It was something worth sharing. Last winter, Valarie had spotted a mama fox and her four little kits. She grabbed her camera and started clicking away, and promptly shared those photos on her blog.
I saw those photos, read her words, and was an instant fan. Those babies were just precious, and to see close-up photos of them was a rare treat. One blog post turned into two, and then into a weekly series call the The Fox Diaries.
Every Thursday morning I'd pop over to see what those babes were up to, and every Thursday afternoon when the girls came home, they'd ask if there was a new fox post. And so it came to be that for a few months the girls and I delighted in the adventures of the kits. We learned their names, and how to identify each one by their markings. We started to know their individual personalities, each one so very distinct from the next. We felt like we had front row seats, watching them play, snuggle, sneak away, learning to hunt, and compete with each other and for mama's attention. oh how we fell for that family of foxes.
Then, as the spring came to an end, the foxes left Valarie's garden. She would look for them in their usual places at their usual times, but they were gone. The Fox Diaries blog posts came to an end and I had to break it to my girls--the foxes had moved on. As much as we knew it was as it should be, we were so sad to see them go.
But the story doesn't end there. A few months ago Valarie wrote to tell me that she had been compiling her Fox Diaries series into a book.
Today, I'm here to celebrate the release of Valarie's book, The Fox Diaries! As I write this, a beautiful bound copy of the story of those little f
It was something worth sharing. Last winter, Valarie had spotted a mama fox and her four little kits. She grabbed her camera and started clicking away, and promptly shared those photos on her blog.
I saw those photos, read her words, and was an instant fan. Those babies were just precious, and to see close-up photos of them was a rare treat. One blog post turned into two, and then into a weekly series call the The Fox Diaries.
Every Thursday morning I’d pop over to see what those babes were up to, and every Thursday afternoon when the girls came home, they’d ask if there was a new fox post. And so it came to be that for a few months the girls and I delighted in the adventures of the kits. We learned their names, and how to identify each one by their markings. We started to know their individual personalities, each one so very distinct from the next. We felt like we had front row seats, watching them play, snuggle, sneak away, learning to hunt, and compete with each other and for mama’s attention. oh how we fell for that family of foxes.
Then, as the spring came to an end, the foxes left Valarie’s garden. She would look for them in their usual places at their usual times, but they were gone. The Fox Diaries blog posts came to an end and I had to break it to my girls–the foxes had moved on. As much as we knew it was as it should be, we were so sad to see them go.
But the story doesn’t end there. A few months ago Valarie wrote to tell me that she had been compiling her Fox Diaries series into a book.
Today, I’m here to celebrate the release of Valarie’s book, The Fox Diaries! As I write this, a beautiful bound copy of t
So much changes in the kitchen this time of year. Out winter stockpile dwindles just as we transplant the new seedlings. We simultaneously welcome fresh ingredients and say goodbye to all those hearty cold-weather recipes. Firsts and lasts abound.
~first corn, last jars of freezer jam and pesto~
~First green smoothie, last frozen blueberries, picked in July~
~first store-bought garlic, last batch of lentil soup~
I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is the year I planted enough garlic to get us though until the next harvest. That this is the year we pick not ten, but twenty pounds of blueberries. That this is the year I jar up double the amounts of jams and tomatoes. That this is the year we rely more on our own food production than ever before.
What comfort foods are you saying goodbye to for the summer? What things are you welcoming back into your warm-weather kitchen?
So much changes in the kitchen this time of year. Out winter stockpile dwindles just as we transplant the new seedlings. We simultaneously welcome fresh ingredients and say goodbye to all those hearty cold-weather recipes. Firsts and lasts abound.
~first corn, last jars of freezer jam and pesto~
~First green smoothie, last frozen blueberries, picked in July~
~first store-bought garlic, last batch of lentil soup~
I am keeping my fingers crossed that this is the year I planted enough garlic to get us though until the next harvest. That this is the year we pick not ten, but twenty pounds of blueberries. That this is the year I jar up double the amounts of jams and tomatoes. That this is the year we rely more on our own food production than ever before.
What comfort foods are you saying goodbye to for the summer? What things are you welcoming back into your warm-weather kitchen?
