Daughters, Disorder, and a Doll

These things have absolutely nothing in common except that each received a bit of my time and attention this past weekend...

These lovely women are my daughters Amanda and Emily. They are the joy I feel on a daily basis just knowing I had a part in guiding them to becoming the fabulous women they are!

Doodles, daughters, and the process of creating has lead me to my first attempt at using the Doodle Formula by Adrienne Looman.
It is still a work in progress but it's coming together, I think?
The kitties are for Emily and the turtles are for Amanda.

Emily has shared her home for years with little fuzzy friends and Amanda has had a passion for turtles for years. It's all about that slow as you go idea. The turtle always wins the race...slow and steady.

On another note...

I am completely consumed with the task of getting the too small storage area in the garage in order so that I can get a car into the garage! The reality of winter is not too far around the corner! And I hate to procrastinate. Ick!! Where do I begin? My many projects and treasures have taken over!Sort, repack, shift, donate, ebay, I'm tired already!

I'll keep you posted on this disaster in the making! Organization ideas welcome!

On a topic far more appealing...

This lovely lady is about 6 inches tall and will look exquisite on the porch of the dollhouse that is currently under construction. The picture doesn't do her justice. She is delicate. Her gown is made from a vintage hanky. Her parasol is made of lace. She looks like a real Victorian beauty.

I was able to adopt her and bring her home for a tiny fee. ($2.99)

(As soon as the dollhouse, this little lady's new home is complete I will be sure to share it with you.)

As I go let me leave you with this thought...
"The only place to start is where you are."

Ist Grade Wisdom

It's almost Monday and for all of you who feel the need to laugh and giggle read on...
Subject: 1st graders
1st grade school teacher had twenty-six students in her class. She presented each child in her classroom the 1st half of a well-known proverb and asked them to come up with the remainder of the proverb. It's hard to believe these were actually done by first graders.. Their insight may surprise you. While reading, keep in mind that these are first-graders, 6-year-olds, because the last one is a classic!

1.Don't change horses...until they stop running.
2.Strike while the...bug is close.
3.It's always darkest before...Daylight Saving Time.
4.Never underestimate the power of...termites.
5.You can lead a horse to water but...How?
6.Don't bite the hand that...looks dirty.
7.No news is...impossible
8.A miss is as good as a...Mr.
9.You can't teach an old dog new...Math
10.If you lie down with dogs, you'll...stink in the morning.
11.Love all, trust...Me.
12.The pen is mightier than the...pigs.
13.An idle mind is...the best way to relax.
14.Where there's smoke there's...pollution.
15.Happy the bride who...gets all the presents.
16.A penny saved is...not much.
17.Two's company, three's...the Musketeers.
18.Don't put off till tomorrow what...you put on to go to bed.
19.Laugh and the whole world laughs with you, cry and...You have to blow your nose.
20.There are none so blind as...Stevie Wonder.
21.Children should be seen and not...spanked or grounded.
22.If at first you don't succeed...get new batteries.
23.You get out of something only what you...See in the picture on the box
24.When the blind lead the blind ...get out of the way.
25.A bird in the hand...is going to poop on you.

And the WINNER and last one!
26.Better late than...Pregnant

I can hardly believe these came from 1st graders. I hope it gave you a giggle!

All About Sark

Sark is an awesome writer, artist and all round creative women.
She is one of my heroes! Take a moment and check out her work.
You won't be sorry you did.
http://www.planetsark.com/index.htm

Sunsets, Quiche, and a Little Creativity

As the sun begins to set, the night air feels a bit cooler. I can almost smell autumn in the distance. It is time to breathe a bit slower, walk, appreciate, and thank God for another day. We are moving on to day four of the first week of school. My classes are going well and the students I have this year are awesome! They really are poised for learning as they enter my classroom and I am amazed at what effort they put forth. I spent some time this evening looking over, reading, and commenting on writing pieces they did to illustrate their individual skills as writers. The usual suspects showed up: grammar issues, punctuation, spelling errors, etc. but, the voice they share as young writers is amazing! I am so excited to see how they and their writing develops as the school year progresses. It inspires me to write as well!With evening comes dinner, a time of preparation, conversation with John, and finally
eating!

I prepared two quiches. One with tomato, green pepper, onion, and of all things "Laughing Cow Cheese". It was really good. (If I do say so myself!) The two triangles of cheese I added gave the quiche a creamy texture. Yum!

The other is for Friday's supper. It has broccoli, finely diced onion, and Parmesan cheese.
This is John's favorite and I enjoy giving him meals he looks forward to.
Seems like a lot of eggs in one week but I only use four eggs per quiche and 2% milk instead of heavy cream. Since I am working on loosing weight it works out better calorie wise.

