Stitches in Play

miscellaneous monday

I had planned to post about our weekend full of celebration, friends, picnics and play but I'm having trouble uploading my pictures.  This happens every time I don't reboot my computer for several days - and so I will do that later on today and try again.  But because my kiddos only have six more days of school and I have a bazillion things to get done in those several days  - and, well, time is of the essence - I will post about something less exciting with photos that I uploaded last week.  But please stay and read it anyway because it's kinda funny - and who doesn't need a bit of funny on a rainy Monday.  (I realize that it may not be raining where you are but i'm feeling a bit self-absorbed this morning so please bear with me)

It all began when I googled a movie quote to make sure that I remembered it correctly...

I stumbled upon this list of  "Things we have learned from movies... "  Although I hardly watch any television these days I adore movies - all kinds really - so I found this list quite entertaining. 

Things we have learned from movies:

1. Large, loft-style apartments in New York City are well within the price range of most people whether they are employed or not.

2. At least one of a pair of identical twins is born evil.

3. Should you decide to defuse a bomb, don't worry which wire to cut. You will always choose the right one.

4. Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override communications system of any invading alien society.

5. It does not matter if you are heavily outnumbered in a fight involving martial arts - your enemies will wait patiently to attack you one by one by dancing around in a threatening manner until you have knocked out their predecessors.

6. When you turn out the light to go to bed, everything in your bedroom will still be clearly visible, just slightly bluish.

7. If you are blonde and pretty, it is possible to become a world expert on nuclear fission at the age of 22.

8. Honest and hard working policemen are traditionally gunned down three days before their retirement.

9. Rather than wasting bullets, megalomaniacs prefer to kill their archenemies using complicated machinery involving fuses, pulley systems, deadly gasses, lasers, and man-eating sharks, which will allow their captives at least 20 minutes to escape.

10. During all police investigations, it will be necessary to visit a strip club at least once.

11. All beds have special L-shaped cover sheets that reach up to the armpit level on a woman but only to waist level on the man lying beside her.

12. All grocery shopping bags contain at least one stick of French bread.

13. It's easy for anyone to land a plane providing there is someone in the control tower to talk you down.

14. Once applied, lipstick will never rub off even while scuba diving.

15. You're very likely to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home.

16. When they are alone, all foreign military officers prefer to speak to each other in English.

17. The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.

18. A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will whine when a woman tries to clean his wounds.

19. If a large pane of glass is visible, someone will be thrown through it before long.

20. If staying in a haunted house, women should investigate any strange noises in their most revealing underwear.

21. Word processors never display a cursor on screen, but will always say: "Enter Password Now".

22. Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments. Tires will squeal on any surface, at any speed.

23. All bombs are fitted with electronic timing devices with large red readouts so you know exactly when they're going to go off.

24. A detective can only solve a case once he has been suspended from duty.

25. If you decide to start dancing in the street, everyone you meet will know all the steps.

Fun list, no? 

I have no time for tv viewing because I spend a lot of time driving from the country to the city and back.  I am a lucky girl because for half the ride my view is of this river.

And on a beautifully overcast morning last week I got out of my car to take a picture of the river.

And for good measure I also took a picture of my feet walking to said river.

If you were wondering what movie quote it was that I googled that led me to stumble upon the above list it was:

"Always in motion is the future." 

spoken by Yoda in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

And I'll leave you with a little movie recommendation:  greg and i watched A World Without Theives (2004) the other night and really enjoyed this Chinese action drama. Streamed it right off netflix - no discs, no planning, no waiting - just the way I like it.

mother's day in pictures

Hope your mother's day was full of big hugs and smoochy kisses.

Here's a little recap - mostly in pictures - of our day.  If you're wondering why so many pictures, it's because they take up a whole lot of room.  Which means that I have to write less.  Because writing takes time.  And since I'm pretty much behind in every thing that needs to get done today, I have very little time left.  Plus "a picture is worth a thousand words" which enables me to convey a large amount of data to you quickly.  So here goes: 

In anticipation of mother's day I bought myself flowers on Saturday.  I bought them because I was in the market and spotted these gorgeous peonies.  I absolutely adore peonies and have been coveting Erin's for nearly a week now.   Plus I knew that my wonderful husband would arrive home from work early sunday morning and may be too tired pick up flowers on his way home.  He gave me the sweetest card instead and told me how much he loved and appreciated me.  He then told me that he didn't stop to get me flowers because he was sure he wouldn't find ones more beautiful than these peonies (he saw these before he left for work on saturday night). I'm fine with that because we just celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary and I can honestly say that he has told me he loves me and values all that I do every single one of those days - and on days when the kiddos are fighting he has been known to tell me how much he loves me and appreciates me numerous times in one hour!

