a year

I cannot believe that this is the last day of the year! Our Christmas was wonderful and I hope that yours was, too. I managed to survive the snowy, crazy days leading up to Christmas without incident. Christmas and some time relaxing with family was quickly followed by and still is followed by the flurry of excitement leading up to my big girl's seventh birthday. SEVEN! Her birthday is Saturday and we've got big plans. I only secretly wish that her birthday was on Tuesday this year so she could say "I'll be seven on Tuesday" like Marta in The Sound of Music. I know...crazy. Anyhoo, I thought I'd make a collage of my crafty accomplishments over the past 12 months.

I must confess right now that most of the sewing was done in the first 7 months of the year. After school started this year I had a difficult time trying to balance school, home, cooking, and crafting...so crafting was the first to go. My sewing machine got a nice long break and it's a good thing because she got quite the workout for Christmas. Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of all of the finished products. Grrrrr! There were also a few things sprinkled here and there that were sewn or crocheted for friends that weren't captured on film. Oh well. You'll just have to trust me that each item was made with love and received with much gratitude.

2009::A good year for the Clothesline family.
2010::We welcome you with open arms and high expectations!
Happy New Year! xo ANG

frosty

We've been enjoying the snow every single day. We layer up and head out for a few hours of frosty fun. It's been staying pretty darn cold so the snow isn't melting. We've shoveled our way out and the roads are clear, but our yard is still piled high of wonderful, white, wintry snow. I refilled our bird feeder so the poor little guys can have some seeds. The girls and the cat enjoy watching our feathered friends come for a treat every few minutes.
The snow is so deep that is difficult for my 4 year old to trek around the yard. She does it...slowly...with falling down many times. She reminds me of Ralphie's little brother Randy, in the movie A Christmas Story. Often times she can't get back up once she's down in the snow. However, instead of screaming and crying she usually just rolls around and gathers up snowballs. Now, my big girl, who will be seven-YES SEVEN-next week, is mastering the art of making snowballs. We just need to work on her aim. There have been too many shots to the head!

Ah, yes, our masterpiece. Pretty cute,eh? He was fun to make but it was hard work. We did it over a two day period so we could get him just right. And yes, he's holding snowballs ready to defend his creators.

Merry Christmas from my home to yours. xo ANG

winter wonderland

Yesterday it started snowing. It.has.not.stopped. When we went to bed last night we probably only had 2 or 3 inches. The girls were excited and started planning what they would build in the snow today. When we got up this morning we already had almost 8 inches. The excitement continues! And the snow still falls. We're easily at 10 or 11 inches by now. Here's a little glimpse.

Before the snow took the spotlight we did manage to squeeze in some wonderful Christmas fun. We made a gingerbread house. Fun...and yummy. The spearmint leaves were the biggest hit!

Salt dough ornaments got our creative juices flowing. Not only did we use the traditional Christmas cookie ornaments, but we used our ocean theme cookie cutters, too. The cat seemed to like the taste. The painting and glittering and spraying with acrylic sealer have been done in stages. Soon they'll be wrapped and gifted to many friends and family members.

And a new favorite...paper snowflakes! I have found that plain old coffee filters are perfect. They're already round and because they're thinner than paper they are easier to cut. So much fun!

Now, the only thing left is to bundle up and head out in the snow!

I hope your day, whether filled with piles of snow or rays of sunshine, is wonderful!

xo ANG

what i learned

I was watching tv last night after my girls went to bed and I realized that commercials are sometimes completely ridiculous! Here is what I learned:

*Companies think that gross things should be animated in order to sell their products. Mucus? Toenail fungus? Really? That's disgusting.

*The side effects of some sleep medications are so horrendous that I'd rather stay awake. And how is it possible for insomnia to be a side effect for a sleep aid? Huh?

*Okay, I know everyone loves a giant plate of spicy hot wings every once in a while. However, if they're boneless hot wings...they're just chicken nuggets. I will not be fooled.

*If there is a super special, once a year, can't miss it one day sale at your favorite store and there is a preview day on the day before the big one day sale then really it's a two day sale. Just sayin'.

