fly with me

 

Learning to Fly

Tom Petty

Well I started out 

down a dirty road

Started out 

all alone 

And the sun went down 

as I crossed the hill 

The town lit up 

and the world got still 

I'm learning to fly 

but I ain't got wings 

Comin' down 

is the hardest thing 

Now the good old days 

may not return 

And the rocks might melt, 

and the sea may burn 

I'm learning to fly 

but I ain't got wings 

Comin' down 

is the hardest thing 

Well some say life 

will beat you down 

It'll break your heart, 

steal your crown 

So I started out 

for God knows where 

But I guess I'll know 

when I get there 

I'm learning to fly 

around the clouds 

But what goes up 

must come down 

I'm learning to fly 

but I ain't got wings 

Comin' down 

is the hardest thing 

I'm learning to fly 

around the clouds 

But what goes up 

must come down 

I'm learning to fly 

I'm learning to fly

tagged by jen!

Okay, I've tried to run really fast but people keep catching me! It must be all the cinnamon buns... 

Jen at Frazzy Dazzles tagged me and I have to name 6 random things about me. Here it goes:

1. I don't like it when people blow in my ear. It gives me the willies!!

2. I wish I could build a Tumbleweed House (I have all his books!) or a straw bale house (which I found that Jen wants too!). But they aren't practical for my life right now!

3. I was a tomboy until my sophmore year in high school, and even then it was hard to get me to wear pink. Now I wear pink every other day! (Though I ran gracefully as my mother always said! Imagine that on the basketball court. And my hair was always perfectly pulled back. Maybe I wasn't a tomboy afterall?)

4. I have a secret desire to be a lawyer.

5. I used to be able to play "Maria" from West Side Story on the piano pretty well.

6. I love Mister Rogers, especially his songs. They make me feel all sentimental.

You Are Special

by Fred M. Rogers

You are my friend 

You are special 
You are my friend 
You're special to me. 
You are the only one like you. 
Like you, my friend, I like you. 
In the daytime 
In the nighttime 
Any time that you feel's the right time 
For a friendship with me, you see 
F-R-I-E-N-D special You are my friend 
You're special to me. 
There's only one in this wonderful world 
You are special. 

Also, thank you so much Kathy at LizzieJane for awarding me this: The Arte y pico Award!

I'm supposed to link to the site but it's all in Spanish for the most part. I'm the party pooper who is not going to pass it on. I think I've passed out enough awards for now and it seems everyone I know has received one award or another. You all know you are great bloggers! (or I wouldn't be reading them!) But THANK YOU and I will humbly accept it! :)

how to be a domestic goddess

... at least to your own family! Caroline and I were watching reruns of "Home Improvement" last evening and somehow got to the topic of Cinnamon Rolls (her favorite!). I decided to grab a cookbook and see if I could whip up a batch for her!  I found a recipe that was easy in Nigella Lawson's How to Be a Domestic Goddess cookbook and proceeded to amaze and impress Caroline with her favorite treat! I added a little icing glaze of my own, just with confectioners sugar and water mixed. I have decided that I am definitely a baker! I love to bake anything... though that is dangerous. I have to stop these whims before I gain 20 lbs. from having sugary treats all around me! If you want to make Nigella's Norwegian Cinnamon Buns follow this link to someone else's blog (I'm too lazy to type it all out!).

I mentioned yesterday that I was baking zucchini bread. Oh, it is totally delicious!!! I thought I'd share this recipe because you might have a neighbor who has too many zucchini from their garden and they offer some to you. If they do, take it! And then bake this!:

Zucchini Nut Loaf

from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup finely shredded unpeeled zucchini (I did this in my food processor and it turned out pureed but worked wonderfully!)

1 egg

1/4 cup cooking oil (I used olive oil)

1/4 teaspooon finely shredded lemon peel

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a mixing bowl stir together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and baking powder; set aside. In a mixing bowl beat together sugar, shredded zucchini, and egg. Add oil and lemon peel; mix well. Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture. Gently fold in chopped nuts. Turn batter into a greased (or non-stick) 8 x 4 x 2-inch loaf pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or till a wooden toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool thoroughly on a rack. Wrap and store loaf overnight before slicing. Makes 1.

Happy Baking!

{me}

summertime recipe

I know, you're thinking, "What happened to the art? This has become a food blog!!". Well, you are partly right. I am actually gathering materials to create something that I can open an etsy shop with! (oh my!)

