The Friend Party.

The last of the turning eight celebrations was held this weekend, and Team Craun has officially crossed the threshold of the friend party. One dozen giggling girls around our fully-extended table stitched away at a sewing craft [more on that in a forthcoming post], and later belted out the sweetest rendition of Happy Birthday I have ever heard. Complete with cha-cha-cha's.

We had hoped that this year was the beginning of our scaled-back party efforts, and although it was certainly less involved than prior parties, the million details still managed to become a vortex of creativity.

It all started with a sweet and simple 8-candle DIY project [inspired by this]...

which subsequently encouraged the painting of a small tribe of toadstool cake-toppers [simple painted wooden shelf pegs, inspired by this image] for good company, and a lovely-visual merge of our two party themes; sewing and woodland fairy.

Here's a glimpse at the party table; 12 sweetly-styled place settings ready and waiting: 

More on the party as I sort through all the photos, and get the house back in order for the week.

Because it doesn't stop.

The snow slowed the morning. I prayed for peace and grace, and then ventured out in the glorious weather on this new day. The wind blew cold air right through me this afternoon. It is Winter, after all. And providing much perspective.

A lot of heaviness was lifted from my shoulders today. And the relief is welcome. Celebrated, even with snow. How about these gorgeous paper flakes snipped out by the Little Miss. The Little Miss that just celebrated eight years this week. OH MY, is it real? If time could slow more often. 

My favorite part of this snowflake folding + cutting session–now week's behind us–was all the little pieces. A small pile of victory and accumulation.

You are Fabulous.

Happy Valentine's Day, all. This year, I printed up some terrifically large two-color screenprints on some lovely gray cotton paper. I'm absolutely smitten with the finished results:

I diced up a few of these beauties into 16 sweet little postcards, creating a serial Valentine that gradually revealed the big picture day-by-day through the post. And a few others I just gave away huge and wholly intact. BAM, you are fabulous.

 

Outside of my main and most special Valentine [hi there, husband!] I surprised only a few others with these enormous Valentine's. Sort of intentionally random, and certainly unexpected––seems like the best way to Valentine in my book.

School Valentines.

The Craunlets each have friendship parties slated for tomorrow afternoon in each of their classes. Both are excited, and both have been working away at their Valentine's all week.

Isabella cut out more than 24 tiny sets of paired hearts from felt, and detailed each of them with a tidy little running stitch. Her cards are a modified printable from thirty handmade days. 

Her teeny tiny little stitches dotting the edges of the mini felt hearts just slay me. The cuteness of small packs such a punch sometimes.

Nate diligently stuck more than 2 dozen plastic bugs [including scorpions, black carpenter ants, centipedes and other eekish! varieties] to his selected class Valentines. 

 

We cranked out a small slew of printable cards––modified only slightly in scale to accommodate our biggish bugs––from Dandee.

Team Craun is ready for some serious friendship partying; our bags are already packed for tomorrow, and they are brimming with Valentine cheer.

Saying it Big.

For whatever reason, I've been really wanting to screenprint some simple big posters. What better reason than to spread a little Valentine cheer? 

Here's a glimpse at the stencils on the print rack at Zygote. It's a two layer print, red hearts with black over-printing, screened onto a light gray cotton paper. And the finished results, which I will post here after the big day [I can't ruin it for my main Valentine] are fabulous!

Upward Thinking.

I've been thinking a lot about time and motivation.

How life's days are really a lot about priorities, and balance. I love tickling the Craunlets in the afternoon, and stirring them up with silly jokes and antics before we three are around the table tackling homework with our after school snacks. Most of all, I love blowing hearty gusts of wind into their tethered sails -- giving them the absolutely certain I can do it inner voice.

Image Credit: GypSoul

I love to stoke up that crazy confidence they are unquestionably born with, especially as the world introduces all the doubt and uncertainty, constantly  barraging them with the obstacles to wear that certainty down. I want the Craunlets to be hard workers, with big hearts who stand up for what is right, and hopeful individuals that believe in the possible even when it looks impossible to do so.

Blizzard Brownies.

Because it won't stop snowing.

And it's a beautiful winter wonderland of white out there.
 

Gorgeously floating and accumulating crystals.

I'm not sure winter has ever been this magical.

Like a shaken snow globe.

The snowfall this week has most certainly called for brownies.

Rabbit, Rabbit.

Apparently it's good luck to wish the new month in with the out-loud utterance of: rabbit, rabbit. 

I pulled the covers up to my chin this morning, day one of February, looking at the accumulated frost on the window adjacent my bed. I've tried to remember rabbit, rabbit on the first of each month since college, when a roommate shared this superstition with me. It's silly for sure, but so is the fact that I almost never miss an 11:11 or a 12:34 on the clock. And every time I read those numbers, I wonder how it could repeat so regularly and still hold both my attention and surprise. 

Last night I wished, upon hearing rumors of predicted lake effect snowfall, that the Craunlets would definitely not have a snow day today. How completely cruel I felt this morning, warm under my covers, scrolling through the extensive list of school closings–ours not included–and reading the weather reports of real feel being -10º today with continued snow squalls on the docket.

Isabella asked from her room; is it a knee sock day, or leggings? And why ARE we having school today, who thought THAT was a good idea? She was certain we had at least 9 inches of snow out there, though it is closer to 5 at best. 

In this new month, my birthday month, I'm hoping to post here on Chatter with more frequency again. I'm also hoping to get back on that after school snack baking train.  Boy do we all miss those homemade  sweets. Rabbit, rabbit; here's hoping.