Sea + Prairie

summer unschooling sign ups officially open

I know Spring has just arrived and most of the country is just starting to see the snow recede and budding trees and flowers again, but Im a planner.  You  know that by now, right?

I am already thinking about summer and how we will try to squeeze every drop out of it we can.  Some of you who have been reading here awhile, have followed my thoughts on education and how we (like so many other parents) are trying to make some difficult choices about how our children are educated. 

One of the things that I am most excited about is our summer unschooling project.  When reading about educational choices, I came across the concept of unschooling.  The concepts of making your world your classroom, learning by doing, learning through play, following up on a child's own interest all rang true for me.  Probably because, my parents had incorporated so many of those philosophies into my learning as a girl (in addition to public school).  I just didn't know it had a name. 

Just like last year that was deemed, summer of the caterpilars, the boys will be in charge of what we learn and where that learning takes us.  I am looking forward to the more relaxed schedule of summer where we can go to the library more, take little day trips, journal, draw and paint.

I decided to make it a bit more official and give it a name and offered it up to anyone else who would like to join.  And the unofficial response has been very positive.  I think there is great value in a group of us sharing ideas and thoughts through this concept.

I just ask one thing...please don't think I am an expert on the unschooling subject.  Remember, currently my boys attend public school.  But I will be learning right along with my boys and all of you.  I am open to sharing the ebb and flow of our days and what we are learning along the way, but for heavy philosophical questions, I will direct them elsewhere.

So, with that in mind.  Summer unschool signups are officially open!

And I know many of you will want to know "What do I do now?"  Stay tuned. More information will follow next week.  But for now...start making a list of things that you know your kiddos are already interested in. 

Our list includes:

birds
the beach
ice cream
Star Wars
Army guys and weapons...aaah, boys!
electricity
animals
construction
bicycles and making ramps

Oh, this is going to be a fun summer!

Want to join us?

For more information, check out the summer unschooling page. 

a sunny weekend afterall

After reading the weather report on Friday, we had expected the weather to be rainy, rainy, rainy.  And this mama was racking her brain to come up with yet more inside activities to keep the troops busy.

However, the weather man turned out to be wrong.  But we're not blaming him.  It was a nice surprise.

Instead of netflix movies and hangman, we had a lovely weekend full of...

:: an all boy sleepover (plus one sweet little girl) with home made pizza and good friends to play "army guys" ::

:: building beaver dams...still, one of our favorite past times ::

:: and target practice with the sling shots mama brought back from Nicaragua last summer ::

I've got lots of great things coming up on the blog this week including a giveaway, another great way to upcycle drop cloths and news on the summer unschooling project. 

So, how was your weekend?

upcycle a painter's drop cloth : a spill proof tablecloth

This project came about by happy accident. 

We usually eat in our kitchen for breakfast.  But in the evenings, we have been eating in our dining room more and more.  And I am really enjoying it.  One problem is that our dining table was my great grandmother's and is a treasured antique.  I have a few antique lace tablecloths that fit the table perfectly.  However, antique table + antique tablecloth + little boys who still spill their milk from time to time (like every meal) do not = a happy mama. 

I am not a huge fan of plastic table cloths, but was willing to suck it up to spare my table.  However, you see that rug peaking out from under the table.  It has some pretty bold colors (red, green and yellow) in it and the table cloth needed to be a bit subdued.  I was having a hard time finding a plastic table cloth without hybiscus flowers or monkeys with bananas in their hands.  So, I decided to lay a piece of plastic down on my table and make a cloth that could be popped easily into the waching machine. 

I have used painters drop cloths as yard goods before, purchased from the hardware store.  And after looking at how much I was going to spend on fabric from the fabric store, I decided to use drop cloths again.  I like how they have the "look" of linen but with a heavy canvas feel.  So for less than $12, I picked up two drop cloths last time I was at the hardware store getting mulch for the garden.  Anytime I can get fabric AND seeds in one stop is a good day for me.

However, this time, when I opened up the package I was almost disappointed to see that the cloth had a plastic backing. 

I say almost because immediately I realized this was even MORE perfect than I had planned.  I wouldn't have to lay an extra sheet of plastic down on my table afterall.

I sewed two of the cloth panels together, added a little "bird inspired" embroidery and hot-diggidy.  I have a new spill proof table cloth that is stylish, it will protect my antique table and can easily be laundered.

The embroidery is finished, but after seeing Melissa's pillows, I can't help but think that a silhouette of a little bird added to the cloth with a bit of rough edged applique wouldn't make it even sweeter.

