creative jewish mom

Today Is Holocaust Remembrance Day

The Holocaust Memorial in the center of Berlin, designed by architect Peter Eisenman, photo source here.

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. A day dedicated to remembering the horrific tragedy that befell the Jewish people, over a twelve year period, starting 78 years ago. A day dedicated to remembering the 6 million Jewish people who were tortured and slaughtered at the hands of evil human beings. A day in which we ponder in disbelief that such a thing occurred in the "modern world", and that it was allowed to continue in the first place. The only word that I can think of at the moment is horrific, but that certainly does not begin to describe the extreme unfathomable injustice that is called The Holocaust. It is important to note as well, that in addition to the 6 million Jews who were the target of this genocide plan, an additional 6 millions non-Jews were shamelessly slaughtered due to their beliefs, race or physical ailments.

Here in Israel, one simply can't ignore the significance of this day, as throughout the country a loud two minute siren goes off at 10am, a siren which beckons all to spend a few minutes of silence and remembrance during its duration. Freeway traffic generally stops altogether as cars pull over to the side to honor this moment in time. It is truly moving to be out and about when the siren goes off and to witness how exactly we as a People continue to honor this day, each in our own way. That is one of the beautiful things about life in Israel.

Window Sill Gardening: Geraniums And Succulents

Spring is here and it's time to fill those pots with flowers, don't you think? Of course maintaining a container garden isn't for everyone, so I thought I'd make a little suggestion for those of you who don't have time to pamper your plants— go with geraniums and succulents, and you'll never be a slave to your little pots. The succulents can get by on very little water, say once every two weeks, and the geraniums, well depending on how hot your area is, they may do just fine with water once a week. 

I do have to admit, I wasn't always a fan of geraniums as they seemed so common place to me, but now as a busy mom who still would love some flowers in her life, they are the perfect solution! Plus they happen to look great from afar and will trail, depending on the variety you choose. And they are easily propogated from cuttings with or without growth hormone. Do remove the spent blooms and dead leaves while you're pondering your day to give your plants an extra boost and make them look their best.

So there you have it, give geraniums a try and  you'll have lovely flower filled pots with very little effort! And if you need any further convincing, check out these charming geranium filled planter boxes that I photographed in the Dutch fishing village of Volendam, convinced?

Crocheted Ribbed Button Up Cowl For Men and Women

A crocheted ribbed cowl is the perfect little accessory to keep you warm on a cool Spring morning, plus it's great for men and women and is a perfect gift to whip up in just a few hours. I love the fact that you can wear it so many ways, and of course make it in any color and just about any type of yarn. If the idea of a crocheted cowl seems more appropriate for Fall and Winter, so why not get a head start on your holiday gift making? This is the perfect little project for a car trip, or a lazy summer afternoon, so grab your crochet hook and enjoy creating something special!

I just love the fact that because it's a button up cowl you can wear it so many ways, and with a variety of outfits. I love the neutral grey, but this would be great in bright colors or even with a little stripe here and there!

And I should mention that because the stitch is double crochet, you don't have to worry about button holes, as there's enough space between the stitches to slide a medium sized button through the cowl where ever you please!

So, are you sold? I made four of these this past January as gifts for family in New York, and after revisiting this project via this blog post, why I think I'll just have to make some more!

You'll Need:

• chunky yarn, or two strands of sport weight yarn crocheted together which is what I used
• size K hook, or the hook that works with your yarn choice
• three buttons and thread and needle

How To:

The dimensions of my finished cowl are 2ocm x 63cm which is a nice size for an adult. Gauge isn't really important, but do make a little swatch using your yarn and hook and then calculate how many stitches you'll need on the initial chain (plus three for first stitch) to get the proper width.

So here's the pattern, can't get much simpler my friends!

Crocheted Ribbed Button Up Cowl:

ch 24, (or the number of stitches plus three, necessary to achieve a width of 20cm)

Round 1: double crochet in the back loop of the fourth chain from the hook, and continue double crocheting in the back loop of every chain across. Chain three and turn.

