So Many Reasons to Smile

Hello my lovelies! I am SO sorry I am late posting! Below I will tell you what has been keeping me. I must first tell you about the goodies that came in the mail. The first one completely surprised me. I signed up for my very first swap over at Lucy Kate Crafts. We have until the 13th to send it, so I was completely clueless as to why I had that special key in my mailbox...the one that always gets me so excited because it means a package has arrived! Did I order something? No. Win something? No. Here is what I found! These are from Ginger over at Loves to Dream. Aren't they fantastic? It's even better in person! The stalk of the toadstool is a woven/embroidered material...just perfect! And the doilie! Thank you SO much Ginger! For the pin cushion too! So sweet! I think it's perfect that I got paired with you as I have always been a fan of Ginger Rogers. My first car was a red saturn coupe and I named it after her!
Here is another goodie I got in the mail. I was lucky enough to win Lani's Art Blessing Giveaway over at Healing Expressions. Here is the piece hanging from my fairy tree. Please go over and see her fabulous work...I love her quotes too. This one says "It takes great courage to fly, but oh what a view!" SO TRUE! Thank you Lani! It is very special!
So what's kept me away? Lillian's schedule was full of end of school year events. Her she is with her bff, Constance, at the Kingergarten musical.
Dave went out of town, so I HAD to take the opportunity to teach the girls in my life that flea markets are not a place to buy fleas! I told them it was a treasure hunt and gave them each some money to spend. Lillian found a sweet jewelry box and I had a great experience that was so special that it will have to be a post of its own.
Repaving the patio in an effort to make it livable out there for the summer...hello mister system! The girls were outside almost the whole holiday weekend!
Last day of school!
But not before one last Art Masterpiece! I've been asked to do it again next year...can't wait! This time they played with salt dough that had been handled by a partner. They had to get their inspiration from the shape their partner made...like the way Michelangelo said the marble told him what to make, not the other way around. I'm going to miss them and their hugs so much!
Finally, as promised, the winner of my giveaway! Lori, of Faerie Window! Congrats Lori :) Please email me your address! Thank you to all who entered...I really appreciate your support!

100 Moms and a Giveaway!

Okay, well not really 100 Moms, but I do want to wish everyone a very happy, yet belated Mother's Day! Thank you all for your comments and well wishes...I'm grateful that you come by once and a while to see me! :) My Mother's Day was great...awesome guy did a great job putting everything together. I got to spend the day with them, got flowers, lovely handmade and musical cards, a chalkboard pig, paint pallette, and a victorian phone (how fitting!). Awesome guy also grilled some salmon for me...my fave. I truly don't order it out anymore because nothing compares to his!

I made this painting of my Mom to give to her...my parents came over for dinner too. She is known for that tealish aqua color and her slider necklace!

My paper mache adventure is coming along. Thank you Pea for your advice...it made a big difference! :) It feels good to make something out of nothing and I'm realizing just how much paper is coming through my house! Kneading it after the blender is my favorite part...so squishy and relaxing. I am covering everything with my tons and tons of paper mache, but the closest to being done are a few Santas and an angel that decided she would much rather be a mermaid!

I'm also including a sneak peek at the card I'm making for Caroline's 100th Birthday for Karla at Karla's Cottage. The background is fabric and at first I thought it didn't scan well, but it did turn out okay. :) It is of Caroline as a child, based off of a photo Karla has. I love the way little girls dressed back then. :)

Oh and we are making another fairy house...Lil wanted one for our garden too! I have this tree...first it was an orange tree, then the lemons took over...we called it the lemorange tree. I'm kind of bitter (lol) that I have a lemon tree now, but I'm trying to make the best of it. It is now the fairy tree. I use the branches I trim from it to make the houses. The branches that are left are covered in windchimes and a hummingbird feeder...even ribbon! I'm going to decorate it like crazy and Lil's fairy house will be underneath with a fairy bath, mini fountain, and teacup bird feeder. We are also going to get a mister so we can be out more during the summer.

