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Today my 9 year old needed to come up with a gift to make (I always try to put something homemade in) for a birthday party she is going to. It is an Asian-themed tea party.With my help, she came up with making hair chopsticks. They were so easy to make, and came out really great.
We had a bunch of those wooden chopsticks (don’t ask) already in the house. She took some beads, and straight pins (to hold the beads on), some embroidery thread, and glue.
Voila (wrong language), Some sticks for your hair!
Another thing that happened was my little one wrote a letter “A” on her chalkboard! It is the most beautiful letter “A” I have ever seen (what?I’m not biased.)
When I asked her where she learned this, she said her sister taught her.
I guess she came up with 2 gifts in one week. Brilliant child.
A few days ago, I was driving in our neighborhood and I found this beauty sitting out with a FREE sign on it. So, I jump out of the car (I think I stopped it), and checked it out. I did the Wobble test and the Sniff test and also looked under, over, and on the side. It checked out. Aside from being very dirty, it was beautiful…or the potential was beautiful.
I threw it in our minivan (Oh how I LOVE that car), and came home with my new treasure.
Today was
spent painting it. It took some left over paint and a whole lot of patience (from both myself and my 3 year old). I set her up with her own painting area, and we both got to work.
Now she has a brand new table to share happy little picnics with her sister and friends.
We celebrated with a big bowl of popcorn.
It was a good find!
Happy Earth Day, Everyone!
I ,personally, believe EVERY DAY should be Earth day. It is where we live. Should be a no brainer.
Keeping with that theme, here are some of my newest creations using recycled and re-purposed materials, and moments of celebrating the arrival of Spring…
My Right Now.
Right Now, when the kids go to bed, my table looks like this.
Right Now, it feels like we are in constant motion.
Right Now, I am enjoying the heck out of those super cute pants that I know she will grow out of soon.
Right Now, we are taking in the sun and savoring every moment outside.
Right now, I made these pants out of pillowcases and bandanas.
Right now I am enjoying where I am.
(*Picture taken by my 3 year old*)
This weekend was spent purging our possessions at a garage sale.
Whew!
It was a lot of work, but it was worth it to get rid of some of the things that we no longer use and know that they will go to people that can give them new life.
Speaking of that, I must share my latest thrift find (yup, I sold a bunch of stuff, only to go and get some more)
that I am very excited to give new life to.
Oh how I love this fabric. *Swoon*. I am planning on making some pants from it. Can’t you just see them now?
EEEEEEE!
I am still on my sewing spree. I have added a very cute pair of white (I can hear your laughing from here) cotton pants for my preschooler made from one of my husband’s old dress shirts. They are so adorable, I can’t wait for her to try them on tomorrow!
I completely dig those pockets on the cuffs.
I have also decided to participate at our local Farmer’s Market this year and have added a few items for sale.
The first one is a skirt made from re-purposed dish towels. I LOVE them. So cute.
I can’t get enough of this incredible texture!
The other thing I have added are those cheeky little pants made from recycled T-shirts.
Please stop by if you are in the area. The Market runs from May 2 until October 10 at the Kingston Marina.
If you have any questions about this event, please feel free to email me.
See you there!
Here are a few more I have made. I can’t help myself. It is fun to see them turn out and it is even more fun having my little one run around in them.
I made these using some spare fleece I had because she requested “fuzzy and warm” pants.
A little bit of Elvis, anyone?
These are so sweet made from linen and cotton printed material.
I have no idea why I have not been making pants all of these years. I have just learned how, and it is EASY! What’s more is that I found someone who makes them out of old T-shirts. Brilliant. Beyond my wildest recycling, re-purposing dreams, brilliant (Yes, we can analyze my strange dreams later).
Not only does this combine that old favorite theme of mine, trash into treasure , it is quick and cheap and the kids LOVE them.
When my 9 year old was small, all I needed to know was how to make dresses. She was all about the dresses. Still is. But my 3 year old does not share her passion for them. She will wear a dress if her sister happens to put one on her, but not by choice. She likes comfortable lounge wear as I affectionately call it, because I share her affinity for the cozy.
So I looked.
I found a woman who makes these great pants and I gave it a try.
I didn’t notice the bleach stain on the T-shirt before I made them, so I stamped little hearts all over with acrylic paint, then dried them with a hairdryer. Done.
