Interesting Lemons

Visiting my parents in Southern California I saw these odd lemons...

They had the dots like normal lemons but not the dimples.
They were actually smooth and had a sort of chalky finish.

It thought they were pretty so I thought I would share them.

Getting Creative with Legos

My ten year old is Lego obsessed...to put it mildly.

He also loves video games.

So when he wanted a Halo version of a Lego (and at the time they didn't manufacture them) I had to step in. Having your child know you are an artist can present interesting requests.

He produced a Lego that he wanted me to paint to look like a character from the video game Halo.



This is the result...



Of course now they actually make Halo MegaBloks toys but I think this custom version will always have a special place in his heart.

A New Toy - The Spiralizer

Getting creative in the kitchen...

Because of food allergies and particular food choices, I sometimes feel limited in what I can eat.

Recently I found a bunch of recipes that I just HAD to try...but it meant purchasing a new kitchen tool...a spiralizer.

I know, I know, it sounds like I made up that word but it is actually a really cool piece of equipment.

It makes "pasta" shapes out of veggies like zucchini and squash (among others). It has different sized blades and is super simple to use and clean. I think it's kind of pretty too. I researched and ordered mine online - based on reviews.

I tried it and it was fabulous!

Below is the result.

I topped the raw, veggie pasta with a vegan, raw sauce with a creamy texture...

yum!


Light and refreshing...

Wire-work

These are an example of some fun and interesting work my son's art teacher has them doing.

She focuses on a particular artist and then designs projects based on that artists work. This project was inspired by Alexander Calder's work.

These were self portraits they made out of coated wire.

The one above is my son's...below are some classmates. They all had such personality and most even resembled the child.

I thought they were really fluid and beautiful.

It was a simple project but they really enjoyed taking their flat artwork and sculpting it into a three dimensional work of art.

Keeping it Simple - Community Brunch

As a festive, non-denominational, social gathering, my son's school hosted a Quest Community Breakfast the day before vacation started.

Being a Montessori school, it was a given that the kids would be involved with all aspects of planning, preparing, serving and entertaining their families.

I thought the decorations were clever and really simple...ideas that could be translated into other occasions...say for a child's Birthday party, a charity event or other family, holiday celebration.

The walls were decorated with white paper chain garlands...super fun for all ages to make and can be color coordinated for any event.

The tables were covered in black butcher paper and the children drew winter scenes with white pencils on top. Inexpensive and a nice way to involve all ages. You could use rubber stamps, stickers, stencils, have guests decorate...the list is endless.

The centerpieces were twigs...some of which were natural, some painted white to keep with our winter theme. Then they were tied into bundles with rope. We then sent the kids on a hunt for some nature "life"...greenery, berries, etc...to tuck in the twig bundles to add another layer of interest. A few pine cones and they were complete.

The kids had fun arranging their finds and took pride in their creations.

They also helped with the food prep...cutting fruit and baking muffins.

The morning was a big success and served as a wonderful send off for our holiday break.

Gingerbread Trifecta

We ended up with so many gingerbread projects this year at my parents...

We had our regular pre-baked house, then my mom found a really cute train and I found a new bakery in Rhode Island that offers allergen free gingerbread so my mom had one of those sent too.

We did the train first because it was the easiest. It came with a base to hold the pieces and we were able to get to the fun decorating quickly.

Then we did the allergen free gingerbread...not built as a house but as individual cookies.

Then finally the traditional house.

So much holiday fun!

You Have the Tools

"Life isn't about finding yourself.
Life is about creating yourself.”

- George Bernard Shaw