mamaroots

drawing love

      and the winner of the Mariposa set is . . .

Silas did the honors this morning of pulling the name from our heart bowl.  Thanks so much to everyone for entering and your sweet words!  The next giveaway will happen in March!  Butterfly kisses to everyone today!

fresh and green

I tried to sneak in a love pinch on each of my boys this morning, but they were both so excited to wear green today that they even made sure to wear some green jammies last night to be! 

Just to make sure you are all covered in your green activites today here are a couple fresh and new books coming out.  The first book is so sweet and reminds me of my scrappy haired boys right now.  They have not asked for their summer cuts yet and I am so amazed at how their blonde locks have changed the past few months to brunette sweetness that I love!

This first book caught my eye of course by the squiggly line illustrations that I love.  The author and illustrator is Stephen Michael King and I adore his style.  He has a wonderful website that will just make you feel like a kid again.  He lives in Australia and I love it when authors give their snail mail addy for kids to write to!  We will be breaking out our pencils and stationary this week to write a letter.  Leaf just came out this month and is wordless look at the relationship between a boy and a plant! 

This next book will be coming out in April- and is called Sewing Green by Betz White.  I love the green upcycling in the craft world and look forward to checking this one out!

Enjoy the day- I am looking forward to my corned beef, cabbage and soad bread hubby is making for dinner tonight! 

Thanks also to everyone for your lovely comments of the Mariposa contest- my scrappy haired boys will be drawing the name after school today!  I will post the winner tonight!

Monday Surprises

What can be better to waking up to a gorgeous almost . . almost spring day- there were just some really fun lovely fun things for today.

Syrendell Sprites that came in the mail and watching to see what treasures the boys are already starting to put in these cuties!  Seriously, these are just so cute I could not wait for any special reason to gives these to the boys- they love them!

Just loving making the new birthday candle holders- these are in route to the spring swap this upcoming weekend except for the dragon which is headed to a chap named Graeme tomorrow.  I am having so much fun with these!  I am finishing up a princess candle holder tomorrow for a sweet little gal- being the mama of boys I have to admit it is fun to make goodies for little girls also!

The prospect of a new book sent to us in kindness from a sweet reader Beverly- I had the joy to talk with on the phone and am so touched by her sending this to us- we read chapter one tonight  and we are so excited!  Thanks Beverly!

My continual surprise of my changing tastebuds- I have always been a black olive from the can gal and this last weekend I tried some "good" olives again which I usually don't like at all and a switch turned on and now I can't get enough- had to stop by the Olive Bar at the grocery store today!

My last surprise was I was chosen as part of an Etsy Spring Equinox voter thingie!  How fun!  What great company to be in- did I mention I love spring- okay okay I will quite- alright one more time- I heart Spring!!

spreading those spring roots . . .

thanks so much to everyone for your fabulous support of the Goddess Rabbit Grove!  Those girls hopped out of the shop fast!  Love that they will be spreading some spring joy all over!  I am coming up on probably the busiest months of the year for me.  There are tons of spring birthdays in my family, an intensely busy time at my day job and then it is spring festival season.  So there will be just a few things going into the shop this week, but in spreading out those spring roots, I am focusing on my local folks and festivals coming up. 

One of the things I had mentioned before about loving where I live, is our downtown existence.  We live very close to our downtown, work and school downtown, and The Womb Room is just north of downtown.  I know you are probably singing that "downtown" song- but I really do love it.  I have the pleasure of knowing some great ladies who are mamas to some sweetie pie friends of Jaspers.  We get to hear and experience some great times and art areas with these mamas!  That is what I love about community!  So I thought I would take a minute and let you know where mamaroots will be spreading her roots during this spring festivals!

Spring Swap March 22 1-3 pm at The Womb Room

Earth Day April 19 noon-6 at Peace Park

North Village Artists Market May 9 1-5 at Orr Street Studios

 

So come say HI!  I found this great article also about another up and coming area of downtown that is close to Orr Street Studios.  I can't wait to see how this area develops!  I could tell you stories of drinking pots of raspberry chocolate coffee in the old coffee shop there called Common Grounds, and shopping at my favorite little pagan shop called The Bosum of Ishtar in that same little strip of shops- good ol college days!

80/40

Am I giving my age away too much when I say that I remember reading this book with my sweet mama like it was yesterday.  I am not 40 yet . . .I have a few more years, but did you know that The Very Hungry Caterpillar turns 40 this year and that the very talented Eric Carle turns 80! 

Gosh I loved and still love that sequence of the holes in the pages where the caterpillar is eating through the pickel , the ice cream cone . . . . .check out this link for a sweet video where he talks about creating this much loved story.  A little late but still doable, I found this bit of info from The Eric Carle Museum.

