things i'm fond of today

drifting in the depths, tiel seivl-keevers [brisbane, australia]

paintings by michelle breton [melbourne, australia]

tussle by melissa castrillon [cambridge, england]







ceramic vessels by shino takeda  [brooklyn, ny]

I had this idea of recording my sketchbook via video.  Then I came across this video that artist adriana lozano [buenos aires, argentina] uploaded onto her flickr last week.







Adriana's sketchbook reads like a book.  Did you notice how the drawings continue onto the next page?  This is another project I have been wanting to do but just haven't had the time to work on . . .  one day.



To see other videos of adriana lozano's wonderful work, go here.

my week

thanksgiving day in salem, oregon ::

i learned a new word- spatchcock

my husband says it sounds intrusive

it means to butterfly poultry so that it cooks faster

after four weeks of climbing up and down a ladder or crouching on the floor,

my "tattooing" of the prana store is now done

it was a wonderful experience and i am so thankful to have worked with a company 

that cares about how their products are made and the people involved

i've started including friendship pins with orders:

one with every order thru the end of 2011

just a reminder that my calendar sale ends tomorrow!

check out my latest interview on artists who blog

thanks stephanie!

Mommy MD Guide to Pregnancy and Birth AND Mommy MD Guide to Your Baby's First Year by Rallie McAllister

You will have a chance to win this set of books and other prizes Nov 5-Dec 6 during the 12 Days of Gifts Galore at Callista's Ramblings.

Stars: *****

Momosa Publishing

Summary: The Mommy MD Guides cover common pregnancy and parenting concerns and then are followed up with quotes from actual doctors who are moms. Each book has more than 900 tips from 60 or 70 doctors. 

The books are separated into pregnancy weeks (Pregnancy) and baby's age in months (for First Year book.) MANY different topics are covered and you can find them via the index as well.

Many people think that doctor parents must know what they are doing all the time but that isn't true. Doctor parents worry just as much as we do and they have trouble making parenting decisions as much as we do too. So reading these books was a nice change as you get to see what doctor parents really think about. I also like that some of the Mommy doctors have young children right now while others have adult children so you are getting more than one generation's advice.

It's a great book for when you don't have lots of time to read long chapters but on the other hand, if there is a specific problem you are having and you've tried some ideas already, the book isn't likely to have another solution. It's mostly like chatting with a bunch of other moms.

The website has other resources as well including a blog and a questions section. Check out the blog for a chance to win a $15 Starbucks Gift Card just for spotting the book in a store! Also check out the recommended products besides the books!

Links of Interest: Mommy MD Guides, Mommy MD Blog, Mommy MD Facebook, Mommy MD Twitter, Daddy MD Guides,

*Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative for evaluation purposes. No other compensation was provided.

New! 2012 calendar

New in my Etsy shop is this 2012 calendar.  The mixed media collage, which was actually created several months ago, was inspired by a trip to Crater Lake.  I love old lodges and cabins, so I created this calendar to have a vintage, rustic-like look.  The months and dates were all handwritten, and the paper is 100% recycled cardstock. 



For the next week and a half, I'm running a special promotion in my Etsy shop.  In celebration of my shop turning two this week, I'm giving away a calendar with orders totaling $30 or more.  To see more photos of the calendar, go here. 

Almost done

These are the two floor designs I have been working on in the new Prana store.  In the first pic, you can see the very small paintbrush I have been using to paint the lines. 



I'll be painting during the store's grand opening party Friday night.  If you can't make it to the event, maybe you can stop by in early January for my First Thursday artist reception.  I'm Prana's featured artist for the month of January, so my latest originals will be showcased in the shop.

Free Thanksgiving printables!

It is so fun this time of year to come up with creative things to do with the kids to celebrate Thanksgiving.   What a great opportunity we have this time of year to build character into their lives learning about something as rich as gratitude.  So lets have some fun with it!

Here are some great printables from Paper Glitter that have something for everyone!
A thankful placemat for the kids to color, dinner invites, printable banners, place cards, menu sheet, cupcake toppers, water bottle bands, food labels, you name it it is here!  It is all in one FREE downloadable file.

I have already printed off the banner, and place mats and hope to do the rest as I know the details to fill them in. (You can personalize much of with whatever text you want!) Talk about looking like you put so much planning and effort into it!  Fortunatly a few clicks of the mouse will have you all set up!

Looking for kids printables like word searches, mazes, coloring sheets and games?  Here is a great list to help you find some printable fun!  I plan on printing them all!  I know my gang and one will not do!  So I plan on making a sort of coloring book place mat with a pile of these fun sheets stapled together.  My kiddos will love it!

find this great place mat at Whatever Dee Dee wants

This fun one is from Family Fun magazine just click here for it!

