My son showed a sudden interested in herbs. I think it had something to do with me reorganizing my books.  Healing with herbs was spotted and that has been it.  To bed it went with him and he woke up with ideas spinning in that boy noggin.  The mission has been to make a natural weed killer using dandelions. I told him if he succeeds he’d be one wealthy person. So concoctions and the experimenting has began. I noticed my kids were not the only ones making potions.   These last couple days you would have found my son with that book in hand. Coming to me every little bit.. “Did you know this helps with the bowels, (yes he did say that) that plant makes you feel calm, or this does that.”   I jumped on this new interest of his and picked up some herbs to start our own little garden. They included chives, sage, dill. We love dill on our fish. I picked up some Lemon Verbena. Have you ever smelled it? It’s Wonderful. I’m thinking of keeping these on my kitchen window sill. Letting the breeze carry the scent to your noses. Dreaming of have a couple big patches of them beside the door or up a walk way.

I didn’t forget the sunflowers either. Several packs of them came home with us. This year we are making a sunflower hide away spot. You plant them in a circle but leave out a small section. That will be the doorway into a hidden get away.  Then you plant smaller flowers around the outside. Plants that go to your knees would probably be best. This helps keep the spot even more secret. A perfect place to take a blanket and book. Pencil and drawing pad.  A throne to be queen of the garden.  I think I need to pick up the book Sunflower houses to help with more outside garden fun ideas. When browsing for ones I thought we could use and the kids would enjoy I found these.  A Child’s Garden: 60 Ideas to Make Any Garden Come Alive for Children  and Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots: Gardening Together with Children  But it was A Kid’s Guide to Making a Terrarium  that I got all excited about. I can’t wait till it comes out. My children love small and mini things. So I’m hoping this one will be a keeper.

If your thinking of gardening with your kids too, here’s a couple links you might like. Enjoy

Green and Natural Mom

Free nature journal

Heywoods Meadow

The sewing machine still sits silently waiting for me to mend it. The lady at the store gave me a repairman’s number, I’m hoping when I stop by he’ll have the one part I’m needing. Till then I’ve been filling my time embroidering. Not tiring of them at all. The girl blowing bubbles was inspired by this. The rest are taken from my own pencil doodles that I’ve done over the years. They’ve been sitting amongst those journal pages, inspiring nothing for way to long.  It been nice to see them become something. The lady is myself or any mom holding their daughter as she slumbers in your arms. I always loved watching my children sleep. I still do and I’m sure I’m not the only mom.  I remember my own mother talking about watching us. I didn’t think much of it until I had my own. Then I understood. The innocence, those lashes dark on the cheeks, relaxed and calm that is rarely if ever seen during the day.  Watching their little chest rise and fall with every gentle breath. Memories of there actions run through your mind. Thinking about what they will be like when their older and these days of gone. I wonder if I’m making the best choices for them. What I can do to help them be a better person. If I’m hugging them enough. Loving them enough. If I’m letting them know how truly special they are to me. Then I kiss them and hope that I am. Pray that I’ll be given a chance to spend another day with them.

 With my embroidery supplies out a lot lately, a new container to hold them was needed. Needed maybe not but definitely wanted. I keep them in a plastic bin. It was sufficient but not very pretty and most definitely uninspiring. I pulled a gift I had bought my husband out of storage. Yes, it was in storage. Several years back I found this cute green metal vintage tackle box. My husband loves the outdoors stuff. If it was up to him we’d be sleeping on camo, sitting on pine branch chairs, while a light fixture made from antler sheds lite up the room. Scary to me. So I bought it hoping it would make him feel a little more part of the house but I still could live with it. I got tired of dusting the box as it sat there being of no real function. So away it went. He didn’t even really notice. Now days, I want something that not only appeals to the eye but functions within my little home. Two birds in one stone. The tackle box works nicely. My new threads are up in the top. Looking pretty.  Then the big open spaced bottom holds my rainbow colored wad of threads. I can’t keep mine looking like what Candace has done. It all ends up a chaos of threads.  It seems to fit. I love chaos of color.

The bunny thing started off with making this pom-pom springtime animal tree. It has been something I’ve wanted to do with my kids for a while. It was something my mom did with us growing up. Each Easter she would get out the pom-pom animals and we would hang them on her pussy willow branch tree. My childhood ones where much bigger and fluffier as they were handmade pom-poms. We didn’t get these made in time for Easter but next year they will be ready to pull out and hang up to bring in the season. They are a very simple. Glue a couple large pom-poms together. Take 2 small pom-pom and glue onto the face for the rabbits cheeks. Cut the ears, eyes, nose, feet out of felt. I used Fabric-Tac to glue them. My favorite glue. Take a needle and thread and put through the middle of the pom-pom, tie a good knot. Leaving enough string to hang the little cute critter up with. If your making homemade pom-poms make sure the yarn that ties all the pieces together is extra long so that another knot can be tied at the end, leaving you something to hang him up on. I almost forgot, another pom-pom for the rabbits tail of course. When making the duck or chick it’s just 2 pom-poms glued together and felt parts. The kids really enjoyed this project and it’s funny seeing how each comes out unique.

