Wrapping up Summer

Just two more days before school begins, and we're making the most of it. Hang tight friends, I'll be back to you when my six year old is tucked safely into first grade.

Giveaway Winner

The winner of my 100th post giveaway is:

I would love to take a chance on the Take a Chance bowl!

Lovely picks!
XO
Iris

Congratulations, Iris! If you don't know Iris be sure to check out her lovely blog, Creative Endeavors in a Busy Life. As soon as I get a mailing address, I'll be sending her this beautiful bowl...

And thank you to everyone for all your support since I started this little blog. Keep coming!

Treading Lightly - Drawing on Rocks

It turns out that both my girls are huge camping fans. This is great news to me, because you never know what your kids will run fast away from that you'd hoped to share with them. Some of my greatest memories from childhood are from camping trips. It was music to my ears when Miss Kinder asked me this weekend, "Am I dreaming, or is it really real that we are camping?" Her favorite part of this two-day stay, hands down, was kayaking.

LEB's favorite part of camping was the same as her favorite part of everyday: marveling at and trying to keep up with her big sister.

On one of our walks around the campsite, Miss Kinder found a feather. She tucked it into her pocket and brought it back to the site and proceeded to do some rock drawings, using the feather as a pen. It was her idea to use juice, "So it would be like the real older times, except we don't have ink."

If you want to give this a try, I'd suggest using grape juice so that your work comes out a bit darker. Miss Kinder only had cranberry juice to work with, so they dried on the lighter side.

After a dewy night, the drawings were gone, which was perfect, because we were heading home and didn't want to leave anything behind that would take away from the natural landscape for the next lucky campers. Maybe next time we go camping we'll look for berries or leaves to crush up and see if we can get create some natural paints. Leave a comment if you have tips on that for us.

Etsy Giveaway! 100th post & Power Animal of the Month: Pets!

What better way to celebrate my 100th post than with an Etsy giveaway! And can I just tell you that I'm super excited that this very 100th post happens to be a Power Animal of the Month one?

To celebrate I am treating one lucky visitor with the Etsy item of their choice from this PAOTM montage. This collection serves as my July and August Power Animal of the Month and celebrates various pets I had growing up. As I write this, old lady Peaches sits snoring at my hip and I'm reminded of the solace pets provide us in difficult times. And I've selected items from sellers that I really, really love. I hope you do, too.

1.Girl and Bunny Print by theblackapple 2. henny penny upcycled plush by moseyhandmade 3. Wooden Star House Bird Folk - Yellow by urastarhouse 4. Take a Chance bowl by elmstudio 5. 8 Pirate Party Invitations by belleandboo 6. Cat and Dog Love Pillow by Juliapott 7. Airedale Terrier at the Coffee Shop art print by lulunjay 8. Ginger Tabby Print 8 x 10 by johnwgolden 9. Cat Jam by ohmycavalier 10. mermaid with fishes gocco print by katep

To be eligible to win, leave a comment here on this post before midnight, August 20th. Be sure to say which Etsy item you'd like to win. I'll post the winner on August 21st!

Explanation and hello again

Hopefully you have missed me since June when my blogging life got put rather abruptly on hold. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that my whole life got put rather abruptly on hold. In mid-June my mother suffered a massive stroke and passed away ten days later. It was a shock for all of us, and I have been really grateful to everyone who knows me and who as reached out to me since this happened. It's meant a lot.

Peaches, my mothers 12 year old dog. Now, Peaches, my 12 year old dog

Three days after that, a good friend became suddenly and unexpectedly very ill after giving birth to her first baby. She bravely endured three surgeries within ten days (many of those spent without being able to see her baby). Without hesitation I went from my mother's funeral to my friends home, where I spent the next three weeks helping take care of the baby while she recovered in the hospital and got home and settled. Six and a half weeks later I am super happy to say that she has recovered, her baby is (and always was) perfect and she and her husband are as tired and blissed-out as any new parents would be.

LEB and Miss Kinder soothing baby Nugget

I have looked longingly at my knitting needles and attempted a pair of socks which are coming along. I've purchased tons of fabric from my favorite shop for a slipcover project which I am excited and terrified to start, and I've felt really sad that I missed July's Power Animal of the Month.

June and July were spent in two different states, in two different ICUs, at one gravesite saying goodbye and at a newborn bassinet saying hello. Life is different for me now, but I'm back. And I've really missed you all.