"The Carle invites friends, families, and schools throughout the country and abroad to create their own butterflies to flutter in the Museum. Celebrate the caterpillar, who for 40 years has crept into the hearts of millions of readers through his journey of hope from “a tiny and very hungry caterpillar” to a “beautiful butterfly.”

How it works:

Create your butterfly out of 8 ½ x 11 card stock

Design your butterfly using color, shape, and/or messages of hope

Cut out your butterfly

Mail to The Carle: Batches of Butterflies, The Eric Carle Museum, 125 West Bay Road, Amherst, MA 01002

To celebrate there is a new pop-up version of the book that I just got in at the bookstore where I work and it is fun!  All this excitment over caterpillars and butterflies helped secure both the Root Children and the March "Once Upon A Table" projects for me this week.

So the next Root Children book and hand craft will feature The Very Hungry Caterpillar and I am working out the patterns for the "Once Upon a Table" March project (think transformation!)- unfortunately it will still be my fuzzy pdf converter format, but as promised I did sign up for an Adobe Acrobat class in April and am getting the program so they are less fuzzy- better quality for you!

Now- doesn't all this talk of birthday's make you want to go and eat some cake!!

For the birds

Yesterday when I was making some soup in the kitchen something caught my eye right outside my window- I looked up and saw a bright red cardinal perched atop the recycle box peeping inside!  It reminded me how much the boys and I have been loving a new CD.  It is called "You Are My Little Bird" by Elizabeth Mitchell- I am so in-love with this CD!

Not only is it full of folky and sweet children's songs, but you can hear what I believe is her sweet daughter Storey playing harmonica and singing.  The boys were so impressed to hear a child singing on the CD.  In case you like to sing songs with your kiddos also I found the lyrics on-line here.  Jasper's favorite song is Buckeye Jim and Silas is quite keen on Little Bird, Little Bird- I am determined to find molasses candy for them for Easter! 

So I went outside to follow the cardinal and he led me to the lily sprouts near our old birdhouse- right now it is a decoration.  Any time I think about setting up a birding area it looks like a horror film in the yard.  One thing about my cat she is a survivor hunter but it is so heartbreaking to see the birds in her wake- I still have flashbacks seeing her get the hummingbird a couple years ago.  Jasper and daddy gave it a sweet funeral under the pear tree.  She is such a stinker too- when I try to put bells  on her collar she somehow always manages to remove them- darn opposable thumbs she hides!

Mariposa to you . . .

time for another giveaway!  Spring time is by far my favorite season!  I am tweaking my pattern for the butterflies just a smidge and have one of the original shapes left to paint so it would love to fly home with you! 

I started off making Monarchs last fall and this spring and I am enjoying pouring over some butterfly field guides to get some ideas for new mariposas!

A neat gal named Cheryl also suggested this lovely childrens book to me and I love it so I am including it in the giveaway.  It is called Hurry and the Monarch and I will be making a story set for it soon- but wanted to share it with one of you- it is just lovely and fitting for spring and fall with the Monarch cycle.  It just came out in paperback- so sweet!

Leave a comment to be entered!  Entries until midnight March 16- the boys will draw a name on March 17- may the irish luck be with you!

seeing Zen

 

Magic- what does it really mean?  Is it a wand, is it words, is it something pulled from a magic hat?  I tend to think it can be many different things.  One thing I know for sure is that there is and always has been a little bit of magic that happens at The Womb Room.  Maybe it is the energy of the house- maybe it is the energy of its past as a Birth Center, but I know that I love it there!

About a year ago I took a plunge and went ahead and got some professionally made signs created so that people would be able to identify the space when their hearts told them to come.  It was to my incredible sadness to see these signs gone when I went there to share in the joy of a new friends pregnancy and grace her belly with henna with other friends.

I don't have a comprehension why someone would steal them- screws and all- but trying to see the Zen in all of this- maybe some magic of this place will come to them- maybe they needed a sign that said The Womb Room- "peace on earth begins in the womb"- but I can't hide my disappointment that this happened.  I don't think stealing is peaceful in anyway- but I hope that in a zenful way maybe it will cause their behavior to change.

I will also not try and let it get me down too much- I will continue to offer free programs with love and joy for my community- it really completes a great part of my world.

So- police reports filed, new signs in the works, and I am sending out the message of just forgiveness to the person who stole these.  For a short, and very short while I put a tip jar on the blog in case anyone is interested in contributing to the new signs- it is under The Womb Room badge to the right.  I will also put out a donation jar at the next swap- if anyone is interested- many thanks from the bottom of my heart!

 

dusty journey . . .

the weekend started off dusty- in a good way.  It was one of those gorgeous warm pre-spring days when we walked at the park after school and came home to run to play with the neighbors.  I took the opportunity to bring the sanding outside under the naked trees just starting to show their buds!  After a while my arms were covered in dust and the first stage in the sanding- aka creating the ears on the rabbits with the dremel was done.  I start to begin to wonder what I was thinking in wanting to do a Alpha Goddess Rabbit series- meaning a rabbit that would correspond with a goddess A-Z- I am beginning to wonder if this was bigger than I imagined and if anyone would like all crazy colored rabbits named after goddesses but I steer forth!

