Poppies, The Play House and Picnik

Earlier this year, Autumn planted poppy seeds in a flower bed by the playhouse...She got this giant seed pod from some sweet lady at Seattle's Pike Place Market last winter....but before I could help, she had put all the seeds into this one smallish flower bed.... The poppies are sooo crowed, but on the upside, they are a LOVELY shade of purple and match the playhouse beautifully!

Inspired by Chelsea at cfisherphotography (Thank you very much!) I became a premium member at Picnik and have had some much fun editing my photos!! :) I used the first photo and Hypnotic in the Create section, for the photo above, (go to Create then Effects then click on sandbox effects then finally Hypnotic and Wa-la...cool kaleidoscope effect!)

Here's a collage I created...Love to do them!!!

The bench was painted with Fusion paint for plastics...We also painted our lounge chairs by the pool in the same periwinkle color....spray paint's my friend !!! ;0

Well thanks for visiting!

Denise

Sunday in My City...A Visit to Dragonfly Nursury

For Sundays in my City, I thought I'd take you on a visit to one of my favorite nurseries, Dragonfly Nursery....She has created the most wonderful and QUIRKY gardens all around the nursery, a person could get lost wondering through it!! BEST of All your sure to go home, with not only great plants but also great ideas!! This was once her bog garden but somewhere along the way things changed....

Three of my good friends wonder down a path (we snuck out while the girls were in basketball camp). I love the way she's up cycled glass bottles ... they make a great little retaining wall. The flower is made from layered glass dishes. I plan on making some ...so stay tuned this summer!! There will be a tutorial on them. :) The tree is made out of rebar and colored bottles...simple but awesome! Thanks for visiting!

Corners of My Home...My Patio

Faith at Simplicity is having a photo challenge "Corners of My Home," where blogger's are posting their favorite spots in their homes...What a wonderful idea!!So here is mine (in the Summer time); My patio!!

The old fridge I picked up at a garage sale a long time ago...we keep it full of sports drinks for the kids and Bryan and of course Diet Coke for me.

The patio is where I work on art...

While enjoying Art from made by my kids... Autumn made cement slugs last year and sold them on Etsy. Garret carved the jeep out a of a ceder log.

There's always a critter, or 2 under foot! (Bryan brought home the old metal desk from a job site...I love it!)

It's the stopping place when the kids get home and a place where Gold fish swim lazily.

It has pots with flowers in every corner and the sound of Humming birds zipping by.

From the patio I can see the pool, the trampoline and the rope swing...not to mention the dog and bird feeders.

Yes, the Patio is my favorite spot ... In the Summer Time!!! :) What's yours?

Last Day of School...Party at Point No Point!

Wow, why are the last few weeks of school so busy??? Ok, Ok ...the last month of school?!? I haven't hardly had a chance to look at my blog...but today I noticed that In A Yellow House was having a "water" photo challenge...and I thought how perfect!!! She is from Seattle...(right across the water from us). :D It has been a very wet and grey spring and water has been on all of our minds...I think the slugs have eaten everything in my garden ....Anyway, The sun came out last Friday for the last day of school....THANK YOU LORD!!!

We had sooo much fun at our favorite beach!!

The girls made a pyramid...

Played Volley Ball against the boys...It's sad how they now segregate, they use to hang out together ...now we meet up like usual but the girls hang with the girls and the boys hang with the boys. :( ... I guess that's better than the next step...Dating...YIKES!!! This was my favorite ...They're making a Sea Anemone home. :)

Little Emma made a sand castle right by the volley ball game and cried when it got stepped on...She is the youngest of three and I so admire her mom...She just kindly suggested that she build it away from the game...never playing up to the tears...but thoughtful and loveing!

Anyway that's my Water Photo Challenge

Won't you join me?

From My Kiln....

One of my favorite things about doing clay is that you never ever know, how a piece will turn out until it's been painted and fired!! And one of my favorite things about doing clay with kids is you never know what they'll come up with!!! This piece was done by a 7th grader, that goes to my sons school...He made it with left over clay from the "Pot Heads" project. (They are worth looking at if you haven't seen that post)!!! Anyway this is one of my VERY FAVORITE PIECES EVER......It's just so darn creative...I love the way the eyeballs come out and you can totally change his look!!! The bright red inside the sockets is again ..... perfection!!! Great job Conner!!!

Flashback Friday...Garrets Birthday

My sons birthday was this week, so for Flashback Friday, I thought I'd take you back 5 years ago to his 11Th Birthday: It was a "CAMOUFLAGE BIRTHDAY"... (All my kids party's have themes.) :) All the kids came dressed in camouflage, plus they got camo scarfs in their Goody Bags.....But MOST IMPORTANT they all got MARSHMALLOW GUNS......WHOOO-HOOO!!! As you can see by the photos they were a VERY BIG hit.....with everyone....Even the adults!! We tied apples to the Willow tree and whoever ate theirs first won. The cake's were Camo too...I even split the batter up, into different shades of green and brown and then swirled them together...It was kind of cool and kind of disgusting looking, all at the same time!! What's your Flashback?

"Fav Things Thursday"

Courtney at LoveLove is sharing some of her favorite things, every Thursday so I decided to "share the Love" and post one of my VERY Favorite Things:

Girls that are not only Athletic, but SMART too!!.

Autumn and 4 of her Fast Pitch Team Mates, (holding their carnations like bats:) Pose for a picture after being inducted into the National Junior Honor Society.

PLAY BALL!