Chalk in the Late Sun

The weather has been on-and-off here lately in MN. Recently as I was trying to wrangle the kids into the house for a bath and bedtime, I spotted Louise in her studio, er, in front of the garage with a masterpiece.

Spring Cleaning

My favorite way to clean a room is to rearrange it. I love to totally switch things around, leaving no thing untouched. That way, I am forced to clean everything... even the little dust balls that lurk in the teeniest nook and cranny. Recently, it was the porch. Over the winter I had let piles of stuff for thrift store donations pile up in the corner along with other random stuff left over from last summer. Ugh. So, with a little help from two little helpers, I rearranged the porch and cleaned. Afterwards we celebrated with some fresh cut flowers from the garden, plus a vase for both of their rooms.

What's your method for the spring cleaning madness? Are you a rearranger? Do tell!

Singin' in the Rain

It was raining a bit last week and we've been loving our rain boots and hand-me-down raincoats.

And don't forget mama, in those orange polka dotted boots. I'm dancing in the rain just as much as those three little ones.

The Idea House

I have found my dream craft room and it is within walking distance of my house. Oh my, it is a beauty! Think anyone would notice if I casually pulled my minivan into the Bachman's parking lot in the middle of the night and casually absconded with the contents of this room? I think it would be perfect in our future farm house.Bachman's Floral and Garden Center, a Minneapolis landmark of sorts, is celebrating their 125th anniversary and has decided to feature this house that was built in the 1920's for some members of the Bachman's family on their property. It stayed in the family for quite some time, but it appears that up until recently it was a rental property and not very well maintained. They have now decided to host seasonal home decorating shows at the house, each of which will feature new things, seasonal ideas and general eye-candy for the people. It costs $5 to enter, but your entrance ticket can be used as a $5 coupon towards any home furnishing item in the store.

The dates are limited for each season, so make sure to check their calendar. Have you been yet? What was YOUR favorite room?

Happy Monday

I spent the weekend at a women's retreat. After having all the meals cooked for me and a schedule to follow with no one but myself to worry about, I am entirely relaxed. It was a beautiful, spring-shiny day here and I feel as alert and perky today as these tulips I recently had on the dining room table. Happy Monday to you. More details on the craft class I taught at the retreat soon!

Just Takin' Out the Compost

Does your compost pile look like mine does after a long, snowy winter?

Next fall we're going to have to remember to empty the bin out prior to the winter, so this vegetable and fruit explosion doesn't happen again. Yuck... or yum.... depending on your perspective. There's a mama cardinal that likes to drop by for bits of fruit, a raccoon that has been known to haul off egg shells and coffee filters filled with grounds (WHY??) and our dog seems to enjoy sharing apple and pear cores with the dog next door.

I like to think about the rich, beautiful soil that we'll be able to harvest as soon as it thaws and the life that will come forth from the cast-off scraps.

When I'm cleaning the kitchen after the kids go to bed and take the compost bucket outside in the dark, I often think of a funny story about my friend/former roommate Stephanie. Just out of college we lived on Franklin Avenue in the Wedge area of Minneapolis... a safe-enough area, but also potentially not-so-safe. Late one evening she was walking out to the compost pile in a dark, shadowy area of the yard when an unsavory character stumbled by, obviously drunk or worse, mumbling. He noticed her, moved closer and tried to engage her in conversation. Instead of running for her life, she said, "I'm just takin' out the compost." He departed immediately.

A touch of orange

I couldn't resist buying a case of oranges at Costco yesterday when I saw these beauties. So bright, so juicy, and almost better than a bouquet of flowers on the table. They bring the spring sunshine straight into our lives and our bellies.

And you? What signs of spring are showing themselves to you and your family?