Beautifully Whimsical Dolls

If you're looking for a unique gift for someone this Christmas, I know just the artist for you to check out.  Her name is Mary Taffe and she makes the most beautifully whimsical dolls.  Here's the one I have hanging by my front door.

My doll is made out of buttons, beads, a brooch, tulle, antique fabric and wire.  Here are some pictures that show a little more of the details.

We gave our daughter one of these dolls too.  Here are some pictures of her doll.

Each doll comes with a name and a sentimental verse written by Mary.  The verses are interchangeable to fit the doll and the recipient.  Mary also makes note cards with pictures of these lovely dolls.....another great gift.  Check out Mary's blog to see more pictures and get the contact information you will need to order a doll......or two!  https://littlewomen-mbt.blogspot.com

"The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance."  -Aristotle

Quick Christmas Cookies

Christmas cookies don't last very long in my house.  I used to make all kinds of labor intensive cookies and then they'd be gone in a half an hour OR after all of that work, no one would eat them because although they looked good, they didn't taste very good!  In the past few years, I've scaled back on the really fancy and difficult to make cookies.  I have added a few really easy and inexpensive ones that also taste great!  Here's one of those recipes.  It's a recipe I got from my mom and it's called Almond Bark Nut Krispies.

Here are the ingredients:  white almond bark, chunky peanut butter, dry roasted peanuts, miniature marshmallows, Rice Krispies (off brand crispy rice cereal works just as well).

Mix 2 cups peanuts, 2 cups mini-marshmallows and 2 cups of the crispy rice cereal in a large bowl.

Melt the almond bark until smooth.  I melt mine in a double boiler.  It seems to melt much easier with less risk of burning it.

Add 2 cups of peanut butter to the melted almond bark.  I use the 18 oz. size of chunky peanut butter and add the entire jar - no measuring required.  Stir until well combined.

Pour the peanut butter/almond bark mixture over the peanuts, marshmallows and cereal.  Mix well, making sure everything is coated.

Place a large piece of parchment paper on a flat surface.

Drop the mixture by tablespoon onto the parchment paper.  Make sure to leave a little space between them so they don't stick together!

Once they harden, they're ready to eat.  ENJOY!

"Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap."  -Barbara Jordan

My 2013 Beautiful Picture Album

I love taking photographs.  I love when my children take photographs.  The composition of their photographs often amazes me!  I love when I see others' photographs - to see what they see.  My mom, sister and I do something special with photographs each year.  We each create a "Beautiful Picture Album" and share them with each other at the end of the year. 

We each buy the $1.00 albums from Target or Walmart and decorate them to make them our own.  Here are mine from the past two years.

I keep all of them (mine, my mom's and mine) in a basket on my coffee table.

What goes in these "Beautiful Picture Albums"?  Each month, we take a picture of something that we see as beautiful.  There's no limit as to what the picture can be of - because no one can tell anyone else what they should see as beautiful!  We also provide a typed or written description of each picture.  Here's an example from last year's album (March).

Here are my photographs for this year with a brief description:

January - the peace and quiet of our property up north on a winter day.

February - a mini-snowstorm that came with big beautiful flakes of snow and a snowman that was created from the wonderful big flakes of snow.

March - one of my son's photographs of his kendama on the wheel of our dump truck.  Love the artistry in such a simple picture.

April - my daughter and the artwork she had on display at our local Center for the Arts.  The second one was taken by my oldest son of my second son - he was playing kendama at sunset on a hill over looking Big Stone Lake (at my parents' house).

May - new life sprouting and a beautiful flower blooming.

June - my aunt gave me this iris from her garden a number of years ago and it FINALLY bloomed!

July - my daughter at the Laura Ingall's Wilder Pageant.

August - a cute little gift bag my daughter and I made together.

September - my Farmer's Market purchases.

October - another picture taken by my oldest son - the Mississippi River on a beautiful fall day.  The second picture is of the beautiful fall tree my daughter created.

November - the beautiful November sky.

December - pictures my oldest son took on Harriet & Raspberry Islands.  He really has an eye for beautiful things - in a unique way.

Se there you have it.  My 2013 Beautiful Pictures Album.  Can't wait to start on the one for 2014!

"Blessed are they who see beautiful things in humble places where other people see nothing."  -Camille Pissaro

Small Venues for Entertainment

Every year before Christmas, my sister, mom and I try to take in a Christmas concert.  We've seen The Blenders, The Nutcracker, Lorie Line, A Christmas Story just to name a few.  We've seen plays, musicals, music concerts, ballets - usually in the bigger theaters in Minneapolis and St. Paul.  This year, we're going to see the Church Basement Ladies in St. Cloud.  This got me to thinking......why not go to more of the small venues.  Not only at Christmas but other times of the year too.

