{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
first up we made these gorgeous tree weavings as found here. such a beautiful and approachable project for all! 
one week we made fairy looms. we laid out many types of interesting foliage for weaving into their y-sticks. 
the variety and creativity the children expressed with this project was delightful!
we also dyed silks with plant dyes. something i have little experience with but enjoyed oh so much. from left to right above: black walnut, blueberries, poke berries, onion skins, and turmeric. so gorgeous and the kids were absolutely delighted!
i happened to be in the classroom when ms rachel and the first graders were stringing these peppers (they were green then). the beautiful colors they have changed into blend right in with the autumnal scenery around them. a beautiful sight indeed!
i assisted the executive director in a really cool project that she brought to the first graders. we made sorghum brooms from the tassels of the sorghum plants that she grew on her farm. i loved every minute of this project and the brooms are so darn practical, too. they work really well!
sienna wanted to demonstrate just how well it performs. 
this week, i went to class to make corn husk dolls with them. both of these projects tie in with their appalachia unit (as in the appalachian mountains that we live in). on friday, we will gather in their classroom for our appalachian feast. the students will then share all of their work that is on display. so looking forward to it!
leaf prints found in front of our house on a damp autumn day. 
over the past couple of months, i have once again been the recipient of quite a few wonderful giveaways. i continue to be amazed at the generosity and kindred sense of sharing within this community. i don't often think to blog about my wins but i am extraordinarily grateful for each of these gifts. i don't enter giveaways unless it is an item my children or myself would really enjoy, meaning we have ended up with some very special treasures! 
it is time for me to give back. i have not had a giveaway since right after i started my blog. more than a year has passed now, i just topped one hundred posts, and have nearly one hundred followers! never would have thought it. me, a blogger. (i'm still not joining facebook though!) ;)
you don't have to follow my blog to enter. please do that if you really want to, but not just for this giveaway. ;) you do not even have to have a blog. just make sure that i can get in touch with you through e-mail. i admired and gained inspiration from several blogs for some time before i ever commented. i didn't have a blog and thought myself somehow not a part of the conversation. everyone is always welcome to comment here...just so you know! 
this acorn fairy was crafted using felted sweaters. she has mohair on her head and is made with natural materials, including the cotton pipe cleaner in her arms but excluding the polyester invisible string she hangs by. she is 5" long. she would love to come and live with you (or you could gift her to a friend)!
we are in the midst of another busy weekend here but there are some pics from last weekend that i haven't shared yet. on saturday i attended a WECAN conference (waldorf early childhood assoc) in chapel hill. i made the three and a half drive by myself!! 24 hours without my children. that has happened only one other time that i can remember.
veil painting done by the teacher, ms kathleen.
i returned home after the conference and when we all woke up the next morning, sienna and i set out for our now annual date at the fiber fair! 
she got to try her hand at some spinning. this wheel is huge and hand crafted by a local artisan. she worked the wheel while momma attempted feeding the wool onto the spool (not sure of the correct lingo here).
she loved it so much that when we were leaving she insisted we go back and do that once again. so we did.
this is sara beth and she is a master rug hooker. i wish some pictures of her larger works had turned out. she somehow makes each and every little loop exactly the same. amazing! she learned when she was a young girl from her grandmother who used strips of old clothing to make rugs and bed throws to keep the family warm.
she took such an interest in sienna as sienna loved watching her work. 
she let sienna give it a try with some wool roving. they made a little flower together. she made a point to remember sienna's name and told her to come back and visit next year and then the year after that she would be ready to start on her own. sienna is already excited!
these fun felted toys were made by disabled children in a local school. i don't know the full story there, but i do know that the proceeds go back to them.
and of course, lovely animals to ooh and ahh over. i know the bunny pic is fuzzy, but so was the bunny! ;)
this sweet mama and baby had had enough of the crowds, methinks. they kept their backs to us, but sienna could have still watched them for hours.
off for some halloween fun now! i'll have pics of their costumes soon as well as a giveaway.
while working on another autumnal project recently, i pulled out this orange sleeve (consequently, the same sweater i used for this project). felted sweaters are one of my most favorite materials to work with!
i proceeded to cut off the cuff and use the rest of the material for my project. meanwhile this cuff was calling out to me to become a jack-o-lantern. what, don't your sweaters talk to you? ;)
i started by turning the cuff inside out and pulling it over the recycled jar i planned to use. for this lantern, i chose a squat, wide jar that had previously housed almond butter. i drew a face right on the cuff. then, using sharp scissors, i cut the face out. 
here he is trying on his new face. this is where i lack in photos, sorry. i decided i wanted a more finished look for the cut-outs and added a blanket stitch around the eyes and mouth using black floss.
then i painted the jar yellow. i didn't do this step at first, but i wanted to have a feeling of *glow* and depth even when the candle is not lit.
we put one of those little led fake tea lights in him and he glowed almost the entire day. at dinner, we swapped the led for a real tea light and he warmed our table beautifully.
i have found it difficult to get this post out there. one day the pictures got edited. one day they made it to the blog. then to find the time to write. i still don't really have it, so here is the edited version.
yes, the tents are that close together and their are hundreds! 
we are one of the green tents to the right of the teepee on the hill. 
a huge highlight for the children is getting to stay up later one night for the fire show. unifire puts on an amazing show that captivates the children and adults alike. 
one of the amazing things about this festival is their community outreach efforts. leaf in schools and streets puts musicians from all over the world in local schools working with children of all socio-economic backgrounds. it is inspirational for us to see these children on stage.
this is dende of dende & hahahaes. we missed his performance with his band but we did get to see him lead a group of children drumming on five gallon buckets following his native brazilan rhythms. he is so warm and encouraging with the children. both of my kids loved him. afterward, jasper connected with him for a little one-on-one drumming. 
there were several bands from haiti there this time. it was so touching to experience the love and incredible energy of these people and to hear their story firsthand. 
we also saw the wood brothers (chris wood of medeski, martin, and wood). about as far on the other end of the spectrum as you can get from boukman! incredible vocals and a very enjoyable show. a low key and lovely way to spend a sunday morning.
these fairies on stilts wander through the festival. the children are completely captivated by them. i enjoy watching the children even more than watching the fairies. their little faces awash with awe and wonder.
i even got in a little girl time! one of our gals isn't pictured here. so nice to boogie with the ladies. that has not happened in a very, very long time!
it is almost mandatory when at a festival dubbed *leaf*, in the autumn no less, that one adorn themselves with leaves. 
relaxing together during the pack up.