Asleep on a Sunbeam

 

Before the Summer is just a sweet memory; the warm sun taking its final curtsy, the leaves preparing for their grand dance down to the ground, some photos of the Nature Table we have enjoyed all season long:)

 

Very simple objects found in nature, a sand and shell terrarium and sailboat vignette. 

 

Our mealtime candle has been called "Ocean Blue"..

 

Green Meadow Waldorf School Kindergarten

 

All of our playgarden Summer birthdays have been celebrated and have passed...

 

My craft room is about to undergo a small renovation...soon it will be our watercolor painting room! A long, low table will stand in the center of the room and not much else. Standing while painting is ideal and I've been trying to figure out a way for this to happen. We'll go upstairs for our painting; most likely forming a long chain of hands while we walk up the steps. I'm looking for a song to accompany this; suggestions are welcome! Thus far, I like this one:

A lovely rainbow, see it span

So brightly shining 'oer the land

It is so red, gold, green and blue

I'd like to climb it now with you

A lovely rainbow, see it span

So brightly shining 'oer the land

 

We're trying to return to the beach a few more times before the season "closes"....

I'm looking forward to beach time during September and October....the days are crisper, the beaches only dotted with people, the sun red in the sky, the height of Summer over and gone. This is the time to sit and savor.  

 

Another summer's passing by
All I need is somewhere I can feel the grass beneath my feet...

  A walk on sand, a fire, I can warm my hands,

 My joy will be complete..

~Belle and Sebastian

Summer Stills

 

Ocean breezes blowing, feet kick and splash..

Ocean waves are breaking on the shore with a crash!

Boys finds seashells, girls sifting sand...

Friends build castles as high as they can..

I stretch my arms up as high as they reach,

Oh, what fun at this day at the beach!

~One of our rest time songs by M.T Schunemann

 

 At the end of Summer on hot August nights,

 Michael sends falling stars, 

Bringing strength and Light..

In the late night hours you fall..

Showering your starlight on all...

Falling stars, falling stars,

shoot across the sky..

Bring to earth your light!

Bring to earth your might!

~another rest time songs by M.T Schunemann

 

The Kitchen Nook

The house I grew up in holds a huge place in my memory...
my bedroom was probably a sewing room for the previous owners, but I still found room to dance to the radio and make funny faces in the mirror..
You had to cross through my mother's bedroom to get to the only bathroom in the house.
We didn't have a dining room, but we did have a gigantic kitchen. It took up more than half of our first floor.
It was a great space; light and airy,well travelled and used.
It's where we ate dinner. Where I sat and struggled to figure out my math homework. Where I sat on a chair when I was naughty.

My mother, the fantastic natural chef, made delicious meals in that space..it always smelled amazing.
The house I call our family home today has a large kitchen where we spend most of our time...
I wanted this important space to be laid out in a manner which welcomes imaginative play and a sense of togetherness.

Our children's kitchen area is one of the most loved spaces in our home. The playschool children enjoy "preparing snacks" and W is just starting to imitate some of my actions while cooking. His favorites seem to be the sink and shaking spices from a jar...

I try to keep the playfood and accessories to a minimum. A few wooden plates, a cutting board, some wooden fruits and veggies for slicing, and some handmade felt food are what I have chosen for the time being. The children also have access to four of my bottom cupboards where they will find measuring cups, utensils, and containers.
I searched for a long while to find a handmade wooden kitchen that suited both our needs and budget. The best value I have found has been Willow Toys.

Ironing has become a favorite past time in our house for the children. They enjoy ironing silks, handkercheifs, and all of my kitchen linens. It is one of our most used playthings! I found our set on ebay for $15. The brooms and featherdusters always come out after lunch when it's time to clean up the crumbs. The canvas bag holds aprons and smocks:)

We enjoy our snacks together while at the table in the "sunny part" of the kitchen.