Saturday found me sanding some and also getting ready for my nephews birthday party- what do I get my 12 year old nephew??  We decide to make this growing athlete kiddo a snack basket and we put in yummy snacks like sesame bars, sunflower seeds, powerbar, etc . . a long with a I-tunes gift card and then I made a funny tag on the basket out of wood and a stamp made from Jasper monster period- on the belly it says "feed me"- finished just as we were walking out the door- sorry I could not snap a picture, but thinking of making more of these as they were pretty cute!  Off for pizza and bowling.  Silas has decided that he wants a bowling party for his birthday instead of swimming- scratch the shark theme and embrace bowling theme- I can do that!

Sunday and I finish sanding and painting the rabbits- shew they took a long time, but no time for pictures and I am on my way to do a Henna blessing for an amazing mama about to give birth to her first born- what an honor and wonderful way to spend the afternoon- surrounded in beauty and friendship.  So what started off as a dusty weekend ended with a mamacord on my wrist, love in my heart, and some henna stained fingers!  See some lovely pics in The Womb Room set here.  What an honor!

I really was hoping to list those rabbit girls this weekend but hopefully tomorrow night after their photo session- can you believe they want payment of 26 carrots!  I hope they will settle for the 2 wooden ones that I have made and don't mind sharing!!

Thanks also so much to everyone for your ultra sweet words about the birthday candle holders- I can't wait to share more designs with you!

diary of a tooth

March 4- 3:30 pm- pick up Jasper from school today- tells me his plan to extract his loose tooth by night- hmm he seems determined.  We stop by the grocery store to get an apple.

March 4- 4:30 pm arrive home, feed the boys a snack and Jasper begins the back and forth pulling on tooth while intermittenly creating a song about losing his tooth

March 4- 5:30 pm - still working on that tooth but we are starting to see signs of blood- this seems to spur him on, I talk him into folding some of his laundry in between tooth loosening

March 4- 5:55 pm- has gotten brother Silas in on the song and has produced a washcloth with spots of blood- I think it just might happen tonight.

March 4- 6:27 pm- talking with my sis on the phone and find out both my neice and nephew lost teeth yesterday- must be something in the fine Missouri air-

March 4- 6:29 pm- still chatting on the phone and screams of excitment from downstairs clue me in that the tooth has left his mouth!

March 4- 6:30 pm- hang up with sis- high five Jasper and find a small jelly jar to put tooth and fill with water- Silas mentions that he thinks his tooth is falling out- I start laughing!

March 4 7:15 pm- both boys rush to the door to greet daddy and show the said tooth in the water- Jasper tells us both that the money he gets from his tooth should go in his spending jar since he worked so hard for it!

March 4 8:00 pm- tooth is safely located on the nightstand in the jar of water and Jasper is tucked in to bed

March 4 8:01 pm- I fall asleep in Silas' bed

March 4 11:55 pm- in sleepwalk slumber I crawl into my own bed forgetting my fairy duties!

March 5 5:45 am- notice tooth in the glass jar on my way to shower- blimey I forgot to switch it out!!  tiptoe into his room, retrieve the glass, scour hubby's wallet for change, add green food coloring to water, no time for the glitter, and carefully set the jar back on nightstand- notice he has not moved a muscle- thank goodness he is a heavy sleeper!

March 5 6:35 am- starting making loud noises outside his room before I go to work so I can see his reaction.

March 5 6:40 am- loud noises work and he opens sleepy eyes to the green watery coin surprise- he said 'she really is magic- last time the water was blue, and i really wanted green this time"- priceless!

This fairy still has it- even when I fall asleep!  Now to put on my strippy tights and guise of Tangle Goblinwand our resident Solstice Fairy for Spring Equinox in a couple weeks!

And just for the fun of it- did you know not every culture has a tooth fairy?  There is a super cute tradition of a tooth mouse!  How fun is that- I guess we will still go with the tooth fairy- wish I had discovered the tooth mouse first!  From what I can garner, it is based on an 18th Century French Fairytale "La Bonne Petite Souris,"  where a mouse changes into a fairy to help a good queen defeat an evil king by hiding under his pillow to torture him and knocking out all his teeth.

These might be a couple fun reads to put on my reading list!  I am wondering if the person that took this photo had that story in mind!  Love I-stock- where else could I get a cute picture of a mouse in a glass?  My cat Escher would not stand for such a thing at our house!    Just imagine a little cutie popping up on the nightstand and taking out the teeth!  Has anyone else heard of this tradition?  What do you do at your house with the triumphant pulled teeth?