Anyways, last evening we had a great dinner! Craig said it was better than going to a restaurant so I thought I'd share it with you because beans and tomatoes are in season right now and taste wonderful! I made Grilled Salmon with Pesto Green Beans and Tomatoes. Here's the recipe:

 Grilled Salmon (from Sarah Foster's Fresh Every Day)

4 salmon fillets, cut 1 inch thick (about 6 oz. each), skin on

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari

Juice of 1/2 orange

6 to 8 basil leaves, cut into thin strips

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Rinse the salmon fillets under cool water, pat dry with paper towels, and place skin side down in a shallow dish. Rub the salmon fillets with the olive oil, drizzle with the soy sauce and orange juice, and sprinkle with the basil. Turn the fillets to coat with the marinade, press the basil into the flesh side of the fillets, and turn them skin side up. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.

2. Prepare a hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill (or heat a grill pan over medium heat to hot, almost to the smoking point.) Remove the salmon fillets from the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and lay the fillets, skin side down, on the grill for 4 minutes, brushing the flesh side with the reserved marinade. Turn the fillets and grill for an additional 4 minutes, spooning the marinade over them as they cook, until the fish is opaque and flakes easily when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife. Remove the fillets from the grill, peel off the skin, and place them, skinned side down, on a serving platter or individual plates. Serve immediately, topped with the fresh salsa of your choice (or with the following recipe!).

Pesto Green Beans with Three Types of Tomatoes (from Sarah Foster's Foster's Market)

This summer salad is great for buffets, picnics, potlucks, and tailgates. It's easy, too: if you don't have time to make your own pesto, use a good-quality, store-bought fresh pesto from the deli case.

2 plum tomatoes, cored and quartered

1 cup yellow pear tomatoes, cut in half, or cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes

1/2 cup red cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed (I used wax beans too!)

1 cup Pesto

1 cup (4 oz.) grated Parmesan cheese

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

one 2-oz. jar (1/4 cup) pine nuts, toasted, to garnish, optional

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Toss the plum tomatoes, yellow pear tomatoes, and cherry tomatoes with the olive oil and garlic in a baking dish. Roast 20 to 25 minutes until the tomatoes start to release their juices and begin to shrivel. Set aside to cool.

3. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, add the beans, and cook 1 to 2 minutes or until the beans are bright green and crisp-tender.

4. Drain the beans immediately and immerse them in a large bowl of cold water to stop the cooking process. (Note: this helps the beans retain their color and keep their crisp texture.) Remove the beans from the water and set aside to drain thoroughly.

5. Toss the beans with the pesto, Parmesan, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Place the beans on a platter or individual serving plates, top with tomatoes, garnish with toasted pine nuts and Parmesan if desired, and serve immediately.

I used heirloom tomatoes instead... a nice variety of red, yellow and green tomatoes! We served this with a Savignon Blanc too. Wonderful!

I have zucchini bread baking in my oven right now with a large zucchini that a neighbor gave to me! I want to try chocolate zucchini cake next....

Have a yummy day!

landis valley museum

We spent a fun day yesterday at Landis Valley Farm Museum, a Pennsylvania Dutch village which is just down the street from our house! Our library system provides families here with a free pass to enjoy three different local museums. The kids loved it and so did Craig and I! We would like to visit at different times of year. The guides are so knowledgeable and we learned so much. I didn't expect that! (Sometimes I assume I know more than I do, I guess!)

 
What struck me most was the ingenuity and the simplicity of life back then. In some ways our lives have become so full of "conveniences" that they have replaced the joy of making things ourselves, living more in tune to nature and being more at peace.

 

I mentioned before that I found out that the museum has an Heirloom Seed project. They have large gardens and greenhouses where they can propagate plants from as early as the beginning 1800's!! And you can still order this same exact seed!  (Go here to order online.) Of course back then, doctors weren't always readily available and they relied on herbs for remedies. That is also an attractive part of their lifestyle.

 

Nathaniel especially liked the farm animals-- the sheep, the goats, the chickens, the cow, the horses and mostly, the turkeys!!!

If you ever get to Lancaster, it is a great place to visit!

 We love our life here in Lancaster County and have embraced the idea of buying fresh and buying local! I hope that your area has something similar. If you do live in this area, there are plenty of farmer's markets and stands to buy fresh, local produce from! Here's my little list:

Central Market

Eastern Market

Roots Market

More links:

Buy Fresh/Buy Local

The Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture

Buy Local PA

Foodroutes Network

Find what's fresh near you on the NRDC website!

drum roll please!

My trustworthy assistants picked the names out of a basket of comments left by you. And the winners (yes, I'm giving away 2 new copies!!) are:

 
Linda at Willow's Cottage!!!