Round 2: double crochet in the back loop only across, chain three and turn.

Repeat round 2 until you've reached a length of 63 cm.

Sew on three buttons, or how ever many suits your fancy, and enjoy!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! We have just finished eight glorious days of eating matzo and we're now packing away all the Passover dishes until next year! I'm dropping in for a moment to post the favorites from last week, and then it's back to sealing boxes before even a speck of bread is brought into the house. Not that there's any bread to be had around here just yet, but come tomorrow bread will start to appear in our local stores once again. Mind you, we love matzo so there's no rush to get bread except for the kid's sandwiches for school on Monday. Sigh. And regarding last week's party,, even though it was significantly smaller since it's vacation time around the globe, there were still some amazing projects, thanks to you all!

Love this paper plate magnolia from Aunt Peaches, and this grass head project from Red Ted Art.

You can find the pattern for this adorable lady bug hat on Red Ted Art, or make a super cute pin cushion from ellebelle.

Love this bon voyage card from Sandy's Place and here's a great DIY for a leather bag from between the lines.

Alessia and I are apparently on the same page, as she also made some fish plates, though hers is from air drying clay and tempura paint (I'm pretty sure, my Italian isn't so great!) Love the idea of making a plastic bag flower bunting from haakensmaak.

Between the lines also made these simple bracelets, and love this idea for a DIY wire bracelet fastener from jewelry making journal. And that's all for now, looking forward to some more inspiration from you all!

Late Spring In The Galil, Northern Israel

Spring in the Galil, the region in Northern Israel that we call home is especially gorgeous and full of amazing sights for the whole family! I'm off to prepare for the final days of Passover, but thought I'd take a moment to share just a few photos from our adventures this week, during the Passover holiday vacation, with lots more to come of course!

Is there anything cuter than a Spring calf? This one lives on the pastures next to Kadita, and my kids want one. I didn't want to dampen their excitement by explaining to them that the sweet little calf is only sweet and little for so long!

The hills surrounding the area near Kadita and Ein Zaitim are just gorgeous this time of year!

Wisteria in bloom makes a great canopy over a pergola at Baat Yaar, stunning!

And this pink flowering tree is in bloom all over the Galil, so beautiful! At long last I've identified the tree and hope to plant some in my own garden some day. More on that in another post! That's all for now, off to do some serious cooking, chag sameach and enjoy the last days of Passover!

Cranes Migrating Via Northern Israel —A Stunning Site!

Last week as we were preparing for Passover, we were treated to a number of large flocks of migrating cranes passing by overhead! Of course by the time I grabbed my camera the birds were a bit hard to capture, but take my word for it, it takes your breath away! 

As it turns out, tens of thousands of cranes migrate over Israel to and from Africa from as far away as Siberia and spend a few days in the Hula valley here in the Galil, gathering their strength for their onward journeys. The Hula valley, is in itself an amazing place to visit, and if you're lucky maybe you'll catch some of the birds during their little break. Check out my previous post about the Hula Valley Nature Preserve here and here.

And just to give you an idea of what these cranes look like close up, I've grabbed a few photos from the web from this site, where you can also view many more photos. Learning about birds and their migratory paths is certainly a great way to learn about geography and weather and the birds themselves! Plus the whole idea of migration and the trials and tribulations that the birds face on their journeys is really quite interesting! Enjoy.

Hand Built Ceramic Textured Fish Plates

I happen to love fish shaped plates, and yes, dear readers, I made these ceramic fish plates with my own two hands. The funny thing is that although I dreamed of working with clay for years, I'm really having a hard time connecting to the whole process. Can't explain it really, but part of the problem I think is not knowing for even a few months how your project is actually going to turn out, or how the glazes will look. So while I find these fish interesting, I find myself totally disconnected from them, unlike so many of the other things I've created over the years! 

