Abiding in the True Vine

This week, we took advantage of an opportunity to appreciate some different art by attending a concert by The Notables. While it was entirely enjoyable and rockin’, I don’t have any photos for your viewing pleasure. But, here are Joey’s and Peter’s Christmas gifts to tide you over until next week.

First, Joey’s (which I made by covering a very ugly plaque that I got at a thrift store):

I used italic font and my good ol’ calligraphy pen for the text. My color scheme was based on the bakery’s colors and that is where this little piece now hangs.

Now, Peter’s (also covering an ugly plaque from the same thrift store):

I also used italic font and my calligraphy pen for this text. And I based the color scheme on “Kung Fu Panda,” since that is Peter’s favorite movie.

So…now you only have to anticipate seeing Clara and Levi’s gift. Oh, I’ll bet you are just on pins and needles….

Before Edmund’s arrival on Thursday, we had regular Art Night on Wednesday. Using Drawing Lab for Mixed-Media Artists: 52 Creative Exercises to Make Drawing Fun by Carla Sonheim, we explored color. First, we watered down red, blue and yellow watercolor. Then we made swipes with the colors. And then we had to find an animal in the swipes and bring it out with our pens and charcoal.

Eleanor found a person instead of an animal in her first colors.

Lydia’s snail.

There is a hummingbird in there. And a snake.

Joey’s rabbit. (He was a much more cooperative “student” this week.)

I’m sensing a rabbit and snake theme here.

Yep. A whole litter of rabbits.

Is Harriet finding a rabbit, too?

Levi’s first colors revealed an elephant.

This guy from the ‘hood wandered in a drew a fish.

Amelia’s cat.

Clara’s second piece was a peacock, not a rabbit.

Margaret’s lion was her second work.

Her first was this dragon who is still undergoing his transformation.

I’m not sure what this is, but I’m pretty sure it’s not a rabbit.

Fun times, as always.

There have been some festive moments this past week, starting off with Charlotte’s birthday. Right off the bat, she lost her first top tooth.

We immediately moved on to mom’s house for a Hello Kitty-packed birthday party (of which, Clara has a plethora of much better photos, so you’ll just have to trust me on the amazing amount of Hello Kitty items). The party also included a surprise. We made Charlotte close her eyes while we wheeled it in.

She was a little happy.

(And here is where I totally fall down in documenting the party. I have no photos of the actual fabulous surprise: a bike, complete with punture-proof tires from her brothers and handle-bar streamers from Eleanor. This is THE gift she was hoping for, so she was really, really tickled.)

Then, on Monday, Eleanor hosted a Valentine party and Charlotte got to wear her new outfit from her birthday (thanks to Amelia and Steve) and her Hello Kitty hat that Clara knitted and her Hello Kitty rain boots from Grammy (since it was snowing).

Eleanor bought a new outfit for the Big Event.

And she bought–and made–the festive food.

We actually made a recipe that I found on Pinterest: Valentine’s Day “Puppy Chow.”

Everyone was in a holiday spirit. (I don’t know why Margaret is MIA?)

What more could you add to this fun week? Getting your braces off!

Oh, and getting a new family member!

Charlotte, Anne and I made these Q-tip snowflakes from an idea in Family Fun magazine.

We placed Q-tips in this snowflake pattern, globbed some craft glue at the junctions, sprinkled glitter on the glue and let it dry overnight.

(And, hey, I noticed that Charlotte is wearing the shirt I decorated for her for Christmas. I embroidered hearts on shirts for her, Lydia, Anne, Harriet and Jemima in lieu of the Scripture calligraphy I did for the older kids. I embroidered them while watching “The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain” which I thought was a rather cute movie.)

Fun!