Next we ate my favorite cake for breakfast - Raspberry Almond Cake from the Fresh Market.  Yes, there are five of us and we ate over half the cake - it's that good.

Then Ezra presented me with a beautiful letter that made me cry and freshly picked flowers which he picked for me on his morning run.  Never mind that he may have slammed the door on his way out at 6:30am jolting his mama out of her peaceful slumber.  I forgave him because he gave me a huge hug and because he told me he had to get up extra early in order to look up on the internet how to make an envelope - and I love the envelope so much because he made it.  Plus I forgave him because he is now thirteen and I don't know how many more freshly picked flowers and handmade envelopes I will receive from him.

Then I tried to document this special moment between mother and son with a picture when Abigail flung herself into the shot - because this girly of mine loves having her picture taken!  I'm fine with this because frankly, the girl is cute.

Plus she gives a fine pedicure!  All I had to do was sit in the chair shrouded in purple tulle and she rubbed my feet and painted my toes.  Good stuff, I tell you.

She also gave me a card that read "I love you more that donuts, I love you more than cake."  Of course by that time she had already consumed two slices of cake for breakfast - so she may have been sick of cake!  But I choose to believe that my girly loves me a whole lot nonetheless.

David picked me strawberries from our garden.  They may not look like much but they are the sweetest, yummiest things ever!

Then he went outside and played nicely with his sister.  No fighting allowed on mother's day.

This photo is from a few weeks back but I just had to share what the middle child has to put up with. He was watching his favorite show on tv - Chopped on the food network - when Abby attempted to kick him.  It was all in jest (of course!) but this happens so often around here that he just leans out of the way while continuing to watch his show.

Well, all this excitement took place before 10am so we rounded off the day with a yummy salmon lunch prepared by yours truly.  Followed by a trip to the movie theater to see the Avengers. That movie is over two and a half hours of action-packed fun full of violence and adventure which apparently we all love because we really enjoyed it.

Hope your day was spent having fun with your kiddos.  And now I must remind myself that mother's day is long over and that I have groceries to buy, dinner to cook, toilets to clean and homework to check over - all before heading out to taekwondo at 5.  Happy Tuesday to all!

stuff + Happy Mother's Day

Since I last posted:

I have been crazy busy. 

I have had a lot of fun with my family.

I enrolled my three kiddos in school in the city.

Greg and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary.

I took my kiddos to an opera - it was a matinee performance and they loved every minute.  Yet another reason to love the city.

We helped with food and clean-up and danced a whole lot at our friend's Bat Mitzvah.

I have collapsed into bed soon after the kiddos were tucked in - except for the night that I folded laundry until midnight and the night that Abigail refused to go to sleep until she finished her book.

I have laughed a lot - sometimes at myself.

We went to an outdoor art fair - the same one we visit every year.  So that my kiddos can meet artists, see, touch and appreciate art - and of course choose a piece that speaks to them to bring home.

I have watched and enjoyed numerous skits and song + dance performances put on by Abigail in our living room. I have the handmade tickets to prove it.

I have written dozens of blog posts in my head while driving, standing in line at the grocery store, folding laundry....sadly I can no longer recall any of them.

I listened to this interview with Maurice Sendack.  And I cried because I will miss him.  I have kept a copy of this book on my nightstand for the past year.

I have watched my boys compose weapons and board breaking routines for taekwondo - they are now second degree black belts and I am so proud of their strength and accomplishment.

Some photos just so that we can catch up a bit -

Abigail is now seven - and she prefers to be called Abby.

Ezra is thirteen - he still loves playing in the woods with his family.  These days he has taken up running  - alongside+through the woods - of course.  He is taller than me and wears a size twelve men's shoe.

David just turned eleven.  He is a wonderful writer, teller of jokes, and greatest supporter of his older brother.

Many things have changed.  But all the important stuff has stayed the same - and that's the way we like it.

Here are a few photos of the new house.  The light was bad and I was in a hurry so this is just the main space. The whole house is really just this one space - plus three bedrooms and bathrooms and kitchen.  I'll post kitchen and bedroom photos once I take them.