I know. I know. This post is a little weird, but my brain is in overdrive right now. Trying to round out a wonderful year of handmade gifts with only 10, yes I said 10, days left until Christmas is just freaking me out. I'm trying to stay cool though. I've got time. I've got fabric. I've even got some seriously cute little helpers. Okay, the furry one is more of a hindrance when spools of thread and piles of fabric come out, so he doesn't count. But we'll have fun and we'll get it all done. And just so you know, I have found that blaring the Christmas music while crafting is really quite helpful! Happy Tuesday. xo ANG

treasured

A few days ago my family and I went to visit my grandparents for Christmas. There used to be a huge family gathering there on the actual day of Christmas with cousins, aunts, and uncles. But over the years as our family has grown larger and my grandparents have grown older the gatherings themselves have grown smaller. It's nice to have more individual time at the farm even if we don't get to see everyone all at once. The festivities of the season are nicely spread out and enjoyed over a few weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas which makes it a little less overwhelming for my grandparents. The Farm, our destination, draws me in and makes me want to stay forever. When we reached the bottom of the hill and turned onto the driveway I saw it, like I do every time, my hill. My most favorite spot on the farm. I chose my hill a long time ago. It's beautiful. It's lined with trees on one side and has the creek on the other. This time though it was covered with snow. We drove slowly up the driveway passing my hill and when we reached the creek three beautifully magnificent deer crossed our path, leaped over the pasture fence and followed the creek to the tree line on the other side. How can you not love the farm? I only wish I had treasured it when I was younger like I do now. I guess that's normal, appreciating things more after they have been a part of your life for so long. We didn't visit for a really long time, it was long enough to spend some sweet time together and to devour a big ol' hunk of my grandma's fruitcake. Yes, fruitcake. I love it...and I'm not ashamed to admit it. In fact, I love it so much I might try my hand at a gluten free version. But I digress. The farm was covered in a blanket of snow and so was the tractor. Yes, that old blue one up at the top. I can't even count the number of hours I spent riding on the side while PopPop fed the cows, cut the hay, plowed the fields, or just drove around for purely for my enjoyment. It's a beaut! And you know what? That shade of blue is the same color as PopPop's eyes...bright blue! He's doing quite well still. Yes, his TIA's have affected how fast his thoughts actually come out as words, but he was always a man of few words so it was okay. He is weaker in body but strong in mind. He was having a great day when we were there. He was freshly shaved and smelled so good...old spice and all. His eyes lit up when we came in and he just smiled and focused on my girls a lot. They were shy around him but smiled and giggled which was great for him and my Grandma. Grandma, now she's still quite the pistol with her beautiful silver hair. She's a mere 50 years older than me and a woman of vast knowledge and opinion. She won't sit still for a minute...unless she's crocheting or playing scrabble, otherwise she's on the move.

Today, Sunday, December 13th is PopPop's birthday! He is 89 years old! Happy Birthday!

xo ANG

toy test::A+

It's that time of year again. Gift giving. I love it. I love to see the wonderful expressions on the faces of my children when they open gifts. And although this is my year of handmade gifts, there are some things that I just can't make. So what to do? Picking toys is not easy, however, there is a toy website called ebeanstalk, dedicated to selecting good, safe baby toys and kids toys. BUT they need help from moms like me to help pick the toys. Naturally I offered to be a toy tester...I've got a great little panel of judges here to help me out. The toy they sent to the Clothesline family is called Play Foam, one of their many learning toys . Here is the deal on this toy… my girls love it! It came with six great colors. Play Foam is made of foam beads that stick together but aren't really sticky. It's true. You can mold and mash this stuff into any shape you want and it will keep it's shape but not stick to the table or your hands. It doesn't have a scent or leave any colorful residue behind like some moldable stuff. To me it feels like pulling apart a rice crispy treat but with less stickiness. The girls squeezed and pulled and spread out the play foam for hours. No kidding! We had several days of rain and Play Foam was a great way to spend some creative time. After making several different shapes the girls ended up mixing it all together. I'm not usually one to condone the mixing of any moldable stuff, but after all of the colors were mixed it was pretty and it lead to even more fun.

The girls got out their toy pots and pans and cups and saucers and started fixing up a grand feast for their dolls and stuffed animals. There is no limit on how much fun you can have with Play Foam...just let your imagination take over! It holds it's shape and it doesn't dry out and there was not messy to clean up!

If you want to check out this and other great toys at ebeanstalk just click the following links.
baby toys
kids toys
learning toys

Have a great day. xo ANG

snow?

