Splendid

toffee magazine

I was beyond honored when Toffee Magazine asked me to do a couple crafts for their second issue. Toffee is a fabulous magazine with beautiful photography, crafts, cooking, current trends, eye candy galore, free downloadables and articles from Indie Artists and Crafters.  They are sort of a Martha meets Frankie love child (with DIY as an Uncle) kind of magazine. I highly recommend you check them out and get a subscription!!

They sent me a file of their lovely Spring papers to make something spring-y...I made these two projects, a paper cone with a little bird, ready to be displayed for spring or Easter. Chirp, chirp... 

 
and an Easter card, complete with a vintage Bunny cupcake topper.

 
Both are super simple crafts, just perfect for quick Spring decorating. You are able to download for FREE all their super sweet and beautiful papers here!!!  Go and take a look at them, I promise you won't be disappointed.

Toffee magazine

I am IN LOVE with this magazine.  It's an e-zine right now, I hope they go paper  (while I love the environment, I really love HOLDING a magazine) and this magazine is pure deliciousness.  The photography, crafting section, recipes, interviews (like with Danielle Thompson, etc.) Just lovely.  Check it out here.

 

homeschool days...

As I've told some of you out there, we plan on putting the girls in a small, private school down the  street.  It's a bilingual school with a great reputation and the girls have already met a few girls in the school there.  As many of my friends know, this is bitter sweet for me.  I truly LOVE homeschooling and would gladly do it as long as I could.  But here in Mexico, it's not common and many people look at us like we're strange and scheduled play dates like those homeschool groups in the States are not common. Because there is so much traffic and finding parking is so bad here, I doubt we will get to do a lot of things or activities "after school" like in the states and I fear they'll feel isolated. So the school thinks they'll take the girls October 1, a little late, but luckily the girls have already met 5 girls in the school, 3 of which each has become very close with.

But for now I'll hang onto the homeschool dream...

Geography...

learning to count by 10's...

learning to read with Bob books...

Big Sis loves the American Girl Doll series.  Nothing like reading in your jammies for school...

learning to count money...

and labeling everything in spanish, so fun! Check out the book...HA!

Which leads me to another aspect of homeschooling which I love.  Learning math, science and social studies hands-on.

Learning about everyday stuff like cooking is really important in my opinion for everyone, but learning to measure different ingredients for weight and volume is a great way to learn science and math. The girls have learned to make real Mexican tortillas a couple times a week with Areceli.

Starting in September we're beginning our Frida's Fiesta's studies.  One dinner a month we're taking real Frida Kahlo recipes from a cookbook Frida's step-daughter wrote(Diego's daughter from his first marriage)and having a feast.  

Come over...it'll be delish!!!

More crafty-scrappy news...

I am happy to be able to scrapbook all afternoon...

and I wanted to tell you all about some inspiring people...

First, my friend Mandi has launched her own paper and kit line.  I'm super impressed with her mad scrapbooking skills and the paper she has designed is so beautiful! All the papers are designed around vintage clothing or housewares.  She also has a cool vintage clothing and housewares shop on etsy.

 

Next I signed up for Vee's paint and misting class. Another lady who I always enjoy looking at her creations. It's online and only $10.00!! I'm sure she'll have it again, go email her and ask!

And I just wanted to give a round of applause to my sweet gal pal Jen who made it as a Fashionista on SIS.  Not surprising because she's pretty rad!!!

Can't wait to see her and Mandi in a couple weeks in Chicago!  3 days with some of my most favorite people (Jen, Mandi, Vanessa, Patty, Sandy, Martha, and I will be channeling Heather, Beth and Angie's sunshine spirits while there because they couldn't make it...) Thanks to Matty for lending us his fab apartment on State Street!

And finally, I signed up for the RVA Autumn Crafting class.  The two I've taken in the past were fun and I'm feeling like I need a little crafty encouragement here...You should look into it, it looks like a goodie!!

Hope you're having a great week!

Just me...

The new Category Stories prompt is up and the theme is "Pampering Me." Of course this was a fun one because the theme lends so many fun possibilities. But truly, I feel like I'm pampering me when I just have some quiet time. I took this picture awhile ago in my house in Philadelphia.  I had been reading a magazine, drinking tea one afternoon, the sun coming in through the big bay window when the girls were gone with Dave.  I remember feeling really tranquil, really peaceful...Since I homeschool, I rarely have more than a few minutes where I'm ever alone. I love being with my daughters and spending so much time with them, don't get me wrong, but who doesn't like a little down time?

Journaling reads, "I love manicures, pedicures and massages, but sometimes the best pampering to oneself is time to sit alone quietly..."  Come play along, there are fun prizes from Fiskers!

