Splendid

I HEART musik!

 

I love music, who doesn't I guess. This weekend was a fun-filled weekend of music (so cheesy sounding, fun-filled...let me try again,) this weekend was super cool (equally cheesy sounding, o'well!) with Saturday night of American Idol games at our house.  Since we are are not very technologically savvy, our pals Sarah and Chris brought it over.  They also brought Rock Band and I think other games, but after dinner and talking, we just played American Idol into the early hours. I thought I had a pretty decent voice, I know I won't be winning any Tony's or anything, but c'mon!  Randy and Paula were somewhat harsh, but that Simon, what a freakin' meanie! His comments afterwards were harsh and cutting to the bone...anyhoo, I survived.  My friend Sarah does have a lovely voice and even she was criticized!

Then last night Dave and I went to see Feist!  I love her!  All of her songs are awesome and she's just an awesome singer. Her voice is sooooo prismatic and reminds me of a siren singing by the sea. Her sound is so original and makes me smile. Her theatrical twist was her silhouette and live light projector show, it was so fun to watch.  I've liked her for a few years now, and seeing her in concert last night was fab-u-lous! The girls had a sleepover at my friend Julie's house so sleeping in for once and enjoying a date night with my hubby was fantasmic!

outside the Academy of MUSIK!

Me trying to belt the tunes, not doing so hot...

Dave dressed in suit and tie was really hitting all the notes (giggle)

Ana singing Copocabana, rockin' the house!

Sarah, she really does have a great voice

Crystal, Danny and baby Adel bid us adieu!

Joe, always a ball of fun (don't laugh at him cuz he wears a lampshade for a hat, it's his style)

Oh, speaking of musik, I just picked up this CD from some local gals who I can't wait to see live.  Sisters 3 is the name of their band, they really are sisters and their folky-rock style is super cool.  My friend Julie actually told me about them ages ago, but I just found them on a website with a list of their upcoming performances.  You should take a listen to them.

A couple new etsy's

I added a few more etsy items this morning.  I'll be adding more later, along with my onesies since I just got may fabric labels in the mail today!

Granny's ring

 

Cosmic Candy Shop ring

Silhouette Hairpins

There's more I added, but here's just a couple sneak peaks...

Have a great weekend!

Earth Day and Nature Crafts

 

We had a very simple Earth Day here.  We transplanted some fiddlehead ferns from one area in the yard to another, weeded and planted some azaleas in the back.  McKaylah, always the little crafter, made some beautiful floral arrangements with some flowers and plants from our yard.  She really has a love of nature crafting and can make some pretty cool stuff sometimes. We always joke that she would do well on one of those survivor-type reality shows since she can easily fashion a skirt or broom from long grasses, strong leaves and other items found outdoors.  The corsages she made were absolutely beautiful though, a florist would charge a pretty penny for them for sure.

 

We had a nice little picnic out under a blossoming dogwood tree in our yard and read some stories.  I browsed through this awesome book, I think it's totally groovy!  SouleMama is a well-known blog I often log onto to get inspired.  She's another homeschooler with young ones and I think does some nifty arts-crafts with her kiddos.  I'm a big believer in arts and crafting being just as important as the 3 R's; everything in moderation.  Creativity is highly underrated in my opinion. It seems we are geared towards academics always first (which are important, don't get me wrong) and time for creativity and liberal arts is second.  I think they are all equally valuable.  Amanda Soule has some great ideas on spending creative, quality time with your family. You should check it out!

Speaking of homeschooling, April, Earth Day, crafting, etc.  We've kind of devoted the month of April to Earth awareness.  Last month was folktales, this month we're reading these fun books. All the regulars like A Tree is Nice, The Giving Tree, Spring's Sprung, Children of the Forest, The Sun Egg, and Roots Shoots Buckets and Boots. One we've focused on these last couple weeks though was Organic Crafts by Kimberly Monaghan.  So far we've completed a nature's vase, by gluing twigs to a side of a plastic large yogurt container, a nature portrait using twigs, leaves, small rocks, acorn tops, etc. to make a self-portrait, and last a couple fairy homes. McKaylah especially has been keeping a journal with drawings of some leaves and plants that are coming up in our yard. We've been watching a local woodpecker and some amazing red-red-red cardinals.  Another book we've been coming back to again and again this month is Fun with Nature by Mel Boring, which is AWEEEEEEESOME! Great info on bugs, ducks, wildflowers, caterpillars, lizards, etc.  A good take-along book for walks around the block, in the woods or down by the pond.  Speaking of outdoors, gardening, etc., I also wanted to quickly tell all the fellow homeschoolers out there about a great yahoo group called Homeschool Gardeners.  Even if you're not a homeschooler but would like information pertaining to kids and gardening, this is a fun and interesting group. I've picked up a lot of ideas and tips from it.  Here's the link to see for yourself. Themed gardens were recently discussed.  A-Z garden (using 26 plants, each from a to z, pretty cool, huh?), fairy themed, Peter Rabbit (carrots, peas, etc.) and a lot of other good ideas.

