Gifted

Are you sick of reading about the holidays yet? I wouldn't blame you if you were, so I should probably give you fair warning that this post is, in fact, about the holidays.

I almost skipped writing about the highlights of our gifts, seeing as 1. it's nearly mid-January, and 2. does anybody really want to read a recap of presents? But as I read through other people's blog posts (like Nicola's), I found myself quite interested in their gifting. What better way to get good ideas for future giving, than from clever, creative friends? With that spirit in mind, here is a peek behind the scenes of our holiday.

The girls have an on-going spy game with their neighbors, and we thought they needed a few more tools for their spy kits. We added magnifying glasses (purchased at Imagine Childhood) for inspecting evidence, as well as a couple of custom stamps that read "top secret" and "suspect." I had the stamps made here, and I cannot say enough about the customer service this shop provided. My custom request went something like this: "can you make me a stamp that says 'suspect' but make it look like old-timey stencil/stamp please?" She knew exactly what I was talking about and, as you can see, the finished product is perfect.

When "A" gets on Craigslist it is never a good thing, and when he comes across a sweet find, well there's no stopping him. This time, there was no reason for me to stop him, as he had his eye on a pair of antique machinist's tool chests. For a couple of toolies like us ("toolies." you know, like foodies?), there was no hesitation. We said "Merry Christmas" to each other and he set out on his mission. He returned with these beautiful boxes filled with tools. I snagged the toolbox pictured above (though I have not "moved" into it yet), and "A" got the one pictured below.

So much time spent in our basement workshops requires a lot of warm winter gear. I knit this hat to keep him warm, and love it so much (it's super simple) there will be three more knitted up soon. (Pattern is from More Last-Minute Kitted Gifts.)

I have a confession to make. I purchased a handful of things for myself this year under the guise of "gifts for the kids." I am not proud, but boy am I happy I got them they got them. This book of iron-ons was one such gift, full of the coolest illustrations, ready to be applied to whatever we want. Let the embellishing begin!

And last but not at all least, these doodle prints from Artsyville. Each one bearing a cheeky little ramble about being yourself, being determined, and being creative. These were also "for the children" (wink wink). 


The gifting has not stopped for us, as a certain little someone turned seven last week, and someone else as a birthday at the end of the month. Onward we march, into 2011, friends. 

Seven

Seven things I love about you, on your seventh birthday.

Your knack for hula hooping

How you are completely obsessed with a different animal every few weeks

Your quiet confidence

The way you draw dogs

Your unwavering love and dedication to your blankie

The songs you make up

The names you give your stuffed animals

Happy birthday to the funniest girl I know. I'm lucky to be your mama. 

Nana's Portfolio

The special piece I mentioned in my previous post about handmade books is a portfolio of my grandmother's artwork. When she passed away, we cleaned out her apartment and found her portfolio stashed away in the back of a closet. It was full of pieces she had completed when she studied fashion in art school in the early 1930s.

I was smitten, and touched, and amazed by every one of them. Each piece had visible brush strokes and pencil marks made by the hand of my grandmother. Her name was carefully lettered at the top of each page, and some even had grades scribbled on the bottom—A+, of course. Go Nana! 

These papers were big. They measured 14"x20" so, though I marveled at them for a while, they eventually ended up stashed in a closet once again . Last year I decided these pieces of family history needed to be liberated, and I had the idea to make mini portfolios. I scanned the art (and tiled and scanned some more), and shrunk the images to fit in small books. I made three of them and gave one each to my father, my aunt, and my sister.

I'm kicking myself for not making one for my own family at the time but I will make one someday, so that my girls can flip through and see their great-grandmother's art whenever they please.

Her pictures are glamorous and sleek, with a graphic quality that is so very reflective of that time.

I have always been curious to know what, exactly, the assignments were. Check out this sailor pattern. Looks like a textile pattern to me, and I am tempted to put an order in with Spoonflower. Imagine custom fabric arriving at my doorstep, designed by my very own Nana, some 70 years ago? 

Oh, the possibilities...

How We Live Creatively

Almost exactly seven years ago, we found ourselves with a toddler, another baby on the way, a newly-purchased fixer upper, and very little income. It was time to get creative.

The mounting needs of our house and growing family was a turning point for us. Armed with time and a willingness to learn, we eventually shaped our lives and our home to fit who we are. Without realizing it, creatively solving everyday problems became a way of life for us.