 
Stacey at Three Red Trees!!!

Congratulations you two!! Please email me your mailing address and I'll send the copies to you!

The rest of you, thank you so much for your wonderful comments and contributions to the discussion. The book is really inexpensive for the wealth of information so please try to get ahold of a copy yourself! It's worth it! Find it on Amazon.com here.

 

more of carl and karin

I just wanted to show you a few more photos from Carl Larsson's work. This is a self-portrait with one of his daughters. You can tell that he enjoyed being a father and he loved his home. I think it's rare to see this kind of family dynamic in art from this time period. I love it!

 
Here is a painting Carl did of his wife Karin and his daughter. She had studied art prior to getting married and was very good at weaving and embroidery. I meant to say in my last post that Carl and Karin started the Arts and Crafts Movement in Sweden. They turned their cottage home into their own Arts and Crafts style bungalow with bright colors that hadn't been used previously in Swedish homes. Karin made the linens that she beautifully embroidered.

 

 

Here is a painting by Carl and you can see Karin's table runner with the red embroidery.

Here is a painting of Karin working, with her weaving loom behind her.

 
Here is a photo of Carl's bedroom and the beautiful linen embroidered curtains that Karin made, the woven floor rugs and the interesting room arrangements he came up with.

 

Here is one of Carl's portaits of a young girl that he did. He did many portraits and they are all in this beautiful illustrative style. If I had been familiar with him in college, I know he would have been my role model. I love John Singer Sargent too but I think Carl Larsson is now my favorite! I hope you enjoyed looking at these too.

a few more things!

I forgot to post this little card drawing I did for my sister's b-day! She is a big tennis player, so I went with that theme. Some of you thought it was a little rude to actually mention her age! I guess so, but you know what she looks like...

Jane doesn't look much older than 30, so I think she should brag about her age!!!

 
I was also so encouraged by all of your comments and interests in my last post! I love that each of you are addressing it in your own way based on your circumstances. If you haven't read through the comments lately, please read it! There were lots of really good points. 

I do need to clarify about the list of 5 ingredients or less: that meant on a box of prepared food, not in a recipe!! I would be in trouble if the recipes had to be 5 or less ingredients! Especially because I love fresh herbs. The Sarah Foster cookbooks I've been using are pretty healthy and gave me the initial push to strive for more variety and fresh food in our meals. Willow suggested the cookbook More For Less which I was surprised to find out is a Mennonite cookbook! I don't know if you know that the Amish tend to grow organically and eat very healthy food. Some of our small health food stores are run by them here. 

Another thing I want to say is that we haven't given up dessert!! I think life should include that. We just choose rGBH free ice cream and homemade cookies, pies or cakes. My children love my chocolate chip cookies because they taste better than any store bought cookie and honestly, it is so quick and easy to bake them. I feel sad when moms tell me they never bake cookies because I just don't think they realize that it's not that big of deal! We have tried to limit desserts to the weekend (I got that idea from my friend Shelly) and that has helped the sweet tooths around here! But I do think if you feel deprived of something, then that's what you'll crave and then eat too much of later! I always weigh less when I'm not thinking about all the calories or fat grams, etc. Worry causes stressful eating!  Real food with great flavor and sometimes richer calories, will satisfy you quicker and you will eat less.

If anyone has any more cookbook suggestions, please share them! 

Here's a good summertime recipe I just made up myself:

Tomato & Cucumber Salad

Tomatoes (any kind you have available)

Cucumber

Red onion

Feta Cheese

Basil leaf

Lemon Olive Oil

White Wine Vinegar

Cut up the tomatoes into small chunks or halve cherry/grape tomatoes. Thickly slice cucumbers and then quarter them. Dice half of a red onion. Combine in a bowl. Add a couple Tablespoons of Lemon Olive Oil or to taste. Add half that amount of White Wine Vinegar. (Actually I just pour a little over of both like salad dressing!). Take your Basil leaf and roll it up. With scissors chiffonade the leaf (cut it in tiny strips). Add to the bowl. Sprinkle crumbled feta cheese in too and it's done! It tastes so fresh and is great with grilled meat or something spicy.

Another good book to read if you are considering gardening is Square Foot Gardening. Becky mentioned that her soil is full of clay so it would be hard to raise any plants. We have soil full of rock! Raised bed gardening allows you to control the quality of your soil just like container gardening. Craig has been digging big holes and filling them with his own soil mix before he plants seeds. He has watermelon, cantalope and pumpkins growing right now on a rocky hill beside our house!