This past week was a good week. The girls finally made 4 new girlfriends after weeks of feeling rather lonely here. When it comes to kids, Mexico City is dead in the summers.  Most children in our area go away for the summers to vacation homes, summer camps or in general are just gone. The girls had befriended a couple girls here in our apartment building, but they left for vacation in Acapulco. And honestly, the area we live in is pretty affluent, and with that comes a certain, ahem..."attitude." Finally through the Newcomer's Club (an organization for expats here in Mexico) we met 2 families, each with 2 girls around my daughters ages. I'm so happy for them because moving in general is hard (even while they are pros at it now...sad...) add the language barrier and it can make for hard times.  But both sets of girls attend the small, private school down the street where we hope to get the girls into that's bilingual and is supposed to have a good curriculum.  I am half heart-broken to think I won't be homeschooling them anymore, but homeschooling is not the norm here and I worry about them socially since it seems playdates and such are not common here.  Moms are not as hands-on when it comes to arranging playdates I've noticed like Americans or other countries. If they cannot get into the school this year, I will happily homeschool one more year and try to get them into the same classes as other kids their ages (swim, tennis, art, dance, etc. at the club we belong to) and hope for the best.

In the mean time, we have been trying to keep ourselves busy... we spend a lot of time around here  crafting...

the view from our office/craft room

playing Calico Critters...so addicting...

community garden...

welcome to the cafe...

waving bubbles around at Chapultepec Park (and watching the Veronica's shot a music video)

playing in the apartment's playground (or swimming)...here's the treehouse...

or learning to make traditional Mexican food, like REAL handmade tortillas from Areceli...

and trying to make bento box art...

This is a long one, so I'll sign off now and write more later...have a great weekend!

tree huggers

I'm beginning to see a pattern here...we have a pair of tree huggers here...okay, young naturalists, if you will...

and a bee, Mother Nature's postal workers, coming to deliver more pollen, or pick some up...

but not everyone can appreciate local, uncooked honey (good for allergies)

I want a cherry blossom tattoo...

wow, you're really smelling the flowers, little sis!

my new front porch seating-our old seating was taken to the west coast and is in storage, these fun red babies are from Ikea, as well as the bench and floor cushions. All my cool lanterns were taken away (Boo Hoo!!), but I reordered the blue one from Anthropolgie again. Here's last year's lanterns:

anyhoo, I enjoy sitting on our front porch so much and relish the nights when the girls and I can read out there, or when we have friends over and the kids run wildly through the yard, adults listening to music and sipping on the "cocktail of the summer" (last summer it was bay breezes, this summer it's yet to be decided, any ideas???)

and finally, my new shoes I picked up. Mary Janes falls in love with Crocs, makes happy bouncing baby rubber wedges, so fun...

TGIF, huh?  I'll be back tomorrow or the next day to post for Category Stories and Scrap Mojo, so stay tuned...the challenges are super fun! This weekend I'm going to be outside as much as possible, I love  spring in the NE! What are your weekend plans? 

what an egg-cellent week i had...

I know, that title is pretty cheesy...first our photobooth pics from the good ol' dip-n-dunk at El Vez. Bunny ears and all...

Grandma and her girls
we took mi madre there for dinner last Wednesday night.  She'd never been and it's SO freakin' good...

Dave and I had a strip of photobooth fun, too, but I finagled the manager of El Vez to get me a t-shirt made with it like the waiters and waitresses wear. In a month I'll get my new shirt with a copy of the pic down the right breasteses...very cool!

and my rva felt pin I made and gave to my mom on Easter. The class is almost done and I have about 6 projects to do, but did more than half that was "assigned." It was/is a goodie...

and my latest layout... and for no reason other than I just adore Anne Taintor..."They Hated to Spread Gossip"

(made with the Noel Mignon kit, really cool!)

We dyed a couple dozen eggs, but also I was inspired by my lovely friend Angelina over at the Little Traveler's blog.  You separate a paper napkin and basically decoupage the printed paper onto a hard boiled egg. 

We have such a great street for kids.  Our neighbor down the street has a big Easter egg hunt party each Easter. They do a hunt that spans over 3 yards and then have a party afterward.  I also made lemon-poppyseed bread for 5 of my neighbor families and tied them up with a neat Ikea towel and ribbon.

 

(my girls waiting for the block Easter egg hunt...)

Dave left this morning for Mexico for 2 1/2 weeks again.  We'll go down for a month in May.  We'll miss him, but we're looking forward to spending Cinco de Mayo in Mexico-should be fun! 

How were your holidays? Are you coming down off your sugar high yet?  Did you do anything special?

