After an extended trip visiting my in-laws overseas for the last couple of weeks, my family and I gratefully stumbled into our home this past weekend, ready to get back to our normal routine. Traveling is fun, but there's just something about slipping between the sheets of your own bed once you return, you know?Of course, we've returned to our home by running headlong into the start of the holiday season, and I have to admit, I've been sort of caught unawares. And now that my daughter Alex is 4-1/2, and has a strong understanding of the Christmas season, I find myself really focused on creating tradition this year. We've already put up our tree and taken our annual Family Portrait in a Christmas Ball (shown above), but this year, more than ever, I dream of filling the house with the smells of Christmas baking, making handmade ornaments and creating memories which will last Alex's lifetime ...

Recap: as part of the Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, Healthy Wallet series,  I'm talking about recycling and thrifty ways to feed our art/craft habits.  This weekend, let's examine Thrift Stores and Salvage Shops as our art/craft supply stores. Thrift Stores: Wool Sweaters:

Have you heard of The Slow Movement: a cultural shift toward slowing down life's pace and maintaining local and regional distinctions?  This idea started being discussed in fiber art as Slow Cloth and is expanding into a discussion of Slow Craft that has captivated me all week. Slow Craft might best be described as a return to the philosophy embraced by the practitioners of the original Arts and Craft movement over 100 years ago: simplicity, craftsmanship, respect for environment.