Fall Reading Fun

One of the kids favorite places to go is to the library. Usually I go armed with a list of kids books to find...mostly ones that I've seen reviewed at other craft blogs. This trip was fall themed--we found, among others, 'Pumpkin Moonshine' by Tasha Tudor, 'Four Friends in Autumn' by Tomie dePaola, 'Around the Year' by Tasha Tudor, and the kids' favorite, a serendipitous find since it wasn't on my list, 'Hallowiener', by Dav Pilkey. And then a nice afternoon was spent welcoming fall and looking forward to the fun things fall brings.

fort squirrel

Building a fort for backyard adventures has been on our agenda for awhile. Since the summer came and went and we didn't get to it, Rob thought this weekend would be perfect, before it got TOO cold. Eric and Rob worked far into the night (ok, til 7:15--but it was so dark already!) and got it nearly finished.

Leaves gathered from the front yard made a lovely floor for the fort, and a sign on the hatch reads 'Fort Squirrel'. This fort will get lots of use, I'm sure!!

a place for stuff

I was thrilled to find this antique buffet on craigslist a few weeks ago for a steal ($40). After a zillion back and forths with the seller (could I come right away, no I could not, could she hold it? no, she could not, ok, thanks anyway...and then an email the next day that it was still available, could I come right away? etc...). So we got it and did some rearranging to put it along the wall where we'd previously had a reproduction grain bin, which now fits nicely into the breakfast nook. I really like this piece. It does need some TLC, I'm going to leave the top as-is since it's in great shape and repaint the bottom a semi-gloss black to match our dining room table.

A bonus is it holds lots. Drawers for mail and catalogs and silver and napkins and linens and cabinets for bigger items. The top has become a catchall already for library books and school papers (I had to move 2 piles to take this picture). But what a thrill to get this!

pumpkin patch and falls park

So for the second year in a row, yesterday we visited the pumpkin patch at Smith Family Farms and the kids enjoyed the play area, petting zoo, and choosing a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. We started off down the corn maze and got about 25 yards into it and decided to turn back since it was a blazing 85 degrees, we were thirsty, and it just wasn't worth it! Maybe next year it will feel like Fall when we go!

retroactive blog

So I've been reading various craft blogs for a year or two now (thanks, Tai!!) and have repeatedly dismissed thoughts of starting one myself because: a) I don't come up with much 'original' stuff, just copy other ideas, b) I don't have one of those there fancy cameras to take such magazine worthy pictures with, and c) I know nothing about making a blog all fancy and fun looking, so who would want to read it? I've decided though that it would be fun to chronicle my creative ventures, and the kids' ventures too, and to have neat month categories to look back on through the years (plus I don't scrapbook, but I've tried so very hard!) so this will be a scrapbook of sorts!

So I'm starting this blog retroactively by showing some of our fairly recent doings. There's not much going on here at the present (hello, baby!) but we've done some neat things lately.

This may also serve as a family updater thing for our extended family and friends that we don't keep in touch with nearly enough!

Oh yes, and how fitting--I specifically made this blog to house Calvin's birth story, one of my 4 greatest creations! Nothing can top that.