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OK, I couldn't help it...I was up early, early this morning thinking about how this table cloth needed a few fabric birds added.

But I had to wait until the sun came out to get a decent picture of it.  Ahhh...that's better.

a bit of birdwatching

We are all about the birds these days.

Strangely many of the birds that we had overwinter in our area last year, were absent this year.

So we weren't sure what to expect come Spring.  But right on schedule, they have arrived again in full force.

One of our most favorites bird to watch from last summer were a pair ospreys and later their two young ones.  The houses across the street from us back up to a canal with brackish water (salt water and fresh water).  So, we can literally sit for hours on our front porch watching them fish in the canal.  Sometimes we hear them before we see them.  The ospreys glide up high, shifting their wings with the slightest movements.  Then all of a sudden, they fold their wings back, head turns down and like a bullet, dive into the water.  We figured last year they were batting about .500.  A pretty good average, if you were playing baseball.

We've been watching a pair of cardinals.  We always hear their tell tale call first too.  Then he comes to the feeder first to check things out.  Then she eventually comes into view.  They both sit at the feeder and he gently feeds her bits of seed...usually sunflower seeds.  So sweet.

We see Mr. Mockingbird every morning on our fence.

And this little sweetie, if you can see her, is a female purple finch...we think.  Anyone? 

She belongs to this dude.  And he sings about her all day long.  He must really have it bad for her.

We've also seen chickadees, mourning doves, and flocks and flocks of black birds - grackles with a few red winged black birds in the mix.   Being this close to the wter, we have a constant flow of gulls overhead, but I haven't learned to distinguish one species from another yet.  We've spotted several groups of geese flying North.   And there are always the ducks who are happy to clean up the bird seed that the black birds kick out of the feeders.

Unfortunately, the boys and I are not the only birdwatchers in the family.

Needless to say, with birds so much on our mind, the bird theme is working its way into lots of family projects these days.  Stay tuned, because tomorrow I'm excited about sharing a little project that goes along with bird theme.

And it involves one of our all time favorite songs.  The song was originally an old North Carolina folk song, but we discovered it when Elizabeth Mitchell re-recorded it on this album a few years ago.  

Until tomorrow, I give you the words to the song...I promise you, you'll be hearing them all night.

Little Bird, Little Bird fly through my window
Little Bird, Little Bird fly through my window
Little Bird, Little Bird fly through my window
Buy molasses candy. 

urban farming, our version

Here is a scene from our urban farm this morning.  Let me paint you a picture.

 

• 7 Muscovy ducks (the friendliest ducks in the world) on the porch waiting for Wyatt to feed them.  They really like cheerios.

• A pair of mallards who have started a nest on the side of the house

• Blackberry bushes leafing out all over the place with strawberry plants emerging beneath

• A vegetable garden set with spring peas, onions, spinach, cabbage, broccoli and various lettuces

• Winter quilts still on the beds with little people snuggled under them

• A mama up at 5:30 a.m. to make coffee

• Hang some wash on the line and ...

• Put biscuits in the oven

Sounds pretty farm-like to me.

But remember, its all in how you frame it.  Right. 

Here's the truth. 

We do not live on a farm...but oh, how I wish we did.  Oh, how I wished we had a few acres with a barn.  We'd have lots of chickens and a cow.  We'd have horses for the boys to ride whenever they wanted and a field full of spring wheat. Anyway...back to the truth.

Yes, the truth.  Our neighborhood is as cookie cutter as you get.  One of those "8 styles of houses, which side of the house do you want your garage on" kind of areas. 

But there are lots of positives to our little neck of the woods.  We have a great house, perfectly set up for the dozens of kiddos in and out of here on a weekly basis.  Our house is nestled in a great cul-de-sac that hosts 11 other children, which makes for lots of fun in the summer.  There is a great park 3 blocks down.  We can walk to our local elementary school.  We can ride our bikes to the beach.  It really is a great neighborhood.

But just for a moment this morning, I was a farmer.  I put my work boots on and headed out back to check if last night's freeze nipped our little garden seedlings. 

You can't blame a girl for having a dream, can you?

target hack

I m getting to be quite a Target hack these days. First the tablecloth turned glider cushion, now its a great little tote bag made even better with a bit of embellishment. 

I have a thing for navy blue right now.  Have you noticed?  Navy blue and green...navy blue and yellow...navy blue and (insert any obscure color you can think of here).  I've been wanting a big tote bag in navy for quite awhile, but hadn't gotten around to picking out the fabric.  So when I came across this canvas plastic lined tote in the $1 section at Target, I grabbed it and immediately began thinking about how I could dress it up a bit. 

