Cutie Pants and Chocolate Croissants... Yeah, We're Creative
This is Maria's line-up. I can't think of a nicer way to tone down the looming towers of faux columness that grace the entry of Garage Mahal. True, she does tend to overrun the house with her collections, assortments of odd this and that, and sacred altars of randomness. I could do an entire blog devoted to things Maria puts in boxes, bags and cupboards. But if this is her
art, her expression, well then, it is sacred to me too.

I can't think of a time when we haven't been a creative family, enjoying spontaneity and the pleasures of discovery and invention.
Jennifer, those stamps you sent us have been a huge hit. It took me a while to remember to bring home a fresh stamp pad, and when I finally did show Maria what magic was contained in those funny
wood blocks she was ecstatic. Then Alex jumped in and filled a giant page with his stamped tales. Max was racing through his school work, so he could join them, and he stamped these stars dancing across the waves. Yesterday he used the 3 dragon parts to make a dragon of unusual length.
William's creativity has been applied to stop motion animation. The latest family interest has been of extra special interest to William. He is our resident film enthusiast-graphic art-CGA expert... a true prodigy, his father's son. I promise to figure out some way of posting video, so I can show-off some of the fun William, Alex and Max have been having with stop motion animation.
Warning:
Here Comes The Chocolate Part!
Alex likes to mix things up... his creative enterprises are all over the galaxy and in the kitchen too. Heavens! He decided to try his hand at making chocolate croissants. We had some leftover chocolate chips from Trader Joe's and in the freezer was some puff pastry, also from
Trader Joe's. Love that place! Defrost, cut, fill with a few chips, fold and bake... and then drizzle with melted chocolate. They are small and tasty and I think Alex has a baker's gift...

Nothing satisfies like chocolate, except, perhaps, a good read. Maria has an uncanny ability to immerse herself in a book, any book, pictures optional, and turn it page by page. Sometimes she makes a running commentary, a sort of lecture or lyrical narrative, and she does not appreciate being interrupted.
Fair enough. 
These reading sessions can last a long time.
Self-conscious Mother Moment: I washed her shirt and she pulled it on again, so no, she hasn't been in it for 3 dirty days. Oh, I feel better.So, what's up with the
Creativity Theme? Well, I finally couldn't resist bringing home
Amanda Blake Soule's "Creative Family" book. There is so much good buzz about the book and I really enjoy
visiting her blog, so when
she offered signed copies, I jumped.

It's strange... when William was born and I was
merely 24 years old, none of my peers were into marriage or starting families or even remotely interested in going
all domestic, so I felt like something of a loner-pioneer mom, and I also felt free to do things my way. My way has been a creative journey. These days? Well, these days I feel like a rather old mom. A
been there, done that kind of mom, and I wasn't sure I needed a book about
"creativity." Then I remembered something else from when William was born... Geoff questioned some method or approach I was taking in caring for our newborn son and he cited the advice of an expert from a hospital pamphlet. I did not agree with said expert and said as much, adding, "It's okay to do it our way. We'll just find
another expert to support our style."
So, trusting my instincts, including finding help when I need it, has been my parenting style and I like to surround myself with experts, resources and support that confirm and validate my beliefs. I guess that might sound narrow...
it isn't, and most importantly it's what works for me... which leads me to something else I've learned as a parent: You have to do what works for you and your family.
Well, since creativity works for our family, I realized I ought to welcome an
expert into our home, someone who supports our beliefs and lends a fresh perspective, new ideas and terrific insight. And I must say buying this book was a very good decision. I am enjoying it immensely. It is thoughtfully written and full of lovely examples and real life illustrations from a real life family. No one asked me to review the book, so I hope she doesn't mind my
deep thoughts and other musings!
Maria was the first one to get her hands on the book and she obliged me by
reading me some of the pages.
I love Maria's reading voice, the words she creates. Then, on page 42, we found something that really captured my imagination: "Constructing Children's Pants" was a perfect fit for something I have been working on lately and I could not wait to try my own version of this ingenious recipe.

I just recently finished a quilt top. It's been a very emotional project, involving Aloha shirts. I have been wanting to take a breather, a step back to prepare myself for the next step of finishing this quilt, and Amanda's idea seemed like an ideal transition. Her idea is to make something old new again, and in this case it involved turning a shirt into children's pants. Some of Geoff's old Aloha shirts were still on my cutting table... a fun print and careworn comfiness seemed ideal for some beach-combing, pajama-style pants for Maria.
Easy! Oh, man was this easy and gratifying and fun. Really, I am quite giddy about the results and even the process. The hem of the shirt finishes the hem of the pants.

Even the pocket transfered nicely... a feature that delights Maria. I had already used the sleeves to make soft baby blocks for cousin Izzy, and now much of the rest of this old shirt is new again and keeping Maria comfy-cozy and very happy.

I love the how the details of the shirt, like the cut vents in the shirt's side, make an easy, cute finish in the pants. Geoff joked that he might start
missing some of his shirts. I will be on the lookout for any that are getting too shabby! Thank you Amanda Blake Soule... this creative family is feeling nurtured and encouraged anew!
Labels: GMahal, Gratitude, Island Style, Life and Details, Picture, Play, Prayers, Read It, Remembering, School, Sew, Talent, Thrift, What I Think