A Place Like This......

The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

“Watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are hidden in the most unlikely places.”
-Roald Dahl

Maybe over the last few months you've noticed that I haven't been here as frequently as I use to. Maybe you've noticed I haven't been able to stop by and visit like I use to and all of this has a wonderfully great reason. Over the past year I've been holed up in my studio creating an ultimate and incredible book adventure into the pages of our favorite childhood story Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The Ultimate Guide To Charlie And The Chocolate Factory is just that: a Guide. A step by step roadmap to a magical world the whole family can enjoy:

• Over 20 Crafts and Activities that not only entertain, but educate. Ever wonder where chocolate comes from? Or how gum is made? Conduct experiential activities in the areas of crafting, cooking, and game-playing as well as exploring many facets of candy production.
• A story filled with beautiful graphic illustrations including tantalizing Treasure Maps and vibrant tutorials.
• A chance to “meet” original Willy Wonka author himself, Roald Dahl.
• The option to take Charlie's journey over the course of several days or take shorter journeys if you wish.
• The creation of a new ritual of reading time with your family and the opportunity to experience the reading of this imaginative tale as a group activity, not a solitary event.

A unique collaboration between myself, the very talented graphic artist Roscoe Welply and the ever talented editor Bernadette Emerson. We intentionally created Willy Wonka's world ,which leaps off the page and coaxes you and your family to immerse yourselves into this world of inventions, concoctions, and adventure.

Re-awaken the passion and idea of “jumping” inside the pages of this book with the knowledge that each chapter is a gateway into a magical world.

Today I am beyond excited to share this with you, and you must know that you're the first to have a sneak peak. We haven't even announced it yet to the rest of the world. That comes later this week.

It will release in the Spring of 2012. Currently we are looking for people to review the book. If you are interested in doing so, please drop me a line at [email protected]. 

To be on the advanced notice list sign-up here. 

 From Audrey Press:

Inspired by the love of a good story, some imagination, a sense of adventure and a good dose of curiosity, children and the adults who care for them can take flight into one of our most beloved books, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 

The Ultimate Guide presents several experiential activities in the areas of crafting, cooking, and game-playing as well as exploring many facets of candy production, and meeting the author himself, Roald Dahl. Each step and activity leads us further into the story to bring more and more of it to life, leaving a lasting impression of an adventure and journey shared.

 If you have a minute please have a look at our book trailer. Enjoy and thank you always for being here.

One Small Change: Tree Hugger

photo by Larry White Buffalo

For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.  Martin Luther

Do you have a favorite tree? I do. It's the rose cypress just off the North end of my house. Throughout the years I've spent countless hours there with my children playing under it's boughs.

I'm joining Suzy again this year for One Small Change and as always it gets me thinking of just one more way we as a family can lessen our footprint on this planet. 

For my first look at changing small in 2012 I've had to revisit something and that is the idea of paper usage. 

I sort of chalked that one of the list because I'm so dutiful in recycling but last week I did an experiment. I wanted to see how much "unwanted" mail we received every week. Usually I grab the mail, pass the recycle bins, drop off what I don't want, and then head into the house. Out of sight, out of mind.

I was astonished to find this many catalogs in my mailbox after 7 days.

These are all catalogs which I love to look at and read when I'm eating my cereal in the morning. I love all those pretty photos which give me ideas of what to craft, cook, sew, etc. I never ever order out of one of these catalogs unless it's Chinaberry. Love Chinaberry. So when thinking about One Small Change I had to ask myself, is my morning entertainment worth killing a tree over?

The answer simply is no.

So I signed up here to remove myself from the catalog and mail lists. 

And for the sake of disclosure, I also sent an email to Chinaberry asking them not to take me off their list. 

What's your one small change?

Your Invited to the Club

Over the weekend my blogging friend Joy was recommending the book "The Weapons of Mass Instruction." By John Taylor Gatto. Another friend of ours, Eileen ,wanted to read it along with her and then I said, "Can I come too?" 

From this very simple Facebook conversation was born the Mindful Parenting Book Club. I'd be so happy to see you join us and please invite anyone else you think might enjoy it.

Here's some more information.

A New *Free* Virtual Book Club for Mindful Parents!

Join Us and Read Along!

Our First Book to share together will be ‘Weapons of Mass Instruction’ by John Taylor Gatto. Regardless of your schooling choices – this book will get you thinking about our current educational system and model!

Order the book from your library, Amazon or download it to your reader… read it and in between come on over with a cup of coffee to sit in on our Virtual Book Club Facebook Page! Pop on over any time to chat – you’re never behind!

In addition, our first ‘scheduled’ book discussion will be hosted by bloggers Eileen Straiton, Valarie Budayr and Joy Blaser on February 4^th where we will cover the Prologue through Chapter 1 of our book, asking questions and inspiring others as they read along.

