This Table
*My computer has been on the outs these days (thus the quietness in this space this past week and weekend) so while it’s being worked on, here is a post that I had written a few weeks ago but never published … hoping to be back up posting regularly soon …
This table has gotten so much use since we brought it home from the antique market last October. While looking through my photos of one single day, I noticed we’d used the table in four different ways just in one day.
Ellie eats breakfast at this table sometimes. And snacks throughout the day.
Art projects are regularly set up here.
and of course it’s usually set up differently for play throughout the day. Sometimes with animals and playscapes. Sometimes with nature to count and explore.
It’s funny how a piece of furniture can be an intricate part of your day. I find Ellie at this table so very often and I love sharing this space with her and keeping it special and hers. It’s exciting to know this piece of furniture will evolve over time to be all sorts of things for her and eventually, when she grows too big for it, maybe something else for this family entirely. But, right now, it’s Ellie’s table. Ellie’s space.
Portrait Project
18/52
eloise: oh you sunshine girl of mine. Cheeks kissed, eyes green and big. Brave to the new explorations of the day. Little voice but strong opinions, Merry maker and milky queen. “Hu-rway” you shout with arms outstretched. It’s going to be good day, because I have you.
-joining jodi for the 52 project!
{this moment}
“A single photo. No words. Capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.”
-joining soulemama this Friday! Happy Weekend!
In The Garden
I finally got around to taking photos of our garden this season. We’ve added two new raised beds and planted seeds pretty early on. We’re growing swiss chard, spinach, a few types of lettuce, corn, beans, tomatoes and broccoli. We’re kind of trying it all this time, seeing what grows best in that space on our side yard. It’s been hard to really get into gardening this year with so much else going on but Ellie and I try to get out and tend at least once a day (if we don’t, Daddy at least waters once a day).
Ellie loves helping to water with her watering can. She gets all the herbs on the deck and helps me with the raised beds too.
Our kale has just skyrocketed. We eat kale around these parts at least once a day if not more. I’m running out of kale recipes. If anyone has anything else I can do with kale, please let me know, because as you can see we have A LOT of it!
We set out our Halloween pumpkins in the garden to decompose back into the earth but they are certainly taking their time.
Jeff’s hops have come back up and this year Jeff decided to plant them right into the ground on the side yard. I’m not quite sure what we will do when we move (we’re renting) but Jeff assured me we would somehow take our hop plants with us.
So there you have it. The spring garden of 2014. I’m hoping we have better luck than last year. We’ve already taken kale off our shopping list which is nice and we’ve substituted kale for pretty much every leafy green these days which helps us a tad budget wise too. Hoping we’ll get some more home-grown produce goodness soon. There’s nothing quite like a veggie homegrown.
Weekending!
Saturday morning was spent at the farmers market and then an Earth Fair down by the ocean side. We listened to a drum circle, hula hooped, bought Ellie an upcycled skirt and enjoyed some fresh pressed juices from a truck. A fun, crunchy morning. The afternoon was spent with Gramma and Grandpa downtown for dinner. (And we were quickly reminded why we don’t go out for dinners with our almost two-year-old).
It was my middle sister’s birthday on sunday, so we spent the day with her, in my hometown. A local production of Spring Awakening (my first musical outing since before Ellie was born), sloppy joes and birthday cake. Happy Birthday Katie!
-joining Amanda for weekending!
Portrait Project
17/52
eloise: I thought of these lyrics when I saw this photo…
“Sweet Eloise, sing the birds in the trees
When she is near you can hear them
Singing sweet melodies
They’re just for my Eloise.”
-joining jodi and the 52 project!
{this moment}
“A single photo. No words. Capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. “
– joining SouleMama.
Making + Listening
MAKING: Projects in the works… the first being Ellie’s Busy Book that I should have started a year ago (because it looks like its going to be a LOT of work) and I’d planned to have it finished by her second birthday (which is four months away). I’m really hoping I can work and work and work and get it done in time. Here’s what I have so far.
And I’m being super ambitious and I joined a Facebook sew-along group. One pattern was chosen and we are all making the same pinafore dress. I’m hoping this will help me start sewing clothes (which I’ve always wanted to do but never felt I could). I’m hoping with the online support of other ladies around the country working on the same pattern and giving tips and help along the way, I may be able to pull off my first dress for myself. We shall see.
I bought a sheet at the flea market to practice with. I didn’t want to buy any fancy fabric just yet in case I completely botch it up. If all goes well, I will try my hand at it again with some nicer linen.
I just love the picture of it. It makes me want to buy a farm and feed the chickens and pick flowers in it.
LISTENING: Our music repertoire is consisting mostly of this record (and c.d. in the car) and lots of this song and this song over and over. Oh and we borrowed this on tape at the library. Ellie is loving it!
-joining Dawn for Making and Listening!
Happy Mail for Ellie
After having a wonderful time working on handmade goodies for a blogger swap and then receiving lovely gifts from this wonderful blogger for myself and Ellie, I had to join in when Marcela suggested a kids blog swap. I know Ellie is very young for these kinds of things but she genuinely loved getting her handmade nature bag from Christina and I thought she would love something from another little one too. I was very right! We got the most adorable package from Meg from FourWildBlueberries and her son Asher.
Ellie received a beautiful purple watercolor card, handmade fairy dust and a set of darling bean bags, just perfect for her little hands. She was so excited to get a present in the mail! I went onto Meg’s blog and found a picture of Asher to show Ellie who had sent her such wonderful things. She smiled and told me a story in her toddler gibberish. 🙂
The postcard watercolor and the bean bags now have their regular spots here on Ellie’s table. (I’ve since hung the watercolor up on the wall too). Thank you to Asher and Meg! This was such a fun gift to receive!
Here is what we sent off for the blogger swap.
summerplayshouse 