PARTY - REVERB 10

Day 9 prompt - Party. 


What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.


Rocked my socks off? I'm not sure any gathering did that for me this year but I had a great time gathering with family this Thanksgiving.  

It wasn't the kind of Thanksgiving you see in magazines or the ones we have had in the past. It was immensely CASUAL. There was no elegant table set with place settings ( I don't even have enough matching dinnerware for 30 people anyway!). 


The television was turned ON, as I embraced football this year, not because I like the game but because my quests LOVE it. You could tell by the patriots t shirts that were worn.


 I am of the belief that when people gather, the TV should be turned off and people should converse with one another. But I also had to ask myself, Do you want your guests to be comfortable and WANT to come, or have them wish they stayed home to be comfortable and watch the game?


So the tables were kept clear for board games and art and puzzles, while the football fans tuned in to the television and the video gamers played on another set nearby.

It was terrific to have most of my family all together. My parents, four of my five siblings and their families, and four of my six children gathered here. There were also girlfriends and boyfriends and a new friend we invited to join us.


My brother, a professional chef, did his magic in the kitchen and I appreciated all his help. Food was buffet style when those people could turn themselves away from the game.

There were those who needed to take a closer peek to see what was going on inside.

And a kind-hearted, animal loving brother who decided they needed to have some treats  as well.

It was a different kind of Thanksgiving Day but it was fun. It was light and personal, cozy and casual, and while it didn't rock my socks off like a wild and crazy dance party world, I think  everyone enjoyed themselves 

 and that includes me! 

I know I would do it again this way and I'm sure the football fans would be extremely happy.. . but secretly hoping for a bigger screen TV next year :)

reverb 10 - reflect on this year and manifest what's next

                                  happy day!

ENJOY TODAY

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself
To melt and be like a running brook that sings 
its melody to the night
To wake at dawn with a winged heart 
and give thanks for another day of loving.
                                                                    ~Kahlil Gibran
happy day . . . 


HAPPY THANKSGIVING !

ARTFUL LINDEN LEAVES

I collected 300 leaves last week, before they got wet and soggy, dry and crispy, or blown into the woodlands. I knew Mother Nature wouldn't mind me borrowing some of them. 


The Linden leaf is my absolute favorite and I love its glorious yellow color in autumn.

They are all over our kitchen island right now, sandwiched between newspaper, flattening out under piles of heavy books and magazines, in various stages of drying in preparation for our artful endeavors.

Some are ready to be painted, which is the reason I collect so many. They are a simple shape and very sturdy and take paint and varnish quite well. If varnished, they can last for years!


I put one in an altered board book two years ago!

The children painted some of the Linden leaves as their *Thankful Leaves* and will write what they are thankful for on the back with a fine tip marker. They punched a hole and tied yarn and will hang them on a branch brought inside or on a ribbon or yarn strung across a wall or mantel. 

Some leaves have designs.

We use waxed paper or parchment paper when we paint our leaves. It allows us to paint the other side even if the leaf is not fully dry, which can be very important painting with very little children :)

Sometimes the writing of children can be too large for the leaf. In that case, I encourage the children to write on a blank sticker and just stick it onto the back, or on a piece of paper that can be decoupaged on the leaf using diluted glue or mod podge. They could even draw a small picture.

We have a basket of Linden leaves all ready for our next project, to use in decorating the mantel on our stone fireplace for Christmas. We're going to paint the leaves in a multitude of reds and greens and attach them on top of the pine boughs across our mantel, as a garland.

Stay tuned for pictures  :)


                                                       
               happy day!