sneak peeks and updates!

How can it already be the last day of September? Well, when you pack a month with out of town guests, school beginnings, art workshops and a fair (and the prep and sewing that precede them), milestone birthdays, and the editing adventures of your first book... well, it does seem to fly by in a blur. October has been nearly glowing beneath the pages in my calendar, and when I turn the page tomorrow I expect I may even here trumpets blowing and glimpse a fireworks display! October is filled with so much excitement: happy and long awaited announcements, my biggest bucket giveaway,  and a new pattern... that will be FREE! Oh yes, and there will be my first shop update in far too long. Not a huge one, but
I have several beatiful items that I brought back from the Squam Art Workshops that will be for sale in my etsy shop at noon EST on Tuesday October 4th. If you've ever wanted one of my burlap buckets I'll have three or four with gorgeous typography. I also have one left of the large natural ones that's made from a favorite thrift score- a heavy linen/hemp blend fabric. It's easy care (washable) and would make a great addition to a natural/green nursery. Along with  a few garlic sacks, you'll have the makings of some very nice early holiday shopping! There will be other items too... notebooks and banners. These two banners have traveled with me to June and Fall Squam and both times they've  hung in my workshops. They have been infused with creative energy and I would like to make  them available to someone who not only finds the words inspiring, but wishes to have a little bit of that Squam magic in their home! So have a great fall weekend folks... I'll see you in October!

Alphabet Glue #3 and a giveaway!

My friend Annie, of Bird and Little Bird,  has just published Volume 3 of her e-zine Alphabet Glue. I've looked forward to each issue and am always delighted by how many well thought out activities, projects and printables are packed into one downloadable PDF. Annie's intention is to" inspire kids and their families to engage with the literary world around them."  As a mother, special ed. and literacy educator Annie pulls from her own experiences with children, as well as her love for nature, science and craft. Alphabet Glue is a wonderful addition to many different homeschooling paths and is a perfect companion for any family looking to expand their repertoire of "good stuff to do" on rainy days and slowed down weekends.

fabric covered center-stitched books

"There are bookmaking projects, of course, as well printable fiction and non-fiction reading lists to take along on your library adventures.  This issue also includes a fun activity to encourage the curiosity of aspiring scientists, and has a special feature on the geography of stories and story mapping as well."

Story buntings, three ways

"Build bridges, make a story graph, follow your favorite story character on the map.  Make stickers and beautiful buntings and plans for great writing. Ask questions and look for the answers. Fall is here at last, let's jump into the leaf pile."

Non-fiction question boxes

Inside Volume Three:

A Reading List for Fall

Year of Favorites Reading Calendar

Story Buntings

Question Boxes

Non-Fiction Reading Resources

Fabric Covered Center-Stitched Books

Inspiration Envelopes

Accordion-Fold Sticker Books

Toothpick Bridge Construction

The Geography of Stories:

"You are Here" Reading List

Ants Go Marching Story Map

Story Excitement Charts

Traditional Story Maps

I'm happy to announce that Annie would love to send some of you a free copy... because she's nice that way, and also because she feels that all of you are too! maya*made readers are bright, thoughtful and sensitive folks. Of course, I know this, but I felt proud  way when I heard her say it, too. Five of you bright, thoughtful and sensitive readers will receive a free copy of the latest issue of Alphabet Glue! Five! Thanks Annie! Now, if you can't wait or want to send a copy to a friend, they're only $4, so jump over and pick one up right here. To enter in the giveaway simply leave a comment with your email address before Sunday at 5pm EST. Perhaps share a favorite fall book... We love the Brambly Hedge series and just re-read Autumn Story the other day. Good luck friends! I'll announce the winners on Monday morning.
*all photos via Alphabet Glue

And the winners are:
-Ziezo said...Thanks for the give away! Would be great to do these activities with my 3 little 'readers'. 
  

-Emily Proudfoot said...
What a lovely 'zine! My kids would be delighted ~ and speaking of kids - my favorite fall children's book right now is "Zen Ghosts" by Jon Muth. His illustrations just put me over the moon every time...happy fall!

