Many years ago, I’m not sure when, The Daddy Monkey’s Babci (“babci” is Polish for Grandmother) made for him a little stuffed red horse.  It became his lovey when he was a small child.  Over many years, Horsey (as he came to be called) was dragged everywhere and became quite dirty and worn.  His mother […]

This was our first year celebrating Saint Nicholas Day, and while I was a bit concerned about both Saint Nicholas and Santa Claus visiting our house this year, the children were not bothered by it. Of course who needs another excuse to eat chocolate at breakfast!  We compared the two winterly figures and came to […]

In Amanda’s words: This Moment – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Overall, The Day of the Dead party turned out to be quite the celebration.  The weather was quite cool, but a welcome change from the usual heat. Friends and family from far and wide, old and new, came together to celebrate life. We ate. We played. We celebrated while my handmade papel picado banners flapped […]

Here are a few more photos from our Day of the Dead celebration.  This pinata was the third I’ve made and I think it was the best of the three.  I used the cooked wheat paste recipe from Amanda Blake Soule’s Handmade Home, and it was really nice to work with.  It was far stronger […]

The party was a smashing success!  I now understand the power of the potluck.  It was so nice to not feel the burden of cooking all of the food myself, and there was a fantastic spread! Here’s just a peek at a few of the amazing dishes we enjoyed: Roasted tomatillo salsa, made by me. […]

No matter how many outfits we have in our dress-up trunk, I always enjoy making more.  Halloween this year was a busy and fun-filled day. The Girl went as a fairy.  As much as I tried to persuade her otherwise, she insisted upon pink.  (I was rooting for aqua blue.) The dress and wings are […]

I had been wanting to celebrate Michaelmas with the kids since I first read about it, thinking it would be a great fit for The Boy, who has always had a passion for all things knightly.  Since I learned my lesson to not try to cram it all into one day like I did with […]

We are finally coming out of the Month of Sick.  Last week was Spring Break, and at the beginning of it I was wondering “how am I ever going to make it through this week?”  I could not see past my own misery and sickness.  Illness in the lungs = not fun. But I made […]

Wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving. -Khalil Gibran I’ve been trying to keep this quote in my heart and my mind for the past few days.  I have been so grouchy in the mornings lately, especially since it’s so cold and dark in my house when […]