Jojo-Caramel mentioned the art I posted by Carl Larsson. I just wanted to share about him, if you are not familiar with his work. He is a famous painter/illustrator from Sweden at the turn of the century (1800-1900's). He is credited with bringing about the Swedish Style of decorating. His works usually included pictures of his family and his home. What really interested me was that his wife Karin was just as creative, having stitched and painted many of the things in their home. It is just beautiful! You can see the bright colors in their kitchen in the photo below:

They are such an inspiration to me for creating a "family-focused" home which celebrates art and craft. Kari & Kisja suggested to me last spring that I decorate my own home as an artist's house, with bold colors and handmade floor cloths and curtains. I loved the idea of making our home something unique by creating things myself. And using my children's art work too!

I am really missing my drawing right now. I will be more focused on that in a month when the kids go back to school!

Have a great weekend!

food

"The Evening Meal" by Carl Larsson

Much of my reading lately has been about food, as you probably noticed! I posted earlier about our interest in urban homesteading and gardening. I found out there was a lot more vital information on eating healthy food that I didn't realize. An American's definition of "healthy" is probably not a true understanding of where our food comes from or how it's grown.

Simply put, I was scared when I read some information about Genetically Modified food and Monsanto, the giant company who is pushing for ownership over most food grown in the world. My optimistic husband thinks things will change. I think each of us has a responsibility to do our own part in choosing the right food options, especially for our loved ones. I will tell you more about Monsanto in a minute. Right now, let me share two foundational books with information you need to make informed decisions about the food you eat:

 

If you've been following my blog, you know I love this book Real Food by Nina Planck. She presents scientific evidence in the most easiest to read way for the reasons to eat certain foods and avoid others. If you follow food trends, you know the whole controversy on fats in our diets has changed... first avoiding saturated fats, then transfats. She cuts through the information to tell you what is actually true. Basically, she is a proponent of eating unprocessed, real food that is grown organically and tastes the best!  I am going to do a give-away of one copy of this book to a lucky commenter because I believe so fully in reading it. If you can't wait, then order your copy here.

The second book that I strongly urge you to read is Michael Pollan's newest book In Defense of Food. This one is more about "nutritionism" in this country and how our view of what creates a healthy diet is always based on one singular ingredient pulled out of a diet from a different culture. Our diet is a whole lifestyle and Pollan suggests looking back at our great-grandparent's time period before processed foods and hydrogenated oils became staples in our diet. It is very eye-opening! We don't need special diets or most of what is sold in our groceries. His book is based on the idea of three things: Eat Food (that is, real food with five or less ingredients, all things you can pronounce and no high fructose corn syrup), Not A lot (our servings are way too large... you get fuller quicker on real food with wonderful taste!), Mostly Plants (Way back in the earlier part of the 20th century it was discovered that too much meat wasn't good for us... but the meat companies had a fit about the government suggesting eating less meat! Now we know!). He and Nina Planck are strongly against GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) in our food too. Buy Pollan's book here.

So you know I think aspartame is a poison (if not, read this!).  But I really didn't know anything about GMO's in our food and what that meant. Until now. I read a little article in MaryJane's Farm, a magazine about organic farming, which told about the troubles that farmers in India were having because of GM seeds which are sold by a subsidiary of Monsanto here in the U.S. Monsanto has developed strains of Round-Up (their weed killer) resistant seeds which they obtained a patent on. They go to the farmers and sell them their seed which they claim is less costly and better producing, and make them sign a contract that they will not replant the seed the following season. They stronghold the farmers into buying it yearly. Supposedly the crops need less chemicals to fight insects, etc. Well, all this info turns out to really be false. The Indian farmers were going into so much debt, they were selling their organs to pay it!!! There were 25,000 suicides by farmers because of this. Organizations are going in now to help these farmers to go back to growing their own crops. This is where it gets really scary:

Genetically Modified seed can be cross-pollinated by the wind and destroys the gene composition of the pure heirloom variety of seeds. Mexico which is the center for corn growing is being contaminated because of corn being traded over the border. Canada and Europe banned GMO's but now Canada has no unaffected soybean crops. Chemical Round-Up is spread on fields in India and is getting into the water and running into other crops. People are getting cancer from the chemicals. Every three years Monsanto sends it's crop police to inspect fields and if it finds their seed crops in the fields of farmers who haven't bought the seed, they either fine them with steep fines or take them to court to protect their patent. Some farmers, right here in the U.S.A., have fields where GMO seeds had been previously planted and pop back up later or transpollination occured, and so they had crops of GMO corn or soybean that they never planted and Monsanto tries to put them out of business!!! Family farms that have been farming for generations!

