3-D Family Tree

Dear Friends,
Happy November! The leaves are falling as fast as I can type. Cooler air has chased away the warmth of Indian summer and Father Winter will be knocking on our door before we know it. Don't fret! It's a wonderful, festive time of year with so much to look forward too! 

 My husbands yearly ritual of raking the leaves in the back yard ( after dark so he can surprise the kids in the morning) into a large happy face is fast behind us and others await.  Our teens still look forward to their annual leafy smiley- face looking up at them from their bedroom windows and I must admit, I do too! 

Whether you're still living in your childhood hometown or city, or you've put down roots far away from your loved ones, family is at the center of every ones thoughts this time of year. These days it's so easy to keep in touch with Face Book, Skype, Blogging, Email, and Texting  the miles between loved ones are shrinking by the second.  Having instant communication at the touch of a fingertip can go along way toward easing homesickness too.
Another way to stay close to your far aways during the holiday season is to create a 3-D FAMILY TREE!

( this branch is special, it has a nest in it)

No expensive 3-D GLASSES needed and after you've created one with your family you can shoot pictures of it and share it with your loved ones too. And, you'll have the enjoyment of seeing it every day bringing you feelings of warmth, comfort and togetherness.

It was after moving away from my girlhood home ( at 40 ) to lovely New England when I first experienced being homesick. It was odd how I could love my new home so much and at the same time ache for my old one. I had to do something to chase away the homesick blues and busy hands  seems to work like magic for me.  I decided to make a family tree so I could be surrounded by the love of my family here, and my far aways too. 

 I searched the back yard for some branches to my liking and chose the photos I would use for my mini collages that would hang on my tree. 

 I used a sturdy vase ( in this case a lantern) as a base for my tree which I already had.  
* a bucket, planter, pitcher or galvanized tin would work well too.  
Now that you have your branches, vase and you have chosen your photos...


Here's what you'll need to complete YOUR FAMILY tree!

• access to a scanner, copier and printer
• white printer paper
• background paper for your photos.
• * I chose scrap booking paper in an earthy autumnal color pallet. Be as creative and colorful as you like. Hand made papers would be interesting too!
• decorative edge scissors for cutting out your papers and photos. 
• glue stick or double stick stickers for photos used in scrap booking.
• embellishments: text, quotes, etc.  for your mini collages.  
• *I chose some letters, sayings, and words that spoke to me about family. 
• a hole punch to punch a hole at the top of your mini collage for your tie to go through.
• jute, string, suede, ribbon etc for your tie.

PUT IT ALL TOGETHER: 

• Photo copy your photos on plane printer paper. I chose to use color but you could do black and white too.  
• cut your back ground papers and photos to the size you want them to be... Any shape goes! 

• glue your photo and embellishments to your back ground paper.
• punch hole in the top of your mini collage
• string your tie through the hole and hang it on your tree!

*  your elementary aged children can help create with you and they'll love seeing photos of their grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and themselves dangling from YOUR  family tree.

* All supplies for this project can easily be found at your local craft store and in your own BACK YARD! 

Now, your loved ones are near, you can see them every day and your memories of times past together  are further cemented because you have imprinted them into your mind and your heart through your handiwork! 

It's been several years since I made our first 3-D Family Tree and I still bring out my mini collages every year! This year a white dove was added to our tree as a symbol of peace for our home, our far aways, our country and our service men and women too! 

What about you? What traditions do you repeat each year with out fail? How have you creatively battled homesickness?


It's with a grateful heart that I'm sending you all a big THANK YOU for joining us here at DANDELION HOUSE HOME ARTS and wishing you and yours PEACE and a November to remember! 

I'm linking this older post to Heidi's Fall Harvest blog hop!

Dandelion Wishes,
Deborah Jean 

SUMMER ROMANCE~ family style

I was catching up on some of my favorite blogs recently and I just had to share Pattys' post over

Sewingseeds4u from  Lemon Avenue Cottage  with you! Those are her flowers BTW. Her blog is wonderful and her topic for Saturday Morning inspired me to write this post ( thank you Patty ) about the many ways we love, nourish, care for and create beauty in our homes for ourselves, and our families and what a blessing it is to truly make our homes a haven for those we love...

