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  • Save the Children


    Just a few days ago I was asking about whether my Kindergartner was to bring a valentine for each classmate. Things have changed so much since I was in Kindergarten, so I'm always asking questions about what is appropriate and required and expected these days. I got some handy tips from the other moms who had dealt with the Kinder Valentine situation. I was debating between crafting our own or buying them. No more than an hour later I heard about Save the Children and that they were offering Valentine's Day cards. No more than five minutes after that, equipped with my credit card, I was ordering said cards. Here they are! The designs are by various illustrators of children's books.

    This organization allows you to donate in so many ways. They have programs that help children in the United States and across the world with everything from literacy to hunger. I especially like being able to indicate which programs I want my donation to benefit and that such a large percentage of the donation is actually put towards the intended use and not to administrative costs. So check them out!

    Oh, and we also made these nifty crayon hearts to go with the Valentine's Day cards. What can I say? I needed to get my craft on!


    Posted: 1 week 2 days ago

  • Crazy for Crayons!


    Many crafters out there are making crayon hearts for Valentine's Day. I undertook the project and began peeling off the wrappers of a couple hundred crayons. As I peeled and chopped and melted these beautiful color sticks I kept thinking about Herb Williams. He sculpts using crayons. I first saw his work at Children's Museum of the Arts when it was located on Lafayette Street in Manhattan. I took several pictures of his crayon fish. Last October he opened his installation in Lubbock, TX of freestanding sculptures that represent wildfires. Texas is suffering it's worst drought and wildfires have devastated commmunities. These sculptures made of crayons will melt, thus transforming them, in the Texas heat.


    Posted: 1 week 5 days ago

  • Remember


    Amongst the piles of photographs, papers and random trinkets that belonged to my great-grandmother I found a booklet that had "Album" on the front cover. Inside there were poems. The earliest dated 1909. Almost all of these poems had the word "Remember" in them. Many were in pencil and a few in ink. Most were from her friends, male and female. Ones dated later were from each of her children.

    After some searching for a history behind this I found that this was an Autograph book. These originated in Germanic and Dutch regions. Their purpose changed over time a bit but ultimately, by the time the trend reached the United States, they were largely for signatures during graduation time. Though they were often much more than a person's name. They included poems and sometimes sketches. The use grew to include other occasions or simply for an acquaintance, friend of other loved-one to sign. The history is very interesting and there are examples of these historic autograph books online.

    I think it would be so lovely to have a little album at a wedding or birthday or baby shower where the guests could write little poems. Or even for no occasion but to have the thoughts, poem, joke or sketch from a friend. I'm not sure if we could do that these days. Most of us are adept at communicating in snippets what with Tweets and texts flying about, but could we create prose? Even a cute, simple rhyme would likely present a challenge to most of us.

    I think this could be a good brain exercise so I'll give it a try here and there, even if I just keep my own little album with my own little poems.


    Posted: 2 weeks 2 days ago

  • Valentine's Day


    When going through the contents of my childhood home I came across so many things. This dusty bag in the attic contained a slew of Valentine's Day cards from, I believe, my first grade classmates.

    I love the kitschy look and the sweet sayings on the front. A far cry from the elaborate dates, roses and chocolates that is now the expected norm. I'm not knocking lovely gifts and fine dining, but it made me wonder about this holiday. I did some Internet exploring and found it was not a holiday created by marketers, though they have taken full advantage of it. There wasn't a smoke-filled boardroom of "Mad Men" inventing a Saint Valentine in hopes of cashing in on love, or lust, or greed.

    There are a few variations of this Valentine fellow and on how and when this holiday got it's start. It has gone through several changes throughout it's ancient history. I quite like the old-old school style of writing a simple note or letter to your sweetheart. Somewhere around the 1820s papers especially for a Valentine note were marketed and used widely in Britain and the United States.

    And I was impressed with the DIY gumption and entrepreneurial savvy of Esther Howland! Her family had a prestigious lineage and a thriving stationary business. When Esther got a look at some fancy Valentine card she knew she could make even finer ones. They were detailed and incorporated lace, a brightly colored wafer of paper used under the white lace to add contrast and even a sort of shadow box. It didn't take long for her to have a thriving business she named The New England Valentine Company.

    All of that just to say that regardless of how you feel about Valentine's Day, enjoy the history of it and, as with other holidays, make it your own.


    Posted: 3 weeks 2 days ago

  • Chopstick Trainers


    If you're trying out a Chinese restaurant for the Chinese New Year but are intimidated by using chopsticks then trainers are some handy tools.

    Everything Chopsticks sells the Funchop trainers shown above (and gives you lots of information about chopsticks), but you might just want to ask the server at your restaurant for some. Our local, friendly Japanese restaurant gives them to my six year-old. He has a cute chopstick trainer but you never know when the urge to eat some sushi (or thai or chinese or, well, you get the idea) might hit, so these are more portable.

    A do-it-yourself approach that we've used before only requires the chopsticks, their paper wrapper and a rubber band. The technique is laid out clearly in Lunch in a Box. I've used this site time and again for recipes and packing ideas.

    So if you're one of the many who are nervous about using chopsticks try some trainers. Try something new today!


    Posted: 3 weeks 5 days ago

  • Year of the Dragon


    Today marks the beginning of Chinese New Year. The festivities continue for fifteen days and end with a lantern ceremony. I love the vibrant colors of this holiday. Rich reds, yellows and oranges abound. This year is extra-special because not only is it Year of the Dragon (which only rolls around every twelve years), it is Year of the Water Dragon and that only happens every sixty years.

    Last weekend I went to Chinatown Center to get a head start on the festivities. Check for events going on in your part of the world or simply find an authentic Chinese restaurant and savor some of the delicious, often exotic, dishes offered up for the holiday.


    Posted: 1 month 18 hours ago

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