Friday, October 2, 2009

Autumn Projects & Trips!


We love Autumn!

Creating an Outdoor Seasonal Spot (Daddy wove the Cornucopia and dyed it in indigo, Joey needlefelted the acorn child finger puppet)
Visiting the Sacramento Zoo

Taking a Nature Walk After the Rain

Knight and a Lady Song/Performance! (with cousin Sydney as the Lady)

Minerals and Rocks

Watercoloring Autumn Colors

Visiting the Bohart Entomology Museum at UC Davis (and eating lunch in the residence hall dining commons w/college students!)
Oatmeal Raisin Spice Vegan Cookies (see comments below for a link to the recipe)
Window Stars
Harvest Song Writing and Kalimba Playing
Sun & rain (BDC)
Flowers wane (BDC)
Now it's time to (BDCE)
Harvest grain! (DFG)

Re-decorating our Indoor Seasonal Spot for Autumn (aka Nature Table, Seasonal Table)
Calligraphy & Drawing with Pokeberry Ink (the pokeberries are finally ripe this week! --thanks to Lisa of 5 Orange Potatoes for the inspiration)

Spinning Yarn & Dyeing Silk (birthday present for our wonderful neighbor-- yellow-orange silk dyed with a mushroom found under our tomato plants!)
Planting our Winter Veggie Gardens

16 comments:

Mama Rose said...

You all have been wonderfully busy! I bet Wilson loved the museum trip at UC Davis. By the way, I would love to try out the recipe for the cookies :D

Tan Family said...

Hello MamaRose! The cookies were very fall-like and full of spices. Not too sweet, and interesting! It's from one of my favorite vegan books, How It All Vegan. Here is a link to the recipe: http://www.recipezaar.com/Spicy-Oatmeal-Raisin-Cookies-26576

Marina said...

A Knight and Lady Song Performance?! What fun you have!

I so love the art you and your children do and I am absolutely beside myself thinking that you can actually dye those gorgeous colors with mushrooms in your garden!

(I actually thought of you this week when the kids and I went to the Rudolf Steiner College yesterday... what a sweet, lovely place... do you visit there often?)

Tan Family said...

Marina, thank you for the nice words! We only dyed the silk with the mushroom...came out a beautiful yellow-orange, just like the shroom! It was huge and directly under the tomato plant when we went to pull it out. Joey dissected it and then asked if we could dye with it. --Yes, we love Steiner College! It is jut one street away from us. We have lunch there every now and then, and we visit the bookstore almost weekly. Let me know next time you are there and have time and we can meet in person. :)

Inoureyes said...

I love the window star. I bought a whole heap of the transparency paper to use for this but i have no idea how to fold them to make such wonderful things as you have. Can you point me in the right direction?

Tan Family said...

Inoureyes, great question about window stars. This one, we made up using origami techniques, measuring, and geometry. Still need to glue it! We've made others following patterns in the book Stars & Flowers by Gueret. It's available at Steiner College bookstore (you can order books online from them now!). www.steinercollege.edu.

Unknown said...

What wonderful parents you are!

Nicola said...

oh, wonderful images and fun adventures! lovely ways to welcome autumn. i do love this season!
nicola
http://whichname.blogspot.com

* * said...

I enjoyed seeing the beauty in your days! Your rock and mineral collection is lovely, we enjoy collecting rocks and minerals too!
I am very interested in dyeing with mushrooms, I would love to hear more about your process!

Grandma said...

I love the fall activities and reading about them makes me excited that autumn is here!

Anonymous said...

love the autumn art and the dying...such beauty!
i also love the spice cookies...made those a week ago, seemed so appropriate for our new season.

peace,
hillary
http://healinghillary.typepad.com

yankin2002 said...

beautiful autumn!

Beth said...

I think I would have loved school at your house! love, Beth

Stephanie said...

Holy Moley!
Just look at all this awesomeness going on over here!!
We don't have poke berries, but we're gonna try our hand at making inks with creeper and honesuckle berries. Hopefully today!

So many beautiful fall activities and projects... can't wait to dig in. :)

leaningapplemama said...

wow you and your family are so inspiring! i love all the great fall things you have been up to! i love the cornicopia...that is so awsome...i may have to try something like that:) happy fall days to you and your family!
*pennie*

Lisa said...

Have you tried dyeing with the pokeberries? Oh, you must, if you haven't yet.

Very neat that you dyed with a mushroom. We have a lot of funky yellow/orange mushrooms growing all over the place right now. We will have to try it.

Beautiful post once again of the beautiful things you and your creative family do!

lisa