Decoupage - A - Mania

I've been going a little crazy with the mod podge lately.

First up was this little organizer I picked up at a garage sale for super cheap. It was plain and boring so I decoupaged some Ikea gift wrap and a little ribbon to freshen it up. I'm thinking it will end up in Sydney's room. She loves to put all sorts of stuff in the drawers.

Then I decided it was time to do something about the increasing pile of school supplies around here (I have a weakness for new crayons and 5 cent notebooks!) So I decoupaged a composition notebook with a map and a grocery bag. Mix in a little fire around the edges and some minor changes in the cities and it was done!

recover & plan

It always takes us a while to recover from a weekend away. We had a great time at the lake. Perfect weather, perfect location, we couldn't ask for more. (Well except less mosquitoes, but it's July in Minnesota. Kinda comes with the territory.)

And now I'm planning for our next trip. We are having Sydney's birthday party at the lake in a couple of weeks. I asked her what kind of party she wanted...princess, pirates, beach party. And her reply? "I want a polka-dot party mom." What more could a mother ask for?

my sweet girls

a gift from my grandma

We are heading to the lake for a long weekend. I am so looking forward to lounging by the water, eating good food, knitting, reading, maybe even a nap or two. And my favorite quilt store is on the way!

Late last night...

I made another one.

(Please ignore the black/brown combo. I really had just finished the shirt. I can't wait to wear it today! )

(One more thing for those that might be interested - this is another knit fabric, this time I cut a deeper scoop in the neck and left the elastic much looser. It's even more comfy than the last one! All raw edges have been serged - no hemming means you can finish this shirt in an hour!)

I actually made something...

It's been a while, and I was starting to really need it.

Fun, quick and creative.

Farmer Bill

Another great trip to the farmer's market today. We go at least once a week to see Bill. Farmer Bill is kind and quiet, the way I imagine all farmers to be. (Granted I've known a lot of farmers and several have been neither kind nor quiet, but in my head that's how they all should be. Patient and kind and gentle with an appreciation for all the things God created.)

I love the different shades of green. And check out the all-natural shine on that pepper. No nasty wax here!

Sydney and I talk about Bill like he's an old friend that grows veggies just for us. In reality we say good morning and thank you and that's about it. (His name is on his sign!) But secretly we love him and hope our few dollars keeps him coming back every week. See you on Thursday Bill. Save us some peas.



P.S. I guess I'm all about telling secrets today...check this out. The epitome of hypocrisy. Fresh veggies set out for a photo and the Easy Mac my kid ate for lunch. Sad, but true. I'm trying though folks. Sometimes I swear they fill those blue boxes with crack. How do kids get hooked on mac and cheese so fast?

Local Beauty

Some pictures from a walk along the mighty (and muddy) Red River.

Amazing book...have you read it? I highly recommend it. It really has changed my mind on a lot of things regarding the food we eat. In fact I'm just about to order my own cheese making kit! My husband thinks I'm nuts. He actually asked me why can't you just buy stuff like everyone else? Ha! Never thought I would hear those words come out of his mouth!! :) Anyway, I'll let you know how it goes...

Peas Please

We finally made it to the farmer's market early enough to snag some peas. They were amazing steamed for just a couple minutes with some fresh mint from the garden - a classic combo, but a first time for me. Definitely not the last!

pretend living on the farm

We've been enjoying back-to-back family reunions around here. At the first one (in my home town) we got to pretend we lived on a farm! We rented a house on a small farm just outside of town. I never thought I would say it, but it was really nice. Now I think I want chickens.

P.S. Sadly, my city girl Sydney thought we were staying at the zoo. Guess I've got some work to do.

against my better judgement

Hope you all had an amazing 4th of July. Especially you my friend!

Slowing Down Summer - Day 2

Slowing down Summer

Hello out there! Man I stink at this blogging thing lately! I really thought Summer would be easy to keep up with it, but it's so not. I think the next week or two I'm going to try to just post pictures with a sentence or two of what we are up to. I'm trying to not let the Summer get away from us - but it obviously has...how can it be July??? Anyway, hope you can check back to see what we are up to. If all goes according to plan, it won't be much! :)

So, to kick it all off - I've been doing a lot of sitting here. (We also made the patio you see under the pool. It's a big space right at the bottom of the steps to our deck. Way too much work, but we are loving it!)