Mayfly

vistors welcome

2012-04-20T17:18:08Z

Hello! Guess what?! N's little fairy garden has had some visitors!

First Violet (the flower fairy) stopped by and gave her a note and four teeny tiny flower pots. He asked for a bed, so she quickly outfitted the house with one and some furniture from her doll house. And then the other night Daisy (the flower fairy) stopped in and left her a little mailbox so they all can exchange notes. N left a note with a drawing and Buttercup answered her back. And then Papa brought her some tiny garden gnomes to keep watch when the fairies aren't around. She is loving it!

We big people have been busy trying to spruce up our human-sized yard. I'm pondering vegetables. I'm really not so great at it, but N really wants to grow her own food. I'm thinking of planting both raised beds with something fun and easy like pumpkins. I really want a fruit tree, but we have lots of cedars in surrounding yards, and I've heard that apples and pears don't do well if there are cedars nearby. Any suggestions? J and I would both kill for some chickens, but our city is just not (sub)urban chicken friendly. You have to have a yard larger than 3 acres to have them without a permit, and they reject all the permits folks with smaller yards apply for. Sigh.

Speaking of gardening, I have been stalking tend trying to spark something. The ladies all over there are so quietly inspirational. I'm also craving a visit to Heather's garden in person- that yard of hers always makes me want to get my hands dirty. Can I come sometime soon, H? : )

her fairy garden

2012-04-05T00:58:10Z

Last spring my mom's friend and neighbor, Gloria, and her little granddaughter made a fairy garden. It sits on a pedestal and has a little cottage and plants and moss and some itty bitty garden furniture. N has to stop and visit it often. I admit I do too- it's REALLY cute. I thought I took some photos of it before, but I can't seem to hunt them down.

N began pestering me to help her make one right away. My mom and dad gave us the hypertufa mix. I was trying to think of a way to make a mold for a square house, but then a few days ago talking with my mom, we came up with a much easier idea: a little mushroom house! We used a bucket and molded the base, and a big wooden bowl to form the top. My mom donated a cracked bird bath to the cause, and the tree-stump base is from the infamous elm tree branch.

Yesterday after school we went to the nursery and bought some tiny-leaved plants- two kinds of thyme, rosemary that looks like a little pine tree, a couple of plants with teeny little flowers. While we were there, we couldn't resist the little bistro table and chairs.

And now she waits for a fairy. So sweet is that girly.

the new dining table

2012-03-24T18:39:07Z

The table is finally done!

I cleaned and waxed the base of the table and all of the wood on the chairs, and then started sanding the top. I sanded, and sanded, and sanded... all through spring break. I sanded while the children pulled each other in the wagon up and down the sidewalk. I sanded while I should be making dinner. I sanded until I sanded through the veneer in a few spots. Oops! There were (still are) funny bubbles in the surface, I suppose where water got under the veneer at some point in its past. After seeing the plywood underneath peek through in those few areas, I took it much easier, giving up on smoothing the bubbles out completely. Then I stained the top and finished it with two coats of oil-based polyurethane. So it's not entirely smooth, but I think it still looks really good.

I also recovered the chairs. After much pondering, I just couldn't find a fabric that I thought would be durable enough, so I went with black vinyl. It has a leather look and is fancy enough without being too slick.

This new table is not perfect, but I'm embracing it. It sits right in the center of our home, hosting homework and projects and coffee dates and book club meetings, and even the occasional meal. I don't want to be scared to use it for fear of messing it up.

It feels a bit more imposing than our old table with the higher chair backs and sturdy design. I've got an idea for a table runner- a strippy patchwork kind of thing- to soften it up just a little, and some washable fabric coasters to keep in a little basket to protect the veneer from more moisture bubbles. The old table moved to the kitchen, and looks pretty good in its new home (a post for another day?).

I'd been on the lookout for a new table for quite some time, and this project including all the supplies came in for under $200. I'm so glad it's done. And I'm so thankful that Chris found it for me! I love it.

mommy's little entrepreneur

2012-03-23T22:29:59Z

Jack, my very clever son, has started his own little business. He's making hand-carved jump ropes! If you have a minute, take a look at his etsy shop. He's really excited.

His next product is in the r & d stage right now. Man, I love this boy.

the photos say it all

2012-03-19T15:12:04Z

table in progress

2012-03-15T16:26:47Z

My friend Chris spotted a very danish-modern table at a thrift store near her. It was a bit of a drive, but the kids and I rushed out in my dad's truck to get it the next morning. I've had my eye out for an affordable table for awhile, and this one was the perfect style, had two leaves and six chairs and the price was GREAT.

I've been working on it all week. I can't wait to have a show and tell when I'm done!

that house again

2012-03-12T16:17:50Z

We were at our friends' house again- that one I posted about so long ago. It's still amazing.

a little something

2012-03-03T17:34:11Z

I made this quilted log cabin pillow for some friends that are soon to become new parents. They're good people, through and through, the kind of folks that should be raising kids on this planet of ours. After a quick photoshoot together, it's apparent that they are just giddy about this baby. I'm giddy for them too, knowing only a little something about what lays out ahead of them.

Aren't they adorable?!

if you're a parent, you should see this movie

2012-02-27T18:16:26Z

It's called Race to Nowhere. It's sad and intense, and yes, hopeful and SO worth your time. Check into a screening in your area. Our pta just sponsored a viewing of it, and although I already think about this stuff, it has changed how we discuss grades and homework. Thankfully, I think we're in a district that is realistic about homework amounts. We're heading into J's "busy season," when baseball and soccer overlap. He works pretty hard this time of year, so I'm going to try to make sure he has plenty of down time too.

