Sunday Sketches and Good Reads

Sunday Sketches - We're early by necessity - thanks for looking!

Peter Pan is such a great read, especially if you can find an older version. And the old theater posters for this play are truly lovely. Fabulous children's literature is abundant, both new and old. Reading together aloud or silently is something I cultivate with my children, my husband, our family - see our Story Corners here, our Fall Seasonal Short Stories List here and our Advent Reading List here. We thought we might list a few favorite, favorites with our sketches..

The Wind Boy by Ethel Elliot Cook
Rhonia The Robber's Daughter by Astrid Lindgren (all surpass Pippi!)
Mio My Son by Astrid Lindgren
Brother's Lion Heart by Astrid Lindgren
The Children of Noisy Village Series by Astrid Lindgren
Peter Pan by J M Barrie

Peter.. by me

This is my very quick peter - my son says he looks like a girl, but then the old theatrical productions of Peter Pan usually had a girl acting the male role.. beside Peter is quite Elvin I think, a bit of an imp.

The Little House in the Fairy Wood by Ethel Elliot Cook
The Dragon Boy Trilogy by Donald Samson
Little House On The Prairie by Laura Ingles Wilder
The Bobbsey Twins by Laura Hope

The Bobbsey Twins by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

The Bobbsey Twins are one of my daughter's favorite books. Stories that invoke childhood, play and imagination. She loves The Noisy Children Books for the same reason!

The Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling
The Narnia Series by C S Lewis
The Lightening Thief Series by Rick Riordan
Robin Hood by Howard Pyle

Robin Hood by T Moore age 13 (c) 2010

I love the rustic reflection in my son's Robin Hood. Robin lived a tough life and I like strength portrayed here - Robin lived by his wits, after all he was a wanted man.

Happy Sunday and Happy Reading!

To view more wonderful sketches by this group of Sunday Sketchers check out
Sophia's blog Blue Chair Diary.

Thanks again Sophia, for taking the time to host!

Van Gogh

I just had to post these paintings by my daughter and her friend..

the girls who starred as The Two Alices in our Mad Tea Party post (if you follow Vanessa Valencia's Yearly Mad Tea Parties at A Fanciful Twist you know what I am talking about - if you don't, you should have a peek here at this art / blog / gig)!

I just love these! - great work girls, let's find somewhere to hang them! Hey and I just realized you both have the same initials - I am sure they noticed this months ago,
but the usually observant mother, did not :-)

I am sure Van Gogh would be flattered!


Van Gogh's Sunflowers by C Moore (age 10)

More of Van Gogh's Sunflowers by CM (age 9)

Milagros / Sunday Sketches

We have combined our Sunday Sketches and a gift.. Milagros, or dijes, are religious charms traditionally used for healing and as votive offerings in Mexico and parts of Latina and South America. They are often attached to alters, shrines and sacred objects in places of worship. Blessed Milagros can be bought in churches and from street vendors. I am fascinated by Milagros, and religious folk art in general, and use them in my own art, workshops, and when finding a way to express my support for friends facing the challenges of the day.

Milagros by C Moore

Our friend Leticia needs positive thoughts, prayers, and healing light sent in her direction as she works through chemotherapy.

Leticia' Milagros by L Moore

This week my daughter and I have sketched heart Milagros then made one from felt, rosettes, beads and tassel, with an an authentic Milagros, the praying woman, attached (bottom 3 photos). We have sent it to our friend and posted it here to be used as an amulet for healing energy and prayer.

Mary by T Moore

My son sketched and made the card (I love this Mary, very folkloric suites the Milagros perfectly I think) and in it I have written "This is our Milagros for you. Our family has each put our prayers in it and send you many more. I will place its image in a space where creative people from all over can send you love and light, support and will, thoughts and prayers; so it can be a talisman, a votive. We can carry you and you can put all your energy into Healing."


Many thanks for your thoughts , prayers, healing light and visualization sent in Leticia's direction.

To our health! May we carry and be carried as necessary!

Much Love, Lenora.

The Emerald Forest - Midsummer Dream Party!

The Emerald Forest - A Midsummer's Dream
The Emerald Forest - A Midsummer's Dream
The Emerald Forest - A Midsummer's Dream


"Paint me and ideas will come!" The voice whispered on the wind again, echoing among the soaring trunks, slipping from branch to branch, dallying with the the dappled sunlight!


"We are here, search us out" and there he was - one, no two..
We looked a little closer! Small, green, wise and Yoda-like!


We whipped out our brushes, sketched the features, slopped on the moss colours, captured the image before they retreated once again into the ethereal forest!


Were we dreaming? We have visited that spot many times and only on a mid summer's are we able to see our friends once again.. for dreams are the things that life's dance is made of; each trip across the tight rope a joy, perhaps a means to an end, but always, always, with the right frame of mind and maybe a little luck, a parade of crazy and curious events!
Enjoy the journey for we are already there!

Another dream begins..




Dreaming.. my son's a day dreamer for sure and he has wanted to do a stop motion animation class for a long time; summer freedom, now was the time! Both children participated in my son's little dream and made stop motions all week, modeling clay short films, lego character short films, chess piece short films, sketched short films, painted short films; 24 clicks per second of fun! All paintings, characters and short film by T Moore (age 13) and C Moore (age 10)

Check out the other Midsummer Night's Secret Dreams here! Thanks such to our hostess Kelly of A Stuffed Life! What Fun!


story, paintings, photography, models and stop motion animation
by Outer Planet Deigns, TM (age 13), CM(age 10) and LM (40 something)

Handmade Bears / Once in a Blue Moon

We have entered the Once in a Blue Moon blog give away at A Stuffed Life for Kelly's sweet blue mohair teddy bear! Mid summer is fast approaching and we are also joining her Midsummer Night's Dream tomorrow, visit all our dreams using the button on the sidebar!



