slow summer : giant bubbles

There's nothing like a lazy morning making enormous bubbles with friends. We looked up the many recipes and tutorials out there for making the bubble wands and the extra super strong bubble mix. This is the one we found the easiest to follow. We didn't even bother putting eyelet screws in the dowels, we just tied the strings to the end, added the washers, guessed at string length, and went on our bubble quest.

It's took a little practice to get the big ones formed and released just right, but the kids soon got the hang of it.

What was crazy was watching them pop. They seemed to burst and the splatter of bubble would hang motionless for a moment, like a cartoon version of a popped bubble. And when the kids popped them, they would get totally slimed with bubble juice.

Naia got some help from the big kids, but she lacked the height and the coordination needed to really make a giant bubble.

She didn't mind though, she was more than happy with her job as official bubble chaser and popper.

The only piece of advice that wasn't obvious and we learned the hard way was that the strings on the bubble wands tangle easily once they are wet and soapy. If they get tangled it helps to lay them in the sun to dry for a bit and then untangle them. Luckily we made several wands, so if one went out of commission, we just grabbed the other ones and shared. We will definitely be more careful next time to avoid tangles.

Celebrating Zach

Celebrating my boy was such an easy, mellow, sweet time just like this easy, mellow sweet kid.

After our usual traditions at home, he wanted to invite some friends for a fishing birthday party. I have to say I was pretty hesitant at first. Fishing is sort of a solo endeavor. Quiet, solitary, and ok, kind of boring. I was worried Zach would be in his fishing Zen place and his friends would be bored to tears. Thankfully I was wrong.

We decided on a fishing lake that was supposed to be stocked. The idea was that this way there would be a better chance for the kids to actually catch something, making it a little more exciting. Plus there was a park right there for kids who didn't want to fish or just got bored with it.  The bad news is, nobody really caught anything. A few small ones and an accidental turtle (who was set free unharmed) and that was it. The good news is that the kids had a blast anyhow.

I even set up a few fishing themed crafts in case the anyone got bored. We had some fish printing on little sewn flags and making lures. In the end the dads ended up partaking in the crafts more than anyone, they were cranking out the homemade lures.

Fishing and playing and canoeing and just soaking in the beautiful day, it was such a perfect day to celebrate Zach. Ten years old. Amazing.

Hearts and the Abbey

So much flannel just waiting for a project. I had made Naia some warm reversible flannel pants and had lots of smaller pieces left over. The prints (most of it from Anna Maria Horner) were so lovely I wanted to use every last bit. So one night I sat down and started my addiction to Downton Abbey with Season 1 via Netflix and started cutting hearts.

I was winging it really, just trying to free form a heart shape here and there to use every bit of scrap I could with as little waste as possible. Well, as many of you know, Downton Abbey is REALLY good... so I cut a whole lot of hearts.

Season 2 of Downton via Amazon had me sewing the little lovlies. With the laptop perched precariously across the sewing machine lid I sewed my way through World War I and all the ensuing drama. Oh Matthew and Mary, will you please just give in to it? And that flu? Simpy dreadful. Sigh. Sew. Sigh.

And here I was with empty little hearts and Season 3 had not yet launched. Oh no. This can't be. I can not wait around with the commoners for it to trickle online one episode at a time. Oh husband! Do your magic computer thing and fetch me Season 3 please. Filling my hearts with rice and lavender while weeping my way through Season 3. One heart ache after another.

Now I won't give away any spoilers, but... sigh. It's a good thing I had all of these extra soft hearts around to comfort me. We gifted these to friends in pairs as hand warmers for these frigid days. So to review, just cut the flannel, sew right sides together leaving about a 1 inch gap to turn and fill, fill with rice and lavender, and then turn in the raw edges and sew closed.

Pop them in the microwave for 60 seconds (careful not to over heat, the rice can burn) and then pop them in your pockets to keep your hands toastie. Or in your socks. Or wherever you need a little soft warm touch.

And then wait patiently for Downton Abbey Season 4 which I hear they haven't even shot yet. I guess I will have to re-watch the first three seasons and find something else to sew in the wee hours. Oh winter.

wee doll bed

It's that time of year, and rather than post all of the holiday making after the holidays I thought it would be more fun to share now. It's not like the kids will see the blog and spoil their surprises!

The other week a friend of mine brought some clementine oranges over for a snack and I jumped at the chance to snag the box. I knew it would be the perfect doll bed, but I went back and forth on just how to do it. Paint it? Decoupage fabric? Finally while watching the Nutcracker with Zach and seeing the ruffles around Clara's doll bed I decided that would be the nicest... and easiest. Two long strips hemmed and pleated and velcro and there we have it. Then the mattress is simple a stuffed rectangle with some dimples hand sewn in. And a wee pillow too.

The fabric for the bed skirt is Shroomy from Monaluna's Fox Hollow collection (left over from Naia's birthday party crafting.) The mattress is Jay-Cyn designs patchwork from Storyboek II. And the pillow is Birch fabrics Woodland Party also leftovers from her birthday.

Dolly fits perfectly and there is all kinds of room for upgrades like a canopy or something to cap off the corner pieces. But for a free box and scrap fabric, it does the trick just fine.

But I wonder if she will want to sleep in her own bed when she normally has a much cozier spot for naps.