A vintage yellow and white (with a touch of green) doily from my stash was the perfect thing. 

And with the plastic lining inside it is perfect for the beach or for toting snacks wherever we're headed for the day.  Sand brushes right off and spills are cleaned up with a sponge.

Hmmm...what's next?

real life :: its all in how you frame it

Last week, I was up late and reading through some of the posts on the Mothering Magazine message boards.  I came across a thread asking readers what they thought of the March edition of the magazine. There were many positive comments about this article and that one.  But then toward the end, I came across a post from a woman who said she liked the "crafty mama" article, but was saddened because the magazine had shown those of us who appeared in the article to be too perfect - our craft projects so neatly photographed, our children quietly coloring or sewing and our craft rooms and kitchens staged with just enough disheveledness that they looked lived in.

My heart sinks at the thought that someone would hold up their life in comparison to mine. 

Believe me, I have messes too.  If you really want to see what my craft room looks like, here you go.  Take a gander. 

But, here's the thing. 

Life is messy...sometimes, its really messy.  There is no getting around that fact.  No one escapes it.

However, I've learned a few things along the way.  Through writting and learning to take photographs, I've learned that for me, finding the beauty in life is all in how you frame it.  It's what you choose to focus on...whether it be your camera or your heart.

And I make a conscious choice to focus on the simple, the beautiful and the positive in my life.

So, when the boys are spinning around the kitchen while Im making dinner and Im doing my best not to post an advertisement on SELLYOUKIDSTOTHEGYPSIES.COM, I chose to stop.  Breath.  Breath again if need be.  And think about what this scene might look like if it were framed just right.

recipe: dueling doughnuts

You already know how much we love taste tests in this house.  Here's another one for you.  This time... doughnuts!

Every chance I get, I ask my grandmother about her family recipes and the memories that go along with those particular foods.  Its a funny thing how just a hint in the wind of an iron skillet heating up can take you back a decade or two. One of Grammer's favorites was her mother's doughnut recipe using leftover mashed potatoes.  

So, last fall when we were in Texas, Oma (my mother) got brave and opened her kitchen up to her five little grand children...all under the age of 6...to try out Grammer's leftover mashed potato doughnut recipe.  Here it is...

Mashed Potato Doughnut Recipe

Ingredients:

• 2 c. sugar
• 3 c. mashed potatoes
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 c. vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 c. milk
• 8 c flour
• 5 T. baking powder

Directions:

• Mix sugar and mashed potatoes until consistency of paste.
• Add eggs and beat.
• Add vegetable oil, milk, flour and baking powder. 
• Add flour after that if necessary.
• Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll to 1/2-inch thickness.
• Cut out with floured doughnut cutter. A jar ring works too. 
• In an iron skillet, heat oil to about 350°.
• Drop doughnuts, 2 or 3 at a time, into the hot fat being careful not to splash the oil.
• Fry, turning once, for 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
• Drain doughnuts on paper towels.

This recipe makes doughnuts similar to what we would call cake doughnuts.  It makes A LOT of doughnuts, so you could half the recipe for enough doughnuts for one sitting.  Once we got the heat of the oil down pat, they were perfectly brown on the outside and moist and cakey on the inside.  Yummy!

We covered half the batch in icing and some with powdered sugar.  Im not sure if we even declared a winner, they were all gone so fast.  But this was a great recipe and I am so happy to have it from my Grammer.

Well, my boys have not forgotten making doughnuts with their Oma and how much fun it was.  They have decided, that although the mashed potato doughnuts were extremely tasty, there might be some room for improvement. 

*Sorry Grammer, these little men are perfectionists when it comes to their cooking.*

On Wednesday, after the boys got off the bus I had everything laid out to try another doughnut recipe.  They couldn't get their sight word sorts done fast enough and get their aprons on.

Sour Cream Doughnuts

Ingredients:

• 1 c. granulated sugar

• 3/4 c. thick sour cream
• 1 t. baking soda
• 1 t. baking powder
• 1 c. sour milk
• 3 eggs
• flour (enough to make soft dough)

Directions:

• Cream the sugar and sour cream together.
• Beat the eggs with a fork in a small bowl and add to the cream and sugar.
• Sift dry ingredients and add a small part at a time with the sour milk.
• Sift in three cups of flour and then add about one cup or the amount necessary to make a soft dough. (This dough is more easily handled if chilled a little.)
• Roll the dough out on a floured board and cut with floured cutter.
• Do not handle the dough more than necessary or it will become tough. Fry in shortening or oil at 350 degrees F.
• Drain on paper towels and roll in sugar or shake in a bag of sugar.