Just the other day it was warm enough for a nice walk down at the river. The sun was warm and the river was crystal clear.

Even yesterday was warm enough (low 50's) to play with friends at the playground before lunch. But as the day progressed the temperature steadily dropped. Then, this morning when I left to go grocery shopping it was raining. When I was finished shopping the snow was coming down! The girls were thrilled! I supposed all the crazy snow that Houston had has finally reached us here in Virginia. It won't even be enough to play in and as I write this the snow is slowing down and melting as it hits the ground. But man, it sure it pretty to see.

xo ANG

a birthday wish

Happy Birthday to a special friend!

Here's a virtual card especially for you!
Peas in a pod, these two.

I am so thankful that you are such a sweet and special friend to my girls. I hope your birthday is out of this world!

art you should see

I received my copy of Craft Leftovers Monthly in the mail yesterday. It's chocked full of so much fun stuff. There are recipes for food, recipes for tea, recipes for salts and scrubs! There's a crochet project, knitting project, an embroidery pattern, and even a paper snowflake template...ya know, for inspiration so the entire house can be filled with snowflakes. I suppose it's time to break out the scissors...closely monitored scissors, of course. What? I know my girls are almost 7 and 4 1/2 but there is a lot of fabric and yarn lying around and very tempting long locks of hair. We've never had a scissor incident and I'd like to keep it that way.
Now, I won my copy of Craft Leftovers Monthly from Regina. She was hosting a giveaway over at her wonderful blog Creative Kismet. If you've never been there you should pop over there and check it out. But be prepared...there's lots of crafty inspiration over there. Regina is a wonderfully talented artist. She paints and sews and creates wonderful mixed media pieces all the time. A while back she was even on the Martha Stewart Show! Anyway, Regina has an Etsy shop called Creative Kismet Studios with lots of great stuff in it. You'll find something irresistible there, I know you will! Her prices are great and her products are wonderful. She's got lots of prints for sale, tea wallets, stationary, ornaments, and pin cushions. Regina is offering free shipping on selected items until December31st, so shop now before it's too late!

(graphic/button from CreativeKismet.com)

happy thanksgiving

I'm just popping in this morning before the Thanksgiving Day Parade comes on t.v. to share with you some things that I am thankful for today.

*an amazing family
*good health

*a cozy home

* this little girl that is intense and mellow...and funny

*wonderful friends

*freedom

*this little girl that is thoughtful and sweet...and funny

*a merciful and gracious God who loves His children

*the ability to stay home with my children

*and last, but certainly not least, this wonderful husband of mine who is smart and sensitive, a provider and a Daddy, and so, so funny! Now you can see where the girls get their sense of humor :o)

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving...and remember to give thanks. xo ANG

a winner*

Okay, today is the big day! I am ready to announce the ecostore USA giveaway winner! Are you ready? Alright...here we go!

The winner

of the $25 gift certificate

to ecostore USA is...

Rebekah of Sunnybrook Farm Designs!

Congratulations Rebekah! Enjoy the natural goodness that is ecostore USA. Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment.

*Just so you know, there is exactly one month until Christmas. I don't know about you, but my handmade gift list is freaking me out. I need to get busy! Sew, knit, crochet, embroider, but most importantly relax, enjoy, reflect, and appreciate all of the blessings in my life. Happy Wednesday. xo ANG

a supreme day

Today is Tim's birthday!

A supremely special day here in the Clothesline household.

I am supremely blessed to have a wonderful, funny, supportive, intelligent, patient husband. The girls are supremely blessed to have an energetic, fun, caring, attentive daddy. Here's a little something I made for him. The lighting wasn't so great so the color is off. The scarf is charcoal gray. It is supremely warm and soft (Patons Classic Wool). I used this pattern, which is free, and I've got some matching, manly fingerless gloves on the hook right now. Hopefully they'll be done before Thanksgiving.
And because making a cute card together is so important, here is the supremely cute card that the girls and I made for him. Together we put the toppings on the pizza. Then I gave them each a white triangle of card stock for their individual messages. They asked that I write their message, then they got to draw and color. I then glued the layers together and viola! A supremely cute card for a supreme dad!

