Happy Birthday Beautiful Girl!

Dear Leslie,

I'm so happy that you had such a nice start to being 15 yesterday! New friends at school showering you with love and cards and even a painting. Old friends calling and messaging and contacting you with more birthday love. Cards and checks in the mail from aunties who love you, too. A cool unusual camera that is right up your alley coming in the mail from Karen. Making your own cake with Mama after school. Finally - a Blythe doll to inspire the art. Dinner with Grandma and Grandpa - basking in their love and your position as the one and only girl in our world. Coming home to a funny sweet message on the answering machine from Sal and Mol.

I don't know how I got to be so lucky to be your Mama but I am grateful each and every day. It is amazing to see you transforming before my eyes from a sweet, shy, little nature girl into the truly lovely, self-confident, brave, artistic young woman that you are. Happy birthday, Girl.

Love you, Mama

homemade playdough rocks

Homemade playdough is so much cooler than it's store-bought counterpart. It's soft but not plastic-y. It smells nice (this batch smells like oranges!) thanks to organic oils. It is pleasing in it's natural color or with a bit of food color mixed in. I really missed homemade playdough. Good thing I have a new group of littles to make happy.

3 c. flour

1 1/2 c. salt

2 tbsp. cream of tartar

3 tbsp. oil

3 c. water

a few drops of essential oil (optional)

a few drops of food color (optional)

Mix ingredients well. Heat on medium burner stirring constantly until it thickens and pulls away from the pan. Knead for a few minutes. Store in air tight container.

ukulele girl

Goodbye piano. Goodbye violin. Hello ukulele! This girl of mine is incredible when it comes to musical instruments. She has an amazing ear and can pick up any instrument and play it. My dad gave her a quick lesson on the ukulele and she was off. Now she can't put the thing down! A girl obsessed with the ukulele . . . She makes me smile.

yes, she is on the roof . . . painting and harnessing the spirit of her great grandmother who must be up in heaven cheering her on

a little masking tape and a few index cards

Being currently unemployed (and saving all of my pennies to start a new business) I'm finding thrifty new ways to get my craft on without spending too much on supplies. Trying my best to use up what I have (must say I've stockpiled quite a bit) and get creative with other things in my desk. This mini album is made from index cards. I hole punched cards and cardstock and put it together with a couple of metal rings. I'm loving masking tape lately . . . for journaling on, holding things together, painting on, coloring on, adding depth, etc.

wild things

We saw Where the Wild Things Are yesterday. It was visually gorgeous but otherwise a bit disappointing. I'm not really sure what the intended audience is. Despite being based on a classic children's book, it really isn't a movie for kids. It's about a boy whose parents divorce and the monsters seem to represent all of the feelings that he's dealing with. It was a little boring. I hate it when you're looking forward to something and it falls short for you. On a side note, Leslie liked it more than I did. Maybe she is the intended audience!

like michigan, but with spanish moss

We spent yesterday in Mount Dora and if I squinted my eyes half-closed and pretended not to see the Spanish moss then I could pretend I was in Michigan on the most perfect fall day. It was only about 60 degrees (thanks to a cold front blowing in) and leaves were actually falling off the trees! We walked around town, stopping to watch the train go by, drifting into antique stores (where Leslie scored a great leather jacket and an amazing little purse), drooling over cute little bungalows and imagining what it might be like to live in this hilly sweet town in central Florida. We eventually found ourselves in our favorite restaurant, The Goblin Market. It was appropriately decked out for Halloween. A perfect ending to a really nice weekend in Orlando with Char and Carlos.

This morning I have all of the windows open for the first time in our new house. Leslie didn't have school today so we got to sleep in a little and I'm still pajama-ed and having a relaxing slow morning, watching Ellen, doing laundry, and loving that cool "Michigan like" breeze blowing in. I'll enjoy it while I can - I hear it won't be around too long.