Free printable coloring page from Karla Dornacher.
Go check out her blog as she has a lot of really cute free coloring pages!


Mix a little leaning and fun.? You can find this one at Super Mom Moments.

How about some other Thanksgiving ideas the kids will enjoy?

This "fill in the tale" is from Family Fun as well.
I love the idea of this Thanksgiving skit from Oopsey Daisey.  Kind of like readers theater.  the narrator reads the Thanksgiving story and every character chimes in with their characters repetitive line.  Fun easy way to add the story of Thanksgiving in and get on the spot participation from everyone there.  I have already tprinted this out for us to do. Should be a lot of fun and great for the little kiddos to practice their reading.



Looking for some elegant printables for place cards, drink / cupcake flags, food labels, etc..
Blog catch My Party has a whole free downloadable set in the following theme.  




Hope you have found something useful here!  Please comment and let me know if you did.  I tagged all of these on my pinterest account so if you are interested in what other cool Thanksgiving and Christmas ideas I have found please follow me and check out my Christmas and Fall holidays board!
Happy Thanksgiving planning!

November is national ADOPTION MONTH! Find a way to celebrate it!

There are an estimated 140 MILLION ORPHANS WORLDWIDE right now, and there is so much we can do to bless them even if you are not at a place to adopt.  So this November as we celebrate Thanksgiving lets remember all we have to give thanks for and find a way to give back to these little ones.

My Husband and I had the privilege to add to our family through adoption 2 years ago while we lived overseas in Vanuatu working with Youth With a Mission.  We now have 4 kiddos with 3 having been born from the body and one having been born from the heart.

You can find Bella's adoption story HERE.

Here are some easy ideas you can use to celebrate
NATIONAL ADOPTION MONTH this November.

1) Adopt  If you have been wanting to adopt GET STARTED! Here is a great link to Focus on the Family's I Care about orphans website that helps give you a good overview of where to start if you are considering adoption.

I know it is a long process and it involved a lot of time, money and effort but it is SO SO worth it.  By the way if any of you are wondering if you can love an adopted child as much as one with your own DNA believe me it is the easiest thing once you hold the child in your arms and accept them as God's gift to you!

For those of you who do not have the option of adoption at the moment here are a few other ideas that you can implement to celebrate National Adoption Month.

2) Donate to & Pray for someone trying to adopt.  There are so many people trying to adopt that are fundraising so if you can't be one of them consider donating to the cause and help a child find a loving home.  Don't know anyone but interested in helping someone?  Here are friends of mine trying to adopt from Ethiopia

. 

Lisa and Matt They adopted their daughter Koral in Vanuatu with me while I was adopting Bella and they were both newborns!

DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER!!
3) Sponsor a child overseas through a researched child sponsorship program.  Do your homework as even some of the major names have NOT received very high grades (they use a letter system) for the actual amount DIRECTLY benefiting the child sponsored. Please consider sponsoring through a smaller organization where your funds go directly to the children in need, and do not get eaten up in salaries, overhead and advertising.  These are a few I recommend
Hohidiai Childrens Home in Indonesia through IFCUS

Josh and I have worked with IFCUS hands on and know and trust the leaders.

 

FOVC Friends of Orphans and Vulnerable Children.  This great ministry was started by a Colorado couple who adopted from Ethiopia and wanted to more for their adopted children's homeland.  I am very excited to get behind this group personally and LOVE what they do and HOW they do it.

YWAM Thailand A wonderful organization that cares deeply for the orphans and children in need.  It is a volunteer organization that works tirelessly for the needs of the children they help.

4) Read adoption stories on Focus on the Family's website  or My Crazy Adoption (Bella's story is featured here along with loads of other AMAZING adoption stories)and let them open your eyes to the amazing things God is up to around the world with adoption.

Project 61: Spreading Hope - A short documentary from Session 7 Media on Vimeo.

Great for families to create awareness with their children and fodder for good discussions.  Pray for the families you read about and those you know who have adopted.

5) SHOP FOR THE CAUSE!  Make your Christmas money work! Use it to buy from sources that support adoption like moms on Etsy who are using their profits to help fund their own or others adoptions.  Here is a link to all the Etsy shops selling handmade goods to support orphans or adoptions.  My friends blog  JUST LOVE 127 has opportunities of how to shop and have the proceeds benefit their adoption from Ethiopia. Or check out Wynne Elders Jewelery fundraiser featuring "Noonday Sun".  Noon day sun gets it's name from a verse in Isaiah "When you satisfy the needs of the oppressed your night will become like the noonday sun"  Just Google it and you will find tons more opportunities to SHOP FOR THE CAUSE!

