Inspiration

I love it when I get to craft for Bug. It seems like there are so many different things you can make for girls... headbands and barrettes, skirts and bracelets. Coming up with ideas for boys that actually excites them is a bit more challenging. I mentioned before I bought the awesome book Fairy Tale Knits. I made the Magic Carpet afghan for Meghan's baby shower. Beautiful. I then had Aidan go through the book and see if there was anything he'd like me to knit for him. He loved 4 of the sweaters for boys, with this Robin Hood Sweater being his favorite. He was so excited when I gave it to him on Thursday. It was 85 degrees outside. He put it on and refused to take it off! I used the the Cascade 220 yarns suggested in the book. Definitely the way to go! It's wooly wonderfulness is obvious. I've already started on the next sweater... a gray wool that resembles chain mail. He's requested I add a hood that looks like a helmet. I will have to give this some thought! And don't you think Robin Hood needs a quiver? 

 

{this moment} - A Friday ritual began by Amanda at Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment you want to pause, savor and remember.

Have a lovely weekend ~ Kimara and Michelle

Last week was Drew and Meghan's baby shower. Whole families were invited to attend and this was the post script on the invitations, "Gentlemen: You are welcome to bring a Daddy Survival Gift."  Not surprisingly, Drew received assorted libations, several books like 50 Dangerous Things You Should Let Your Children to Do and The Dangerous Book for Boys and even a coveted set of vintage Lawn Jarts with the original metal tips! BOYS! It seems like whenever they... meaning men and BOYS... get together, they find new ways to flirt with danger, and the larger the "pack" the more perilous their feats become! The photos above were taken at a backyard barbecue last year, when the boys decided it would be great fun to deconstructed part of the play structure to caber toss??? Now, this doesn't mean women and girls are incapable of behaving in a reckless manner, I'm just saying... Anyway, all of this reminded me of a post on One Generation to Another, first published June 24, 2008. Enjoy!   

Is it just me or as a girl is it sometimes hard to totally get BOYS? I should. I didn’t have sisters. I was raised with 3 brothers, so by association, I probably did more boy things than many girls. And I had 2 boys of my own. But there’s this line…let’s call it, hmmm…common sense…that most girls won’t cross. I don’t mean to be sexist, but in my vast years, it has been my experience that boys will often do things that most girls wouldn’t consider. Before anyone says anything, yes, I know, many of us were “Tom Boys”, loved to run and play sports, weren’t afraid of spiders, and could spit with the best of them. What I’m talking about here is that unexplainable willingness to put your body at risk and do unimaginably gross things for, for, see, there’s my point, I really don’t get why they do some of the things they do! BOYS!!!

Take the movie Jack *ss. Now, this is a movie you couldn't have dragged me bound and gagged to the theater to view. But, while visiting my son in South Carolina, he was flipping through stations and stumbled upon it. I sat there for about 20 minutes watching this movie with Adam and Tim and saw one man put a leech on his eyeball, another strap a rocket to his back and allow himself to be shot out into the middle of a lake, and another drink an unmentionable animal excretion. While watching this I groaned, but Tim and Adam chortled, and used words like “Sweet” and seemed to be cheering the men on from the couch. I found myself asking “Who in their right mind would do something like that?” and the apparent answer…BOYS!

Sure, you say... but that’s just a movie. Those guys get paid a ton of money to do stuff like that. Again, referring to my vast years, it has been my experience that most men and boys don’t need an incentive beyond a dare to do something totally moronic! For example, one of my brothers’ favorite pastimes was playing a variation of dodge ball. In their version, they’d turn off all the lights in the basement, stealth around the room, and throw darts at one another. They encouraged me to join in the fun, but I was disinclined to acquiesce to their request! Common sense and a healthy fear of pain wouldn’t allow me. Our daughter Liz's boyfriend, Kyle was relating a story about when his family was putting a pool in his parent’s backyard. They were unearthing tons of worms. At one point his dad held one up to his sister and said, “I’ll give you $20.00 right here, right now if you eat this.” She grimaced and shook her head. “No way,” she said. Kyle then offered to eat one for $20.00. When his dad refused, he shrugged his shoulders, and let one slide down his throat anyway. BOYS!