Why are GMO's bad? First of all, Round-Up which the company tried to claim was "biodegradable" was sued and Monsanto had to take that off the label because the chemicals did not go away. Scientists have shown evidence that it provokes the first stages of cell function that act the same as in the first stages of cancerous cells. The Seed Resistant strains of soybeans or corn are made from a bacterium and the result is "food" which would never be found in nature. This could lead to antibiotic resistance and a host of different health problems. Not only do we eat this but the animals we grow for food, milk and eggs does also. This also brings me to rGBH (the growth hormone in milk). You might be familiar with this. I stopped buying regular milk a long time ago because I knew something was wrong with adding hormones to make the cows have a third milking. Craig's family farm started using the chemical right away when Monsanto introduced it in the early 1990's. We haven't even had a generation get past 18 years of age who grew up with it in their milk to see what the consequences long term are. What I do know is this:  girls are starting puberty earlier and that's a fact! Scientists have also shown that rGBH in rats has produced mammary gland growth too early and breast and prostate cancers. You are asking "Why didn't the FDA stop all of this?" Because the FDA never did any scientific testing. They approved it based on Monsanto's assurance that they tested it and it was safe! Canada and Europe have banned rGBH. Dr. James Maryanska who was responsible for some GMO regulations admitted that approvals are based on politics, not science. Monsanto is trying to control the world's food population by taking away our varieties of seeds which have a natural way of putting nutrients into the soil and give us optimum health. We stand to lose 7,000 species of animals due to the narrowing down of agricultural animals for food production and more in seed varieties.  To see even more, please view this four part series online called "The World According to Monsanto", a documentary made by a French Canadian filmmaker and one you will never see shown in the U.S. (except through things like YouTube!). It scared my children.

What can you do? 

1. Okay, like I said, you can buy food products with organic labels, especially those that say "No GMO's". Here is a website True Food Now that talks more about what GMO's are and if you go to the Shopping Guide, and then to the Shopping List, it gives a long list of companies that are GMO free and those that buy their ingredients from farmers who use Genetically Modified ingredients.  You can also look up the company on the web. Though Newman Organics products weren't listed under every category I looked up info on the company and they are truly an organic regulated company that is against using GMO's of any kind.

2. Become more informed. Read info like this site "Say No to GMO's".

3. Grow your own food. You know where it comes from if you grow it! Use heirloom seeds. Google "heirloom seeds" and you'll find a variety of sources. I found out that the museum down the street from me, Landis Valley Museum, sells seeds through their heirloom seed project that they've been doing since the 1980's! You can buy seeds online.

4. Talk to the farmers at the farmers markets and to the people at the grocery about who grows the food and how it's grown.

5. You may be thinking, "It would be very expensive to buy organic food." Well, generally the cost is higher, but there are local co ops and alternatives to the grocery. That being said, if you're not buying Coke and a bunch of empty snack foods which add up greatly on the bill, you have room for the good stuff!  Try baking from scratch more. If that doesn't motivate you, then maybe providing better health for your children or yourself will! Read this article linking food additives to the increase we're seeing in children's allergies and change in behavior. Just take it slowly and explain to older children why. They will understand!

6. Tell others about it. The more the public is informed and buys organic, the more we increase the demand for healthy food. Demand will bring money into the marketplace and help the supply increase. Tell your government representatives while you're at it! And maybe the cafeteria people at school! Nathaniel wanted to write to the president. I wonder what our candidates think about the issue... Former Pres. Bush was all for endorsing the "science" of GMO's!!!

7. Throw out your Round-Up!!! There's much safer weed controlling methods out there. Jerry Baker comes to mind. Back in the days before chemicals (by the way, some of the same chemicals that Monsanto uses and tests are the same as what was in Agent Orange!!), our great-grandparents didn't rely on all this junk to control the garden pests. The library is full of gardening books and tips. Here's a magazine that's been around forever which is packed full of information:  Countryside Magazine.

I'll be letting you know how our gardening is shaping up in the near future! Right now I'm going to make sure our cupboards have real food in them and no GMO's, and start thinking about composting so I have good soil for my raised bed gardens in the future!

*** Leave a comment and on Monday, July 28th I'll choose a winner for a copy of "Real Food"!

And a BIG Happy Birthday to my sister Jane!!! She turns 40 years young today!!!

I love you Jane!!!

almost famous

Yes, that's me on Times Square! Boy do I get around!! If you read Amy's blog (Angry Chicken) then you know where I got this. Go here and have some fun!

