Happiness...

Backyard Movie Theater

 

It's FINALLY summer.  Which means late nights, BBQ's, kids racing around the court and over fences into each others backyards, trampoline jumping with sprinklers on underneath, watering flowers and of course backyard movies. 

Living in Northern California, we are blessed with really beautiful weather most of the year.  When summer hits, watching a movie outside with loads of friends seems so wholesome and fun.  I decided that this is the year to figure out how to set up a proper outdoor movie theater...without breaking the bank. 

We have a projector: check.  We have a dvd player and a few speakers: check.  We have a big yard and enough seating: check.  Now to get a screen figured out. 
I found this tutorial on all things backyard movie theater and had to share.  I hope to be back shortly with my fancy new outdoor movie theater screen...made from blackout curtains!  I can't wait!

Sewing: Vintage Inspired Girls Dress

This post was originally on my personal private blog in 2008
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As I lay in bed the other night, I created this dress in my head: grey and white stripes with some textured structure, lined with two kinds of red and white polka dot cotton, trimmed out in blue and red bias and featuring two hip "belts" out of vintage patchwork with large white buttons. Everything sewn in red thread. In my head it was so pretty.

So I made it!

I cut and "pasted" two patterns together, one from the 70's and one current (from the McCalls book of patterns at Joanns) and whipped this up for my little girl. When I say whipped, it really took me the better part of two days. I'm not a magician :). She loved it.








 
 I don't sew dresses often and I certainly don't choose projects as involved as this one. For all of the work, however, it was worth it.

Gumball Felt Rug

OK, its not really made of gumballs.  But doesn't it LOOK like it?! 


I am crazy for this rug.

Paint Drip Flower Pot

 

I just discovered this tutorial.  What a great idea for summer planters.  And you could use any paint that you've got laying around - house paint would even be great.  I'm going to need to try this!

Playroom Redo

 
Our playroom is actually the front room of our house.  And while I like to think of myself as a go with the flow mom...I still like my house to have a decently cohesive feel to it.  Ie: not so many primary colored plastic toys near my front door.

So, I pulled together a color scheme I can live with and NOW I am officially happy with our newly redone playroom.

Curtains from World Cost Plus Market.  Table top originally from Ikea but sprayed with a hammered metal finish paint

 We have these friends on top of our very overstuffed bookshelf.  Yarn bombed giraffe from Home Goods, globe from a thrift shop, multi colored ball from our trip to Ethiopia, large star from a store in Utah called Taipan Trading.

I love how things turned out.  White kitchen from Pottery Barn Kids

Art for Children: Jackson Pollock

Last September, I started an art program at our school along with another parent.  I write all of the curriculum and teach some of the classes, my partner arranges the complicated teachers schedules and parent volunteers and makes sure our art supplies are in good shape.  Between the two of us and this team of volunteers we have made it work this year.  The kids LOVE the program (we are a K-8 school); so do the teachers and parents.

The program has been a labor of love and hugely time consuming...especially for a volunteer.  I am hoping to have the program standardized next year as a paid part time position for one person handling the teaching responsibilities as well as everything else that comes with an art class.  It all comes down to the school budget.  I hope it works out but unfortunately there are no guarantees.  I wish that the current climate in education was more favorable towards the arts.  Alas, it isn't so we have to make it work where we can.



Today I taught the 3rd graders a lesson on Jackson Pollock.  First of all, a lesson in a 3rd grade class on Jackson Pollock should not be undertaken by the faint of heart.  That said, it sure if fun to watch 30 3rd graders have at it with flying paint.  When I asked my daughter what her favorite art lesson of the program was this year (and they have had 7) she immediately shouted,

"JACKSON POLLOCK!"  Why, I asked.  "Because I could get down on my knees or walk around the canvas and just make paint fly everywhere".

Truth.



The kids did an amazing job.  See that canvas up there.  That's the mark of 30 kids.  Freakin' awesome.  I have a feeling Mr. Pollock would be proud.

Displaying Medals

We are a racing family.  My husband competes in triathalons and long distance stuff, my 10 year old son plays club level soccer and is a swimmer AND very fast runner.  My 8 year old daughter is an amazing swimmer and runner.  Both older kids also have medals for achievement in various school things.  I have medals for running.  Give the younger two a little time and I'm sure they will acquire their own collection of medals.

My older two have their medals hanging ON their trophies.  Its ridiculous.  I really should just buy some hooks but haven't gotten around to it.

Me and my husband have ours hanging on one side of an antique window that is in our bedroom.  We need a few more to balance out the window because it is listing to one side.  Again, this is slightly ridiculous. 

I'm in the market for a more attractive/efficient way to display our achievements.  Here are a few options I've seen and liked:


I love the title "Always Earned, Never Given" - that's great.






For the marathoner...






I also like the message on this.  It's simple...

So tell me: how do you display your medals/trophies?  What has worked for you and your family?

My People

 On Easter Sunday.

I like them :)

Sewing: Skirts for Kids!

 I got it in my head about a week ago that my two girls needed something special for Easter...and that I should make that special something!  My oldest daughter LOVES to match her little sister whenever possible so I pulled out a gorgeous piece of vintage fabric from my stash and whipped these two skirts up quick.  Seriously, an hour for both.  It was quick.

On Easter morning it was lovely seeing them in their new skirts (though somehow this picture didn't capture both of their skirts and its the only one I have!  How did that happen?).  PS: my dress is a favorite vintage dress that I purchased a few years ago in Orange, CA.  It all came together so nicely.

The One Where I Extol my Love of Anthropologie...Again

 

Have I mentioned how much I love Anthropologie?  I realize I'm just another voice in a crowd about this one, but how I love it so.  And while I am grateful to have most of my favorite clothes in my closet from Anthro, my favorite things at the store are in their home section.

I had my eye on this quilt for quite awhile. Isn't it delicious?

Then my parents gave me a lovely CASH gift for Christmas and I knew what I had to do.  HELLO quilt, my love.




 Sitting on my bed.  It is actually an oversize Queen that SOMEHOW fits my King size bed perfectly with generous fabric to spare.  How did this happen?  I don't know but my husband and I love cuddling up in it at the end of the day.  That's right; my husband loves it as much as I do.  Win Win all around.

A See Through Pool

Well, this is the coolest pool I've ever seen.


 I think in the dictionary under "clean lines" this would be the perfect visual entry.



 Apparently this beauty is in the Netherlands.  Read more about this stunning pool here