How We Live Creatively As Homeowners:
Over the years, we have worn many hats. "A" has learned the ins and outs of plumbing, and become the resident electrician. He taught himself appliance repair, fixing our dryer and dishwasher by taking them apart and observing how they work, then finding the defect. He replaced our roof, completely renovated the kitchen, plastered a few new ceilings, and installed crown molding. (Of course, his trade is carpentry, so he did not walk blindly into many of the home-improvement projects he tackled.) He has also built many pieces of furniture in our house, the majority of which was made from scrap material left over from jobs.

 Me? I learned how to sew roman shades, refinish furniture, and install a thermostat. I became the household painting extraordinaire, furniture rearranger, and declutterer. I managed to repair our quilt, and rigged up a funky shower curtain to help with our weirdly-shaped bathroom situation.

We have made our home into a place that reflects us, not worrying too much how things will effect the resale value someday down the road.

How We Live Creatively As Parents:

We have all become teachers to one another. Informal art lessons as well as silly doodle time are regular occurrences, and art and craft supplies abound. At-home piano lessons give way to intense jam sessions with a recorder. Classical music plays on shuffle between U2, Pink Floyd, and Bob Marley.

There is nothing better than good ol' fashioned outside play, or a couple of crayons and a sketch book. A visit to the library, a walk to the playground, or a quick soccer game usually keep our girls engaged. We have multiple toy boxes full of toys, but they have languished, losing out to rowdy spy games with their neighbor friends. The girls have embraced their inner MacGyvers with their inventions and gadgets, and Daniel Boones, running free and plotting adventures, as kids should.

Our house is full of books—quite possibly, too many. Children's books, grown-up books, glossy picture books, a selection of the classics, and craft books for all ages and skill levels. So many books means there is always one within arms reach, to leaf through, pour over, or get lost in.

How We Live Creatively In General:

There are so many resources and opportunities now, which makes creative living quite easy. Anybody willing and able can learn a DIY method of doing just about any task these days. With the help of  books and online video tutorials, "A" has repaired our cars time and again, and we have even learned to fix our own tools. 

Creativity in the kitchen is something we all have to face at one time or another and, like most of you,  I have pulled-off some epic meals and snacks made from random pantry items. 

A little ingenuity goes a long way. Freecycle and Craigslist  are scoured regularly, and odd needs are fashioned from re purposed items. We barter, and trade services when we can. We search for information online, and call experienced friends for advice (or even better, for help). 

We have failed many times. Fixing the digital camera (friends, please do not attempt this at home) or figuring out where, exactly, the water dripping into our bedroom was coming from were forays we were not successful in. Sometimes we are victorious in our efforts, other times not so much.

We have also gone without, and learned to be grateful for what we do have. After all, it is times like these when living creatively—through creative problem solving—matters most.

Thinking, Feeling...

Thoughts and feelings—sometimes coming at you in rapid-fire fashion, sometimes welling up slowly and eventually crashing down. I suppose it's the variety of ideas and emotions that spices up our days, for better or for worse. Here's a catalog of what's been spinning in my head and heart over the past week.

I am...
Curious, about the unknown story of these vintage chandelier beads from Buenos Aires. Loving their substantial weight and cold, smooth touch. They were sent to me by a friend, who commissioned a few necklaces to be made from them, and kindly offered up the remainder of them for me to play around with. Or as she put it, "get all artsy on their arses."

Relieved, to have found a new home for Han Solo, our very loud rooster. We visited him the other day on the farm, and it turns out he is now King of the Ducks. There were about a half-dozen ducks following him around!

Autumn-ish, for obvious reasons.

Acorn top by "A," crochet acorn pattern here

Concerned (hopeful, helpless), for a classmate of my girls, who was just diagnosed with Leukemia.

Happy, to see the rustic simplicity of this garland by Daisychestnut

Grateful, that even though my husband was recently laid off, I have lots of orders, and can contribute financially to this household.

Proud, of a ring I recently finished, that was unlike any I had ever made.

And you?

Questions Answered

In the previous post, I invited you to ask any questions you had about me. Today, the answers.

Valarie asked to see more pictures of me, but after pouring over LOTS of family photos, I realized that I am always the photographer, not the subject. As a result, there are very few of me. Of the photos I am in, I'm always wearing sunglasses. I had no idea I wore them so much.