I've been going, going, going. I think it's all been due to our spring fever. We've done school outdoors more than a few times lately, and it's been great! The need to get out an enjoy this beautiful weather is undeniable!  What about you? 

Passport to China

A couple weeks ago we had another one of our "Passport Dinners." We actually haven't done one in awhile since we were selling our old house and now we've just recently settled into our new one.  We pick a new country to visit about every 4-6 weeks.  It's nice to do with homeschooling because it gives us a chance to put a spin on geography lessons.  We pick a country, study it for a week or so, then have a dinner with some of the traditional foods from that area.  This time we picked China.  We had a friend stay the night with us and she thought it was super fun! We made vegetable won tons, ginger-soy noodle soup, garlic-terriyaki chicken and brown rice.  For dessert of course fortune cookies and fresh orange wedges. We all got dressed up and even decorated the dining room with some decorations I had from a Chinese new year party I had a couple years ago.  We listened to traditional Chinese music, did chinese calligraphy characters, watched a documenatry on China, told my visiting mom and husband some China facts like population, some common terms (Mandarin Chinese; See-See Ne means thank you and Gung Hay Fat Choy means may prosperity be with you)as well as other factoids we picked up through our studies. Oh, and then the girls decided thier closing to our Passport to China would be watching Mulan. I have to say though, that General is pretty hot...maybe 4 stars out of 5 hot?

We've visited Ireland, Italy, Australia and Mexico. We haven't picked yet where to go next. Any suggestions? 

Vote

We had a great homeschool experience this week when we toured the Obama office here.  While we are interested in all the candidates and what they have to say, what they propose they will do as El Presidente, we went to the Obama office to ask some pressing questions.  McKaylah's included, "What state was he born in?" (Hawaii.) "What was his first job?" (Community Organizer in Chicago before going to Harvard Law School.) "What is his favorite food?" (He likes to eat healthy, but the office manager there didn't know his favorite nosh.) "Is it true he has two daughters?" (Yes.)  "Will they have to find new schools in DC if he's made President?" (Yes.) "Is it true he wants to help end global warming?" (Yes. He's committed to finding better sources of energy and renewable resources.) "Does he like homeschoolers?" (They weren't sure his opinions about homeschoolers per say, but he is very interested in education. They thought he'd rather enjoy talking with homeschoolers to get to know more about it.)

Ava's questions were a bit more personal and pressing for sure..."Does he like bananas?" (They thought so.)  Does he wear earrings?"  (They thought not.)

We received some great literature on him, as well as his March speech regarding his former Reverend Wright's comments.  Really well written, really well explained I thought.  He seems like a good egg, some faults I'm sure and depending on what group you talk to, loved or disliked. But still an intelligent and open-minded person I do believe feels he can make a positive impact on the world. I do think he would bring change and a renewed hope into our country. 

I had a few questions of my own, including some about recent comments I had heard regarding his life and past acquaintances. Someone had said that because he had lived outside of the US for a few years that he shouldn't be able to run for president, that he didn't grow up here in the US.  First off, it was only a few years in Indonesia when he was young. And I think it's actually a good thing he spent time overseas.  He acquired worldly knowledge and probably learned how to relate to people other than Americans and as President, you'll need that ability.  Much like children of people in the military (Army Brats if you will) who are born in the US and then later spend much of their youth away in foreign countries, I see them no less capable of being President.  Again, quite to the contrary, it gives them a wider viewpoint of world affairs whereas someone who stayed on American soil their whole lives would never be able to gain.

Obama is said to be a supporter of Palestine and not Israel.  As my BF is Jewish, this was a big problem for me.  After speaking with the Obama office organizer and was given more literature on his stand on Israel and information I'll quote taken from numerous Jewish newspapers, Obama said Israel was among America's "Most Important Allies and their security is Sacrosanct." And "Obama said that Rev. Wright had a profoundly distorted view of America, including the incorrect view that the problems in the Middle East were rooted in actions of stalwart allies like Israel as opposed to hateful ideologies of radical Islam."

It was exciting to see the hustle and bustle and genuine belief these volunteers had in him yesterday on the eve of the PA primaries.  It was also so exciting to witness history in action. This is the first time in the US of A we've had two wonderful minorities get so close to being president.  Really history in the making and a monumental event.  I'm glad we got to experience it if even for 30 minutes.  I don't know if Ava will remember it, but I think McKaylah may. 

Hopefully this week we'll be able to find a Hillary office to tour and ask some questions we have for them!

Get out and vote this November!!!

Ahhhhhhhh...

I was right, this porch rocks!

latest layouts, X 3

For those who may not know, when I usually do a layout, especially of a holiday or vacation (anything where we were all involved as a family) I do 3 identical layouts.  One for my album, and one for each of the girls albums.  A little crazy since it gets expensive and I feel like even though it's an assembly line of sorts, I also never get a chance to get caught up on my other photos. Anyhoo, here's the two latest I did this week.

