30 Days of Summer :: Day 2

Before I agreed to do camp, I planned on making one day of each week 'Field Trip Day'. Today was our first of the summer.

We drove to a nearby farm and market that has not only pick-your-own fruits and vegetables, but also cut-your-own zinnias.

While we were there, we got to see the month-old baby turkeys. "They're for Thanksgiving, " the marketwoman whispered to us, "but don't tell them that. We haven't told them yet."

To find a similar farm near you, check out this great site.

30 Days of Summer :: Day 1

I consider today our first official day of Summer.

Yes, it is already the second week of July. But camp finally wrapped up yesterday, having started right after school got out. So for us, summer vacation began today.

This morning began with a little impromptu 730am strum along with The Dad. His guitars are kept in our bedroom and the kids love to pull them out and choose a pick to play along.

Inspired by SouleMama's 30 Days of Summer last summer, and looking for a little push to get me posting more regularly now that things are slowing down a bit, I am bravely embarking on an attempt to post every day for the next 30 days. And am ignoring the fact that when those 30 days are over I will be school shopping and preparing to send my daughter to kindergarten and my son to nursery school...

May you also be intentional in recognizing each of the next 30 days to keep them from simply flying by...

The Backyard: A Work in Progress

The night after The Dad and I moved into our new house, we stood out in the backyard, scanning and imagining. We had a great amount of space for an urban lot, secluded by hedges and feeling very residential in the middle of a city neighborhood. It was overgrown and unkempt and we knew we had our work cut out for us.

Fortunately, we had similar visions. A variety of 'elements' the kids could play on. Ones that blended into the landscape. That would grow with them and could be used for open-ended play. Things that would challenge them, but keep them safe... We have slowly but surely been building this little 'adventure playground'.

The newest addition is 'The Fort'. This is Phase I, the first level. Soon to be added is a slide, followed by a second level, and eventually some type of catwalk from there over to a yet-to-be built treehouse.
We also added a giant old shell that made it's way here from Martha's Vineyard (via a storage locker in Portsmouth, NH) filled with pea gravel as another little sensory spot. O has enjoyed transplanting the gravel into little piles all over the yard...
The wigwam has gone through various repairs and reconstructions but remains intact on the corner of our lot. Still with our old Christmas tree branches making it's roof.

We've also still got the double swing. We have begun pondering what will take it's place when the kids outgrow it, and I'm leaning towards this, but I think we still have another year of what reminds me of the Pirate Ship ride you see at amusement parks.

The zip line also went up this weekend, just in time for us to host the end-of-camp potluck in the yard last night. Over 50 people, half of them kids, spent a good couple hours out there without it feeling overcrowded and with no signs of boredom. We consider that a success!

Pillows for the Kids

I've finally been back in the studio. And discovered how easy it is to make a simple case for a small-ish pillowform!

I gave some of our old pillows a little upgrade with some fun cotton covers.

I started with directions from Heather Ross's Weekend Sewing book, but the overlap in the back was a little short (the pillows are a little old and a little lumpy) so I modified it a bit for the second one.

The pillows are 16x16 and just right to add that little something to the kids' beds. I have two more waiting for covers for the den, I just need to decide which fabric to use. These sew up so quickly, I could easily see perking up lots of little family spaces around the house with some of the fun prints from my stash.

And then I can see The Dad hiding my sewing machine on me and crying "Enough! Enough pillows!"
As I've said before, it's all about balance.

A Glimpse of the Future

I have seen the future. And it is bittersweet.

This week, E and O are attending Little Princess and Pirate Camp. At a dance school in town. I registered them early, before I signed on to co-run the camp at their nursery school. And I had so been looking forward to a week of free mornings. Instead, I got two days. Yesterday and Today, while The Dad is traveling for business.

I dropped them off at 9 and pick them up at 1. I've (mostly) stayed off the computer. I've finally really cleaned the kitchen. I've done some work on the rest of the house. If I want to be disgustingly honest, I even finally washed the play food that has been sitting in a bin in the basement since O threw up on it over a year ago. I've also read. And run errands. And sat in a coffee shop. It's been a productive couple of mornings.

And I am finally feeling ready to go back into the studio. I have an order from a new gallery that will begin carrying my dresses and skirts. And a couple things I want to make for the kids and for myself. So, hopefully, the upcoming holiday weekend will be even more productive as I continue to cull through the house clutter and start sewing again.

Thanks so much for checking in.

