This Vintage Chica

Spring Nature Table

Thanks for all of the encouragement with regard to the old family quilt pieces.  I think I have decided that you all are right.  Those pieces deserve to be made into a quilt.  I think I might need a bit of practice sewing circles.  So there is this project or a project like this one.

The painting and redecorating in the craft room isn't quite done yet...we had a very lazy weekend as weekends go.

So, those photos will have to wait.

Until then, you get some fun shots of our Spring nature table.  For more information on what each item is and why it has been included on the table, click the photo above to view the notes.

These photos are closeups of the Bradford pear branches we forced.  I wasn't sure they were going to do anything, but just when I was ready to make compost of them...little bits of white emerged...almost like snow balls.

Here's the funny thing.

This is a photo of the Bradford pear across the street from our house from which we snipped the branches.

So, I guess we didn't really "force" anything at all.

We just brought in a bit of nature to enjoy in its own timing.

This makes me think of the following Edmund Burke quote:

"Our patience will achieve more than our force."

Happy Monday all!

Eco Friendly Easter Baskets

For some good weekend reading, head on over to Simple Organic where I have a new post up sharing a few ideas for Easter baskets.  

It'll be here before you know it.

It has gotten colder here in Virginia in the last few hours, so its a movie night for us. I've got some painting and redecorating projects on my to-do list, so hopefully I'll be back with some fun pics for you next week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Pieces of History: Vintage Feedsack Quilt Pieces

The boys have been playing outside almost every afternoon.  And it breaks my heart to make them come in to do their study words and math homework.  I have to say, they are not the only ones who have Spring Fever right now.  It is times like this that homeschooling starts to sound like a great plan.

Just kidding.

Well, last week while reworking some things in the craft room, I ran across these patchwork pieces again.  Do you remember them?

They have been sitting in a pile for over a year now, just begging to be put to work somehow.

I was trying to decide whether to go ahead and sew them into something or frame them.  And I had just about decided to applique the dresden plates to a solid light colored piece of linen and then quilt it similarly to Beki's anthropologie knock-off pillows, when the sewing machine quit on me.  

When you press the foot, the machine sounds OK, but the needle isn't moving up and down.  So, no sewing machine.

While the sewing machine is at the shop, I took the hint and framed them instead.

I really like how they turned out and I've been playing around with where to hang them. 

But now I still have 127 other patchwork pieces like the ones below.

So, the question is, what do I do with the rest?

They are all vintage feedsack prints that we think my great-grandmother Hays pieced...is that right Mom?

They would make a great circle quilt.

Or, I think this would be called a "snake in the grass" pattern, right?

I don't know what this pattern is called, but I like it too.

I have to tell you, I am extremely intimidated to actually make them into a quilt.  Sewing circles scares the daylights out of me.  But I would love to finish the work that my great grandmother began almost 100 years ago.  How cool would that be?

So, what would you do with them?

Weekending

{the first broccoli from the garden}

{Scout the wonder dog}

{someone learned to swing himself}

{a bit more flower gazing}

{the boys running the Final Mile of their marathon}

All in all it was a beautiful, sunny weekend.  The only cloud in the sky was at the marathon.  After the boys run, we could not find them for over an hour.  I really don't want to relive the experience here in black and white, but it was terrifying.  And afterwards, I was just happy to get back home with all 5 members of our immediate family.  Luckily I have great kids who found a nice family and told them that they couldn't find their parents and they needed help.  (Just like their mama taught them.)

********

Oh, and if you are a nature nut like I am, be sure to check out this live cam of a mama barn owl named Molly and her baby Max.  We've been watching them all weekend and just can't get enough.

A Little Overboard in the Floral Department

When I was a little girl in Texas, we had an entire field of wildflowers in our front yard.  In the Spring and Summer, when the wildflowers were at their peak we had little vases (and jars and cups and anything else that would hold water) full of flowers all over the house.

Some things never change. 

I might have gone a little overboard.

Maybe.

But lately I've been having to fight all of the testosterone in this house.  You know.  Stand firm in my wanting to be pretty.  (Mamas to boys, do you hear me?)  To get my hair cut and colored.  To paint my toes.  To make our house a beautiful space for us all.  And smell like something a bit nicer than a locker room.

Maybe I've just been staring at Erin's ranunculas too long.

Maybe.

Maybe having flowers in every corner of the house is my way of making a stand.  For Spring.  And flowers.  And all that is pretty and beautiful in the world.  And for women.

Or maybe some things never change and its just in my blood.

Kid Craft: Anthropologie Inspired Easter Tree

With the arrival of Spring (although it will not be official until next Sunday), we have been finding ourselves looking upward quite a bit.  Which is never a bad place to be looking in my book.  We've been watching the birds, the morning mist, and the trees begin to leaf out.