Emily had a few questions:
What is your favorite moment of the day? Easy. Picking the girls up at school. They both run to me as fast as they can and crash into me with a full-force hug. I actually have to brace myself! It seems like they have grown a bit each day, too, which makes me sad/happy/proud/amazed. 
What are your favorite materials to work with? Well, of course, I do love metal. I wish I could work with gold a little more often. It is really an experience to behold. There's something about the ancient-ness (I made up a new word!) of it that makes me feel like I've been let in on a secret thousands of years old. 
I have to add that I love painting as well. Acrylics do for now, but someday when I have the dream studio (ha!) I will paint with oils again. 
How old do you feel? Are you an old soul or a young soul? Hmn. I never thought about this, but I would have to say that it really depends on the day and the people I am surrounded by. I will admit to more and more gray hairs popping up each month, which I am not particularly a fan of. I suppose this serves to remind me that I'm no spring chicken anymore. Or am I? 
What is your favorite book/movie/song? One book? Impossible for me to name just one. I'll mention a few of my all-time favorites, though: East of Eden, The Poisonwood Bible, To Kill a Mockingbird.
I don't think I have a favorite movie, and my favorite song is Blue Sky by the Allman Brothers. I have some very strong, special memories associated with that song and each and every time I heard it, I am transported back to those times and places. 


Nicola asked:
How old were you when you married? I was 25, the old man was 23. Heh. 
What is your schooling background? I went to public school through high school, then attended Colorado State University, where I got a Bachelor of Fine Arts. 
Do you want more kids? Yes, but no. Does that make sense? We have decided our family is complete as it is, but if my heart overtook my brain on this matter, there would be many more little Ambroults. 

5 Things: A Summer Summary

My first grader is quite excited to have homework of her own, now that she is a "grader." (I'm tempted to get some video footage of her homework enthusiasm so I can show it to her in 10 years). One of her assignments this week is to gather 5 things that represent what she did over summer vacation. As we gathered seashells, arcade tickets, carabiners, and more, I thought about what 5 things I would choose to represent my summer.
After giving it some thought, I decided that finding actual objects would be too ambiguous for me, so I chose 5 images, with words to accompany them, instead.

carousels (lots of them)

ice cream (lots of it)

initials (lots of them)

sand (dunes of it)

                                                    sisters (just two)

The Power of Colors

While writing the previous post on color, I became acutely aware of my connection with colors. Colors wake me up, challenge me, inspire me, and change me. For me, and for many, color is what makes the world go 'round. Seeing a gorgeous combination of hues is sublime. Just take a look at this and tell me that doesn't light your fire.

A few months ago, I "met" Brandi, a jewelry designer who draws her inspiration from color. This week, she hosted a Color Palette Blog Walk, and here is my contribution. Tomorrow's theme is "blogger's choice--what's inspiring you."

Well, what's inspiring me right now is the time I have had in the woods with my family recently. A camping trip to the mountains, a climbing trip to an old haunt of ours, the quiet discovery of kids in the forest with no agenda and no distractions.

This photo was taken at our campsite. I was trying to capture all the different greens that were glowing above our heads, and the almost graphic quality of the darks where the leaves overlap. The photo doesn't quite do it justice, but making this color palette for it made me happy. I was transported back to the campsite, with all the serenity, scents, and feelings that go with it.

Also inspiring me right now? The skill, tenacity, and finesse with which our girls scaled these rocks. We are looking forward to a lifetime of rock climbing together as a family.

What's inspiring you right now?

Take a look at the color palettes other artists have created here. Amazing.

Progress and Growth

Just like that, nearly a week has gone by since I have last posted. It seems like the days slip through my hands, weeks are cranked out steadily, and my girls grow faster each year.

Since this blog has become somewhat of a journal, tracking our progress and growth, I though I'd catalog a few of our most recent examples:

Progress: on a little surprise for soon-to-be-born babe

Growth: remember "Woolly Bear?" He emerged as this beautiful moth

Progress: on a bench, needed for the dining room table

Growth: chicks losing the fluff, getting feathers on their heads

Progress: the last-day-of-school countdown

Growth: last year's sandals

Where have you been making progress? How have you been measuring growth?

Confessions of a (Former) Consumerholic

Hi. My name is Amy, and I am a consumerholic.

Or, I was.

A handful of years back, I suddenly found myself with babies and a newly purchased home. If ever there was a time to purchase things, I thought this was it.