Autumn's new beginnings

I am so happy Autumn is finally here.  It's my favorite season, filled with cooler days which I love, I know soon I'll be able to wear my skirts with tights and knee high boots again. I love how the evenings have a sweet, burnt smell that is only present during the Autumn months. I love the leaves starting to turn red and orange. I love all the pumpkins starting to fill farmer's markets and grocery stores.  Indian corn, with it's orange and brown kernels like miny shiny stones tucked neat into rows.  I love decorating our front porch with hay bales and crimson red mums, warty gourds and big,fat pumpkins, long, lopsided pumpkins, and tiny white Cinderella pumpkins. I love apple picking and apple cider, apple cider donuts and apple pie. Wagon rides, farm visits and picnics set out under a big oak tree, harvest vegetarian chili and cornbread while visiting with friends. Pumpkin creme pasta, pumpkin spice lattes(nonfat, no whip, por favor), pumpkin souffle, butternut or acorn squash soup, rustic breads dipped in homemade tomato sauce or toast with cinnamon apple butter. (Oh, I've already gained 5 pounds just thinking about it...)  New school field trips planned, making new friends, traveling with new friends to new places.  Black eyed susans, zinnias and hollyhocks holding out in their last vain efforts to grace a vase or two for another couple weeks.

We celebrated my husband's birthday Monday with a Harvest Moon/Autumn Equinox bonfire.  We had over our closest friends, I made my for-mentioned harvest veggie chili and cornbread, green salad with HUGE heirloom tomatoes, veggie and chicken sausages, apple and pumpkin pies, carmel apples,hot apple cider with cinnamon sticks, and of course, the warm bonfire out back.  After dinner we had a nice prayer with corn-husks that you write intentions or wishes on.  One side was to let go or get rid of something, the other side, to obtain or gain something. Then you burn them in the bonfire. It was such a nice touch to the Harvest Moon celebration (thanks Sarah for suggesting it and getting the husks!) 

    Happy birthday Bear!

 

burning corn-husks wishes...

Then Tuesday our homeschool group started a monthly program at Morgan Log House. What a cool place! We'll be doing activities "designed to familiarize students with the life of a child in the eighteenth century. Students learn about the life of their 18th century counterparts by attempting some typical children’s activities of the time period." Activities such candle making, colonial medicine, wool dying, open-hearth cooking, blacksmithing, colonial clothes-making, farming, etc.  After a lovely tour of the house the activity for the day was butter making.  The kids loved it, even mine who'd made butter in the same fashion before.

makin' buttaa

 

  this open hearth was at least five feet tall and six feet wide at the opening, but about 12 feet high inside.  Amazing, I'd LOVE to have one of these in my house. Perhaps not totally energy efficient with a drafty flue, but still, awesome to have!

the talk about chamber pots, the kids all giggled and expressed happiness for modern toilets.

don't prick your finger

 

showing wool combing

Today we had a field trip to Solebury Orchards.  This place looks like a scene from a movie.  What a beautiful farm!

Pixie and her BF

Solebury Orchard front house and store

The lecture for our homeschool group. We learned about the life cycle of an apple and how an apple orchard runs all year long. 

the star from the seeds, plus look carefully at the pale shadow from the apple blossom petals that were once there-stamped around the star opening. Magical!

 the wagon ride out to the orchards

 Ready to be picked.

There are over 27 varieties of apples at Solebury Orchards. They also have pumpkins starting next week, pick it yourself flowers, raspberries, strawberries and more when it's in season.  They have 76 occupied acres there, full of produce.

  pose #4,389,121 for mom....

 oh, delish cider!

And I won a DVD from The Little Traveler's.  For my "Passport Dinner" to China we did a couple months ago, the owner of The Little Traveler's contacted me about joining her Flickr group labeled "Global activities, crafts and celebrations," so I did, and I won, check it out! We picked Japan as our Little Travelers DVD. Thanks Little Travelers!

Have a great week and autumn blessings to you!

everything but the kitchen sink...

We make this yummy vegetable soup every couple weeks.  Every time it's a bit different depending what we have on hand.  Usually a variety of vegetables go in like zucchini, carrots, onions, squash, broccoli, green beans, bell peppers, cabbage, etc. We always add tons of fresh garlic. We add beans or corn sometimes, sometimes whole wheat pasta or mini raviolis. It had a creamy roasted tomato base and vegetable broth, with a ton of seasonings.  It's sooooooooo good!  With some crunchy bread, it's the perfect Autumn dinner. The girls help me cut up all the ingredients.  I love it because it makes them feel really good about helping prepare dinner, making them feel needed and good about accomplishing something for the whole family.  It also teaches math, science and of course, cooking. What foods are good paired together, what seasonings, spices and herbs can help out a dish.  My husband devours it (which, if you know him, he loves to eat, so devouring a meal is not a mind-blower) and each time says with the utmost honesty, "This is the best soup you have ever made!"  It is really good, if I do say so myself...and really quite easy, too.