I started looking into other types of performances and found a host of high school and middle school plays, community musicals, city band concerts - then I laughed out loud when I realized I and my daughter are in one of those small venue productions!

My daughter attends a Musical Theater class at Moore Than Dance in Fridley, MN.  In her class,  she is taught to sing and dance as one would do on Broadway.  The Director of the Dance Studio, Angela Manella-Hoffman, offers many different classes for young and old performers.  (Check out the studio's website: www.moorethandance.com for more details.)  She also directs a production at the end of each year with school age students from her classes, some of the parents of these students and her adult students at Totino Grace High School in Fridley, MN.  This year the production is Willy Wonka and both my daughter and I are taking part!

Moore Than Dance will be putting on their own production of 

Willy Wonka! 

Don't miss out on the opportunity to see this Scrumdidilyumptious production
Mark your calendars for Friday, December 28th and Sunday, December 30th!

Tickets will be available at the studio the beginning of December!

WILLY WONKA CAST LIST

Charlie ……………………………………………………………………………………………………Olivia Huseonica

Willy Wonka………………………………………………………………………………………...…….Reagan Lee

Grandpa Joe…………………………………………………………………………………………….....William Huseonica

Grandma Josephine………………………………………………………………………………..............JoNewman-Bosak

Grandpa George…………………………………………………………………………………………...Joel Hoogeem

Grandma Georgina………………………………………………………………………………………...Mary Simms

Mr. Bucket…………………………………………………………………………………………………John Rehlander

Mrs. Bucket………………………………………………………………………………………………..Kim Huseonica

Mrs. Teevee………………………………………………………………………………………………..Mickey Stevens

Mike Teevee……………………………………………………………………………………………….Dylan Schofield

Mrs. Gloop…………………………………………………………………………………………………Janet Mondloh

Augustus Gloop……………………………………………………………………………………………Duncan Reyburn

Mr. Salt……………………………………………………………………………………………………..Fred Steinman

Veruca Salt………………………………………………………………………………………………….Payton West

Violet Beauregarde…………………………………………………………………………………………Hanna McLevish

Mrs. Beauregarde…………………………………………………………………………………………...Jodi Rehlander

Candy Man………………………………………………………………………………………………….Zach Hime

Phinneus Trout…………………………………………………………………………………....…Tori Dobias/Emelie Tomas

Ensemble including Oompa Loompas
Olivia Ambuhl * Jacqueline Tomas * Lulu Schirmacher *  Rebecca Talbot  * Bella West*  Maija Kelly-Salo
 Marguerite Anderson *  Calvin Huseonica * Kendra Kowal  * Helena Huseonica  *  Amy Walus * Natalie Hawkinson* Joe Junkert *     Allison Chaffee* Hannah Bosak  * Anaya Boseman * Aria Ruback *  Kadence Ruback *  Avery Roepke*  Hannah Roepke*    Hannah Bosak  * Zoe Scheck * Hannah Hoogheem * Emma Willcox * Cameron Willcox * Kaylee Sharpe *                                              Ashlee Sharpe  *  Brooke Scullen *Chloe Lutterman * Abigail Plaisance * Kallie Schuchard*

 

 

So while you're making your entertainment plans, check out some the local talent in your area.  You might be surprised at what your community has to offer.  This is a great way to expose a child to the theater without it costing a lot of money too!

 

"I'm think of doing more theatre.  It makes me very happy."  -Rachel Weisz

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Votive Snowman Gift

What do you get when you match a snowman with little chocolate candies....... a very inexpensive Christmas gift or party favor.  We're making ours for my daughter's friends.  Each little snowman cost under $5!  Here are the super simple instructions:

You'll need a clear glass vessel.  We used a votive holder.  I liked the rounded shape because a snowman's head must be round!

For the snowman's face, I used decorative stickers from Vinyl Words.  You could also use paint or you could glue on buttons. 

If you're using the vinyl stickers, rub the back of them with something hard and flat.  Even a spatula would work.

Peel off the backing.

Press the sticker onto the votive.

Peel the paper off of the sticker.  Be careful that the sticker stays stuck to the glass.  If it starts to come off with the paper, press it down again and rub something hard and flat on it. 

Once the paper is completely off, press the sticker with your fingers making sure to take out any bubbles.  This is what your snowman face should look like.

Next you'll need some white candy.  I found this candy at Crafts Direct in St. Cloud but any little white candy would work.

Fill the votive with the white candy and now you have a snowman.

By using ribbon and a little plastic bags........

You can turn the little votive into a cute gift!

"It isn't the size of the gift that matters, but the size of the heart that gives it."  -Eileen Elias Freeman