family – Page 22 – Karla's Cottage

Thankfulness, hugs, and gingerbread

celebrations, family, Food and Drink, holiday decor

By Karla Nathan / November 23, 2018

I can't imagine a nicer Thanksgiving. Kia helped me prep quite a bit the day before and we had a pretty laid back Thursday, with all of the chopping done ahead of time.

We even baked a double batch of gingerbread cookies on Wednesday, which made for a fun morning of playing with icing and sprinkles before getting dinner in the oven.

After cookie masterpieces were created, we popped a little turkey into the oven (for the few of us that were not vegan) and headed out to the woods to enjoy the sunshine and the last of the fall colors.

We didn't go far, just out in our back yard, we have ten acres that have a few trails through the trees.

While out there, we visited the fallen Grandfather Tree, which we have harvested to make slabs. In the future, it will be a dining room table.

For now, it is fun to climb on.

And jump off of.

The grandfairies found a few fun places to climb around.

And Avahni showed off her fire fighter training by carrying people around.

Dororthy enjoyed it.

Twinkle isn't as fond of the hugging.

But the girls are.

After a festive dinner with lots of toasts and laughter, we started decorating gingerbread again, this time some premade houses.

Every year, I get a couple for the littlest grandfairies to pile up sky high with globs of candies, but didn't even think about getting them for everyone to play with.

But after watching the Halloween baking shows with Ryan, he and I thought we should probably try our hands at making some houses ourselves.

I certainly had plenty of toppings! We do NOT eat these, they are just for display, so we use candy that has been around longer than Dewdrop, back when Sugarwings first crafted a house. And I buy the 25 cent, clearance decorations after Christmas to save up and use too.

The only fresh stuff we have is for the cookies that we eat, and they are dye free, organic goodies.

Oh, yes, I do buy fresh fondant to play with too. You have to have that soft and pliable, it doesn't save like hard candies do.

The big girls like the fondant as much as the little ones do. Thia made a unicorn with hers.

This looks like it will be a holiday tradition around here, we had such a good time with it, that there is already talk of gingerbread birdhouses for Easter. And maybe even some more houses at Christmas dinner? Although, we usually spend the evening playing games that the kids get as gifts from Santa after dinner on that day, and decorating cookies in the afternoon.

I am truly blessed to have a family who can enjoy a relaxing day together, while pitching in to help with cooking so that the day wasn't all about slaving away in the kitchen and dozing in front of a game on TV.

And I was thrilled to have them want to make Gingerbread Houses! I'm not really a Thanksgiving person, for me, it is just the gateway to the holiday season, it is hard to hold back and not start rushing headfirst into Christmas before Thanksgiving is over.

This season, I decided there was no reason to hold back and went for it. I was glad to have my trees up, and the twinkling lights strung for atmosphere. And loved having these houses to do, even though they are a traditional Santa thing, not a turkey thing.

(with a side of Turkey!)

The kids were calling the meal, our "Healthgiving" Dinner, we kept all of the items freshly made, with no processed foods. With everyone helping, that wasn't hard to do. There were circus tricks on the aerial rig, a walk in the woods, crafting, massage therapy, and we all took turns giving a Huzzah! for what we were feeling grateful for.

The laughter, warmth, and hugs were much appreciated.

What a nice holiday! I hope you had a happy one too.

Kismet Forest Farm Barn Clean Up Day

family, Sacred Circus

By Karla Nathan / November 13, 2018

My son and his family live on a sprawling, 13 acre piece of wooded land that they call Kismet Forest Farm. There is a barn full of possibilities sitting on the grounds, and last week a group of friends came to help get started on making those possibilities into realities.

This is the interior of the barn. For now, the plan is to strip down the old dry wall, paint everything white, and add a wood stove for heat. Then, the circus performers can use it all winter.

Later on, more renovations will happen, as budget allows.

Once completed, there will be all sorts of workshops, from yoga to circus classes, as well as sustainable growing classes and music.