That's most of the house. But the best part is that this house sits on over an acre; that this acre is  wooded; and that this wooded acre is on a creek; and that this house on a wooded acre that is on a creek is right in the middle of the city. 

I'll share more soon. Right now I'm off to the kiddo's school to do good deeds in honor of teacher appreciation week.

and while I'm on the subject of appreciation, I'd like to wish a very HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all!

Warning: i plan to resume blogging very soon

This is so not a threat; just a "heads up".  Didn't feel it was right to spring a "content" post on you without fair warning after having disappeared from the blogging community for so long.  Truth is I'm not sure i even have any content to share.

Also didn't want to overwhelm you with any stimulating photos I had taken - mainly because i haven't taken the time to upload any pictures in months.  In the time I've been away i turned 41, completed an overhaul of a home we purchased, spent countless hours driving to and from said home, listened to an insane amount of NPR while driving (which actually helped me keep my sanity), played with my kiddos - a lot, attended synagogue with my kiddos - a lot, and stayed away from the computer - a whole lot. 

I am also now officially the mama of a teenager and this past Saturday we celebrated as Ezra became a Bar Mitzvah.  The months that our family spent planning, learning, studying and giggling in the car may just warrant its own post - people, i may have "content" to share after all.  In the interest of full disclosure, there may have been some fighting in the car but I will spare you that because this is my blog and i was in no way involved in said fighting.  My role was to drive the minivan, safely and attentively, with a huge grin on my face while listening to kiddo who was not fighting chant Torah in the back seat.  I will miss that; but not to worry because yesterday was David's birthday - he turned 11 and so it won't be long before Torah chanting in the minivan will resume.

I've also learned new things about myself during these months.  For years I have been a self proclaimed homebody - and a happy one at that.  But purchasing a home in the city changed all that.  I now go to read at the library, fondle wool at the local yarn shop, drink coffee and browse at the bookstore, workout at the gym, study at the synagogue, and last week I even bought ribbon from a brick and mortar fabric shop.  I still enjoy the country but in all honesty, I now have this feeling of being "stuck" when I am there for more than a day or two.  I no longer want to live an hour away from trader joe's, target, barnes and noble, or our synagogue.  In the country (where we live) there is no place to buy organic fruit or veggies, milk or meat.  So after 13 years of country living we are moving.  More on this, and our new home, next week.

Finally, for the time being at least this space will focus more on "play" and a bit less on the "stitches" part.  I plan to post even when I haven't made anything.  I plan to post even if I haven't taken any pictures.  I plan to post even if I don't have anything, in particular, to say.  From now on I plan to post when I feel like writing - because lately I have felt like writing.  I know what you're thinking - and I will admit it; I am a rebel.

I will be back here next week.  Greg is working all weekend so we're on our own and we are busy. Shabbat services at synagogue tonight and tomorrow we head to the statewide computer competition to support David  - Ezra won his division 2 years ago so middle kiddo has a lot to live up to. Then hebrew school on Sunday so that we can meet up with our peeps. 

Wishing you many giggles and much joy this weekend! 

topsy-turvy (but in a good way)

Stopping in to say Hello!  

We are safe and sound post hurricane Irene - we lost power for two days, several trees fell, and there are leaves, branches and debris scattered on our property but we are just fine.  Sending best wishes to those still dealing with the aftermath of this storm.

I've been away from this space so that I can fully partake in the fun, and topsy turvy summer, we've been having.  The kiddos and I have been playing and driving and eating and driving and spending time with friends and driving some more this summer.  All the while we have been enjoying a wonderful and fun-filled summer while redoing the city home.  We knew it was a fixer and were excited about putting our personal touches on this home.  After nearly two months of new roof and new HVAC and tile and countertops and paint everything seems to be coming together to the make the sweetest little city house we could've imagined.  I cannot wait to share our new space with you.  But first we have another week of summer to enjoy around here before school begins. 

Just to prove that we're all about topsy-turvy around here - here's Abigail watching tv. 

She'd much rather pose for pictures than watch Sorcerer's Apprentice with her brothers. 

My guys didn't mind the power outage too much.  Gave them more time to work on puzzle solving.

And picking and eating yummy veggies from our garden.

We have a beautiful bounty thanks to Ezra who loves to tend to the garden.  He has been out there each morning at 7am watering and picking and doing whatever else he does because I'm really more of a garden "planter" - the tending part is really not my thing.  I'd rather be in the kitchen making pasta sauce and lasagnas using these yummies!

