Candlemas, Imbolc or Groundhog Day?

I am loving learning about various celebrations and traditions around the world as of late. I really enjoy learning about their roots and the stories attached. I have fallen in love with the legends regarding Brigid (known as St. Brigid as well). My head is swimming with info about her at the moment though and I seem unable to come up with a clear and concise description of this Goddess/Saint. I'll try at a later time....maybe.....

Anyhow, I've decided to celebrate Imbolc/Candlemas/Groundhog Day with Liv. We'll make some earth candles (melt wax into depressions made in the soil and add a wick) and burn them on the evening of Feb.1st.
We'll also try to make this St.Brigid's cross.....

How to make a St. Brigid's Cross

Getting in the Valentine spirit

Liv and I decided to replace out Christmas wreathes (I know, pretty late) with new more seasonally-correct ones. So we busted out the wool felt and started snipping. She's decided to make a larger red heart for her wreath (for on her bedroom door) and I am making a few small ones for mine.
I am really loving the look of these little wooden buttons that I found at a dollar store at one time. I wish I had bought more as my stash is almost used up!
I attached a ribbon to each heart and tied them to a grapevine wreath. I think this will work great so that I can just replace the decor for each 'holiday'! I've already been thinking ahead to each celebration....clover leaves, Spring flowers, pumpkins or black cats, Canadian flag, etc.....When no holiday is imminent, I am going to make a little felt replica of our family....Is that too cheesy????? Oooohhh, my mind is a flutter!

Ice Mobiles

The kids and I took advantage of the cold weather and made ice mobiles. They were so easy and so fun to check out when we woke up in the morning. We just took small plastic containers (the more flexible the better) and put a small amount of water in the bottom. It's a great measuring activity as well! You cut a length of twine and lay it over the containers. Push the twine into each container so that it dips into the surface of each one.
Briar and I put leaves on the surface of the water so that it would hold the twine in. Olivia preferred to have hers clear....Both were beautiful!
It's definitely a project we'll do again!

Hoot and other adventures...

These are the 'Rainbabies' that I made for Olivia for Chirstmas....Unfortuantely, the book didn't arrive in time...So she got them for a rainy day toy after Christmas. I actually think it worked out better this way. She enjoyed the surprise and has been taking them everywhere.
A close-up of one of the babies....
I made Briar a whole set of farm animals out of wood for Christmas. They have been well-loved and this poor horse has already lost his ear. They're a definite hit, though!
Moe, in his usual day-time position.
Olivia attending the 'Snowflake Ball' with her Sparks troop. She was SO excited! We did have a bit of a fiasco regarding her clip-on earrings and losing one of the stones, however. Poor kid. She was VERY upset.

We had an encounter with a barred owl...at the mall (it was in the parking lot). I had no idea that barred owls hunt during the day!
He was dozing the majority of the time.
Liv was catching rainbows in her hand.
My sister moves this week to here in town!!!!!! I've been keeping an eye on her little house for her while it waits for them to arrive. It was lovely and sunny there yesterday.
Our window tree has been turned into a Valentine's love tree now. We wrote all the people that Olivia could think of that she loved....I think it's so sweet she included 'Mother Earth'.

P.S. I am having intermittent computer troubles....It's actually a miracle that I ahve managed to get this stuff on here. Anyhow, if you don't hear from me for awhile, that is why!

What big sisters do to little brothers....

I love Liv's use of Briar's anatomy to illustrate the iris in the eyes! Very creative! (I actually forgot to wash it off right away and ended up taking him to the pool with a face on his belly!)

Old?

I saw a photo challenge that a fellow blogger was taking part in that piqued my interest - a self-portrait every day for a year. It possibly sounds a bit vain or ego-centric but I was curious to see if I could get the 'real' me onto film (I always feel like pictures of me look like someone else...Do you know what I mean? Anyone else get that?) Anyhow, I thought I'd give it a shot....a brief shot. I think next time I'll take pictures of the kids everyday for a year....Hey, I already do that! Anyhow, I have sorted through the photos and wonder how I got so old. I know, again, that sounds overly 'me-focused' but I still imagine myself to be 19 - 20 tops. I just think I look tired and worn out.....maybe a bit dessicated too. Hate that.

