I'm late to the party! Every time I notice a blogger taking part in Leigh Kramer's "What I'm Into" link-up, I think, I should do that!
So here I am. Better late than never, right?
I've listed a bunch of random things I'm into now. ("Random" is my 10yr old daughter's new favorite word.)
1. My green picnic table
My four year old son picked out the color. I couldn't be happier with it! Our entire family has spent a good deal of time around it lately.
2. Fabric mosaics
I've long been into colorful mosaics, quilts, and decoupage -- so when I discovered a way to pull all three crafts together, I was very pleased. I found inspiration for this project here and from my great-grandmother's quilts which I wrote about here.
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| my latest project: fabric on canvas |
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| a quilt my great-grandmother made in the early 1950s |
3. Just Between Us: A No-Stress, No Rules Journal for Girls and Their Moms by Meredith and Sophie Jacobs.
My daughter wrote an entry for me before she left for a week long camping adventure with friends in the Adirondacks. She left it on my bed. I read it several times while she was away. I made an entry for her to read when she got home. This journal is a perfect tool for strengthening the bond between moms and their tween daughters.
4. I found Salad Days: Salads for Dinner at the grocery store and bought it on a whim. Lot's of brilliant images. All the salads in this look scrumptious. The first recipe is for a "Classic Melon Salad." I've made a large batch of it twice in the last few weeks. Addictive!
5. Classic Melon Salad
(Adapted from Salad Days) --
Slice watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew into thin pieces. (You could make it without the cantaloupe or honeydew, but you must have the watermelon.)
Toss together with fresh basil.
Combine 1 part light olive oil, 1 part red wine vinegar in a small jar with a lid. Shake well and drizzle over salad.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Eat right away or chill and serve the next day.
Optional Ingredients: shaved pecorino, sliced prosciutto
6. Protecting my skin from too much sun exposure.
I bought this inexpensive hat at my local supermarket. Most days, I also wear 30 SPF on my arms.
8. Streams of Living Water by Richard J. Foster
"In this book I have tried to name these great Traditions -- streams of spiritual life if you will -- and to note significant figures in each . . . The Contemplative Tradition, or the prayer-filled life; the Holiness Tradition, or the virtuous life; The Charismatic Tradition, or the Spirit-empowered life; The Social Justice Tradition, or the compassionate life; The Evangelical Tradition, or the Word-centered life; The Incarnational Tradition, or the sacramental life."
9. What Makes Olga Run?: The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us About Living Longer, Happier Lives by Bruce Grierson
"They say she is like Grandma Moses in the sense that she found her calling very late in life. But while Grandma Moses took up painting out of desperation, to make ends meet, Olga took up track, at age 77, for fun. A dozen years retired from her career as an elementary school teacher, she still had lightning in her that needed grounding."
"This book is about making a little oratory -- a little sacred space -- in your home and praying there . . . Really, it is just an outward manifestation of the simple truth that God wants to be with us. He is Emmanuel, God with us."
12. Our new German Shorthaired puppy, Heidi.
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Peace & Joy!
Adriana
This is great, Adriana -- I've never participated in this linkup, but it looks good! You mentioned Richard Foster's Streams of Living Water; this book is one of my favourites. I learned so much from it.
ReplyDeleteYou recommended it to me quite a while ago, Jeannie! I'm finally getting around to reading it and I'm finding it fascinating. Right up my alley. :-)
DeleteHave you finished Emma? I think there's a lot going on in that book besides just the main story and the way it plays on the surface. Love that book!
ReplyDeleteIt amused and delighted me from being to end, Tim. Thank you for the great recommendation! :-)
DeleteDid you notice the way Emma similarly disdained Jane Fairfax and Augusta Elton, two extremely different characters? I think there's a blog post in there somewhere. I also think you should write it since you just finished the story. And I think you should then let me post it as a guest piece at my place. What do you think? ;-)
DeleteHmm...I'll ponder that. I'm most grateful for the invitation! :-)
Deletethe little fabric squares on canvas are so full of life. i love the blue ,the pink, and the red colors.
ReplyDeletethe just between us thing is so lovely and so intimate. i couldn't imagine doing it with my mom.
the little oratory is like an altar? Ahhhh. it reminds me of my Lola(grandma) and her altar in the house, the praying together with my cousins, the candles, the long novenas, and the kneeling for almost an hour!
And the feeling of contentment after getting Lola's blessing( which is a gesture of a little cross on our foreheads!) haha
Sheena, Your descriptions of family life are so refreshingly whol!esome and lovely. Write a book? Please? :-)
DeleteI had a lot of fun with my first fabric mosaic. Thank you for commenting on it. I'm dreaming about making a larger one now -- maybe with graduated shades from dark to light. Maybe a sunrise? I don't know. I'm cross stitching some butterflies at the moment. Do you like to craft things?
awww. haha.
DeleteSunrise would be so good and refreshing too. Refreshing is one of my fave English words because of this verse: those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.. and i can see why random is your daughter's fave new word. ha. I like looking at craft things but i haven't done any for a long time now. Most days i look at karenika.com art.
Proverbs 11:25! So good! Thank you! That is exactly the verse I need for something I'm working on. :-)
DeleteKarenika looks neat! I love the journal pages with sketches. Beautiful.
Adriana, I was trying to think of what those lovely fabric mosaics reminded me of -- I knew it was something I'd seen not long ago. I just remembered: Allison & I went on a house tour this spring where you can go around to a bunch of beautiful homes and ooh & ahh. One of them was owned by an artist, and she has done many collages of these little squares (as you can see on this link to her site http://www.barbcarr.ca/Collages.htm). At the house itself we probably saw a dozen of these; they were so beautiful "in person."
ReplyDeleteOoh, Jeannie -- those are beautiful! Glad you thought to share them with me. I really like the blue one. I would love to paint a canvas first next time. Thank you!
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