This is a bracelet I was given on the Mother's Retreat. It was randomly placed in my folder, but those of you who know me know that I don't believe much in coincidence. There is a reason for everything. At the time, I wondered, "Why mercy? Why couldn't I get grace, or courage, or love, or one of the other bracelets instead?" And I put it on my wrist and have been wearing it almost constantly since then. Whenever I look down at my hands or roll up my sleeves to wash dishes, I see it and am reminded again... of mercy. And again, I wonder what the message is there for me.

I think I am beginning to figure it out for myself, but I wonder - what are your experiences with mercy? Why do you think I was given this bracelet?

Sophie's birthday party was fairy themed this year! All the fairy friends took home a magic wand (and heck yes, I made lots of extras. I was a wand-making fool). As requested, here are some wand pictures (birthday girl with Mama to the left, Angela to the right with a bouquet) to share.

Here's how to make magic flower wands yourself:

• Get a bunch of dowels (wider is better!) and cut them to about 16" long. Sand them well.
• Paint the wands with watercolor. Try to make them all different!
• If you want to add glitter or gold paint, now would be a good time after your watercolor paint dries.
• You'll need LOTS of flowers, the bigger the better. Cut them close to the flower head and hot glue them to the top of the dowel. Hold them on tight while the glue sets and don't burn yourself!
• Cut a big leaf from your flowers and write the name of the lucky recipient on it with a paint pen.
• Punch a hole in the leaf and tie it close to the top of the wand, right under the flower, with ribbon. Use contrasting ribbon, different widths or lengths - make it bright and interesting! I even made one with a sunflower tied with brown ribbon with white polka-dots. The more colorful, the better.
• You could also add tendrils of ivy, a pipe-cleaner bumblebee, or a butterfly to your wand for even more waveability.
• Then go out and make some magic!

More fairy party ideas:
♥ Pair this with making clothespin fairies, as we did. The kids really enjoyed this craft!

It's time again for the annual Mothers' Retreat, where my mom and I will actually be roommates! This year's poster is proudly displayed by the Wonder Twins. And its message is one I really need to hear right now as we deal with some seemingly impossible situations. I am looking forward to having some quiet time with no distractions to just breathe, and BE.

Be strong, everybody.

I know I have been posting more on the sporadic side - I look at all the paintings I was doing this time last year and want to sigh - but here is a quick list of things going on in just about the past month or so, and maybe you'll forgive a slowness to post:

• family member in and out of hospitals since before Christmas
• dear friend and boss of 15 years passed away and I still miss him every day
• my sister's getting married: I made her wedding invitations
• and secondary invitations for the reception for people at work
• and invitations for her bridal shower
• which I also hosted at my house
• wedding at end of this month and I am in the wedding party
• Sophie's 6th birthday was this past Thursday
• Sophie's incredibly awesome fairy-themed birthday party this past weekend
• and I made hand-painted magic wands for each party-goer to take home after
• Peter and Angela's 5th birthday is today
• their safari party is next Saturday
• did I mention I have a day job
• and have been helping with my husband's paperwork to try to lighten his load
• this weekend is the super-fantastic mother's retreat
• and of course I am hand-lettering the poster for it
• ...there's more, but don't you think that's enough for now?

While a few of the things on this list are stressful, the majority of them are joyous, and for that I am truly thankful. But they all take time! Whenever I think, "Ooh, I should post that!", by the time I get the pictures in the computer, or sit down to write, I think it's all old news, and then I don't bother. So I'll throw it out to you: what do you want to hear about? Do you want to see the magic wands? Do you want to hear about the Mother's Retreat? Or none of the above, go paint something already?