Beelieve

We love strawberries...

...and they love us right back!

(even the splash of water makes a heart!)

Have camera, have nature, will shoot

Yesterday was a perfect day for a nature hike.  We started out not knowing if we would find anything but alas, a cool new friend (see Pajama Girl for more fun photos of our walk)

 

Grackles danced everywhere, this one stopped to rest.

 

Mr. Honey raced down with the tractor to make sure our sitting area was nice and purdy.

 

...but then ran into some technical difficulties.

we cheered him on a bit.

and it worked...now so does the tractor (something about making it home on only 3 something or others)  We love him even though he took off in a click of the camera (smart man)

By the way, click on any picture, anytime and it will transport you to my flickr where you will see all the hysterical pictures of this walk...I won't overload you with goofiness now.

Sax in the Country~ TGI Bench Monday

(thank you Leah for the inspiration of "Sound") 

Razzle-Dazzle in our own back yard

 

Hope you all had special memories this weekend!

Breathing fresh air and partying!

When the air is fresh it is time to step away from the computer and the hive where you create.  Even better when it is not your own back yard and you have no guilt for being outside and not pulling a weed or painting the picket fence.

Today Pajama girl's classmate had a birthday party.  A good old fashioned, outside in the country, lots of play and a seed planting project birthday party. (the kids painted pots and were sent home with soil and sunflower seeds to plant, perfect!)

 

It was love at first sight for me when I saw this barn, here the barn doors speak back to the viewer..."I heart you too!"

 

It was hard to find a picture in the bunch without a ton of kids to show this great stress reliever.  We all should have kicked the kids out and bounced around ourselves a bit!

 

"I've got it!"...she hollers as I try to drink in the view....I daydream of her reflecting back to her childhood 30 years from now and hope she is still thinking the very same thought...in fact I pray she does.

 

Walking into the house for cake in what would be a mudroom possibly, there was a vase of fresh cut lilacs in the window.  A real life country living image.  I used a colored pencil filter on this for fun.

 

Back to the barn, and a "watercolor filter" this time.  My days when I have no time for painting or creating do not go without art. The world around is so filled with art, it screams to me "take a picture"!   I am about to make my next step in my creative life and buy a nice digital slr camera.  Part of my non-art post are due to my playing with photography, the rest due to the fact researching and talking with experts about cameras is time consuming and a lot to think about.

I hope you all are breathing deeply this weekend... whether it be country air or studio creativity.

Bench Monday~the farmer's wife addition

TGIM!  It is Bench Monday again on Flickr, so much to consider in this great photo exercise.  The rules are to stand on a bench, wear something pretty, snap a picture.  Oh yeah, it has to been taken on Monday and you can only post on Monday. There are bonus points for chickens! I am enjoying this as a photography experiment.  Still getting used to my camera, the timer, the tripod and most importantly BEING IN FRONT OF IT!

Have to post quick so here is my morning. (keep in mind my whole "green acres" story)

 

I am a little intimidated at first

 

I check to make sure no one is around

No one is watching but Thelma and Louise, my chickens!

I missed the timer because I had to adjust Thelma's pearls!

 

Maybe I will get bonus points, Thanks ladies

 

That's a wrap and a fun kick off to Spring!

my touch and a touch of the past

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes I just like to look at pictures and not spoil the flow of them with words.  If you would like to learn more about any of these touches in my bedroom just a click on the picture and you will be taken to the flickr page with a brief description of what you are looking at.

DIY~ more lovely "word" projects from my bedroom

There was never much thought about art in our bedroom before my recent refreshing.  I really yearned for a peaceful space.  I highly suggest taking every last dust collecting item out of your dreaming space and think about what goes back in.  Very eye opening and feels great when you realize what you can do without. 

 Andrew Wyeth's adorable dog no longer sleeps over our heads, actually we really did not need a picture of someone else's dog sleeping over our heads we have the real thing from time to time with our own dogs.

The masterpiece we have now was done impromptu by Pajama Girl.  She was fascinated by the words I was adding to the bedroom and I asked her to write me a message.  With an oil pastel on a large piece of newsprint she wished me "sweet dreams".  Now this is more than art to me.  I had been wanting to play with some Magnart I bought a while back.  (they are  little bars of metal you adhere to the wall and use those super strong tiny magnets to hold the art to them)  Very simple, very personal and very dreamy new art.  PJ girl loves that her message hangs above our heads when we sleep.

 

More of our "favorite words" follow in this super-duper quick picture holder.  Take one giant clothespin, whitewash it and stamp your favorite message on it.  We are known as the "Lovely Loves" and every night I must sing versus from 'The Roots, Lovely Love my Family" to miss PJ girl before she will have sweet dreams of her own.  With that said, what else but:

 

 

So much more to show you but it was a beautiful day to be outside and almost time for me to retire to my slumber retreat room.  In my next post I will show you what this is a part of:

For now I wish you...

 

so close your eyes and I will sing for you....

