Bricolage

bri·co·lage

ˌbrēkōˈläZH,ˌbrikə-/

noun

1. (in art or literature) construction or creation from a diverse range of available things.

   "the chaotic bricolage of the novel is brought together in a unifying gesture"

   • something constructed or created from a diverse range of available things.

     "bricolages of painted junk"

   
   
2. The above is a good description of the contents of this post. A little bit of everything from this busy very week! Which includes-

A box of marvelous family photos from my grandmother. It is fascinating to see the way features pass from person to person, and the changes life makes to that canvas.

Hooray for summer! I am trying to replace as much of my normal diet as possible with peaches, while they are in their glorious peak.

We are trying to absorb all the other joys of summer too, with lots of long walks, and ice cream! Ice cream sandwiches made with sugar cookies and homemade raspberry jam, specifically.

 All the sun makes me feel like wearing the brightest things I own.

Have a wonderful day! 

Electric

This song is running through my head and I don't mind at all...

Sparks

Happy late Fourth! If your neighborhood is like mine, there are still fireworks going off here and there! We had a barbecue at my house, and it was a blast. It turns out that you can see several fireworks shows nearby from my yard, and all the streets around were full of fireworks too. We had some of Chris's amazing kabobs, which recipe I may need to steal for this blog.. And even some sword and squirt gun action (not simultaneously).

It reminds me one Fourth of July when I was a kid, and all the quiet suburban streets by Seattle turned into galaxies of short lived stars for miles and miles. The kids all colluded in mischief and accidentally set a roof on fire. It was quickly put out, but no one likes to give my brother bottle rockets still. You could hear everyone's music blending together and smell the barbecues mixed with the pine trees that warmed in the July sun all day.

Near the end of the night a helicopter swept overhead to land at the elementary school to take someone to the hospital. It was surely frightening and sad for someone, but what stood out to a child's mind was being swept up in a wave of a hundred running children down the street, passed the fireworks, the music the smells, gaining in number until we slammed against the fence to watch as it took off again. We wandered more slowly back then in glowing smoke to lay in the back yard and stared at the stars.

I think this will always be one of my favorite holidays, and if yesterday indicates there will be many more great ones to come.

What did you do for the Fourth?

The Spice Road

Last weekend Chris and I took a trip to Olympia, Washington. It is wonderful, colorful city and one of our favorites. Luckily it is also not too far away! We went specifically to get a supply of exotic spices, from Buck's 5th Avenue. This amazing store has caught my eye on many previous trips but had always been closed, but just from the outside it seemed fascinating.

The store did not disappoint! We came home with a variety of curries and some lovely, fragrant raspberry tea. The shopkeepers were enthusiastic and knowledgeable, and had a number of ideas for the different spices.

It was a treat for the eyes and certainly for the nose, with the many spicy scents mingled together, and separate as you peruse the jars.

They let us go upstairs to look at the area where they host cooking classes from different countries (drool!) and a small but fascinating gallery. These were done by the lady facing us above.

Aren't they marvelous? I love the expressions.

We wandered for a bit, finding murals around every corner...

And found the Radiance shop, which has a plethora of delicious teas I could spend hours perusing.

We also roamed down to Burial Grounds. We came here on our first date, and its been a favorite since. They have a number of delicious and unusual choices, with amusing names like Ultra Violence (creme de cacao, ibarra  and orange) and Rigor Mortis (chocolate, peanut butter, marshmallow). I got a Molotov, with cinnamon, chocolate and chipotle, and some ghost chili oil. As always is was excellent, I love the combination of bitter coffee with sweet chocolate and a little burn from the chilies.

When I lived in Olympia, I liked to use my day off to grab a coffee, then go to a park I hadn't seen yet. It was handy because I was a nanny and could scope out good new places. There are a number of beautiful and unique places I've found this way. Chris and I like to keep up the tradition when we can, so we picked a random park nearby and checked it out. 

Decatur Woods Park turned out to be a gem. There were many cherry, pear and Indian plum trees, enough that this may have been a farm before it was a park. The trails are not long, but there are many beautiful flowers and tree shaded spots with open fields, wonderful for a picnic. 

Definitely one we will have to explore again! What is your favorite place to take a daytrip?

DIY decoupage bangle

Mod Podge may be one of the better inventions of man. I am mostly joking about that, but I do love its many possibilities. When I was a kid I generally used it to cover trunks and picture frames in creepy Victorian cherubs from cards. Creepy Victorian anything really! It was kind of a scary phase.

But I digress. Mod Podge is wonderful for reinvention, and a bangle is a great example. Plain wooden ones are easy to find at thrift stores and yard sales, and you can cover it in anything! I used an old fashioned (okay, slightly Victorian) paper bag, but maps, magazines and even old love notes work well.

Simply apply cut a strip wide enough to encase your bangle, or patches numerous enough to cover it, and apply Mod Podge to it and the bangle, then combine. Smooth the paper, and apply several coats (drying in between) to the outside. You can cover with varnish at this point for durability. And your done!

Hope you enjoy this project, and have a nice day!

Rabbit Trails

 It is quite normal on any day home for me to flit between have-to projects and want-to projects without finishing any completely until the end. For instance, if you are painting something, dyeing something and doing the dishes, you start the dye water heating, then paint so a layer will dry, then do the dishes while you keep an eye on the water.Add about five more things and you have Sunday!

All week while doing futile time consuming work, I'm thinking of these projects, and come day off its just too hard to choose. This method is crazy but a lot gets done. Until, of course, you add the camera. Then its off chasing shafts of sunlight across the house while stuff burns.

This house does get the most beautiful light at all times of day and in all weathers. Shimmering, shifting bars of it are dancing on my keyboard right this moment from the window.

 It is a petite home, and I love that. It can be challenging sometimes, fitting all the little things, hammers, buckets, band aids that you seem to need but don't use often, and all the things that you want. But it also puts you on intimate terms with everything you own, it is all really used or really loved. That, to my mind, is the definition of cozy.

A great deal of what is in the house was acquired from nature. Chris and I love hiking and exploring, and looking at the shells, rocks and flowers makes us smile. Everything has a story here.

 What makes a house a home to you?

Have a wonderful day! 

Twirling

This skirt makes me feel like a Little House on the Prairie character! Laura or Mary, not Nellie. Giant poof sleeved monstrosities of Easter dresses remind me of Nellie. I love the way this skirt moves. It fans out and flutters just from walking, which looks lovely with the swirls of color.

Later in the day Chris and I escaped to the beach for a while, to look for driftwood for a project. We had to snap a few pictures of the skirt doing its thing in the wind. 

I am wondering how hard it would be to make a skirt like this, the individual components seem fairly simple! As my sewing skill increases a bit, I am starting to break down every garment I look at mentally. 

I would love to be able to sew all my own clothing eventually.  There's Little House on the Prairie for you.