   We've been having a little Summer Romance... family style!

Our summer splurge this year was an Elegant Garden Gazebo ( that's what it said on the outside of the box ). We have a west facing deck and in high summer it's just too darned hot to be out there during the day and after sunset, it's too buggy... We've practically been living in our " screened porch " and if it was larger I think we'd set up some beds so we could sleep outside under the stars canopy.  It's the new breakfast hangout, lunch spot, juice pop break and yes, on occasion a lap top makes an appearance for some Blog surfing. We've even played cards by candlelight!

  beauty

                                               nourish

Whether you're a working mom or a full time homemaker working on your Master's in Domestic Art's like me, we can all use a little family romance now and then...I know, sometimes your just too tired to even think about making a meal " special  " ( with loving thoughts and hands ) It's easier to just throw something together, quick and get on with the next thing. We all do it! More often than not, we rush through our daily doin's as if we have a plane to catch. Some of us do!  Having the energy to come up with something truly creative on your own can seem like a stretch at times.

 One of the easiest ways I know to add romance to any occasion is with FOOD.  The simplest of meals, can often be the best!

This Saturday night's repast was my summer version of Mexi- night. We are still in the middle of a heat wave, so instead of hot re fried beans and Mexican rice ( an Autumn and Winter Favorite)  I served chilled canned peaches, and plenty of cool fresh chopped veggie fixin's for the Taco toppings. Black olives and home made guacamole are some of our favorites when it comes to Taco night!

Homemade Taco Seasoning

MILD

1/2 Tsp chili powder

1/4  Tsp crushed red chili pepper

dash of garlic powder

dash of onion powder

a sprinkle of oregano

a dash of cumin

 Ground black pepper and a pinch of fine ground

sea salt to taste...

*This amount is just right for a 1/2 - 3/4 pound ground beef  and can be adjusted for larger servings.

 For those who like their Taco's on the spicier side... add more Crushed Red Pepper!

Homemade Guacamole

2- 3  ripe avocado's mashed

2-3 green chillies chopped

1 Tomato chopped

1/2 cup onion chopped

1 1/2 Tsp lime juice  

1/2 Tsp garlic powder

1/2 Tsp fine ground sea salt

*combine ingredients and chill for half an hour before serving.

Serve with tortea chips and as a topping for Taco's, Tostada's and Taco Salad.

If you only have one smile in you, give it to the people you love.

~Maya Angelou

I'd love to know how you romance YOUR family?

 

Neighborhood Walks~

                                         

By Teri Stevens

I am blessed to be the stay-at-home Mother of three terrific toddlers,all under the age of three. Given their young ages, a son who is thirty-two months and twin girls who just turned two, there aren’t many outdoor activities we can do together when Dad is at work. His remedy was to purchase a fabulous triple stroller that I can easily maneuver by myself, which we acquired when the kids were still under the ages of two and one.
At first our walks were just to get out of the house. The kids enjoyed being outside, but weren’t talking yet, so the walks were pretty uneventful, many ending with an impromptu nap! Over the last several months our almost daily walks have turned into adventures.

Water and Woods ~ Amphibian Foray

                                                A Woodland Faerie House

 Signs of Spring are everywhere! Can you hear them? Just as the sun goes down the PEEPERS start singing their well known tunes reminding us that a new season is upon us and we have much to look forward to and discover!

Did you know water amphibians and wood amphibians ( salamanders and tree frogs) can be found within feet of eachother?

Come with us on an Amphibian Foray!

Impossible Puzzles

O.k.... It's the end of January.....It's cold, it's too early to do anything but daydream about gardening, and my head is foggy from too much sugar, carbs and COLD!  How about you?

I got the bug to pick up a puzzle over the holiday break thinking it would be fun to spread  it out on the end of the dining room table and see if I could draw any one  away from their " screens" for a little old fashioned quality puzzle time together. You see, we aren't really puzzle people...