Inspired Wednesday - Far Reaching Effects

*This post contains affiliate links for See The Light, a Christian art education company.  Clicking on these links can help my family but in no way does this association affect the opinions that you will read below.  See the Light provided me with DVDs for reviewing purposes and is giving another set away to one of you.

Last week I shared about my Big Helper's new interest in art.

It's been a few weeks, and her interest hasn't waned - in fact, it's multiplied since watching our Art Class See The Light videos.

A few weeks ago we toured a farm, and afterwards we wanted to send thank-you cards to the very kind farmer (more about this field trip to come).  Having recently Pinned a watercolor card project, I wanted to play up the art angle of the cards instead of making simple, quick drawings as we'd begun to do during the school year.  (Want to follow me on Pinterest?  You can do that here.)

My Big Helper got really into this.

Since we toured the farm primarily because of it's bee population, she decided to draw a large honeybee on the front of her card, with honeycomb in the background.

As she worked on this project, I could see her using what she'd learned from Pat Knepley, the master artist in the Art Class DVDs.

• First, we found a bee for her to draw.  She settled on this one.
• Next, she studied the bee and then decided on its placement on her paper.
• She drew the outline of the bee's shape using light pencil lines, and then filled in details after.  
• The hexagons for the honeycomb came next, and she was careful not to draw her lines over the bee.
• After that, she traced her lines with a waterproof black marker and painted in her picture (which we haven't learned how to do yet from See The Light, but it seemed like a fun thing to try.)

As her project neared completion, My Big Helper grew more and more excited about her work.  "Do you think he'll like it, Mommy?" was her first question, but as we talked about what she might do next, her thoughts grew.

"I could give these to other people, couldn't I, Mommy?"  she asked.  "Do you think that Papa and Grandma would like one?  Could I draw on canvas?"  The wheels kept turning.

Her finished project:

I'm not saying that my little girl is an art master - she's not.  I'm not saying that even she thinks that her work is artistically perfect - she knows it's not.  After finishing she looked at her work with a critical eye, talking about what she might change the next time, but she laughed about it.

And she was confident.

Confident that her new card might show Mr. Mike how much she liked visiting his farm.  Confident she is learning to do something that might make other people feel happy.  Confident that her time and effort might make other people feel good.  Confident that she can do something worthwhile.

I believe that she feels this way about other skills that she has - she loves to write and plan activities and share chocolate and sew - but she looked as if a new world of possibilities opened up before her as she examined her picture.

I'm excited that See The Light's simple, short lessons and friendly format can inspire this kind of art love in my daughter, and I'm excited to see what's next.  We're definitely going to continue with the Art Class series, but I want to try one of the special Art Projects this summer, too.  

Have you ever tried one?   If so, I'd love to hear about your experience.

Pat Holt, founder of See The Light, is generously giving away one set of Art Class DVD 1 and 2 to a lucky winner.  This contest ends tonight!  Enter using the widget below.

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Last week Ely at The Traveling Classroom shared a post about why you should - and how to - learn a foreign language.  Her list was both honest and funny!  To find out more, visit The Traveling Classroom - and Ely, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on Washed Up Inspired Wednesdays' button back with you.  

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If you have a post about an encouraging activity, project, or trip that you've taken, please link up below and add a link back to this post.  Either way, please read on to find out more about a fun activity that we enjoy here in our nest, and be sure to hop over to Where He Leads, We Follow to check out Stephanie's  Inspiring Wednesday post, too. 

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GratiTuesday - It Could Have Been Worse

If you've been a Nest in the Rocks reader for any length of time, you might remember my Letter to a Thief.  I wrote it about this time last year, right after someone smashed my car window while we ate our Mother's Day lunch and stole my Bible and the bag it was in.

A few days ago, something happened that was eerily similar.

My husband works near our closest big town, and we arranged to meet him there after work to attend a special event.  Not wanting to pay for parking twice, we met up at a major grocery store, where my husband parked his seventeen-year-old, paint-peeling car. He parked under a street light, and we went merrily on our way.