6) Find out about the needs of the foster care children in your area.  Many foster children will never be reunited with thier families and face years of transitional homes.  Could you be one of those homes and love on those children?  Could you bless a family in your area that takes in foster children somehow to lighten the load.  Could you be an emergency placement home to foster children needing an immediate safe place for a very short time while a foster home is being found?  Look into the needs and opportunities in your area. Check out I care about Orphans for waiting children in your state.

7) PRAY FOR THESE CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD 
You can pray for these children around the world that need homes and shelter and love.

 Go to Pray for an Orphan and sign up to see photos and adopt a child for prayer.  Learn about orphans around the world and how you can pray for them!  Again I say...DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER!!

These are some of my favorite blog buddies who have adopted...
Lisa at JUST LOVE127 My close friend who is currently adopting from Ethiopia and who came and adopted her baby Koral in Vanuatu while I was living there and was adopting Bella. Want to donate to an adoptive family..look no further.
Rory of Chocolate Hair Vanilla Care You guessed it a GREAT blog about adoptive hair care and other related adoption issues
Amanda of Bacon Tidbits A dear friend from Alaska Who is a self described "homeschooling mama to 6 fantastic kiddos. Including our baby girl and boy who joined our family one year apart and are 4 months apart!"  Great parenting resource!
My Crazy Adoption is a wonderful adoption blog filled with adoption stories, and support. Bella's story is on here as well.
Braner party of 7 A gal in Durango Colorado who has adopted 2 sweet kiddos from Rwanda and has a zest for life!

A father to the fatherless…is God in his holy dwelling…
God sets the lonely in families…
Psalm 68.5-6


Leave a comment and let me know what your family plans on doing to celebrate National Adoption month.  


Please celebrate on behalf of the worlds 140 MILLION ORPHANS who need you to do something!

GIVEAWAY: $10 Cash via PayPal

I'm looking to gain more followers and comments on this blog so I put together this giveaway for $10 Paypal Cash. This giveaway is posted on both of my blogs but you only enter on one!

To enter, please use the rafflecopter form below. If you don't know how to use it, see this rafflecopter guide. A copy of the giveaway rules are below and on the rafflecopter form. Entering the giveaway means you have read and agree to the rules. If you have any problems, email me callista83@cogeco.ca

GIVEAWAY RULES:
One Person Per Household. Open worldwide to anyone who has a paypal account and is 18+. Giveaway open until December 5, 2011 @ 11:59 PM EST. Odds of winning depend on number of valid entries received. Duplicate (accidental or not) entries will be deleted before a winner is picked and winner's entries will be verified. Winner will be selected using random.org on December 6, 2011 and will be contacted by email. Winner will have 3 days to claim their prize or their prize is forfeit and another winner will be chosen. Contest Void Where Prohibited. This giveaway is not associated, nor sponsored by Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability.

Click Read More if you can't see the widget.








*Disclosure: This giveaway was sponsored by me.

Cleaning and scrubbing can wait for tomorrow...

This is me and Dahlia my now 4 year old when she was little.  My children are now 1,2,4  and 7.

My kids have been sick and yesterday I spent the better part of the day on the couch holding my sick baby and cuddling with my 4 year old while another sick kiddo slept and one played outside.  It wasn't a very productive day and the house had to be cleaned that night, but that time was precious.  Later that night I found this poem on pinterest I didn't see an author and I think it has been around for some time. It gave words to my thoughts.  Sometimes it takes an illness to slow us down long enough to just sit and enjoy our kiddos.  Lesson learned.  I want to savor these special days, because all too soon they will be out on their own and we will be missing them.

Easy Entertaining for Beginners by Patricia Mendez

You can enter to win this book and many other prizes (totalling $115) at my Canadian review blog, Callista's Ramblings before 11/25!

Stars: ****

Maple Heights Press (2008)
172 pages
Cooking/Entertaining

Summary: Handy guide to hosting your own parties and get-togethers complete with menus, step by step instructions, practical advice and party etiquette, ideas for music, activities, drinks and full colour photographs of some of the foods.

I don't really host parties at my house very often. However it was decided that I would be hosting Thanksgiving and Easter at my house from now on and we do a monthly games night which rotates from house to house. The few times I have hosted a meal, I'm still running around prepping when people arrive, a part of the meal doesn't go well or I forgot something important. This is because I don't plan or start early enough in advance. This book will help me with the net event I host.

