P-O-I-S-O-N I-V-Y

Ugh. Add it to our list of summer boo-boos, which includes multiple scrapes, cuts, bites, and bumps. I assure Ada and Esme that getting cuts on knees is normal, and sporting colorful bandaids is "de rigueur" for summer, but that doesn't make it any easier.
What is making it a bit easier is making our own anti-itch spray, courtesy of our neighbor, Miss Gail.
Here's the recipe for the spray:
Mix the following together, then store and administer it from a spray bottle:
1 part rubbing alcohol (the 99% concentration)
1 part water
1 part white vinegar
1 teaspoon antibacterial dish soap

Miss Gail mixed us a magic bottle to spray on the itchies, and it's making a big difference. My rash started clearing within a day. Good thing, too, because we are all in various stages of the ivy rash, and it's not even mid-July yet!

Needle case

Here's one of a few little cases I've been working on lately. Like so many things, it's a project I've been meaning to get to but only now have picked up.



I was inspired by a sweet little case my mom made when she was Ada's age. I'm going to keep hers for show, and let mine become the workhorse I need. I am always looking for needles! Now I have a cozy spot for them. And the fabric--I've got a bunch of sketches of other things to use it on. Looks like I may have a few early morning sewing sessions coming up.

Beachy bookmark

The latest: As part of a swap, I experimented with different textures in a collage for this bookmark. I think we'll be making a bunch more things like this.
Ada, Esme, and I are finding that stamping is something we can all do together, which is lots of fun until Esme tries to stamp the pad all over the table. Don't forget the paper, Esme!

Flowers, by Ada

We love to paint. And we love this recent painting by Ada. 9 x 12, painted in acrylic, it's going on a special place on her wall.

Catching up with a little Father's Day show and tell

I finished this awhile back, but I wanted to do a little show and tell belatedly, from our Father's Day gift to Daddy. It's a personal take on the traditional gift-- a silk tie. And it was a group effort--Ada designed, and Mommy sewed. And even little Esme added her own scribble pattern for me to follow with embroidery, too (the green lines on the right).

From the chickies--see the chickie detail? Now he can have us with him all the time at work, too.

I used the pattern in How to Sew Everything, by Diana Rupp. It was great fun to make.

Beach Glass--the big haul!

We live near the ocean, and we all love looking for little treasures there from time to time. This past weekend, though, we found a real trove--
Look how many great colors we found. Apparently, these are rare, but we found them all within 15 minutes time on a single little stretch of beach near town. Amazing!
The best part was to see Ada jump up and down with excitement over something so simple and pretty. Now to turn these gems into something fun to wear...

Happy 4th of July

Our town's big flag is waving...

And we had our own little parade on the beach today, to celebrate our country's birthday. A brief history lesson about the stars and stripes, and we cleared up the confusion about the national bird (now we all know it's the eagle, not the seagull, though on a day at the beach, we might be surprised about that).





We enjoyed a treat from the local bakery, and then found some beautiful beach glass for our collection. All in all, a great way to start the day.


Happy birthday, America! And thank you so much to all the people who allow us to sustain the many simple freedoms we enjoy and take for granted--like a peaceful walk with family on a beach.