fairy houses...

via

this past weekend we took a visit to a lovely local garden, woodlands, that is open only once a month. it is a little seven acre oasis in the middle of the city... full of native plants and flowers. right now it is also full of fairy houses. they are part of a project by skyland trail...

"skyland trail is a community-based nonprofit that offers hope to adults with mental illness by guiding them on the path to recovery.  clients engaged in both art and horticulture therapy, and inspired by the magic of woodlands garden through regular visits, have created miniature homes and gardens alongside the paths. fairy home building and gardening taps into the imagination and ingenuity of adults struggling with mental illness.  it allows individuals to celebrate the intricacies of nature while embracing their own talents and passions."

it was so much fun for the children (and me) to walk through the garden trail, discovering fairy houses. the one shown above was my personal favorite... a nest where fairies are born and spend time waiting for their wings to dry and figuring out what sort of fairy they will be. the kids were very inspired to come home and start working on fairy homes in our own garden...

i like that it is a project that encourages the children to look at our yard in a new way, to pay closer attention to nature when we are there and walking in the neighborhood... finding little things to add to the houses. i like that is an ongoing project, always changing. i especially like the idea of having these little hidden magical places to discover in the yard! i hope they make a lot more! maybe the chickens will enjoy discovering them too...

some more photos around the house...

feathers

i was sitting on the couch today, looking at the view above and admiring the pretty light... when i realized how little i take pictures around the house anymore. since moving i have been so busy setting up house... or imagining all i want to do... that i forget to stop and capture the little moments around here that truly make it a home for me. so here are a few photos from today... and i promise to share more moments to come. click the links to see the descriptions that go along with each image!

birds nest

art and nature

k is for koffee?

front hall

chicken update...

update! a new picture and a suggestion from someone that they might be a new hampshire red? i guess time will tell... they definitely are turning more red...

little eliza here is funny... she follows me around like a puppy when i come out with food!

we are finally finishing up the coop and i will share some more photos soon.

etsy love...

a nice suprise to see my little deer on the front page this morning, and yesterday in the etsy finds email... with my favorite subject, little creatures! did you see it? very cute. this is a beautiful tresury too... so soft and pretty. you can see the full one here. my shop has been so bare and neglected i am always so honored when someone stumbles upon it to find and show off my little creatures.

you know this is how i feel about all of you;) ....

hope you are havinga  lovely day too...

xo

mystery chicks...

so being new to owning chickens, there is obviously a lot i do not know. i ordered 3 different breeds but only just noticed this week that out of my 3 buff orpingtons... two are not. hmmm. it's funny because they looked very similar as chicks, and really up to a few weeks ago looked almost exactly the same. then one day i was watching them run in the grass and realized they now look nothing alike. i assumed there must be variations in the breed but when i looked it up i found buff orpingtons are a very straight forward breed. they are all buff, with round bodies and pale legs. in other words, like my chick "goldie"...

you can see the difference between "goldie" and "eliza" who is shown above. eliza definitely doesn't fit the description. neither does "teeny"...

she has the same coloring as eliza... but she is my little runt:) same coloring, but smaller. eliza and teeny are buff with brown, white and even black in their tail. they have yellow legs also, and they aren't plump like goldie. quite a mystery... at least to me! my guess is the hatchery got them mixed up with another breed. i have no idea with what? my only guess is they might be buff rocks? maybe? anyone know about chicken breeds out there?! perhaps it will be easier when they are hens. ultimately, it doesn't matter... but the mystery is sort of fun:)

summertime, and the living is easy...

"i solemnly swear that i am up to no good". pretty much a theme around here. easy summer days full of mischievous fun! we hurry outside in the morning before the heat really sets in (95 everyday, really is that necessary?)... eating breakfast, and later dinner on the porch. letting the chickens out to run. building a new garden (finally). chasing chickens out of the garden. climbing trees. finding hiding chickens. scrambling to get the coop done. beating back mosquitoes. eating popsicles, trips to the pool. chasing chickens. resting on the porch, under the fans. general summer fun! 

visit my flickr page to read more descriptions of the photos above:)