A Place Like This......

A Look Back @ 2012

Where did this year go ? I can't believe I'm reviewing 2012 but what a great year it's been. I think as time moves forward and I look back on 2012, it will be one of those years that will stand out as a turning point, thresholds crossed, and dreams fulfilled.

This past year had a lot of travel involved. We started the year in Montreal where we spent the holidays with family and friends.

In March we went to Paris and met up with my good friend Emily to celebrate the final conclusion of a little book known to insiders as  "Charlie".

Celebrating with our eldest daughter Zaina as she graduated university.

My annual pilgrimage to New York City to participate in Book Expo America and meeting several of my favorite authors.

Spending some lovely weeks in Sweden on the island of Gotland.

Spending August with visiting family.

It was good we rested while we were in Sweden because when we got back I can sum up the rest of the year in one word "Charlie." 

Our newest release The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory consumed the late summer and autumn months as it released to great acclaim. 

It won the QED award for innovation and design. It's the e-book version of The Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval.

Charlie made a huge blog tour meeting friends old and new.

It was chosen as part of Apple's cyber-week promotion.

But the biggest and most epic news was that Charlie went all the way to #1 on iTunes on the iBookstore and stayed there for awhile. It's been on the charts eversince. Needless to say there was more hooping and hollering than a rodeo over here ......for weeks now. I just can't stop screaming. I'm sure you can understand that it's quite something.

Though this year has seen many, many, happy ocassions, it sadly has seen less of me in this space. I've missed it greatly and look forward to coming back and resuming my beloved blogging habit and reconnecting with friends. I'm so glad many of you are on Facebook as it allows me to see you daily. 

Here's wishing you a wonderful close to the year. 

Best Wishes,

Valarie

 

Wishing you a Wonderful Welcome

I'd like to wish everyone coming over to visit from The Homeschool Scholar. We are part of the Homeschool Scholar Virtual Christmas party and I expect many of you are coming over to visit.

This blog site is a place for me to keep my family memories. I wanted a place to hold the special creative moments my family and I share.

For those of you who love books, ME too !!!! I have a website with tons of book extending activites. In a couple of words:"I make kids books come alive."

www.jumpintoabook.com

When I'm not jumping into books, I'm writing them and/or publishing them.

Our book  The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was #1 on iTunes children's non-fiction books last week as well as being on the top 100 books. For the month of December it's 3.99.

If you don't have an ipad, iphone, or ipod touch you can get the pdf version for 9.95 using the code word "homeschool".

Love animals? I have a fox family living in my front yard. After sharing the story on my blog, many readers asked if it was going to become a book. That question was the beginning of my publishing house Audrey Press. I'm often asked if I took all of the photos. Yes I did. On the e-book versions I'm reading the story aloud.

Currently we have several books in production by several authors. We are committed to creating inspiring, enchanting, and magical books for families to share, create, and discover their world together. 

The Fox Diaries is in print on Amazon and Barnes & Noble

as well as the e-book version on the iBookstore and on Barnes & Noble

Thanks for dropping by for a visit. Please feel free to leave a comment and say hello. Please have a very wonderful and happy holiday season !!!

Autumn Fun With A Little Acorn Michaelmas Guide

YAY!!! This weekend brought with it some very cool weather, completely sunny mind you but wonderfully crisp. Out, as in immediately out, came my sweaters. I've had myself swathed in wool for three days now. 

Photo by Eileen Straiton or Sara Wilson

Also coming out were the quilts and afghans. My husband, Fiber Boy, commented that it takes me literally 15 minutes to usher in warmth. I love cool weather. Today I've promised myself that I'll start knitting something spiffy.

Do you know what else happens with Autumn? Michaelmas or better known here as Dragon and Lantern day, which happens on Friday September 29th. 

"Michaelmas is a celebration of many important ideas. It is a harvest celebration, when we honor the blessings of agriculture and the work of human hands that toil to put good, life-sustaining food on our tables and in our bellies. The bounty of earth is all around us in the autumn, and yet the shorter days and cooler temperatures remind us that soon many of our food plants must die or go dormant. The earth must rest, so that new growth can occur next year.

Michaelmas is also a community celebration, in which we are reminded that we succeed when we work together to overcome hunger, want, and disease, and the less visible dangers of loneliness and fear. It is our chance to come together on the good, green earth and declare to one another: We are alive. We are together. Together we are strong. Together and with pure hearts, we can overcome. In this time, maybe more than ever before, we all need reminders of strength, selflessness, courage, hope, and the ultimate triumph of good over evil." From The Autumn Equinox and Michaelmas Feast E-book

I have a very special treat for you. Friends Eileen Straiton from Little Acorn Learning, and Sara Merkel Wilson from Love in the Suburbs have written a fantastic Michaelmas guide. They gave me a sneak peak and like all of the Little Acorn Guides, this one is loaded !!!!

