My Visit to Mrs. Totans' Second Grade Class at Willow Dale

On Friday I went back to Willow Dale Elementary, this time to visit with Mrs. Totans' Second Grade Class.  What a great group of students!  I extended my stay because so many children wanted to decorate a second heart for the homeless at Saint John's Hospice in Philadelphia.  Everyone created wonderful and also very original "phrases of praise" for their hearts.  I was very impressed.  I even decided to use one as an example for future classes.  It was fun reading Peacock Parade to the students.  The fan was blowing cool air on me, so I had that "wind-blown" look and I was wearing my wild gladiator sandals.  Perfect!!!  Mrs. Totans let the children use some special stencils to add a nice touch to the hearts.  While I was there, I learned about the children's backpack through Europe project.  They sample foods from each country they "visit."  I believe Italy was up next.  Sounds like a good time to me!   Thanks everyone for another warm welcome at Willow Dale!! 

My Visit to Willow Dale's Third Grade

Today I had the pleasure of making another visit to Willow Dale Elementary in Warminster, PA.  This time I read to the Third Grade classes of Mr. Martin, Mrs. Wolk, and Mrs. LaGuardia.  Special thanks to Mrs. Daubert for introducing me to Willow Dale - what a great school!  And thanks to her daughters, Kira and Erika (photo below) for being stars in my book trailer video.  It was hot today (about 95° F), but the students were able to "rise above" the heat and fully participate in the day's activities.  We had two great question and answer sessions and also did a heart project for charity.  I always love the questions children ask me during my visits.  Today, I especially enjoyed, "Are you famous?" and "Do you live in a mansion?"  Kids, I'm working on both!  LOL!  I also got to enjoy a cream-filled slice of strawberry-topped cake.  It was from Ms. Oniskey's bridal shower and it was awesome!!

Forgot to mention in my last blog post from Willow Dale about my special signature.  I added "warm wishes" to my standard "hearts and hugs" signature on book autographs.  I'll reserve this special phrase just for my friends at Willow Dale.

So warm wishes to all my wonderful Willows and thanks for a great day and the beautiful hearts for the homeless!      

Be Your Own Artist BBQ, Peace Valley Park, New Britain, PA

I had a great time this weekend at the Be Your Own Artist BBQ!  Lili Wang Consulting and Be the Light of the Party Foundation hosted the event.  Special thanks to Lili for donating all the proceeds to the Foundation.  Guests had a picnic of hamburgers, hot dogs, pasta salad, veggies/dip, cupcakes, and brownies.  Lili made great cupcakes with homemade pink butter cream frosting.  They were so good I had three!  I also liked the lemon iced tea - very refreshing.  I wrote a special poem for the event called "Parasols in the Park."  (I included a copy of it in the previous post on this blog.)  All the children received a copy of the poem along with a sun parasol to decorate.  There was also a Little Artist Contest, silent auction, and raffle.  Peacock Parade was one of the raffle items.  Some of the guests enjoyed a paddle boat ride on beautiful Lake Galena.  It was a day filled with food, fun, art, music, friends, family, and charity.  I included some photos from the BBQ below and also a link to the photo album here: 

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1947159712585.2108338.1050312982&l=c9cad9ef27

Lili Wang came up with the idea for the Be Your Own Artist BBQ.  Thanks Lili!  If you would like to view some of Lili's beautiful art, go to: http://www.liliartstudio.com/ or visit in person Lili's Art Exhibit in Artists House Gallery in Philadelphia, PA until June 26.    

Also, forgot to mention there is a place called the Peace Valley Lavender Farm near the park.  It is a nice place to visit if you are in the area.  I purchased a lavender plant, some culinary lavender, and also some lavender honey.  Very yummy!  Now I just need to create a recipe!      

Parasols in the Park

Here is the special poem I wrote for the Be Your Own Artist BBQ in Peace Valley Park yesterday, Saturday, June 4, 2011.  Each child at the event received a signed copy of the poem along with a sun parasol.  Some of the children decided to decorate their parasols with paint.  It was a great day! 

Parasols in the Park

Parasols in the park
Twirling in the noon heat,
Conquering the sun's reign
Offering a quaint retreat.

Those little clouds of white
How they delight in shade.
And with a breeze take flight
In Peace Valley on brigade.