I heart you all (and miss you) and will be back once school starts!

a quick PS:  the hubby and i enjoyed a wonderful film via netflix last week.  I wholeheartedly recommend Departures (2008).  Watch it - you will not be disappointed.

weighing benefits

Thank you so much for your encouraging comments on my last post.

You sure got me thinking about the benefits (or not) of country vs. city living.  But first I'd like to share the only benefit that my sewing machine table is providing these days.  Do you think he's dreaming up exciting new quilt patterns?

Lots of benefits to having a pool these first few weeks of summer vacation.  We're in it every day that we don't spend driving to the city.

We even find benefits in cleaning up the pool at the end of the day.  This girl adores her big brother and is so excited that he takes the time to give her "noodle rides."

And some nights this mama finds benefits in eating Chinese takeout for dinner.

Accompanied by the benefit of a welcome fortune that reads:

    "Lucky you make this choice.  Everything comes out for the best."

There's something endearing about the poor english and timing of this fortune that made it feel like more than a ramdom slip of paper found in a stale cookie.

Now for the Benefits of city living (in my opinion/experience):

 - The city provides numerous free or low cost amenities such as -

  - public parks with play equipment and restrooms,

 - public swimming pools so that my kiddos can make new friends,

 - well maintained walking and biking trails,

 - summer concerts in the park,

 - weekend farmer's markets,

 - large libraries that offer e-books for download and fun activities on Tuesday mornings,

 - large chain bookstores kiddos can spend hours reading + browsing in,

 - museums, aquariums,

 - zoos, and botanical gardens,

 - local yarn store,

 - target, trader joe's, joann fabrics, tj maxx, panera

 - our temple and all our friends there.

 

Benefits of country living  (in my opinion/experience):

 - living on five wooded acres,

 - walking dogs off leash through the woods,

 - kiddos riding bikes down small quiet roads,

 - watching nine chickens happily free range on our property,

 - running and playing in the woods without a care in the world,

 - having a pool in our yard, surrounded by woods, where my kiddos can splash and scream and swim in various states of undress.  (some days this one doesn't actually feel like a benefit!)

 

Not-so-much benefits of country living (for our family):

 - driving for 50 minutes - 1 hour to get to most parks, museums, bookstores, trader joe's, temple  (with three high energy kiddos in the car)

 - having to leave the house for much of the day when we drive to said city so that our trip will be "worth the two hour round trip drive,"  (this one is difficult with three opinionated kiddos.  just the other day we drove to the city for an hour at the bookstore followed by a picnic lunch and playtime at a wonderful park when a certain ten year old middle child complained that he had no energy for a grocery store trip to buy organic fruits and veggies (we have almost no organic produce available in the country - and no CSA)

 - eating out on many of the days we drive to the city because there's really no way to drive an hour there and an hour back and get home in time for lunch.  (Some days I take along a picnic lunch and other days we get panini's, pizza and fruit salad from the deli section of gourmet markets but i would love to just be able to make a quick trip to target, buy what we need and get home in time for lunch.)

 - having to leave the house extra early and return home extra late.  (the best time to be at the farmer's market is 8am but that's hard when you're an hour away and have to get three kiddos to agree to sit in the car for an hour.  When we leave the summer concert at 8:30pm we are still an hour from home and  end up going to bed way past bedtime.)

 - our temple is an hour away in the city (it's the nearest temple to our home which just happens to have the best ex-highschool english teacher, kiddo loving rabbi who always has time for a knock-knock joke or a game of plants vs. zombies.  My kiddos cry when we can't make it to service - it's their "club.")

For our family, right now, there are benefits to both country and city living and, for a while at least, we won't have to choose.   And for this we feel very fortunate -   "Lucky [we] make this choice.  Everything comes out for the best."

 

appreciating the moments

School let out two weeks ago and we have been thoroughly enjoying our summer vacation.

Eating healthy lunches that include yummy eggs courtesy of our sweet hens.

Arranging flowers on our kitchen table.

Picking perfectly sweet strawberries from our garden.

Reading and playing together.  (not always this amicably)

 

Gobbling up salt water taffy.  (yet another reason to love trader joe's)

Swimming (and splashing and teasing and giggling) in the pool until we are exhausted.

And then resting up so that we can do it all over again the next day.

These days I am being patient with myself. 

After the tornado hit our town the oldest boy has arrived home from am school by 12:45.  With Mondays off from school and my husband working most weekends I have had little alone time. 

I have been taking moments for myself here and there.