 "Sometimes when I am sitting by myself
Those quiet moments when not with no one else
I’m mesmerized by all the many good things in my life
I think about the time when I was younger
And the older that I get the more that I feel wiser
With the love of friends and family
Get stronger and it carries me on through

So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family
So I say lovely lovely lovely lovely lovely
lovely lovely lovely love, love my family...."

 

(or you might just want to listen to the song here)

DIY~Clothesline fresh window treatments

 

 

 

Welcome to the first part of my Spring-tacular bedroom makeover.  It was long overdue and a room neglected a bit.  I was hoping to take more pictures today but the gloomy natural light is not cooperating with me. 

The makeover began with curtains, something fresh for spring and something unique.  I have never been a fan of overpriced store bought curtains and have made just about all the window treatments in the house (these being the easiest).  Spring also reminds me of fresh linens on the line, you may have noticed the inspiration extended into all my recent Ki-ki paintings as well. 

This is such an easy way to create a spa retreat right in your own home.  We already have window shades so I could go any direction with my new window treatments.  Here is a list of all I used.

1. white twirly bamboo, bought in home accent dept at Target on clearance ($3 for 6)
2. organic cotton twin size flat sheets (Target)
3. organic cotton dish drying lint free towels (Target as well)
4. large font letter stamps,paint,brayer (had on hand)
5. large cup hooks
6. clothespins and twine (had on hand)

Total cost of needed supplies, probably less than $30 for 3 windows

I washed and dried all new linens.  While doing that I attached the hooks to the crown molding for the height and the strength of the wood vs. 150 year old plaster.

 

Next I checked for length and used the sheet bottom as the top so the finished edge would be on the bottom of the panel.  I made the seam pocket for the bamboo to slide through the hem if you will.  I measured the length it needed to be to go ceiling to floor and only had to sew one straight line across each sheet . Done!  This really does create a much taller, airier room.  Hard to describe the way it felt once done, it was instantly changing to a peaceful room to dream in.  The light filters through the organic cotton so beautifully!

The next step was a fun one.  I tied some twine to the hooks to create the "clothesline valance".  I really wanted there to be a message so I picked one of our favorite "lovely love" sayings.  "Always Kiss Me Goodnight". This worked out great for the 3 windows and spacing.  I chose large letters with a very lightened beige color.  Have fun with this, hand write, stamp, go nuts!  Vintage hankies would be adorable as well...so would vintage baby clothes.

Directions for stamping on fabric:

1.Start with washed fabric. 

2. Next, I like to iron a length of freezer paper to the back of the area of fabric I am working on for stability and prevention of paint bleed through to your work surface.

3.Use a fabric paint, or acrylic with a fabric medium mixed in but follow instructions for use.  Honestly if they are decorative and not washed as frequently as clothing you could go with whatever acrylic you have on hand.

4. A simple trick to keep the letters somewhat in a straight line.  I taped a piece of string across the bottom of each towel at the exact spot I wanted the bottom of the letter to rest.  Always write your word out in front of you on a scrap and start with the middle letter stamped first in the center, don't forget to count the spaces between words.

5.Use a roller or a brayer to apply paint to the stamp for a nice even coat.

  Once dry, hang your valances on the line with fun clothespins!

 

This project is so simple, in fact it probably took me longer to take pictures and post than to actually do it.

For a fun tie back...I prefer to tie window treatments in the center for that hourglass look, I used more twine and a clothespin.  There is a small nail on the edge of each frame to hang them on when not in use.

 

(I would show you how nice it looked if the exterior windows were clean and the yard was not brown and in need of a rake)

Tomorrow, other lovely words and simple decor

FYI...we found the real stuff!

...pussy willow that is!  After Friday's search for Spring and finding a pussy willow imposter, I was ready to set out Saturday once again.  We must have the stuff, it's a weed!!  We got weeds...and pussy willow!  Right back by the pond where I thought it would be. 

 

The Honey bunch of a family wanted to go with for a nature walk...check out their idea of a "walk".  Mr. Honey says "wanna go for a tractor ride nature walk?"  Go ahead, humor me with the comments on that...I live this daily....while you are at it don't forget to mention the dilapidated shed that is built with trees on the inside.  If you know old structures, you know what I mean.

 

When anyone asks my precious little girl what she did this weekend,she can proudly answer...at age 6..."I fired up the tractor and learned to drive"

 

hmmm, that smile at a successful start worries me a bit...maybe I should wear more dresses and take her to shopping malls on the weekend ;)

 

They hit snow in the road field...I of course walked and took pictures of things like...

 

...this cool "holy tree", and...

 

neato red sprouts against blue sky.

 

It has been a busy spring weekend and spend a large chunk of time unplugged and doing more massive purging, reorganizing...a bedroom makeover and loads of new art.  Just wait until you see all the new goodies coming up. That includes a new "Fancy Ki-ki" which was done before the weekend with no time to post.  I am even going to give a try to selling prints and some fun new items via "up-cycling" my mission reorganization finds.  I have so much to show and tell...all as soon as I can.