 

-Ms. Knitsalot said...
I just read Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf today to 2nd grade students in the library. Thanks for the giveaway - sounds excellent!

- nest full of eggs said...oh, my children love books ~ so please enter me ! thanks !!

- PeaceMama said...
this is great! if i don't win, i most definitely want to check it out! we love so many fall books, but top on the list right now is The Apple Pie that Papa Baked. for me, i still love Go Down Moses, and The Bear in particular, by Faulkner for the description of hunting in the autumn.

Congratulations to all of you! 


 

spirit boxes part 2

Here is a little taste of the day at Sugar House and teaching how to make Spirit Boxes. Read part 1 here. The classroom was filled with materials that  were ripe with meaning... dictionaries and maps mingled with perfect odds and ends.  I loved seeing bits of my collections nestled in with the special pieces each person was invited to bring.

In the morning I led a guided meditation to discover our perfect fantasy studio. With those thoughts fresh, everyone got to work making tool boxes to hold our favorite pens, brushes, etc.  We warmed up, got messy, and began the process of opening. Everyone shared from their stash and encouraged one another. I felt so blessed to have Corrine return to take a workshop with me again! She warmed up the room with her generous spirit, which can only be matched by her endless creativity (and great bear hugs!).

Here's her fantastic invention: the vintage spool "latch" on her box.



 Kathy's quiet, lovely ways always pulled me in like a magnet. Above she creates a pattern with an old wooden Indian block (that she brought!). This paper would soon cover her tool box. And below Deedee focuses intently... she had the most beautiful collection of rusty found objects from her desert walks. She radiated the wild California Country she treasure hunts in.  I feel so fortunate to have spent such rich time with this amazing group of women. I felt it then and am reminded how much I loved each one of them as I look through these photos, now. I'm so grateful I remembered to take some... it's not always easy when caught up in the moment.

Here are several close shots (some without the maker's beautiful faces... only so that you can look deeper inside "their box). Honestly, they need to be checked out in person along with the narrative of each artist. There is so much to SEE and FEEL within each frame... and often along the floors and walls of each BOX. But here's a glimpse...

Nicole and her Dragonfly spirit melded right into the woods...

Lovely Heather held her waterfall in her hands as her bird took wing...

Kim's egg like opening beckons... a peek into her cabinet of curiosities illustrates her keen eye for the most intriguing images and found papers... ever!

 Oh Emily, filled with sisterhood (now and then) with a deep knowing of what is a house and where is home... (with her very own "house" fabric printed by spoonflower, of course!)

And Lissa, who honored the very best of the RE words from my old dilapidated dictionary with her animal totems shining fiercely. Yes, Lissa FIERCELY... that hare knows just where it's going. Return, Redeem, Restore, Renew, Remind...
Truth seekers, risk takers, and beauty makers! Every. One . Of. Them!

spirit boxes part 1

Happy Monday friends! Before too much time rolls by, I want to share my latest class offering with you. I taught two different classes at Squam Art Workshops: one old and one new. Botanical Printing has long been a favorite and one I'm always excited for. I had a wonderful little group this year, but wasn't so good with my camera! So, I'm putting in a call to all students to please send me any pics you'd like to share, because your work was stunning (and the most complex, to date)! Thanks! Luckily, I've posted loads of photos and words in the past,  so lovely readers... you can check them out here and here.

My newest class,Spirit Boxes, merged some of my favorite elements of teaching into one very special day. We transformed recycled and everyday objects, while simulaneously bringing thought and attention to our inner lives. What a dynamic combination it was! After our warm up exercise (more on that tomorrow), the focus was to create pieces that represented our secret wishes or intentions within the framework of dream-like shadow box. All of the materials used were found and/or recycled.  We gathered in the Sugar House, which also is the camp's nature center. It was an unbelievably perfect setting. In fact, it felt as if we had shrunk and stepped into our very own classroom "shadow box".  My demo spirit box features my favorite arched opening. I made it long before I arrived at Squam and knew where I'd be teaching. Take a look at the doorway to our sweet cabin classroom and then look below. Isn't that wild synchronicity? Squam magic is always afoot! Tomorrow I'll share the amazing work that went on in this Sugar House.  Click on the the photo below for details on this little box- Nester.