Boys dare each other to put their tongues on batteries, jump off anything that is high, and sneak into any place they are forbidden to go. They also possess, what can only be a throw back from Neanderthal days, a fascination with fire. Every man I have every known has some horrific story involving fire. And if you think they outgrow this, look no farther than your backyard barbecue. It might be hard to get your hubby in the kitchen to throw together Mac N’ Cheese, but give him a slab of meat and a healthy fire, and wah-lah…dinner! (Of course any real man will make the distinction between cooking and grilling!) Add their incomprehensible fascination with blowing up things, and it’s no wonder they have to fight the urge to cut across 3 lanes of traffic whenever they pass a roadside fireworks stand! BOYS!!!

As a young girl I did not question the adage “BOYS will be BOYS” I just had no idea that the average 65 year old man still possess a healthy dose of BOY. When traveling in a pack, grown up men still do idiotic things. Go to a chicken wings bar with a group of men. You’ll still hear comments like, “I dare you to put 10 drops of Diablo Hot Sauce on your tongue.” I can guarantee you there will be at least one taker, if not the whole table, that will do it. A couple of years ago, at a family backyard picnic, the men decided it would be great fun to take turns running across the backyard as the group on the sidelines tried to shoot bottle rockets at them. The women watched, occasionally putting out a smoking shirt, and plotted the quickest route to urgent care. There is no doubt that men can be mature. They are doctors and lawyers; factory workers and mailmen; pilots and priests. They do their jobs…we count on them. But every once in a while, the 10 year old resurfaces, and they are invincible…able to leap tall buildings, jump through burning hoops, or eat a garden worm on a dare. BOYS!!!

You might wonder what inspired the theme for this week's blog. Well, with summer upon us, I'm sitting here listening to fireworks going off in our neighborhood. Besides trying to encourage our gun shy border collie to stop shaking, I have this unexplainable desire to keep our fire extinguisher at arms reach. Let's face it, with boys around you can never be too careful!

So, what's the craziest BOY thing your dad, brother, son, boyfriend, husband, or other significant male has done that made you shake your head and say, "BOYS!"?

{this moment} - A Friday ritual began by Amanda at Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment you want to pause, savor and remember. Visit Soule Mama if you would like to share {your moment}. 

If Tim forgot our anniversary I would be far from understanding. How could you possibly forget something so important? Well, it just occurred to me that our 2nd Anniversary of Wee Folk Art was on July 29, and being knee deep in life, neither Michelle nor I remembered! Geeze! Anyway, we are a couple of days late, but wanted to acknowledge the event. It is hard to believe we've been at this for 2 years. It seems we've hardly scratched the surface of all the crafting we want to share. But we have time :)

Tradition has it that people usually have a give away on their anniversary. But before I say anything more about that, just wanted to let you know what the kids and I have been up to this past week. I just purchased a nifty little braiding disc from Magic Cabin. It is a must have for old and young alike. It is a great way to introduce children to the wonder of fibers. Using 7 strands of cotton yarn and the wooden disc, you can braid a wonderful cord which can be used for chokers, bracelets, ankle bracelets, shoe laces, headbands, drawstring cords and much, much more. And what's great, is even 3 year old Pixie can use it!

So, I bought a star braid kit for myself, but very soon the kiddos were asking to borrow it. The solution? Get 3 more. The problem... although I was willing to pay $20.00 for 1, I'm not willing to pay $80.00 for four. The solution? Make our own, of course! So, that is exactly what Tim and I set to work on yesterday afternoon. The children were over while Michelle and assorted visitors were off golfing. The children watched as their Othy cut out the wooden braiding discs. (They will be doing the sanding and finishing.) 

Fairy: Can I paint mine?
Pixie: Me, too.
Bug: Yeah, let's paint them all different!

My wooden braiding disc has a natural finish, which I really love. But, if the kids would like to paint theirs, then of course they should. The project reached a standstill when the golfers returned. There is a good chance we will not get to them again to later in the week. But when we are done, the children will get to paint theirs, and I will make a couple extra for...

Our 2nd Anniversary Give Away!

So, be a bit patient with us. Michelle has jury duty this week, I'm moving my parent's into their new condo on Friday, and the girls are in princess camp this week! Somewhere in there, we will hopefully be able to get these finished.

As soon as we do, we will have the give away, PLUS, I will be doing a tutorial on how to make your own wooden braiding disc and how to create a 7 string braid. The children can't wait to get their own. They were talking about making bracelets for Christmas gifts. Brilliant idea, right? And I can't wait to get a couple done so we can give them away on Wee Folk Art. Watch for more later in the week!  

Several months ago we received an email from Michelle at Will Knit For Food. She asked for permission to use our Basic Knit Doll Pattern to create dolls to send to a village in Africa were her sister Hallie was volunteering this summer.