Giving myself space to breathe deeply. to pause. to think.

to enjoy the weather.  to walk my dogs in the woods.

I have also chosen enjoy the not-so-pleasant chores.  like cleaning out the chicken coop.  mowing. weeding.  planting. mulching. driving my kiddos to Hebrew school, swim meet, taekwondo, math bowl practice.

Chosen to spend more one on one time with my kiddos.  with ezra leaving for school at 6am I have two hours each morning to spend with the younger kiddos.  Middle child who never gets to sit in the front seat of the car really enjoyed the privilege each morning for the short drive to the bus stop.  even though we barely drove for a mile he loved adjusting the seat and turning on the seat warmers.  I never use these because it can't be that healthy to sit on hot electric coils but i figured that just a few minutes each morning wouldn't hurt.  Plus we giggled as our backsides became warm. 

We also found the time to stop by the ice cream shop after finding out that his team did not place in the statewide round of the great computer challenge.  We decided on ice cream floats to "drown our sorrows" and giggled at how silly we sounded.  In the booth, sitting on extra tall bar stools the boy told me how much fun he had and how well he worked with the two girls that comprised his team.  We agreed that his team would have done better if there was more time to practice bridge construction methods.  We realize that with the short school year only four practice sessions may not have been enough and we move on.

We are living in the moment.  We are focusing on fun.  We are sucking down ice cream and soda through pink straws.

I'm not really making much of anything these days.  Still knitting a dishcloth out of yarn sent to me by a friend.  Washing dishes using the dishcloth she knit for me.  Feeling fortunate to have made many wonderful friends through blogging. 

Just finished washing dishes from lunch.  Peering out the window every so often to see that the rain has broken and the sun is shining.  Feeling fortunate that I have dishes to wash.  Fortunate that it's summer and I no longer have to wake up at 5:30am to get ezra on the 6am school bus.  So happy that I am a mama with many commitments and responsibilities who is finally figuring out that not everything needs to be done immediately or perfectly.  But that each and every moment must be appreciated.

We are also just two weeks away from finalizing the purchase of a small home in the city.  We are just overjoyed.  After years of hoping and dreaming and preparing our country home is nearly paid off and we were able to make a small space in the city a reality.  For the past six years I have been driving to the city several times per week (usually fridays and sundays and some saturdays) to the city an hour away to attend temple services and hebrew school.  This is the closest temple to our home and while an hour drive each way isn't that bad add in three kiddos and a husband who's at work while mama is driving said kiddos and you get the picture.  Plus with two bar mitzvahs in the next three years we are going to love our little oasis in the city even more.  We are already planning lunches and play dates with all of our city friends who have generously invited us over and fed us over the years - this home base will do us a world of good.  I am not even allowing myself to think about the fact that I will have another kitchen and two more bathrooms to clean or bedrooms to pick up and more clothes to put away because I would rather do all those things with my kiddos than spend six hours per week strapped into our car seats driving through traffic.  So if all goes well in two short weeks we will be enjoying our woods and chickens in the country and our friends, temple and community pool and playground in the city.  Oh, and while this had nothing to do with our decision to buy the city house it just happens to be exactly one mile away from a trader joe's and a target.   I am one lucky girl - and I am appreciating each and every single moment because they fly by so fast.

Thanks for letting me share this news with you friends!  Hope you are appreciating the moments this summer.

re entry

"We do not remember days.  We remember moments."  - Cesare Pavese

This is such a good thing because I haven't a clue where my days have gone.

Thanks goodness I managed to take some photographs.

 
 
    

 

 

During the days that I have been away from the computer my middle kiddo turned ten years old and  greg and I celebrated our nineteenth wedding anniversary. 

I have missed you all and I am so glad to be in this space again.

I only have a few moments today and it's important that I make this re-entry slowly.

I'd like to share two quotes with you:

"The greatest gift I ever received was a present my dad gave me one Christmas.  He handed me a note which read: Son, this year I will give you 365 hours, an hour every day after dinner.  My dad not only kept his promise, but he renewed it every year after that.  It's the greatest gift I ever received in my life.  I am the result of his time."   --Someone's Child

And:

Marriage Advice from 1886 - "Let your love be stronger than your hate or anger.  Learn the wisdom of compromise, for it is better to bend a little than to break.  Believe the best rather than the worst; people have a way of living up or down to your opinion of them.  Remember that true friendship is the basis for any lasting relationship.  The person you choose to marry is deserving of the courtesies and kindness you bestow on your friends.  Please hand this down to your children and your children's children for the more things change the more they are the same."  --Jane Wells

Hope you enjoy these words as much as I do.