Washington DC

assembly line

Cape Cod 2007

I LOVE these summer stickers! 

Oh, and he's back.  My little traveling Gnome man made it back to me.  In older pictures he was often smiling in the background.  Well, he's back and you will be seeing him hangin' with the fam again in many photos, so keep an eye out for him, k?

sleep

what I need to get a lot of tonight!

Sleep layout

Spring Fever!

I don't know about you, but we've been craving the warmer weather.  We planted some pansies and other hardier spring flowers in pots and planters this weekend, put out the patio furniture and hung some really cool glass and wire lanterns from the patio ceiling I got from here.  My mom and I were clearing out clutter, organizing, donating to Freecycle, sewing napkins and aprons to put on my etsy.  I love all the seasons, but I'm longing for gardening time again.  I love sitting around on summer nights, listening to music and drinking bay breezes or yummy sangria with friends, and this porch seems like it'll be awesome just for that.

lanterns via Anthropologie

       

mi casa

                           

                               

to fairy land...

speaking of gardening, I wanted have a raised garden this summer, but as of now, I can see it's just not going to happen.  Luckily though we joined the Pennypack Farm which is a cooperative farm where you, the "consumers, and the farmers work together on behalf of the Earth and each other. While the farmer tends the Earth on behalf of everyone, consumers share the cost of supporting the farm and also share the risk of variable harvests, as well as the abundance of particularly fruitful seasons. Membership in the CSA is based on shares of the harvest. Members are called shareholders or customers and they subscribe or underwrite the harvest for the entire season in advance." We have donate so many hours a week to the farm, I think it's 2-4 per family.  It'll give us the gardening experience I want and want the girls to get, with the added benefit of getting local, organic produce.

      

little fiddle head ferns and tulips

lil' Cricket

lil' Coco-pixie

       hoola girl!      

Cherry Blossom Festival, inside the Horticultural Building.

BFF's hugging to the death!

the Mr. and Mrs.

Julie and Steve

 

Our friend Consuela with popcorn branches in her hair in honor of the cherry blossom festival.  Julie picked up the tip from the Amy Sedaris cookbook she loves so much. She made enough for us all, sweet gal she is!

sword demo

the girls with a performer, Ava was being shy...

Today we went to the Philadelphia Cherry Blossom Festival. It was a little over cast and breezy, but the many cherry blossom trees all blooming with their delicate pinkish blossoms were so pretty to see. We watched a couple demos and enjoyed the atmosphere....until Dave got hungry and when he checked, all the sushi lines were miles long and the other vendors were out of food.  He was not happy (insert big frown here.) Luckily our good friends were with us and nimbly jumped to our aid with a suggestion with one of their favorite restaurants in the Northern Liberties neighborhood.  "Honey's" is now one of my faves as well.  The atmosphere is great for families, but the food was even better. To start off so he did not perish, we ordered scallion hush puppies and fried green tomatoes for my quickly emaciating husband, and then later ordered salads and tacos for moi, Dave got a brisket sandwich with home-cut fies, the girls had grilled cheese, and the friends we were with were equally pleased with their delicious choices. Okay, our lunches weren't the healthiest by far, but so worth the caloric and fat barometer! I give Honey's a TWO thumbs up rating. Thanks Julie and the gang for taking us!   

Ella and Ava at sweet, sweet Honey's

boo-hoo, I don't get any chocolate cake....

the latest crafty

Here's some of my latest scrapbook pages...

moi

"Love" book I made my mom for Easter.  I pasted paper over large index cards and added ribbons, buttons, felt, chipboard, stamping, etc. 

inside

U Rock!  Ava loves music, pretending she's Feist or the Yeah-Yeah-Yeahs, whichever singer or band she can dance to.  She loves black nail polish and I can already see her sneaking off to get a tattoo....not sure where she'd get something like that in her head....

 

                                                                                      hmmmmm...

These are some onesies we made this weekend.  Fabric silhouettes and ric-rac, lace trim, buttons. I'm waiting for the personalized fabric labels I ordered before I put them on my etsy. I'll be making more this next week as well; bibs, aprons, napkins, and canvas bags. I'm also going to TRY to paint some fabric canvas silhouettes, but we'll see...

little miss Scarlet Bird sitting pretty by the new napkins

 

set of four napkins with lace and ric rac

here's little Cricket sewing her lioness costume for her Musical Theater class.  She was cast as Nala, Simba's better half in the production of the Lion King. Of course we helped her, but she honestly sewed about half on her own. Pretty good job, too!

ferocious kitty!

tail over the shoulder

I have a few other layouts I'll be uploading tomorrow if I get the chance. We've had a bit of spring fever hit us here, so I feel kind of squirrel-ly, planting some flowers and cleaning up the yard, spring cleaning, organizing, being outside a lot more, still visiting with my mom, home school, blah, blah, blah...What about you, are you feeling spring fever has hit you?