Until late that night, when I had returned home and he was running errands, and he realized that someone had stolen the license plates from the back of his car.

He immediately called the police and returned to the scene of the crime, where he was told that this was a common occurrence in this neighborhood.  Might sound strange, given our history there, bu this is a big commercial area with lots of very nice stores - so who knew??  Apparently two other cars were broken into just in the time it took my husband to return - and he wasn't far away.

My very first reaction, upon receiving my husband's call about his delay in returning home, was utter disbelief - and then to head for the chocolate ice cream in the freezer.

Stress loves chocolate, you know?

But then I tried looking for the positives in all of this, and I realized that there are many.  (Perhaps not as many as I'd like, but they exist, and that's something!)

The cop told my husband that it was okay to drive his car as long as he carried the number of the police report with him.  That made it much easier for him to get home and again the next day as he tried to replace the plates.

He was not stopped by the police AT ALL in the more than twelve hours he was without plates - and he was on several major roads at all hours of the night and day.  A delay could have made him late for work, but all went smoothly.

Turns out replacement plates are WAY cheaper than new windows and Bible bags.  While this was a major frustration, it DIDN'T become a major expense.

And, of course, nobody was hurt.  We were happily watching a baseball game, cheering on our favorite local team, laughing about how my husband always misses the homers, while someone was nefariously stealing a part of my husband's car.  We were a few miles away, and this time, there wasn't even remaining glass on which to get cut.

Instead of spending a whole day cleaning up, it took a few minutes and some minor tools to replace the plates and my husband's car was back in business.

So, if we had to be the victims of a crime once again, at least we came through it fairly unscathed.  It could've been worse - but just in case, we're not parking in that part of town again.

What about you?  What are you looking at the bright side of today??

For more GratiTuesday, visit Heavenly Homemakers.

Menu Plan Monday - Anniversary Edition

It is hard to believe, but my husband and I will celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary this coming weekend!  It doesn't feel as if it's been that long, and yet it almost feels as if our lives have always been intertwined.  Do you ever feel that way??

My husband is working on some big plans, and I've been directed to leave Friday through Sunday open, so this plan won't include meals for those days.  I'll post a full and regular meal plan again next Monday.

In the meantime, here it is:  our abbreviated menu plan for the week.

Breakfast:

1. 

- yogurt and fruit with Cinnamon Almond Granola
- scrambled eggs and fruit

- Applesauce Muffins  and yogurt

Dinner:
- Grilled chicken, brown rice, stir fried veggies

- Grilled sausage in Easy Bolognese Sauce over whole wheat pasta, salad
- Tacos, Spanish rice, salad, watermelon
- Waffles, sausage, fruit

What are you cooking up this week?

For more Menu Plan Monday, visit OrgJunkie.

Beth K. Vogt’s “Catch a Falling Star” Romantic Weekend Getaway Giveaway & June 4th Facebook Party!

Celebrate the release of Catch a Falling Star (Howard Books) with Beth K. Vogt by entering to win a Romantic Weekend Getaway and RSVPing for her June 4th Author Chat Party.

  One "lucky" winner will receive:

• A $200 Visa Cash Card (Perfect for a weekend stay at a hotel or B&B!)
• Catch a Falling Star and Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt (Swoon-worthy!)

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on June 3rd. Winner will be announced at the "Catch a Falling Star" Facebook Author Chat Party on June 4th. Connect with Beth for an evening of book chat, trivia, laughter, and more! Beth will also share an exclusive look at her next book and give away books and other fun prizes throughout the evening.

So grab your copy of Catch a Falling Star and join Beth on the evening of June 4th for a chance to connect and make some new friends. (If you haven't read the book, don't let that stop you from coming!)

Don't miss a moment of the fun; RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 4th!

"A Heartbeat Away" by S. Dionne Moore

When a band of runaway slaves brings Union-loyal Beth Bumgartner a wounded Confederate soldier named Joe, it is the catalyst that pushes her to defy her pacifist parents and become a nurse during the Battle of Antietam.