Enjoy your weekend! xo ANG

literal translation

This old box that we used when we moved was brought down from the attic to carry some stuff to our homeschool co-op today. It was obviously used for some type of delicious pastries at one time but the only thing that the girls read on the box were the words on the blue label. All they wanted to know was why someone would have so many cats and why would they put cat number 48 in the freezer! hehe! Now, see if you can spend the rest of your weekend with that smile on your face! Happy Friday! xo ANG
also, in other happy news...I won a copy of the Craft Leftovers Monthly from Regina's (of Creative Kismet fame) giveaway! Woot! Woot!

practice makes pie

I must admit that although I have baked many a turkey for Thanksgiving I have never in my life made a pumpkin pie. I know it's not difficult. This is America after all and all I have to do is go buy a ready made crust and a can of pie mush. Okay, I could make a crust and buy the can of mush but my previous experiences with homemade pie crust were not so great. My solution...just avoid making pie. I do love me some pumpkin pie so I would eat it if someone else made it...I just wasn't making it. I make other delicious treats for the holiday season, so believe me, we are not deprived of yummy treats. And now, in our state of gluten free living I have the perfect out when it comes to making pie....or so I thought. Recently, two things have happened. First, we went for our annual fall fun day at the pumpkin patch with our friends. The girls got to choose cute little pumpkins and paint them then they were off to play and climb and jump. Oh, it was a fun day...see?

But then, once again we had two little pumpkins whose paint came right off when it rained. Sure we could have painted them again, but why? They were just going to sit there and rot. Hmmm, I bet those would make a great, fresh, pumpkin pie. Oh, but the crust is an issue. But wait!...and here's the second thing...I found a gluten free pie crust mix made by Gluten Free Pantry. I've been pleased with many of their products so maybe I should give their crust a try. It is called "perfect" pie crust mix...so it must be good, right? Well, I took those little pumpkins (after building up the excitement of having pumpkin pie long before Thanksgiving) and baked them in the oven just like an acorn squash. I scooped it all out and gave it a whirl with my mixer to make it smooth and I tell you...perfect.

And yes, I bought the crust mix. It was a quick and easy mix. It smelled like regular crust. It felt like regular crust. It even rolled like regular crust. Our hopes were high for a delicious tasting crust and a delicious tasting freshly made pumpkin pie. The aroma of freshly baked pumpkin pie filled the house. It came out beautiful. Just look at it. Hungry?

Thankfully I made it during the day so by the time we were ready for dessert after dinner the pie was ready to be devoured. The girls could hardly contain their excitement. Okay, I was excited, too. How could I not be? It was all working out just perfectly...like I had made a billion pumpkin pies before. Then I sliced it and ....

we couldn't eat it fast enough! It turned out so good. The crust was a little thick for some...I like it that way though...but it was flaky and buttery and oh so yummy. My first pumpkin pie. Delicious!

Oh, and just the other day in all of the bleakness as the trees shed their leaves, my azalea wanted to show off a little more before it got too cold. The brightness of the one purple bloom amongst the dark, dried up leaves was beautiful. Too beautiful to leave outside. The bloom was quickly rescued and brought into the house for a drink of water.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner so remember to give thanks. Today as the cold rain comes down and extra layers are worn I am thankful for my little house in the city. It's warm and cozy and we are all in good health. Happy Thursday. xo ANG

Don't forget to go here to enter my giveaway.

ecostore usa giveaway time!

Recently, I was given the opportunity to try a couple of products from ecostore USA and write up a review. First let me share some information about the company.

The team at ecostore USA loves making a difference in people’s lives. ecostore USA does not compromise on performance, so customers can be assured of the efficacy of the products - they truly work. We offer more than 100 products, each one meeting the most stringent environmental and sustainability standards. The guiding principle of every formulation is and will always be that the end product must not only be good for the user, but good for the planet.

As a general rule I like to use items that are as close to completely natural as possible. These days there are so many chemicals in everything it's just down right refreshing to have natural and safe alternatives. Here are the two products I tried...Manuka & Sandalwood Shampoo and Manuka Honey and Kelp Soap.

Let's start with the shampoo. The smell is wonderful, yet light. This shampoo lathers well so only a small amount is needed which makes it last so much longer. When I use this shampoo my hair feels super clean. I wish I had asked for the matching conditioner as well because my naturally curly, dry hair didn't feel moisturized after using this shampoo. Clean, yes. Great scent, yes. But because I already have dry hair a conditioner is still necessary. However, if you have naturally oily hair this may be the perfect shampoo for you. The soap, on the other hand, I absolutely love. The scent is great and it leaves my skin feeling super clean. It doesn't dry my skin out and it doesn't leave a soapy film either. The soap also has a wonderful texture which gently exfoliates! So, I have been enjoying both products and would highly recommend both.

