Hollyhocks

Winter Art

I get a newsletter every week from the Artful Parent. The ideas are always easy, high-interest and truly engaging. I do have to admit that this week's project was a little scary. She had us heat a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven, place it on a towel and then have the kids color on paper on THE HOT BAKING PAN! The crayon melts, creating saturated color.

We did have a long snowy day ahead of us though, so at this point in a Western NY winter I may have tried a Piranha Pool Party to kill some time.

It turned out to be a really fun project. The twins draw a lot, so one day when they were out sledding, I sewed a bunch of tiny pictures into a little banner.

The felt board is a vintage Amvets find. The twins love it.

Peg dolls are the current art obsession. Every day I am asked for a specific wooden blank or 2 to add to a wooden family or neighborhood.

So, 6 is the age when the urge to create just explodes. In this house at least. Happy looonnnngggg Winter.

On Speeding up and Slowing Down

From the moment I woke up today, I have been autumn nesting. First the farmer's market and then the co-op for granola supplies. Finally, the supermarket for homemade nacho cheese sauce supplies for a little girl who discovered this first week of Kindergarten that she loves school lunches that include foods she doesn't get at home. I don't object to nachos, I just want to know what goes into ours. The dining room is decorated, fresh food is in good supply, maple granola scent is wafting through the house and I had a chance to read the "Gathering" issue of Taproot Magazine cover to cover today. The twins love school and my heart is both happy and sad as I watch them increase their independence. I am back to work after a glorious summer and ready for Autumn, my favorite season. I hope you have a restful weekend wherever you are.

Handmade Matching Game

When I saw this seed packet fabric back in 2011, I started thinking about making a fabric vegetable matching game for the children. I made it and gave it to them for Christmas. They showed a mild interest. Now that they are turning 5, they are discovering the joy of games. This game was unearthed and we had a blast playing this afternoon. If you like it, you can still find the fabric on Etsy. Happy Day- children playing with handmade games...Thank you for visiting Hollyhocks.

Glitter Magnets

A Ponterest find- and useful too. Every kid loves sparkles! And I may have set up a few for me too... So many things you can do with glass cabochons from Joann's . Get the stronger magnets though because the glass is heavy. Happy crafting.

Slowing the Metronome

Cookie baking, afternoon at the playground and a cool evening on the swing with a good book. I am reading books again for the first time since the twins were born. There is a light at the end of the exhaustion tunnel. Thank you evening soccer for preschoolers! It is quiet here. I can't even hear the metronome... I hope wherever you are, you can put your hand up and slow the pace, at least for a while.

Kool-Aid Cookies

Made these with the kids today. Interesting Sour Patch Kid tartness. Can't link to recipe from my phone, but you can easily Google one. Every day is an adventure.

More Summer Fun: Painting Rocks

When we finished the bag of rocks from AC Moore, the rock path to the playhouse was looted. 1 full hour of fun.

Independence Day Craft for Kids

The problem with using the TV to occupy the twins for a minute is tearing my little guy away from it. I set up this craft after he asked for 4th of July decorations at Target today. We have a TON of simple art supplies, perfect for the theme. I just explained the idea ...and relinquished all control. We had one tense moment when the blue glitter glue clogged. I squeezed so hard that it shot right into my son's hair. He was horrified. I have to admit that his twin and I laughed our heads off. Happy 1st of July!

Homemade Pastel Butter Mints

If you make homemade butter mints when your 4 year-old twins are home...

You're going to have to hide some on the back porch for your mom and brother. It also wouldn't hurt if, after looking at the recipe, you happened to be at an estate sale and find the perfect tin for them...

I found the recipe in the Back in the Day Bakery cookbook. It's super easy. Just butter, confectioner's sugar, sweetened condensed milk, a pinch of salt and 1 TABLESPOON (!) of peppermint extract. I did have to add extra sw. condensed milk to get the perfect consistency. Now, if this isn't tempting enough, Josie made some with orange and vanilla instead of the peppermint. So good. Have fun. Kids and adults love these. The book is under $15 and just terrific. Don't ask how many baking books I have. Note: I made my own vanilla last fall (as pictured above) - a huge bottle of vodka and 10 vanilla beans, purchased online. I shook the bottle every few days and voila! Homemade vanilla by Christmas-about 8 weeks.

Skinny by summer is getting more and more questionable...

On Friendship

It's a "blog friend's" birthday tomorrow. I was going to send a card, but I am sure this post will "get there" in time. We met through our blogs. She sent me a vintage blue silk layette when I was expecting the twins. When the package arrived, I noticed that she only lived a couple of miles away. When my husband did a feature on bloggers on his news show, I looked her up and called to see if she would be interested.

She was- so she appeared on TV. Then, one day, when I was on bedrest, the phone rang and it was Josie, wondering if I would like some company. We had never met in person, so we had a visit. She brought handmade gifts for the twins and Orange-Vanilla cake. I reclined on the sofa. We talked a mile a minute and have been friends ever since.

Her children are a bit older than mine, so I always ask her for input on issues as they arise. Most notably, I called her last summer when the DH was out of town and the twins were at a one-week summer camp. One of them (who shall remain nameless but has 2 X chromosomes), reportedly pushed a friend down. The camp was at a place we hadn't been before, where I didn't know the teachers or parents...so I was mortified. The school made a big deal about it and I felt awful...and judged...for days. I called Josie and she made me laugh. She said something to the effect of "the other child is probably not completely blameless" and told me a story about her own angelic offspring biting her older brother hard enough to leave a mark.

We like most of the same things and respect each other's opinions about everything. Josie makes sure that no matter how busy life gets, we keep in touch, often to bake together in her kitchen.

So today I just want to say- thanks for being such a good friend. I am influenced all of the time by your ability to make a house a beautiful home. Happy 35th birthday! I can't wait until I reach that milestone!