The e-book is 133 pages full of verses, fingerplays, poems, songs, crafts, meditations, book recommendations, circle times, recipes and much more.  Filled with amazing and inspiring articles and tutorials, some of the projects included in this e-book are as follows:

Needle Felt a Beautiful Apple Mother Doll

Go on an Apple Picking Field Trip and Learn About Different Varieties of Apples

Photo by Eileen Straiton and Sara Wilson

Design a Breathtaking Early Autumn Nature Table
Read Books with the Children Celebrating Autumn and Michaelmas

Make Your Own Apple Stamps

Enjoy Homemade Applesauce Together

Crochet an Apple for Your Nature Table or Play Kitchen

Create a Beautiful Autumn Candle Holder Centerpiece

Make an Archangel Michael Mobile

Photo by Eileen Straiton and Sara Wilson

Harvest Natural Dye Materials from Outdoors and Make Capes of Light Playsilks

Hold a Michaelmas Family Feast

Photo by Eileen Straiton and Sara Wilson

Create Dragons out of Nature Items

Bake Dragon Bread with the Children

Make a Dragon Tree Block Checker Set

Sculpt Dragons out of Modeling Material

Cut Out Paper Flying Dragons to Display on Your Wall

Make a Michaelmas Felt Play Set

Paint an Autumn Leaf Stencil Painting with Watercolors

Crochet Beautiful Autumn Leaves for Your Nature Table
Paint Your Own Interpretation of Michael and the Dragon

Look Inward and Face Your Own Dragons with our Caregiver Meditation

Share Verses and Songs About Autumn and Michaelmas

Meditate on Quotes from Steiner and Other Inspirational Individuals

Enjoy Pinecone Weaving

Share Circle Time Together

Photo by Eileen Straiton and Sara Wilson

Make Michael Sword Napkin Holders

Sculpt Michaelmas Worry Beads

Craft and Autumn Equinox Wreath

And Much, Much, More!

Whenever I enter into a Little Acorn Learning Guide I always feel so warm and nurtured. It's such a happy place for me and I know it will be for you too.  To get your guide to prepare the most wonderful Michaelmas Feast Day go here.

 

 

Another Time Round the Sun

 

PsssssssssT ......Hey You,.......

Yeah You,.....

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl !!!!!!

Fun Friday Happenings ~

 

I'm so excited today !!!! Because the Olympics start tonight. I love both the opening and closing ceremonies and the solidarity that comes together between people and countries. The other thing I love  Olympics is some of the obscure sports one gets introduced to and then becomes an expert of. I don't know about you, but all I have to do is watch an obscure sport for about 15 minutes and I become expert enough to coach from the couch. So here's to the Opening of Britian's Summer Olympics.

NEXT:

I'm going to make you laugh so hard that you'll write me a thank -you note. What could be funnier than Jimmy Fallon acting as Jim Morrison and singing The Doors interpretation of the Reading Rainbow theme song? Nothing I tell you, Nothing.

 

Friend Jamie Ridler is offering this lovely freee- book called "Dreams Really Do Come True and Yours Can Too."

She really wants us to know that somewhere, maybe even just next door, someone's dream really is coming true. Your dreams can come true too. Jamie has put together this lovely collection of life-long dream makers:

 

It is possible for dreamers Kate Swoboda, Danette Relic, Tara Swiger,Amy Palko, Sunny Schlenger, David Cohen, Julie Daley, Leonie Dawson,Chris Zydel, Andrea Schroeder, Bridget Pilloud, Lisa deYoung, Tanya Geisler and Danielle LaPorte.

It’s possible for me.

It’s possible for you.

To pick up your free copy you can find out more about it here .

Photo by Kate England

Artist, designer, illustrator, and incredible iPhoneographer Kate England of Marmalade Moon is offering a course called Unfolding the Creative iPhoneography Course. If any of you have seen Kate's work you know it's brilliant and I for one can hardly wait for this course to learn a couple of iphoto secrets. Be sure to get on the list so you know when the course is being offered.

 

That's it's for this week's fun happenings. Have a great weekend !!! 

 

 

 

 

 

The Summer Season Has Begun

Over the weekend it was time to: 

• Fire Up The Grill

• Try and get a spot on one of the spinning chairs.

• Play some music. E brought home is ukelele from University. They wanted to sing John Mayer songs and all I could think of were Hawaiian ballads or better yet , my Tiny Tim impersonation. Can you believe none of the kids knows who Tiny Tim is or that he tip-toed through the tulips?
• Along with that music, it was time to plug in the electric motored boat. So one day soon we will putt putt around our little lake.

• After all of this activity, it was finally time to eat a feast.

And we saved the best for last, 

• Put our feet up. 

