emma.

Yesterday was wear-your-costume-to-ballet-day.

Emma was a cloud.

Yes.

A cloud.

It was all Emma's idea.  A few weeks ago she got some clothes out of storage.  A gray shirt and some tan pants.  She said, "I look like a cloud!  I'm going to be a cloud for Halloween."

So we made a crown out of cotton balls and white glitter.  We cut clouds out of cardboard and painted them white.  We dumped an entire bottle of white glitter on the fluffy clouds.  We connected them with blue ribbon and put them over Emma's head on her shoulders.

Emma went to ballet.

I love Emma.  She sees the world in an beautiful, fun, thrilling and yet matter of fact way.  She laughs loud and with lots of energy.  She teases.  She's extremely sensitive and nurturing.  She loves to read and is fabulously smart.  She is thoughtful and full of kisses.  She loves a quiet moment and will sit for a very long time enjoying a project.  She'll also be the loudest person in the house.  Emma watches out for the underdog and is a true and dear friend.  She's a dreamer and an artist.  She sings with her whole heart...and loves that way, too.  She thinks of things like being a cloud for Halloween.  Who thinks of that? 

Emma does.

beautiful. LIFE.

Note:  If you are looking for a ballet school in the Charlotte, NC area, we are loving The Belmont School of Ballet...

Oh baby.

Ever since we went apple and pumpkin picking in hopes of getting to have some apple cider donuts...and being disappointed...I have been craving some of them!

I got online and found this recipe randomly posted by a person on a forum that found it somewhere.  My family and I tested and tasted this recipe for you.  It was a difficult job but some one needed to do it...

These were delicious and even more fun to make.  The dough is totally gooey and the kids could hardly move their fingers as they tried to cut the donuts out.  We made some with powered sugar sprinkled on the top and some tossed in cinnamon and sugar. 

You have to try them...they are the perfect gloomy, rainy, fall morning treat...or right before everyone goes to bed when everyone is in their pjs (that's what we did...pjs all around).  The house smells warm and cozy and there is just nothing like an apple cider donut.

Have fun!

Apple Cider Donuts

2/3 c. packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
6 Tbsp. butter, melted and cooled
1 c. apple cider
3 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
Oil for deep-fat frying
Confectioners' sugar or cinnamon-sugar, optional


In a mixing bowl, beat the first six ingredients until thick, about 5 minutes. Gradually beat in butter, then cider. Combine flour, baking powder and baking soda. Add to batter; beat just until blended. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. Divide dough in half. Turn onto a lightly (we found out that this was more like super heavily...not lightly at all) floured surface; pat to 1/2" thickness. Cut with a floured 2 1/2" doughnut cutter (totally wish we would have had this). Repeat with remaining dough. In an electric skillet or deep-fat fryer, heat oil to 375 degrees. Fry doughnuts, a few at a time, for 2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar if desired or shake in cinnamon-sugar. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen.

tasty. LIFE.

magic time galore.

ultimate magic time 12:34

I don't know about you...but we have magic time at our house many times an hour...and what seems like 100 times a day.

If you haven't heard of or don't know about magic time...here's the breakdown...

Look at your clock.  Any time your clock's numbers run consecutively...it's magic time.  For example 4:56 or 1:23.  The supremely ultimate magic time is 12:34.

It can also be magic time if your clock's number are an equation.  For example 3:36 or 4:48 or 2:35.  See what I mean?  The possibilities for magic time at your house have just gone up exponentially!

I love hearing my kids yell out from where ever they are, whatever they are doing...driving to a horse lesson, arriving at ballet, making dinner, playing business, riding bikes, reading a book, walking out the door to a football game, talking at the table, picking pumpkins, lounging on the couch, doing an art project, getting ready for school..."It's magic time!!!!"

It's magic time...

Because really...it is.  I don't know if they've caught the double meaning in that but to me it's more than consecutive numbers on the clock, more than math equations, more than an awesome math and science teacher.   It's a reminder 100 times a day that THIS is THE magic time.  This  moment.  This mundane thing I'm doing right now...it's the magic time.

I love magic time...

So...we're going to have a little fun with magic time...this is some seriously silly fun...so you know you have to join in! 

The person that sends me the longest list of magic time (interpret that however you want...actual moment, math, consecutive numbers or whatever other interpretation you want to make of it) either here in the comments or to davina at davinafear dot com and you will win a stop watch.  Send them in before Friday ends...this magic time is 11:59pm ET.

"What?  A stopwatch?!?"  (I heard you say that...)

"Yes.  A stopwatch."