 

I'm sorry I haven't been around visiting as often! Summer has been really busy with both kids in tennis camp and going to the swimming pool, doctor's appointments for school physicals, etc. It rained today so I stayed home and cleaned the oven and part of the house! I have a million things to work on right now... one step at a time!

Today I got my little treasures from Kari at Spring Chick! She still has these cute necklaces in her etsy shop made from Scrabble pieces. I just love them! And the tins they come in are fabulous too! Martha Stewart just may hire her! She also sent an adorable little Kokeshi to me and I love her! Isn't she sweet?

Well, things are all in bloom right now! Isn't this zinnia gorgeous?!!!
Our little start to a garden is slowly growing. I don't have tomatoes to eat yet, but they are there, and so are the peppers. The lettuce is sprouting and I have been using the herbs in my cooking.

 
I have SO much to tell you about! I've been reading some really good stuff, so my next post will be full of great info!  I will also post a little tiny drawing tomorrow on a very special person's birthday :)  Not much art going on, but I am ready to sew my drapes! I have been painting trim too which just takes FOREVER! But I'm loving the yellow and white!  Thank you for all the wonderful comments about my last blog!! I didn't really think you'd read it, but then I underestimate how amazing you all are!!  Each one of you has embraced your creativity which is just so great and an inspiration to those around you!

See you shortly!

Why I teach art.

[I wrote this for a friend, as inspiration.]

Why did I choose to teach art education?

First of all l've learned that just as important as learning verbal communication skills is, understanding visual communication comprises just as much or possibly the majority of our lives. Being able to understand why you have the response you do to certain things you see is very important to understanding the world around you. From simple things like color to more advanced communication through visual metaphor, the viewer needs the tools to decipher what is being communicated. Studying visual elements and principals of art is a way to break down the message into understandable parts and art history gives us numerous examples of the way social and cultural messages have been given throughout human history. To be able to talk about what you're viewing is a skill that can be taught to the youngest of students and can be applied to so many different areas of study, beyond the art classroom. Many boardrooms, science labs and computer programmers draw out their ideas because it is the simplest, truest way to communicate them to others. Advertising is all around us. To be able to decipher the visual tools that companies use to associate their products with a certain feeling or lifestyle means that the student has more power over their decisions about whether to fall for the message or not!

The youngest students tend to create the purest art. While technique is not as important at a younger age, the experience with various mediums allow different parts of the brain to develop and make associations. Drawing with eye and hand coordination is very different than pounding and molding clay into a three dimensional form. Having experiences with things like printmaking and fiber arts is the best way to develop an appreciation in students for the art medium. Who will take over the role of educating and preserving art forms from our past history? Who will fund and run our museums and galleries? Someone who appreciates. We learn so much about us as a people from past generations through the fine and pragmatic arts, and this helps future generations make wiser decisions. We're seeing a return to cottage industry and the handmade. Handcrafts are starting to be practiced again and looked at as examples of "real" art. When the world has rapidly moved to technology, society is seeing a shift in value to things made with a human touch. Technology has also changed the art world. New amazing types of art are being created now that could not have been realized a decade ago. To give students the chance to learn how to think in four dimensions is best taught by the art educator who can help put form to ideas that are more powerful in visual form than the written word!

Art is one area where the answers can be unlimited. While parameters for lessons can be set, the best lessons allow students to come to a visual conclusion which is unique because of what they bring to it as an individual. The best art teachers recognize that there is an artist in all of us. It is up to the teacher to provide the direction, inspiration and the variety of mediums for the child to realize his own work. When students walk through my door, they are each considered artists and must see themselves as that. Depending on previous experiences, they must see that art is something that encompasses them in their every day life and is to be enjoyed and valued. That they are valued too. There is not one part of the day that doesn't have something in it that was designed by a graphic designer, industrial designer, architect, illustrator, fine artist, fabric designer, fashion designer, etc.  Our world is full of other people's imaginations!!! As soon as students realize this, they see that art is one of our most important areas of study. Careers in science, math, technology, medicine... even perception that can be used in writing, depend on people's expertise in using conceptual thinking-- the kind that needs to "see" how things work. Art education can train the mind to come up with multiple solutions, brain-storming ideas and communicating them to others. Albert Einstein was a huge proponent of creative thinking. He recognized what value creativity and creative exercises mean for our world.

