Sea + Prairie

modern version of an old gourd birdhouse

Or the other title I was considering for this post was "I love using my husband's power tools when he is gone."

Some of you asked for a little more explanation about the photo from Friday.  

On a whim Friday afternoon, the boys and I made a few birdhouses from last year's penguin gourds.  The gourds have been drying on the fence for a year now and they have been begging for that long to be used in some creative way.

And this gave me the perfect excuse to use the husband's power tools.  I love using S's pretty green drill and the bit that cuts circles in things.

 (Please don't tell him I called his drill pretty...or that I noticed that it is the perfect color of kelly green...ssshhhh!)

After doing a little research, we found a great chart with the correct size holes for the birds we are wanting to attract.  We made holes sized for chickadees, nuthatches and robins.  We also used a super small bit to make a few drainage holes in the bottom to keep the inside dry.  Next we cleaned out the seeds and dried flesh from inside the gourds, then sanded them down good using extra fine sandpaper.  Lastly, using eco-friendly paint left over from a previous project, we coated the gourds with two coats of white, green and blue paint and tied them near the stem with gardener's twine.

I think they turned out pretty sweet.

Love a modern twist to an old craft.

Hope our little birdie friends like them too.

pvc pipe sprinkler fun

Both of the neighbors on either side of us have pools.  My boys are insanely jealous and beg for a pool everytime we hear the splashes coming from over the fence.  (And it doesn't help that one set of neighbors rubs it in a bit that they have a pool and we don't...really!)  

But we have something else now...

We've had some pvc pipe laying on the side of the house next to the garage for several months now.  I knew they'd come in handy eventually.

So when I saw this, I knew what we would be doing yesterday.

Three trips to the hardware store later for caps and valves and we had ourselves some amazing summer fun.

If you are up for putting together one of these, here are a few things we learned:

1.  Its easier if you keep the longer pipes all one diameter when you go to look for the fittings.  There are a million to choose from so we just kept it to 1/2 inch.  Much easier!

2.  Valves are a must...so much fun and a great way to teach about water pressure.

3.  When you drill the holes in the pvc, make them small first.  The larger the holes, the more water pressure you loose and the sprays won't shoot as far.  You can always make the holes larger, but not the other way around.

4.  Have more end caps on hand than you think you will need.  I think we have 10.

5.  Be ready for said teasing neighbors to want to come over to play as soon as they see how much fun you are having. :)

Ahhh, now that's summer!

Happy sprinklering friends!

 

 

busy, busy, busy

in the last 8 days we have...

finished 2 teacher quilts,

picked zinnias 9 from the garden,

visited the Contemporary Art Center's Boardwalk Art Show and Inflatable Art Exhibit with 2 good friends,

eaten 3 cantaloupes from the market, and eaten our weight in popsicles,

picked 7 tomatoes...there's always one that can't follow the rules of how to become a pretty tomato, eh?

visited with our 2 cousins (1 tia, 1 tio and an abuelita) at the beach,

played 6 games of kickball, 

run in from the rain 3 times,

said good bye to 4 great teachers,

and umpteen jillion friends (but just for the summer),

...and today is only the first day official day of summer.

 

Looks like its going to be a busy one!

The Kindergarten Teacher Quilts Update

Now that the school year schedule is winding down, I'm finding a little more time in the mornings.  The boys are off to school by 7:30 and without so many school volunteer hours, I am able to work in a few other projects here and there.  Its a good thing because the garden continues to require much picking and weeding and staking.

But the quilts for the kindergarten teachers are also coming along.

My sweet neighbor Marci has been a huge help.  Thanks friend!  And its been fun to chat over coffee and listen to our dueling machines hum along.

One teacher's favorite color is orange and the other is partial to purple.  I thought I'd like the orange quilt better, but there's just something about that purple that just frames those little masterpieces to nicely.  I love how they are looking.

I'm not sure how it worked out, but both quilts have several rainbows in them.  Mrs. Troyan's quilt has several squares devoted to the tree they've been watching all year.  And bugs!  Lots of bugs!  And one little boy, Trenton, drew the entire class on his quilt square.  So great!

Now...for a quilt sandwich and binding!

Complete: Bowtie Quilt

I am great at beginning projects.  A super star, I tell you!