This isn't just any stopwatch though!  This...is a magic stopwatch. 

It can time all kinds of things...not just how long it took you to do a sprint.  It can time how long it takes a person to balance a feather duster on their finger...3.45 minutes.  It can time how long it takes to drink an 8 oz. glass of milk...4.56 seconds.  It can time how long kids can entertain themselves playing businesses...2.34 hours.  It can time how long it takes for a kid to get off the bus, run down the cul de sac and bust in the front door...35.8 seconds.  It can time how long the hug lasts after busting in the door...15.6 seconds.  It can time how long it takes to pee when your bladder is going to bust...30.3 seconds (you know you've wondered).  It can time how long you can bounce a ball before it bounces out of your hands...10.01 minutes.  It can time how long you sit at dinner and listen to best and worst for the day...22.04 mintues.  It can tell you how long it takes to talk to your sister on the phone...1.23 hours.  It can time a good kiss with your lover...12.03 seconds. And...we'll stop there...

You get the idea...

See what I mean? Time. This stopwatch...it's magic...if you know how to use it...

magic. LIFE.

I'm doing the 12 week course in "The Artist's Way".  (Has anyone done this 12 week course?  What did you think? I would love to hear...)

Paying attention is one of the things Julia has talked about so far that has given me something to think about.  Julia Cameron writes, "The quality of life is in proportion, always, to the capacity for delight.  The capacity for delight is the gift of paying attention."

I'm also reading, "A Return To Love."  I've only barely begun it.  It's given me new perspective on love and fear.  It's so easy for us to come from a place of fear in almost every aspect of our lives...relationships, career, taking a risky step, trusting yourself, and so many other ways.  Marianne suggests a change in perspective and coming to everything from a place of love instead of fear.  It's been making me see things about myself and my little world differently.  And that's a good thing.

I've been drawn to a few women photographers and I think it's because they embody the ideas in these books.  Sheye Rosemeyer, Elizabeth Messina, Melanie Mauer, and Stephanie Nielson also known as NieNie (I know that's she's not an official professional photographer...I'm awestruck by her anyway).

These women draw people to them because of their warmth, humanity, and their ability to pay attention, to see the beauty in people and the world, to see the simple as extraordinary, and to take refuge in love and it's ability to carry them in difficult times and into the hearts of others.  They pay attention and they seem to come from a place of love.

I've been inspired by what I've read and by these women and so I've started keeping a little Book of Love.  I want to pay attention.  In it, I'm keeping all of the things that I see...all of the things that I love.

Delight.

I'm on a quest.  If you're wondering where all of this is coming from...I'll share more about it...soon...

For now I'll leave a little list I've made.

I love...

*Fresh, red, ripe strawberries just pulled from the vine that have been warmed by the sun.

*The way the sky looks on a stormy day.  The clouds fluffy and gray and ominous while I drive in my car.  A couple of days ago there were fluffy white clouds and blue beautiful sky floating along lazily behind clouds that were stormy and dark and moving fast.  It was  such an odd and fascinating thing.  It was beautiful and I loved the contradiction...I've never before seen them like that, stormy with a gorgeous sky floating behind it, in the same piece of sky.

*An ice cold bottle (yes, bottle) of A&W Rootbeer after being in the sun.

*Tight hugs from Gracie that about pop my head from my neck, with deeply heartfelt "I love yous" whispered in my ear.

*My blue eyes.

*The wild chatter that goes on at the dinner table.

*The way each of the kids burst through the door at the end of a day at school.

*The quiet house in the morning just as everyone is very sleepily waking from dreaming.

*The sound of the rain starting to fall and hitting the leaves on all the trees in our backyard.  I love having the windows opens that I can hear it while I sit on the couch or when I'm at the sink in the kitchen or lying in bed.

*I love the way my kids find a newly washed pile of laundry irresistible for jumping in, cuddling in, and burying themselves in.

every night.

As many of you know I read to my kids every night.  Lately, we've been reading Enna Burning.  It's a wonderful book about friendship and doing difficult things and understanding who you are...and it's just a great read!  It's well written and the characters are compelling.  Every night when it's time to stop reading the kids say, NO!! Don't stop yet.  Keep reading!

Tonight we just read page 245...the best page in Enna Burning so far!

I love it.  Every book I've read by Shannon Hale I've loved.  The heroines are sweet and beautiful and powerful and compassionate and they are perfect for young girls...and for older girls...like me.

You should definitely check it out...and tell me what you think.

note:  The above cover is the one we have.  I've noticed that the book now has a new cover and the audio version is now the old book cover...just so you know, they are the same book...

good. LIFE.