The menus themselves weren't really helpful to me only because our family is picky I guess as we won't eat most of the foods given. However I would be able to pick my own menu and figure out what things could be made ahead and what timeline to use. If you are new to following recipes and cooking on a timeline, you might have trouble with this, but then again, you might be okay with the menu. The foods aren't very strange or anything. Let me show you what I mean:

• Coconut Salmon (we don't eat fish - there are a few seafood meals)
• Baked Potatoes with Blue Cheese Dressing (won't eat Blue Cheese but could easily substitute)
• Broccoli with Lemon and Parmesan (for romantic dinner with two, but hubby won't eat Broccoli and I don't like Lemon flavoring)

However there are some I can't wait to try too:

• Gourmet Burger Bar
• Pinto Beans with Bacon
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Cheddar Hash Brown Gratin

I really appreciate the advice and layout of what to do when (2 days ahead, 1 day ahead, 2 hours ahead etc....)

I wish there was an Easter one in the book. The website though has more tips, hints, recipes and menus including an Easter menu.

Buy Easy Entertaining for Beginners at amazon.com and support SMS Book Reviews

my creative week

I managed to find some time this week to finish an 8 x 10 mixed media painting called dreamscape.  When I start a new work, it's rare for me to have an idea of what the finished piece will look like.  My painting process is very organic. I apply one layer after another until all the elements seem to just fit together.  Outside of art, I tend to be a big planner, so it's very freeing to sit at my art desk and not have to plan a composition beforehand. 



One of the comments I receive the most about my art is that it's much more detailed in person than on the computer screen.  It's difficult to capture with a camera the subtle gradations of color and texture in an artwork.  In dreamscape, the background may initially look like it's one flat color.  But, at closer observation, the wavy pattern that has been scratched into the wood panel reveals underlayers of color. 

Negative space isn't usually a dominant feature in my work.  But, in this particular piece, the dark empty space between the mountain and clouds creates balance and adds an element of mystery.



dreamscape is currently available in my Etsy shop here.  

I'm helping plan an art fair and fundraiser next month at my daughter's school.  It's a two day event where Portland shoppers can purchase art and handmade gifts by local artists and makers.  My two girls will be sharing a booth with me.  I'll be selling my art, and they will be selling their beaded jewelry.  They want to buy some chickens for families in developing countries, so this is their way of raising money. 

The girls will also be selling some wearable friendship pins.  I helped them figure out how to get the beads on the other side of the safety pin so that it can fasten to clothes or bags.  I have to say that the friendship pins are pretty cute, and I feel like I'm in middle school again!



In the spirit of holiday cheer, I'm including one of these little guys with every order from my Etsy shop this month and next. 

Sketches for a floor design.

This upcoming week, I'm finishing my art installation at Prana's new Portland store.  I have three designs done and one floor design to go.  My back already feels a little contorted from standing on a ladder for hours or being hunched over on the floor.  [I can't imagine what Michelangelo felt like painting the Sistine Chapel- which took four years!]



I have really enjoyed seeing the new retail space come together, and it has brought back many memories of opening my own store.  There are days when I really miss it, and sometimes I do think about opening another art-focused shop. . .  but not anytime soon. 



I'll post photos of the new Prana store and my designs later this week.  The grand opening party is set for this Friday from 6 - 9p.   Enjoy some drinks and snacks while watching me paint on the floor.  The design will look something like the sketch on the right. 

Freebie Friday! Printables to have some fun with the kids!

It's freebie Friday! So here are some fun things for the kids to do.  I love Friday!  We homeschool and Friday is a day off.  We just do extra during the week and have a day that only has Bible class and art on the schedule.  We really enjoy it.  Sat has dance classes and other things to do so this is our truly free to play day.  We can get a slower start, work on art projects and not have to worry about being anywhere or accomplishing anything major.  For our art class on Fri I usually work out of a "how to" style art book (drawing, painting, etc..) or find something fun from pinterest for the kids to do.

My kids are working on the snowman paper doll as we speak.

These snowmen are from Danielle’s Place of Crafts and Activities I had to zoom in (in google chrome) to 144% to make this bigger( to fit a full page) before I printed it out.  These are fun to print out, color, cut out and paste onto construction paper how you like it, or keep as paper dolls or use as a pattern on felt to make a make a felt "paper doll" with changeable clothes for a felt board.  If you do use it as a pattern for felt you can blow it up before you print it so it is larger and then once you have cut out the shapes from different colors of felt use a permanent marker to draw in the missing lines.

Check out these fun Thanksgiving themed printables I found from reading with kids!

Or some fun actives or Thanksgiving place mats for the kids.

Or try coloring these free mandalas from Art is Fun. These are fun for markers, colored pencils or water paint.  Even moms like these! Fun to laminate for place mats as well.

Now go print off some fun!