When someone wanders down the stairs first thing in the morning wearing a vintage nightgown and wings, there is only one thing you can do.
Have a breakfast tea party!
Sugarwings came to spend three days with me, just the two of us. My husband and son were both out of town and her mommy was working. So, we were on our own and decided to plan lots of activities, wear lots of princess dresses, do some baking, and go to a movie. It was a weekend plan jam packed full of things we love. She is here a lot, but it's rare that just the two of us are on our own for such a stretch and we decided to make the most of it.
Plus, I'd been feeling awful from an infection that set in after gum surgery and I was hoping to have enough things planned ahead of time, so I'd get some downtime to rest (during movies, mostly). To start our 3 day weekend, we saw Monsters University in 3 D, then grabbed some supplies and went to play outside.
On Pinterest, I'd seen some bubble ideas.
You add dish soap to a half cup of water, blow bubbles with a straw, then drizzle food coloring over the top, and place paper into the bubbles.
The effect was so cool, I made enough pages to do a journal. Won't they make good backgrounds?
After a sparkling lemonade break, we decided to use up the colorful bubble mixture we'd made.
We cut the end off a water bottle, and covered it with a sock. Then dipped it into our sudsy, food colored waters, which by then had all been dumped together, mixed and played with till they were all the color of the bottom of a creek.
So, we squirted the little bits of food coloring that were actually left over after the painting, onto the end of the sock, and got some really colorful bubble snakes.
And even a bubble heart!!!!
That flew away in the wind.
And splatted up against the side of the house. Too bad it didn't leave a heart shaped mark.
The food coloring all came out of the princess dress when I washed it that night, so there is hope for the siding of the house. At least, I figure the sun will fade it over time.
Bright green bubbles were taking over our courtyard.
More floated over to land in the flower beds. I'm hoping the dish soap helped with the aphids on my mini roses.
At this point, I figured maybe we should move away from the house before our home started to look like something that the Cat in the Hat made when he had Thing 1 and Thing 2 try to clean up while Mother was away.
We were laughing and running and blowing, while covered in soapy, colorful fluff. Then, it turned ugly. Sugarwings, inhaled instead of blowing and that hit her pretty hard, she choked, got sick, and soon I was covered in barf instead of foam. (you're welcome, about me not having photos of that part of the adventure)
She was pretty upset and so was I, it really scared us. She was fine, but shaken. Not as shaken as me, it was terrifying to see her choke like that, and we spent a lot of time, cuddling with me patting her on the back.
Day 2 of our adventure wasn't quite as exciting. She woke up with an earache and wasn't up for doing much.
We wanted a toned down activity that was still fun, so picked up Mr. Fin and Clover and took them to see Monsters University with us again. The rest of the day was laid back, and mostly consisted of movies, luckily there was a Cinderella double header on TV. Even though my grand fairy wasn't up to her usual self, she was healthy enough to insist upon wearing her Cinderella gown while watching the shows.
I was kind of ready for a down day myself, I'd been feeling pretty rough all week after the post gum surgery infection. But when she woke up on our third day together, asking about Bubble Art, I knew she was feeling better, over the earache and the choking scare.
We were both ready for more fun.
Game on!
PS- Don't forget that Google Reader is closing soon! If you are
reading this from that site, you need to make a change real quick or
your list of blogs will be gone.
I've tried Feedly myself and basically all you do is sign up and it
will import all your Google Reader sites in the click of a mouse. Very,
very, very simple.Bloglovin is another good one.
You can also follow my blog through Networked Blogs and read it on
FaceBook that way. There is a list of different reader site buttons on
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When my son and our Gypsy started the landscaping, we trusted them to grow some tasty, organic meals for us. We provided the land and the financing, and turned them loose.
What I didn't expect was the pure beauty that was created out there.
I have to admit, I didn't really get the concept of sustainable gardening. Well, I knew what they meant and it sounded great, but when it came to grass or weeds popping up in the middle of the veggies, I really didn't get the need to leave them as is.
Or the vast mix of plants together. I was raised by an avid gardner, and my dad was concise on his measured rows and spaced plants. Of course, he also used lots of Sevin Dust, Miracle Gro, and weed preventer.
This way of gardening by passes all of that. There are flowers scattered throughout that repel bad bugs or draw good ones.
