Mustard Chevron Wall

This is part 1 of our chevron living room wall!  As I am new with my camera, and I don't have an external flash, the color doesn't show up very true to itself here - this picture shows it much more corn-italian-villa-yellow, when it's really more of a mustard.  Anyhow, we plan to follow this tutorial to paint white chevrons over the mustard sometime later this week :)  I'll post process pictures when it's ready!

Daddy/Daughter trip

I am not joking one bit when I say that Hazel's absolute favorite thing to do with her dad is go to Home Depot - or as Hazel calls it, "Hawn Depot."

 He let's her ride on the cart, and sometimes pushes her super fast so she cracks up laughing, lifting the spirits of the otherwise decision-stressed shoppers.  Also sometimes making the grumpy ones grumpier, but that's their problem!

 Hazel has the moves.

and the charm :) She should be Home Depot's poster child...

Peace

Shepherd loves the door knocker on our house.  I love to watch him reach for it, feeling the cold brass, the dipped curves of the letters, and grasp the knocker delighted by the ringing sound it makes when he drops it.

carnival

in our town, we have a bowling alley that hosts a traveling carnival every couple of months.  It's really a kiddie carnival - a handful of rides that only little ones can go on, and one or two scary ones that your parent can ride with you.  Also a TON of carnival games where you can win one of a million different junky stuffed animals, and a snack bar with cotton candy, popcorn, the works.  Basically, a preschool to 2nd grader's dream-land.  Hazel and James had a blast, and I enjoyed playing paparazzi with this new nikon d40, and then playing around in picassa.  A friend suggested I look into gimp - the free photoshop download.  So I installed it, but I'm at a loss as to how the thing really works.  I guess once classes are done this quarter, I can attempt to dive in!  Any one have any stories or tips to share about it?  I'm all ears as I'm learning!

in the beginning

In the beginning was the Source
In the beginning
the G{od} of all that is
In the beginning
G{od} yearning

moaning, laboring
giving birth, rejoicing
And G{od} loved what she had made.
And G{od} said,
"It is good."

And G{od} knowing that all that is good is shared
    held the earth tenderly in her arms.
G{od} yearned for relationship.
G{od} longed to share the good earth,
And humanity was born in the yearning of G{od}.
We were born to share the earth.

Adapted from Carter Heyward, "Blessed the Bread: A Litany" in Our Passion for Justice: Images of Power, Sexuality, and Liberation (New York: Pilgrim Press, 1984).

It's Fun to be a Mom of an Almost 5 Year Old (sometimes)

and here was one of those times...

 Hazel asked if she could try on my old dresses.  This green one was my senior prom dress.  It was the only one that I bought.  Mom took me to J.C. Penney, and this iridescent green/purple gown was spectacular at the time :)

 This was, I think, a tolo dress that my mom and I designed together, and she made.  Can you tell what my favorite style of literature was at the  time?! lol

 And my wedding dress.  Someday, I will take her outside to get some truly lovely photos of her playing in this, because that's all it's really good for now - and memories.  My mom and I designed this one together, too, and mom made it.  You can't tell from the picture, but the overlay chiffon has beading and little round east indian mirrors all over it that caught the light and sparkled in a lovely and different way than so many of the glittery wedding gowns of the time.  Hazel felt almost reverent wearing it - it was a real treat for her as she walked solomly all around the house like the moment was truly magical.  sigh.

but all in all, I think she truly has been having the most fun this spring outside digging in the dirt and loving nature.  And really, this is the way I like to see her best, too.  I love my girl.

wow

It has been a long and draining quarter, so far.  I have had hardly any time to do anything creative and I'm really feeling the lack.  However, my weekend class completed this past weekend, and so all I have remaining is classes thursday afternoons and the writing of 3 papers.  I think I can manage my time carefully enough to be able to craft/sew/knit a little.  wish me luck!