A few Saturdays ago while I had a few minutes before the crew woke up, I was enjoying my coffee and surfing around the web.  I came across Made By Joel blog and this great slotted disk craft, by way of Blair.  I thought this was a great idea and would be so fun for the boys. 

And almost immediately afterward, I found myself on the Anthrpologie site and came across this great tree.  I think they call it a deciduous puzzle.

So last Friday night after dinner, we were having one of those nights where everyone seems to be bugging everyone (on purpose) and I was tempted to have another movie night.  But instead, I pulled out our cardstock, a Spring Country Living (British Edition) from 2008, glue and scissors and started cutting and gluing and slotting.  The boys were fascinated.  And as all of our kids artistic endeavors, they took it one step further and left me sitting back in wonder.

Not that you couldn't figure this out too, but here is what we did:

{Slotted Easter Tree}

Supplies:

• scissors
• glue
• Spring magazine
• cereal boxes

Directions:

• Pick out Spring inspired pages from the magazine and tear them out
• Cut up recycled cereal boxes and glue the pages from the magazine to the colored side of the cereal box leaving the cardboard colored side showing
• Set them aside and let them dry
• Cut out a tree shape from one of the largest pieces of cereal box (repeat, you will need 2 of them)
• Next, find the center of your tree shapes.  Using the first tree shape, cut from the bottom center half way up the tree.  Using the second tree shape, cut from the top center halfway down the tree
• These two pieces will slot into each other and allow your tree to stand up
• Your magazine glued pages should be almost dry now, so cut out around 20 small rectangles approximately 1 inch by 1/2 inch.  Cut small slots into the opposing short sides of your rectangle
• Then cut leaf shapes out of the glued magazines and cut a slot into one end of the leaf.
• Now all that is left is to add the leaves to your tree.
• (Optional)  you can cut a small slit in the the tree and slip in a cutout of a bird

---------

We didn't end us adding the little rectangle slotted pieces until later that night, so I don't have any good photos of them.  But either way it seems to work just fine.

After the magazine tree was done, Ian ran upstairs to get an old 1970's kids craft book...one of many in our collection... that had these great paper trees in it.  Using these ideas, the boys added a few other kinds of paper (slotted and otherwise) trees to our Easter forest.  

There is even a banana tree in our forrest.  This has lead to some great discussions about different kinds of trees and their different leaves.

So, make some paper trees with your kids this week!  Im so happy we did this together.

--------

For more paper tree inspiration:

Patricia's great little recycled paper tree

Jenifer's christmas trees could be adapted for Spring using pastel papers

Kickin' It Old School

I have a list in my purse of things I look for when Im out thrifting.  And I can not tell you how long I have been looking for one of these little record players...3 years maybe.

I have seen many, many records and passed them up, knowing that it would drive me insane not having a player for them first.

So last week I was at my favorite Thrift USA looking for something entirely different (a dresser to put a sink into...more on that later) and low and behold this little sweetie was patiently waiting for me on the shelf.  It is made by General Electric and plays both 45's and 33's.

Score!

At the same thrift store, they have loads of records and when I went over to see if there were any 45's or 33's I could pick up, a met a gentleman who was an obvious vinyl collector.  He asked me what I had in my hands and then proceeded to give my little find a complete check up...needle in good shape, arm spring still working, etc.  It passed the checkup with flying colors and he even helped me find the 45's in the best shape.

Playing with this new little toy has been such an exercise in patience and being gentle for my boys.  Right off the bat, Wyatt put his hands on the record, moving it back and forth under the needle (I cringed!) and said, "the guys on the video do this.  Yes, well...these records are a little different.  Maybe I'll get some of the records that weren't in such great shape next time for them to practice a little scratching.

Taking Control of Our Education Update, Part 3

If you have followed this blog for long, you will know how much we have struggled with the educational choices we have made regarding our boys' schooling.

As always, there is so very much to say on this subject I never know how to get it all into one post.

With that in mind, I would like to share an email I got this week.

Stephanie writes this...

I am sure you get tons of emails everyday, but I just wanted to tell you I stumbled across your blog the other day and am so amazed by it.  I want to be you!  (Ha!..... don't worry, I'm not crazy!).  I love how you are so honest and so creative.  I did want to ask you about your boys and school.  I read your posts about public school and home school, but I didn't find a conclusion to the Part II.  Are your boys in 2nd grade at public school?  We live in TX and only have full day kindy.  My oldest daughter started this year.  I NEVER thought I would do home schooling.  But now I am seeing a whole new world.  My daughter is so sweet and smart and just going thru the public school system is really freaking me out.  My good friend has her girls in Waldorf school and it sounds amazing.  But, even if we had that available here, I couldn't afford it.  I was hoping to find some way to combine homeschool, Waldorf philosophy and public school.  That is why I was so excited to find you!  I can't wait to check out some of the books you recommended.  What I wanted to know is.... how is this school year going and what did you decide to do?  And, what book helps you most with that decision?