Food, flowers, herbs, all sorts of plants are grouped in "guilds" of related vegetation and the ground is completely covered to prevent erosion and to attract the right bugs, and lots of other jobs that they are busy doing.
It would never have occurred to me to plant a ton of clover around the baby perennials to feed the soil and keep the ground covered.
Or to add Borage to the melon patch. It does something or another. But mostly is plain old pretty.
My son has collected exotic and heirloom varieties of plants, including this curly stick tree that will produce magic wands. And the whole thing is irrigated by swales and trenches that are filled with gravel and look like trails.
They are lined with the daintiest little wildflowers I have ever seen. As well as some grass that apparently should be left to protect the earth there until the trees grow more and create shade, then the grass will naturally die out, along with the other ground covers he has added to keep the dirt safe till things start to take off.
Until the trees get big enough to block some sun and the area truly becomes a forest, we are using the beds for our regular garden too. Tomatoes, peas, beans, heck, just about everything, is growing among the perennials.
In a few years, we won't be able to use this space for our annual plantings, because by then, it will be all fruit and nut trees, berry bushes, vines and other food producing vegetation.
This archway of branches will soon be covered in kiwi vines and grapes, but for now, I'm enjoying the stark beauty of it as it is. And at night it is lit with twinkling solar lights.
The produce is beginning to come in, this year, just a few handfuls of berries, but next year, and the year after there will be more and more.
This is a garden that will grow over time, bigger and better. It will not need to be tilled in the spring like my Dad would have, it will develop and change, but once established will take care of itself, with plantings that cooperate and take care of each other.
The mounds are known as hugelkultur, and make for a beautiful layout, as well as a healthy growing space.
Our regular garden is a masterpiece this year too.
It's lush, full, and delicious.
Daily, we have been eating every variety of lettuce you can grow, plus kale, chard, spinach, herbs, and other things that my son sneaks into salads. He is quite a cook and also has been foraging in fields for wild thistle to saute as a side dish. It is every bit as good as asparagus (which we also have growing).
My Dad would be fascinated, I wish he was here to see it. He'd wonder about the lack of rows, but I know he'd love the vast harvest we've been picking! I do too.
PS- Don't forget that Google Reader is closing soon! If you are
reading this from that site, you need to make a change real quick or
your list of blogs will be gone.
I've tried Feedly myself and basically all you do is sign up and it
will import all your Google Reader sites in the click of a mouse. Very,
very, very simple.Bloglovin is another good one.
You can also follow my blog through Networked Blogs and read it on
FaceBook that way. There is a list of different reader site buttons on
my sidebar that you can click on to follow me in.
Hope I'll still be seeing you around!
More Birdsong photos are on their way. I'm kind of taking my time and enjoying the editing process, reliving the moments. And wishing I'd taken more. Luckily, there are pretty pics from friends too. It's always interesting to see the same event through different lenses. Tami, Mercedes, and Beth have all posted some that I've shared on Facebook.
When Picnic closed last year, I was frantic about what to do to edit my pictures. It has been replaced by many sites just as easy to use. My favorite is Picmonkey. Not free, but well worth the little bit that they charge. It's self explanatory and simple to adjust photos with. And boy, does it make a difference in a picture to take the time to edit it.
On Birdsong Eve, we had a little gathering at a restaurant downtown. All of my pictures were off color and too dark due to the lighting there. Once again, I wished I'd taken more, but I did make time to snap a few. But when I opened them, they all looked like this. Here is a before of Angie and Sugarwings.
With Picmonkey, here is the same photo. It has been cropped, lightened, sharpened, and then I used Orton Effect, and faded that.
This was a bonus gathering for our group, I asked if anyone was going to be in town the night before and wanted to meet up, and we filled the front of one of my favorite restaurants with a flock of 26 Peeps.
This photo is a bit beyond repair, but I liked it so much, I salvaged what I could of it.The evening happened to be my lovely friend, Angie's birthday and she baked cupcakes to bring. She was a vendor at our little shopping extravaganza and is always a welcome addition to any gathering. I hope she can attend classes next time.
Sugarwings passed out cupcakes to everyone, after not taking her eyes off of the beautiful display throughout her dinner. When she finally was allowed to have one, she didn't eat it, she politely asked Angie to take a bite of her own first, because the birthday girl always needs to go first.
