monday's mix: it started with a tree

Monday and a month till Christmas. Hardly believe how fast time has passed by this year. Something is going on when children as young as ten are talking about it! But then the only thing to do is to start celebrate, decorate and enjoy time till new year 2014. Following are some ideas of great x-mas trees and specially for all the handy people mastering DIY. 

– Read more to see all the trees –

1. elena gardin / martha stewart / follow gram

2. inger johanna / design-shimmer / mono square

3. vdj-boutique / nora lill / homelife

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friday idea ... cheeses

gunnar sverrisson / home and delicious

NICE CHEESE-WEEKEND

Weekend already! I just want to remind you of the true pleasure of enjoying cheeses. Simple, yes? But always a time to remind us of simple things and how nice they can be. Whether home alone, dining or partying – cheeses are the easy way out when the time is running too fast for more detailed recipes. Just remember the occasion; if having the cheeses as appetiser or after dinner, you are not buying the same cheeses there as their role is completely different. Enjoy the weekend with a glass of wine and delicious cheeses. 

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Favorite Books that Inspired the "Herbal" Series

Like many ideas in life, the one for our herbal series was inspired by books. Today we are sharing our three favorites in three different categories along with some of our favorite excerpts. Perhaps they will inspire you as well!

Dr. Oma: The Healing Wisdom of Countess Juliana von Stolberg by Ethel Herr

"Maria floated across the room to her side. She looked at the big books with their bulky dark brown leather covers. One of them lay open, and Oma pointed to its thick, unevenly cut pages.

"This book is called an herbal," she said. "My daughter, Juliana, and I have worked for many years to bring together all these recipes for cures. The papers for these pages was made by my servants out in the shed behind the castle."

Maria reached tentatively toward it. Oma nodded. "Yes, you may touch it."

Maria ran her fingers over the rough texture of the paper. She noticed the intricate lines penned in heavy ink and the wonderful drawing of an herb. Somehow, she felt as if she were touching the plant itself and taking the words into her soul…"

"You know, every noblewoman must know something about the herbal arts. It is expected that we will at least know how to take care for the physical needs of our families and households…"

~ Excerpt from Dr. Oma: The Healing Wisdom of Countess Juliana von Stolberg by Ethel Herr

This book is recommended for young ladies* of 12 and on in order to introduce your daughter (and perhaps yourself) to the historical world of the "herbal". You will be inspired by the life of Juliana von Stolberg as you learn about the healing arts, the history of the Dutch people and this faithful woman from the past.

*Note: One point I would discuss with my daughter is that the secondary character (Maria the granddaughter) married a man whom was an alcoholic which warrants a conversation. Beyond that, it is a very educational and endearing read of a grandmother passing on her godly faith and healing knowledge down to her granddaughter. It also shares the history of the Dutch people. I especially appreciated the medicinal healing aspects in this book. It is an important art that our young women would benefit from and I hope that this little novel would foster an interest in it.

Country Crafts: Kitchen ~ Pantry ~ Decoration ~ Style by Stephanie Donaldson
(Note: This is a reprinted, revised version of the Country Store)

“In Tudor times, in the sixteenth century, the pantry could be described as the control center of the domestic economy. It was here that the countrywoman would store her precious herbs and spices, and make lotions, potions* and distillations. In doing so, she could be described as the family doctor, pharmacist, herbalist, perfumer, candlemaker and pest controller all rolled into one, and the health and well being of everyone in the household was her responsibility.”

~ Stephanie Donaldson, The Country Store, Reprinted & Revised as Country Crafts

"In Elizabethan England it became customary for gentlewomen to write down the secrets of their household management in a book to pass on their skills from one generation to the next. As well as recipes, this book would include simple remedies, lotions and potions*, potpourris and polishes, many of which we would recognize and even keep in our pantry today."

~ Stephanie Donaldson, The Country Store, Reprinted & Revised as Country Crafts

With its beautiful photography, Country Crafts inspired me to store foods and handmade goods according to the seasons like our ancestors have done for many years. The author includes suggestions for pantry items, medicinal recipes, bath and body ideas as well as home decoration. I am in love with this book!