Thank you!

Stephanie Morrison  

No, Stephanie, thank you for the nudge to post an update.

First off let me answer your questions.

• Yes, at this time my oldest two boys (twin 7 year olds) are in Second Grade at our local public elementary school.  They are in separate classrooms with teachers who team teach.  Half way through their day, the boys switch teachers and high-five as they pass each other.  One teacher teaches language arts and the other teaches math and science.  They are both wonderful and amazing teachers who are very experienced, but have not lost the love of teaching.  It has been a great year!  Ian's teacher was just named Teacher of the Year and we are very excited about that.  

• What book helped the most?  You can find the original book list here.  But I have come back to this article from Lori, time and time again.  Honestly though, I read and read and read every book, article, blog post I could get my hands on for awhile. My head was spinning.  And finally came to .... my family, my history, my gut, my group of friends, and back to my gut again.  To this day, at least once a week I question whether we have made the right decision...mostly around 4 p.m. which is coincidentally also homework time.

Things I have learned this past year:

• Virginia has really great schools.  I don't have to worry about the quality of their education.  That is if quality is determined by SOLs (Virginia's Standards of Learning). They will learn.  The "but at what cost" question is the one that lingers with me.
• Good teachers make all the difference in the world to your child!  Experienced teachers that sincerely love what they do, can make magic in the classroom.  The boys have an amazing (AMAZING) art teacher and a really wonderful music program. If that is not happening, speak to the teacher, then the principal.  Request a change if there is a "real" personality conflict.  Just like all children learn differently, all teachers teach differently.  You might find a better match with another teacher. 
• I want all of my boys teachers to communicate the love of learning, but luckily they aren't the only ones who have that power.  It is also my responsibility to show my children that learning is the biggest adventure you will ever embark upon.
• If you have boys, be patient.  And even more patient.  Especially when the schools expect them to be reading chapter books and writing book reports by the age of 6. Public schools ARE geared to studious girls.
• Get involved in the classroom any way you can.
• Homeschool, public school, private school are not right for every family.  As a military family, I often find myself as a single parent with no family close by.  I have come to learn that I need all of the "backup" I can, including teachers, coaches and friends.  If both my husband and I were home, we might have made a different choice.
• I love that my boys best buddies are of a different culture and ethnicity than our own.  I don't know if that would have happened without public school.  It might have, but I would have had to really worked hard.  I think I would have felt like I was forcing the issue.  This just happened naturally and it feels right.
• Trust yourself.
• Education is fluid.  Just because you start homeschooling, doesn't mean you can't go to public school later.  And vice versa.
• You and your spouse MUST be on the same page.  It takes two.  (And I didn't have a quorum).
• And finally, just because you decide to send your children to public school, does not mean you can't incorporate some homeschooling into your routine.  I use homeschooling resources a ton for ways to help my boys "get" what is being taught if it is a difficult concept and for ways to make learning more fun.
• Looking at the homeschooling blogs may make it all look like fun and games, but those mamas work their be-hinds off and sacrifice a lot to do what they do.  I know it is not as easy as it looks sometimes.
• I have one kiddo that REALLY needs structure and boundaries.  Because I am by myself a large part of the time, I stay as strong as I can, but sometimes it is nice to have the structure and reinforcement of routine that public school provides.  At least for this one little boy.
• Homeschooling isn't free...you have to factor in any outside lessons, supplies, curriculum, field trips, etc.

Now, not to say that all is rosy in textbook land.  I am frustrated as all get-out with our PTA.  We are still spending way too much time on homework, but I have learned that my boys are not very speedy comparatively...which is OK by me.  We have been teaching them that it is better to be slow and accurate than fast an inaccurate.  

And the teachers are so tight for time, there is a huge lack of hands on activities and movement in the classroom...something boys really need.

I mean schools aren't going to teach them how to make fire with a magnifying glass.  But my boys are making friends of every race, creed, color and religion.  Which we love.  They are learning that everything in life is not fun...that sometimes we have to do things when we are told to do them.  They are learning that there is a place for order and routine.  They are learning to respect others with differing opinions and how to discuss those differences.

On of the things I have held on to this entire time and will continue to is a piece of advice my mother gave me.  She said that no matter what we choose, ultimately, my husband and I, our family and our group of friends will have the most impact on the boys.  At least for now.  We, as their parents, have the most say so in character development and the values that are instilled.

So who knows what next year will bring.  I know now that education, like rivers and clouds and the ocean, should be fluid.  We still may homeschool at some point.  Or not.

We continue to do a lot of extra things with them to teach them what we feel they are missing.  I wish they had more science and math in their day, which my boys love...does a Biology mama's heart good.  We garden, we sew, we draw and paint.  We explore.

