While my blogging life as been on a rather extended break, please follow me over on Instagram @junedaleyart for previews of my latest work!

My daughter Nora demos how to make a State Study book (a great summer project!) over at the Stencil Girl blog.

So forever ago, I came up with the lunch survey. It was my way to find out what actually goes on with my sweet little munchkins while they were away at school for 7+ hours per day. As everybody knows the lunch period is a pretty good indicator of what’s happening (socially in particular) on any given school day. Plus it’s fun for the kids to find “notes” in their lunch bag. I know at one point my firstborn was printing out ten copies a day to distribute to her cafeteria table who also insisted on submitting survey results to their parents. I realized then I was on to something. The survey has appeared in several magazines including Family Fun. I get emails about it constantly which I totally appreciate. I love knowing that others are finding it as fun and informative as my kids and I did and still do. So here it is again. I’m offering the printout for private use only.

To print the survey, please click here.

This year more than ever it seems the turkey a.k.a. Thanksgiving is getting completely overlooked at least from a retail standpoint. What’s with Black Friday starting at midnight on Thanksgiving or even earlier? I have nothing against shopping that’s for sure, but I do prefer one holiday at a time. I mean just look at the poor guy up above in a ridiculous turkey Santa suit! Although I seriously think he may prefer a disguise rather than a table.

I still get many, many requests for my Thanksgiving Day coloring placemats (for kids and grownups) that appeared last year in Family Fun magazine.*Thank you for your enthusiasiam!* I’m posting them again. Click here to print out the first version and here to print out the second. (intended for private use only please.)

We love to use these around here as conversation starters and time fillers while the meal is being prepared. We have so much to be thankful for.

May you enjoy a happy Thanksgiving with family and friends!

My first grader regularly composes an assortment of Mom love notes. She’ll come home from school with a folder filled like she can’t get all the love down fast enough. I know I’m eventually going to miss finding heart after heart in her backpack proclaiming her undying affection, but right now her notes are a total delight. The one below made me laugh out loud…

…completely random on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. But hey, who says you can’t party mid-week? All you really need is a disco ball (that would be the black ball in center of composition.) Even a 6-year old knows you need a disco ball.

Hope you’re having a week worth celebrating!

This summer we visited some very Big Bugs at a local park. These amazing sculptures by artist David Rogers WoWed my family.  David creates the sculptures by using various combinations of whole trees found standing or fallen dead, cut green saplings selectively harvested from the willow family, dry branches, and other forest materials.

Here’s my three providing persepctive. Big bugs indeed.

Each bug in the exhibit was thoughtfully installed were the actual bugs might be found. This dragonfly had hundreds of the real live versions buzzing around him.

Here’s my favorite, the bee with flower. Completely gorgeous.

Daddy Long Leg spiders really can be beautiful. Seriously.

I’d love to plunk this dazzling butterfly right down in my own garden…even if it is almost 5 feet across.

This amazing traveling exhibit is a must-see if you have the opportunity. It was a highlight of our summer… despite being forced to do the bug hokey pokey at the coordinating park bug show. No photos available.

So summer got me. It lured me away from any sort of a routine. I am totally blaming summer for my blogging absence. And I refuse to feel guilty. I just love summer too much. Don’t think for a second there weren’t mind posts…the ones written, photographed and uploaded in my head, but never quite making it anywhere else. They happened. Again, summer’s fault.

I’m thinking most of you are already back-to-school, but it’s never too late for a back-to-school cake tradition like we do here. If you’ve followed along you know what I’m talking about. If you’re new, let me tell you every back-to-school year begins with a themed cake. I have at least one kid in particular who needs convincing about how back-to-school should be celebrated rather than mourned. Cake helps. In past years, I’ve done a pencil, apple, school bus and notebook. This year, visions of…

…backpacks filled my head. The rectanglarish shape was appealing since time was limited. A quick consultation with my L.L. Bean catalog (because the real backpacks were already at school) served as a reference.

Here are my basic notes for turning a 9″  x 12″ sheet cake into a backpack with the aid of one fruit roll-up for the handle. If you wanted arm straps to show, use an entire box of fruit roll-ups. My straps happen to be hidden since we were down to one lonely green roll-up.

Happy back-to-school and labor day weekend. I promise I’ll be around more with alarm clocks ringing at least five days a week.

A couple of weeks ago over a family dinner outside on the deck, we pathed our summer. This summer I wanted to put together a list of sorts that would include all the things we wanted to do together as a family. To get started, I printed this cute printable: 50 Days of Summer Fun courtesy of Crafting Chicks. Next, I adhered the list to a piece of cardboard and added some embellishments (more fun!) to go with the theme.  To determine what made the list, all family members were given a stack of slips to pen what they wanted on the list. We folded each slip and deposited in a group bucket. The rules: 1) Each activity had to be within a 60 mile radius of our home; 2) Each activity had to be something that everyone could partake in i.e. no bungee jumping; and 3) No activity could be outrageously expensive. During dessert, Dad opened each slip and read the proposed activity out loud. Then we took a vote as to determine if that activity would make one of the 50 slots. Since we’re a family of five, majority ruled with 3 or more votes. We filled our board quickly with a most fun summer.

With my previously sick kids on the mend, we dove into our list this past weekend. #19 was a trip downtown to a really cool outdoor market. One child who shall remain nameless was less than excited about this excursion. However, 15 minutes after we arrived was singing a different tune telling us how much fun he was having. Hmmmm…an added bonus to 50 Days: Trying new things and discovering where fun can be had…that’s in addition to the obvious: Strengthening family bonds.

Getting back to the business of summer, we have quite a bit to experience yet. Future fun includes room makeovers, family game night, pottery painting, bike rides, rollerskating, hikes, a read-in day and museums to name a few. The list has generated big time excitement around here. After all, ‘to do’ lists shouldn’t be all about the work right?!

As much as I can hardly believe it, the youngest has turned six. We’ve wrapped up birthday season with her celebrations. Celebrations that included an art-themed party here at the house and a cake to match.

Then there were the couple dozen or so cookies that went to kindergarten so she could properly celebrate in school as well. We came up with the *brilliant* idea for cupcake cookies since actual cupcakes were banned from the classroom this year. We thought our favorite third time/three Daley kid kindergarten teacher would be amused.  

As for things here, I’m juggling all sorts of new projects which have my normal routine slightly out of whack. Hopefully it will all make sense and feel like second nature soon which should result in more frequent updates. Is it really April already?!