DIY: BUBBLES!

We LOVE bubbles...I love them, the kids REALLY love them but honestly, we didn't have such a great bubble system.  Nothing we tried worked super well.  We went thru lots of different types of bottles with lots of different kind of wands--that were mostly just too small.  Also, things could get very, very messy.

Another issue were the containers.  They were either too huge and couldn't be held easily or too little and didn't hold enough bubble solution--but the most likely situation: they got knocked over and the bubbles just spilled everywhere.  BUT, because we love bubbles so much, we just tried to deal...

Then!! I found this great idea--A BUBBLE REFILL STATION--Genius!!  

A huge thank you to Laura at Come Together Kids for her inspired solution.

I picked the dispenser container up at Target for $5.  It works great & I found multiple bubble recipes on-line--I'll share the one that works well for us below...Lastly, the Pièce de résistance, I found GIANT BUBBLE WANDS at Target...they were $2 each and I have to say, they are AMAZING.  Our bubble situation has dramatically improved for the better because of these little guys!!  The kids can hold the containers easily; they can fill up--pretty much--on their own; the kids are able to blow really big bubbles non-stop; and *bonus* are not completely disgusting when they are done...wow!  Its like a completely different experience...

I love a good system!!

--

My Bubble Recipe

4 cups water

1 cup Dawn Liquid Dish Detergent

1/2 cup Glycerin

Mix all together and get to it...You can order Glycerin online or buy it at drug stores.  It not exactly dirt cheap and I've seen recipes, on-line, that substitute corn syrup for the glycerin, but I don't know...

Corn Syrup?? that just makes me think: ANTS!!

Have fun!

Our Garden - Chapter Two

Greg & the kids had their Spring Break last week and they worked hard to get our vegetable garden plot ready for planting.  We had some spare bricks from the enclosed front porch (that's going down!) and Greg smartly reused them to create some lovely walkways within the garden space.  Our seedlings are coming along nicely...too young to transplant now, but they'll be ready soon.  Here are some shots from our major push Saturday to get plants & seeds into the ground.

The seedings we started at the end of March.

Getting ready for the herb planting...

 Magda wanted strawberries...they will probably take over everything.

 We are going with the hyper-organized technique of Square Foot Gardening

by Mel Bartholomew.  

 Greg & Luca planting seeds.

Our homemade compost...It is so awesome--really nicely broken down and full of worms.

I am quite proud of it!

I planted 12 tomato plants...do you think that's enough?  : )

Easter Morning

I think this sums it up pretty well...

There were eggs...

and brand-new clothes...

and baskets...

and hunting eggs with baskets...

and then there were those home-made Joy of Cooking sticky buns with pecans...

it was a really good morning and a great day filled with friends, family and delicious food.

Almost perfect--really, except we were especially missing some dear family & friends that we couldn't be with...

But all in all--a really nice day and here is hoping your Easter was really great, too!

A happy Easter to you!

However you plan to celebrate, I hope your weekend is filled with all sorts of loveliness, wonderful food and good time spent with family.  We are looking forward to a neighborhood Easter egg hunt and a big family dinner.  

I had fun putting these photos together...I hope you enjoy them.



Happy Easter!

Dying Easter Eggs ~ a photo shoot

I've always wanted to use natural ingredients to dye eggs: like beets, tumeric & tea...but I just couldn't get around to making it happen this year, so I went with good old Paas.  Not exactly natural but nice tones and I decided to turn an egg dying session into a still life photo shoot.  Natural light is just so gorgeous to me and I have rediscovered my trusty tripod that has languished in dusty corners for far too long.  It has become my invaluable sidekick since I started this blog--I really cannot--now-live without it!

Craft: Needle Felting

Easter preparations continue this week with a project that I have always wanted to try but have been a little intimidated by; but since it falls squarely into the realm of a good technique for making cute little animals--I was left with no choice...I had to try--

NEEDLE FELTING!

Do you know what this is?  Its a dry-felting technique that takes wool roving and using special barbed felting needles that you use--you jab and bond fibers together.  The effect is an almost-sculpting of fibers to three dimensional shapes. Basically you are poking and jabbing with the needles long un-spun wool (trying to avoid your fingers) and shapes take form...its very cool and fairly simple.

And although my first attempt is far from perfect, I think this little duckling (or is it a chick??) passes muster and will go into my daughter's easter basket.  I am hoping to make a bunny for my son, but we'll see how that goes--bunnies have ears and ears seems tricky!   Since, really, truly, I have no idea what I am doing...this post won't be a tutorial, but its more like...HEY! I tried it and its fun!! You should too, but please learn from the experts...

  

I got the sweet chick idea and instructions from Martha Stewart--of course, where else?

I got a needle felting kit, relatively inexpensive from Weir Crafts.

To get started, you need roving--in various colors.

A foam base to do the poking/jabbing 

on and special sharp barbed needles.

Seriously--watch your fingers...

These sucker are sharp and its hurts when you get yourself!

And that's it...oh, you will need all the little embellishments to make your little creature fancy--that is the really fun part.  

Here are some more helpful & inspirational links:

A time-lapse how-to video on YouTube

Tips & Techniques

Jenn Docherty, the Queen of cute felted wee ones

Have Fun!