I don't know how y'all do it.
My past few weeks have been quite busy, filling orders one after the next, and going through the lessons in my class. I can't complain. My two children both attend full-time school, which leaves me with a large chunk of daytime working hours, and during those hours, work, I do. But somehow, I'm still working every evening too. And barely finding time for life's work, dinner, and oh, being a parent.
And then there's this wild and wonderful online community of folks who seem to do it all. With grace, and wit, and talent to spare.
Take
Lisa, for instance. She home schools her four children, has a photography business, cooks up a storm, and finds time to write thoughtful, honest posts several times a week.
Erin got a surprising amount of posts published while she packed up her home and moved cross-country. And drove there with her two young kids.
Ella writes often, her blog full of gorgeous styling, very cool downloadable freebies, delicious recipes, and fun crafts--all while dealing with a health issue that effects her every day.
Heather is posting creative projects just a few short weeks after the birth of her third child. Oh, and she home schools her two older boys.
So many of you share so much, even when your husbands are far away for long periods of time and all the responsibilities of a family fall square on you (Erin,
Emily,
Francesca).
Valarie writes often on her
three different blogs, in addition to her work as a composer/pianist,and if that wasn't enough, she just started her own publishing company and wrote a book.
Susie runs her busy illustration business, is pregnant with her third child, and is currently packing up/trying to sell her house, in preparation to their big move (newborn in tow) to a different country.
Me? I get a good healthy serving of what I have always wanted--an onslaught of jewelry orders--and I declare that something's gotta give. Total time-management wimp, I know.
I don't know how you all do it, but I'm in awe. (And I'm taking notes.)
.
I don’t know how y’all do it.
My past few weeks have been quite busy, filling orders one after the next, and going through the lessons in my class. I can’t complain. My two children both attend full-time school, which leaves me with a large chunk of daytime working hours, and during those hours, work, I do. But somehow, I’m still working every evening too. And barely finding time for life’s work, dinner, and oh, being a parent.
And then there’s this wild and wonderful online community of folks who seem to do it all. With grace, and wit, and talent to spare.
Take Lisa, for instance. She home schools her four children, has a photography business, cooks up a storm, and finds time to write thoughtful, honest posts several times a week.
Erin got a surprising amount of posts published while she packed up her home and moved cross-country. And drove there with her two young kids.
Ella writes often, her blog full of gorgeous styling, very cool downloadable freebies, delicious recipes, and fun crafts–all while dealing with a health issue that effects her every day.
Heather is posting creative projects just a few short weeks after the birth of her third child. Oh, and she home schools her two older boys.
So many of you share so much, even when your husbands are far away for long periods of time and all the responsibilities of a family fall square on you (Erin, Emily, Francesca).
Valarie writes often on her three different blogs, in addition to her work as a composer/pianist,and if that wasn’t enough, she just started her own publishing company and wrote a book.
Susie runs her busy illustration business, is pregnant with her third child, and is currently packing up/trying to sell her house, in preparation to their big move (newborn in tow) to a different country.
Me? I get a good healthy serving of what I have always wanted–an onslaught of jewelry orders–and I declare that something’s gotta give. Total time-management wimp, I know.
I don’t know how you all do it, but I’m in awe. (And I’m taking notes.)
Between a vacation to Florida, a stack of orders thanks to that
print feature,
another show to get ready for this weekend, and
a class to prepare for, I am swamped. I kinda feel like the little one on the front of this log ride. Not even trying to hide the sheer terror of it all--teeth clenched, but going for it with my eyes wide open. Perhaps instead, I should shout out my battle cry, like "A" did. But then again, I could always just close my eyes and grasp on for dear life waiting for whatever happens to happen, like my other girl did. I don't know.
Whichever way I decide to handle it, I just wanted to say I'll be absent from this space, and from making the blog rounds, for about a week, as I take the plunge and catch up on my current roller coaster ride.
Between a vacation to Florida, a stack of orders thanks to that print feature, another show to get ready for this weekend, and a class to prepare for, I am swamped. I kinda feel like the little one on the front of this log ride. Not even trying to hide the sheer terror of it all–teeth clenched, but going for it with my eyes wide open. Perhaps instead, I should shout out my battle cry, like “A” did. But then again, I could always just close my eyes and grasp on for dear life waiting for whatever happens to happen, like my other girl did. I don’t know.