Now, the generous folks at ecostore USA have allowed me to host a giveaway for a $25 Gift Certificate to their online store. This is perfect! Just in time for the holidays! Order an ecostore USA product to give as a gift or just treat yourself to something. It's all up to you. Their only request is that you either sign up for the ecostore USA newsletter, follow them on twitter or be their fan on facebook. Quick and simple. Now just leave me a comment on this post and you're in the running. You have until midnight next Tuesday, November 24th, to enter and I'll post the winner on the 25th.
Good Luck! xo ANG

old germs, new books

Hey there! We're still alive and kickin' here at the Clothesline. Tim is on the mend and for now the girls and I are still healthy. It's amazing that the old germs from Tim didn't spread and multiply in our house. Lots of prayer and Lysol and hand sanitizer...a miracle, really. It's been a long, hard, tiring week and I wasn't even the one who was sick. Tim hasn't had as much as a cold in over a year so to be out of commission for a whole week is bizarre and stressful. Add on top of that 3-4 days of cold, cloudy, rainy flood conditions and you've got some serious cabin fever.

(flip-flop clad girls trying to feed the cat some grass through the screen, happy laundry, seriously white leg with fall leaves and blooming lavender)

Thankfully we've had our air purifier going the whole time. It helps, it really does. Also, Friday afternoon, all day yesterday, and all day today we have had some warm sunshine. Oh man, there's nothing like fresh air and warmer temperatures to make everyone feel a little better.
So, now on to some new books. New from the library, that is. Let me just say that reserving books online and being able to just walk in and pick them up without having to search the entire library for them is soooooo great! Keep in mind the "if you think I'm weird, just say so" posts when you see my selections. First up, crochet and knitting books. I'm feeling a little more confident in my crocheting now...probably because I feel so inept at knitting, but whatever. I am enjoying knitting a lot but I am still so new at it that I really don't have any skills to speak of yet. That doesn't stop me from looking at projects and patterns though. One day I'll be able to create something wearable (besides a scarf or hat) out of some scrumptious yarn.

Next up...some bee keeping books. Remember when we got to meet a beekeeper a while back? Well, we'd been interested in the idea of having our own honey for a while and talking to an actual bee keeper with tons of experience just fanned that flame. Don't get me wrong, I still don't like bees around me, but I think I'll get over it eventually. After all, I have grown. I don't scream like a girl and run anymore when they fly around me...I just move quickly and quietly. Tim will be the one in the suit smoking out the bees anyway. I'll just be a helper. One day, when we have some land, or at least don't live in the city, we'll have a hive or two. So to be prepared I thought I'd read up on all the details. I like to have a game plan so when the time is right the decision making will be easier and based on well researched knowledge. I know, weird.

Last but not least, some animal books. There is so much that I need to know before I actually own chickens or goats. So to prepare myself for that undertaking (which I know is off in the future..but still) I found these great books. Since I took this picture I have gotten a few more books...one about raising dairy goats and one on building different types of animal housing. What? Animals need housing and if there isn't a barn or something then why not already have the knowledge to building something? Go ahead...just say it....weird.

Anyway, there are so many choices when it comes to goats and chickens. Who knew? Okay, lots of people probably, but now I know, too. Let me just say, there are some pretty chickens out there but the pretty ones aren't always the best layers...which is what we want. The girls have been enjoying looking at all the chickens and choosing their favorites. There are also some adorable ducks in there, too. Maybe if we have a pond one day. We've decided that there's really no need for an ostrich though, but the eggs are huge! Yes, we had fun with the poultry book. Goats, that's another story. There are several types that are good milkers, but a calm, friendly type would be perfect. The book about raising dairy goats is really much more helpful with that decision.

What can I say, I like to be informed and prepared. So what if it makes me a little weird. Okay, a lot weird. But when you've got days and days of rain it's nice to have books to look through and build dreams upon.

