Making Family Silhouettes

Aren't silhouettes a charming way to capture loved ones?

Shortly after our second was born, I was inspired by a wall of family silhouettes in Stephanie Nielson's home, thinking "I can do that! I'd love some of us, or at least the children, in our home."

Well, life happens, and 2 years passed...until last week.

My sister shared that she was doing a book review of Silhouette Art by Vana Chupp, and she asked if I'd like to join her, putting one of the book projects to the test. Hearing we'd be creating family silhouettes, I was eager.

Yesterday morning I had each of our children with a shoulder as close to a wall as they comfortably could and look straight ahead. With a fair side profile shot of each, I downloaded my images on the computer, roughly sized the top of their heads to the bottom of their hair or "bust" to fit a 5 by 7 frame, and printed.



Joining my sister in the afternoon, we began by tracing the "outline" of each child with a dark pen, taking some liberties with hair details and hairstyle.

Then with very, sharp scissors, we cut on the lines that were representing our children.

We chose to trace our template images on solid black paper. Be warned: dirty fingers and glue smudges show up easily on this color. However, I was able to use a clean, cotton cloth to rub away one of my "imperfections."

You risk the image looking less like your original with each additional trace and cutout. So the key: careful lines (tracing and cutting) and sharp scissors!

The background came next. My sister had vintage sheet music which I loved, but I chose a couple papers included in Chupp's book. Their quiet colors and patterns emphasized the children's details a bit more.

The project was easy and fun, especially working together with my sister. Now, all of these different silhouette craft ideas are running through my mind. And that's what Chupp's book is really all about: creating in a wide variety of ways with silhouettes.

Last night after our spaghetti dinner, I placed our dirty, sauced-faced children in the tub seeing my favorite reason for these "shadow" busts we created. No need to brush those poppy seeds out of your teeth, that fruit pop stain on your forehead can stay, and hey, getting out of pj's is over-rated sometimes. It's simply capturing the unique, beautiful lines that make you (or your loved ones) you!

Humble Vegetable Pie

Note: Today is the last day of summer. I ate my first tomato from the garden.


[That pretty one is now gone and was delicious!]

In my seven years of gardening in Colorado, most years tomatoes have not thrived. This year's plants, which were started from seed, are beautiful, happy, strong, and full of green fruit. I just want to taste more red before frost!

Pumpkins usually thrive. This year my nearly 10 vines are slow growing and weak. Currently, I have one beautifully orange ball the size of my hand.

We are still getting carrots, kale, peppers, and broccoli from the summer garden.

My experimental winter garden is giving us radishes now.

The sweet peas are reaching up and holding on, and spinach is popping out.

I love working with plants, and trying my hand at organic growing in Colorado. I do. But after seven years, I am left knowing I have so much to learn.

Whole Lot of Playin' Goin' On

Maybe it's the temperatures dipping...

Maybe it's knowing that days of bundling up in coats will be here before long and feeling the warmth of the sun on our bare arms and legs soon won't be as pleasant...

...we have been outdoors or out-and-about more than usual these last two weeks...

with a blanket and books.


[Little A found my glasses in the grass, then shared her acting abilities.]

...on a mini road trip to downtown Denver. We played an alphabet game at the art museum--find something from a work of art that represents a letter of the alphabet--no art can be used more than once. H did great; only the letter "x" was empty by the time lunch called us away. I LOVE the quiet and peace of our country living, but I LOVE the hip shops, restaurants, architecture, and the simply-get-where-you-want-on-bikes of city life, too!

[the girls standing by the museum's massive broom & dustpan statue::the line of bikes downtown reminds me of college years getting around the bike-friendly streets of Ft. Collins]

...and evenings bike rides and strolls. We live on gravel roads, and the nearest bike trail is about 7 miles away, but it's a pretty trail--enough privacy from traffic and enough beautiful trees and growth along the way.

[all the kids had their wheels::spotted a spider the size of a quarter..ew::and a pair of beauties::H will be on two wheels before long!]

...just getting out our back door to play in the yard--playing catch (the record of 56 catches on Espinoza turf stands before the ball fumbled to the ground; we'll keep training), climbing fences, playing hopscotch, swinging, pretending to be animals then running off to make sandbox cupcakes,...or lounging in the grass and looking up at the leaves and the wispy clouds.



[AD claps and uh-ohs while A counts and sings]

...and, finally, being with Ranger and Spur has been our favorite. To get us all out with them once a week is a worthy accomplishment. But last week it happened twice with just us and once with friends included. Little A shows such peace on the geldings as we lead her around the arena. H is reigning (turning and stopping) beautifully while being led by Espi or myself. NO RUSH, but she is on her way to being an independent rider.

Fall is a lovely season, but I am not quite ready. Technically, we have about 2 weeks left of summer? Maybe that will be enough time.

Reaching New Horizons Himself

As his sister began schooling last week, AD decided it was time to make a little statement himself. He is an official crawler now, and as of this weekend, he has taken the reigns on sippy drinking, too!

And he seems pretty happy about it. We are, too.