Must Read

Every February, one way I celebrate LOVE is by reading a few new parenting and/or marriage books.  At the top of this year's list is this gem by Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish.  I read two of their other books "How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk" and "Siblings Without Rivalry" back when the boys were wee ones.  Now that we're fully entrenched in the teenage years, thought it would be a good refresher!  I love their honest examples from teaching seminars with "real" parents, and the cheezy cartoons used to teach communication techniques.  A {parenting} Thing of Beauty.

Pico

We spent Super Bowl Sunday with great friends, snacking on yummy food...and one of my fave's freshly made Pico de Gallo is my new food obsession.  What doesn't it go with?  Sandwich.  Omelet.  Salad.  Time to make another (bigger) batch.  It's a (delish) Thing of Beauty!

Here's an easy version, courtesy of National Geographic Kids:

YOU WILL NEED
1/4 cup (1/8 pint) chopped fresh cilantro
2 1/2 cups (1 1/4 pints) chopped ripe tomatoes
1 chopped jalapeño
1 medium diced onion
Juice of 1 lime
Salt to taste

HERE'S HOW

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

Tenderloving Heart Pies

Just in time for St. Valentine's Day!  These adorable heart shaped pies, filled with your choice of yumminess, are sure to make your sweetheart swoon.  A {tenderloving} Thing of Beauty!

Find them at Skipping Skones on Etsy.

Psalm 98:4-9

These icy mornings, the splendor of God's creation causes me to pause.  I can almost hear the "mountains sing together for joy."  An {early morning} Thing of Beauty.

"Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
   burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the LORD with the harp,
   with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
   shout for joy before the LORD, the King.

 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
   the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
   let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the LORD,
   for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
   and the peoples with equity."

DIY Tuesday - 2nd Attempt

Yesterday I achieved several New Year's Resolutions in one crafty afternoon:

1. Organize Stacks of Music. 
2. Reduce.  Reuse.  (We already recycle, smile.)
3. Try New Things
4. Make our house home-y without spending tons of money.

Still full of glee over my little creation, the music room is now free of the dusty clutter of music books, they are pared down, organized by genre and skill level (for the budding musicians in the house), and (joy!) reused to make a lovely decorating piece for said room.  And I learned a new skill!  (Who knew I could MAKE cute stuff?!)

Today's second attempt went even better:

I love the more ruffly look.  Using bigger pages, and a larger frame (13"), it looks almost tutu-like.  I'm ridiculously pleased with this little craft moment, while fully aware that the next one will likely strike years from now.  Crafty-repurposing = A (2nd Musical) Thing of Beauty!

DIY Monday

With stacks upon stacks of old sheet music on hand - from my childhood, inherited from various family members, and years as a piano teacher - I'm always looking for a creative way to display.  You just can't throw away music, its like throwing away a book.  Gasp!  Enter this creative tutorial from Living With Lindsay.  She's a creative and frugal genius.  I made my first today - using a 9" form....next will be the 13" and 18" version!  Love this for the music room.  Old sheet music repurposed.  A {musical} Thing of Beauty!  My attempt below:

The $1 store didn't have foam wreath forms, and I didn't want to spend more than $1 on this trial-run - so I got the grapevine form and covered it with paper before beginning:

Instead of painting the edges, I used a stamp: way faster, plus I had it one hand:

First layer around the back-side.  I started making more random bunches instead of rolls after this layer:

So fluffy and fun!

Voila!

Weekend Reading 1.28.11

Oh, how I would love to finish these reads this (rainy) weekend...prepping for the garden might have to wait!

Rue Magazine, Issue III.  Sure to be full of gorgeous design and style ideas!  I already took a little sneak-peak...it will be just the thing for Saturday morning with a cup of coffee.

"Sacred Rhythms," by Ruth Haley Barton  Recommended by a wise mentor, this book has me re-thinking the order of my life.  Only 1/2 finished....this is profound, challenging stuff. 

"The Happiness Project," by Gretchen Rubin  I picked this up from my library's January reading list.  Amongst a bunch of self-help mumbo-jumbo, this caught my eye.  I'm so glad it did!  While it definitely fits the new-year's-resolution vein, the author is just smart and honest and fun to read.  Plus, new perspective on having more happiness in one's life is definitely a Thing of Beauty!

Happy Weekend!