Birdsong had ended up being a family reunion for me as well as an art gathering. Guncle Randy, Sissy, Bobbie, and Terry all came to be a part of it. For me, it was an opportunity for my family to see just what it is that I do. (I don't know if my husband has ever quite figured that out yet) It was wonderful to have them here and to meet my friends and be a part of my world.
And on the other side, it was very special to have so many friends come to see me and be a part of my family for the weekend. Birdsong is a homey, comfy event where all guests are family while they are here, not clients. I hope that they can feel that while they are here.
My family were all soooo helpful. Terry baked and baked and baked, her treats were the highlights of our meals. (and brought her husband to keep my own guy entertained on the golf course all weekend) Guncle Randy nominated himself "Parking B**ch" and directed cars, plus spread his charm around and welcomed everyone. Bobbie and Sissy were hauling trash to the curb and unloading the dishwasher non stop.
My son, Mr. Zen, cleaned up the yard and helped with a lot of prep for the weekend. Then, walked around the room to do some head and neck massage for those who were getting kinks from leaning over the tables and working on projects (and dealing with some of my not-so-great chairs).
Sugarwings had been as excited about the upcoming party as I was, and was constantly wanting to help get ready for it. She was very busy making plans for "Our Birdsong" and wondering what the "Birdsong Ladies" would be like. She was hoping they would show up in beautiful gowns, but we are a bit more casual than that.
When I took down the table that Sugarwings and Dewdrop had been working at all week to make room for the big tables for Birdsong, her little heart was broken. She'd been so sure that there was a place for her to be there and craft along with everyone else.
But, all the ladies made her feel welcome and Auntie Beth did some work with her out on the porch. She forgave me for taking her work table down.
I hope that our friends didn't mind all the family being included. It probably wasn't all that professional of me, but if anyone who knows me or reads my blog, they probably don't expect me to be all that professional.
Once again, I'll have to say how lucky I am that I was able to have the people I love here with me, along with so many kind and generous friends. I can't imagine a better weekend.
Pure bliss. Sugarwings has loved Ariel since she was barely two.
While she is enamoured of all the Disney royalty, and can insert herself into any of their stories, she has always been loyal to her first and best favorite, Ariel.
During the princess luncheon at Cinderella's castle, she was pretty much in heaven and happy to meet these people whose stories she can't get enough of.
Each princess is announced as they walk into the room, and then they make their way around to each table for photo ops and chats. As Sugarwings spoke to Snow White, Ariel's visit was announced, and poor Snow was dissed mid-sentence for a view of the most wonderful princess of them all.
Snow White was set aside like a pile of dirty socks the minute Ariel walked into the room.
As she waited nervously for her special princess to come around to our table, she clutched her chest and told me, "I just don't know what I'm going to say to her when she comes here!!". Which is completely unlike our little chatterbox who is never at a loss for words.
This is a little girl who lives more in her imagination than in the real world around her, to her, this was all 100% real. So, after meeting Jasmine at lunch, she was not surprised to see a look alike of her, in a waitress uniform at a different restaurant that evening.
Our supper waitress was named Jasmine and Sugarwings was as happy to meet her that night as she had been earlier in the day. Jasmine told us that most little girls dismiss her when they don't see a fancy gown, but Sugarwings is a girl who knows that princesses don't always have to wear a dress to be royal through and through. (My husband preferred the lunchtime Jasmine's costume)
It was all quite special, but anytime we can watch our little grand fairy indulge her imagination is wonderful to us. And it was fun to be able to give her mommy a first time visit here and to watch her become a little girl again too.
PS- If you are going to Disneyworld, I highy reccommend the food and everything about the meal at the castle. And any food at all you get at the California park.
The Florida one, on the other hand, seems to have a lower standard for Food and Beverage, at least on the few trips I've been to it. And it is hard to get into a restaurant without reservations. Unless you want to eat hot dogs or other fast food, make a reservation or pack a picnic. Next time I go, I'm taking a cooler and a picnic lunch. We rented a double stroller to haul our stuff and to keep Sugarwings where we could find her, so it would have been easy to put a cooler in there too.
When we planned the trip to Florida, we had some other ideas for the week than what we actually ended up doing. My husband had a chance to go on a bucket list, lifetime dream, golf trip to Scotland and it overlapped our existing family jaunt to Disney.
