Holiday Art Festival

Holiday Art Festival in Del Mar last Sunday.

Kate Seeley signing the cutest print for me.  Notice the chair and a huge ball of string.  The ball is wearing a birthday party hat.  I walked away from this print on the first pass but the print called my name. Any collector knows the experience I am describing.   Kate says she will eventually write a children's book about the physics of string.  If that chair and that ball of string are leading characters I hope it will be soon.  Artists are, by far,  some of my very favorite people.

Holly having her portrait done by artist Hyatt Moore.
Brother was more interested in observing than participating.
We really have tried to expose the children to a variety of people and experiences.
This was just a jewel of a moment. Once Holly was shown her picture...her smile lit the
up the whole area.  It was a moment to cheer.

Yo Gabba Gabba, eye glasses in honor of DJ Lance Rock.
For all the things that make our family special
and for all the individuals that touch our lives we are truly thankful.

Holiday Week Adventures

We had such a wonderful week.  Retail therapy, cooking, baking, and yes eating.  We also visited enchanted places like Rogers Gardens.  Each day I will post a bit of our adventure.

Happy Thanksgiving

Food, family and crafts.  Nothing better.   Our wreaths are inspired by Alicia Paulsen's December 2005 post.  

The colors are unfortunately washed out in the photo.  The fabric is from thrift store sweater sleeves.
The lighter one is cotton jersey and the other is a ribbed cotton.
The ribbed cotton works better.  I pinned both rather quickly with t-pins but will eventually
sew in place.  I have two more sweater to cut and pin.

Happiness

Let's face it, I am the happiest when surrounded by people.  I am certain that is why I have four children with ages that span twenty years.  My plan was to ensure that there would always be someone at home.  It's true I have friends that cannot wait to be empty nesters and that is great for them but not for me.  Isn't it wonderful that there are choices?

And holidays to accommodate the desire for extended family.
We had to visit two days in a row to really explore.

One Year

The best way to make children good is to make

them happy.        Oscar Wilde

It was raining  this morning when I woke up.  Such a gift....we absolutely love the rain here at Pumpkin Cottage.  Today marks the one year anniversary of my mother's passing.  Joe will join us today and through Thanksgiving week.  We honor our mother by being together.  By keeping traditions.  By moving forward but not forgetting.

Hand print Inspiration

For Thanksgiving hand print crafting inspiration see the Naughty Secretary   The kids will love playing with markers.  Super smart embellishment. 

Another source for hand print inspiration:

During Holly's first year, we made a hand print block for each month of the year.  Jacob also has 12 hand print blocks.  Some day I will sew the blocks together for two complete calendar block quilts.

Inspiration

.

This 1930s stroller is just enough inspiration to make me want to paint.

Little Turkey Friends

Little turkeys all dress up.

Villages

Amazing villages...first Jamestown.  Small towns where people actually
 know each others names.  This is such a sweet Main Street.

La Petite Maison  

The rooms in the shop are amazing.  Special paint techniques throughout.

Yummy coffee and pie. We felt right at home.

Want to stay here.

Found Cluny Brown by Margery Sharp first edition here.

Sonora..will take your breathe away.

On the Road

Yesterday we found the little jewel of Kingsburg, California.  What a sweet town with a Swedish Village as the downtown.

Looking to the Weekend

Last night I asked Mr. Lee to please take photos of the pumpkins

we had carved for Halloween since Friday is trash day. 

 (I use "we"loosely because I didn't have a hand in the carving)

Mark's pumpkin carving expertise above and 

below.  He carved all away around the pumpkin.

The image Jacob picked for Daddy to carve....advanced, of course.  

And Holly's two pumpkins.

Last Saturday's Halloween party photos. 

Jacob found this zombie stranger and had

to have a picture taken with him.  

This photo starts

this weekend's adventures.

The "tell me about the good ole days" show in Redlands on this

simply amazing property. I don't know about you 

but the residence was enough to 

make me want to swoon.  

Absolutely lovely and we left with with kitschy loot, to boot.

On to our next stop, the Harvest Festival.
See that amazing snake.  I don't like snakes or spiders but the
kids don't have to know.  I remember Mark wearing a boa
around his neck when he was in second grade so it goes with
all my children apparently. No fear.

Next stop, the OC for the behind the picket fence at Pieacemakers.

When you visit Piecemakers don't miss a slice of apple pie.


















Then on to Old Town Tustin for a much over
due visit to the Vintage Lady. I have
known the proprietress for over 20 years
and always admire her interior styling and
all the garden fairies that obviously live in the
shop's garden.

Little fairy gardens.
And the little scene in the parking lot below.

Matthew Mead's HOLIDAY Magazine

This is so exciting...Matthew Mead HOLIDAY magazine is in the mail.  I should receive it this weekend. How lucky am I?  You know you want one for your very own.

New eZine that you are going to LOVE

Hop on over to Amy Powers' site to experience her new magazine.  It is amazing.
Honestly the only thing better would be for me to be able to hold it in my hot little hands and read it on the train.  PLEASE share with everyone you know.

Manners

Sometimes I simply wonder where have our manners gone?  Try this experiment for the next week.  Say Please, Thank you, Excuse Me, Pardon Me, and Bless You at every appropriate opportunity.  It's so much nicer when everyone is polite.

And it's not just the "younger" generation that lack manners, either.  People of all ages and walks of life  lack common courtesy.  Think about it a minute, who is setting the example after all?  My mother said please and thank you to her dying day.  If it is God's will for me to lose my faculties, I pray that I, too, will remember my manners.

 

Awesome book for children (we change out words like stupid...yep, I know I can be a potty mouth but not in the presence of my offspring) but worthwhile for adults, too.