But as soon as the excitement of the initial brainstorming is over, I tend to loose focus.

So, my word for this year is "complete".

I had thought about "finish" or "whole" or even "done".  But the word "complete" seems to sum up everything that I would like to see happen this year in my life.

This quilt has been a long time in the making.  You can read more about it here, and here. I told you it has been a long time!

This pretty little brown, yellow and green number is a small quilt - nothing like some of the amazing quilts you all are making out there.  But I am feeling very accomplished and proud that I didn't quit on this.

There are several things in my life I would like to see through, all the way to the bitter end.  Not just this quilt.

But today, this is the way I see the word "complete" manifesting itself in my life.

Hooray for COMPLETE!

Have you chosen one word?

A Quilt and A Life: Little By Little

Some projects come with initial idea and execution strategy all at once.  In a flurry I hit the sewing machine or grab the glue gun and in one evening the project is finished.

Done.

This quilt is another story.

I have been feeling guilty about not finishing it sooner.  But I got the message I had needing to hear today.

This quilt comes along in its own sweet time.

I first posted about it here...and how Carole was teaching me.

I did a bit more fabric cutting here.

And today I got a bit of time to begin piecing the squares together.  Now I have nice long strips that need to get sewn together...finally.

It is coming together.

This quilt just has its own timing.

I just couldn't make the bright blue work for me.  

The white fabric with the little yellow flowers on it was a duvet cover that I picked up a few weeks back.  A thrift find from our newly opened Goodwill store.  I think it lightens the whole thing up and I am liking it.  I think I'll use the rest for the backing.

I pick favorite "spots" on the quilt as it comes together.  Thinking that if this quilt were going to be mine, I would fold it so this "spot" showed.  My new favorite "spot" is the one shown in the top photo. I just love it.

Favorite spots.

Pieces coming together little by little.

I would love to say that it will be finished and ready to quilt by tomorrow.

But most likely it won't.

It will sit right where it is until the time is right...or company comes and needs the bed.

So much like my life these days.

Little pieces picked up here and there...a little vintage a little new.  Lessons learned along the way. Waiting for the right timing.  Getting up the courage to dig in again.  Not feeling guilty. 

And again...

I am so happy to have a friends along for the ride.

Yarn Wreaths - Christmas Front Door Makeover

This year while bringing down the Christmas boxes from the attic and digging in, it was clear that we needed some updating.

Our boxes are filled with decorations that we have had since we got married. 

OK, in reality some of them I have had since college.

Last year they seemed ok.

But this year for some reason, I just couldn't put some of them up.

They just aren't "us" anymore.  The front door wreaths were such.

I had seen several yarn wreaths around the blogosphere...namely Jade's little colorful numbers and Blair's.  And I love Sarah's color combination.  

So the boys and I made some new wreaths for the front door.  I'm glad they were game to help because the circle looks pretty small until you start wrapping, and wrapping and wrapping.

It took us two nights off and on, but we got them done.  And we're pretty happy. It was our little bird lover's idea to add a little chickadee.  I think it totally makes the wreath.

 

Since our doors are green, we needed a light color to stand out against the darker background.  And I'm still in love with that plaid flannel from the new pillows.  We used some of the scraps to cut out leaves.  Add a stick from the yard and a little bird...and you've got an entirely new look for the front doors.

The previous versions were originally purchased by my mother-in-law at a craft fair several years ago.  They had little fisherman and ducks on them, but in an attempt to make them more "us" I removed them.

I'm liking the new version much better.

Now on to the fireplace mantle.

New Pillows For Pillow Week

 

 

Erin has been hosting pillow week this week.  If you have a few minutes (ok, an hour or so) pop over because she has some great video tutorials answering lots of how to questions regarding pillows.

Pillows are such great projects.  Similar to the impact a new paint color has on a room, pillows are inexpensive and can really change how the room looks in just a short amount of time.

I've had this great blue and grey plaid for a few weeks now.  I picked it up at Joann's when I was getting the pattern for Wyatt's Halloween costume.  I didn't know what I would do with it, but when I saw Erin's pillow challenge, I knew some new living room pillows would be great in front of the fireplace.

This fabric at first looks a bit like wool, but is super soft - almost like fleece, but even cozier.  It is easy to sew with as it doesn't ravel much.  