 

two winners

Oops.  I forgot to post the giveaway winners.  So here goes.....

The winners of Jennifer Casa's awesome new book:  Teach Yourself Visually - Crafting with Kids are:

#41   Jessica from j bee delightful  and

#4  Andrea from at home mommy knits

Ladies, please email me your addresses so that we can get your books out to you.

I meant to get here all week but time has gotten away from me.  We have been working, playing, driving, celebrating, going to school a bit, and dealing with an unexpected issue (nothing particularly good or bad - just something that required dealing with).  I'll be back in this space again soon.  In the meantime we are heading to Virginia Beach tomorrow where my kiddos will compete in the ATA tournament.  Wish us luck!

Jennifer Casa's new book Teach Yourself Visually: Crafting with Kids - review and giveaway!

Welcome friends!  Today I have the pleasure of reviewing Jennifer Casa's awesome new book:  Teach Yourself Visually - Crafting with Kids. 

First a little disclaimer.  Jennifer is my friend, I have loved reading her blog for years, two years ago I won some gorgeous wool in a giveaway on her blog and I have purchased some of her lovely creations from her etsy shop to gift to family and friends for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts.  So when Jennifer asked me if I'd like to review her new book in a blog tour I jumped at the chance.  I was sure it would be filled with fun and creative ideas to make with kiddos....

But then I received this book and saw that it had 75 fun crafts and projects (yes 75!), each illustrated with numerous step-by-step color photographs and using common materials we have on hand and divided into chapters for seasonal making, game playing, gift giving, party celebrating and more! 

Immediately, my kiddos were inspired to grab what we had on hand and create Button Botanicals on page 71. More on that later....

This book is great for so many reasons.

First, every single project is accompanied by so many photos that you don't even have to read (heck, you don't even have to know how to read) the instructions to get the urge to begin making.  The moment this book arrived at my house my kiddos began flipping through it's 240 pages and rummaging through our craft supplies.  What's so wonderful about this book is that although Jennifer provides clear and easy to follow step-by-step instructions the photos provide so much inspiration to get the creative juices flowing that kiddos can easily put their own spin on the projects.  This is a must at my house  - my kiddos love to be inspired to make but they often rebel if they feel that they have to follow precise instructions.

Second, I love that most of the projects call for craft materials that most people already have on hand.  You can complete so many of these projects with just paper, paints, fabric scraps, glue, buttons, foil, toilet paper tubes, popsicle sticks and yarn.  We always have these items lying around the house but need ideas to use them in new and creative ways and this book does just that.  When I was reading this book I often had to stop and say, "Why didn't I think of that?" or "So that's how you make a Kaleidoscope out of two toilet paper tubes!"

This brings me to my third point.  This book is not just for kiddos - it's also great for grown people.  I loved learning about how to make dyed t-shirts, easy play dough, tissue paper sun catchers, marbled paper, and button barrettes.

Around here we love collecting buttons and coming up with new, fun ways to create with them.  So button botanicals was the first project we tackled.  We already had these canvas boards, some poster paint, buttons and glue so off we went.

Even the just turned twelve year old boy was inspired and had a blast making.  And he gifted his creation to his mama!  Then he told me he wants to make watercolor cards (page 148) next.  I just love what a great book can do!

Teach Yourself Visually Crafting with Kids is such a wonderful book to add to your making library.  And yes, Jennifer is providing a signed copy of this fabulous book to one of you.  Plus I will be sending my promo copy to another lucky winner because I purchased a copy of my own  - that's two chances to win!  Please leave a comment on this post between now and Monday night.  Don't forget to leave your email if it's not linked to your profile. I'll announce the winners on Tuesday. Good luck!

Here's the blog tour schedule for more reviews, interviews and chances to win:

Tuesday, April 5 (release date)  -  JCasa *handmade
Wednesday, April 6  -  The Crafty Crow
Thursday, April 7  -  Sparkle Power
Monday, April 11  -  WhipUp
Wednesday, April 13  -  A Stitch in Dye
Friday, April 15  -  Smile and Wave
Monday, April 18  -  Elsie Marley
Wednesday, April 20  -  Maya*Made
Friday, April 22  -  Stitches in Play
Tuesday, April 26  -  Aesthetic Outburst
Thursday, April 28  -  Artsy Crafty Babe