 

 

One Year Old

There was a knock at the door. As I walked to the kitchen to see who it was, I could clearly see that it was my baby girl Mimi. Odd that she wouldn't use her house key but then I saw her holding something.

When I opened the door I saw CAKE !  Oh how I love cake and the message was clear.

One year ago I founded Audrey Press to publish a happy little book about the fox family that lives in our yard. Little did I know the journey that would unfold and the life changing path this would open. 

Though I hadn't even remembered the anniversary, my children had, and just as their mother had taught them, we need to celebrate the little moments.

And celebrate we did!

We celebrated:

• My mother and the children's Grandma for being the wonderful person that she was. Audrey Press is named after her. I feel her with me every day in my new found world of book creating. 
• Our foxes and how they've grown and expanded as a family.
• Our gratitude for meeting so many wonderful people: our online friends, our friends in bookstores and schools throughout the past year. 
• Building a life around our passions, books being high up on the list.
• The incredible people who work and create at Audrey Press. They truly make life a magical journey. 

Over the next couple of weeks I'm going to share all of the incredible things happening at Audrey Press, but for the moment we just need to party. To celebrate our one year anniversary, we're holding a birthday bash sale of $10 copies of The Fox Diaries. Just click on the widget below.

The Quiet of a Cafe Afternoon

After all the excitement of our Traveling Tribe holidays, I quickly preceded to get sick. I've had the worst case of hacking cough of my whole live long life. What was needed was just a quiet day of resting, reading and coffee. 

Such a place was found in this lovely cafe inspired by Portugal.

Cafe trips are best achieved when everyone brings enough books and art supplies to last us a spell. We sort of just move into our space.

A bit later all of this reading and creating made us ravenously hungry but what to eat? Where a coffee had hit the spot earlier, severe hunger was beckoning to us now.

For one who's head, nose, and chest were stuffed to the max, something light on the stomach and nurturing at the same time was needed. The salad special was in order....lentil and greek salads hit the spot just perfectly.

I was thankful to have this quiet afternoon with no demands. The only place to be was with a few members of my sweet family having a cafe afternoon. 

 

The Birdman of Montreal

It was a hard day walking in the streets of Montreal. The night before an ice-storm had descended upon the wintry city making it nearly impossible to walk the next day. That didn't stop us however. Following my mother's advice of "There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing." We donned our warmest clothes, parkas, boots,hats, mittens. All that was missing were toe picks. 

As we slid down the street I was really beginning to reconsider our daily walk around the city. We came upon a beautiful old cathedral built in the 1800's. We decided to stop there for a little rest and re-grouping. As I was headed in, the kids stopped.

"Hey Mom, look at this." Mimi yelled.

Fascinated by the story, I was called over to meet a man who lives a daily memory. For years, this man would come with his young niece to feed the pigeons in the Cathedral court yard. As the years went by their loving tradition became a memory that would last a lifetime. 

The niece became very ill and no matter what treatments they tried, nothing worked. 4 years ago his niece passed over. Every day in her honor, the man walks to the Cathedral to feed the birds. Always grateful for the time they spent together and for her short life on this planet. His story touched us so, that the children asked for a photo with the Birdman of Montreal. 

So here we remember this kind man's niece. This blog, A Place Like This is a testament and living memory of the moments that my we spend together passing fleetingly through this world. What memories do you share? You know, the ones which will last a lifetime. I always say to my beloved children, "Let your memories be your blessings." This life is short. May you make a million blessed memories. 

We Talk With Our Hands

As I was going through the photos from our trip to Montreal, I noticed that there were always a couple blurry images in each photo.  The hands. Yep the hands are always moving, more so than the mouth in family conversations.

"Who us? No Way" Zaina says

For years I've made the joke with my husband that if he had to sit on his hands he wouldn't be able to talk. We laugh and laugh about this but now I see it in the next generation of our Lebanese family, many of whom I've given birth to.

I'm just saying......we talk with our hands.

 

The Year That Was and A Happy New Year

Holding both incredible and difficult moments, 2011 is a year we will not soon forget. We are thankful for so many things. I've met many blogging friends near and far. Started Audrey Press and watched our first production The Fox Diaries launch out into the world. We've watched and helped where we could the wonderful people of Japan. We've comforted those in medical distress. We learned how to survive a tornado's aftermath. We've laughed, created, traveled, grown gardens, studied, read and enjoyed each other's company.

As we move forward in this first day of the New Year. My family and I wish you nothing but the very best this life can bring. Happy New Year and here's to 2012.

Best Wishes,

Valarie and the Whole Traveling Tribe