How about you? Any big dreams out there? Happy, healthy Sunday! xo ANG

november understands

Over the past week we have gone from sweatshirts and fingerless gloves to shorts and flip flops. We have experienced cold nights in the low thirties and some warm days in the high seventies. I must say, I thought the chance of having warm days was over. I had conceded. The season had won and I was surrounding myself with nice warm knitting and crochet projects. But November understands. November understands that a few more days of the warm sun shining down on us not only helps us shake off the chill of fall and the reality that winter is coming, but it also helps us remember that we thoroughly enjoyed our summer and we should appreciate and enjoy to the fullest every warm day we are given. And believe me we did! We played outside for hours. I opened the windows and invited November in for the day. We raked leaves. We played at the playground. Scooters and sidewalk chalk were brought out and enjoyed a little longer. All the while my dear hubby has been sick. He did sit out in the sun to shake of the chills and get some fresh air. But he spent the entire weekend trying to get better. So far the girls and I have managed to stay well and if we can make it another day or two I think we'll be in the clear. So if you're thinking about it, say a little prayer for Tim to feel better soon and a little prayer for me and the girls that we can escape this one. Remember...wash your hands, don't touch your face, take your vitamins, get enough rest, cover your cough, and love the ones you're with. Today it is cooler again...and raining. I understand, November. You can't make it feel like summer for too long, it just wouldn't be right.
Sorry no pictures today. I'll make it up to you. Promise.
Happy Tuesday. xo ANG

they don't call it fall for nothin'

Right now my neighbor's maple tree looks like this. Gorgeous, right? The other day as the sun was setting the tree looked like it was aflame. The colors are beautiful. It's one of the prettiest trees on our street in the fall.

However, most of the leaves end up in our yard so we do a lot of raking. I don't really mind raking up the leaves, but it would be nice if the neighbor would rake the leaves in his yard, too so they don't eventually end up in mine after I've already raked about a gazillion times. I guess it's not all bad though...raking burns calories. Plus, the girls really like to help with the raking.

Because, after all, the bigger the pile, the bigger the fun! There is always some jumping in, running through, rolling on, hiding beneath, and the most wonderful of all, throwing them high in the air and watching them fall back down again every time we get a nice big pile raked into the middle of the yard. After a few million times of raking and re-raking the same leaves it's time to get out the old leaf vac though. Not to worry. This is just the beginning of fall leaf fun. The oak tree likes to hold out until mid-December before letting us rake enjoy it's leaves.

Enjoy this season for it will soon be gone.

Happy Saturday! xo ANG

let there be art

Not a day goes by where there isn't some drawing going on in my house. Now this drawing could be on paper, in a sketchbook, on my grocery list, or on a magnadoodle, but most of the time the dry erase board is the coveted spot to be creative. The only problem is it has to be erased to draw another picture. Thank goodness I take pictures of everything all the time. Okay, so I don't take pictures of everything they draw, but when it's a super special, most spectacular, colorful feast for the eyes and they want to save it for Dad to see I just take a picture so we can share it with the world! Here are some of the more recent drawings. After I took these pictures I was asked to post them on my blog so the whole wide world could see them. So, whole wide world...I hope you enjoy these drawings!

If you have any doubt, we have a black and white cat named Shadow. In the above picture he is a super hero capturing the bad cats. His little orange kitty friend helped to hang the wanted posters. Miss O was the artist.

Cats News was quite the treat. Miss O worked long and hard thinking of each headline. Of course Shadow was featured in every story. He is super after all.

Here, little miss E was using every square inch available on the board. Obviously we've been working on letters and a few tricky numbers. Of course, a lovely striped cat had to be added for extra cuteness.

Miss E again with a picture of her and her big sister as princesses with many sparkles around them. I'm not really sure why all of her people have cat eyes now, but dang, they're cute!

It is apparent that miss O is longing for warmer, sunnier days in this picture. A beautiful rainbow, a kitty chasing a butterfly, kids playing in the sprinkler, a pony, and a mom watering flowers...hmmm...warm sunny days sure are nice. Oh, and I was told to explain that the sun is light green because we don't have a yellow marker.

And last but not least, another super fancy, pink princess with sparkles and curly hair (ahem...like mine), a dress for the ball (that doesn't conceal her wide hips..certainly not mine) and a fancied up cat with curly whiskers and all!

So what art is happening in your house these days? Leave a stack of paper and some crayons in view of the little ones and let there be art!

Happy Tuesday! xo ANG