Whichever way I decide to handle it, I just wanted to say I’ll be absent from this space, and from making the blog rounds, for about a week, as I take the plunge and catch up on my current roller coaster ride.
A few things worth telling, on this very snowy April first.
I just got the April issue of Boston Magazine that happens to feature my Copper Jewel Ring. This is my first time having my jewelry in a magazine, and I am thrilled.
Have you heard about Molly's new site,
Blarter? The name is a mash up of "blog" and "barter," and it's a little bit of genius. Finally a site that encourages the trade of goods and service between bloggers.
That's all for now. I'm off to shovel snow. Very funny, Mother Nature. Very funny April Fool's Day joke.
A few things worth telling, on this very snowy April first.
I just got the April issue of Boston Magazine that happens to feature my Copper Jewel Ring. This is my first time having my jewelry in a magazine, and I am thrilled.
Have you heard about Molly’s new site,
Blarter? The name is a mash up of “blog” and “barter,” and it’s a little bit of genius. Finally a site that encourages the trade of goods and service between bloggers.
That’s all for now. I’m off to shovel snow. Very funny, Mother Nature. Very funny April Fool’s Day joke.
Just a quick note to let you know that Molly over at A Foothill Home Companion is hosting a giveaway. Click on over to win a fifty dollar gift certificate to my shop. That's right, you get to pick.
And while you are there, check out the two other giveaways she is hosting. It's pretty much a magical wonderland of giveaways over there now though Monday.
A Metalsmith's Morning (Glamorous it is not)
Each day starts with getting the girls up and off to school, followed by a little computer time. Then the work day starts, without fail, like this:
Make a (second) cup of tea
Tape up (to cover the cuts and scrapes that I seem to get every day)
Open the valve of the acetylene tank
Turn on the very high-tech ventilation system (Yep. That's snow out there. Thanks a lot, spring.)
Turn on the listening entertainment (This week, it's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Begin working my way through the scribbled "shop" to-do list
Do you have a morning routine that gets the "work" day started? I'd love to hear about it.
A Metalsmith’s Morning (Glamorous it is not)
Each day starts with getting the girls up and off to school, followed by a little computer time. Then the work day starts, without fail, like this:
Make a (second) cup of tea
Tape up (to cover the cuts and scrapes that I seem to get every day)
Open the valve of the acetylene tank
Turn on the very high-tech ventilation system (Yep. That’s snow out there. Thanks a lot, spring.)
Turn on the listening entertainment (This week, it’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Begin working my way through the scribbled “shop” to-do list
Do you have a morning routine that gets the “work” day started? I’d love to hear about it.
Just a quick not to let you know
EarthMama is hosting a giveaway of one of my items this weekend. The winner can choose from the pieces pictured above. Click over for details and to
enter to win. There's also an interview featuring yours truly.
As a bonus, I'll be offering a 15% discount for one week to
EarthMama readers. Go git the coupon code!
Over the past two years, Alex (also known as "A") has been going through a piano tuning course, practicing on our own piano and tuning the pianos of friends whenever he gets the chance. But he always felt like he was missing something. He needed a teacher, a mentor, and had called a few local tuners to see if they would be willing to take an apprentice. All said no.
Last week, a friend put Alex in contact with an elderly man who is moving out of his home. This man is blind, and had been a piano tuner for 40 years. He had a lifetime of knowledge and piano tuning and repair equipment in his home, and all he wanted was a worthy person to pass it all down to. Alex is over the moon to be that person.
And so the 83-year old man whose hearing isn't what it used to be, who hadn't been down to his basement in three years, took Alex down there, blew the dust off a room full of tools and told Alex he could have it all, if Alex would just tune his piano.
He came home with old bottles of then-locally-made lubricants and glues,
antique tins full of tiny instruments used in piano repair,
...and more tools than Alex could have ever hoped to acquire. Some of them cream of the crop, some clever hand-made inventions of a master of his trade.
