E-zines for Kids!

Looking for some ideas for Summer activites?  Try these wonderful and creative e-zines!

1.  Alphabet Glue is the brainchild of Bird and Little Bird.  It offers fun activities for young book lovers. Since I have always secretly dreamed of owning a children's bookstore or being a children's librarian, this especially appeals to me.  I loved the first issue and am anxiously awaiting the second. So many great literacy-enhancing activities and all for the bargain price of $4.

2.  The Whip Up Action Pack is another wonderful e-zine filled with activities for kids age 7 and up.  Each issue has a theme and is filled with crafts, outdoor activities, cooking and more.  The first issue was in March and the latest monthly edition for June will be coming out soon. Each of the issues are either $5 or $6.

Although Noodlebug is still too young for these publications, I am stockpiling them because they are filled with such great activities.

Pick Your Plum Today

Aren't these Elizabethan-inspired iron flowers lovely?  I like the idea of using them to hang photographs from.  Today, you can get three of them for $8 at Pick Your Plum.  Now I'm thinking about rehanging all my framed photos after seeing these lovely flowers!!!!  They only have 34 sets remaining so hurry!

Set Your Piggies Free!!!

Dana's post inspired me to look up one of my favorite Sesame Street bits.  We love Ziggy Marley in our house! 

It's raining now but I hope to set our piggies free soon!

If you need another laugh, check out this Elmo/Ricky Gervais bit.  One of our favorites that always makes me laugh. When Noodelbug won't go to sleep, I always threaten to sing him the "Letter N Lullaby" and he says, "NOOOOOO!!!!"

Funny....I don't FEEL 36.



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Whoopee!!!

I asked my friends for lottery tickets for my birthday. Everyone I know is having financial problems and when they insisted on getting me something, I thought a $1 lottery ticket would be affordable.

Here is the envelope I got today:

"Lucky" indeed. Inside I found this:

 

Ten lottery scratchers all the way from Colorado!!!!

I had Noodlebug help me scratch them off.  Here are the winners:

That's right!!!  We won $7.00!!!

All thanks to my friend Greg.  Whoopee!!!!

AAAARRRRRRR!!!

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Photo of my little guy contemplating birthday cupcakes.  We attended a Pirates and Princesses toddler birthday party on Saturday. Which seemed like a good thing to do on Rapture day.  I made Noodle's vest using Dana's pattern but I had to modify it for my giant 3-yr-old.  (And I made my own bias tape for it!!!)  I was going to make his hat as well but found a package of three pirate hats for $1 at JoAnn's.  Had to make a few minor adjustments to spruce it up but I think it turned out all right. We are slowly but surely filling up his costume trunk!!!

Halloween and Vine---Another Reason to Come to Petaluma

If you are a collector of Halloween art and ephemera, you cannot miss the annual Halloween and Vine show on September 24.

My friend Charles is a regular vendor at this show.  I may be a little biased but I think he is unbelievably talented.  Plus, he understands my love of all things whimsical. Check out his latest piece:

Isn't she wonderful? Like a witch out of a fairy tale!!! If you come to Halloween and Vine, you will have the opportunity to purchase this delightful witch. I can't wait to see the other wonders that Charles comes up with.

For another look at Charles' creative powers:

Charles made my veil from pieces of my mother's wedding dress.  He also did my makeup.

Halloween and Vine is cross-promoting with ART IS YOU this year.  So, come for the retreat and stay for the show.  Make sure your pocketbook is full. There are simply too many wonderful things to buy.  I came thisclose to buying a steampunk-inspired top hat last year!

Put Me in the Zoo

Noodlebug and I had a nice day at the Zoo yesterday. I love the elephants.  He loves the lions and tigers.  Grrrr....


I have a deep love of animals. I have always felt conflicted about zoos.  I hate seeing wild things contained.  And some of the animals often look so sad. Especially the polar bears. They aren't meant to be kept in cages.  No matter how gilded they are. 

However....

Now that I have a child, I see the importance of zoos. Just as you can never get the true impact of a work of art by looking at it in a book, a child cannot understand the significance and beauty of an animal without seeing it in person. I can still remember the first time he saw a giraffe. Yesterday, he saw an elephant for the first time. He has two stuffed elephants that he sleeps with every night.  I asked him if he thought the elephants would be big or small. He said big but he didn't know HOW big.  He was a little overwhelmed when he saw one and wouldn't get near the railing at first.  I want him to learn to appreciate these wonder creatures so that he will want to be steward and conservator of them.

I have a special love for giraffes and elephants because every time I look at them, I am amazed at how they came to be with the impossibly long graceful necks of the former and the expressive eyes and long trunks of the latter.  They embody the wonder of God's creation for me.

In other news....

I am gathering inspiration for Amy's birthday swap.  I have been paired with Kerry and I am sweating bullets.  I can see from her blog what a talented and creative person she is and I don't want to disappoint her.  I'm really going to have to step up my game.  If you want to sign up for the swap, there is still time!!!

I am also working on making Noodlebug a pirate costume for a birthday party he is going to on Saturday. I'm using Dana's inspiration and already created my own bias tape.  Here's hoping I can get it done!!!

3.

