Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Home improvements

I've been on kind of a home improvement kick lately. It started with the bathroom, which had been stark white with horrible ivy border and shiny brass hardware. Now it's warm and pretty... thanks to a cute new border and taupe colors ... I still need to get some new hooks and towel bars but it looks a million times better!
I digress... The front door used to be dark red, a color i LOVE. It was fading quite a bit, so I decided to freshen it up. The red, while really pretty, wasn't very practical for someone who has a wreath for every occasion, it either clashed or blended in with them.
I found this color and knew immediately it would be perfect for the door! It's dark, slate gray with just a hint of blue. So far, my egg wreath and my carrot 'welcome' sign (I didn't make the carrot.. but isn't it CUTE!?) look great against the more neutral tone.

Now... what else can I cover in paint? >:)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Flowers... 'nuff said!

Did you ever look at rural areas on google maps or google Earth? The way the farms and fields look from above is so cool, they spread out like a quilt in various shades of green, yellow and brown. But wait... if you think that's pretty to look at, do yourself a favor and look up 'tulip farms!' You will be amazed at the incredible patchworks these fields create! Every spring, I become a bit obsessed with them... thinking about how cool it would be to live in Holland near one of the farms, fill my entire yard with different colors of tulips or, at the very least, have a few beds or pots of them! I always forget to plant bulbs in the fall, but this year...yes THIS YEAR I will remember (I added it to my phone's calendar... victory!!) For now, though, I will continue to look at photographs and live vicariously through the Dutch.
Here is a link to some of my favorite flower shots I have taken over the years. It's always nice to browse through these when it's rainy and gray outside!

Enjoy!

P.S. Yes dandelions ARE (in my eyes at least) flowers! <3

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter fun!

So, a few years ago, I discovered Geocaching. If you don't know about this awesome hobby, you MUST go to www.geocaching.org and check it out! Basically, It's a worldwide 'treasure' hunt with GPS coordinates and clues to help the player find the prize... which is usually a small box filled with little trinkets to trade. The real prize is working together to find the cache, discovering new places to hike and play, getting fresh air and exercise, and, for some, being the FTF (first to find)! I was really eager to start geocaching, but my girls were still young and not quite as interested.... YET! Fast forward to this spring... my girls and I have been geocaching fools! We have so much fun taking long hikes, exploring super old cemeteries and figuring out clues together.
The Easter Bunny seems to be on the same scavenger hunt kick we are on this year! He left the girls clues hidden in eggs to help them find their hidden baskets. My older daughter, who is *cough* slightly OCD, was a little put off when she realized her basket wasn't where it has been in years past. I believe her exact words were, "this Easter isn't like the other ones." Her worried face eased and she was laughing and enjoying the hunt in no time!
Here are the clues for our hunt, it was fun trying to make up rhymes and come up with different hiding places.

Since you are both older now and much smarter too,
I thought I would make up a fun game and leave some clues for you!
You need to follow the clues to get your basket prize,
Pay attention, use your best spying eyes!
Inside each egg there will be a clue,
and two little gifts, one for your sister and one for you!

Clue # 1 : To find the first egg you must go DOWN three stairs then take four steps more,
you will find the egg somewhere on the floor!

Clue # 2: Now turn around and head back in the house with the egg you got
and go to what looks like a window.. but is NOT!

Clue # 3: Are you hungry? You can get a snack later in the day,
but why don't you go see what's in the fridge anyway?

Clue # 4 : I know you have a cozy bedroom
but where would you sleep if you were a SPOON?

Clue # 5: Now take a little walk down the hall
and find a set of stairs hanging on the wall!

Clue # 6: The next egg you should find is hidden away
behind mommy and daddy on their wedding day!

Clue # 7: To find the next egg, you must go
where mommy likes to sit and sew.

Clue #8: The next egg has a nice view of the front yard!

Clue #9: The last egg is one you might see,
when you are in the living room watching TV.

Clue #10: You found all the eggs!
But there's one more clue to read.
Your baskets are where you go to get your body clean!

Happy Easter!!!
Love,
Easter Bunny

They moved too quickly for me to take many pictures, but here's what I was able to get!