(Inspired by Soulemama's weekly "blog-along")
A Friday (or weekly!) ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savour and remember.
About this blog
- I am Sarah: 43 year old Canadian-American, tea-drinking, feminist, agnostic, (former) homeschooling, crafty, domestic-artist-wanna-be, island-dwelling mother to Maxine (age 7), Asa (age 10) and Lee (age 13). this blog is dedicated to urban Island dwelling, creative endeavours and household minutiae.
sweet thing(s) needlefelted sweaters
sweet thing(s) textile art
email me
- sarahrosensweet(at)gmail(dot)com
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Posted with Blogsymy new direction
Hello old friends---
You may have noticed i haven't been around this space much lately!
As my kids got older, i was less and less drawn to to the crafty endeavours i once chronicled in this blog. Household minutae no longer held my attention as it once did.
I needed to move out into the world. I did some soul searching-- what next? My most favourite pre-kid career isn't a good fit with family life and I wasn't interested in going back to teaching. I asked myself- "What is my passion?"
My passion for the last 14 years has been parenting. I have been both passionate about being a mother and about reading, learning, thinking and talking about parenting. I have always been "that mom friend" who others come to for advice. I decided to make it official.
Announcing my parent coaching business... Parenting With Love and Reason: Support for New Mamas and Parents of Toddlers-to-Tweens.
I am so excited! Let me know what you thihnk! And thanks for all your years of reading this blog! xo
Happy Birthday Lee!
My boy.
12 years old today, I can't believe it.
We have begun. A new path, a new relationship. The push/pull of adolescence.
This is an excerpt from a very meaningful essay about adolescence by Janell Burley Hofmann. (A favourite new blogger/essayist about parenting)
We are crossing over. You are my baby. But I cannot carry you now. You walk alone into a new world. I want you to linger here, but you constantly push. You will change. You will grow. You will stumble. You will rise. I will be soft and firm. I will guide and step aside. I will lean and I will pull. I will be lost and I will be certain. I will reach for you, and if you do not reach back, know that my heart remembers your heartbeat. And I will always be holding you there.
Happy birthday darling boy!
Happy Valentine's Day!
I have seen this idea all over the Internet and have always wanted to try it! Although I had to bribe Maxine with 3 pieces of gum until I got a good photo, it was definitely easy and I think the valentines came out super cute! I'm sure I will get a full report after school today
DO have a sweet Valentine's Day!
{this moment}
inspired by Soulemama's 'blog-along' Friday ritual:
from Soulemama: {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, savour and remember
{this moment}
inspired by Soulemama's 'blog-along' Friday ritual:
from Soulemama: {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, savour and remember
sour cherry grunt
the cherry tree in our yard had enough cherries for us and the birds this year
we had enough to make a sour cherry grunt. a grunt or a slump is dumplings steamed over stewed sweetened fruit. Asa was grossed out by the name so he called it "Sour Cherry Munch." much more appetizing, eh? hopefully we can make it again next year- it was delicious!
rainbow birthday cake
the birthday girl came home from school with a rainbow the week before her birthday.
her painting inspired her rainbow cake!
the top is a cloud of seven minute frosting with a fondant sun.
my girl, and a good friend
adventure boys birthday party
for Asa's birthday party this year his dad took him and 8 friends out into the wilds for an afternoon and evening of boy stuff. tree climbing, getting really dirty, running around, building fires, roasting hot dogs, etc.
"BEST...BIRTHDAY...EVER"
as for the cake, here's a warning>>>> don't look any further if you don't want to be really grossed out.
Asa requested a cat litter box cake (he and his brother saw it somewhere). I could comply as there would be no grown-ups at his party! (except for his dad, who when he saw it was pretty much speechless)
melted tootsie rolls and smashed chocolate gravel candy make one disgusting cake:
monkey cupcakes
Lee made monkey cupcakes (100% by himself!) for Asa to take to school on his birthday
a monkey for a monkey
these cupcakes were from the book Hello, Cupcake!
Lee used my go-to chocolate cake recipe. it is a baking soda and vinegar leavened cake (vs butter-sugar-eggs creamed together) so it is a great recipe for beginning bakers. he was, however, shocked to find out how much work it is to decorate cupcakes and took back his offer to make dog cupcakes for Maxine to bring to school....
happy birthday Maxine!
on June 10 Maxine turned F-I-V-E!!
here is my baby (practically yesterday)
and now she is this independent, trapeze-swinging, hula-hooping, "sporty clothes" wearing, fiesty big girl. she's still my baby though!
{this moment}
inspired by Soulemama's 'blog-along' Friday ritual:
from Soulemama: {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, savour and remember
pool party cake
My nephew recently celebrated his 5th birthday with a pool party. so of course we made him a pool party cake, and OF COURSE it was a Lego pool party!
I think he liked it!
there are tutorials all over the web for the Jello pool cake. I made a classic white cake in a 9 x 11 glass pane, and cut out a shallow pool. I iced the whole thing with cream cheese frosting and then lined the pool with white fondant. The 'tiles' are also fondant. I think it turned out well and of course if the birthday boy is pleased that is the most important thing!
orange treats
Maxine and I made these yummy orange "Jello" wedges last night. The kids LOVED them and they were super easy.
Here's a link to where I first saw them. (it's an interesting website, btw. It has alternative healthy recipes for traditional "kid" food)
We juiced 4 oranges and scooped out the insides to make bowls. Then we mixed 1 cup of the o.j. with 3/4 of a cup of boiling water, 2 tablespoons of honey and a package of gelatin. We poured the mixture into the orange 'bowls' and waited while the treats set in the fridge. Then we cut them into wedges with a sharp knife. I think I'd like to get some agar agar for next time though.
These got an A in taste, healthiness, and and especially in presentation!
{this moment}
inspired by Soulemama's 'blog-along' Friday ritual:
from Soulemama: {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, savour and remember
why I haven't been blogging lately....
Who knew how much work a puppy is? Not me! xxx
postcards from Key West
The kids and I are visiting my dad in Key West this week. I'll try to put up a few photos every day!
this moment
this moment-
no words, just a single image from the week- a moment I want to remember.
a Friday blog along ritual inspired by SouleMama
the Island: Spring Equinox bonfire
every year our community celebrates the Spring Equinox with a bonfire on the beach. we save our Christmas trees and burn them to usher in the new season.
trees are hung at the Ward's Ferry circle a few days before- letting us all know that spring is almost here
image via Claudette Abrams
at 7:00 we gather for a bit of drumming and then proceed to the beach, dragging our trees in a strange procession of children, dogs, and people drumming and playing instruments.
choose a tree and throw it on the fire
until it's blazing
bonfire images via Claudette Abrams (thanks Claudette!!)
Happy Spring!!
{this moment}
inspired by Soulemama's 'blog-along' Friday ritual:
from Soulemama: {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, savour and remember
