Purple }{ The March Equinox Project

Purple is the color of royalty. It's a word with no match (can you think of a word that rhymes perfectly with purple?).

Before this year, I didn't think of purple as a spring color. But I'm finding it everywhere.

What do you think about when you think of purple?

Yellow }{ The March Equinox Project

One more week has gone by, one more color I enjoyed out there. Yellow.

Daffodils and dandelions. I do love dandelions, and I don't care that they are considered weeds. Maybe that makes them even more... of an underdog.

One of the cool things about this project so far is it's teaching me which flowers come out in early spring versus later. I know. I should know that by now, considering that I like to add flowers to my garden every year and that I'm always buying indoor flowers as well. But, there you have it: I'm not sure what comes out when and how long they last. 

Even worse, I don't even know the name of lots of flowers I see and like. So I've been asking. Another good thing coming out of this project  - I'm realizing how friendly many people are around here. If I ask the name of their flowers and permission to take a photo, they open right up, smile, and give me all kinds of information about gardens. 

I really need to do things like this more often.

What's your favorite way to strike up a conversation with neighbors?

Green and White }{ The March Equinox Project

As promised last week, I'm back with the pictures I took for the colors green:

And white:

It turned out to be more challenging than I thought! We had hail, lots and lots of cold weather, and clouds up through the weekend. A lot of flowers and foliage that had begun to sprout and bloom then withered or suffered from this cold spell. Some beautiful cherry blossoms I had seen are now gone. The daffodils from my neighbors look so sad. But in any case, I found some greens and whites. But then somehow I forgot to include my favorite picture of something green in my collage! Oi... 

If you want to know more about the project I've started, check this post.

What has your beginning of spring been like? Warmer than usual, colder than usual, or just about average?

The March Equinox Project

I've been meaning to do a proper color photography post. Now I've got an excuse and a plan.

1 - A few posts back, I mentioned some colors that remind me of spring.

2 - I read about this color walk in the lovely Whimsy Love blog.

3 - Then, today I joined an Alt Summit online class (which you can find here) about projects to get your creative photog juices flowing. One of the exercises suggested was to come up with a project and do it.

I'm going to combine those three totally unrelated pieces up there into a new photography challenge: the March Equinox Project.

Here's my challenge:

• I'm choosing one color every week
• Taking lots of pictures of nature in various shades of that color
• Sharing a collage of that week's color with you
• Then at the end, make a collage including my favorites from each color

Duration: From the March Equinox to the June Solstice

That means that I'm already 1 week late! So this week, my goal will be two colors and two collages.

I'm choosing green and white to start with. I'll be sharing a full collage for both in one week.

For now, I'll leave you with just a bit of green sprouting from our apple tree that I happened to snap this weekend.

I didn't know I'd be doing this challenge when I first edited this picture, so it's textured. The others won't be.

What creative challenges have you embarked on lately? Would you like to join me?

Spring equals sewing

It happens every year during spring: I get an urge to sew new dresses and skirts, as well as house decor items.

This past week I had so many projects in mind, and although I've started some of them, this is the only one I was able to finish.

I love the way the dress came out and it was so easy (and quick). I picked up the pattern last year on a garage sale I believe and I'm so glad I did.

Fall and winter have me in the kitchen, while springs takes me back to the sewing room and fabric stores... I wonder what summer has in store for me this time.

The seasons influence my lifestyle and creative activities so much. What about you?

Lemony sweet treats

What colors remind you of spring?

For me yellows, pastel pinks, turquoise, light blues and greens. So every spring I feel this need to bring some of these colors in the house - flowers, vases, bowls, art, anything that I can easily place in view.

Food as well - fruits, veggies, juice... And these stick around through the summer. Lemons become a staple around here, from spring valleys to the high peaks of summer heat. Ahhh, lemon, how I love thee...

Yes, yes, back to the post.

I found this amazing lemon oat bars recipe over at simple daily recipes and boy, oh boy. She's right when she says you can't stop at one. They're delicious.

A sweet way to celebrate spring

Spring dreamin'

I'm not sure if it's the pregnancy or the teasers that we've had for the past weeks, but I'm craving a little spring sunshine. Really.

Everywhere I see reminders that it's coming too: tulips in the nursery nearby, seeds and gardening supplies at the seasonal aisle in the grocery store, and the tinsiest ray of sun peaking through the clouds.

I couldn't resist and brought some spring into the house. Until real spring comes and they can fill my pots and garden, I'll just keep putting flowers on the table (along with the cupcakes).

How close are you to getting spring?

Beginner }{ Illustration Fridays

Beginner... There are so many beginnings. Every day is a new beginning, no? Every moment, we could choose to make a new beginning in one way or another, big or small.

When I saw the prompt for this week's Illustration Fridays, images began to swirl in my head. There were so many things I could do. In fact, anything I do at this point represents a beginning because I am a beginner in this world of drawing, illustrating, painting.

I chose to try two of the ideas I had.

graphite pencil on my sketchbook

N. reading a book, which she loves to do. She's beginning to sound out letters and find them in words in a book, though she can't string the letters and make a word yet. She recognizes all the letters though, and I'm pretty proud of her (gee whiz, she's only 2.5 y/o!). That's why I put the letters around her - this is what I imagine her thoughts to be as she leafs through her picture books.

watercolor and colored pencil on heavy weight watercolor paper

Spring is a new beginning every year - beginning of life, greenery, sunshine. Since lady spring has finally graced us with her presence I wanted to do something to honor her. I choose pink flowers, because they remind me of early spring. To me, these delicate light colored flowers represent the newly come, still shy palette of colors that will soon explode.

Happy Mother's day to all you ladies with little (or big) kids out there.

What comes to your mind when you think of a beginner?

Worms!

Spring has finally arrived, I'm happy to say. April showers drench the grooves and nooks in my garden as I sit here in the musty, moody, and moldy library along with so many others in our tunnels, little scholarly moles that we are. Still, outside the apple tree's showing white buds wrestling their way out, and the blueberry bushes with a hint of green blush on their branches no longer look so lifeless.

And the worms have come out to play.

N. made this herself (with a tiny bit of help from me). She chose the pompom balls, glued them together one by one, and then the eyes and antennae (I helped with that one). She even chose the button for a mouth. This little one will rock the craft as she gets older.

What signs of Spring do you see around you?

Sewing skirts

Wanna know a secret? I'm terrified of sewing patterns.  They always make things harder for me. Whenever I can find projects online or figure out ways to sew something cute without patterns, I jump at the opportunity. 

Neither this skirt nor this lion followed a pattern. I just tried to figure things out in my mind. 

A while back a had found this sewing tutorial where you make a skirt out of a dish towel in the wonderful Grace Violet blog, and oh boy, I wanted to try it out so badly. Then yesterday, I was at the fabric store getting some basic supplies (elastic, etc) and saw this adorable dish towel. Hooray! I grabbed it  right way (for less than $5 - it was on sale), so I could finally try out the skirt. 

Check out how cute! And the fabric that I cut off the sides, I used to make a matching headband. I can't wait for the little one to try it out. 

Cheap, easy, and cute sewing project - what else could I ask for?

Would you sew clothing out of home decor items? How do you channel your inner Maria VonTrapp?