Summer in our Backyard

(Beeper in his new blow-up kiddie pool)

(asiatic lilies in the garden)

(noodles caprese--my homemade noodle recipe mixed with some minced garlic and parsley, cooked, then add chopped tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, olive oil and a splash of balsamic--summer in a bowl)

(monster chalk drawings on the patio flagstones)

(kitchen door potted herb garden)

(dino sandscape by Beeper)

(electric raspberry cooler--recipe from Something's Hiding in Here)

(Socrates in the sweet woodruff patch)

(blowing bubbles in multiples)

(BBQ ribs on the grill)

(brewing sun tea)

(coneflower in bloom)

Some snatches of our summer so far.  We have been spending a lot of time in our own backyard this summer, just enjoying what is easiest to reach and do.  What about you?  What have you been up to this summer?

Yellow Corduroy Baby Binky Bunny

Part of me just cannot get over the uber-cuteness of the Baby Binky Bunny.  Seriously.  This is the fourth time I have made it now, and I was still utterly charmed by it once complete.  Larissa really did a bang up job on the design of this--it just hits every cute button that exists, I think.  And the yellow corduroy?  Love the bunny in this color and fabric.  This was actually some yardage I thrifted and it is so soft--like velveteeen.  So good choice on the fabric--and thanks for your input on that.  Oh, and the Bunny accessories were a cinch to make and while I think it is hard to add any further to the cuteness of the bunny/binky combo, I do think they will add lots of play value for Miss Bean.

And then what is even better is that Mr Beeper and Beeper got their own craft on and made this bug box for Miss Bean, all on their own initiative.  Mr Beeper supervised the construction with Beeper, and then Beeper drew some bugs to decorate the outside with, which were cut and pasted on.  When they get crafty all on their own and make something, few things warm my heart more. Times like this, the whole handmade thing feels like a core value for our little family tribe and it just feels good.

In My Shop: Stripey Pick Up Sticks in a Pouch

4 sets of colorful pick up sticks in all their stripey splendor are in my shop.  They come complete with 41 sticks, a convenient carrying pouch (fully lined, for those discerning types), and complete instructions for those of you who are new to the game or who have forgotten just how to play the timeless and delightful game of pick up sticks.  Perfect for a child, or perhaps just the child in you.

Find them here.

Binky Bunny Options

This is the Baby Binky Bunny designed by Larissa over at mmmcrafts.  I made this one back in December as a gift for my niece's daughter, sweet Lily.  I also made this one for dear Mimi for her 2nd birthday, and then made this one for a Toy Society drop sometime thereafter.  And now, with Miss Bean's 2nd birthday coming up, I want to make one for her too. (actually, I wanted to make her a full-sized rag doll version of my Bitty Bebe with all the accoutrement but just do not have time to get it designed and sewn up this week--but the rag doll version is coming, trust me, since I have been thinking about it nearly every single dang day for weeks now...).  I have also had Larissa's latest Baby Binky Bunny accessories pattern lurking in my to-make pile for a few a months so I figured I would toss that in as part of Miss Bean's gift.

So today I began to select fabrics for the bunny and its patchwork binky...um, except I ended up with 3 different sets of fabric options and now I cannot decide which it will be.  Don't you hate that?  That over-abundance of inspiration?  The excess of options?  The ensuing indecisiveness?  

Here are the fabric options as they look today (binky quilt options on left, bunny fabric with contrasting ear fabric on right)...

(brown/green/yellow/blue/red binky and brown corduroy bunny)

(pink/blue/yellow/lavendar binky and raspberry wool tweed bunny)

(red/green/yellow/blue binky and buttery yellow corduroy bunny)

Can you give me some help here?   Which do you think it should be?   

(and did I remember to tell you thank you for all the great suggestions of things to make with the plant-dyed felt?  Because now I have a whole list of ideas that grew from your suggestions--more to come on that.  And thanks too. You guys are the best)

Make This: Stripey Sticks

Beeper received a set of pick up sticks for his birthday this year and it has been a popular family game pretty much ever since.   The thing is though, with something as classic and simple as a set of pick up sticks, well, I couldn't help but imagine how I could make my own--so these little stripey sticks came to be (because stripes are so much better than solids--and when you are a skinny bamboo stick, some horizontal stripes actually add some much needed dimension to your figure).

They are pretty straightforward to make ( no need to even get out a sewing machine, folks!)--and really, you could get the kids in on this.  In fact, give them the clipped bamboo sticks and let them paint their own designs--to hell with my design--and then they can assign their own point values to their designs.

So here you go--make your very own stripey pick up sticks:

DOWNLOAD STRIPEY STICK TUTORIAL

Oh--and the tutorial also includes game instructions on the last page--in case you have just arrived from Uranus and have never played...but even an alien can play this game.  Just play fair, okay?  No Uranian mind tricks.

In My Shop: A Rainbow Array of Mooshy Belly Bunnies

Made a little litter of mooshy belly bunnies in a rainbow's worth of colors.  As one might guess from their name, they are mooshy, gushy and squooshy--you know, soft, cuddly, that sort of thing.  Also, they are made from recycled stripey tees (which I have an endless affection for, both in my own personal wardrobe, as well in my plushies).

These have a sweet little white bob of a tail that is securely attached to the bunny's derriere--that means they are safe for babies, toddlers, kids of all ages and big people, alike.  And did I mention you can find them in my shop?  Yup--right here.  Hop on over and have a look if you are in the market for some stripey, mooshy bunny goodness (and let's be honest here--who isn't?).