I bought items that the babies might like, and things I might use for the babies. I shopped for a mind-boggling roster of tot gear, and had a hard time resisting those adorable tiny clothes. Then there was a home to fill. I paid hard-earned money for things like outdoorsy-scented candles, newfangled cleaning products, and the latest in clocks.

Well, it wasn't long before my house reached maximum capacity. By then, the majority of baby gear had proved superfluous, and the tot stuff was collecting dust in the corner. The candles lost their scent, the cleaning gadgets were useless, and the clock broke long before I expected it would.

Standing in my living room one day, planning my route across the toy-strewn rug, I had a vision. I saw my home in all its de-cluttered glory. I saw my girls playing with quality handmade toys that wouldn't soon be recalled. I imagined a cozy nest decorated with items made by fellow artists, each piece holding its own story. I fantasized about all-natural cleaning products, and cooked up clever ways to re purpose lackluster items.

Without realizing it, I was formulating a new family plan. It would be based on quality, simplification, and time spent together.

The simplifying scheme started with charity donations—truckloads of clothing, unwanted toys, and household items went out the door. I read voraciously about simple living, conscious consumption, creative parenting, and commercialism. I re prioritized how we spent our time, and shifted from days full of running errands to staying home and interacting in more meaningful ways. I bought large quantities of basic grocery store ingredients and learned all the amazing ways they can be used in a household. I came to realize that my spending habits are a reflection of the kind of world I want to live in.

During this time, I hatched the idea to sell my works in metal, as a way to bring quality handmade pieces to the market. I thought, maybe if somebody bought my pieces they’d be less likely to buy cheap costume jewelry made in factories on the other side of the world.

This new way of living is very much a work in progress. I have spent the past six years steering my family towards a life of simple abundance—of shedding the excess—but we often veer off course. The toy box has been replenished with cheap imported junk (this is our biggest challenge, as most of the girls' toys are gifts from others, for which we are grateful), and Mount Stuffed Animal remains the last frontier. I have to admit we adults in the household have some indulgences of our own, but we try to keep it in check. I have gotten more organized, and we have learned to patiently wait until we’ve saved enough money before making purchases—this alone has been the most effective way to keep the amount of things acquired to a minimum. We have also found a better balance between family time and the number of activities we participate in. Generally speaking, our down shift has been a success, but we are presented with challenges daily.

As long as I can navigate my way across the living room without too many obstacles, I know we're doing OK.

A Family of Four...

Once, we were a family of four, plus a cat.
Then, a family of four plus a cat and 4 hens.
Now...

A family of four plus a cat, 4 hens, and General Hop (photo courtesy of my talented photographer sister)

...and Woolly Bear, our very own Isabella Tiger Moth in the making

... and three new chicks, named Han (as in Solo), Ambroult Ambroult, and Poofey.

That makes 30 legs, as the girls like to say. (Oh wait, I guess it's 44 legs. Or 32, depending on how far along in metamorphosis the caterpillar is.)

What, or who, is next? I could not predict. But I really hope it doesn't have too many legs.

Fostering Love

Last fall, my sister and her husband decided to become foster parents. After a long application process, I am happy to tell you they've been approved! This is so exciting—for them, and our whole family. More kids to have fun with, more kids to make things for, and more kids to love.

They have agreed to take up to three children, so that siblings may stay together (isn't the thought of siblings being split up heartbreaking?). Two bedrooms in their home have been reworked to fit beds, dressers and lots of toys. My crochet hooks are at the ready...just waiting for some news, so I know who I am making for and what to make.

But I have to admit that all this anticipation is met with a bit of hesitation, too, as my sister and brother-in-law begin a journey into parenthood that could be, at times, heartbreaking and unfair. We hope for the best and offer our full support.

Lately, different aspects of my life have had a way of weaving themselves together in interesting ways. A friend of mine contacted me to see if I'd be interested in being a vendor at a fund raising event for, what else?...foster care! The artisan show will benefit the Friends of Foster Care, an organization that provides assistance to foster children and their families. How could I say no?

If you're in the Boston area, come shop for a good cause!
The Spring Fling shopping event is this Thursday, April 8th. Over 30 local vendors and artisans will be selling their goods. The event takes place at the Neighborhood Club (27 Glendale Road, Quincy,MA) from 7 - 10 PM.