Helpers got started on tearing down old outbuildings, and sorting the materials into piles to save and reuse.

Nails had to be pulled out of the wood before it was stacked up for reuse.

Lots of good supplies were salvaged for the work on the barn that day. And a bonfire was enjoyed with the rest of the wood.

It was a beautiful, fall day to be out and enjoying the colors, and helping make Kismet a gathering place for camping, learning, and music.

The family made a vat of vegan chilli for the group, then we all went for a walk in the woods to explore the trails my son has carved out of the wild.

I was quite impressed with what he has already accomplished.

This place will really be something when they get done!

Seashell Fairies in St Augustine, and a Beach Blessings Angel in Cocoa Beach

family, sea shell fairies, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 10, 2018

The beach house I rented with my life long buddies for our birthday get together was so nice, I rented it again with my sisses!

And like I did in April, I also made a seashell fairy for each of us as a thank you to the beach.

Each expresses the joy that I found while strolling along the sand.

Aren't they happy little sprites?

And of course, I had to make a boy fairy for Guncle Randy, who joined us for some crafting.

The shells were plentiful, the weather was beautiful, the company was ideal,

I had much to be thankful for.

There was even sea glass! And this shell/tooth thing…

Which was perfect for a Winnifred Sanderson bit of fun.

Staying on the Atlantic side, meant no sunsets over the water, but one morning, I was up in time to catch the tail end of a sunrise. I was pretty impressed with myself for that.

This was the balcony view, at our Cocoa beach place. We hopped around and stayed at 4 different places in our ten day trip.

Beach Place Guest House had some fantastic landscaping, it was just too bad that the red tide made it too hard to breathe for us to spend much time outside to enjoy the well sculpted views.

The shells at Cocoa Beach were harder to come across. This was the total of what I found, but it was just enough for this one little girl.

I crafted a blessings angel for that beach, in hopes of healing the red tide.

As well as a witch, just because I'd found these broken bits of shell and one looked like a jaw, so really wanted to make something with it.

Hubert the Gnome

family

By Karla Nathan / November 7, 2018

While in Jacksonville, my sisses and I checked out the antique mall that the guncles sell at, Southern Crossing. I found a couple of glorious hats (very affordable, too!), a gigantic and gorgeous roll of older lace, some sparkly tinsel, and…

My Dad!

I wish I had a better photo of him to share. This gnome is so much like him, I just had to buy it. And it was even in Guncle Randy's booth.

Not only that, Hubert the Gnome was holding a seashell, suitable for a beach vacation souvenir!

Hidden Mickeys everywhere- And thank you, Disney for the upgrades!

family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / November 4, 2018

One thing (among many) that I love to do at Disney is hunt for Hidden Mickeys. This flamingo island, seen on the safari is a great example of how these little tricksters hide in plain sight.

The island itself is a Mickey!

Here is another example, I didn't even notice them until I glued this photo of Orleans Riverside hotel into my journal. See them lurking on the fence railing? About knee cap height.

Sometimes they are right there in in your face, like the citrus in the water jar at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Or under your feet, like the carpet in the halls of Jambo House.

Sometimes they are subtle like the grates outside Animal Kingdom.

Or very prominent, like this pumpkin.

Our room at Orleans was full of them! On the lamp…

The shower curtain…

The tile in the shower…

I'm sure there were more that I missed. It was a great room. And an upgrade. When I saw where our reserved room was on the map and realized that it was very, very far from the parking lot, plus upstairs. I knew it might be hard on my sisses to get to it after a long day at Disney Springs.

I asked if there was anywhere that we could change to, hoping we might have easier access from our car and was offered a free upgrade to this Princess suite. And it was really cool. The headboard scene has embedded lights that mimic the swamp scene with the fireflies in Tiana's movie. The portrait is 3-D.

This wasn't our only upgrade. Back in April when I was planning the trip, the room we wanted at Jambo House wasn't available for two nights, so we were given a suite instead of a double queen room for the same price.

It was wonderful to be overlooking the animals beneath our balcony, plus having a nice, big room to spread out in.