Shadows on the lake
Reminiscent of a distant time,
A picnic with tea and cake
Sandwiches of cress, cheese, and thyme.

Parasols in the park,
Umbrellas with style,
And art in motion
Basking in the sun for awhile.

Sharkey's Cuts for Kids in New Britain, PA - Book Signing

Today, I had a book signing at Sharkey's Cuts for Kids.  I had a lot of fun getting ready for this event.  I did my hair in a braid with a peacock feather and added a splash of blue color.  My nails were done in peacock blue and my daughter joined me with a peacock/blue hairstyle.  I also wore my first ever maxi dress!  It had a peacock design and touched the floor in true maxi-gown style.  I even did a little peacock eye makeup.  Fun!!  Special thanks to Amy for inviting me to her very colorful salon.  I scheduled an appointment with Miss Angela for my daughter's first ever manicure.  She had a great time.  She also enjoyed trying the samples of scented lotions available, including banana and chocolate.  Miss Angela also added a peacock feather to her hairstyle for the day.  Check out the photos below from my visit.  Evan and Carly join me for some pictures.  Thanks guys and thanks to Sharkey's too!  Stop by Sharkey's for your child's next haircut.  You can also read a copy of Peacock Parade while you are there! 

My Visit to St. David School in Willow Grove, PA

Yesterday, the day after my birthday, I had the pleasure of visiting St. David School.  I spent time with Mrs. Spinnraker's Pre-Kindergarten, Ms. Rush's Kindergarten, Mrs. Kensey's First Grade, and Mrs. Marsteller's Second Grade students.  The children, teachers, and staff were wonderful!  I received a warm welcome and many hugs.  Special thanks to Melanie Meyers for inviting me to come to St. David's!  The children looked adorable in their uniforms.  It reminded me of my younger days at Nativity of Our Lord School in Warminster.   

It was also a great day for the charities I support, Be the Light of the Party Foundation and Dandelion Time, since I received 30 book orders from the students!  It's always fun to sign books.  This time I decided to add something to my standard "Hearts and Hugs," signature - something special for just the students at St. David's.  I added "Love and Light!"  I like to do special things for the students at different schools, when the opportunity presents itself.  I read to the classes, answered questions, and showed the children how to do the Heart Project.  They made very lovely hearts for Be the Light of the Party Foundation's June party at Saint John's Hospice in Philadelphia.  We finished our visit right before lunch and concluded with a unique variation of The Big Hug (photo below). 

Thanks so much to the children, teachers, staff, and parents of the St. David School!   

Willow Dale Elementary School Visit in Warminster, PA

Did you ever have one of those days where your step seems a little bit quicker and the sun seems to shine brighter?  You could be in love or you could have just experienced a fabulous author visit at Willow Dale Elementary.  If you are guessing the latter, you would be correct!  But I think love also wins since I have a warm spot in my heart for the teachers, staff, and children at the school.  I spent my Cinco de Mayo with Mrs. Laatsch's First Grade class and the students from Ms. Oniskey's Second Grade.  I did a reading of Peacock Parade, Question and Answer Session, and Heart Project with each class.

I began my day at 9:15am with First Grade and was greeted with many warm smiling faces, along with a freshly picked dandelion, drawing of a dandelion, and a lovely bouquet of white roses.  The children had prepared for my visit by reading my Bio page on my website.  I was so very impressed!  They knew I liked roses, dogs, and of course, dandelions.  I felt very special!  We talked about connections and writing.  They also decorated hearts for Be the Light of the Party Foundation's June party for the homeless at Saint John's Hospice in Philadelphia.  The Principal stopped by to visit and one of the students asked me for my autograph (my first "out of book" autograph experience - very cool!).  We finished the morning with an awesome group hug and a peacock feather wave (both of which are pictured below).  They surprised me with a signed note at the end of the day.  In the Second Grade class, the children presented me with a bunch of beautiful tulips.  They hung a large, colorful poster, decorated and signed with all of their names.  We talked about birthdays and writing, and I got to read a journal story.  They spent some time thinking of unique "phrases of praise" for their hearts.  We also took a group photo (pictured below). 

What a great day!  I'm sending my thanks, love, and gratitude to all the children, teachers, and staff of Willow Dale.  You guys so totally rock!!