Crowns aplenty.....

Okay, the pictures are in the wrong order....Damn. How do I always seem to do that. The rest of the post is way.....
way.......
way......
down...... Not the greatest photo, but it made me laugh. I love cows noses. So smooth. So damp. So firm. Did you know they have REALLY long tongues? Maggie nearly licked the camera right out of my hands....literally.
Maggie and April hangin'....
Miss Braveheart, the guard horse....
Baby Madeline....Yes, I know the picture is a bit psychedelic.....I think quite cool....or groovy?

This is the crown that I sold today. Yay!!!!! Briar has been messing with the tension on my sewing machine (ARGH!) so there were two of those bloody snaggy rats nests on the back. DAMN. Anyhow, I sold it for less than I would have to account for the extra thread....Maybe I should have charged more since I used more?????

Olivia's very own crown. I don't seem to have a close up.

I've been working away on my crafts with the plan of selling them on Etsy. Today, I was doing a felting workshop at Marylou's and ended up selling one of the crowns that I've been working on. Wow! I felt awful taking money from someone I knew, I must admit, but it was so neat to sell something!!! My head is BRIMMING with ideas....

Reminiscing...........Good music.....

Oops....So small..... ANYhow, I have found my old Me, Mom and Morgentaler CD. So in love. So happy. So quick to skip the occasional song lest little ears use the words with their little mouths.....

The craftiness resumes....

I'm having a great time making things again. I just needed a slight hiatas after the whole Christmas madhouse but I am now excited again. I am trying to keep myself focused on each project enough to get four-five of the finished project each time. SO I now have four windchimes ready and waiting for their individual photo ops and then I am going to TRY to sell them on Etsy. Oh, how I hope it'll work....

I am also working on felt crowns. A bit of a mess up with this first one, but I still like it. It's actually for Olivia as she was in love with Briar's that I made for Christmas.

I'm still trying to stock a shop with Mom's sweaters on Etsy. I'm having issues though. I keep putting off the measuring....Also, I'm having photo issues. I can't seem to be able to fit the whole sweater in a picture satisfactorily. It's driving me a bit insane and is taking any spark of excitement away from the project. Argh.

New Year, New lists....

Gabe, post-bite from Briar (notice the hidden arm)...
Three little boys out for a walk in Papa's hay barn....
Grandpa and the kids share a dance....
One of Oma's little Dutch treats...
Another one!

Olivia and Maisy in the nighties I made them for Christmas....
My two favourite guys....
Liv holding her newest cousin, Kylon....
Bonnie and Artec....
My brother, Adrian....

I am not one to have resolutions for the New Year usually BUT it seems that this year, I want to have a list. A list of things I want to accomplish. A list of things that I am interested in. And a list of things that I have managed to get done (this one is purely for 'pat on the back reasons').

To accomplish:

- learn some magic breathing technique to improve my skills of patience

- to relax more and enjoy my kids

- to grow a fabulous garden and to make most of our food (I'll have my work cut out for me on the last part of this. I hate cooking.)

- to hold myself back from my very own 'gimmes' (I want to buy less).

- to try to be okay with myself, just the way I am.....If I can just figure out the way I am....(Does that make sense?)

Okay, for someone who doesn't normaly do resolutions, this is becoming a bit long, isn't it?

Interest list:

- felting

- sewing (especially clothes for the kids)

- woodworking (toys)

- basic self-sufficiency

- gardening

Pat on the back list:

Check back.....I'll see what I can do.

P.S. Olivia has a very wiggly tooth. *sigh* She is growing too fast. I just had her, I swear!