Spicin' It Up

Here is a fun activity to spice things up for the holidays.  (get it?)   Whole cloves and oranges. (little ones with thinner skins are best)  I have been doing this activity with my girls for years and they haven't ever covered the entire orange so if you are a person who needs to see things be 'finished' you'll need to help.  What is it for?  Just to sit and smell good.

Here Comes The Dress- I Mean Bride

November 26th is our 16th wedding anniversary.  I shared our engagement here.  So now it seems appropriate to share our wedding.  There are many great things about our wedding and my dress was definitely one of them.  I have always believed it to be from the 1930's, but I base that mainly on instinct.  Who would think a dress that zips up in the front could be so beautiful!?  The pictures hardly do it justice.

Mav bought it for me in Hollywood at a little vintage shop called Golyester that then was on Melrose. When I tried it on-I tried on a few, the look on his face told me it was the one.  The saleswomen could tell too.  They loved us and insisted we send them a wedding picture.  I think we did.  I show a copy of the receipt,  can you believe that price?  I have seen half the dress at double the cost recently.  Although at the time it seemed like a lot to me and I remember thinking I couldn't afford it, but of course Mav bought it for me.

Counting Blessings

Here is a little project we are in the process of doing this week.  It is... a bowl of thankfulness. (I just now made that up)  Truly it is a salad spinner with the basket removed, set up next to a small tray of pretty little scraps of paper and a pencil.  We write something-or draw, we are thankful for and put it into the bowl via the little opening on top.  I wondered aloud with the girls just how full we could get it.  It is amazing how once you start you realize you pretty much are, and should be, thankful for everything.  There are the big ones family, love,and puppies but then you start thinking and realize you also are thankful for things like paperclips, scotch tape, socks with grippies on the bottoms, etc...

Papa Outfit Post

Papa always looks so handsome.  I had him pose for me on his way to work.

Hat -Vintage
Jacket -Pendleton
Vest- Filson
Pants- Dickies

Slappy Cakes

Once a month Ruth's school has two hour late start.  This is our day to go out for breakfast.  Yesterday we went to Slappy Cakes.   It was wonderful!  The tables have griddles built right in (-sounds much scarier than it is!) for making your own pancakes.  You can also order from a menu of other breakfast or lunch items.  We did both.  I was impressed and so were the girls.  The "feel" is a lot more like a Japanese restaurant than diner.  I don't know why that stood out to me but it did and it works.  If you live in Portland you should go.

Silk Over Flannel

   Sometimes when Mav leaves for work I am still in my pajamas and by the time he gets home they are back on.  So I try to wear prettier night clothes.  With four children the sexy lingerie will just have to stay on the back burner for a bit.  (or in a suitcase in my closet as it were)  But completely giving up isn't an option.  The easiest solution is to have plenty of slips and at the end of the day I just take off my dress and have an instant 'night gown'.  I keep a cardigan handy (ala Mr. Rogers) that way I don't need to hide my pretties under a robe to keep warm.  But when a robe is needed I have some lovely ones.  Pictured above is a beautiful one my mom just picked up at a garage sale.  I found the 1920/30's silk night gown I am wearing with it in the bottom of a drawer recently and can't remember where it come from.  I love little surprises like that!  I wish you could see the detail better.

Swing Your Partner!

This Halloween Twila Jean invited Mav and I to her house for a party.  Here we are in our costumes.  Square dancers.  Obvious, right?  You'd be surprised how many times we were asked what we were.

Dividing The Pink House

I have come to realize my interest are eclectic and unique to me.  This is definitely reflected in my blog.  I have also come to realize that some of my readers who are interested in this...

May not be interested in this...

 So I have started a new blog,  Life In The Pink Tower.  This blog will be devoted solely to the education and bringing up of children.  Of course this subject is a big part of 'life in a pink house' so occasionally there will be crossover posts.  For now the new blog will contain only repost from "Life In A Pink House."  But very soon it will begin to stand on it's own foundation.  I encourage you to also follow the new blog if the subject interests you, if not just stay right here and look forward to the randomness that is my life.

Montessori In The Kitchen

Now that Dotty is a toddler  I have had to rethink our kitchen set up.  Here is the post about our montessori kitchen before making changes, and here are a couple of pics.

As you can see the water was out of reach, the shelf was not sturdy enough should she try to climb and the dishes in the low cupboard would hurt if she pulled them onto her toes.  I also do not want my fiesta ware to get broken.  The top photo was my solution.  A lower shelf secured to the wall, access to water-with a large pan to catch overflow, a tray for utensils, a small bowl with sponge for clean up, a towel for drying and sturdy (cheap) stoneware plates and bowls.  (I almost went with plastic dishes, I was so close but in the end I just couldn't do it.  How would she learn to be careful if a dish never broke no matter how rough she was? )  She likes to move the dishes and utensils onto the floor and restack them.  She can hold her glass under the spout but hasn't yet figured out how to turn the water on.  Her sisters help her.  She does not yet carry her dish to the table or get her own spoon and napkin but when she is ready we are prepared and so is the environment.

6:15 p.m.

Life In The Pink Tower: Lunch Time

The girls painted their faces like a flag representing a country in North America.

  Since September my three youngest have been sharing lunch together at a child's size table.  You can read here about Dotty's weaning table.  She does still use it but not very often because she prefers to be doing just what her big sisters are.  She has even begun to do her 'work', coloring and white board, at the larger table.
 The table is set for lunch by the girls with plates, water, napkins and utensils.  Usually I prepare their plates in the kitchen but we also do some meals family style and they serve themselves.  Pearl has taken a great interest in making their lunches.  She loves making quesadillas and macaroni and cheese.  My 5 year old doesn't use the stove yet but contributes lunches of PB & honey, soup warmed in the microwave and likes to create recipes of her own : ).
  The two older girls know they are modeling manners for Dotty so it provides a wonderful opportunity to brush up on those.  Everyone begins eating together and remains at the table until they are all done.  Clean up consists of carrying their dishes, one by one, into the kitchen.  The napkins are put in the laundry hamper and the table is wiped with a cloth.  One of us carries Dotty's things for her while holding her hand.
  I hope to begin having a centerpiece on the lunch table made by one or all the girls.  I also plan to use a table cloth (I love tablecloths) as soon as Dotty is a bit older and won't pull on it during the meal.
  I have a routine more than a schedule for our school days and lunch is definitely an anchor in that routine.

She did so well with soup and spoon

Helping hands

and tongues!