Dream Boards

It became tradition several years back to gather my good girlfriends over some wine and apps and make 'dream boards' after the start of each new year. As we cut away from favorite magazines whatever captured our attention, whether it be pretty, well-planned, or stream of consciousness, each of us always found some theme emerge on our boards, intended or not. My favorite thing making 'dream boards' was the time chatting with good friends and then, in the end, standing over each others' boards and getting to know each other that much better. I was always surprised by the results, especially mine.

Last year, I began doing this with my two oldest girls-Piper (5) and Natalie "Tallie" (4). Yes! Tallie was 3 when we started, but she's a whizz with the scissors and it's so fun to have them all to myself for several hours (while Madeline naps) as they cut frantically from their favorite "American Girl," "Land of Nod," or my latest home, travel, or food magazines and then watch them as they find something the other would love and pass the picture across the table. (Tallie cutting out a sewing machine for Piper because she knows I've promised to teach Piper to sew when she turns 6 or Piper cutting out a ballet outfit for Tallie because Tallie is an amazing little ballerina, in my completely biased opinion). When we're done gluing our pictures to poster board, we Mod Podge over them to protect them, explain our boards to each other, and display them on our laundry room wall for the year until we replace it with the next year's creations. I imagine the explanations will mature a tad and give me more insight into who the girls are becoming in the years ahead, but for now Piper explains: "...and this is for my American Girl doll (that she does not have) to wear when we go to gymnastics together."