Further Adventures in Jam Making: Apricot

One year later, here I am, still making jam.  For those of you who may not be aware, I kind of went on a jam-making binge last summer--and undeterred by stifling heat and humidity, I have been back at it again.  I have already canned a year's supply of blubarb (my recipe here), and again have raspberry and raspberry jalapeno (those recipes here) on the docket--but then I also added apricot to the repetoire this year.  Do you think I have a jam-making problem?  Like, one that requires a licensed therapist?  Anyway...

...As you can see here, it all worked like a charm--apricots cooked down, jam jelled, tastes like summer in a jar.

So thought I would share the recipe with you too--just in case you were interested and suddenly realized that you too needed to go on a jam-making bender.  I am more than happy to be your jam enabler (or pusher, whatever works for you)--here's the recipe I used for my apricot:

DOWNLOAD APRICOT JAM RECIPE

And if you do make some apricot jam--here is my very strong recommendation--make yourself a loaf or two of irish brown bread (that recipe is right here too) and serve that up this weekend with your freshly concocted apricot jam and some lovely european butter.  Because these things are meant for each other--you can feel them holding hands and reading Shakespearean sonnets to one another as they glide over your tongue.  Apricot jam and irish brown bread are food soul mates, I tell you.  Try it--you'll see.  Like love in your tummy.

What Would You Make with This?

I purchased this sumptuous plant-dyed wool felt from A Child's Dream Come True a couple of months ago on a whim when I was reordering some their other more traditionally dyed wool felts.   The plant-dyed colors just caught my eye and when I slipped them out of their mailing envelope, I think my pulse quickened.  I really am at a loss to describe it, but there is something about the colors of these felts that is so much more extraordinarily gorgeous than other wool felts.  

So, they have been sitting right on top of my work table all this time, awaiting the right inspiration, the right project, the thing to evolve into...and I've got nothing.  Every time I look at them, I am still as in love with them as the day they arrived, but I just cannot work out what the right project is for this lovely felt, in all these rich, natural colors.    I know--this should not be hard.  And I really am eager to cut into the pieces and make something...but what?  

So I ask, what would you make with these pieces of felt if they were yours?

Read This: Little Blue and Little Yellow

Leo Lionni is one of my absolute favorite authors of children's books--and this book, Little Blue and Little Yellow, is my favorite of his books.  But I have this thing about stories that involve abstract shapes as their main characters ( you too?  you should read about Little Smudge then...).  

The story is about our two heros--who just happen to be ragged edged circles in blue and yellow--and follows them through a colorful afternoon of simple, but beautifully illustrated games, and then their surprise afternoon when they hug and find themselves merged into an all new color...and the confusion that ensues from there.

Apparently, Leo Lionni conceived this book when he was with his grandkids on a train and they were making a bit too much mischief, so he created a story right then and there with what he had--a magazine.  He tore some ads into pieces and began to tell them them this story about little blue and little yellow...and this classic was born.

Just goes to show you what we all know, the best things come from some of the simplest means--and also, necessity is the mother of invention...any other cliche's I should be hitting on here?  Whatever the case, go find a copy of this at your library if you have not read it before--I promise you will enjoy it.

London

(Westminster Abby and Medevial Fresco)

(Westminster Abbey Floor)

 

(Admiralty Arch)

(British Museum Pillars and Indoor Covered Plaza)

(Ceiling in the King's Library)

(Middle-eastern Sphinx and Cupid in King's Library)

(Borough Market)

(Truffles at Borough Market)

(Big Ben and Trafalgar Square)

(Buckingham Palace from Saint Jame's Park)

(London Street)

(Westminster Underground Station)

(Hampton Court Palace)

 

(Tudor Rose on Ceiling)

(Fresco at Hampton Court Palace)

(Hampton Court Passageway and Mr Beeper Looking out window)

(Topiary at Hampton Court)

(Palace Back Door and Orangerie)

  

(Urn in Hampton Court Garden and Window in Banquet Hall)

(London Bridge)

(Tower of London Green)

       

(Tower of London Guard)

Quite belated, but thought I would still share some of the photos from our recent London trip.  We visited many of the usual iconic sites since Mr Beeper had never been to London before, but we also managed a few places I had never been before (this was my 3rd trip to London & I lived there for a summer...).  And if you must have my recommendations for what to see when in London town, here are a few of my own favorites...

• The British Museum (one of the best museum of antiquities in the world, & do not miss the King's Library--one of the least visited but best parts)
• Hampton Court Palace (former home of Henry the 8th and Ann Boleyn--if you watch The Tudors--and yes, I do--you must see this site)
• Porters for a traditional english pie and a pint
• Tate Modern (if you like modern art, this is the place to be--go there via the Millenium Bridge--their gift shops are some of the best shopping in all of London)
• Hyde Park (pack a picnic from a local market and enjoy)
• Borough Market (honestly, the best meal we had on this trip came from takeaway stalls here)
• The Underground (perhaps my very favorite part of London)
• Westminster Abby (if you only choose one church-y site--make it this one, chock full of history and British poets)
• Highgate Cemetary (take the tour--the commentary is well worth your time)
• Just walk the city...get off the underground and take some time to walk from one place to another, stopping in at pub for a pint as necessary...

And if you are looking for a very traditional boutique hotel, you cannot beat The Rookery (posh, located in the heart of London, great breakfasts in bed & a claw foot tub in every room)
And also, you can see more photos here.