Every room I've stayed in on Disney World grounds has been comfy, clean, and well kept. The themed rooms are extra wonderful, and not really that much more expensive, but I rarely splurge on them, since not that much time is usually spent in the room itself. But after staying in these two, beautifully themed, specialty spaces, as free upgrades from the lower priced rooms I'd booked, I'm thinking that next time, I will certainly spring for the nicer rooms, they were so fun.

Where else can you ride a magic carpet in your hotel room? This one was printed into the flooring.

And the whirlpool bubble bath was much appreciated for tired feet after tramping through the parks.

We were very lucky to be given not one, but two upgrades on our trip. There were other moments of Disney Magic, including being directed to the front of a line at one point, and many other kindnesses. I've heard that each "castmember" (employee) at Disney is supposed to gift someone with an extra each day. It seems to me like there are more than that, because I've seen so many instances of these extras over the years.

Lucky me!

Thank you, Disney World!!

Speaking of luck, how unusual is it to run into family members at Animal Kingdom Park??? Yes, we were all at Gorilla Falls Trails taking some quiet time to birdwatch, and surprise! There was Carol and Jim with Carrie and her kids.

Wow!

Ghoulish Guncle Goofiness, and some bootiful Halloween decor

celebrations, family, guncles, holiday decor, Travel

By Karla Nathan / October 29, 2018

During our Sister Trip to Florida, we took a jaunt up north to Jax and the Land of Guncles.

Where we were met with the typical Guncle charm and hospitality, and an added dose of creepiness.

We were greeted by this sign.

Their welcoming home was in its full, Fall glory.

With ghouls, goblins, witches, and more.

So, we decided we needed to fit in with our surroundings and got out the face paints.

I went Pink.

Sissy got some purple witchiness going on.

While Guncle Randy embraced his inner warlock and went full on, goblin green.

Lovely Lily didn't need to change colors, she has a pretty, autumn glow year round with her auburn hair.

The guys had the house foofed up to the hilt.

It is always an honor to see my artwork making it into some of their displays.

Randy's art was prominent too.

Here are pages from a Romantic Gothic Ghost art journal he did.

The house was creepy, cool, and very well done.

Our pal, Regina, made this banner.

No detail was neglected.

I'll leave you with a few more pics from our fun night there.

A Hocus Pocus Trip and a Sandy Winifred Sanderson with Seashell Teeth

celebrations, family, Travel

By Karla Nathan / October 26, 2018

Our sister trip to Florida was Sanderson Sister themed all the way.

So, when I found these "teeth" on the beach, I had to make myself into Winifred with the seashell in my mouth.

(And looky!! I found SEA GLASS too!! It was a treasure trove of unique goodies from the sea on Vilano Beach)

When I was done playing with the shell teeth, I used them to make a sandy Winifred Sanderson.

There were also a ton of black shells, which lent themselves well to making a sea witch. Her broom is a palm frond. I'm afraid black shells don't photograph well, it really did look cuter in person.

Our whole trip was Hocus Pocus themed, and we started off at Disney to go to Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party and watch the Sanderson Sister Villain Spectacular.

The lighting on the castle was pretty durn spectacular!

To save wear and tear on our backs, we rented a stroller to haul our extras around in (you never know when you'll need a jacket or an umbrella at Disneyworld) and for a name tag, I wrote in

"Sanderson"

Of course.

And I witchied up our magic bands with Sharpies and glitter nail polish. (Why wear a plain band when you can transform one easily with a waterproof sharpie?)

We needed a Spell book to carry. I painted canvas bags for each of us with the witches' book on one side.

The other side had our name and a witch hat.

All three were a bit different, but all had plenty of glitter. I think we left a trail everywhere we went.

I was thrilled with every second of the Halloween Party and hated to see it end at midnight. I'd love more than anything else to go back for the upcoming Christmas party and take my grand fairies.

But as my husband says, it is excessive to be flying to Disney every few weeks….