*Note: Although "potion" is often referred to in the occult world, it's definition can also mean a liquid with healing properties.

Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide by Rosemary Gladstar

"One of the greatest benefits of herbal medicine is that it gives us the ability to become more self-reliant. Feeling that we have choices in how we care for ourselves and our families, and that we ourselves can play a central role in treatment and preventive medicine, can help us build a positive attitude of empowerment. With very little effort, time, or money, we can grow our own herbs, make our own medicines, and care for our families and ourselves, much as people have been doing for millennia. Herbalism is truly an accessible, inexpensive, natural, gentle, and, most importantly, effective system of healing. Herbs are among the safest medicines available. 

As recently as a 100 years ago, almost every American household had a kitchen garden with an “apothecary” section designated for healing plants. It’s fun to re-create these traditional gardens. Dig up a small plot by the back door, plant your favorite medicinal herbs (and edible herbs as well), and step back in time."

~ Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide by Rosemary Gladstar

And alas, this book is a treasure trove of information for the beginner herbalist. It shares all the basic terms and how to begin making your own home apothecary along with some basic herbal recipes. I highly recommend this book!

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: Modest Mom Monday's, Make it Yourself Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Tuesday's, Teach Me Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Wildcrafting Wednesday, Whatever You Want Wednesday, Frugal Days, Sustainable Ways, Homemaking Wednesdays, Homemaking Thursdays,  From the Farm Blog Hop, Farmgirl Friday, Clever Chicks Blog Hop and Deep Roots at Home. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

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style: from nude to camel

There are always certain colours that keep their status in fashion through every season. But regularly they get more popular than usual, like grey this season, and then they fall again to their normal status and just be. These are colours easy to rely on and one of them is the colour camel – or the colour spectrum from nude to camel. True classic and quite sophisticated both for dressing up and down. It's solid to have some nude or camel pieces in the wardrobe. 

– Read more to see all the photos –

1 via britta nickel / they all hate us

2 / 3, 4, 8  / 5 / 6 / 7

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1–10: bedside lamps of different kind

1–10

Many people want their bedroom to be super simple and serene. Many people have their a little bit too conventional and want to add some touch. And many people haven't finished making their as nice as other rooms in the house but are always on the way. Following are some useful ideas to pop up the bedroom, and as simple as it sounds, just by changing the bedside lamps. 

The truth is that for many there aren't so much decoration in the bedroom and therefor the bedside lamp is the biggest decor in the room. Due to that, it should be a piece where the eye wants to linger on. It should be a focal point and a tad of a statement. For double beds you don't need the lamps to be the same on both sides, on the contrary the lamps can be of different kind but having some resemblance. A floor lamp on the other side of the room is an idea to think of. 

The photos show great bedside lamps and many of them have some extra ideas for the bedroom to consider to make it super compelling.

– Read more to get all the ideas –

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

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What is a Picture Study? ~ Charlotte Mason Series

“We cannot measure the influence that one or another artists has upon the child’s sense of beauty, upon his power of seeing, as in a picture, then common sights of life; he is enriched more than we know in having really looked at a single picture.”

~ Charlotte Mason, Excerpt from Home Education

"Picture study" was one of the first ideas that inspired me about home education. It seemed so elegant and lovely to share beautiful artwork with your children, treating them to a masterpiece feast by the greatest artists of all time. To view pictures for the pleasure of the little child with no harsh memorization lessons, but only pure delight.

Have you considered sharing a few moments with the masters? They require little work from the teacher but the result is a sweet appreciation for the finer things in life. Not the fast and the furious that is plaguing the billboards today, but the slow and deliberate, classical creations of the human hand.

Mother and Child in a Picture Gallery by George Goodwin Kilburne

"We recognise that the power of appreciating art and of producing to some extent an interpretation of what one sees is as universal as intelligence, imagination, nay, speech, the power of producing words. But there must be knowledge and, in the first place, not the technical knowledge of how to produce, but some reverent knowledge of what has been produced; that is, children should learn pictures, line by line, group by group, by reading, not books, but pictures themselves."