Their weekly meetings are now the thing that Alex looks forward to most, and each week he returns home with boxes of this kind man's lifetime career. Yes, he comes home with his arms (and truck!) full, but I can see that he is full, too. His spirit is soaring, and his brain is buzzing with the knowledge the man is so generously giving him—a lifetime of tips, tricks, and secrets. My husband is brimming with possibilities again, and it is good.
The other day, I shared this picture of custom-ordered word stones with my friends. I got some positive feedback and then one person (one of my oldest friends) said, "Can you buy ice cream with those?" I was instantly transported back to one of my favorite childhood memories.
Brian and I were probably about 5 or 6, and desperate for ice cream (desperate!), but neither of our mothers would give us money to buy some. Getting our hands on the good stuff was going to require some ingenuity. So, we spent some time searching for small, round, flat stones—ones that resembled coins—and when we were satisfied with how many we had, we strolled to the corner store. Nervously, we each picked out our ice creams, and placed them on the counter. When the cashier told us the total, we nonchalantly tossed the coins on the counter, looking in every direction but his face. He paused for what seemed like an hour then said, "OK. All set," with a smile.
We were stunned. Our ice cream scheme had been a success! As soon as we were outside the store we broke into a sprint, dying to recount every detail of our "trick" to our older sisters. They were equal parts incredulous and jealous. We were equal parts boastful and guilty. And full.
Oh, what I wouldn't give to hear the kind clerk's version of that story now.
What about you? Do you have any stories/memories involving stones?
1 package of clay
2 days of clay sculpting/photography
2.5 hours of post production thanks to "A"
3 story boards
10 sheets of construction paper
170 photographs
and countless clay poses
...all equal the 34-second long claymation movie, made by my girls. It features Super Horse and Power Puggy putting a house fire out. It's a real nail biter. (Don't be creeped out. The guy at the end is my husband, who didn't realize that picture of himself got in the mix.)
They'd like to thank the academy and, of course, their parents.
Wanna make one too? We totally winged it, but
here's a good resource on how to make a claymation movie, if you're up for the challenge.
The long cold days of winter are the perfect time to delve a little deeper into a few things I've been meaning to teach the girls. One such topic is color theory, and while the girls have known how to mix and make various colors since they were tiny, there's always room for practice. We also explored beyond primary and secondary colors, into tertiary colors and complimentary colors.
You want a big surface with enough space to mix lots of colors. I used baking sheets for this, and if you're using tempera or acrylic paints, it will wash right off with water. We started with only the three primary colors, along with one paintbrush and a palette knife. If you don't have a palette knife, you can substitute a butter knife or use clay tools, like we did.
Make a simple color wheel with blank spaces, and have the kids fill in the primary colors, and then have them mix the secondary colors. Encourage them to mix the colors thoroughly with the knife before painting.
From there move into
tertiary colors, demonstrating how red mixed with orange makes red-orange, how blue mixed with green makes blue-green, etc...
After doing this exercise, my small girl exclaimed that there was no color she couldn't make. (I didn't have the heart to tell her about
tone yet. YET.)
Next we talked about
complementary colors, and how they relate to each other. We noted that they are opposite from each other on the color wheel, and that these colors tend to make the each other look brighter. Red and green, blue and orange, yellow and purple—all common color combinations that look good together
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Oh, I am so looking forward to strawberry picking ... and fresh basil. I love tomato and fresh basil with a little feta, salt and pepper. Mmmm, so good. Looking forward to hearing more of your garden adventures. :-)
That all looks so good Amy! We can't wait for fresh peas - I plant more and more each year and none ever make it into the kitchen - I think between us we could eat a whole field of raw peas! Good luck with the garlic :D
Amy, this is so great! As I got out the last bag of frozen soy beans this week and planted the new ones outside on the same day I also had this idea for a post...and then immediately forgot about it...until I read this! Birds of a feather, yes?
I'm looking forward to it stop raining so we can keep planting. Usually i set out my tomatoes on May 5th, but this year it would be more timely to be planting rice...CRAZYNESS!!!
Love the first and last! We still have a ton of freezer jam and frozen blueberries. I love the idea of eating more of our own food. Let us know how the garlic planting goes! I hope to finish our planting this weekend!