Even though there is a Christmas party that just happens to fall on a day she is out of school for a 3 day weekend, and I have free airline ticket points and enough Disney Credit Card points for the park tickets, and could take the free Disney transportation… we would just have to pay for hotel and food, and heck a person needs to eat wherever you happen to be, right????

Sooooooooo tempting, but- he is right. I think it is bordering on greedy, and spoiled to even contemplate a return so soon. Still, it is fun to think about.

(by the way, the Chase Disney credit cards give you a $200 gift card just for signing up. And a percentage back to spend on anything Disney, including movie tickets at AMC)

Guncle Randy’s Paint Pour Book

Books, family, vintage paper/collage art, wallpaper

By Karla Nathan / October 24, 2018

When Guncle Randy was here in August, We had a paint pour day and he did a "swipe" technique on this cover. I finished assembling the book to mail to him later.

And of course, I couldn't help myself…. I had to add some vintage papers to the book for him to use as a background for his own work. He plans on using it for a Halloween/Autumn journal, so I kept with a darker or fall theme. Including this great horoscope book cover from the 1800s!!!

(I'd been saving it for something really special.)

Grey flowers seemed to be ideal for Halloween.

As were these black and white pages.

The red might be a little bright for the season, but I guess he could consider it gorey… I made a pocket from some paint poured paper, and filled it with tidbits to use in his own work.

The Dream Book page is a scan and copy, but suits the mood.

As well as the Gispy Fortune Teller page.

This lovely lady was cut from an old fairy tale book, and I added green marker to her face to make her witchy.

This boy is scanned from an old photo and printed onto a transparency for a ghostly look.

Typically, I chose text for shape and style, but sometimes I find some that fits the mood of the page too. While this is simply about Tom Thumb and is a cute fairy tale, I thought the first sentence seemed a little creepy and went well with a Halloween book.

The inside of the back cover gets a paint poured note card to open and fill up, and a cute (but slightly vampire-ish) boy and his dog. I added a sparkly, rhinestone poodle too, since the guncles have two cute poods of their own.

Have fun filling your book up, Randy! I love you and loved getting this ready for you!!

I will be away from my desk, enjoying Sister Time in Florida til the 22nd. All orders from the Boutique will ship on the 24th. Thanks!

Omaha Zoo

family, Sugarwings, Travel

By Karla Nathan / October 21, 2018

We took Sugarwings to the Omaha Zoo to gather info for a science project.

The subject was cats, and she took the day pretty seriously. Our mini photographer took photos of all of the large cats, as well as all of the information signs about them.

It is a VERY large and wonderful zoo, I've never seen the entire place in the one day we usually have to spend there.

In the past, I've gone with either a larger group, or two preschoolers who were happy to be watching bugs on the sidewalk instead of conquering the whole park.

This time, we were concentrating on the science project, and getting the photos she needed. But we did stop for rides and lunch. While she might be getting slightly too big for the carousel (but still loves it), we discovered that she is no longer frightened by the skyride. We floated above the park a couple of times, and could've done more trips if we'd had time.

We missed Dewdrop, but I will make myself feel better about that by using it as an excuse to go back again when she can tag along. She went with us to the Topeka Zoo a few times over the summer, but we never made it up to Nebraska to go to this zoo with her before she left to spend the year with her mom in North Carolina.

By the way, I've discovered that my Topeka Zoo membership, which is only $50 annually for a family of four, gets us into other zoos at a discount. In Omaha, it was 50% off, which helped a great deal. In Sarasota, the Mote aquarium was free with a Topeka membership.

Also, it is sure nice to have the card to drop by the Topeka zoo whenever we feel like it, even if we only have an hour. If we were paying full price to get in each time, I'd make sure I had enough hours to "get my money's worth" out of the trip. With a membership, that isn't an issue, and there were quite a few short trips that we enjoyed, but wouldn't have made if didn't have that card.

I will be away from my desk, enjoying Sister Time in Florida til the 22nd. All orders from the Boutique will ship on the 24th. Thanks!