To bring it down to a simple level, while painting my dining room, I had many colors to choose from and within those choices of yellow, I had cool yellows, warm yellows and tints of each. I could decipher which yellow would compliment the wood on the floor and the other objects in the room. People make choices in the towns they live that determine how things look and how the urban development will go. This is all done by creative cognitive thinking. Imagine if more people were given the intellectual knowledge to understand color and shape and form, how wonderfully designed our environments would be!

It gives me and my friends great satisfaction to create as a hobby too. It is natural for people to want to make things. You may have a career that seems to have nothing to do with art. What do you do in your free time? Do you sit mindlessly watching tv (bombarded with visual images and being subconsciously pursuaded to buy the latest gadget or told you're not good-looking enough or popular enough if you don't spend money on whatever it is they are selling?!!).  Wouldn't it be wonderful if more people were taught the skills to create? Wouldn't it be better if kids were excited about silk-screening t-shirts with their own images than playing the latest Wii game? Wouldn't it be great if our art museums were full of all kinds of people visiting, and our history was carried on generation after generation by a society who values the arts and how it reflects our values and beliefs?

Lastly, I think that there is a trend in parenting today of non-parenting. Both parents are working and that leaves less time for shared activities, as simple as talking and taking time to communicate with each other. Art gives children of all ages another outlet to express themselves and what they are thinking. Children find great joy in creating. They love to share their work after they have spent time thinking about what they will make and how it will be done and why. They love to show it to their parents because they understand that it is a part of them that has just been expressed. The art teacher should never work on a student's art but can help guide through questioning and responding. I have seen many children's spirits crushed when one line was added to their work by the teacher!  I also wonder who in my class will one day become a professional artist. To be able to give them the encouragement and skills to continue onto that career is a real privilege. I was one of those students!  Art education played an important part in my whole academic experience. While excelling in the other subjects, my experiences in art classes only enriched my intellect and gave me the background to pursue an art degree.

I don't think anyone should ever think that art education is not as important as any other subject. While it may not be considered that at this point in time within the educational system, it should always be approached as having great value to every student. It is exciting to teach, to learn and to share. I was as inspired by my students as they were by me!

green eyes

Coldplay

awards and a long speech

As I mentioned yesterday, Kathy at LizzieJane gave me this award (which I had to giggle at because it says "Brillante" and I'm not sure how "gay, showy, and sparkly" this blog is!! You thought it said "Brilliant" didn't you?!!) Anyways...  here's my acceptance speech:

I'd like to thank first of all my dear husband who regrets that he encouraged my blog obsession by helping me create this! Now I'm addicted. I'd like to thank all of you who visit me regularly... some of you have been with me for over a year and others are new friends! I'm not sure exactly why you keep coming back but I love you all and this blog wouldn't be anything without you! And I'd like to thank the little people (Caroline and Nathaniel) who inspire me daily (to hide out and read other's blogs so I don't feel like I'm doing this whole stay-at-home mom/artist thing by myself!!!).  Truly this blog has kept me accountable for pursuing new creative activities and blessed me with friends all over the world who are all wonderful people!! Thannnnk Yoouuuu!!!!!!!!!!!

Now to nominate others who I think are deserving (if you're not on this list, it's because Kathy nominated you already!):

Ruby at Cakies (She makes the cutest things and her girls are A D O R A B L E!!)

Amy at Amy Cartwright (She is a GREAT illustrator! And in the middle of moving!)

Di at Woolie Wanderings (Fabulous photos of her trips and inspiring crafting from Dundee!)

Willow at Willow's Cottage (Awesome photography and wonderful knitting from the other side of the States!)

Stacey at Three Red Trees (The cutest soft dogs and bears, and the biggest heart! My drawing idol)

Melissa & Lynne at Sugar City Journal (The Genius clothing designers who are in the middle of setting up their new website!)

Becky at Green Thoughts (My longest friend... but her website is private)

Terri at Merrily Musing Mom (My teaching buddy and a mom of four great boys who's in the process of adopting a little girl from China!)

Olivia at Jojo-Caramel (Incredibly creative and French... need I say more?!)

Barbara at Mark It With a B (Great mom with wonderful, easy, creative ideas all the time!)

Heather at artgrlATL (busy mom, working artist... who's building the coolest playhouse)

Amy at Ignore Me - It's Easier (new friend with lots of great tips!)

Chelsea Ann at IttyBittyBirdy (young, beautiful and very creative... she's going places!)

Kari at Spring Chick (because I just got the best blueberry pie recipe from her!)

Kellie at Ain't Life Grand (Adorable children and very talented!)

Okay, the rest of you probably already got one or are saying "thank you" because you don't have to play along (Lesley). 

Here are the rules for this award:

1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.

