#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨
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Sweetnicks

Food and Life

Craft Time: Watercolor Bubble Art

June 19, 2012 · Ad-Free

Last day of school for Nick and we celebrated the achievement with a doctor’s appointment for me and an orthodontist appointment for Nick.  Um, yay.

BP - the line-up

I figured if anything could soften the blow of our sub-par afternoon, it would be a little bit of art.  Last week, I spied a fun new technique over on Rubyellen’s blog, Cakies, using bubble solution and bubble wands.  If there’s one thing we have, it’s tons of bottles of bubble solution.  Two years ago, at an after-summer clearance, I stocked up on five-cents-a-bottle bubbles.  Totally my kind of sale.  And perfect for this quick art project.

BP - Plaid paint stash

The other thing I have a ton of?  Paint.  I happen to be partial to the Plaid brand, and bought of ton of it last year.  It’s inexpensive, lasts forever, and is super versatile.  Used right out of the bottle, it’s vibrant and thick, and perfect for an endless stream of kid painting projects.  We also water it down some and treat it like a watercolor-type of paint as well.  Today?  It was added to bubble solution.

BP - supplies needed

I set the kids up in the backyard with water cups, paint brushes, thick white artist paper (we got our supplies at our local Walmart), paint, and bubbles.  They chose their own color schemes.  It cracked me up that the colors Nick chose happened to match his shirt.  Once the paint was mixed in with the bubble solution, they went to town, using the wand to blow paint filled bubbles onto their paper.  They also used the wands to flick paint onto the paper, creating a fun splatter effect.

BP - paint blowing method-001

BP - madeline

BP - flicking method

BP - close-up flicking

BP - before glitter

The finished effect reminds me a lot of those spin art contraptions that were hot when we were kids — remember them? Be sure to cover your table or surrounding areas if you don’t want to see the splatter effect for days on end.

Hence the outdoor project.

BP - chunky glitter

Plaid makes this chunky glitter, which is new to me, and Nick used it to highlight some areas of his artwork.  Out of the bottle, it’s white with glitter flecks, but once it dries, the white disappears and you’re just left with the sparkle.  We also used it this weekend, making a crest for Madeline’s upcoming graduation.

BP - after glitter

Beyond making a new piece of artwork to frame or hang in your own mini art gallery, there are also many other ways you can use your art once it’s done… background for a scrapbooking page, cover a ho-hum notebook, or make it into a card (which is what we’re doing with it).

Now that summer is nearly in full swing, I’d love to hear all about YOUR fun summer kid-friendly ideas.  I’ll be featuring many more here over the summer, but I’m always on the look-out for new inspiration.  Share!  The three girls in the family all graduate this week, Madeline, Mystic’s daughter, and The Ex’s daughter (my stepdaughter), Danielle.  I can’t even believe that two of them head to college this Fall.  Yikes.

Looking for more crafty fun with your kids this summer?
We had fun beating the heat with shaving cream a few years ago (and oh how my little babies have grown, Madeline looks so tiny in those photos!)
And then you can use your leftover shaving cream and make some awesome marbled paper, which we did here.

Here’s a sneak peak for another painting project that we worked on for our reading room. Again, with Plaid paint, but this time using wooden letters. Details coming on June 25th.
BP - plaid peak

*The fine folks at Plaid sent us a nice goody package for us to play with.  Thank you!

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Posted In: Ad-Free · Tagged: acrylic paint, crafts with kids, kid-friendly art, make marbled paper, Plaid paint, shaving cream fun, summer fun, watercolor

Comments

  1. Joanne says

    June 20, 2012 at 6:30 am

    First of all, I haven’t blown any bubbles in a LONG time. Too long. I think I need to bring that back into my life.

    And I certainly haven’t done any art with them! Great idea.

    Reply
  2. Kris #40 says

    June 20, 2012 at 9:22 pm

    Great art!

    Was expecting to see you at the bus the last day of school. Saw Nick in the hallway during clapout.

    Reply

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛

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#flowertherapy might be right up there with #water #flowertherapy might be right up there with #watertherapy.  Love passing the time in secret wildflower patches. As you do. 🌸
I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon I remarked how pretty that tiny sliver of the moon was on the way home tonight, and my friend pulled over right away so I could grab a photo. That’s when someone really knows you! It was just too beautiful to resist. 🌙
Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ C Weekend photos in review, old school style. ✨ 
Context: 1/ picture perfect weekend, 2/ threw together a quick meal w udon noodles, steak and broccoli, so good, 3/ the sun reflections on this painting struck me today, looked like a cross 4/ it takes all afternoon but nothing like Sunday Gravy, 5/ six months old, 6/ when he wants some serious zzzz’s, he covers his eye with his ears, the cutest, 7/ breakfast pastries at @coniglios
I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New I have plenty of reusable shopping bags since New Jersey banned the plastic ones last year. But when I spied this beauty for a buck, how could I resist? It just is so darn happy, which makes me happy. The little things aren’t so little. 💛
Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged Cheers to the weekend! This may look like a staged photo, but Lola just has ZERO boundaries and Clifford is exceptionally patient. 😂
I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s I’ve been on a smoked salmon kick lately (it’s so good for you), so when I saw that a local patisserie has a smoked salmon croissant available (weekends only), I added it to my list of things to seek out. I popped into @chocolatinenj early on Mother’s Day and was rewarded with this deliciousness. Layers of soft flaky croissant dough, tender smoked salmon, light whipped cream, thinly sliced red and green onion slivers and dotted with capers… it was every bit as amazing as you’d imagine it would be. If you’re local, don’t sleep on this one. 😋
Weekend photos in review, the belated edition. 1/ Weekend photos in review, the belated edition.

1/ hit up a few yard sales and snagged this beautiful pasta dish from Italy with my favorite color for a buck, 2/ and one of these printer trays came home with me too, 3/ pre Mother’s Day celebrations with 30 local moms, 4/ finished the weekend supervising furniture assembly
Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd bir Today would have been my friend Cathy’s 53rd birthday. Unfortunately she’s not here to celebrate because she died suddenly at age 49. I think of her often … every Mother’s Day because we spent most of them together since her husband worked weekends … when I discover a new food adventure (we once did a day long donut crawl) … when I’m sharing a special time with my kids knowing that her then-11 year old is growing up without her. Before she passed, I always appreciated every day, but since then, even more so. You never know what the next day can bring, so relish in the sunshine, surprise rainstorms, making wishes over railroad tracks and all the wonderful randomness life can throw your way. Don’t waste a single second, say yes, live on the outskirts of your comfort zone, laugh often, tell people you love them, give eight second hugs, and squeeze every ounce of joy you can out of life. Do it for the people who can’t. ✨

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