Family

10 MORE Summer Art Projects

Posted on May 16, 2013 Written by thehillhangout Leave a Comment

One of my most popular posts of all time here on The Hill hangout was called “Summer Art Projects.” Who knew that so many parents look online for inspiring art projects for their children? After I participated in a chat yesterday focused on incorporating art and creativity into your homeschool day, I was challenged anew to give my girls more time, space, and resources to create. Littles have such an artistic imagination and they need more freedom to let it run wild! After all, God is the master creator, and we are created in HIS image. He has gifted each of us with the ability to create unique things, if only we will take the time to develop the spark.

So to get your artistic wheels spinning, here are 10 MORE summer art projects you and your kids can enjoy:

1. Kathy at Art Projects for Kids introduces us to self-portraits in the style of James Rizzi. My girls had never done a raised image like this before, so it was a new, fun concept. Here is how Pitty Pat’s turned out:

Obviously, we used different media than Kathy recommended, but it’s what we had on hand and since art is free expression anyway, we went with it While we created, we talked about how God made us each with unique qualities, but that we are all made in His image.

2. Gah! Do we love Georgia O’Keefe’s flower paintings, or what?!? Deep Space Sparkle used Georgia’s inspiration to create these flower masterpieces using construction paper, oil pastels, watercolors, and patterned (scrapbook) paper. This would also be fun using painted paper. As you cut and paste, you can discuss Matthew 6 where Jesus tells us not to worry about what we have. God makes the flowers beautifully clothed and gives them the food they need. Won’t He much more care for us, His beautiful creation?

3. We’ve talked about doodling our memory verses before. I adore a project that kills two birds with one stone, and this one definitely fits the bill. The girls think of it as a fun art project, but what they don’t realize is that at the same time they are committing God’s word to memory. Creativity AND hiding His word in their hearts – my kind of project!

4. Blow painting is fun and can be executed in a variety of ways. All you need is watered down acrylic or tempra paint in several colors, a few straws, a medicine dropper, and water color paper. Here’s an example from Kabubble:

Simply use the medicine dropper to add a few drops of paint to the paper. Use the straw to blow the paint around in all directions. You can put paper in a cookie sheet to keep the mess to a minimum.

This is also a great project to do with a crowd. We did this one in VBS last summer. The message was that no matter which way life blows you, God is making you into His beautiful masterpiece.

5. The inspiration for drawing fireworks came from Art Projects for Kids. Can you tell she’s one of my favorite online sources for art ideas? Kathy is an art teacher and has developed hundreds of art lessons, many of which she shares at her site. This project was fun because BOTH of my girls could do it well. No frustration that big sister’s piece looked better than little sister’s

6. An easy, fun outdoor project is a Chalk Self Portrait (aka Dead Body Outline). All you need for this project is a bucket of chalk and a sidewalk or driveway. The girls lay down on the driveway, and I outlined them in chalk.

Then I gave them free reign to decorate themselves any way they’d like. Again, we discussed that God made us all with the qualities He chose for us. We have so many things to love about ourselves and thank Him for, because He created us just the way He wants us.

7. Kandinsky was a Russian abstract artist known for his concentric circle paintings. Our friend Kathy once again gave us great inspiration for using Kandinsky’s ideas to create a piece of our own.

We were short on time the day we created these, so they could have used a few more “leaves”, but I was happy that both of my girls worked together happily on this project. Big sister cut out the tree trunk, and little sister cut her own circles. This would be a fun project to adapt for a science lesson on how leaves change with the seasons. And since everything we teach should be God-centric, you can build on God as the organizer of time and changer of seasons: “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” (Daniel 2:21)

8. Artsonia is another great online source for art ideas. It is an online museum of children’s artwork. You can spend hours looking through pieces that have been submitted. We loved the paper cutting projects like this horse:

All you’d need are scissors, paper, and scraps of random materials. What a fun way to use up all your left-over art supplies and show kids that God is knitting together the random parts of our lives into a beautiful creation that He can use.

9. Print-making projects are a little more involved and require a few special items to create, but they can also be a lasting treasure. Fine Lines has done a great tutorial on how to use styrofoam plates to create beautiful prints.

We did these in VBS a couple of years ago, and I was so touched by how much care the kids took with their pieces. We were discussing how time-consuming it is for missionaries to translate the Bible into other languages. We demonstrated by having the kids write a Bible verse onto a piece of styrofoam backward (because words have to be written in mirror-image to print correctly.) It was difficult for them, but they persevered. It taught them how painstaking it is to translate something, and how grateful we are to have easy access to God’s Word. My daughter’s print hangs in my kitchen.

10. Summer is a fabulous time for extended art projects like these papier mache Greek Urns from Art Lessons for Kids (different site than Art Projects for Kids).

We will be studying Greek history in the fall, so we will definitely be making these. They give an in-depth tutorial on supplies and instructions. This will be a fun outside project, as it will be messy and the Alabama summer sun will help the papier mache and the paint to dry faster.

Do you have a favorite website for art ideas? A Pinterest board of great art projects you’ve pinned? Posts on your own blog of great pieces your kiddos have completed? Leave a link in the comments so we can all check them out!

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Filed Under: Faith, Family, Homeschooling

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet

Posted on May 9, 2013 Written by thehillhangout Leave a Comment

I was tickled when I came home last night after a day full ‘o the cray-cray and discovered a package waiting for me. Is there anything more thrilling than receiving a package you weren’t expecting? Just as soon as I could get the girls settled into baths and bedtime snacks, I carefully tore into the box to see what kind of surprise was inside.

Y’all.

It was my friend Sophie’s new book.

I might have squealed a little in delight.

You all might know Sophie better by her blog name, BooMama. She writes all sorts of goodies about life in the south, life in a family, and life in the Lord. She is hilarious to the core. She will make you howl with laughter and then spin you right into Truth so fast you never saw it coming. But you’ll be nodding your head in agreement just the same. She’s just a gem of a writer.

You know what makes Sophie’s book so fun to read? Her people are my people. She writes the words I’d say about my people if I could. And in a world where the south is presented in the media as uneducated and backward, Sophie celebrates the wonderful treasures we have below the Mason-Dixon line – humor, family values, rich traditions, and good food. If you’d like a sample, you can read the first chapter here.

While Sophie’s book won’t hit the shelves in your local bookstores until June 4th, you can pre-order a copy (or 12) of A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet: Southern Stories of Faith, Family, and Fifteen Pounds of Bacon on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Books-A-Million. Y’all order one for your mama for Mother’s Day!!

Filed Under: Faith, Family

Summer Porch

Posted on May 7, 2013 Written by thehillhangout Leave a Comment

There is nothing more southern than a porch, is there? They are birthed out of necessity, really. I mean, have you ever been to Alabama in July? It’s hot. Like, really hot. Porches provide us with a way to get outside and visit with nature and our neighbors, while keeping us out from under the scorching summer sun. They really are an extension of a home’s inside living space, and our family spends lots of time on our porch in the summer.

Our back porch was in need of a little sprucing up after the winter. We have the basics in place – a swing, a rocking chair, a side table, etc. But if the girls and I are going to spend the summer out there, we want it to be a little more luxurious than just the bare necessities. We like pretty spaces, and we felt like all we needed was a little inspiration and a little cash, and we could take our porch from drab to fab. Here’s the plan we came up with:

Summer Porch by ashleymhill on Polyvore

I’ve already purchased a few of the accessories and am just waiting on a few more to arrive. Stay tuned for a porch reveal in the next few days!

Filed Under: Family, Style Tagged: barn star, fern, interior design, one kings lane, pier one, polyvore, porch, rocking chair, swing

Cranberry Apple Crumble

Posted on May 6, 2013 Written by thehillhangout 1 Comment

My husband’s grandmother was one of his favorite people in the world. “B” (as he called her) passed away when we’d been married only six months, and I have often wished I’d had more time with her. She was a grand southern cook, and making food for her family was her love language. This recipe was hand-written by her many years ago, after she’d received it from a friend. I know she referred back to it many times as she made this dish for family dinners at her house. She served it at Sunday lunch as well as lots of holiday dinners. She served it to her family as a side dish, but it would also be wonderful as a dessert, especially with a side of good vanilla ice cream. Not only do I love this dish that was one of her specialties, but it makes me happy to be able to follow the recipe written in her writing. So special!

So, here’s what you’ll need for B’s Cranberry Apple Crumble:

2 cups cranberries, washed and stems removed
3 cups sliced apples
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the topping:
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup quick oatmeal

Mix apples and cranberries together in large bowl. Sprinkle lemon juice over and stir. Add sugar and salt and stir to cover fruit. Fruit will be almost too pretty to eat!

Place fruit into a 9″x13″ casserole dish sprayed with baking spray. In a separate bowl, mix together the ingredients for the topping. When mixed well, it should be crumbly.

Sprinkle it over the top of the fruit mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

I will be making Cranberry Apple Crumble for our annual Mother’s Day lunch this week. I hope your family loves it as much as we do and that it brings you many happy memories, too!

If you like this recipe, please check out our other dishes in our Recipe Index.

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Filed Under: Family, Recipes

Friendships: Changing with the Seasons of Life

Posted on April 27, 2013 Written by thehillhangout Leave a Comment

God has given us so many blessing in this life. One of the biggest, in my opinion, is that of true friendships. I have been fortunate enough to have some really great girlfriends in my time, and they have been a source of fun, inspiration, encouragement, and accountability. Each friend brings their own unique perspective and gifts to a relationship, and together they make up a fabulous support system and root system for me.

One of the things I have discovered about friendship is that it changes over the seasons of life. As a child, the main purpose of friendships was entertainment. I needed someone to play with, make-believe with, be girly with, and have fun with. As I grew into a teen, my friendships began to take on deeper meaning. While my girlfriends were still a constant source of laughter and fun, they also held me accountable for making godly choices. They became the curbs on the side of the road, keeping me on the straight and narrow path. Some of the friendships I formed in those years are still going strong today. It’s good to have friends that have known you 25+ years! It keeps you grounded. There is always someone who knows an embarrassing story about you

These are some of my nearest and dearest at our high school reunion a couple of years ago. It’s so nice that though we have gone different ways in life, they are still friends I admire and enjoy hanging out with. Instead of teenagers looking for weekend fun, we are now educators, ministers, fitness coaches, homeschooling moms, architects, and writers. Instead of talking about boys, movies, the beach, and homework, we talk about our children, husbands, careers, and callings in life. And we still like to hang out on the beach. Some things, fortunately, never change

When children came along, most of my friends were the moms of their friends. Instead of hanging out with people who were all my age, my friends suddenly became people whose children were the same ages as mine. This was an interesting time because I really expanded my circle of friends when my girls came along. I became friends with other moms who I probably wouldn’t have connected with before. Our ages didn’t seem to matter as much as the stages in our children’s lives. In many cases, we were friends because they were friends. But even then, God provided ladies whom I loved and needed as a new mom. We were young and inexperienced, but we were young and inexperienced together. We were just figuring out how to be wives and mothers, and we had each other to talk through it all. We dealt with (and are still dealing with) aging parents, financial instability, the baby blues, career changes, marital problems, and questions about God. We read our way through scripture trying to figure it all out. We held onto that scripture and clung to it for dear life in some cases. We learned how deeply we needed each other and became grateful to the God who created friends. I loved our sense of community in those days.

Even though we don’t live close to them anymore, my Mississippi friends went through our marriage and the birth of our first daughter with me, so they will always hold a very special place in my heart. I’m grateful to regularly keep in touch with many of them.

Now that we’ve moved to Alabama and I have become a homeschooling mom and blog writer, I have new friends…

Just kidding.

Well, I’m kidding about being friends with The Pioneer Woman. I really do have a different set of friends now that I’m at a different place in my life. We have church friends, soccer friends, friends from our professional lives and various other groups. At this point in our lives, we have the most diverse group of friends we’ve ever had! And I LOVE it. I have friends who are younger than me, friends whose children are grown, friends who are involved in the same ministries we are, friends whose children I admire so I latch onto their parents’ advice, friends for whom we are mentors. My circle of friends has become, for me, such a beautiful display of the Body of Christ. Each one pours something different into my life, and I hope I do the same for them. As we are all so busy raising children, we simply do not have time for superfluous friendships. Friendships seem to be more purposeful and intentional. I find myself purposefully engaging more with people who share my same convictions and passions. Maybe I’m seeing that life really is short and that we don’t have much time to make an impact for God’s kingdom.

I am drawn to people who are making it happen.

People who are infusing light into dark places.

People who follow truth.

People who have urgency about reaching out to broken people.

And I desperately want to teach my girls to do the same. Some may call it controlling (whatever!), but I want to help my girls intentionally choose friends who share the same belief system our family does. I just feel that connecting with people who share your beliefs allows you to trust them for accountability, share with them in fun, and know how to handle life’s problem’s together. And my girls have been blessed with the same good fortune I have had. They have some AWESOME friends who have AWESOME parents!

I have prayed for my children since the day they were born that they would have godly friends who would provide fun, stability, accountability, roots, and memories for them. I know how much influence friends can have on each other, and I want that influence to be positive and used for good.

Good friends add so much depth and beauty to life! They add dimension and texture to our experiences. They come with their quirks and sensitivities and hilarities and laughter and they can turn a day around on a dime. It’s a big responsibility to be a friend. I’m so thankful for the ladies who have stepped up to the challenge with me and made such an impact on my life. I hope their mansion is next to mine in heaven!

What about you? What season are you in?

Filed Under: Family

10 MORE Summer Art Projects

A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet

Summer Porch

Cranberry Apple Crumble

Friendships: Changing with the Seasons of Life

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