Oh, these were good!  The boys ate their weight in doughnuts and even shared with the neighbors on the front porch.  And for mamas, these doughnuts are just about perfect dipped in coffee.

The results...

Sour Cream Doughnuts ****(four stars)

Grammer's Mashed Potato Doughnuts *****(five stars)

Even though the second recipe was tasty, it still doesn't stand a chance next to Grammer's. 

The nostalgia factor weighs heavily in this house.

Looking for a fun weekend cooking activity...make doughnuts!

-------------------

Here are some good hints on making doughnuts.

And here is a great site I found with lots of tips and recipe variations on doughnuts.

:about:

Hello friends!

I am Eren Hays San Pedro, a mama and a wife and a home+maker.  This space is my personal journal and creative outlet.

I believe in traditional mothering, cooking most of our meals, sewing, crocheting, knitting, playing outside, exploring nature and documenting it all with my camera.

I appreciate you visiting this space.

I have three little boys, twin 7 year olds and my youngest is 4.  They keep me hopping. But I can not imagine doing anything else.  I try to insert a little creativity into our lives on a daily basis.

You will find some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.

How did you come up with the name Vintage Chica?  And why did you start blogging?

How long have you been sewing?

What kind of sewing machine do you use?

What kind of camera do you use?  

I use a Nikon D40 with two lenses, the Nikkor 18-55mm zoom lens that came with the kit, and a Nikkor VR 55-200mm zoom.  I started out using (and continue to do from time to time) a Nikon Cool Pix.  I loved that camera and would recommend it to anyone wanting an inexpensive little camera to take anywhere.  

Can I link to your blog?  Sure you can!  Link away.

How about linking to your tutorials?  

YES - just please, when linking to my patterns/tutorials, link to related posts.

Can I post images of your work?  

Yes, just please link to the source (my blog/shop) and also give me proper credit.  If you have any questions, send me a quick email (esanpedro1ATcoxDOTnet) and I will get back to you ASAP.

What about sponsorships or advertising space?  I do offer sponsorships/advertising on my blog for items or services that I would use myself.  Contact me for ad costs or to set up a trade.

how can i contact you?
email me :: esanpedro1 [AT] cox [DOT] net

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I am a wife to a Special Forces military man with a cute tush and an even better guacamole recipe.

I am mama to three of the cutest little rug rats you'll ever see. They all have cowboy names as a little nod to my Texas heritage.

I am the daughter of a western antiques dealer and a real life Texas cowboy (think Lonesome Dove).

I grew up in a house filled with family heirlooms and great stories of the past. I was destined to love junking and all that is vintage.

But more than that, I strive to incorporate vintage ways into our modern day living through traditional mothering, cooking, gardening, sewing, crafting, crochet, thrifting, camping and repurposing.

My style is pretty eclectic, but always vintage inspired.

Most of the time I think I should be committed, but this is my crazy life and I dont know any other way to do it.

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If this hasn't answered all of your burning quesions, you might check out these links:

-my website
-the encyclopedia of me
-on being a military wife
-a few other frequently asked questions (a few years old, but still all true)

new cushion for a vintage glider

If you follow my photos on flickr, you have seen a weeks worth of foggy, cloudy, rainy photos. 

Yesterday was the 6th straight day of rain.

Ugh!

It was starting to feel like we lived in Seattle.  Or at least what I am guessing it would feel like to live in Seattle.

But this morning, the fog is burning off and the clouds are parting.

I have had this old glider since I was first out of college.  I bought it from the First Monday Flea Market in Weatherford, TX (where my parents live) when I was about 22 and setting up my own little house up in Oklahoma.  I still remember the old man's face when I asked him how much he wanted for it.  "You want that old thing?" he questioned.  I think I paid all of $15 for it at the time and quietly screamed inside all the way home at what a bargain I had gotten.

And then I had to tell my Dad that we needed to make room in the already packed u-haul trailer for the huge glider.  Luckily my Dad is a reasonable man.  He understands not to come between a woman (even if it is his daughter) and her flea market find.  

Im thinking I need to sand it down again, prime it real good, and re-paint it this summer.

But for today, Im happy that it has a new cushion made out of a repurposed Target table cloth.  Even though I love the pring, the table cloth, as purchased, just wasn't working in our dining room.  My mom and I were just talking about how much we love mixing the old with the new. 

I am loving those big blocky pears against the chippy-pealy paint.

So, maybe we'll get outside some today and dry off and enjoy the new and improved flea market glider.