Who can help but love the amazingly tall sunflowers that stand sentinel over the last days and weeks of summer.

Blazes of yellows, oranges, russets and browns.  


Bringing us into Fall.


And inspiring a sunflower sensory bin.  




My friend Val Galvin makes the most amazing rugs.  

I figured that one of her braided rugs needed to be in my kindergarten classroom.  And I told her that each time I saw one that caught my kindergarten eye.


She didn't give me a rug.  She did one better.  She taught me how to make a braided rug.  




I wanted a nice soft, comfy rug for sitting on in  a quiet, mellow time corner in my kindergarten classroom.


Recycled blankets would make a soft inviting rug.




There's a special fancy bit to do right at the beginning.  I happily let an expert take over. 


First job was to rip up the blankets and roll them ready to use. 


And then braid. And braid. And braid. 


And change colours. And watch it grow. 


Until it was ready to be laced.  

I used a flat, slightly curved, round topped  needle that Val has made locally
 (by the father of one of my past students - the joys of small town living!), and special linen lacing thread.


It was almost exciting to see the rug showing its personality.
Val would say it is very exciting to see the rug find its personality. 

And a fine personality it has.  
It's warm, inviting, gentle, and random with a wee bit of structure.

A perfect place to take some time away from the business of a kindergarten classroom.
A perfect place to curl up with a book.
A perfect place to think and to be.


Imagine this rug, a cosy corner, a couple of pillows, soft light from a small lamp
and a couple of kids curled up, making plans for the day. 

Can't wait to see it. 


If you can't make it to Vancouver Island for one of Val's courses, and until Val gets tutorials on her Facebook page, Renditions in Rags Hooked and Braided Rugs (and she says she is going to),  Sunshine's Creations has a braided rug tutorial. 




            

For anyone who has ever tried to build, bake, sculpt, paint, to create ... something  ...  and the reality did not work as well as the plan ...

For anyone who has become angry when a project does not go as planned ...

For anyone who has wanted to give up when a project does not work ...

For anyone who has needed a fresh perspective on a project .... 

For anyone who has plans to create a magnificent thing ...

The Most Magnificent Thing
written and illustrated by Ashley Spires
published by Kids Can Press (2014)
picture book
ages 4 - 8
A list of 10 picture books.

They said it would be hard.


I didn't believe them.


It was hard.


So, after many half done lists, many beginnings of draft posts  ...


10 quirky picture books for children


quirk·y

something that is strange/not normal but cool  
(http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=quirky)


[kwur-kee]  Show Iadjective, quirk·i·er, quirk·i·est.
having or full of quirks.
quirk  (kwɜːk) 
— n
1.an individual peculiarity of character; mannerism or foible
2.an unexpected twist or turn: a quirk of fate
( http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quirky)





My daughter has loved elephants since she was wee and called them "phants".

Now she is not-so-wee and spent a few glorious days at an elephant conservation centre while backpacking in SE Asia this Spring.




This post is for my elephant loving, vintage bike riding, Thai food cooking,  wonderful daughter.  Happy Birthday Anna.  


Oliver Jeffers, with the help of the Hueys, is answering the question, "is none a number?"




None the Number: A Hueys Book
author/illustrator: Oliver Jeffers
published by Harper Collins Children's Books (2014)
 thought provoking for children age 4 - 7 
picture book
numbers, counting, math

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