:the one where fall invites lingering:

schedules and obligations bind.
then fall enters with its explosion of color and wisps of chil in the air. a gentle beckoning to slowness. an invitation to linger.

linger under fluffy duvet covers holding tight the one you love.
linger hand in hand crunching leaves under foot.
linger over warm lips, soft to touch.
linger over hot coffee and the sounds of birds not yet ready to fly south.
linger over sunshine bouncing off the cheeks of children twirling.
linger over conversations with friends.
linger over stories shared by little ones.
linger over meals and the fullness they bring.
linger over memories made.
just linger.

[linger :: to be slow in parting or quitting something]

let us be slow in parting this season.



*joining carissa for miscellany monday

:the one where fall brings blessings:

the simple things are often the sweetest things. a basket full of apples in honor of fall. a frame with words that bless. friendship worthy of thanksgiving. a recipe to explore with my precious one. an opportunity to pass on the goodness passed to us.

she ran to the drawer and grabbed her apron and hat. she loves to bake. we pulled over the chair from the dinning table so she could reach. she stood tall, waiting for instructions. i followed the recipe exactly, reading each line to her, explaining what it all means. she listened intently and measured each ingredient carefully. not too much. not too little. a good amount.

we placed it in the oven and checked on it often through the window with the light on. she smelled it when it was ready and bubbled with excitement. we delivered the beauty of our labor with gladness and it was received well. she is learning and so am i, that we are blessed so we know how to bless. we are filled up to pour out.


*just writing with heather

::Crafty McCrafterson {fall edition}::

in need of a fall treat?

this one is super cute and super cheap!

{supplies}

1 case of mason jars

3 bags of reese's pieces

3 bags of mini marshmallows

2 large boxes of golden grahams cereal

ribbon

note: supplies above make 12 full jars

simply layer each ingredient and tie off the top with a ribbon.

a fall treat that eveyone will enjoy!

happy fall!

what are you crafting these days?

::crafty mccrafterson {pumpkin edition}::

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
― Pablo Picasso


my children love art. they love to create, imagine and make simple things beautiful.  as a mom, it's my pleasure to encourage and nurture their love for all things creative.

the kiddos aquired several small pumpkins from their recent trip to the pumpkin patch at Patterson Farm. in an attempt to create art with both of my little ones  (ages 4.5 and 2), the following project came to life.

supplies:
pumpkin
white paint
paint brushes
black felt
mod podge

the little darlings painted the pumpkin white. they did it with brushes and it was a little streaky so when it was dry i spray painted it white to cover the blemishes. they didn't notice- they were busy riding their horsey's around the yard.

then i cut out felt pieces. eisley carefully applied mod podge and stuck them on our newly painted pumpkin.

voila' a ghost pumpkin to grace our porch. 
(ignore the light spots- the glue wasn't quite dry when i took this photo. it dried completed clear)

the kids love it and talk about it as they go in and out of the house.

what are you guys crafting these days?


*linking up with life made lovely

::crafty mccrafterson::

at the first sign of cool weather i sat down with eisley and did our first fall craft of the year. durgin still takes a rest time in the mornings in his crib with books for about an hour. this allows for one-on-one crafting with my little art lover.

"every child is an artist. the problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up"

-pablo picasso

eisley has a deep love for the arts. she loves painting, sewing, reading, drawing and story-telling. i have memories as a child of writing stories on our living room coffee table and drawing pictures to go along. in my tween years i took time to sit on my grandmothers rusted yard swing under a dogwood tree sketching wedding dresses like i was a top designer. as the years went on my desire for artist endevors lessoned as sports and boys and responsibility came into the picutre. however, i am now revisiting my love for art and all things crafty and finding that it is a truly a gift from the Creator that we too can create.

supplies:
felt
embroidery hoop
mod podge

i simply covered the hoop with a cream 8x10 piece of felt and then trimmed the edges. i cut out a tree with limbs and eisley glued it to the cream felt. i also cut out all the leaves free handed. i gave the supplies to eisley and she added little dab of mod podge on the back of each leave and meticulously placed them all around the branches.

we talked about fall and how the leaves change colors and {fall} to the ground. so she made sure to demonstrate by having the one little leaf falling. such an eye for detail here. once all the leaves were attached and dry we placed it near our entry way for all to enjoy.


what have you been creating lately?


*linking up with Supermom : wordish wednesday