Autumn

Fall is here! Going off to the woods last week, and feeling the chill, helped me to get into the right mindset. Now, I'm ready to embrace the woodsmoke, pumpkin pie, and leaf collecting. My boots are out and my hats are at the ready! As I'm still digesting all that was Squam Art Workshops and the big birthday I returned to...  I thought I'd share a bit of what's firing me up on this Equinox. Here's my little love list for you to peruse over the weekend:

• This hooded tunic tutorial looks just right, doesn't it?
• This would be perfect for honoring a section of any favorite tree that's fallen:  DIY log table.
• The last line from Kelly's "barn nostalgia" post says it all.
• I've long admired Liane of enhabiten and finally got to meet her sweet and soulful self at last June's  Squam Art Fest. I was super excited to see her interview on Design*Sponge. Go see what's in her toolbox!
• These incredible stories that I listened to on the ride to and from New Hampshire. HIGHLY recommended.
• Kate's wrap sweater looks like Fall's best friend, wouldn't you say?
• Cal's tunic. I'm living in it, and here's a shot of lovely (and tall) Jonatha and me both wearing ours last week. These were made by Cal, but the instructions are in her fabulous book.

 Several folks at Squam asked about my wooden pendent (that I'm wearing). It was made by the wildly talented Lisa Jordan of lil fish studios. She has some incredible "just blogged" about new pieces that should be landing in her shop this afternoon.
After this photo was taken I noticed that one of my buckets (sold at the fair the night before) happened to to be walking up the steps. Didn't know that it slipped into the picture until I got home. Sweet! I only have a couple items left after the sale, but they should be making their way into my shop by next week.

Happy Fall! Happy Weekend!

flying

Thank you all for your birth*day wishes for my boy teenager! I just wanted to share a few words and pictures from what can only be described as transformational... for both child and parents.

Giving our son the opportunity to live out a dream and literally fly above his everyday world was the perfect right of passage.

above our beloved Taughannock Falls

I thought that I would be terrified and paralyzed left on the ground. I was so wrong. The sight of him in such a place of strength and joy was beyond anything I had anticipated. Bliss.

My brave husband was tucked into the tiny backseat, the pilot sat beside him, but for most of the flight... that boy of mine FLEW!! Helping to give birth to your child's dream is powerful medicine, indeed!

*Note: This was a Discovery Flight (could it have been more aptly named?) with the East Hill Flying club. Read about it here.
Julie left an amazing comment in the last post about Harris Hill Soaring Center, and we will be investigating it further. Thank you Julie!

wings

Thirteen years ago my first child came into the world. From his very first moments he began teaching me lessons I didn't even know I had to learn. This boy of ours continues to be one of our greatest teachers. I'm so grateful for his brilliance, enthusiasm, curiosity, and sensitivity. Embarking on raising a teen feels a bit like those early days of parenting when the world looked so new and we desperately hoped that we'd get it right. Luckily, he can talk now... and let us know what he needs.

Today we will celebrate his birth with his favorite chocolate cake (that's in the oven!) and honor his growth by letting him fly... literally. He has been passionate about flight and planes since he was two. His walls are covered with air crafts. He speaks a language that only pilots truly understand. Today, if the weather holds out, that airplane-lover will get into a cockpit of a 4 seater that is not parked in a museum, but on a real runway. With the assistance of the pilot, he'll fly over our town and the lake he knows so well. Oh sweet boy... we give you your wings! Happy Birthday!

soul connections

Pixie+Little Maya+me= BIG love

Squam Art Workshops provides so much more than creative growth. It is vehicle for spiritual awakening and a greenhouse for nourishing life-long connections. The folks that choose to enter the woods come from varied backgrounds, and yet we all share a desire to shed our earthly skins and show up with hearts wide open. The dynamic this creates is hard to articulate but can be recognized by the radiant smiles and warm bear hugs that envelope you all day long walking on the trails and entering each classroom.