Our answer... a resounding YES! We did ask her, however, to share pics with us, especially photos of the dolls in their new home. Last week we received the photos you see in this post. Michelle also shared a little bit about her sister's experience.

 

Hallie is a student at Northern Illinois University. She is in her final semester of nursing; she was able to join the group she traveled with as medical assistance. The group she traveled with are engineering students who are working with "Engineers without Borders". This is the second year the school has taken a group to do work. They are committed to four years of work, so they will be going back to continue improvements for the community. This year, the team installed solar panels and lighting fixtures into the school buildings at their site in Tanzania. Last year, they built a dormitory for the school.

I learned so many things from talking with Hallie about her experience, i.e. most people do not have access to running water or electricity. And, children who attend school are required to purchase a uniform in order to do so; if they can't afford a uniform, they are not allowed to attend.

The professor who oversees the project is an African native, and he and his wife have started work on a separate, independently funded project to build a school and dormitory for children who cannot afford to attend traditional school and/or who are orphaned.

To learn more about Hallie's experience, read Michelle's post Out of Africa.

Here are all of the dolls that found new homes in Tanzania.

At Wee Folk Art we share our crafts in hopes of promoting global goodwill and friendship. NOTHING delights us more than receiving comments and emails that readers share with us on how they have used our projects to bring joy to others. As you can well imagine, to see our dolls being loved by children so far away, validates what we do here. We hope you find this as inspiring as we did. Thank you, Michelle!

I bought this cabinet over ten years ago to hold my ever expanding collection of music cds. Designed for that purpose, it served me well. Then, in the past few years, I started buying my music online and was going to the cabinet less and less. Finally, I moved the collection downstairs and began using the cabinet for napkins. It was in my dining room and the shelves were the perfect size for napkins. I had a few stacks of homespun napkins and stored votive candles in there as well.

Then, last summer, I decided I wanted napkins for each month of the year. I made my own using the easy Rip and Tear Napkins that I wrote about last August. So here I am, 1 year later, and I did it! I now have 24 napkins for each month of the year. (Actually, I have 48 for December since we have a large Christmas dinner.) Before you start taxing your brain, that is 312 napkins. Crazy, right? Given the fact that you can get 4 napkins from a yard of material (let's see... 312 divided by 4)  that's, gulp, 78 yards of fabric!

Me: Ah, Tim... we have 312 napkins.

Tim: I love you.

 Me: You must.

But, in my defense, the children LOVE them! They are excited each month to get out the new napkins. Some months, like March and August, all the napkins are the same. Some months have 2 prints, some 3 and April and December have 4. Each day the wee ones try to be the first to get out napkins so they are sure to get their favorite pattern. (BTW... Gammy is very tolerant of napkin exchanges so everyone gets a favorite!) I have to admit, even though I bought all of the fabrics on sale or with coupons, it was an expense, BUT, they will last for years and years. 

I'm not suggesting any one else should get so carried away... BUT if you do... it's tons of fun, and I love leaving the cabinet door open and just staring at them! 

January:

February:

March:  

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

Below is a post I shared the first summer I started blogging on One Generation to Another. As it happens I just stumbled upon the steno pad I referred to in this post. It seems fitting that since it resurfaced, I should share this particular post. There were many things I left off the list, like learning to knit, sew and work with wood, which all of my children learned. And of course, today my list would be more inclusive... there are new circumstances that children must deal with... but all in all, kids are kids, and words of wisdom like, "Don't stick anything up your nose!" are as true today as ever! I invite you to share your own bits of wisdom following my list!

THINGS I TAUGHT MY CHILDREN
In my on going, and usually monumentally unsuccessful, attempt at getting organize, I was sorting through an archaic stack when I came upon an old steno notebook that I had been writing in back when my children were in elementary school. I remember at the time I had decided to jot down the wit and wisdom I had taught my children. These weren't rules written on a board somewhere, but the casual lessons taught on an on going basis. Some might seem self evident…but one thing I learned very early on in parenting was…ASSUME NOTHING! The following is a list that I threw together that evening. Now, I find the list to be both amusing and nostalgic. Although not exhaustive, and there were certainly more things added to the list as the children got older, these got them through the first decade of their life! These were written in no particular order...just as they popped into my head!

