follow up on WIP's

Done! and in time for the big 5

What we have been up to....and a sneak preview

WIP Kiddo Ties

WIP B'day Crowns

WIP Ruffle Pants


It has been a busy few weeks. I'll be back with regular posting very soon.......Birthday celebrations, Give Aways and more.....

Lipbalm and Rainbows!

Zoe and I spent this morning at the local preschool making lipbalm with all the kiddos. Zoe had prepares a chart listing the ingredients


Lipbalm Ingredients
Solids:
beeswax, coconut oil, cocobutter
Liquid:
grapeseed oil, strawberry essence
Accessories:
Glitter (can add color too)
(we used a ratio of 1 part solids : 3 parts liquid)

Each child decorated their container with stickers while waiting for thebeeswax to melt and then the lipbalm to solidify.





We took the left over Lipbalms to the





where Zoe set up her table as a face painter again. This week she sported a great money apron with our good friend Kate made for her during the week.






It was a busy market this week.......The kids market is really one of my favorite times of the week

Goop, Slime, Goo, Ooo, Blue Goo, Gunk, Floam, Putty, Ooze, Oobleck, Flubber!

It all began innocently with "National Geographic Little Kids" Cheetah family magazine.



"Mama do you have any corn starch"

"Sure Zoe. What do you need it for?"

"I want to make "blue goo"

Looked simple enough...........A simple recipe. Many hours of play. Perfect.



Somewhere during the 3rd or 4th hour of play with her purple goo......"mama"

"yes zoe"

"i want to have a mad scientist birthday party" (her birthday is not until Oct) "did you hear me"

"yes zoe"

"lets plan it now"

"ok zoe"

She had it already planned. Costumes. All kind of goos, baking soda volcanos and color mixing. And hand made recipe books for all her friends.

We'd better get cracking! Where does she get all these ideas?

Here are a few fun "slime" links

Five Minute Popsci

and here is one from the Ellen show (thanks Jaeden!)

Don't try this at home!


Consider this your warning and start planning your crazy scientist costumes.

Yesterdays sewing

Hedgehog of a different color (Green) fabric from superbuzzy. The top is a Butterick (B5019) Super Easy!
Linen pants with hedgehog trim and pockets are inspired by SouleMama/

8 months ago

I stayed up into the wee hours to finish a birthday dress for Zoe's 4th Birthday. My first dress. She hated it! She threw it across the room. It landed on the rocking chair ........




Fast forward 8 months.
Seven o'clock this morning





"Mama look what i found. (it has been on the rocking chair for 8 months! waiting for a new life.....place mats? napkins?) i love it. can i wear it? "



The beautiful "Zoe" stamp worn as a tattoo is a custom made name stamp from Craft Pudding on etsy. I love all her stamps.



So i took it as a sign and pulled out the sewing machine which has recently been collecting dust, cleaned off the table and got to work sewing a summer outfit. It flowed....a great sewing day. Pictures tomorrow as it is dark and gloomy again.

Now maybe I can finish the barettes and floral ponies that I began this Spring and get them into my etsy store.....

A Summer of Color (for the Kids)

Join us in exploring colors this summer. Get your kids exploring with their camera noticing the colors that surround us. We'll photograph, paint, craft and read as we explore colors. Weekly I will post crafting ideas that you can do with your children while exploring the theme color of the week and link to books and stories also. I am also accepting submissions of projects, poetry (written by your kids) and suggestions of books for each color. If a project is used it will include a link to your blog. (Please send project idea submissions no later than the week before a color is going to begin)

June 28-July 5 Red
July 6-July 12 Purple
July 13-July 19 Blue
July 20-July 26 Pink
July 27-August 2 Green
August 3-August 9 White
August 10-August 16 Brown
August 17-August 23 Yellow
August 24-August 30 Orange

I will set up a flickr group so that we can see our kids creations......

Here are a couple of books that may help with inspiration

Berry Smudges and Leaf Prints Finding and Making Colors from Nature by Ellen Senisi

Nature Crafts by Joy Williams





Please leave a comment if you intend to play along with a link to your blog if you have one, Thanks.

WIP

A first, A pair of pants for zoe, inspired by Soulemama.

My little Jumping Bean!

.
Today, my friends it hit 70 degrees! I felt warmth. Sun on my white Winter skin. On our trip we saw many signs of Spring at the local markets but Iwho would have thought the first really Spring like day was felt right here in Ashfield. Home Sweet Home! Now I know we'll have plenty more cold wet days. But tonight I am enjoying not making a fire and feeling the April breeze.