The whole project took about 15 minutes. Seriously.
I think they came out pretty good (they are a bit big).
I can’t wait to do the next pair!
This year the Easter Bunny made the children work for their baskets!
Here is what he left…
Each with a note with a clue to where the next clue was.
They had a Blast!
Ahhhh. All done til next year. This Bunny is Tired.
Some of my favorite springtime images.
My Girls are building Fairy Houses for the large population we have here (Where the Fairies Live) who lost their wintertime abodes in the snow. So sweet.
I’d Love to see some of your favorite things in the Spring!
Email some images to be the first”Guest Star” on the Noggintoppers Blog.
My little one and I did a project today that I wanted to share with you all. They were easy and fun to do.
I made 2 egg shapes out of paper bags (white ones) and she painted with watercolors on them. After she was finished, she sprinkled them with salt. When they dried, I glued the two sides together and stuffed them with a cotton ball. Next I punched a hole and hung them with yarn.
Very festive.
We did larger flat ones for our front door.
Not only does salt taste oh so good, but it makes beautiful art. Is there nothing it can’t do?
We are now ready for that Bunny to bring the goodies.
Hope you all have a great Spring Celebration!
As you know, I have been busy coming up with things to put in the Baskets this year for Easter. I wanted to find something quick, but a little more mature for my older daughter.She has always had very old fashioned taste when it comes to fashion, or accessories, or style. I think she may have been here before, and she lived in a time of calico fabric dresses and lace.
I found this great Crayon Roll-up carrier On A Roll that I changed slightly to hold colored pencils (her current preferred medium) instead of crayons. I also changed the fabric from bright colors to more classic calico floral.
I LOVE how it turned out. I think she will too!
Whatever you call it, we all welcome Spring in our own ways.
Ours includes dyeing eggs and the giving of baskets to our children in the name of an imaginary Bunny.
One of our traditions is to put flower and vegetable seeds in the girls’ baskets. They love to plan our garden and plant their own seeds.
We also like to limit the sugar that they ingest, so I like to make some things and find small toys.
I was looking for a craft that was easy and quick, and I found this great Felt Change Purse.
They are extremely easy to make and customize.
This is the one that I made for our little one.
She loves Orca Whales. I think she will really like this.
The yard now has been uncovered from its long and wet winter’s sleep.
We all decided to work on the yard together.
The kids did a lot of moving piles of debris from one part to another, and I pulled a cart load of weeds. We also uncovered and said “hello” to all of our plants that are making a return. We even met a slug.
My husband scraped 2 years worth of moss off of our roof between yesterday and today. Seriously. Must have been about 100 pounds. No lie.
Then he mowed the entire lawn. Weed whacked. Cleaned up.
Then sprayed down the entire house.
(He gets BIG points for all of that!)
LOOOOVEEEELY.
There is something about Spring Cleaning that is so invigorating (Although my allergies are in full swing and my back is begging for mercy from pulling all
those weeds). I feel a sense of renewal, rebirth, and endless wonderful possibilities.
Smells like Hope.
I love this time of year (besides sneezing and aching) for that. The organized part of my brain (isn’t that the whole thing?) loves
a manicured lawn (without the aid of chemicals) and freshly dug flower beds.
It allows my creative brain to kick in. OCD? Anal retentive? Fastidious?
Whatever you call it, it feels good!
Unbelievable transformation. Can’t you just hear it saying “Ahhhhh, Thanks.”?
New Life on an old Hydrangea
Columbine bursting up from the ground
Soil waiting for something to be planted in it
Happy Lawn.
Spring is here, even though the temperatures outside do not reflect it. The sun has made an appearance today, and hopefully will bring it’s friend, the warmth.
In the meantime, we will act like it is Spring. Today is all about “Out with the Old” starting with the moss on the roof. Next, my husband will attempt to perform the first mow of the season on the dewy damp lawn.
In preparation for our Yard Sale
that will be happening in a few weeks, I will go through the house and garage. All the bins will be emptied and then refilled once the things we no longer need are purged.
Sounds like a good day to me.
Bye-Bye little Moss. See you next year.
There’s the Moss Scraper himself, with a big smile on his face. (I am glad he is up on the roof instead of me!)
Welcome back, Primrose. We missed you.
