Friday, August 16

Classes for the fall!

So here it is, my new poster for Nutmeg's fall series of Adult craft classes. There are several options, all of them great fun, especially with the wine that'll be on hand. Sign up soon on the Nutmeg website (click here), the first one is only a few weeks away! p.s. Doesn't the poster look great? It was made by the lovely Sarah Helen Parker of SHP Creative. She's awesome. Enough of that now, sign up! Hurry! Quick!

xo
Nutmeg



Tuesday, July 9

Kids in the Kitchen


Last week was the first kitchen adventures workshop (aka Home Economics Workshop) and I couldn't have been happier with how it went. It was all ladies in the kitchen all week long, and we had so much fun. These kids were ready and willing to try anything. They planned our entire incredibly healthy and delicious meal on the lunch themed day, and were beyond excited to sit down at the Indian feast on our dinner day. I was once again inspired by the infectious love of food and cooking that these kids brought  with them every morning. It's easy to forget what a powerful nurturing and connecting force food is in people's lives. Enjoy some of the pics from our week together. Then, go sit down with some folks you love and share some delicious food! It's good for the soul.

xo

Nutmeg

Prepping chicken for lunch

Fresh garden salsa
Barely any left! Summer heirloom pasta. 


Green beans, fresh from the farm. 

Delicious! 

Supremely delicious lunch, planned by these ladies here! 

Sunday, July 7

Nice Curves


I am such a car nerd. Show me a nicely formed and shined hunk of metal, gleaming atop four (or sometimes 2) wheels, and I'll most likely drool. I'm not sure exactly where my love of all things on wheels comes from, possibly Steve McQueen in The Great Escape. Visiting the Frist Center last night, I had visions of Al Capone, leaning out the window of some slick art deco ride with a sawed off shotgun, wreaking havoc. I took a few pictures, which was also exciting. It was the first time I'd seen pictures allowed at the Frist, so I went a little crazy. This exhibit, "Sensuous Steel: Art Deco Automobiles" is on display until September 15, so: ready, steady, go! 

xo
Nutmeg









Thursday, June 27

Mountain Home, Pt. 2


Well, we are homeward bound tomorrow. While I'm looking forward to being back home, in my own bed and with more than just three shirt options, I'm always more than a little sad when it's time to leave. The drive here was towards rest, trees, rivers, lakes, late nights playing cards with my kids. The drive home is towards obligations, stress and all the other things that infringe upon the sanity of everyday life. I always leave inspired to find a way to fit more of the peace and clarity I find up in the mountains to the life that awaits me back at home. Every time, I'm a little more successful. I've said it before, but only because it's true. This place is magic. Something flows in the mountain rivers that revives. Something permeates the air around the dense forest that heals, soothes. There is definitely something to be said for heading off to the sun and the seashore in the summertime, but for me it's green and misty mountains all the way.

xo
Nutmeg














Saturday, June 22

Our Mountain Home


I can't even begin to tell you how much our annual trip to North Carolina was exactly what I needed right now. This past week has been the first time in over three years that I've really been able to stop and rest for a minute. No projects have been hanging over my head, no homework is needing to be done after I put the kids in bed. Nothing has been on the schedule but to spend time with my favorite two people in the world. I'll be honest, the first few days we were here I found anxiety and stress trying to creep in and ruin my trip, but I refused to allow it. Inhaling the mountain air is just good for the soul. There is too much beauty to be seen to spend any time being negative. A day spent at Lake James soaking in the sun extinguished all my cares and worries, and we drove home tired but happy. So many new story ideas floated 'round in my head as I watched the sun set behind the mountains. This place is magic. It nourishes. It energizes. It heals. Happy first day of summer to all of you out there! I hope you enjoy the pictures!

xo

Nutmeg












Monday, June 10

Prithee, kind sirs and madams!




I'm a little late in posting these pictures, but is it ever really too late to enjoy some pictures from a Renaissance Fest? I think not. I took my kids out to the annual celebration of everything 1555 on Mother's Day. It was the first time visiting for all of us, and we almost immediately decided that we had a new Mother's Day tradition. Next time, I will not be getting on the man-powered swings though. My turkey leg almost came right back up. Enjoy the pics and enjoy the amazing weather we've been having! I love a good, green start to the summer. 

xo
Nutmeg

Minstrel Serenades

Birds of Prey!
Mid-joust stretch

Little lord is all tuckered out

Just like The Hand's Tourney, right?

Friday, May 17

Big Nutmeg Announcement!!



 I wanted to write a quick note to say thanks to everyone who's kept up with my blog over the years. The blog will be trimming down a bit due to the fact that I've launched a website that is specifically for all the Nutmeg workshops that are being planned. That info won't be listed here any longer and can be found at Nutmeg's Website (click here). Hooray!! I'm so excited about all these new workshops, and can't wait to get started on them in June. My blog will still be here, but will be all travel, design, craft and cooking rather than a place to promote the Nutmeg workshops. Summer is one of my favorite times to blog, as there are so many amazing things to go do with the kids. So, new posts coming soon!

xo

Nutmeg




















Monday, May 13

Summer Workshop Brochure!

Phew! I've been working on this for a few days now. I just wanted to share the fliers with everyone. There are a few new class offerings, including a few sewing sessions. I can't wait for all this to get started! PDF's of the fliers are below (which is why they are laid out oddly) but you also might spot them around town in little piles. Be sure to spread the word! It's gonna be a lot of fun this summer. 

xo 
Nutmeg



Wednesday, May 1

Nutmeg Summer Camps: Creative Writing and Home Ec.