2. Link to the person you received your award from.

3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.

4. Put links of those blogs on yours.

5. Leave a message on the blogs you've nominated.

6. Write an acceptance speech in the style of the Academy Awards, thanking everybody's mother, father, sister, brother, aunties and uncles and kitchen staff at your favorite restaurant!

Finally, I wanted to show you my little tennis star... she started tennis camp at F&M College this week and loves it! Tennis rackets are so much cheaper than horses... Mom's happy!

   

many, many thanks and some baking too!

 Do you know how much I love my blogging friends? I can't begin to tell you! I don't know if you've ever read the book "The Five Love Languages" by Dr. Gary Chapman, but my love language is Words of Affirmation and I realized I get a lot of that here on my blog! (You can click on the link to find out what yours is too!)

 

Di at Woolie Wanderings is the first person I want to thank because she is always so supportive and writes me little emails all the time! I hope someday we can meet in person!! She made the most adorable Kokeshi for my show and was asked by friends to make more. The first one she made was Umeko (Child of the Plum Blossom). I said my daughter Caroline would love her! (Caroline writes a blog called Plum Pudding). Well, look who showed up in the mail yesterday for Caroline!!!!:

I know it's a blurry photo, but the stitching is lovely and the colors are gorgeous! (We're searching for a new camera!).  Thank you sooo much Diane! Caroline is just thrilled!!!

When I went to her bedroom to photograph Umeko, I saw Caroline's elephant from Kathy at LizzieJane, who keeps her company. Caroline's favorite color is purple if you hadn't noticed!

 
Kathy just gave me a blog award (I'll post about that later). Yesterday she posted on her blog for her 100th post, the pattern for her knitted cupcakes!! You may remember my photos of the ones I have. That will be my next knitting project. She is an expert sewer and I asked her to make me a "BethanyJane" elephant and she did!... she's PERFECT!  Next to her are two adorable Matryoshkas by Ravenhill. (I actually own three now!) If you look closely, you can see the Liberty Fabric she used on them! She's been into Japanese fabrics and books lately, and has more matryoshkas with some beautiful Amy Butler and Moda Shabby Chic fabrics! Here's her shop. I've been getting some new inspiration... stay tuned on that front!

 

I also ordered some little gifts for some special little girls from Ruby at cakies... I can't get enough of these little cakies hair clips!!!

 

Right before I went on vacation in June, my girlhood friend Becky sent me the biggest surprise! She had gone to an auction for her singing group and found the gorgeous papercuttings! The one on the left is a book with the thinnest paper cuttings on colored paper of the Chinese New Year symbols. The one on the right is all papercuttings of the same in red. They are truly amazing!!! Thank you so much Becky!!!!

 
About a month ago also, I found some beautiful letterpress stationary on etsy from Lucky Bee Press. They are gorgeously done! One of my dreams is to find an old letterpress and do this type of printing. I grew up in awe of Gwen Frostic in Benzonia, Michigan where we would vacation in the summers, so letterpress stationary is something I treasure!

 
Speaking of printing, Mandy at Belle and Boo has been printing more wonderful things and I got some Gocco tags a couple weeks ago from her, with a couple other goodies! She is a sweetheart!
And my last little goody I want to show you is my Keepsie from Laura Fairbrother at Cupcakes for Clara! It's just perfect for my little ipod!!

 
Wow! That was a lot, wasn't it? I do support handcrafting ... now I need to start doing some myself! What I have been doing a lot of lately is baking and cooking! Here's a little of that...

My famous chocolate chip cookies! I use the Nestle Tollhouse recipe but add 1 teaspoon of baking powder too. And Ghiradelli semisweet chocolate chips are fabulous in them!

This is actually a very sad day... my friend Scott moved this morning to Virginia. He is going to teach elementary art down there so they are a very lucky school! We had him over for a last dinner (since his kitchen was all packed up!) and I made homemade pasta noodles with the kids in the afternoon. I made Sarah Foster's recipe for "Summer Spaghetti with Heirloom Tomatoes, Crumbled Feta Cheese, and Fresh Basil" out of her "Casual Cooking" cookbook. I also wrapped melon balls with proscuitto, made fresh baked bread, watermelon, turkey meatballs, endive and arrugula salad with a vinaigrette dressing and parmesan shavings, and this wonderful blueberry pie (which I forgot to take a photo of yesterday!) with vanilla ice cream!:

Kari posted the recipe here at Spring Chick Designs! It was really yummy!!!

So you can cheer me up if you want to... it's never fun to lose a friend.

so true