Yesterday I made two pillow covers for the summer pillows.  I love the idea of having simple, seasonal slip-on covers for the living room pillows.  This project took me all of 20 minutes and was so gratifying...just what my creative brain needed!  I am already thinking up what to do for Christmas.  Maybe some snowflake doily embellishment?

On the plate today is to make three huge floor pillows in a coordinating plaid for lounging in front of the fireplace.

On second thought...

...these seem to be working just fine.

 

Join Erin and make some pillows this week!

---  Don't forget to share your photos on the Pillow Week photo pool.

---  Have you seen Sara's to die for l-o-v-e pillows?  They are available in her etsy shop.

---  Im in love with this fall pillow.

Its My Job to Feed the Creativity (in both of us)

If you have been reading for long, you know our thoughts on public education.  Some days I love it, some days...not so much.

Today Wyatt got off the bus in a very sad mood.  We came in the house and had our usual lunch - pb&J with apple slices and milk.

I asked him about his day and he told me that he was sad. I could already tell, but thought I might get a little more info. out of him with a full belly...boys.  

A bit more prodding revealed the source of his frown.  His kindergarden class has been studying trees.  And I guess he was supposed to be doing a drawing of the tree the class had adopted.

Apparently he wanted to cut out and glue a blue whale to the top of his tree.  The teacher asked him if he saw a whale on the top of the tree outside.  He answered no and so she asked him to take his whale off of his tree.

Now I understand what his teacher was trying to teach him.  Because I am in their class on Fridays, I know that they are working on seasons and how the trees are loosing their leaves this time of year.  Im sure he was supposed to be focusing on that aspect of the tree and not blue whales.

But part of me was sad.  Sad that the creative part of him could not be encouraged a bit more.  Surely, the tree can have red and orange leaves AND a blue whale.

And then I woke up out of my "formal school is the only place he can learn fog".  

I feel like this little guy is a completely different little fellow than he was just a few short months ago.  His imagination is expanding exponentially.  The past several weeks has started telling amazing stories with tons of detail.  He's asked for pens and markers and pencils with plain paper.  

It really is my job to pick up where school leaves off.

Not a teacher who has 30 other little people to tend to.  The teacher, who is wonderful by the way, who doesn't see how his little brain is exploding with colors and animals and stories.  Sadly, she has not been tasked with encouraging his fleeting thoughts and silly stories.  She is crazy busy just trying to teach the curriculum she has been given.

This might make her a bit sad too.  I should ask her sometime.

So he and I broke out the clay and made a little village...with a strong wind that was so strong it blew the whale right up in the tree.  And a turtle who liked to eat candy...and two volcanoes.  And trees like they have in Africa.

Today I am reminded that I am the teacher.  That if art and creativity is important to he and I then I just make time and tools to feed that amazing little brain of his.  And maybe just maybe I'll dream a little bigger story for myself as well.

I've been thinking about dreaming a bigger story for myself ever since.

Once again, you are the REAL teacher and I am the student.

Indian Corn Necklace

Hi!

Did you miss me?

I missed you all.

But vacations are good.  Even vacations from things we love.

The extra time was spent getting a few things around the house back in order, running kids to soccer games, making a dinosaur costume and doing a bit of mindless blog surfing...which is oh, so much fun.

Oh, and I've been taking a ton of pictures.  I don't think I have *ever* taken as many photos as I have this past month or so.

You can see the latest photos from the Picture Fall class here.  I have met some really lovely new friends, photographers, very inspiring women who have me looking at the world a bit differently.  That's always nice.

And I would completely recommend Tracey's next class Picture the Holidays.  I've already signed up.  Want to join me?

While bouncing from blog to blog, I came across a great indian corn necklace.  And I can't for the life of me remember where I saw it.  If you know, please let me know in the comments and I will provide the appropriate credit.  *sorry, very creative friend with the great blog*  Thank you Suzanne, I saw it on Crow Roosters Crow!

The boys and I enjoyed the first fire in the fireplace this season with hot cocoa and corn stringing.  It was a picture perfect evening.

I liked this version with pumpkin seeds too.  How fun would they be to mix the two?

We still have a few to make.  We thought they would be fun for the boys teachers...a little pre-holiday gift giving.

What have you been up to?

Can't wait to catch up with you all, dear people.