So, the little question bouncing around my head now is whether to continue with my ceramics adventure or move on to other things, you know like woodworking and quilting? Hmmmmm. Toss that dream aside and move on with other dreams that might be more satisfying ultimately or give it a bit more time? Any thoughts?

The Technique:

These fish plates were made with a slab that was first textured with a cloth doily in one case and a textured rolling pin in the second case. The slab was then gently picked up and placed on top of an existing fish and cut into it's fish shape bases on the plate underneath. This was left to dry partially covered for 1 week and then it was gently removed from the original mold. The pieces were left to dry for several weeks, after which they underwent two firings, an initial firing and then a "bisque" firing before which the clear glaze and the green glazes were applied. The doily imprint stands out because after dipping the fish in glaze I gently wiped the glaze off of most of the fish so that it would remain in the area textured by the doily. That's it!

Dollhouse Furniture From Found Objects

When you're deep into the Spring cleaning, don't forget to keep your eyes open for things that could be ready made dollhouse furniture! Last week as I was going through some of the final drawers for our thorough Passover cleaning, I came across a few little things that were just perfect for some of my daughter's little dolls.

Now that little white table is actually the thing they stick in the pizza delivery box to keep the box top from touching the pizza, and it is just the perfect little side table! The foam couch is actually two little pieces of foam that happened to be in a box that held a watch. There you have it! Get the kids to open their eyes too and you can have a great time furnishing a whole dollhouse with creativity! 

Don't have a dollhouse? Not to worry, large cardboard boxes or shoe boxes are perfect and the kids can go to town painting the walls the colors of their dreams! For a little inspiration, take a look at the shoebox dollhouse rooms we made last month here. And of course a dollhouse is certainly something that one could work on a little at a time, here and there, and it's a great way to insure that there's always something creative that the kids can do with a few spare moments! Go for it!

Welcome To Craft Schooling Sunday!

Welcome to Craft Schooling Sunday! As you read this, I am in the midst of celebrating the week of Passover with my family, having prepared this post amidst the rush of final holiday preparations! Last week's party was full of amazing projects, and there were contributors from places like Australia, South Africa, The United Kingdom, Romania, Hungary, Germany, France, Italy, Singapore, Macedonia, Gautemala, Sweden, The Netherlands, and The United States! (If I missed you, please do let me know!) Pretty great right? So without further ado, here are the features:

'

Love this chalkboard cutting board from family chic, and this Calder inspired mobile from deceptively educational is a wonderful project!

Alessia made these amazing boats from the husks of some kind of fruit that I couldn't quite figure out given my limited Italian, and these tiny punched paper and pipe cleaner flowers from repeat crafter me are just too sweet!

Pysselbolaget made these fab bracelets from a recycled bottle, and Sumo's sweet stuff made this fun tunic.

Amy over at mod podge rocks painted a paper doily with chalkboard paint, amazing idea right?, and Pam of threading my way sewed a great set of fabric numbers.

Se7en is always up to amazing things, including bakind 100 dress cookies, and Maya over at little treasures made these great rings by embroidering on pieces of cork!

And last but not least two funt projects for the kids: this sweet April showers bring May flowers project from Mama's little muse, and this cute little recycled bottle Penguin is from Helen Clyde.

Wishing You A Wonderful Passover Holiday!

Dear Readers, Wishing you all a joyful and meaningful Passover! With all the preparations I just didn't have time to photograph anything specific for the holiday which starts tonight, but I think that this photo of a musical procession for a Bar Mitzvah boy is just a bit reminiscent of the Jewish People's journey out of Egypt after their redemption from slavery! May we all merit to leave behind those things to which we've been slaves in the past year, and start the new year with joy and hope for the future!

And for those of you who don't recognize this view, this is Mount Meron, the second tallest mountain in Israel, and in the foreground in the ancient cemetary in the Holy City of Safed. Wishing you all the very best, I will be taking the week off for the most part, but the blog will continue as usual!