Mayfly

Hello! Guess what?! N's little fairy garden has had some visitors!

First Violet (the flower fairy) stopped by and gave her a note and four teeny tiny flower pots. He asked for a bed, so she quickly outfitted the house with one and some furniture from her doll house. And then the other night Daisy (the flower fairy) stopped in and left her a little mailbox so they all can exchange notes. N left a note with a drawing and Buttercup answered her back. And then Papa brought her some tiny garden gnomes to keep watch when the fairies aren't around. She is loving it!

We big people have been busy trying to spruce up our human-sized yard. I'm pondering vegetables. I'm really not so great at it, but N really wants to grow her own food. I'm thinking of planting both raised beds with something fun and easy like pumpkins. I really want a fruit tree, but we have lots of cedars in surrounding yards, and I've heard that apples and pears don't do well if there are cedars nearby. Any suggestions? J and I would both kill for some chickens, but our city is just not (sub)urban chicken friendly. You have to have a yard larger than 3 acres to have them without a permit, and they reject all the permits folks with smaller yards apply for. Sigh.

Speaking of gardening, I have been stalking tend trying to spark something. The ladies all over there are so quietly inspirational. I'm also craving a visit to Heather's garden in person- that yard of hers always makes me want to get my hands dirty. Can I come sometime soon, H? : )

Posted by Alicia at 12:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Last spring my mom's friend and neighbor, Gloria, and her little granddaughter made a fairy garden. It sits on a pedestal and has a little cottage and plants and moss and some itty bitty garden furniture. N has to stop and visit it often. I admit I do too- it's REALLY cute. I thought I took some photos of it before, but I can't seem to hunt them down.

N began pestering me to help her make one right away. My mom and dad gave us the hypertufa mix. I was trying to think of a way to make a mold for a square house, but then a few days ago talking with my mom, we came up with a much easier idea: a little mushroom house! We used a bucket and molded the base, and a big wooden bowl to form the top. My mom donated a cracked bird bath to the cause, and the tree-stump base is from the infamous elm tree branch.

Yesterday after school we went to the nursery and bought some tiny-leaved plants- two kinds of thyme, rosemary that looks like a little pine tree, a couple of plants with teeny little flowers. While we were there, we couldn't resist the little bistro table and chairs.

And now she waits for a fairy. So sweet is that girly.

Posted by Alicia at 7:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The table is finally done!

I cleaned and waxed the base of the table and all of the wood on the chairs, and then started sanding the top. I sanded, and sanded, and sanded... all through spring break. I sanded while the children pulled each other in the wagon up and down the sidewalk. I sanded while I should be making dinner. I sanded until I sanded through the veneer in a few spots. Oops! There were (still are) funny bubbles in the surface, I suppose where water got under the veneer at some point in its past. After seeing the plywood underneath peek through in those few areas, I took it much easier, giving up on smoothing the bubbles out completely. Then I stained the top and finished it with two coats of oil-based polyurethane. So it's not entirely smooth, but I think it still looks really good.

I also recovered the chairs. After much pondering, I just couldn't find a fabric that I thought would be durable enough, so I went with black vinyl. It has a leather look and is fancy enough without being too slick.

This new table is not perfect, but I'm embracing it. It sits right in the center of our home, hosting homework and projects and coffee dates and book club meetings, and even the occasional meal. I don't want to be scared to use it for fear of messing it up.

It feels a bit more imposing than our old table with the higher chair backs and sturdy design. I've got an idea for a table runner- a strippy patchwork kind of thing- to soften it up just a little, and some washable fabric coasters to keep in a little basket to protect the veneer from more moisture bubbles. The old table moved to the kitchen, and looks pretty good in its new home (a post for another day?).

I'd been on the lookout for a new table for quite some time, and this project including all the supplies came in for under $200. I'm so glad it's done. And I'm so thankful that Chris found it for me! I love it.

Posted by Alicia at 1:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (10)

Jack, my very clever son, has started his own little business. He's making hand-carved jump ropes! If you have a minute, take a look at his etsy shop. He's really excited.

His next product is in the r & d stage right now. Man, I love this boy.

Posted by Alicia at 5:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

Posted by Alicia at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My friend Chris spotted a very danish-modern table at a thrift store near her. It was a bit of a drive, but the kids and I rushed out in my dad's truck to get it the next morning. I've had my eye out for an affordable table for awhile, and this one was the perfect style, had two leaves and six chairs and the price was GREAT.

I've been working on it all week. I can't wait to have a show and tell when I'm done!

Posted by Alicia at 11:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Posted by Alicia at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)