The other tidbit for today is a book I am excited about.
It is entitled, A Creative Companion...How to Free Your Creative Spirit.
It was written by a woman named Sark. She is described as a free spirit who lives in a cottage in San Francisco. Her purpose in life is to be a beacon of hope to others. And sometimes she just takes naps with her cat Jupiter! Included in the book is: How to be an artist, How to be fully alive, Just for Mom, How to really love a child, and How to treasure an old person.
I promise to share more as the interactive experience unfolds...

Question for the day:
What do you do with creative blocks?
Answer:
Build a castle!
Have a blast building!

A Trip to the Farmers Market

The weather was perfect here on Saturday so I grabbed my market basket, a wallet full of small bills and off I went. This adventure was certain to hold tidbits and tidings from all corners of the county. You just never know who you'll see or what you'll find...I do not have a garden currently, but this plant will look beautiful in a large ceramic pot.

Around the corner was a booth that was selling a large collection of carnivorous plants.
Beautiful examples of God's artistry.

This is Lorene of Deer Creek Organics. They specialize in all vegetables grown organically.
I purchased beets for John and a new vegetable we've never had before, purple carrots.
They are delicious! We had a snack of carrot sticks after getting home.
Please visit Loreen at, www.deercreekorganics.com. She was a delight to talk with and offered beautiful, health enhancing vegetables.
Peaches will be the primary fruit in our menu this week.

Salad, stuffed peppers, a perfect ingredient for salsa...the possibilities are endless.

This happy vendor is the owner of Munson Produce in Donovan, Il.
He not only provided me with scrumptious tomatoes but gave me some free pens with his farms address on them. Free pens a Teachers delight!

Sunflowers are like an unexpected little kiss on the cheek from the
one you love! Sunshine on a stem!

Potatoes are a staple on everyone's table. And they are certain to be on our table this week.

These melons were so perfect you could just about taste them.

I had a fabulous time and I always look forward to Saturday mornings and my visits to the market.

Buddy...Just One of the Creatures Great and Small

This is a wonderful selection to truly illustrate the joy of animal friends and the dedicated man who cared for them, as well as their owners...
All Creatures Great and Small
A Review by Rosanne Welch
You don't have to be a future veterinarian to appreciate James Herriot's All Creatures Great and Small. You just have to be human. That was the key to Herriot's sixty year success in the field he so loved. Whether it was secretly replacing an elderly woman's dead parakeet or putting down an expensive race horse, Herriot treated his patients and their owners with respect and dignity.
In college in the early 1930's a teacher once told the young student, "If you decide to become a veterinary surgeon you will never grow rich but you will have a life of endless interest and variety," and this proves a fair review of All Creatures. It is based on the diaries Herriot kept as a young veterinarian working in the Yorkshire Dales and is filled with many interesting aspects of early veterinary medicine. It is also chock full of a variety of every day experiences, vividly brought to life.
All Creatures begins with Herriot's first interview out of college for the position he so desperately wanted as assistant to Siegfried Farnon. Siegfried is enthusiastic about all the new medical practices, from vaccinations to cow cesareans, and is pleased to have Herriot aboard. The book follows their exploits and mishaps while introducing us to a myriad of colorful characters, some human, some not. Siegfried's younger brother, Tristan, frequently fails his exams at veterinary college even though he is preordained to share his brother's practice. His favorite pastimes are sleeping and "popping by the pub of an evening," but you can always count on him when an animal is in distress. Herriot's favorite client soon becomes Mrs. Pumphrey, a rich widow who pampers her precious Pekingese, Tricky Woo, by overfeeding him and who pays Herriot back with little gifts of cigars and kippers and thank you notes signed by her dog.
Once Herriot masters the names of all the local farmers and their amazingly varied accents, he's only halfway there. Siegfried's genuine desire to see his new assistant "settle down" leads to Herriot's first date with his future wife, Helen Alderson, where everything that can go wrong does. As an author, Herriot doesn't flinch at recalling the details in any of his failures, socially or professionally. All Creatures reads as a wonderful combination of history and romance, full of wit and packed with personalities.

This review and more information about the author can be found at the following web address: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/3907/herriot.html

Let me introduce you to our little guy "Buddy". He has been with us for over six years now and has been the source of so much joy. You see when we rescued Buddy he was malnourished, and had been abused. His owner had taken a lighter to his right ear and burned about an inch off.

He had a horrible life his first 18 months but that has all changed. He is no longer malnourished as you can see. But as a result of his tragic beginning he has asthma, a thyroid condition, and a heart murmur. We have had great Veterinarians and Buddy is a very happy camper these days.

