third week of advent...

during the third week of advent, we honor the animal kingdom. as we focus on our relationship with the birds and beasts, we are reminded of how they reflect our own most basic soul state. it is during this time of advent, as well as our own observation of nature, that we experience a settling down. a feeling of being blanketed for a long winter's nap. just as some our animal friends settle in for hibernation. the shorter daylight hours bring us inside much earlier than other times of the year, and advent balances this darkness and sleepiness with expectation and anticipation.

advent table decoration, third week

buntspechte donkey

osthiemer nativity animals

advent candles, third week

yours in celebrating this third week of advent,

shelley

second advent gift...

for maya's second week of advent gift (and in celebration of the plant kingdom), she received several sets of beautifully handknitted food. a sandwich set, a taco set, a breakfast set, a salad set and some chocolate chip cookies. what fun she has had making us yummy things to eat all week!

yours in the joy of more handmade giving,

shelley

saint lucia...

yesterday was saint lucia's day. this is a swedish tradition that is celebrated in most waldorf schools. the scandinavian legend is that of a white-clad maiden, wearing a crown of burning candles so she could be seen in the darkness, who brought food to the starving villagers on the shores of lake vanern. throughout sweden on this day...the eldest daughter in each household comes to her parents, dressed in a long white gown tied with a red sash and wearing a crown of lighted candles, and on her tray she carries coffee or tea and saffron 'lucia' buns - which are also shared with loved ones and neighbors.

saint lucia's day is another festival of light that we celebrate during this dark time of year as we usher in our christmas time festivities.

maya in her felted saint lucia crown, handmade by haddy2dogs

felted saint lucia doll, also handmade by haddy2dogs

yours in continuing the celebration of light,

shelley

happy birthday papi...

if i had a single flower for every time i think about you, i could walk forever in my garden. ~ claudia ghandi

to the sweetest, most loving and giving husband and papa on the face of this earth...

happy birthday, papi!

we love you!

maya and mama

knitting, knitting and more knitting...

yes, this is what i'm doing right now. knitting. and this is what i will be doing every day until christmas in an attempt to complete all of my custom hat orders. it's been a wonderful season, don't get me wrong. and i am thankful. but at times, it's been all i can do to keep up - which, more often than not, i haven't (i'm also thankful for very patient and understanding customers). sooo, here's to knitting the days away until the last hat is knit.

here are two of the latest ones i've completed. this first one, in sunset orange silk, is a new color i'll be offering - my absolute favorite color!

silk pilot cap, sunset orange

silk pilot cap, marine

yours in a bit of overtime knitting,

shelley

christmas decorations...

ostheimer angel

ruth elsasser christmas print

ostheimer holy family

our advent verse...

advent gifts...

we have made it a tradition in our home this year to present maya with one small gift for each week of advent. each gift is handmade, either by myself or other craftspeople. and each is made using only natural, sustainable materials. this is our commitment to maya. and is a result of our pledge to purchase only handmade, one of a kind, eco-friendly toys and items for our home. i challenge you to make the same commitment. for your children, yourself and the environment. enjoy the creativity of handmaking the things you want yourself. or take the pledge! and enjoy supporting an artist or crafter directly.  :)

maya's advent week one gift - a handknitted kitten from fuzzy mitten

yours in making the handmade pledge,

shelley

second week of advent...

today we begin our second week of advent. this is the time when we focus on the plant kingdom. we collect pinecones and place them in our advent table setting, where they join the amethyst crystals. what a joyous time it is to pay tribute to all of the plants we know and love, from which we receive both nourishment and beauty. for it is life itself which we share with the plants.

we continue to open each little door on our advent calendar, maya receives a second small gift, and we light our first and second advent candles this week.

lighting of our second advent candle

yours in beginning our second week of advent,

shelley

audrey...

happy 8th birthday, audrey!  we love you!

shelley, wesley, and maya

first week of advent...

we missed most of the first week of advent here at home since we were out of town and with family. now that we are back home again, we are quickly catching up and enjoying our usual and much-anticipated advent festivities. we set up the nativity on our nature table, put up our new advent calendar, maya received her first advent gift and we lit the first of our advent candles (we will begin week 2 tomorrow).

our ostheimer nativity

this year's advent calendar

lighting the first of our advent candles

this first week of advent, we celebrate the mineral world - the physical foundation for life. for without the mineral world, we would have no ground to stand on. our favorites are the amethyst crystals we have collected through the years. i like to imagine all the little gnomes working underground to tend to them.

amethyst crystals

yours in cheerfully celebrating our first week of advent,

shelley

saint nicholas...

along with advent, december holds a few other smaller but very special celebrations. the first of which is celebrated today - saint nicholas day (december 6). this is a european, as well as a waldorf, tradition in which saint nicholas and his silent servant, rupert, visit children. on the eve of december 5, children place their shoes or boots outside the door (as well as a bit of hay for saint nicholas' horse) hoping saint nicholas will stop by and leave some treats for them - golden walnuts, clementines, an apple, maybe a bit of chocolate and perhaps a small gift. such a fun little celebration for our children to usher in this festive month of december.

ostheimer saint nicholas and rupert

felted saint nicholas' by etsy's haddy2dogs

yours in wishing you a happy saint nicholas day,

shelley

advent...

advent is a very special time of year. a time of moving through the darkness toward the yearly rebirth of light, when the days begin to grow longer. a festival celebrating the returning of the light...

artwork by j.d. habegger

we celebrate advent as a four week festival - the four weeks leading up to christmas and solstice. and during this time, we deepen our relationship to the world around us by recognizing and celebrating the strength and beauty of all four of the kingdoms of the natural world. during this first week, we pay tribute to the mineral world. during the second week, we focus on the plant kingdom. in the third week, we celebrate the kingdom of animals. and the fourth week speaks to the human being. and as we pass through these weeks, this time moves us toward a deeper understanding of our place in the universe, of all that supports us, and all that we aspire to. as well as all that needs our care and protection.

yours in celebration of advent,

shelley

around our house...

ostheimer elf mama

ostheimer music box

heartwood arts gnome house and ostheimer gnome

woolens and slippers...

it is finally that time of year, here in texas, where we are regularly wearing our woolens and wool slippers. so cozy and comforting. i love how wool has that special quality of warmth, unmatched by any other fiber. naturally. how it creates that layer of softness against our skin and warms us to the core. even the smell of wool makes me happy.

and as little feet have grown, it was time for a new pair of wool slippers. we got these from satch and sol after seeing them recommended here. a fantastic eco-friendly, fair trade business you can feel good about buying from. these beauties are already destined to be favorites!

yours in wooly goodness,

shelley

more waldorf art...

here are a couple of more of prints that i'll be adding to my 'waldorf art' flickr group.  from one of my favorite waldorf artists, jula scholzen-gnad. these winter gnomes just make me smile!

yours from gnomeland,

shelley

more heartwood arts...

yes, i know this is december 1. the beginning of advent. one of my most favorite times of the year. and we have many things prepared for this special time, but we are out of town with family at the moment and so my advent posts will have to wait until we are home again next weekend. :)

in the meantime, i've got a few more photos to share from my 'waldorf play' flickr group. these beautiful cups, saucers and plates are more of the lovely work of artist bill bluhm, of heartwood arts. each is handcarved, carefully sanded and then oiled. each piece...a thing of beauty.

 and perfect for a spot of tea in the afternoon, of course...

yours in more wooden toy goodness,

shelley

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!