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Art Update August 2015

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date September 2, 2015

August was an interesting month around here. Aside from trying to get back into the swing of things we had a lot of unexpected unpleasantness. Little things: car trouble, a bit of health trouble, a few doctor visits, a flash flood, gas leak, several appliances that broke, etc. Nothing major, but when a lot of them combined and attacked together it was more difficult to deal with. Oh well, we all do what we have to do, and I like to find the silver lining, and am so happy that we were able to address each situation and move past it.

In terms of art however, there are some amazing things happening.

Art Updates What We Are Learning

Art Update July 2015

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date August 4, 2015

I’m late with this update, but here it is!

There is actually quite a bit.

First of all, it’s summer time, and for me that means that I get to sort all the art supplies from the previous school year. I get to throw out the unusable stuff, put aside the new/usable stuff for the next year, and use up all the little bits that are left over.

Art Updates

Art Update June 2015

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date June 30, 2015

I am afraid that there is not much to the Art Update June 2015 right now. Life is pretty busy, and has me running around in circles sometimes.

Art Update June 2015

I am working on some coloring pages, and creating a new banner. I did however finish this awesome drawing of my grandmother. Working on it helped me realize that I would like to draw portraits more often.

Art Updates

Art Update May 2015 Valentin Kovalyov’s Mosaics

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date May 31, 2015

This update is special, it is dedicated to my father-in-law, he always works on his mosaics. This week I spent some time taking photos and editing them. There is a lot to go through and edit and resize. While I am working on them, I will be putting them in an album.

Art Updates

Art Update For April 2015 – Overcoming Artist Block

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date April 30, 2015

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To be completely honest this is not much of an update. I have been stuck in an artistic rut of sorts. Sometimes life takes over and just throws you into a direction where finding time for art is difficult. It’s a place where art doesn’t go, and I have been stuck there for a while now. On top of that, this month I had two projects that didn’t work out (as in they will go in the back of the closet and no one will EVER see them again). I am working hard on climbing over this hypothetical wall.

Here are some things that I do when working on overcoming artist block:

Good Books

What We Read in 2014

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date March 5, 2015

Here are some excellent books that we have explored last year. Of course, good books are timeless, so the year doesn’t really matter. I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!!

Good Books

Great Chapter Books For Young Readers

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date March 5, 2015

Here are some of our favorite great chapter books. We have enjoyed these right after my kids moved past picture books, but weren’t ready yet for bigger books, such as Harry Potter, and many others. These are funny, light, and are a great next step from picture books.

Good Books

Great Books For Grown Ups

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date March 5, 2015

I love to read, and used to read all the time, sometimes several books at the same time. Last year I woke up one morning and, with horror, realized that I haven’t read one book worth mentioning in the entire year. Sure, I read a few: textbooks, child development books, articles, technical books, even a sappy romance novel or two, but nothing that I truly enjoyed or remembered. I turned to the well-read people of facebook. I asked my friends list on facebook for book recommendations. It turned out into a great discussion about books, and this is a list I got from it. Some of the books I have read, and some I am going to read. I am planning on reading as many as I can on this list. Please enjoy this wonderful list of great books!

Good Books

Great Books For Pre-Teens and Teens

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date March 5, 2015

1. Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgeson
3. Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
4. Holes By Louis Sachar. We also loved the movie, it was wonderful!
5. The Twenty One Balloons by William Pene du Bois
6. The Book of Three, Time Cat, and so many wonderful others by Alexander Lloyd
7. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
8. Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
9. The Secret Zoo by Brian Chick
10. From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler By E.L. Konigsburg
11. A Wrinkle In Time and other books by Madeleine L’Engle
12. The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
13. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Who doesn’t love Harry Potter? It is such a wonderful series of books. Just beware: the further you get into the series, the darker the books become. When my son was 8-9, he read the first book, but wasn’t emotionally ready for the last few. We had to wait a bit to finish the series.
14. The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart
15. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. For the longest time I resisted reading these books. Finally, my oldest asked me if he can read them. I don’t say no to that sort of question when it comes to books. He loved them so much that he asked me to read them. When reading these you have to keep in mind that they are not written for adult readers, but for the pre-teens, hence the simpler language. The story was captivating and interesting.
16. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
17. Books of Beginning Trilogy by John Stephens
18. The Great Book Of Amber by Roger Zelazny. This is for the older reader. Wonderful fantasy, one of my favorites as well.
19. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien
20. Magician: Apprentice, Magician: Master, and so many other books set in Midkemia by Raymond Feist. Also a great fantasy series for a young adult.
21. Jack Blank Adventure Trilogy by Matt Myklusch. There is The Accidental Hero, The Secret War, and The End of Infinity.
22. The Charlie Bone Series by Jenny Nimmo
23. The Dragon’s Tooth by N.D. Wilson
24. 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson. This trilogy also includes Dandelion Fire and Chestnut King.
25. Fablehaven Series by Brandon Mull. Recommended by Heidi from onecreativemommy.com: Another great series where kids discover magic and save the day! Thank you, Heidi. This sounds like something my older one would really enjoy! Will definitely give it a try!
26. Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth. Who hasn’t heard of Divergent by this time. We were late to this party. I read the book first. It is a quick read, and if you enjoy dystopian books, this one is for you. My 13 year old is now reading it and can’t put it down. Definitely a good read.
27. The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams. He only read the first book, but is really excited for the next books.
28. Have Space Suit, Will Travel Robert A. Heinlein. This one is on our list to read next, but it is an old time favorite.

Good Books

50 Great Picture Books

Post author By HappyAdmin
Post date March 5, 2015

I love picture books! Love them! I love reading to my kids and even though some days they seem too old for it I do it anyway. There are so many books for this age. When they were younger my boys don’t only enjoy being read to, they loved any book that they can explore. Books that had textures, made sounds and moved when the pages opened were a big hit. There are so many wonderful books like that, too many to list here, so here is just a few. The first ten books or so are great for babies, with bigger books in the rest of the list. I hope you enjoy these 50 great picture books as much as we did!