Luckily, we were using Southwest to get to Orlando and could shuffle his flights around. He was able to meet us in FL a day late, with no penalties.
And our hotel in Cocoa Beach wasn't too far from Orlando to return to fetch him at the airport the next evening. I was glad we'd settled on staying there, and not going to the Gulf coast like we'd thought about.That drive would've been too much out of the day.
The girls and I spent a fun day at the beach, but decided the next morning to head out to Orlando early and hang out at Disney Hollywood Studios before heading to the airport to pick him up. It wasn't in the budget, and it wasn't in the plans, but we decided Budget Smudget and went anyway.
Our Hippy Chick is a Star Wars fan and it was the theme of the weekend there. And I'd never been to that park, so was curious.
We saw that it had a Little Mermaid show, so that was the clincher. There was also a Disney Jr. show that included Sofia the First, which was really important to someone in our group.
I'm not sure if I'd recommend that park to everyone. It isn't any cheaper than the big parks there, and doesn't have as much to do. If you are buying a Park Hopper pass, it would be good to stop there and visit, but a ticket to just that one park is kind of pricey for what you get, at least compared to the other places to see at Disney.
Although, Sugarwings wouldn't say that. She loved it. It's smaller and less crowded, even with the Star Wars hullabaloo going on. She isn't into the rides as much anyway and is happy wandering around.
Trading character pins was something she got a real kick out of. Aunt Terry had sent her a dozen or so to get started and we found a princess lanyard to stick them on. She was ready to roll. And her eagle eye could spot a princess pin on a Disney employee from 20 feet. By the end of the weekend, her collection was pretty much all royalty.
It was a good activity for a little girl like her. She enjoyed the personal attention from the park employees she traded with and made a lot of friends by approaching them to offer her trades.
The one big ride there, at least that we found, was the movie tour. We got seats in the front of the train, and Sugarwings, of course, made instant best friends with the driver, Amber.
The ride started out lovely, with a greeting from Mary Poppins. But things went downhill fast when 1930s gangsters attacked the train and abducted Amber from the driver's seat. Then, a Bad Guy took over the steering wheel.
To make matters worse, he took us through outer space where an Alien popped down from the ceiling at our heads. Remember how ugly that guy Sigourney Weaver battled was? I don't think Sugarwings expected that after the trauma of losing Amber.
Soon, Amber was back and good as new and the Bad Guy was blown up by Indiana Jones or something like that. The rest of the ride included a visit to Oz, so our little Dorothy would have forgiven anything and rode it over and over.
As we started to leave, she ran back to hug Amber because she was so happy her friend was okay. I think it made Amber's day, she seemed genuinely touched. Sugarwings has that hugging skill that makes a lot of people feel special, and we got a lot of "awwwwws" that trip.
We had the best trip! I wish we had the whole family there, missing them was the only bad part of the week. The rest was just plain delightful.
The Guncles even drove down from Jacksonville to visit.
We were celebrating the Hippy Chick's graduation from nursing school, and the guys joined us for dinner on the pier in Cocoa Beach.
Guncle Randy surprised Sugarwings with a pink rose, which in her mind, instantly turned her into a fairy tale princess, and she had to go lay down on the floor with it on her chest, awaiting her prince to bring true love's kiss to wake her up. This reaction is pretty common with her, for many items. When biting into a carmel apple at Disney World, she collapsed in a dramatic swoon.
I'd never stayed at Cocoa Beach before. We chose to be there a few days before our Disney adventure since it was so nearby. And we were very happy with that choice, good restaurants, nice beaches, affordable hotel, and lots of big cruise ships to watch as they left Port Canaveral.
This little one grinned most of the trip.
And played nonstop.
Till one point where she just fell sound asleep right in the sand, and couldn't go on another moment. I don't think I'd ever seen her this worn out. She is quite the whirlwind of a kid.
But even the most energy packed person in the world can be done in by fun in the sun!
And boy, was there a LOT of fun.
A bit ago, we redid a wall in the living room with ceiling tin. These were 8' strips, and were ideal for where I needed them, they seem to look nicer on a wall than the squares would have.
And after purchasing them, I happened to find the border at another shop and it is exactly what I needed! I'd planned on using wood trim and this is so much better. How lucky to find just the right amount of border.