(And we are affectionately considered his support staff!) He is a 48 lb. Blue Tick Beagle but we are certain it's because he has at least 45lbs of HEART! I suspect he's had it with my photo op and is anxious to go outside. If he could talk he'd probably say, "Enough already I want to go play, visit the other neighborhood dogs, and I'm tired of waiting!"
I have no idea how anyone can mistreat animals.
They are God's creatures too and deserve to be cared for.

Please help end senseless abuse of animals.

Here are a few websites that may shed light on what we can do:

http://www.hsus.org/

http://www.animalfair.com/aboutus_contact.html


http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3

Back to School 2009

It's back to school time! And I have been working hard to get my room prepared to invite my students into a wonderful learning environment. I have much more to do but, as I took these photos at the end of the day on Thursday I have tomorrow to finish up. My head is swimming with ideas, new literature, grammar programs, independent reading experiences,writing, journaling and so much more...

This is the beginning of our classroom library and resource center. It will be well used on a daily basis. The new books will fit well in the empty shelves. They'll be ready for my students to take adventures, learn of new cultures, visit places they've never been before, study a concept or topic of personal interest. The best part is I have the privilege of sharing in their discoveries.

My work space and our new elmo projector. This will allow us to do some really awesome interactive lessons.
This motivational bulletin board will be a place for students (11th graders) to set personal goals

in preparation for their ACT experience.

Our desks face each other. I find it allows for greater participation in all aspects of the learning process. I don't like traditional rows. There is much to do yet but tomorrow is another day!
My freshmen students will set personal goals every 41/2 weeks. They will be keep in the pockets on the bulletin board. We will work together to plan and put into practice what they need to do to be successful and meet their goals. Most importantly we will share the journey to achievement together!
"Who dares to teach must never cease to learn."
-John Cotton Dana

Please take a moment to visit my website at http://www.munschsmusings.synthasite.com

Tea in the garden...planning for the future.

Treasures can be found in the most unlikely places! Yesterday as I drove into the parking lot at our apartment I passed the alcove that houses our dumpster and to my amazement I spotted a complete set of outdoor furniture. I parked my car and immediately began carrying these very heavy pieces to our garage. My neighbor (an avid rummager( is that even a word?) took pity on me and sent her son out to help. He was kind enough to carry the heavy pieces.This is a close up of the scroll work. Pretty!
This shot will make a nice background for a scrapbook page.

And here is a look at the whole set. Can't you just see it in a garden!

Imagine if you will, tea, flowers, a warm breeze, and good conversation...Bliss.

Where's the strangest place you've found a treasure?

A Kindred Spirit

This is Christina Katerina she is a character created by author Patricia Lee Gauch and illustrated by Doris Burn. The story book title is Christina Katerina & THE BOX. If you have not read this delightful little story I highly recommend it! It is a story of a little girl, her love of junk, a big box, and a lot of imagination! She is definitely a gal after my own heart.
Here is the excerpt that describes this little darling.

The book cover itself was scribbled with crayon
when I found it but the title and illustration reminded me of my childhood and of my girls.
They had such fun as little one's using boxes and a lot of imagination.

I was literally sitting on the floor at the second hand store reading, which made me smile, giggle, and attract the attention of two small children who were shopping with their mother.
I asked if they could join me and we finished the story together. One of life's spontaneous moments!
I was able to clean of most of the crayon from the cover and will proudly display this little treasure to share with other little one's in the future.
This wonderful book can be found at http://www.amazon.com/ and at http://www.barnesandnobles.com/.

What do Doodles and Damaged Books Have in Common?

Doodles and damaged books, just how are they related? I have recently pulled out my scrap booking supplies and have felt a renewed sense of interest in creating some memory pages. It was spurred by a book I ordered a few weeks ago. It is called, The Doodle Formula by Adrienne Looman. It is a step by step guide to creating the perfect doodle.

Adrienne uses concepts like balance, shape, depth, and filler to achieve the perfect doodle which is then incorporated into scrap book design and collage. The above is my first doodle using her concepts.

I also doodled a few characters I hope you will enjoy!

Crazy bird...
An artist's companion...
The writer's muse...

Confused !

Where do I go from here...Oh! the damaged book connection!

Along with books I recently purchased for my classroom library I
came across a few damaged books. There were books with beautiful illustrations,

lovely type, and I just couldn't leave them there. Reuse, recycle, rejuvenate!

Although damaged their parts will work nicely in a collage and

the covers will become small portfolios for finished artwork.

I love the colors and broad strokes used to create the following illustrations I was able to salvage.

This will make an awesome background.

The next couple examples really appealed to me.

Here is Adriene's book. It can be purchased through Bluegrass

Publishing at http://www.bluegrasspublishing.com/ .

I promise to share my finished work very soon!

P.S. I thought you might like to see the pillows I made from that piece of fabric I picked up the other day.

Take a seat, relax, and leave me a comment!


I will leave you with this quote:

"Creative activity could be described as a type of learning process where the teacher and pupil are located in the same individual." Arthur Koestler

Why Read?

While shopping the other day I stopped in our local Salvation Army Store and

I was able to purchase 50 books for .10 a piece. I am still amazed at the price!

Each will open the door to an experience for young readers who struggle with the question,

Why read?

The act of choosing a book and reading it will help

many of my students realize the following benefits:

Reading provides an opportunity to think, reason, question, and formulate ideas, hence exercising brain power. Reading improves vocabulary, concentration, and focus.

It improves memory,discipline, and creativity. It allows the opportunity to have interesting topics of conversation and reduces overall boredom.

Reading is like having a personal travel guide always ready to provide opportunities to new places, to meet new people, and experience new cultures.

All of these benefits equate to a secure and promising future.

I encourage you to Read today, Encourage a child to read today, Share conversation about what you've read, and Make a positive difference in their future and your own.

Books are the quietest and most constant of friends: they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
Charles W. Eliot

THE STONE: A Story of Friendship

A dear friend sent this to us and I couldn't resist sharing it with you.

THE STONE

TWO FRIENDS WERE WALKING THROUGH THE DESERT. DURING SOME POINT OF THE JOURNEY, THEY HAD AN ARGUMENT AND ONE FRIEND SLAPPED THE OTHER ONE IN THE FACE.
THE ONE WHO GOT SLAPPED WAS HURT, BUT WITHOUT SAYING ANYTHING, WROTE IN THE SAND, "TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SLAPPED ME IN THE FACE. "
THEY KEPT ON WALKING, UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OASIS, WHERE THEY DECIDED TO TAKE A BATH. THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN SLAPPED GOT STUCK IN THE MIRE AND STARTED DROWNING, BUT THE FRIEND SAVED HIM. AFTER HE RECOVERED FROM THE NEAR DROWNING, HE WROTE ON A STONE: 'TODAY MY BEST FRIEND SAVED MY LIFE'
THE FRIEND WHO HAD SLAPPED AND SAVED HIS BEST FRIEND ASKED HIM, 'AFTER I HURT YOU, YOU WROTE IN THE SAND AND NOW YOU WRITE ON A STONE, WHY?'
THE FRIEND REPLIED 'WHEN SOMEONE HURTS US WE SHOULD WRITE IT DOWN IN SAND, WHERE WINDS OF FORGIVENESS CAN ERASE IT AWAY. BUT, WHEN SOMEONE DOES SOMETHING GOOD FOR US, WE MUST ENGRAVE IT IN STONE WHERE NO WIND CAN EVER ERASE IT'
LEARN TO WRITE YOUR HURTS IN THE SAND AND TO CARVE YOUR BENEFITS IN STONE.
THEY SAY IT TAKES A MINUTE TO FIND A SPECIAL PERSON, AN HOUR TO APPRECIATE THEM, A DAY TO LOVE THEM, BUT THEN, AN ENTIRE LIFE TO FORGET THEM.

Treasure Hunting: Tickles My Creative Spirit

I spent about an hour at our local ST. Vincent DePaul and Savation Army Stores today. And I thought I'd share some of the treasures I found.

This little character is the most unique adaptation of a Bumble Bee I've ever seen.

I thought I might rework the doll to create a fairy but I'm not sure I want to take the risk to spoil this "too" cute little creature.
Hubby is constantly teasing me about the shoe collection I have amassed, so I couldn't resist this darling little vase. I plan to make it into a pincushion by placing velvet tubes filled with rice into it. That way I won't damage it by gluing the fabric in permanently.

I can't resist a cookbook especially this one. I have been doing the
Weight Watchers program about six weeks now and have lost 15lbs
so far. The recipes may help to add varity to the cuisine we have been enjoying.

I found an absolute Book Lover's, English Teacher's, Avid Reader's
passion. BOOKS for .10 cents per book.
I'll share more tomorrow as I haven't unloaded them
yet. I was able to buy 50 books for my classroom library for $5.00!
That deserves a WOW! don't you agree.

This is a close up of a beautiful piece of fabric that will become pillows for the livingroom.
(It was .50 cents!)

I think it will look really pretty with the other fabrics and upholstery.Creating, repurposing, and designing a home that is warm, inviting, and a place we look forward to coming back to each day is a labor of love. Home is the place we go to when we need to feel safe and I want our home to be an oasis. I want it to be a place we can honor God and each other.

"As for me and my home we shall serve the Lord."

Have a day filled with the joy of creating something wonderful for you and yours.