~ Charlotte Mason, The Philosophy of Education

A "picture study" can be as simple as taping a masterpiece on the refrigerator every week and letting your children study, stare and share as they eat their meals. (A dollar store calendar featuring famous art is perfect for this!)

Or, a notebook can be assembled of all your chosen paintings along with a brief artist biography, the child's picture reviews and any other pertinent information you wish to document.

The general object is to expose your children to fine artwork in order to promote an appreciation and interest in the art itself. For once the flame has been lit, the love of learning will continue to grow.

"It will be noticed that the work done on these pictures is done by the children themselves. There is no talk about schools of painting, little about style; consideration of these matters comes in later life, but the first and most important thing is to know the pictures themselves. As in a worthy book we leave the author to tell his own tale, so do we trust a picture to tell its tale through the medium the artist gave it."

~ Charlotte Mason

The Ancestors by George Goodwin Kilburne

Where to start?

"The child is given his first reproduction. He looks at it, and you let him talk about the picture. You don't lecture about schools of painting or style. The child is allowed direct and fresh access to the picture itself. At first, he may focus on little…

Next time, the skill will become sharper, the child more observant. He will regard the pictures as friends."

~ Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, For the Children's Sake

At the British Museum by George Goodwin Kilburne

"Children whose minds and spirits are nourished with these paintings will, in turn, look at the world around them with new eyes. They will comment on the quality of dappled light under the trees, or note that the storm clouds remind them of a Rembrandt landscape. It is a wealth that will remain with them for life."

~ Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, For the Children's Sake

Some other practical ways to implement picture study into your homeschool:

• After studying the artwork, take turns pointing out all the details in the painting and sharing how each person feel's towards the picture. You may be surprised at how strong of an opinion they have on art!
• Flip the print over and see what details the children can remember without looking at it.
• Once the artwork has been discussed, turn the print over and see if your students can recreate it on a blank piece of paper. This will encourage them to dig into the details when they study the picture!
• If the print has a historical event attached to it or a scene from the Scriptures, read together some pertaining information to make the painting come alive.
• As the student gets older, you may want to prepare a portfolio of the art you have studied. We did this when we had a child old enough to write which included their treasured art reviews. 
• Read a short biography about the artist of the painting. Share other artwork by the artist and compare them. Do they notice anything in common? Does the artist always paint people, landscapes or historical events? Study more paintings from the same artist until you feel like you "know" them and then move on to another.
• We also like to do themed picture studies where something is being learned which pertains to the painting. You will find our versions here: Bible in Art Picture Study Part 1: Van Gogh and Bible in Art Picture Study Part 2: Rembrandt.
• Include picture study in your unit studies. When we studied Noah's ark, we studied famous ark paintings in history. When we studied apples in autumn, we studied the famous apple paintings by Cezanne. 
• Be creative, there is no right way to enjoy art!  All it takes is a few minutes each week...

Young Girl Reading by George Goodwin Kilburne

"Make it (picture study) a happy warm time,

just like when you enjoy a story together."

~ Susan Schaeffer Macaulay, For the Children's Sake

This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: Modest Mom Monday's, Make it Yourself Mondays, Homestead Barn Hop, Natural Living Tuesday's, Teach Me Tuesday, Raising Homemakers, Make Bake Create, Wise Woman Link Up, Homemaking Wednesdays, Homemaking Thursdays and Deep Roots at Home. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these.

Highly Recommended: For the Children's Sake: Foundations of Education for Home and School

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home visit: rungsted, danmark

How the Scandinavians decorate during advent and Christmas is probably closest to the style Icelanders like to do their home during this time of the year. Colours, form, a way of simplicity were nature is captured and candles lit. Today's home visit is to Rungsted in Danmark were the home owner, Vibeke and her family, has decorated the first round for the x-mas season. Warm and tender in this crisp and bright scandinavian feeling were asian influences are let in. 

– Read more to get the x-mas inspiration –

via femina with thanks / photos mikkel adsbö / katrine martensen-larsen

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