puddle-jumping.  Rainboots required...need to buy some!  And then it rushes back into freezing weather, and you wonder if you need your wool hat.

Yet, I see shades of green dotting the landscape more and more, and the flowering branches of our pear tree encouraging us with its fuzzy blossoms.  The small patches of bright yellow daffodils and the smaller beginnings of purply-blue grape hyacinths which line our walkway in a haphazard fashion, make me smile. 

Last week I noticed how a whole host of red-breasted robins arrived in force to our backyard in search of food along with the squirrels and starlings.  At least I think that's what they were.  The starlings, that is.  I'm not a bird watcher.  Yet.  Hope to improve on identification!

 

Here are a few good things to usher in the first full month of the season:

:: a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow for you to print out:
An April Day - Longfellow

:: another bunch of science-related activities for you to print out:
Natural Science Through the Seasons April

:: a lovely April calendar image  for you to download from Geninne's Art Blog. 

:: a Spring Cattails nature study for you to try (whole site is fantastic!)

:: a few sewing,knitting, crafting ideas:

making books like these

sewing a patchworked table runner like the one above from this book

trying some embroidered pins like Tiny Happy's

knitting a few pairs of Saartje's baby booties (so cute!)

sewing a messenger bag complete with ruffle

:: some delicious  uses for these green stalks during  peak  asparagus  season

 

Have an Inspiring Weekend!

 

Belated Hearts

Cocoa Spice cookies with Royal Icing - Tinted with beets!

As promised, I wanted to share the festivities of this past Monday.  (We won't mention that the weather was gray and that some of us, ahem, woke up on the wrong side of the bed and that trying to decorate and finish up last-minute goodies doesn't exactly mix with a busy school day that takes us away from the house for hours on end...nor will we mention that certain ideas didn't get accomplished...no, we won't mention any of that.)

paper hearts (ignore the very dirty window,please)

What we will mention is how we enjoyed the evening together:

~ eating chili and homemade heart-shaped biscuits

~ watching an animated card from 2nd son (the card was meant it to be humorous, but it came out a bit morose with a poor Lego mailman trying to deliver a valentine's card and being hit twice by a passing motorist...but the mailman made his delivery!)

~ eating more sugar in one day than we eat in one week

~ opening a bevy of handmade cards (even eldest son came through with his!)

~ participating in a homemade treasure hunt with clues written by daughter

 
~ finishing the knitted & felted hearts (didn't quite turn out the way I envisioned, but I like the festive, folk-art feel)

~ eating (once again ~ we do a lot of that) a very rich flourless chocolate 'cake' with whipped cream and raspberries that is only made once or twice a year, and which half (thankfully) was shared with husband's co-workers the next day)

~ watching several episodes of The Honeymooners while knitting my final hat from the Family of Hats

flannel was desired but cotton was available

~ laying heads onto new handmade pillowcases and dreaming (and wondering if I'm using the correct verb lay or lie when saying that)

 

Flour Sack Friday: Heart Day Preparations

 

Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, offering a little jolt of color in an otherwise dreary landscape, I thought it would be pleasant to prepare for it's arrival, handmade-style.  In keeping with Flour Sack Friday, I wanted this year's Valentine's Day to be more about sharing thoughts and creating with our hands some unique gifts that express our love and gratitude for others. Not that I'm against buying ready-made items.  We I do an awful lot of window-shopping and purchasing of goodies, but how many little cheaply-made plastic items or glitter-wrapped pencils or artificially flavored candies & chocolates does anyone need?  (or want?) 

daughter's creations

Then too, the selection available of most store-bought cards leaves something to be desired.  They're overpriced, often cliche or just plain inappropriate.  Unless someone has included some special words written in a store-bought card, or the artwork on the front is spectacular (or if it's from Etsy, hence, handmade), I have to admit that after the sentiment is enjoyed, the card often gets tossed in the circular bin.  (I guess I could cut it apart and recycle it somehow...) On the other hand, handmade cards are collected & cherished.  Already I have a small hill of handmade goodness hidden away for safekeeping. 

 

Whew!  A little wordy...

 

With all of that in mind and the idea of being resourceful with what we have, I knew we needed to do some prep work to enjoy the upcoming day. And if you're wondering...yes, we will be using some store-bought items to make handmade stuffs.

Written Sentiments:
the kids are busy with making their own unique handmade cards (the ones above are my daughter's) and the one below (in progress) is from my youngest.  2nd son is secretly working on a stop-action animated card.  Not sure if oldest will be producing anything other than a smile and a hug.  Such a variety of styles! 

Edible Stuffs:
oh, I'm sure there will be home-baked cookies... not sure what else at the moment.  Sort of depends on what this weekend has in store.  

Ambience:
oh course, setting the atmosphere for the day is fun too.  I'm thinking 'flowers' and garlands.  All papery decorations. 
What about you?  Are you keeping it simple?  Extravagant?  Store-bought?  Handmade? 

Have yet another warm weekend!

Mobile

My contribution to the Mobile Swap is done and sent off.  I had trouble deciding exactly what to do - many ideas floating about but nothing seemed to grab me.  So I began scouring my craft closet and found several sheets of Scratch-Lite left from a project I had done over a year ago. After cutting out various leaf shapes from card stock and attaching them using black sewing thread and black embroidery floss, the mobile is complete.  Hope my swap partner likes it. 

Thanks, Meg, for putting this together!

For more crafty mobiles, go here.