 Creative Writing Workshops

             Session 1: June 3-7
                 Session 2: June 10-14
                                    **Ages 10-12 time slot is 1-4 pm
                                    **Ages 7-9 time slot is 9-12 am
                                    **Ages 13-16 (possibly add a week in July if there is enough interest

        Time spent being creative is sorely lacking for kids these days in school. During my 5-day workshops, kids will spend time doing just this. By stretching their brains through fun free-writing exercises and learning some storytelling techniques they will work towards constructing a completed story. All genres are open for exploration, as kids are free to create a fairy tale or a superhero story, or maybe mystery is more up their alley. Fans of comic books are always welcome too, as this is a wonderful medium to utilize in sharing stories. Creative writing skills are incredibly beneficial as kids approach high school and college, but unfortunately they just aren’t given enough time to nurture this at school. These workshops will hopefully plant seeds of creativity within these children’s minds that they can carry with them throughout the other parts of their lives.
           
               Day 1: Introductions
                                    Free-Writing Exercises
                                    Where do Stories Come From?
                                    What Kind of Story Do You Want to Tell?
                                   
                  Day 2: Free-Writing Exercise
                                    Plot (Beginning, Middle, End)
                                    Mapping Out A Story
                 
                  Day 3: Free-Writing Exercise
                                    Character Exercise
                                    Finished First Draft            

                  Day 4: Free-Writing Exercise
                                    Getting Help From Friends (Small Workshop Experience)
                                    Revising Your Work (Getting it Ready for the Press!)

Day 5: Free Writing Exercise
                                    Sharing Your Finished Work (reading works out loud)
                                    Celebration!

$150 per student
*Price includes drinks and snacks for each day of class, plus the printing costs of the story that they complete during the workshop, which will be presented to them on the last day in book form. We won’t take official meal breaks during the sessions, so I will make sure to provide plenty of healthy snacks to keep them going until their sessions are over. 


Home Economics Workshop


   Session 1: July 1-5        
            **ages 7-12
                **9:30am-1:30pm

    Session 2: July 15-19
                **ages 9-15
                **9:30am-1:30pm

           There are endless amounts of skills to be learned through time spent in the kitchen. Basic chemistry principles can be explained while constructing a delicious cake. Math basics, such as fractions, can be experienced hands on while measuring ingredients for a yummy meal. Also, just knowing how to properly handle ingredients and utensils in the kitchen gives children confidence as they grow in independence. During this 5-day workshop, we will have lots of fun learning, cooking and eating some delicious and healthy recipes. Any recipes we work on during the week will get sent home on Friday in a binder, along with cooking tips, so they can continue their food fun after the workshop is over. Plus what parent wouldn’t love a kid being able to help them out in the kitchen.
           
               Day 1: Introductions
                                    Kitchen Safety Basics
                                    The Parts of a Recipe
                                    “In Season” Pasta
                                   
                  Day 2: Breakfast:
                                    Fun with Eggs
                                    Fraction Muffins
                                   
                  Day 3: Lunch:
                                    Getting healthy energy mid-day
                                    Sandwich vs. Salad, Fries vs. Fruit
                                   
Day 4: Dinner:
Fourth of July Cooking!
                                    How does heat affect our food? (Oven vs. Grill)

                  Day 5: Dessert:
                                    The Chemistry of the Cake
                                    Last Day Party!
                                   
$200 a child (second child discount available)
**Price includes all ingredients and supplies for our cooking projects each day which we will eat for our lunch break, as well as a printed reference companion of the recipes and skills we worked on each day. I work with fresh, local and organic ingredients whenever I cook.





            

Thursday, March 14

I ♥ China vol.1



CUC Anima out of Beijing made this amazing stop motion animation film that's streaming on China's version of YouTube, called YouKu. Check it out. It's great!

Wednesday, March 13

I ♥ Japan vol.1



This is probably my favorite appliance in my kitchen. A Zojirushi Rice Cooker. I did loads of research last fall before finally settling on this model. I make a lot of rice, so it is an excellent hard worker. I think my favorite feature, though, is the timer. Thanks to that and the porridge setting, I can set an alarm for 7:00am and have piping hot oatmeal as soon as I wake up! If you've ever thought of getting one, this definitely is worth every penny. 

In my attempts to cut back on my beloved coffee, I've been drinking loads more herbal tea lately. I'm not about to say that it's the same, I still miss having a nice cup of coffee. But finally getting a decent nights sleep is more than enough proof to keep away from the stuff. I found this pitcher at Whole Foods, and love making my tea in it. I'm sure there are loads of ones available from America, but I really like the narrow footprint this Japanese model takes up in my fridge. If you like it click here!



Based on the uber-popular manga and anime series from the late 1990's, Rurouni Kenshin is one of the best Japanese imports I've seen in awhile. Rurouni is a term invented by manga author Watsuki Nobuhiro, meaning wanderer or vagabond. The film's hero is the shy Rurouni, who wields a reverse bladed sword only for defense. This is definitely worth checking out if you can manage to get your hands on a copy. Loads of amazing fight choreography and an awesomely skeezy opium crime boss make this fully entertaining. Check out the preview here!


I am so glad that someone shared this Shugo Tokumaru video with me. An artist and musician on Polyvinyl Records, Shugo Tokumaru has inspired me to be creative again. His stop motion videos are stunning and cheerful, and I can't help but watch them over and over again. 



So, that's all for my current Japanese obsessions. Hope you enjoyed! If not, well...ok.

xo
Nutmeg

Thursday, February 28

Home - Where My Heart Is


I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to post! I thought I'd share a few pictures of some projects I've been working on around the house lately. Re-arranging = deep cleaning time! Happy Friday everyone!

xo Nutmeg