I have some really fun things to share with you all in the next couple weeks...I can't wait! But I hope in the meantime you will settle for a giveaway! I went to Micheals on Sunday and they had the Donna Dewberry how to kit on sale for a buck! It shows how to do nests, hummingbirds, butterfllies, etc. Lil and I sat down to paint and I tried it out....I am on SUCH a bluebird kick these days...funny cause I never ever see one!

It's on acrylic paper, 9x12. If you would like to enter, leave your comment here! I'll draw on Monday. For now I am off to pick up Lil, she only has three more days of being a kindergartener! How did that happen?!

Love to all! Mere

There is Always Time for Tea

Sure, Alice was very busy chasing that cute little rabbit. She knew she had to find her way home soon too. As preoccupied as she was, Alice still managed to find the time to sit down with the Mad Hatter and enjoy a cup a tea. Good for you Alice! May we all learn a lesson from you!

Alice wants you to know that no matter how late you are for your very important date, there is always time for tea. There is always time to stop and smell the roses, whether they be white or red! She is on ebay right now.

While the roses here in the desert are few and far between, your blogs, my dear friends, are roses to me. The weather is heating up and I am going into hibernation mode, but I so enjoy the words and photos you all share. As busy as I am, I simply don't fill guilty about that. :) Thank you!

I have also taken Alice's advice, as well as the advice from a wonderful blogger, Cheryl from Confections by having afternoon tea with my daughter everyday after school. Like Cheryl, I too experience that crazy hour after school and have found that having this time with her really helps! I have tons of china that I use in my business, so she gets her pick everyday. Sometimes I bake one thing...usually a half hour before I go pick her up and combine it with some cut fruit. I'm a tea fanatic, so I have a nice selection of tea for her to choose from. This has been a big hit! So big in fact, that she told her friends at school and now a couple of times a week, one of the neighborhood girls join us too! "The cousins" have even been over for tea!

I think it's funny how even though I started taking Lillian to tea at 18 months, I never thought of having it at home. Thank you Cheryl!



Here is Lillian during one of our teas. I swear she didn't put on the dress for tea or the photo...she is going through a very feminine stage right now and dresses up for school like this. I had to stop her from going to school in her Christmas dresses! The apron, though, she did put on for tea. It belonged to my grandmother- Lillian is named after her. She was a registered nurse in the 20's and 30's. She wore the cap and the navy cape and everything! She would be so happy to see Lillian now. No matter what, she was always a lady and dressed like it too. :)

Cheyenne's Baby Bunny

I know, I know...lol. Enough with the bunnies already! But doesn't this little cutie deserve a sweet little bunny?

My 4th niece was born just this last Saturday! She didn't give her mom any trouble at all and has beautiful dark brown hair. I can't wait to get to know her! :) When my sister had her shower, I came across the sweetest bunny. She was pale pink, with vintage floral for the inside of her ears, the pads of her feet, and a heart patch on her hip. All lovingly embroidered on with brown floss. I had to have her, well, Cheyenne did anyway. I loved her so much that I wanted to paint her. And here she is...

She is on ebay right now and the church is on etsy. My Alice in Wonderland is done too and I will post about that soon! I am SO excited about her!

So the other thing I wanted to share is my current adventure with paper mache. I am trying to make it from scratch. I bought a shredder and have bags and bags of shredded paper now...boy does it feel good to shred...I feel like I am decluttering my life! I put the shred in a blender I bought just for this project...added lots of warm water and waited a few hours. When I went back to blend it, my blender immediately started smoking! Why do all my appliances want to catch fire?! :) Before it died, it managed to blend some of the paper and I tried smushing it on a wine bottle. I added the salt and glue too.

I set it outside...it should be dry in a few hours thanks to the Arizona sun...100 degrees yesterday! The rest is soaking some more in hopes of softening it up. It's bumpier than I expected, but I guess I'm supposed to sand it? I guess I'm just so used to paper clay, but I used almost a whole pack on my first bunny...not very budget friendly. Thought I'd save it for the details... Any tips or advice would be appreciated!

Thanks from Mere and Madeline (who is asleep on my lap!)