Corner View: Minitaure Worlds

Miniature worlds? This one was easy. Anybody who knows a child or two knows they love all things tiny, and in my house, Lilliputian items abound. A quick glance around the house yielded this handful of mini objects.

I have to agree with the children of the world—teeny versions of larger things are irresistible. Until you step on them with bare feet.

The Big Rock Candy Mountain

When I was little, I always wanted to have rock candy pops. I was so attracted to those rainbows of brightly colored, translucent crystals. And that wooden handle with the little ball at the end? Had to have it. I loved everything about rock candy—except for the taste, really. Too sweet for me.

The girls have my husband's sweet tooth, so we set out to make our own rock candy this week. Here's how we did it:

Start with 1 part water, 3 parts sugar. Bring to a boil and stir until the sugar dissolves (there may be some sugar that doesn't dissolve, you want the liquid to be just about saturated). Let the sugar water cool enough to be able to pour into glasses. At this point, you can add food coloring.

Suspend strings (roughly 6 inches long) from pencils and lay them over the tops of the glasses. We also put wooden skewers in the glasses to see which would work better.

Let it stand for a couple of days. This photo was taken after one day and you can see the crystals beginning to form on the string and skewer.

Two days later, the surface of the sugar water had completely hardened.

After three days, we removed the strings and skewers. We picked the crystals off the strings, and let all the candy harden for a day on wax paper. The skewers came out looking like those pops I remember, though they were quite a bit skinnier. They also had more crystals on them when we first took them out, but little mouths made short work of that candy before I could snap a picture.

The homemade rock candy looks as pretty as I had hoped it would, but it didn't make much. We used 1 cup of water and 3 cups of sugar. It you want to make a small bowl of rock candy, I would suggest at least doubling that. You can also experiment with leaving the strings/skewers in the glasses for longer or shorter periods of time.

Enjoy! Then go brush your/your kids' teeth...

The Ten-Year Gift

You may remember that we celebrated our tenth anniversary a few weeks ago. I made a special gift for "A" that I have been meaning to share with you.

Ten years was a big one, and it seemed so significant, personal, and gratifying. It also seemed to go by so fast. I wanted to timelessly capture our children while they are still small. I wanted to package them up and deliver them to him in a heart warming way. We have so many photos of them, and I have already given him a Remembery Capsule on another occasion, so I made silver silhouettes of the girls and placed them in a copper container.

The shapes of our girls and cat, and a tiny "ILU" heart (which is the way our 5-year-old daughter abbreviates "I love you") occupy the small round box.

A straight-from-my-soul message was written on the inside of the lid.

I'm thinking of adding my silhouette and his, as well, to preserve our family as we were in 2009. Things are changing so fast—the girls are growing like weeds and the grown-ups in our house are finding stray gray hairs every so often (ahem). Hopefully someday we'll hold up those silhouettes to compare what we use to look like and laugh. Maybe ten years from now.

Monster Mash, Home Style

There was a Halloween party yesterday that the girls had confirmed they did not want to go to until, of course, five minutes before it was to begin. By then, I just couldn't fit it in. Other plans had been made, much to their dismay ("Why can't we just go right now?").

To ease their seemingly excruciating suffering, I promised them we'd make our very own party at home. This was going to need all the elements of a spooky bash if they were to be convinced. Lucky for me, the girls are only five and seven and I can still get away with alot. So I streamed some Halloween music, turned off the lights and broke out the glow sticks, made some face paint, served a special treat, got out the costumes and poof! we had our very own "Monster Mash."

We started with some leftover anniversary cake

...then moved on to the homemade face paint. We mixed cold cream and cornstarch until we had the right consistency (there are many variations of this recipe online so we just mixed until it seemed right).

Next came the drops of food coloring (Be sure to make your colors dark)

Our clown/makeup artist attempted to transform a sweet face into a scary one

...then did a few touch ups to her own makeup for good measure

There are so many social obligations—birthday parties, games, seasonal events, and school functions, that sometimes it gets overwhelming. We try to keep a balance between life at home and our social lives but we just can't do it all, so at times we pick and choose. I must concede that this is probably going to become more of a challenge as the girls grow older. For now, I'll get away with what I can and keep my "babies" close to home. And use smoke and mirrors—or glow sticks and face paint—when desperation calls for it.

I have to warn you that the face paint is greasy. The girls put it on using cotton swabs and it went on in globs (as you can see above). Later, we applied it with a paint brush and it went on much smoother.