Handmade teddy bears are a wonderful thing, making them and receiving them; they are warm and provide comfort. My son has made 2 bears, his first, tangerine, when he was 3 was a gift for his dad, his second was for himself!


I have made 3 over the years and much love has gone into each one; in fact each has a love note tucked inside the stuffing! My daughter's, Lady Sarah, is her comrade and


has been for years. My son's bear Joom, still lives upon his pillow


and after making bears for the both the children my husband surprised us all, sulking that one had not been made for him - thus I laboured to bring forth Al Bear also known as Forty when my husband turned that magical age. My daughter who was 6 at the time also made a simple hand stitched bear for dad!


I hope these bears will stay in my children's families for many years to come and bring much joy!


We have a fifth handmade bear that was a gift, she is mine, but I share her often :-) Once in a Blue Moon will find a wonderful home here should we be lucky - we have never had a collectible bear! Happy Friday!

Royal Sketches and Fabulous Fairies!

Under the genre of the summer "better late than never" - or maybe "it's about time" is more appropriate, here is another post that should have been out ages ago!


Some of the fairies in production at our last
Fairy Milagros Felting Workshop!



My huge apologies to those who have been waiting!


This is some of the artwork produced at our last Milagros, Art Faeries Felting Workshop!


Each fairy has a story - Fabulous, ladies - we had fun!

And now for our Sunday Sketches - this so fun! From Faeries we move to Royalty. .


My daughter has been inspired by some of your sketches so if you see resemblance please be flattered,


she has drawn up her princess, mocked up her painting based on her sketch and then painted it with fabulous result. Bear in mind that she is 10.

My Royalty is a young prince whom I wrote a wee Birthday story for. We used our art work to illustrate the tale and bound the book simply to make a lovely and personal family gift. This is the Prince for whom the story was written - Prince William. I forgot to photo the sketch before it was coloured, but that's ok, it is a simple sketch.

Happy Sunday All!

July Rhythm and Routine

July's Family Rhythm

If you have not followed this blog before these monthly planning pages lay out a general structure for each month in our home; including a theme and seasonal table, a way to wake, a table candle blessing, a couple of projects and a verse for going to sleep. These are our goals, the follow up varies from great to imperfect but having the plan helps it to happen and helps bring rhythm to our days! We just keep on trying :-)

July Festival / Theme / Seasonal Table
It has to be summer, summer, summery! This month ours is all shells and mermaids!


Wake Up Song
Wake Up Little Suzie (I change the names to my kids names - as always i mostly repeat the same lines a few times) The Everly Brother's 1950's

Breakfast Verse / Song
"With joy we greet the morning sun, who shines with love on everyone
who shines in the sky, on the land and the sea,
And fills me with light when he shines on me, Blessings on our meal today."
~ author unknown to me


Bedtime Song
Taps as in "Day is done, gone the sun, from the lakes, from the hills, from the skies.." US Military Vespers I believe, anyway reminds us of camp, summer etc!

July Projects
We don't really have specific projects for summer - the goal being to relax the schedule.. that said, our children usually come up with several summer projects anyway as they go.. at the moment they are both making little stop motion scenarios on their own.. and the neighbourhood children are all building Foofles (cardboard houses see photo below), next week they'll be into something else. Oh yes and I lie, this week we wanted to make pasta from scratch and we did! Oh and we are continuing Sunday Sketches at Blue Chair Diary.. besides that.. no projects :-)

Happy Summer - get outside!

What's in Our Garden? Sunday Sketches

detail Robin Redbreast by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

My son chose this week's theme and it was a joyous concoction! Stepping on from activities in our garden in our last post..
here's what we found in our garden..

Robin Red Breast by C Moore age 10 (c) 2010

It was a lovely calm drawing time,
thinking of our garden in dappled sunlight!

Butterfly and Flower by T Moore age 13 (c) 2010


Bring the Garden in! by L Moore



Thanks again for coming!

Check here to see more of today's Sunday Sketches!

Ritual and Rhythm - Burying Our Pet Fish

Ode to Splash - Life as Art - Burying our pet fish

Friends have asked about rituals marking various times of change in our lives and in our children's lives. I have promised a note on our ritual to mark the death of a family pet - we have fish and they all have personalities :-) the children do get quite attached. Under the title of better late than never here is the gist of our last passing, a fish named Splash.


We have a place in the garden where we bury lost pets or found dead birds etc. It has had a couple of names, Magic Mountain and more recently the Grave Garden. Because our animals are small we simply wrap them in tissue and place them in one of those 4" wooden match box boxes.


One of the children adds a seed to the box with the body and we close it up. Sometimes we decorate the box, sometimes not.


Then we go off the the Grave Garden and each of us take a spade and a heart shaped stone or a pretty rock or perhaps the children have made a Popsicle stick cross.


We each dig a scoop of dirt, the box is placed at the bottom, and the dirt is thrown back. We light a tea light and leave it burning in a glass candle holder on a flat rock. We send a wish or prayer and toss our stone on the grave, or place the cross, and that is that.


We love the seed idea, my son came up with it, life from death, I don't know - the children like it. We also celebrate los dios de los muertos with Halloween and our shrine to the dead has notes for departed friends both human and animal :-) Splash was also honoured with a fairy tale by A Pink Dreamer written by a blog friend from far away in the Greek Islands - how cool is that?!

Many thanks to those who leave comments - we always enjoy them!