1. Spend some part of every day outside.

2. Don’t watch television on school days.

3. Do your homework before you go to bed.

4. Don’t swear.

5. Don’t tell dirty jokes.

6. Keep change in your pockets at Christmas to throw in the Salvation Army Buckets.

7. Make a point of reading biographies.

8. Never share an important secret with someone who says, “You can trust me.”

9. Smile a lot!

10. Ask the new kid at school to eat lunch with you and your friends.

11. Don’t tattle.

12. Wear a helmet when you bike on the road.

13. Don’t be a show off.

14. Call your grandmother, often.

15. Use most of your allowance to buy things for other people.

16. Learn to type.

17. Never be the first in your bus line.

18. Cry if it hurts.

19. Never talk badly about anyone.

20. Never buy your teachers perfume or a coffee mug.

21. Have your teacher over for lunch or dinner at least once during the school year. (After I started teaching, I revised this to NEVER invite your teacher over for lunch or dinner. If you really like them give them a gift certificate to a favorite restaurant so they can have a leisurely dinner themselves.)

22. Never talk to strangers.

23. Never go near parked cars.

24. Be alone in your room, not on the street.

25. Stop, look and listen before you cross the street.

26. Never flush anything except toilet paper and your body’s waste.

27. Go for comfort over style.

28. Keep your ears clean.

29. Never let a romantic interest come between friends.

30. Don’t lie.

31. It’s okay to color outside the lines.

32. Learn to shoot marbles, jump rope and play hopscotch.

33. Learn to play an instrument, well.

34. Learn to appreciate your parent’s music.

35. If your neighbors can hear your music when the doors and windows are shut, it’s too loud!

36. Assume nothing.

37. Don’t be quick to judge.

38. Hear people out.

39. Unzip your pants before you try to put them on.

40. Leave the toilet seat down.

41. Don’t be sarcastic.

42. Never use the expression, “But everyone else is”, in an argument with your parents.

43. Believe in Santa Claus.

44. Only ask Santa for 1 gift.

45. Get a pen pal.

46. Pray.

47. Get a magazine subscription, and then read it cover to cover.

48. Learn to bake something that doesn’t come out of a box.

49. Read The Giving Tree.

50. Don’t pick your nose in public.

51. Every once in a while, tell your siblings you love them.

52. Don’t start smoking.

53. Ask your parents and grandparents to tell you stories about their childhood.

54. Never stick anything metal in a toaster.

55. After a shower or bath, dry off with a towel before putting on your clothes.

56. Cover your mouth when you sneeze.

57. Wash your hands after going to the bathroom.

58. Flush

59. Share your lunch with someone who forgot theirs.

60. Feed your pets.

61. Don’t put dirty socks and underwear on a clean body.

62. Change your socks and underwear daily.

63. Don’t watch anything on television or at the movies you would feel embarrassed watching with God.

64. Don’t abuse your phone privileges.

65. Never make your parents breakfast in bed. (Disastrous memories surface!)

66. Occasionally, clean something without being told to.

67. Don’t forget your prayers.

68. Never take drugs.

69. Never Take Drugs.

70. NEVER TAKE DRUGS.

71. Memorize your locker combination.

72. Don’t throw ice balls.

73. Never cancel plans to wait for a phone call.

74. Don’t change your plans with someone because something better came up.

75. Be courteous to adults.

76. Get to know your friends’ parents.

77. Don’t be rude.

78. Be curious. Question everything.

79. Always accept sincere apologies.

80. Don’t wear socks with holes in them.

81. Mend holes in socks.

82. Find something good in everyone.

83. There are many things in this world worth fighting for. Choose your battles wisely.

84. Remind your parents to recycle. It’s your future they’re protecting.

85. Recycle and reuse.

86. Don’t be wasteful.

87. Set good examples for your parents.

88. Learn to dance.

89. Learn the difference between “I need” and “I want”.

90. Learn to control your wants.

91. Don’t ask your parents to buy you something you wouldn’t be willing to spend your own money on.

92. Read something out loud daily.

93. Never take food for granted.

94. Never take your home for granted.

95. Never take your education for granted.

96. Never take your parents for granted.

97. Never take your country for granted.

98. Always sing the National Anthem even if you can’t hit the high notes.

99. Stand at attention and cover your heart for the Pledge Allegiance.

100. Have fun!

101. Memorize poems you love.

102. Keep hope in your heart.

103. Dare to dream for more than you thing possible, then make it happen.

104. Never run with scissors.

105. Don’t put your tongue on cold metal.

106. No matter how bad your day was, home will make it better.

107. Lie on your back, look up at the stars, and feel the earth turn.

108. Brush your teeth twice a day or three times a day if you ate something disgusting.