Once Upon A Time

Slowly... Very Slowly... I am getting the kids' rooms put back together. We separated them a little over a month ago when The Dad moved into the 'home office' to work fulltime. Eliminated the playroom and moved the kids into their own rooms, adding their toys to their sleepspace which fortunately has worked out so far.

So, back before we actually moved them, I began picturing the room redo(s). I picked up these wooden letters for E's room. I actually bought them once, back when we lived in Minneapolis, to do the kids' names but returned them after a little more thought.

I knew I wanted to use them, but wasn't sure how. And then began to thin of a storybook theme-y thing for E's room. Ahhh... I knew what I wanted.

Today, I finally got them up on her wall.
We've got some fabulous arches in the architecture of our house.

The canopy is not permanent. We've been experimenting with it a bit. I think that in the end we may actually move it outside, though E is insistent that it go over her bed. We'll see.

Summer Camp

For the last week and a half, I have been 'TeacherMama', as E has dubbed me. I have been co-running a camp at E (and now O's) nursery school. A camp for 3-5 year olds. Up to 24 of them. And 2-3 rotating co-oping parents at a time.

Our day begins at 730am when my kids and I head out the door for the 40 minute walk to the school.

The camp day runs from 845am to 1pm. And then we clean up and walk home again. Usually with O falling asleep about two blocks in.

I had forgotten how much I love working with kids. And their parents. The individual interactions, the group process, the planning and preparing and problem solving.

I go to bed exhausted and wake up still weary, but the walk energizes me. And by the time I reach the woods (the last couple minutes of the walk to school are through the woods - how cool is that?!!) I am ready.

So I haven't been on the computer much lately. And haven't been sewing at all. But boy are we having fun. And boy is my reservoir being refilled.

Purchases Made and Planned

I made two Etsy purchases in the last 24 hours and can't wait to have them in my hands. I've been eyeing both for what seems like forever:

First, the Pirate Cupcake shirt from Dogbone Art.
And a matching apron for co-oping at O's pre-school in the fall.

Then, one of the By Order of the Management prints from John W Golden. He's got a whole series of these signs, some of which have been featured in the Land of Nod catalog. This one will be perfect on the wall in O's new room.

We have also been shopping for a new 'grown up' couch forever. Our first really nice furniture purchase ever. We've had our eye on a great leather one from Room and Board that I, unfortunately, cannot copy and paste a picture of. But I think it's the one we're going with so will hopefully have pictures of it (in the new den) in a couple weeks! We drooled (and still do) over a lot of R and B furniture while we lived in Minneapolis but had neither the money nor the space. Now that we have a little bit more of both, we're ready to take the plunge.

The Dad even went to the Flagship store while he was out there a couple weeks ago to 'test-sit' their sofas since he seems to be incredibly particular about how it should feel when he sits down (and lies down - since he insists it be a fabulous nap-couch as well).

We do not take spending decisions lightly around here and have gone as far as taping out the footprint of the said couch on our den floor to make sure it will fit comfortably in the room!

It's okay, you can laugh at us. It's funny, we haven't even measured the doorway or stairwell to see if we can get it up there (the den is now on the 3rd floor of our narrow house) but we know it will sit well in the room!

We are planners, to varying degrees. But it suits us and has served us very well!

The Nursery School Graduation Dress

E graduated from nursery school today. I whipped up this little 'pillowcase dress' for the occasion. With matching head scarf.

One of my fastest projects yet. Out of some hoarded Heather Ross Mendocino fabrics. I love how it turned out and hope to make a couple more for the summer.

To save time, I used store-bought bias tape for the arm holes. I would actually like to make my own next time. I even have a little bias-tape-maker. Opened, but yet to be used. Oh the possibilities.

As I tried it on her along the way to check measurements (let me just see how long the ribbon should be... Here, now try it on and let me see how long the hem should be...), O asked when his pants would be finished... The pants that haven't been started yet... Oh... I did say that once I finished the craft show I would start on their summer wardrobes, right? Time to get to work!

The Studio Clean-Up

The Dad took the kids out Saturday morning - rummage sale, state park, strawberry picking... Fun little adventure.

I stayed home and finally got on top of my studio. In a mad rush to pack everything up for Art Star, bins had been emptied, scraps had been scattered - I couldn't walk through the room, let alone sit at the table to get some work done.

I am happy to say it is almost finished. I say almost because I still have a couple fun things to hang, my fleece is still in a rubbermaid bin, and I haven't figured out a way to store my patterns yet. Any ideas? I have a couple, but haven't actually tried them all the way yet.

I'm really looking forward to getting back to work. For me, there's nothing more inspiring than a clean, organized, put together room.