It's got me thinking (again) about the true meanings of success and happiness, which is always good thing.

the girl child had a heck of a weekend

2012-02-13T20:38:09Z

Friday night she and Brian went to the Daddy Daughter Dance. This child is a dancin' fool! She tried on all the fancy dresses, but ended up going with the same one she wore last year. (It still fits and is pink and twirly and sparkly, so there you go.)

And then Sunday was her birthday party- we took a few of her friends ice skating and out for sundaes. She had a great time! We made this hot cocoa mix for party favors. Thank goodness there was extra. It snowed!

Lest you think the boy was neglected, he and I had a date to Lulu's Noodles Friday night, he went out for pancakes with Papa Saturday morning, went to a war movie with Papa in the afternoon, and headed to a college basketball game Saturday night. And of course he got to skate too, but chose a root beer float over the sundae. (A boy after my heart.)

I vow to get over this cold

2012-02-02T16:36:01Z

Well hello there! I hope you're having a good day.

About a month ago, it popped into my head that we'd had a pretty healthy school year so far. And then I cringed. Did I jinx it?! Surely you know where this is headed. I promptly got the stomach flu, and then we all got a cold which we passed on to Maw Maw (aka Brian's mom.) And then Brian got the stomach flu. Then I got another cold? I don't know. I felt better for several days and then backslid.

But now, I'm vowing to get over it. I read somewhere you should eat extra protein when trying to fight an infection. I don't really think I have an infection, but it was a nice excuse this morning for a couple of eggs instead of my usual granola or steel cut oatmeal. And I'm going to have a green smoothy at lunch.

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I'm in a creative slump. Big time. I'm not the only one.

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See that knitting back there? I've been working on it for years. Seriously. I knit for several days and then take months off. I'm going to unravel it, start over on something quick and easy. A really plain scarf perhaps on great big needles? Maybe if there's some faster gratification, I'll stick with it longer and really learn. BUT I can't remember how to cast on. I'm looking for advice. I did a quick youtube search and a bajillion knitting videos came up. Any recommendations? Or a book? Would I be better off with a book?

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I'm getting a haircut tomorrow. And I'm going shorter. I think. Here's my Pinterest collection of cute cuts that have inspired me! Whatcha think?

(What's up with Pinterest? Crazy slow this morning.)

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The weather has been almost spring-like here nearly all winter. I'm not complaining, but it has been odd. I have a big family photoshoot this weekend, and wouldn't you know it. Cold. And possibly rainy. Phooey.

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It's almost Valentine's Day! You should buy this print for a friend. Or this scarf. Or BOTH!

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I'm still over at Flickr, with my 366 (it's like blogging lite) project. Visit me there.

Take good care!

- - 366 - -

2012-01-17T05:11:54Z

I'm taking part in a 366 project this year: a photo a day all year long. It feels a little like old times. I'm trying to make a few notes about the day or photo on each as well. If you'd like to see them, visit me over at Flickr.

We're all well. I hope your new year has started smoothly.

xo.

wrapping up christmas

2011-12-30T16:02:28Z

So how did your holidays go? I hope they were relaxing. Ours was extraordinarily stress free. I don't know what it was- there were last minute gifts to buy and make, mad dashes to the grocery, B had a decent-ish cold- but somehow we stayed calm and collected and found ourselves dancing around to Frosty the Snowman, smiling an awful lot, feeling grateful.

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If only for the sake of having something to visit about, here's a run down of the few gifts I made:

I think I've talked about this before. My kids ask Santa for one gift, we give them one toy, and I make them something. Between their cousins and grandparents they get plenty. Too much, really. So our three gift limit keeps things simpler for us.

For his mommy-made gift J asked again this year for warm jammies. I sewed up a quick pair of fleecey p.j. pants and bought a thermal shirt to go with it.

N asked Santa for an American Girl doll, so her mommy-made gift was a set of matching dresses. I used this pattern for her dress and I made the blouse from this pattern for the doll dress, shortened the bodice and added a skirt.

My nieces, who are also AG doll crazy, each got a little doll blouse (same pattern) and a little doll skirt (no pattern) and a pair of little doll shoes.

My good friend, Andrea, pinned these little toothpaste travel rolls, so I made her a couple.

And our sweet neighbor, who dotes on our kids and left a gift on our porch, got a last-minute batch of these nuts. (I used almonds.) They were SO good. In fact, I think I'll make some more today!

Oh, and worth mentioning. We ate this savory bread pudding on Christmas morning. Oh my lord- it is rich and delicious. Instant tradition.

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So that's it for Christmas. As soon as we enjoy two dinner parties this weekend, it's time for a fresh new year, a fresh start. Time to clean up and purge and get on with things, whatever this new year holds in store for us.

little pieces of this evening

2011-12-21T03:43:14Z

Although it may appear otherwise, there was no liquor in her kiddie-cocktail, I swear.

eating breakfast

2011-12-17T15:45:56Z

My sweetie took a vacation day yesterday. After we wrangled the kids off to school, I made him a bowl of steel cut oats with apples and cinnamon.

But this morning I ate pie for breakfast. It was Bumbleberry from here- a little pie shop in downtown Overland Park. Possible the best piece of pie I've ever eaten. (Sorry, Dad!) Go there today.