Let's go on a safari

Last weekend we took the kids to a local petting zoo we had never been to before - Big Joel's Safari.  To my surprise it was quite cool.  Bummer it was blistering hot, or we would have stayed a lot longer.

 

 It is  not very often that we find something that all three of the kids can enjoy equally.

 You can feed and/or pet almost all of the animals. (Except for obvious things like big snakes and alligators and the huge horned cow like things that I cannot remember the name of, some biologist I am.)

Look at how high Grant has to look up to see that camel!

 The mother deer here was SERIOUSLY feisty. She did not want anyone feeding that baby, she wanted all the chow left to her.

 Have you ever noticed how primitive ostrich feet are? So much like a dinosaur.

 You feed the feisty pigs off a spoon, which Grant appreciated. He kept trying to feed the other things, but as soon as their lips came near his hand he would drop that food like a hot rock. LOL

 HOT.

 These two are actually fighting over who gets to have their head in that hole, LOL.

We will surely visit again!

Flea Market Wednesday

It was another not very exciting junk week around here.

These are super awesome though.

I need to clean this up. I thought it might be useful for Sammi, or maybe I will put it in the sell pile.

Bummer this is blurry, I think these are umbrella party décor/favors? I will hang them on one of the foyer trees whatever they may be, the little velvet flowers and the old chenille are too sweet.

I picked up two of these Japan pine cone mica birds.

This was a robe. I have already cut it apart to salvage the dreamy lavender fabric. I wasn't able to easily remove all that quilting though, so whatever it gets reused for, it will be something quilted.

Maybe this week will be better. I am not holding out hope though and summer is quickly winding down!

Peaches!

Look at what we grew!  Somehow this is way more exciting than growing veggies.

We had a very late snow this year so I was out there in the cold and snow flurries wrapping these trees in c-9 Christmas lights to try and save my blossoms from the cold. (The little kids were confused and thought it was Christmas again.)

We put in two peach trees two years ago as a last ditch effort to get some shade where the kids play in the backyard. I figured why not try a tree that does double duty?

This year we were rewarded. 

And there are still  more on the trees.

AWESOME.

Merry Christmas in July

 We did Christmas in July over the weekend with the kids. Roasting a chicken, eating green bean casserole and stuffing.

 And opening a few presents. Sciencey things for Jack, a tea set for Sam, and a choo choo bridge for Grant.

 Which inspired many hours of Thomas play.

 I really dig the strawberry tree. I am thinking about a strawberry party for Sammi's next birthday I think.

It's all done now until next year and we are two! short weeks from the start of school already.

Whoa. :-0

Sammi girl, 3.5 years old

 It was Sammi's turn for updated portraits this week and boy, oh boy, she did NOT want to cooperate. She didn't want to get dressed or get in the car or get out of the car. AND  NO SMILING.

 Her hair was a complete wreck by the time we arrived.  Whatever, I mostly have given up on that stuff with the little two right now.

 Those shoes were her choice, btw. :-) I actually like them with that bright pink dress, but she wanted nothing to do with that dress.

 This is the one I choose. You would hardly know she was being such a pain in the rumpus!

3.5 is, well, three and a half. Full of drama, bossy, opinionated, demanding, complaining. But also - striving for independence and funny and sensitive and caring and learning new things every minute and full of questions and wonder.

Vintage strawberry pipecleaner people

We still needed a little bit more red on the strawberry tree, so when Megan mentioned that she had some vintage strawberry people ornaments on facebook I knew that was our last craft!

 

 They are not very photogenic because their heads are heavy.  I could have done this two ways - add a head or use the strawberry as the head. I figured using the berry as the head would mean embroidering faces and the kids can't quite do that.

 They have flower hats and are holding different things.

 Getting faces on those slippery beads was a challenge for both Sam and Jack.

At least our tree is done! And with a day or two to spare.

Now I need to remake French door curtains since one of mine has shrunk 8 inches after Jack spilled milk all over it.  Never ends, does it? LOL

*I didn't make the berries, I had some vintage fabric berries in the stuff I used for Valentine's Day.

Grant, 22 months

 I am a few days early, but it felt like time to take a blogging breaking from making things and buying things for some kid cute.

 Two months away from two, Grant is at one of the best ages right now.

 Funny and giggly and becoming independent.

 Helpful and sweet and curious.

A little bit bashful, a little bit bold.

Saying all the sweet things like "nigh nigh", and "knee"(his security blanket) and "button, button" (still loves pushing buttons) and "teef" and "mama!" and "chews" (shoes) and "no diaper!". Counting to three, running to keep up with the others, pretend playing with cars and trains.

Honestly I would like to just bottle him up right this very minute (before the big tantrums and sassing set in). :)

xoxox Sweet boy.

Bike rim wreath

I had a linen buyer at the house yesterday and one of my first thoughts was "crap, no wreath on the door right now!"  Weird, I know, but I always have a wreath of some sort.

I saw the bike rim thing on pinterest (of course), but was having a hard time coming up with a rim to use.  When I asked Dave he suggested using one off my childhood bike that is in the basement.  Good idea Dave! No one is using that bike right now.

I didn't want to permanently attach anything to it, so everything is just stuck on with poster putty or wired on with floral wire.  I also didn't want to cut the tails off my precious ribbons, so they are just rolled up and taped to the back of the medallion.

Washi tape + card stock.

It's cute. And different. And it only took about 15 minutes.

My only complaint is that the bolt that goes through the middle makes it not hang flat. You could solve that if you had a rim you were willing to tear up. 

It'll do until a fallish hint is in the air. :-)