And with that dear friends, the summer season has officially begun. Hope you had a great weekend.

Out Into The World: A Milestone

" Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."  Nelson Mandela

Oh happy day to you our graduate. A gathering of family and friends celebrated the end of her five year journey and a first step into the next. With honors she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Sciences from the University of Tennessee.

It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. Fortunately for us and our girl, that has been a true statement. We give our thanks to all of the professors, and deans who have so graciously taught and inspired Zaina to this successful day.

My husband and I sat there at the graduation ceremony sort of in disbelief that so many years have gone by so quickly. We remember the day she was born like it was five seconds ago and now we are looking at a college graduate.

University isn't something we take for granted in our house or family. Our generation was the first generation to graduate from university in both my and my husband's families. We watched as both sets of parents slaved and worked themselves into exhaustion just so that everyone of their children could have the opportunity to go to college and better themselves. Both sets of our parents knew that education was the only way to move forward in life and create security for ones family and future generations. When I graduated college my father asked what I was going to do to make the world a better place? How was I going to give back?Since I held a degree, I was responsible for many things larger than myself. 

Zaina's graduation, the second generation to hold a college diploma, is a great testament to our parents, and her grandparents, who worked tirelessly to make that dream come true. We couldn't help but think and talk of them often throughout all of the festivities. I wish they could have seen this day. They would have been beyond proud of our girl. And so now we ask her, this eldest child of ours, what are you going to do to make the world a better place? What are you going to do to change the plight of one person? You hold a great responsibility in your hands and a lifetime to work towards it. 

Congratulations Zuzu. We Love You.

More Celebrating than a Kettle of Fish and A Special Something For YOU!

It is an exciting day at Over Here ! Sound the party horns! Whip some confetti around the room or do a Happy Dance around the Old Oak Tree! Dish up the Birthday Cake! It's PARTY TIME :)

Why all the fuss? JIAB (Jump into a Book) and  Audrey Press have two reasons to celebrate on this day of May 7th. First, it's lucky number 7 for Jump Into a book! As of today May 7th, JIAB has been around SEVEN YEARS. I guess you could say it's our beloved blog's Golden Birthday. Can you believe it's been 7 years?? Can you say BLESSED?

OK...now our "Let's Party Hardy" reason #2 is..........(drum roll please)

Our sweet little fox  book The Fox Diaries:The Year The Foxes Came To Our Garden is ONE.YEAR.OLD today!!! It's actually kind of magical how these two special days landed on the same day. It certainly wasn't planned that way! Oh, and what an exciting year it has been for our Foxes:

• We've toured all over the country. Visiting blogs, libraries, schools, nature centers, and wildlife reserves
• Sponsored the Pella Wildlife Company.
• Have gone digital (you can find the Fox Diaries Digital Read-Aloud version HERE)

AND...the cherry on this birthday sundae would be there's a whole NEW batch of foxes in the Budayr backyard!

Yes, it's true. The second generation of foxes have arrived via original kit Hulda. Hulda herself is now all grown up and a mama.. A mama to TEN kits. Yes...I said 10. SO, needless to say, we have a lot to celebrate. And in honor of these monumental occasion we would love to offer our readers a very special Birthday Price for our The Fox Diaries Book. In honor of Hulda's 10 new babies, we are offering The Fox Diaries for TEN BUCKS this week only.

Are you IN? AWESOME. Click this LINK to purchase your copy of the Fox Diaries at the birthday deal price, or head over to Jump Into a Book or Audrey Press on Facebook and click the birthday cake icon to get your copy for $10. Oh, and would you do us a favor? Please "Like" is while you are there (please-and-thank-you).

FINAL THOUGHT: Though it was completely unintentional, having the same birthday for both JIAB and The Fox Diaries, it is a full circle moment. From jumping into hundreds of books to holding one of my own, this is a day to truly be celebrated. Thank you all of walking this journey with me and for being the wonderful reading companions you are.- Valarie

Happy Spring Renewal

A Scandinavian tradition,Spring is brought in by making a flower and feather tree on a pussy-willow branch. After all that work it's time to eat the traditional meatballs, mashed potatoes, ligonberry jam or linkin berry jam as Mia calls it, knacke bread and of course a spring salad.

A very special thank you to Sanna for hosting the Scandinavian Pask, and for making those incredible cinnamon and cardamom buns.

Happy Spring !!!

Shared Moments

I love catching little glimmars of when they come together. 

Brother and Sister meet after 3 weeks of being apart.

After flying all night, Zaina arrived in Paris during the early morning hours. The stillness of this moment and the three of them together brought a happy beat to this momma's heart.

A couple of days later, cousin Lauryn came in from Lille France to just see her cousins and spend a couple of hours with us before she had to head home again.

Just to be together, is the most precious of gifts. What shared moments have you captured today?