Her mother's mysterious goodbye gift is filled with quilt blocks that bring comfort to Beth during the hard days and lonely nights, but as she sews each block, she realizes there is a hidden message of faith within the pattern that encourages and sustains her. Reunited with Joe, Beth learns his secret and puts the quilt's message to its greatest test---but can betrayal be forgiven?



A Heartbeat Away is an intense look at the emotions of the Civil War from an angle rarely considered: those caught up in the blood of battle as civilians who want to help the wounded.  Never have I read a fictional account that dwelt on the hope that comes from the ashes of war like this one does.  The semi-graphic accounts will make your heart dip into your stomach just as your fingers grasp the straws of hope that Joe points out to Beth.

Beth learns amazing spiritual truths from her grandmother as she's faced with the carnage of war and witnesses violence all around her.  Several of these lessons cut deep and are readily applicable to us, too, as we live and learn to trust and forgive just as Beth does.

This book isn't going on my bookshelf of other historical fiction novels; instead, it's getting a special place among my Civil War books.  I really enjoyed this fresh perspective and the way that Moore makes this era not just about love or slavery or North-vs-South but about people ... people who are hurting and afraid, people who love, people with disabilities and families and have dreams for their futures.  When my children are old enough to study all of these aspects of this war, they'll read this book.

To read other reviews in this bloggy hop, click here.  If you'd rather dig into this book sooner rather than later, click here to purchase your own copy.

Dionne Moore is a historical romance author who resides in South Central PA with her family, surrounded by the beautiful Cumberland Valley and lots of fun, historically rich locations. She is a weekly contributor to "The Borrowed Book", a blog for book-lovers and "Cozy Mystery Magazine", for all things cozy mystery. 

Learn more about Dionne at http://www.sdionnemoore.com.

I received a free copy of A Heartbeat Away from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review.

Homemade Honey Strawberry Jelly

When I was a kid my mom made strawberry jelly every year.  It was the BEST!  I ate it for lunch in a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every day and never wanted anything else.

My Little Man is just like me.  He's happy eating that exact same sandwich with no plans to change in the foreseeable future.

I now make the jelly each spring, and I love doing it.  With some family health issues now having come to light, like diabetes and heart issues, I try to keep our sugar intake to a minimum.  Old-fashioned strawberry jelly just doesn't fall into that category.

For a few years now I've been playing with it, trying to find a recipe that has that yummy strawberry flavor and still tastes good.

I think I've found it.

I'll be honest, though - while my kids love this version, and I think it tastes good, the full-sugar one is still better.  It's sweeter and more decadent, and it would be my choice every time - if I wasn't worried about the sugar content.

The flavor of the honey shines through in this version, so be sure to use a mild, light honey.  We used clover honey in ours, and it gives this jelly a rich, summery flavor.  It's great on biscuits!

Here's how to make it:

Ingredients:

• 6 c. pureed strawberries
• 1 1/2 clover honey
• 1 T. butter
• 3 T. Ball light-sugar pectin

To make your jelly:

1. Pour the strawberries into a dutch oven.
2. Over high heat, add the honey, butter, and pectin, stirring vigorously.
3. Continue stirring slowly to prevent scorching.
4. When mixture comes to a rolling boil, stop stirring.
5. Allow to boil for 2 minutes.
6. Remove from heat immediately and pour into jars.
7. Allow to cool.
8. Add lids.  Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or the in the freezer.

Do you make jelly?  What's your favorite kind??

Inspired Wednesday: Art Class DVD Review & Giveaway

*This post contains affiliate links for See The Light, a Christian art education company.  Clicking on these links can help my family but in no way does this association affect the opinions that you will read below.  See the Light provided me with DVDs for reviewing purposes and is giving another set away to one of you.

My Big Helper has become very interested in art lately.  She draws even more than she writes, which is saying a lot!  She talks about drawing and painting and taking pictures of all kinds of things.