This was my fourth trip to Squam, and it just keeps getting fuller and better! The friendships that have blossomed there year after year have grown deep roots. New loves are found around every bend in the wooded paths. I am quite definitely HOME when I sit on the dock surrounded by my sisters. I want to thank Elizabeth, the Squam Goddess, for not only being a pioneer and creating such a sacred space, but having the innate gift to quietly match "cabin mates" that bond for life. I was blessed to room with Pixie Campbell once more, and am forever grateful. We go deep, we laugh hard, and believe that we were separated at birth... thankfully we've been re-united. This year we shared an amazing little cabin perched above the lake with Jen Lee, the sweet and wise storyteller. I have much to learn from each of them and love that there lessons are available to all of you, as well.
-Pixie's first Soulodge was an integral part of the end of my summer and I highly recommend the next session.
-Jen Lee's Finding you Voice came home with me in my suitcase and I can't wait to dig in.
 But there are so many insanely wonderful women that have entered my life through Squam. I know you'll appreciate them too. So look to my side bar in the ENJOY section for their links. More on the classes I taught coming up!

touch down

 Landing. Re-entry.  I returned from New Hampshire last night, and I'm doing my best to regroup softly. It was a big week. Huge. It seems that my experience of Squam Art Workshops gets richer and deeper each time. How blessedly amazing is that!? Finding the words in this state of exhaustion and bliss is too hard. So let's try again tomorrow, shall we? Until then... I send you hopes for sweetness in the week ahead. If you were one of the lovelies that were lakeside with me, know that I'm missing you so much... I wish you gentleness and grounding.

picking and printing

Last night we went to the farm so that I could gather armfuls of flowers for my botanical printing class. The first of the fall raspberries were in and it blossomed into a gorgeous and delicious way to spend our last evening together before we all depart. My son is off on his own outdoor adventure this week and the packing for our separate journeys has been monumental. But I'm almost there! My last bit of making happened in a flurry last night and these printed linen sachets are now filled with lavender. I downloaded some perfect inspiration for the road, and now I'm off to fly through the last little details. Can't wait to see some of you soon!

planning, plotting, and packing

You, my friends, are my pause today. Deep thanks! Sitting down to say hello with my very large vat of coffee (yes, caffeine is back!) will possibly be the only time I'm still all day. As exciting as it is to venture off into the wilds without my clan... my, does it take a lot of sensitive and strategic planning. The lists run off pages and onto envelopes and the backs of receipts. I gather them all into my "ready, set, go notebook"... which sounds much less ominous then my previous name for it: "the departure notebook".  It's a special journal that I keep my master lists for each time I travel to Squam Art Workshops. It includes everything I need for teaching, vending and most importantly... what needs to happen to ready my family for  when the house manager, head chef, nurse, therapist, librarian, house cleaner (hmm... not always the best one), and chauffeur go on leave. Luckily my husband takes on these roles with ease, and my children are growing so capable... but you better believe the fridge is stocked and there are multiple charts at the front door! The quiet gift to all of this plotting and planning? There is a deeper appreciation for the little things that I do each day. I bet if we all wrote down the varied things we manage and do in a single week, there would be a collective WOWZA! What superheroes and powerhouses we all are!

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Below you'll find a small sampling of my sewing for the art fair on Saturday night. Since everything I make is one of a kind, documentation feels so important. In the feverish pitch of last minute this and thats, it sometimes gets overlooked. Once again, may I praise the ease and convenience of my dear helper- Instagram and my trusty iphone! I'll be posting photos directly to twitter when not blogging them this week... I want to bring YOU with me!  And if you live anywhere near Holderness, New Hampshire please do come by for an introduction and a hug. I'd love the opportunity for us to meet and for you to see the beauty of Squam Lake for yourself... and if you're in the market for some repurposed coffee sacks, I'll have dozens and dozens of GOOD wares!

philosophical friday

Yesterday took me by surprise. As much as I missed my children, I was very ready to get to work on that second day back to school. Nope. Flooding closed all roads, and schools were canceled for our entire region. Really? Really. The skies were clear when we woke up, so I was shocked and they were disappointed beyond belief. It was a grouchy, grumpy morning. For all of us! Time to head outside.