109. Use toothpaste on your toothbrush.

110. Brush for at least 2 minutes.

111. Acknowledge who you are when you make phone calls. Don’t assume everyone knows your voice.

112. If you take a message, give a message.

113. Never ease drop on another phone.

114. Return library books on time.

115. Return things you borrow in the same condition or better.

116. Only loan things that you’re willing to never see again.

117. Never use rubber cement to glue anything to your body. (A lesson my youngest and I learned the hard way.)

118. Have friends of the opposite sex.

119. Tell your parents everything another adult tells you not to tell your parents.

120. Make your bed daily.

121. Turn your socks right side out before throwing them into the laundry.

122. When given the chance, sleep in.

123. Every once in a while, get up before everyone else and enjoy the quiet of the morning.

124. Take some time everyday to be alone with your thoughts.

125. Never call 900 numbers.

126. You don’t have to like all foods, but be adventurous enough to try everything at least once.

127. Ask for help when you need it.

128. Don’t ask for help if you can do it yourself.

129. Offer to help when you can.

130. Don’t write anything in a note that you’re not willing to have the whole school know about it.

131. Be generous with your hugs.

132. Stick up for those who can’t defend themselves.

133. Use public restrooms only when you absolutely have to. (Personal repulsion!)

134. Never tell someone they deserved what they got, even if they did.

135. Use eating utensils in public.

136. When in doubt, talk to your parents.

137. Find out when your teacher’s birthday is and do something nice for him or her.

138. Learn all three verses to Silent Night.

139. Don’t litter.

140. When possible, pick up litter and throw it away.

141. Take the advice of your parents over your peers.

142. Grow up but not away from your family.

143. Use deodorant if you need it.

144. Don’t squeeze pimples.

145. If you’re doing something you don’t want your parents to find out about, chances are you shouldn’t be doing it.

146. Learn to see the insides of people, not just the outsides.

147. There’s no shame in failure if you tried your best.

148. Laugh a lot!

149. Learn to be a good listener.

150. Don’t say anything about someone you wouldn’t say in front of them.

151. Never get in a car with someone who’s been drinking.

152. Apply Vaseline to your eyebrows before blowing record breaking bubbles.

153. Don’t be in a hurry to grow up.

154. When filling a bathtub, you need to account for body mass.

155. Abhor violence.

156. On very hot days, lick your ice cream cones quickly.

157. Learn the difference between sympathy and empathy.

158. Be empathetic.

159. Eventually, your mother will look under your bed.

160. Be honest.

161. Don’t cheat.

162. Learn some really funny clean jokes.

163. Throw up in toilets.

164. Hold hands in a crowd.

165. When you’re out in a crowd, always have a place to meet in case you get separated.

166. Remember where your mom parks the car at the mall.

167. Never try something if it's prefaced with "Does this taste bad to you?"

168. When given the opportunity, run through sprinklers.

Since I spend so much time working at my computer, it is a MORAL IMPERATIVE that my work space is aesthetically pleasing to me. Yesterday, I added a lovely addition to this space. Meet Christopher, named in honor of Christy over at Sweet Tidings, that made this charming little fellow. Not only is he cute as a bug's ear, he joyously reminds me of all the friends I've meet over the years online. Friends that share my passion for crafting and possess a warmth and loveliness that can be felt half way around the world! 

I've been talking to him incessantly since he took up residence beside my keyboard. He has yet to share his pearls of wisdom, but I'm sure when he decides to speak up, his words will be worth listening to. Thanks, Christy. I LOVE him dearly! 

Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Ferris Bueller's Day Off. 

Yes, life moves pretty fast, so when I get a chance to slow down, I relish EVERY minute. Tim was busy finishing our new deck, but we managed to slip away Saturday morning to have breakfast at one of our town's many outdoor cafes, then wandered our Farmer's Market. We discovered a vendor selling THE BEST homemade granola made with Michigan maple syrup and pecans... yum... and bought 7, yep, 7 new birdhouses. (More about THAT another time!)

Probably my favorite part of the whole weekend was my quiet, out-of-door, morning knitting sessions. Although the days were incredibly hot, each morning was refreshing, with a lovely breeze, birds singing, and, of course, the plethora of canines! I'm coming close to finishing another project for the Little Lady, which I'll be sharing soon. Leonard was very helpful, and I made sure to include ample dog fur in this swaddling!

Hope everyone had a safe and peaceful 4th!