With all of this art taking over the house, I thought that perhaps she'd be interested in actual art lessons.  That's where See The Light  comes in.  

Pat Knepley, a master artist, teaches art lessons on DVDs.  The company founder, Pat Holt,  generously gave us two DVDs, of Art Class I and II, to learn from, to review, and to share with you.

My Big Helper was super excited about this and couldn't wait to get started.  She settled herself at the table early one afternoon and asked for her art lessons.  She did several all in one day.  This worked well with the very first lessons because they are very simple in format.

At first, I thought they were almost too simple.  I was starting to wonder about this when I stopped watching the lesson and looked over at My Big Helper - and she was enthralled!  She was totally engaged in the lesson and was keeping track of the items she needed to put into her 'artist's toolkit.'  I knew then that Pat knew exactly what she was doing.

As the lessons progressed, this became more and more evident.  Each lesson builds on the one before it, using real art vocabulary in a friendly, conversational tone.  Pat pairs these art words with simpler terms that the kids are more likely to know, making it easy to understand and learn these words.

The lessons are instructional in nature, but they are intended to be demonstrations for children, as well.  In order for My Big Helper to follow along and still be attentive to all of the information, I manned the remote for each lesson, stopping whenever she was supposed to draw.  This seemed to work out really well for us.

The videos on the first DVD mostly involve simple drawings with few details.  My Big Helper loved these.  The last lesson, however, is more detailed as it asks you to draw your own shoe.  She worked on this assignment long after the video ended.

These drawing lessons continue to get deeper and to build through the second DVD.  There are some new materials needed for the second DVD, but Pat lists the needed supplies at the beginning of each lesson, making it easy to know what you need.

At the end of each DVD there is a bonus lesson.  On the first DVD, this is a chalk pastel lesson with chalk artist Gloria Kohlman.  This lesson is vastly different from the other drawing lessons. It seemed to move much more quickly and assumed that you already had a working knowledge of pastels, where Pat's drawing lessons teach students as if they have never seen or done art before.

This made a big difference in the way that my Big Helper perceived this lesson.  She worried that her paper was the wrong size, and although I kept stopping the DVD for her, she seemed to feel rushed.  I think it will be good to go back and do this lesson again now that we know what to expect - and perhaps with bigger paper.

My favorite aspects of this art series is  Pat's calm and friendly attitude, as well her obvious art expertise.  Coming in hard behind those, though, is the devotionals that Pat includes in each lesson.  I love the way that Pat ties in faith and scripture to each art lesson.  My Big Helper was excited, about these, too.  Her face lit up at the thought that God is creative and cares about art.

So what's my final take?

Positives:

• Great conversational tone taken by Pat, the master artist
• The lessons begin very simply and escalate in difficulty slowly.
• The lessons require very simple, inexpensive materials.
• The lessons themselves are short, giving you ample time to watch the lesson and then continue to work on your piece.
• Most lessons assume no prior art experience.
• Each DVD contains four lessons and one bonus lesson.
• VERY high quality lessons for a great price!

Negatives:

• The chalk artist in DVD 1 moves quickly.  Your remote might get a bit more of a workout during this lesson.  (The creative lettering lesson, the bonus lesson in DVD 2, is not like this.  It's very calm and slow-moving, giving you ample time to understand and do each step.)

How would you like to win your own Art Class DVDs?  Pat is generously giving away one copy of DVDs 1 & 2 to one lucky winner.  Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter.

Do you 'do' art with your kids?

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Last week Nancy at There Is Grace shared a post about how to know when you're a mom.  Her list was both honest and funny!  To find out more, visit There Is Grace - and Nancy, please visit our Inspired Wednesday page and take the "I was featured on Washed Up Inspired Wednesdays' button back with you.  

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If you have a post about an encouraging activity, project, or trip that you've taken, please link up below and add a link back to this post.  Either way, please read on to find out more about a fun activity that we enjoy here in our nest, and be sure to hop over to Where He Leads, We Follow to check out Stephanie's  Inspiring Wednesday post, too. 

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