Then we had the real baby rabbits thing happen. The kids were so so so excited to have found them. Rescued them from the chicken pen and a hen pecking at them. They so wanted to keep them. I completely understand how they felt. If you have ever held one that fits easily into the palm of your hand, you’ll know what I mean. Part of me even wanted to keep them. They begged, while I sat there looking at them. Then I gave them a little information, even went online and showed them. Gently highlighting the “they are wild, hard to hand raise, easily stress out and the out come is not usually good” part. They finally agreed that the mommy should raise them and back to the barn they went. This was not done without tears. These sad feelings of having to let them go brought back memories of past pets that had passed away. More tears. None the less, I was glad they made the right choice and all on their own. A good lesson to learn. Being spontaneous and taking on something can be a great things in it’s place. Sometimes you need to think things through, weigh your choices and then make a wise decision that is good for everybody. They did that.

I started making a little quilt for my youngest, who really wanted to keep the rabbits. It’s not fully done as my sewing machine tried to eat the fabric. Tearing up my bobbin holder, I think that’s what it’s called? The quilt will be small enough that she can wrap up her easier to take care of stuffed rabbit. Stuffed toy rabbit.
If anyone is wondering,  the bunnies are doing fine. They come out at night jumping and running around.  They seem to be getting faster and bigger by the day.

Working on……

A space of my own is working out as I had hoped. I can work a little, take a break, work a little more without having to clear it off to eat supper or when family and friends are coming over. I just can just leave it and come back, all there as I left it. Quite nice!  The only dilemma I’m having now is that I want to do so much all at once. I think I have 5 separate projects going. All left in their little piles waiting to be completely finished. No more out of site, out of mind with these. Things are getting done around here.

And then we have this. Not the first time and I’m sure it won’t be the last.   A fresh plowed garden, 2 soaking days of rain, one dry late afternoon, kids unsupervised for 10 minutes while mom folds a load of laundry. I guess this is what I get for bring home a book called I love dirt. Who can resist the feel of mud squishing between your toes?  That’s the next best thing to warm sand.

Oh camera, I’m so glad you were with me yesterday. It was one of those days. I woke with an ache in my head that only grew stronger as the day went on. I sort of walked around with a Duh look and a Duh feel to me.  I was thinking that not much was done or accomplished until looking back.  I truly see now why so many people journal their days in pictures.  It’s not just nice to have, memories to keep but something to really see. What I thought was a painful and not much happening day was something quite perfect despite the throb.                                                                                                                                          It started out with us dropping my husbands lunch off and then running over to feed our friends dog while they are away on spring break.  A little eye candy while we were there..the beautiful garage door.

On the way back we took the country roads. I felt drained from the pound between my eyes and didn’t feel like driving at normal speeds. The kids thought it was great because they assumed we were lost. Causally snaking along the back roads I would stop when ever something eye catching was spotted and let the kids jump out and take pictures of them. I guess through the kid’s eyes we were on a photography assignment in the wild yonder.  A cow gave us quite a show. He would take a step back and a step forward. Moving his head in a funny way. We sat and watched him for a while narrowing down ideas of what was wrong with him. Maybe mad cow or stuck on something. One of the kids even chimed in that he was dancing to the car radio that was on. That’s when we saw the stick that was leaning near the ground and he had stepped over top of.  We couldn’t see it until we zoomed up with the camera. Cow giving himself a good ’Ole itch it was. The moment was funny and entertaining while it lasted.

We headed home and I took a nap. A much needed nap. Then it was on to prepared the barn for chickens. Pulled out all of stuff that hasn’t been used in a few years. The kids worked at that. You would have thought they were redecorating their own rooms because of how much enthusiasm they had. My son even made a pulley contraption that opens and closes a small door for the chickens. That way we don’t have to go all the way into the barn and into the coup each morning and night to let them in and out. Plus they can go straight from their coup to the outside grass. No hens wondering around inside the barn making a mess.

 A bit of canoeing. Testing if an oar or a shovel works better.  Results: Shovels moves you faster but  a serious work out on the muscles, oar takes you where you want to go and it’s a whole lot easier.

A bit of bubble blowing. It wasn’t the best day as the wind took the bubbles away so fast we just got a peeks at them before they were gone.

Finding nature as it is.  Beautiful and harsh all in one. A pile of fur or more specific a bunny tail and a could have been robin.

