waldorf art...

here are two more of my favorite ruth elsasser prints...

and while i'm on a roll, i've decided to start another little flickr group...specifically for waldorf-inspired and waldorf-related paintings and prints, called 'waldorf art'.  so come and join me there!

yours in love of waldorf art and artists,

shelley

heartwood arts...

along with the other beautiful wooden toys i've shared recently, i've also had the pleasure and honor of collecting through the years a few things from master woodworker, bill bluhm, of heartwood arts. a waldorf father himself, he is a gifted artist in the truest sense of the word. here are a few of our cherished heartwood arts toys (you can see which ones are older and more 'loved', as the wood has aged and turned a bit darker and richer in color)...

big kingdom castle set

king and queen

gnome home

mamas, papas and children

bridge

to honor the work of this amazing artist and in appreciation for all beautifully handmade, lovingly created, waldorf toys...i've started a new little flickr group i'm calling 'waldorf play' (as a companion to my 'waldorf home' and 'waldorf festivals' flickr groups). please come and join me there and share photos of your treasured waldorf toys with us!

yours in celebration of the beauty of waldorf toys,

shelley

giving thanks...

happy thanksgiving to all!

around our home...

a few more little things from around our home today...

yours in happy hominess,

shelley

the last of the leaves...

here in texas, it's still quite nice outside and we've been enjoying these last sunny days of autumn. and raking the last of the leaves...

yours in enjoying our last bit of autumn,

shelley

hallway prints...

several people have asked about the prints in my last post, so i took some close-up pictures to share. these beautiful prints are the work of artist gabriela de carvalho. she has an entire series of fairy tale prints and each one is magical...

rumpelstiltskin

little red riding hood

the golden goose

yours in fairy tale love,

shelley

passing through...

here are three little hand-carved wooden picture frames that grace our hallway. in each one is a postcard-sized print depicting various dreamy fairy tales. these always leave me smiling as i go from room to room...

yours in just passing through,

shelley

late autumn nature table...

here is our new late autumn nature table...

late autumn...

autumn winds are sighing

stealing through the forest brown

as they softly pass the tree trunks

little leaves come falling down

but a stronger gale is blowing

then the leaves themselves

rise and dance about the forest

just like little elves

faster, faster see them whirling

till the gale has passed

one by one the tired leaflets

sink to rest at last

woodpecker toys...

along with ostheimer, another german manufacturer of beautiful waldorf wooden toys is woodpecker (or buntspechte, in german). they are a smaller and younger company than ostheimer (27 years old) and have a smaller offering of wooden figures and animals. but their work is...simply exquisite. each figure is beautifully handcarved with softly rounded edges and no facial features leaving the imagination to roam free. and there is a reverence for childhood about them, a spiritualness if you will, which makes one want to be still. and, as is the waldorf way, honor the child in us all.

these figures were bought at our waldorf school and were a gift from my sister years ago (thank you, shannon!). i also have their most beautiful nativity set, which i will be sharing in pictures at christmas time!

yours in more wooden toy loveliness,

shelley

welcome...

hey everyone, please help me give a warm and wonderful welcome to my new sponsor...babybearshop.com! this wonderful online shop offers 100% natural and organic skincare products for mamas and babies. and was created by a mama in her own very personal search for a pure alternative for her baby who had allergies.

mama belly oil, $22-$32

this company is truly committed to organic. and they believe firmly in supporting organic sustainable farming methods. in their own words..."we are committed to our planet. and we are committed to our children. we believe that every day is a new chance to make the best choices for our children, their future, and the world we live in." and how about this? for every order placed, they plant a tree to offset carbon emissions!

cheeky baby butter, $24-$34

and just take a look at this lovely holiday recycled glass soy wax candle. a perfect idea for the holidays for yourself or someone you love. and you can sign up on their site to enter into a free giveaway for it!

thanks, everyone. and welcome babybearshop!

waldorfmama

credit where credit is due...

i just received my winter 09 issue of living crafts in the mail yesterday. and i must say, it's quite a thrill to see something you've created in print (my ornaments are in the 'good finds' section, and my doll sweater is in the 'ready to wear' section, as a companion to the girl's red holiday cardigan). i just love this magazine and eagerly await each issue. i was a charter subscriber and definitely feel a special bond to it. and now it holds an even more special place in my heart.

and i also want to give credit where credit is due. to a very special person who inspired me to make the two things that are featured in the magazine - my twin sister, shannon. she is the one who taught me how to make the ornaments. and also inspired my doll sweater pattern when she made this lovely little sweater for maya's special baby. thank you, shannon! you are an inspiration in more ways than you can imagine and i love you very much!

yours in thankfulness and inspiration,

shelley

and winner #4 is...

commenter #108, taimarie!

congratulations on winning this week's final ostheimer giveaway, taimarie!  please email me with your mailing address and i'll send this ostheimer blue riding knight and red horse off to you right away to enjoy!

i'd like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who was able to participate in these four joyful weeks of ostheimer knight giveaways. it has truly been a pleasure to pass these ostheimer treasures on to some new and happy recipients. it's also been wonderful 'meeting' some of you here for the first time. as well as getting to see many of you again whom i already know. i only wish i had a knight to give to each and every one of you! i do plan on having a few more vintage ostheimer giveaways in the future, so feel free check back whenever you can. i hope everyone has a wonderful week!

yours in joyful ostheimer giving,

shelley

fourth and final ostheimer giveaway...

this week's fourth and final ostheimer giveaway is the riding blue knight and red horse! to enter in this last drawing, please leave a comment in this post anytime before monday evening. i will announce the winner at 9:00pm CST on monday. good luck to everyone!

yours in one last ostheimer to share,

shelley

doll house...

maya has been enjoying her doll house a lot lately. as the weather turns cooler, her play turns more inward as well. and as we set about our tasks each day, i see these reflected in her play with her own little doll house family.

yours in doll house fun,

shelley

martinmas...

yesterday was martinmas and we enjoyed a lovely little lantern walk just after the sun set. this festival has always been a favorite of mine. it's magical seeing the lanterns all candlelit in the darkness. and it always brings about a feeling of cherishing and protecting the light, in preparation for the coming season of darkness. this celebration of martinmas is a special one, as it is truly about sharing our own inner light and being of service to others...

the story of saint martin is a simple one. he was a roman soldier who, on one cold november night, saw a beggar man by the side of the road. the man was freezing and begging for help, but everyone was passing him by. however martin, feeling great compassion for the man, chose to stop and help him. he removed his cloak, cut it in half, and shared one half of it with the beggar...who was no doubt grateful. that night, martin dreamed the beggar was the christ. and he came to realize that by helping this man...he had been in service to god and, indeed, to all mankind.

in honor of this selfless act, we began our martinmas celebration by first telling the story of saint martin amid glowing candles in our living room. then we lit our lanterns and carried them out into the darkness to walk our neighborhood and share some special gifts with friends. we offered our gifts of beeswax candles to our neighbors, along with some lovely artwork maya had created for them. we also plan on donating some warm clothing this week to those who are in need.

yours in celebration of this very special festival of light,

shelley

p.s.  i've just created a new waldorf festivals flickr group, a place to share our photos of all of the wonderful waldorf festivals throughout the year. please come and join me there!