But right now the boys are doing well and they seem to be happy with school.  Which is my greatest wish...for them to love learning, to love reading, to love to explore.  Some of these values they learn from school and some they learn from home.

And so far our decision is working for us.

Thank you so much for asking Stephanie!

Craft Hope

Jade spilled the beans, and so did Jenny.  So I guess its OK that I follow.  Most of you know about Craft Hope and my little connection to it.

But I am so stinkin' excited to see this book come into being.  Happy for Jade...such a deserving soul.  Happy for ORPHANetwork, because there are two projects in the book that will benefit this amazing organization.  And happy for me because I was invited to design one of the projects.

Craft Hope: Handmade Crafts for a Cause is available for pre-order here .

 

habit outakes

I have had so much fun contributing to the "habit" project.  And it is only the 6th day of the month.

One of the goals of habit is to add a few words to your photo...only 30 words each day.  Which is a real challenge for me.  Really?

So for your weekend pleasure, I give you a few of the photos that didn't make it onto the habit blog.

:: elephants at the watering hole ::

:: bring some of the outdoors in ::

:: someone's ready for summer ::

:: this little guy hung out in the tree until I put more birdseed out ::

:: this was tuesday morning ::

This weekend it supposed to be beautiful here in Virginia, although it is starting out a bit chilly.  The sun is out though and it might make it to 60 by tomorrow.  I've got a bit of a head cold going on, but Im not going to let it ruin my getting out into the sunshine.  

What's it like where you are this weekend?

If you get a chance, pop on over to habit for some weekend eye candy.  I also took a look at the March photos from this same time last year.  So fun!

Oh, you need a few more distractions for the weekend?

Me too!

• I'll be staring at Dottie Angel's flickr photos
• I love these log buttons from Kate over at Design Sponge
• And I can't wait to have more time to browse this collection of vintage wallpapers
• I love everything Kate's chair (note to self:  must find a way to add more of this color somewhere)

Here's to hoping you have a weekend full of inspiration.

Vintage Towel to Laptop Sleeve

Around Christmas time, S got me a new laptop.  The "s" and "h" keys weren't working anymore because of a little lemonade mishap involving one little boy and some jumping on the couch.  Ooops!

Anyway, going from a PC laptop to a mac has been more of a change than I thought it would be.  I have had to call my mac loving friends over and over asking "Now how do I get an image on my desktop".  I sure do miss my 'right click'.

Not wanting the new (and very pretty) laptop to come to the same end as the last one, I have been very good about closing it and putting it away...which is SO much easier to do with a mac.  

I have wanted to make a laptop sleeve for quite a long time and the opportunity to do so and the thrift find of a vintage yellow and white towel coincided perfectly.

So easy!  And that yellow makes me happy just looking at it.

----------

I just found out Bright Star is finally out on Netflix (thanks Courtney!).  I love a good romance, especially if it is based on a true story.  What movies have you been watching? Any good ones I should add to our queue?

Surrounded By Friendship

::a little jadite bowl, perfect for tea bags from my friend Ambre::

::a new "e" for my collection from Kari::

::perfect Spring earrings also from Kari::

::sunflowers on my kitchen table from Christine::

(not pictured)

::a kind word from Carole::

::a phone call from Jamie::

::a quik drop in from Shannon::

::encouragement from Staci::

Everyone needs to be known...really  known.  And I am so blessed to have friends who know what makes me smile.  Know what connects me.  Grounds me.  What brings me back into focus.  Thank you friends.

And thank you to all of you who drop by and share a bit of your time here in this space.  

Happy Tuesday!

Early Spring In The Garden

Yesterday afternoon was spent in the garden.  After cleaning up last weekend, it was time to get some potatoes in the ground.  I also dropped in some onions and pea seeds.  We'll see how they do.  Its still too early for most of the other things we have planned to grow, but it sure felt good to get my hands in the dirt.

The chard made it through the winter even with all of the snow.  And the chives are starting to come back out.  The kale has going crazy over the last few days.

And surprise, surprise, there were a few onions that we missed when we picked everything last fall that have made it through the winter.  And are now putting out new growth.  It sure nice to see something so green in the garden.

So, for you Northerners with snow still on the ground, I hope this is a bit of encouragement that Spring IS on the way.  I promise!

--------

While driving to take Wyatt to pre-school, I just heard on the radio that it might snow again tomorrow.  Such is gardening.  Go figure!

--------

Thanks for all of the kind words regarding my little post over at Simple Organic talking about how to repurpose some household items to begin your vegetable garden.  Katie just posted an awesome follow up piece talking about which gardening method is best for you, raised beds, container or traditional beds.  I think I am going to like hanging out over there.  Those chics are cool.