And to think I would have passed this day up as not much of day. Sad really, to think I would have overlooked all this. Yeah..my camera, I’m so glad it was with me yesterday.

Yesterday zipped by without much creating from me. It seemed when the house grew still and became quiet as everyone was tucked in the warm beds. I wanted to create and I knew what was needed. The little Easter duck.  Sewing him up late could be the reason for this slightly turned head where I didn’t get the pieces lined up but then I think it give him character.  Makes him look curious like the little girl that he will soon be with. 

The sun is shinning so bright and warming up nicely outside. Our dog keeps wanting to lay on the porch steps where he can gather the rays. I sat out there for a few minutes myself and can see why he enjoys it. Very soothing in the heat as the birds chirp away, gathering sticks and strings for their spring nest. And to think it was below freezing and snowing just a day or so ago. I think an outside adventure needs to be put on our “to-do” list today.  I know the book “I love dirt” has been out for sometime but this is my first time looking through it.  As much as my kids love to get all muddy and dirty when outside you would have thought they wrote the book. I think some of the ideas will be right up their alley. While we are outside maybe we will pick more flowers to dye as these have seen their last days. 

I thought I was going to post about my little duckling next. I guess the fox eat my chick post.
He needs a little fixing, a few threads here and there but I’m loving him. More in the works.

A couple days ago I ran into Michael’s Craft store to grab a few supplies for a kids art class I’m teaching. When my son found out where we were going, he stuffed his pocket with the few dollars that he had. It doesn’t happen very often that they have their own money but when they do… I’m not asked a hundred times “can I have this?” It actually makes shopping quite enjoyable. He spied a mini glue gun and that was it. We do have a glue gun, two of them to be exact. I guess it’s not the same as a tiny one that fits perfect in a child’s hand and it was all his. We were barely in the door when he had the gun plugged in and the table piled high with all kinds of things.  He literally spent the rest of day using up almost of whole bag of glue sticks. He started first with his wood burning kit. Glue everything in it together. He had pencil box, rocking horse and even a gazebo with bench fixed up. Then he started putting wiggly eyes on things. That sparked an idea to create a whole colony of clothes pin people. This is just a few of the crazy little peeps he made.  He told me repeatedly how I’ve inspired him to have fun and just create. He has probably heard me say that a billion times to my daughter who has trouble letting go of perfection and just enjoying it.

I was working on some things in my craft room when someone knocked on the door. I opened it to find no one there. Left on the floor was a sign that of course had a pipe cleaner guy glued to it and a card that had encouraging words wrote in crayon and was made with love from my children. I just couldn’t help it but standing there by myself holding those simple little handmade thing. Thinking of how sweet it all felt. I broke down and cried. Not a sobbing cry but one where your eyes sting and few tears fall. One where you feel so blessed and thankful that it just spills out.  Then I see two little heads peek around the corner. The ones that made it. There sweet little faces staring and waiting for what I’ll say. I hugged them and told them thank you and let them know how much it meant to me. I think they were a bit shocked with my reaction of tears. An instantly we hung the sign up together. It’s not so much a cute sign to me but a reminder of how precious life it. How inspiration comes in unexpected ways. How the domino effect does happen even when you don’t know the first one had been set in motion. It reminds me to work harder for the truly important things. The loving things. The things that will matter in the years ahead. Those dreams can be touched.  It lets me know that the simple things that I do have a big impact to those little precious kids more than I realize at the time.  And all that from a simple little glue gun.

Well, I’m off to work on a few projects for Easter. A little chick for a little girl.  I’ll be using the birdy pattern from Vicki’s Embroidery pattern shop. Only a couple more days to go and I haven’t even gathered up some candy. I take that back, we did get a few chocolate eggs but they didn’t last but a day. So, those don’t count.

The other day I was trying my hand at quilting circles and I had a bit of trouble. They started turning very lumping looking.  I had to put the piece down before I lost total heart on it. It’s something I really really want to finish too.  So, I was a bit weary when yesterday I decided to do curvy stripes and circles.   I attempted the curves first using two different fabrics. A common muslim and thicker vintage fabric that is a gorgeous muted red. Everything went smooth. I just took my time and I was pleased with them. One hurdle jumped. It gave me a bit of confidence and determination to tackle some circles again.  These turned out so much better. I used 3 different types of feedsack fabrics and hand appliqued them on. I’m definitely going to pick up my other piece and finish the circles. No more lumpy bumpy rotten peach shapes here.

A sneak peek at another quilting piece I’m working on. Made with little red riding hood vintage fabric. This one has been slow going. I’m trying to patched it together without it looking to choppy.  I’m also on the search for some blue fabric that matches closer to the tree color. If I can’t find it, I’ll be using the blue you see in the background. It’s not to far off.