Rawrrr!

I have a bit of a complex...



I'm in constant competition with myself to a) come up with nifty handmade gifts for every occasion and b) be the coolest auntie ever.



So when my little nephew, Caleb, was turning seven, I knew I had to come up with something cool. Also, boy-friendly and DIY-ish. Here's what I came up with:

The Dinosaur Terrarium Kit - RAWRRR!



Caleb is *obsessed* with dinosaurs, (he's going to three fossil camps this summer - WOW!), so I went with that as my theme. This is not exactly handmade, but I thought that this kit would inspire a little boy-friendly DIY adventuring and that it was better than the hottest new plastic toy from a big-box store. I was definitely inspired by the sweet gnome terrariums over at Thompson Family Life. I included everything that he needs to put this together, except for the soil. The rocks I picked up on the beach, so that he could have a little piece of New Hampshire in Colorado.

I think that boys can be so tough to gift for, if you're trying to do something handmade/unique, so hopefully passing this idea along helps someone else out! I'm really psyched about this kit, and I can't wait to see how he puts it together. I'm thinking that I'm going to have to go get another fishbowl and make one of these bad boys for myself! Although, I'd probably go back to the kitschy gnome woodland theme, if I were to make my own.

Happy 4th everybody!

when life gets you down

dress



to impress!



I woke up the other day and thought to myself - boo to pity parties! They are unproductive and silly. So I woke up, put on my best summer outfit, did my hair and make-up and hit the street on my new bike for a nice early morning ride.

It's all going to be okay. The job thing is just a bump in the road.

I'm doing some Christmas crafting tonight, (finished projects soon!), and then tomorrow is my sister's infamous Fourth-A-Palooza Party. Will I survive??? It remains to be seen.

Keep smilin' peeps, and enjoy the holiday weekend if you're in the U.S.A!!!

*EDIT*

P.S. Things that are making my day:

Gray Goosie's Flickr Photoset is rocking my universe! I literally looked through all 3,053 of her pictures in a fit of happy clicking. Amaaaaaaazingly fun!

Scuppernong and Muscadine - This little book makes me smile, especially the ending.

My lovely new headband from See Katie Sew that just arrived. My hubby bought this for me as an anniversary gift. Cotton for our second anniversary. I love his attention to detail, catering to my nerdy love of what Emily Post dictates is a perfect 2nd anniversary gift!

So

I just lost a week's worth of freelance teaching work because of f**king jury duty. That's about 1/3 of the work that I have lined up for this summer.

Wish I had something fun and crafty to share, but the gods are not smiling today :(

This is...my best op shop find

Or antique shop rather. I've been wanting a bicycle for so long now, one with vintage lines and a basket. A brand new one is way out of my league, price wise, which is why at $79, I knew that this was a gem I could not pass up.

Presenting, my new ride:



So pretty!



::Swoon:: I'm in love!



I don't know anything about it except that it's marked "Sears". A little air in the tires and she was good to go. I've been out with it twice now, and I have to say that the only thing that's lacking is a comfortable seat! Somehow, even with my ample bum padding, it manages to grind my sit bones like no other. I have a bit of a sore bottom! I might be over-sharing there, but it's true!

Being on a bicycle makes me feel like I'm twelve all over again. It really is a lovely form of transportation. Exercise, check. Fun, check. I think what I like the most about riding a bike is that it's fast enough to get you to your destination in a timely manner, but it's slow enough to let you take a good look at the world around you, to feel the breeze on your face and breathe in the summer.