Redmond Town Center Side Walk Sale & Arts Festival

It's tomorrow! My first three day show of the year (and only three day show of the year). Dare I say that the weather might actually be nice?

I'll be showing my World of Whimm children's dress up & imaginative play items. I'll have my crowns, mermaid tails, tiaras, super hero capes, masks, gloves and cuffs. Oh - and don't forget all the new Scrappy Little Monsters that I made up just for this show.

So, here's the scoop - hope to see some familar faces!

Redmond Town Center
I'll be at the corner of 164th Ave NE & NE 74th Street (right by the intaractive children's play area)

Friday, June 25: 10am - 7pm
Saturday, June 26: 10am - 7pm
Sunday, June 27: Noon - 4pm

I also know a few other vendors including Pepo Park, Seattle Sundries... and a few more that I can't think of off the top of my head.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

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Reorganizing again!

It's that time again... time to clean and organize the workspace. I seem to have to do this every month or so because the workspace is constantly evolving. Or, like this time, I need to get pictures and I'm embarrassed at it's current state. It's a big job this time... but it'll be worth it in the end as it's for an interview (details to be shared later).

So, I enlisted the kid's "help". I've had these apothecary jars waiting for buttons... just no time to sort them and fill them. Sounds like a perfect job for the kids!

I'm hoping to get better this summer about giving the kids projects. Sometimes I get so caught up in the things I have to get done, the kids don't get to do as many fun projects as they normally would. Of course, they are pretty good in coming up with them on their own, which is a great skill in itself.

Wow! It seems like their are a lot of things I hope to improve on this summer... perhaps I need to write out a list of summer resolutions so that I have them all in writing. Maybe for the next post. For now, Happy Tuesday (it's sunny here and we are going to be going to the park before I have to sit down and work again).

Here's the link for this weekend's craft show. I don't have much more information to share on it yet... including my location, so I'll have to follow this post up later once I get it (if I get it ahead of time). I'll be there with the World of Whimm shop!

Redmond Town Center Sidewalk Sale

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Muffin Tin Monday

Since my son has been off of school, I've been doing more muffin tins for the kid's lunches. It's been a great way to use up the random left overs and it's easy. Plus, they seem to like the variety of food. Lunch is definitely the meal where they eat the best.

I have been pretty absent from the blog though so I haven't been sharing... sorry. Summer time is always so busy preparing for shows (I'll post about my upcoming show in a separate post). Now that I think about it, from now until the new year... I'm pretty busy - summer shows, then Halloween, pre-holiday shows and holiday shows. Hopefully I can get better at juggling the kids, the show preparation and the blog.

Anyhow, here's one from last week. I know the combination seems odd (trust me, this one isn't nearly as odd as some of them :))

Contents: Trader Joes Sea Salt & Pepper Crisps (if you haven't tried these... you need to. They are my new favorite), Cherries (bananas for the daughter), jelly sandwich, yogurt, edamame, carrots and pizza.

But I haven't been doing all work... I've also been playing around a little. With cashmere! I made a patchwork octopus and I'm in love with him. My friend from Haute Goat will probably be listing him in her shop... so I'll let you know if it happens. But for now, here's a quick snap shot of him.

Check out more muffin tins here! Muffin Tin Mom

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Gardening

I have found that I'm much better at gardening when it's indoors. Perhaps it's the table and chair and the ability to put the plant up where I can reach it without bending down. The kids and I have been enjoying inside gardening. They love to pick up new seeds every time we go to the store and we have a large variety of vegetables growing now - broccoli, tomatoes, basil, zucchini, pumpkins, cauliflower, cantaloupe, sunflowers, bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, cabbage, lettuce and of course, beans!

Beans are my favorite to grow... so easy. We've been experimenting with different ways of growing them (in glass with a paper towel, in plastic containers in soil, using peat moss pots, etc.). So it's been fun to watch. The two pictures below are one day - the first was taken in the morning and the second was taken in the early evening. Crazy!

I made some wire stands to help them stand up until we transplant them. They seem to be working great... if they work up until I transplant them, then I'll share how I made them. For now though, they are still in the testing phase.

In addition to all the seed planting, I've been redesigning our backyard. We've tried the grass for five years now and have finally admitted that it's not for us (we are great at growing weeds though). I let the kids have one last hurrah in the weeds before their dad cut them down. As an adult, all I can think of is all the bugs that are in there... but as kids, they had a great time. Of course, I kept my feelings to myself.

The new backyard will have raised planter beds and stones for walking. That's about it (we have a small backyard). It'll be a functional backyard. I'm hoping this one will work for us. I've planned it out in four phases, with the majority of it being completed by the fall. I'll try to share our progress here.

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Teacher Gifts - Phase 1

I'm back! (I hope). It's been very hectic this year with two children who have end of the year school activities. I'm anxious for them both to be at the same school. But today marked my daughter's last day of preschool.

This means... teacher gifts! I spend a lot of time making a special banner for one of the teachers at the school how has decided to stop teaching for a bit to spend more time with her kids. We had the kids decorate flowers and some parents and kids signed the bottom (dirt). I didn't make it to the presentation of this gift so I only have before pictures... and no after pictures. It was a really fun project. Each flower is made from a scrap piece of cotton on top of a tshirt scrap. I finished the edges of the tshirt to give each flower a wavy, petal look.

For my daughter's teachers, we made garden markers. I needed a project that she could help with... and she's still too young to help with sewing. And she LOVES to paint. So I had my husband drill some holes into wood disks, had her paint them and I them sealed them. We hung them from some bent wire. She was so proud of them and happy with the way they turned out. She chose some seed packets to go with them.

I have a tutorial for a similar garden marker in the works. I hope to have it done by the end of the week.

I'm thankful that my son's last day of school isn't for another two weeks. So I have a week or so to figure out what I'll be doing for his teacher. The ideas I've given so far have not been well received with my son. But I think it's important to give handmade gifts... I really think it shows my appreciation for the time they spend with my kids. Not that I haven't gone and bought a gift certificate in the past when I didn't have time to make something... but I am trying to make a rule that teachers get a little more thought put into their gifts. After all, where would we be without them?

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