The wooden bowls were a steal at a thrift store outlet (yes, outlet! amazing!) for 0.15 each!

Unfortunately, the ants still love our kitchen as much as we do...!

I'm looking forward to sharing more photos of our playspaces as I finish a few projects.

Happy Homemaking:)

Dried Flowers and Beeswax Candles

Our mealtime candle is one of the most beloved elements of our daily rhythm...


*beautiful festivity candle holder from Twig & Toadstool! Love you girls!!!*
We light it every time we sit down for a meal or snack.
While we usually use a snuffer to extinguish the flame, sometimes I like to let Baby W attempt to blow the light out...Oh, he LOVES it. He huffs and puffs...and he doesn't quit until the flame is out! He also enjoys wiggling his fingers in the dancing smoke and proclaiming "All Done!" when he is through.
Since we use a taper candle for every mealtime, we go through a LOT of  beeswax!
In fact, we just finished burning our last candle from Christmas time.
I wanted to create a mealtime candle that reflected the beauty of Springtime...
While on a walk this past weekend, I picked some small purple flowers for W...

They wilted rather quickly and I placed them on our windowsill wondering what to do with them...

While I love dipping candles, I have a hard time yielding a large taper by hand. I have come to love rolling tall candles using sheets of beeswax and a cotton wick.

I firmly pressed the small flowers into the beeswax using my thumbs.
I wanted to coat the flowers in a thin layer of beeswax to affix them nicely to the candle. My melting pot wasn't tall or full enough to do this. I decided to melt the beeswax in my tin can "melting pot" (use any clean tin can and place it in a saucepan with approx. 4 inches of water.)

Bring to a boil and watch your wax melt!
Once the wax is melted, pour it quickly into a large and shallow vessel.

Please take heed and select a container that you won't mind using only for candlemaking and wax melting in the future! (I used an old loaf pan.)
Carefully roll your candle in the melted wax one time to obtain a thin and transparent coat.

Bask in the glow of your springtime candle!
Happy Creating!

Premature Spring Fever!

It's everywhere...

I splurged a bit and bought a bouquet of Pussywillows at our local florist this week.

I'm loving them and hope they dry well...

The appearance of our first Root Children...

A delight to create; meaningful, and very simple. Oh, there will be more!!

We purchased a sun prism a few weeks ago...it was one of the best $2.99 purchases I've ever made!

Our little boy is doing well and we are seeing some real progress after his laser treatment. The bruising and swelling is noticeably better. He goes about his days like nothing has ever happened. The resiliency of a child is astonishing.

We love this hat! Created by WaldorfMama.

Some days here are blustery and very cold.

Other days remind me of the soothing balm of Spring that is surely coming...

Peek-a-boo sprites and nature vases

Our latest toymaking project, inspired by the life giving Springtime!

A peek-a-boo sprite!

They live in the trees and only come out when they are ready to cause jolly mischief:)

I was inspired to create these little sprites after a windstorm blew branches down from the trees at the Rose Garden near our home.

That, and countless games of peek-a-boo here in our home lately:)

If you have a hole drill, a thick tree branch, some metal hinges, and a wooden peg doll, you can create this sweet little plaything.

Screwing in the hinges was a bit tricky, and I've got some troubleshooting to do before I start gifting them for Easter!

I also found that they make beautiful flower vases...a cute (and very budget friendly!) addition to a nature table, for sure!

I don't think I'll be filling them with water for fresh flowers, but rather using them for dried sprigs...

*By the way, how do you feel about dried flowers? Personally, I've always loved them. I remember my mother requesting for me to take down the myriads I had in my bedroom growing up...hanging from the posts of my beloved canopy bed, etc. She thought they were giving me an allergy!*

Buddha and our breakfast cereal on top of the fridge.

He also doubles as a secret candy stash location...

(I love sweets so much it's almost a little frightening...)

Spring is coming, and we feel its breath.

It feels incredible and promising.