With our new schedule Thursdays is the day that Zoe and I spend together. Today we drove into Northampton. I have always enjoyed the first days of Spring in the streets of Northampton. Barefeet everywhere, young people sat in groups on the sidewalk reading, guitar playing, merrimaking while taking off layers of clothing. The little town park filled with all sorts of people enjoying a quick glimpse of the sun, eating their lunch on the grass, dog walking, a cigarette break, toddlers playing on the slide, kitten walking, a group of mothers with their infants on blankets on the grass, stilt walking, homeless, hula hoopers, flirters, weasel walkers.....and Zoe greeting them all as she got familiar with her "special powered super bicycle" again.





A little Madness in the Spring
Is wholesome even for the King.

- Emily Dickinson, #1333


You'll see her sporting a sweater I patched up for her last night.

Making Valentines...

while listening to Sarah Pirtle "Heart of the World" and the Sound of Music.

Our European adventure is approaching fast. The stop that Zoe is most excited about is Salzburg, Austria. The reason for her out of control excitement is her obsession with the Sound of Music.

"mum did you know that teenagers don't need gobernesses? mama what is a goberness?!!"

"did you know the goberness fell on love with the captain!"

The girl "LOVES" tape!

Pieces of art are popping up everywhere. At night as i put away from the previous day I find cheery additions taped to our walls. Art Everywhere.....Yeah!




**** And don't forget to sign up for the giveaway, scroll down and you'll find it!****

Are you out there?

I am looking to connect with craft bloggers in Amsterdam, Prague, Berlin, Vienna, Hungary, Romania, and Bulgaria......Are you out there? ? ? ? A road trip is being planned ..... more on this soon. Please leave a comment if you have any links or connections for me. Thanks.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I finished the magic blanket and Zoe's hat......yeah! Here she is all wrapped up!

scenes from the night before Christmas

the dishes were piled in the sink (sorry no photo!)

the child was fast asleep in her nook!



How am I to sing your praise,
Happy chimney-corner days,
Sitting safe in nursery nooks,
Reading picture story-books?

( Robert Louis Stevenson)

wearing new jammies and mum was sewing away!


finally inspired to create Zoe's gift.....it all came together in the 13th hour! A magic blanket for her reading nook.....magic because it can take her anywhere she wants to go, a day dreaming blanket........on one side is a world map fabric with several appliques that look like polaroids with some pictures of places she has been and people she loves and the other side a soft cotton flannel fabric that looks. Thematically it fits with the gift that I bought her (a 24 piece world map puzzle from Barefeet Books) and a mini Usborne books atlas. This is a child that talks about travelling ALL THE TIME! Even at 4 she is a good traveller. A cushion to follow in the New Year.



And now I know why it is best to have our little ones write letters to Santa earlier on in the month! Tonight we wrote our letter to Santa and whoa!!! full of suprizes! All along she has been alternating between requesting "Candyland" or anything" Santa wants to give me" but tonight, the night before Christmas she started listing parts of the playmobil hospital set! "I would really like the vehicle with wheels that takes sick people to the hospital" About a year ago on ebay I picked up a bag of hospital people and beds. She has really enjoyed setting them up and playing hospital. Recently we set up a 3 story hospital using some dollhouse furniture and some wooden bricks.

Better go and drink the pomegranate, ginger, orange peel brandy that was left out for Santa! Happy Holidays to everyone.....May Joy surround us all and peace be in our hearts.

Gingerbread Tornado

We were down in NJ visiting friends. It was everyones first Gingerbread house experience. She wanted NO assistance or instruction......so the Gingerbread Tornado hit.






And then the sugar high ...... oh it was disastrous.



At least fun was had making ginger bread cookies.



Now we are ready to make those great Martha Stewart gingerbread mobiles.

We have had a great time reading Holiday Books. Some old favorites and some new to us and some brand new books.....

"Winter's Gift" by Jane Monroe Donovan is our favorite new book so far this season. So heartwarming and gentle a tale and beautiful illustrations.

We have also enjoyed Jan Brett's The Three Snow Bears also new to us this year. We are Jan Brett fans! I love her artwork.

****I have been having trouble with blogger?? anyone else?? Photos not uploading? I have been trying for days to write this post***

And the winner is....

GILLIAN

Congrats!

Please email me your contact info. Thanks