The wall panels are from Nook and Cranny. When I drove around to the back of the shop to load the pieces, I happened to see the tin crown molding on the sidewalk in front of another store in the West Bottoms. I bought all the border, but there is a truckload of the wall panels left. ($40 each, but ask for a volume discount if you buy more than a couple)
The room didn't look bad before, I liked the faux finish. Until you got up close.
My old house settles, and the shape of a doorway kept popping through the drywall. Years ago, during a remodel, we'd covered up a hallway and this door shape would NOT go away no matter how many times I'd patched it.
I don't mind cracks, old houses have lots of them. But not door shaped!
(and yes, you are seeing nasty cobwebs in this photo, not just faux paint treatments and cracks in the wall)
SInce I have tins on the kitchen ceiling, I thought it would look good to also have the wall at the far end of the living room covered in them too. (this is before)
Luckily, I have a very handy son, who installed them for me. He ripped off the baseboard, and I squirted a ton of caulking back under the wall to help with drafts before he put up the tin.
We decided not to put up more baseboard over it, I like the look as it ended up without it.
The panels plus the crown were just the right size for the wall! My son wanted to cut the tins and line them up perfectly, but I told him not to. It went against his nature as a carpenter to not have the lines on the tin exact, but I like it as it is.
(the purple marks show the door outline we were covering up)
I promised him I would tell everyone that, because the lines bother him. Not me, I'm soooo happy with the whole project!! He had them up in a couple hours.
The lines that might bother me are the ones between each panel. They need to be caulked and sealed so they aren't as prominent.
But I haven't made up my mind about painting yet. I did paint over the rust on the crown, but only because it was too regular and stripey looking. Random rust makes me happy, but this was not that kind.
For now, I figure I'll leave the chippiness as is, I can always paint later. But I do think I need to caulk the seams….
The dogs always think each photo is about them.
So, I indulged the little hams and let them pose.
They love to be in pictures.
For springtime, I hung some rose pattern bark cloth drapes and wrapped the sofa cushion in another bark cloth piece. It has come untucked on the edges a bit. I guess that is the sort of thing you should straighten before a photo, huh?
My living room stays cream and white most of the year, and I love that combo, it makes seasonal changes so simple. A few pillows, a couple curtain panels and a switcheroo of some knick knacks and I've got a new look for a new season.
And the dogs love the BARK cloth.
I did it! Not only did I finally figure out what my second class was going to be for Birdsong, I got lots of samples made and packed every single kit up and have them tucked away ready to go when my peeps arrive!
Beth, Mary, and Karla came over on Tuesday to participate in a practice class, here are a couple of their pieces. The book they are lying on is filled with little bird images and was published in the 1800s. I've used these old birdies in the kits, so of course, no two will be alike. In case someone gets a bird they don't care for, there are plenty of extras to chose from so the artist can find just the right little creature to put on her collage.
This is the actual pendant we will be working on, it's a large one, so we have space to play with the collage.
Now, I just need to get the bird cage kits packed up for my other class. All of the elements are prepped and ready, I just need to get them wrapped up.
If you would like to make a bird cage/wire cloche, I have spent weeks working out the best way to make them and have made a tutorial with step by step illustrated instructions, along with downloadable images to make fairies to keep in the cages once you get them made.
I've come up with a way to make the cages that I've not seen anywhere else. My son helped me come up with some great ideas that simplifies the process and keeps the wires from springing out every which way and driving you crazy.
He really deserves a lot of the credit, the boy is great with wire, and is a talented jewelry maker. This bracelet that we collaborated on will be featured in Jewelry Affaire. I'm thrilled to be doing an article with my son!
And greatly appreciate his input on the birdcage problems I was having.
It's great to be home from my trip! I always miss my family when I am away, no matter how much fun I am having.
I'll have some photos of my time in fairy tale land as soon as I get them edited. Tomorrow is my 55th birthday, so I doubt if I'll get to them for a couple of days. I'd like to think that I'll be too busy celebrating… hint, hint, family!!!
These pics are a few of my favorite bright spots from this long, never ending cold spring that had a hard time sprunging itself out of winter.
Along with this video of my son explaining a little bit about companion planting out in the Nathan Family Fairy Food Forest: