Christianbook.com Homeschool Blog

After a whole summer that seemed to burst with rain, autumn’s already here.
I wouldn’t say I’m shocked, but it somehow seems to have sneaked snuck sneaked back into the rotation of things.

I love fall, and while this year doesn’t have the same relief as it does when signaling the end of 80 & 90 degree weather, it’s still retained the charm of autumns past. Especially here in New England, it heralds some of our best landscapes, farm stands with homemade cider donuts, U-Pick apple orchards, fairs, and sickness & colds that shiver that makes you grab the nearest sweater. And there’s nothing even close to that second when the setting sun shifts down upon the poplars, and the whole world lights up golden against an almost-black sky.

It makes me long for homey-crafts even more than the rest of the year; last fall I got this book:

which more than taught me to sew, it turned me into a sewer. They have one of the easiest skirt patterns you could hope to make, and make the directions so clear you almost can’t mess up. Well, you can, but it’s a lot easier to at least find where you went wrong. My one minor dislike is that it arranges everything by step, and then gives you the pattern—so to find the seam allowance, you have to go back to the part where they tell you about seam allowances. Great for a first-time read, not-so-great when you’re trying to find it and have to keep flipping back and forth. However, that’s a minor point compared to the overall clarity; step-by-step written instructions and practically diagrammed illustrations don’t allow you to step off the path. I bought some micro suede brown fabric last year that I never got around to making…perhaps over Thanksgiving break I’ll get a chance.

Now, if I could just get the hang of knitting…I’m looking at these, though haven’t decided yet:

or

I think I’m going to go with the plain “How to Knit”, though I think I could pull off the scarf book (I did get my “knitting badge” from the Keepers at Home club!). I want something ultra basic that I’ll be able to complete, mistakes and all!

If you’re in the same mood, visit our Arts & Crafts Shop for sewing, knitting, needlepoint, Christmas crafts, and other fun, classic hobbies.

Well, the big news this week is our Explode the Code sale! Everything is 27% off (the retail price) through the end of the month; purchase it now and save!

Our weekly article is “The Love and Lure of Nature Walking” by Jane Claire Lambert (of Five in a Row).

Beyond that, my week was filled with my normal work of writing descriptions for lots & lots of products—maybe not too splashy, but necessary!

Have a good weekend!

After weeks and weeks of whipping winds and wild rain, summer (or really, rather spring-like) weather seems to have finally come around, and it seems to be sticking around for the weekend. I’m traveling up to the way-north regions of Vermont (as in, “Oh look, I see Canada!”), where I plan to spend a good deal of my weekend wandering off in the woods and identifying trees with the help of my Audubon tree guide. Funny how that self-directed learning sticks with you…

But before that, here’s a quick review of this week’s highlights at Christianbook.com!

Check out our Calvin’s 500th store; now’s the time to get better acquainted with this influential reformer (It’s his actual birthday today—July 10th).
New DVDs from Franklin Springs Media are available for ordering.

The Science: Out of This World series has been updated, and now includes Book-with-DVD sets!

Our weekly article “Safely in His Arms” encourages single homeschooling moms; a topic often overlooked, and sorely needed.

For you sale-watchers, be sure you’re on our email list–we’ve got another one starting next week, in addition to our Saxon Sale!

And lastly, the American Girls historical series is back at Christianbook.com! It was probably these books more than any other that gave me such a lasting love of history as a child, and I can easily remember all the days I spent at the library looking up information on World War II (because of Molly), slavery & abolition (because of Addy), and horses (because of Felicity). Written for girls around age 9 or so, if you’ve never encountered them, check them out at the library or borrow them from a friend—you might find a new favorite series!