Oh that's better- just what we needed! And here's what I learned... when life gets a little stormy, put on your boots and jump in the puddles. Why not embrace it as this little splasher did so well! (couldn't get her out of that puddle)

Yup that's metaphor #1 for today.

***********************

My second lesson came in the afternoon as I watched my daughter's newly achieved prowess on two wheels. I'm so darn proud of her! She had been wanting to take off her training wheels for far too long, but couldn't get to that next step. Knowing this, her best friend lent us a strider with these famous words "it'll only take ya 3 days!" I wasn't exactly skeptical, but didn't want to set my daughter's expectations to high.

Well, these no pedal balance bikes are miraculous balance teachers! They are a bit pricey for the short amount of time you'll use one, so I was happy to borrow it. And guess what? She was ready to take off her training wheels on day 2 with the strider! After a week of practice, she is now officially a biker! Holy cow!

So, metaphor #2:
If you're ready to take off your "training wheels" (so to speak), don't hesitate in finding the right tools to help you meet your goal. Hmmm. That's all for my philosophical Friday, folks! Off to catch up on the time lost well spent yesterday!


photos via instragram and my shaky hand as  I chased beside her! 

transitions

Oh, what a hush. It's so very quiet here today in my empty house. It was wise to take the last few days to be with my family. And now- Squam sewing is going strong. It's so good to have a focus , or else I'd feel too much like this swing. But I'm hustling and bustling, and it's wonderful to be checking things off of my list again. I'll show you what I've got up my sleeve the moment it's ready. Hope you're settling into your own week..  and if your life has switched rhythms recently- may the transition be gentle and smooth.

If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies.  ~Author Unknown

day's end

This photo was taken yesterday. As the sun began to set, the very last rays illuminated the cosmos out front. This is one of my favorite times of day, especially when it's warm enough to be outside with bare feet and short sleeves. I've taken to sitting on the front porch as the sun goes down. I love watching the sun disappear over the horizon.  It only takes a few moments and is easy to miss. When I lived on the West coast, I'd watch that firy ball set into the sea and listen for the "sizzle". Out here, it slips down over a field and into the earth... much more of a warm sigh or exhalation. Watching the day turn into night... sometimes I witness it alone- with the evening's soundtrack (dishes clanking, piano practicing, and my favorite voices) filtering through the screen door. Other times, I find myself with someone warm on my lap or walking down the road with a tall boy or my sweet man. Always pausing. Endlessly admiring.

Of course, lovely sunsets will not end with summer, but I know that these quiet moments will be harder to find. Schedules are about to shift. I will be taking some time to watch the last few sunsets of summer vacation with my family and our dearest friends. See you all back here next Wednesday!

September!

A new month... and with it comes:

• My first born turning thirteen. 13!
• School days and the promise of a familiar rhythm.
• A trip to New Hampshire to see my family and then teach at my first Fall Squam.
• Lots of sewing- buckets, pouches and such to bring to the Squam Art Fair on  9/17.
• Plums and pears from our own trees. It's our biggest crop yet, and we're all itching to get the ladder out, but they need just a little more time. In the meantime we dream of favorites: pear upside down cake, poached pears, pear and ginger galettes, plum cobbler, plum jam, and of course plumple sauce!
• Apples. Apples. Apples. To the orchards we will go!
• A new pattern (finally!) for later on in the month... when it gets just a bit cooler!
• Maybe a chance to wear my birthday boots! Trying to be patient.
• Continued editing of The Book. Still pinch myself now and then. 
• T*I*M*E* (when I return from NH) to create and share my process with you, something I've missed  dearly.
• And did I mention that thirteenth birthday?! I'd better not get started. This milestone definitely influenced Monday's post.

And you? What do you see when you turn the calendar page?