May 18, 2008

One Year

Two Years

Three Years

Taking the day off to spend with my beamish boy. 

Have a happy day!

Movie Town--Another Reason to Come to Petaluma

We are only about four months away from Art Is You---Petaluma!!! Have you heard that Teresa McFayden will be the keynote speaker? 

To continue my efforts to get you to come to this great event, I am linking up to a gallery of shots that show all the different movies that have been filmed in Petaluma.  Because our little town has wonderful Victorian buildings and a great "Main Street, USA"-feel, such movies as "Peggy Sue Got Married" and "American Graffiti have been filmed here.

(Shooting a scene from "Inventing the Abbots"--image source)

See the complete gallery here:

LINK

(Are you tempted yet?)

Yee-Haw Cowboy Toddler Birthday Party

The weather held off until after the party was over and a good time was had by all.  The theme for Noodlebug's 3rd birthday party was a western/cowboy theme. 

We made paperbag cowboy/cowgirl puppets:

(my sister-in-law models some puppets)

Designed our own stick horses using yardsticks and brown paper bags:

Panned for "gold" (small toys and fake gold coins) in the sandbox:

And took photos in an improvised photobooth:

 

I got the great photo quote sign from Etsy.

We served my mother's amazing chili, corn on the cob, hot dogs and watermelon.  

I think it was a great success and all 30+ attendees had a good time.

(Noodlebug loved his strawberry ice cream cake)

Now, I think I will go lie down until MY birthday.

Impatiently Tapping Foot

Just in time for Noodlebug's May 18th birthday and my May 25th birthday. 

Can't wait for Amy to release this issue!

***UPDATE*** It's here! It's here!!!  So beautiful and filled with butterflies!!! I have been so into butterflies and birds lately.  I wish I had birthday crown of butterflies to wear.  Maybe I'll make one.


P.S.  Thank you for all the support and well wishes. I'm feeling a bit better. Especially thanks to a good friend or two.  I'm working on some birthday resolutions because your birthday is REALLY the start of a new year. Hoping for better days ahead.

Wallowing

I'll admit that yesterday was tough. All my favorite blogs and all my Facebook friends were posting their Mother's Day photos and the sweet homemade gifts their children made them.  I don't have a Mother's Day photo.  And I didn't get anything for Mother's Day.

I don't want you to think that I am a materialistic person who has to have "stuff."  Actually, I much prefer giving gifts to receiving them. But I really really wanted a homemade gift from Noodlebug.  Ever since I became a mother almost three years ago, I have been looking forward to the time when Noodle could draw pictures and make crafty things.  I thought that maybe if I specifically said that I would like a homemade gift from Noodle that I would at least get a drawing. No such luck.

It is important for me to remember, though, that Noodlebug is my Mother's Day gift. Without him, I wouldn't be a mother. And that is all that should matter.

(Noodlebug's third birthday party is this Saturday. We're doing a cowboy theme and I am deep into party preparations. Posting will be light this week as I prepare but I'll be back with party photos)

conflicted

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I was looking at this Nan Lawson image today and thinking about how it embodies how I feel right now.  I am desperately clinging to hope while feeling like I just want to fly away.  I'm supposed to feel happy about Mother's Day on Sunday but I'm not. I'm struggling with being sick while dealing with the constant conflict within my family. I can't take it anymore.  I just can't.

Emily Dickinson said,

"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune--without the words,
And never stops at all,
And sweetest in the gale is heard..."


Well, I am definitely in the midst of that gale and I'm clinging to my hope.

Introducing Pick Your Plum!!!

I love flash sale sites! When I heard about a flash sale site devoted to crafty things, I almost wet my pants!  Once I ordered a few things, I decided I had to become an affiliate. I know I will be checking in every single day to see what new treasures await!!!

Pick Your Plum...get it before your neighbor does.

Wait, hurry go over there and get it before they are sold out and then come back and I will tell you the rest.

This is their 2 week birthday today so they are celebrating with a $0.25 deal.

Three sheets of vinyl for $0.25!

It's the good kind that is used all over blog land.

They sold out of their vinyl sheets, Metal Handles, No Soli Signs, Vintage knobs...they go fast!

This is a new site with a cool concept. This site launched 2 weeks ago.

This site posts the most 'swank' crafting supplies that they find and delicately slap prim-o pricing on them. They showed their line up of supplies and goodies and They. Are. Good. On the list: hand painted vintage inspired knobs, retta ring table runners, metal plate holders, treat bags, and their prices ...just wait.

Here is the catch though:

They have limited quantities. So ya got to get it {{before your neighbor does}}.

You do have to pay shipping, but it always very reasonable.

I am excited to see what's up tomorrow!

So be one of the first to sign up on their email list and FB page and you'll know what's up and how fast you have to act.

For now they are posting one item per day. Good Stuff.

Don't worry though. If you get on their email list you can find out {{before your neighbor does}}***

Better Book Titles Strikes Again

Have I ever told you how much I love BETTER BOOK TITLES? They take famous books and give them a more.....accurate...title.  This is just what I needed today:

(Actual book title: ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE,  HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY...one of my childhood favorites)

Reflection

‎"I will mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that."

Martin Luther King Jr.