I love Easter

springtime (supposedly), special treats, sunday best and knowing that "without Easter, there would be no Christmas." Wise words of Gordon B. Hinckley.

a hunting we will go

with the promise of brightly colored ovum bursting with sweets and prizes. never mind the 20 mile per hour winds and wintery temps. the little guys were undeterred in their quest, bundled in fleece and jackets, easter buckets in tow.

springtime, if we're lucky

it's spring in most parts of the country right now. and while i've tried to embrace our lengthy bitter winter i'm just not willing to endure it any longer. There is a different sort of chill in the air that hints of life. The sun has a kinder edge to its light in recent days, and there have been reports of robin sightings right in my backyard. So, we are keeping our hopes up that winter really is on it's way out and spring is really on it's way in. Staving off the last of winter's grouchiness by making our own wearable rainbows. We made an extra one for daddy to wear on St. Patrick's day lest he be pinched.

positive thinking

I've been trying, and failing, not to whine about our elusive spring here along the beautiful Snake River. Lady Springtime shows her pretty face and bats her eyelashes for two or three days, then whisks herself away behind the grouchy clouds of Mother Nature's skirts. And really, I've had enough of weather's teasing and taunting, and plenty of wintery suffering to last me a very long time. School is out in 2 more weeks, and it just doesn't feel possible.

So I'm making wishful lists of warm weather to-dos and to-sees and to-eats and to-remembers for the approaching warm weeks. I dare not waste a single moment of golden warm happiness, should it ever arrive.

the beach, any beach, with sand and lapping waves, seashells and little hermit crabs. bonfire a bonus.
baseball in the back yard
small-town baseball games
jackson hole
The Gift of the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh
little hikes in Grand Teton
homemade berry jam
a camp-out, with tin-foil dinner and banana boats, even if it has to be in our yard
a road trip
boating on the Puget Sound
Hawaii by James Michener
the park. often.
little feet in the grass, little fingers catching lady bugs, little mouths sticky with watermelon
evening breezes through the open windows
veggies from my garden
homemade ice cream
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
a sunflower bouquet
swimming pools
bike rides
burgers & corn on the cob out back with friends
letting Piglet stay up past bedtime because it's lovely outside
lemonade on the front porch

Happy Easter

It doesn't feel or look like Spring outside, but we are Easter-ing indoors this weekend with all the typical frills: colored eggs, a living room egg hunt, and worship. A most beautiful holiday.

love me some

crab cakes
fresh air
slobbery baby kisses
"mommy! you're home!"
doris day movies
jack johnson on a road trip
spring cleaning
stacks of folded laundry
luxury shampoo on sale for $5
bright linen scarves
lip gloss
new-sandal-shopping
piglet, playing air-drums along with the music in the car
Easter
tulips pushing through the earth
rainy nights

in the zone

the spring cleaning zone.

list made

supplies gathered

attack planned

mr. j on board (or so he says)

bring it on, dust bunnies.

for the birds

a brief day of sunshine and toasty 50 degree temps inspired a little activity for the piglet and me. and for the birdies that we hope will soon return from their southern sabbatical. pine cones. peanut butter and shortening, bird seed, twine/jute/ribbon and ta da! bon appetit, feathered friends.

Someday I'd like to go

...to the Kentucky Derby, and wear a fabulous hat, simply for the spectacle, excess, and history of it all. 

Batter Up!

Baseball season is here again. I'm singing "Put Me In Coach" and getting excited to take M to a hometown baseball game or two. And maybe, just maybe, we'll head up to Safeco Field to watch Jr. play with the Mariners again.

hope

Sunshine Fun with the Fam

The sun has finally made an appearance in our corner of the world. We couldn't be happier with the 80 degree temps and gentle breezes. It also made for a fun weekend with visiting family: Grammy, Boppa, and darling cousins M, M and Q. We shared lots of giggles and loves and great food,  and together we did some of this:

and some of this:

and ate some of this (my dad's favorite cake)

and when the little guy was napping,  all the girls enjoyed this movie. 

To make your own sidewalk paint:   For each color, combine 1/4 cup Cornstarch and 1/4 cold water in plastic container (8 oz size or so). Stir well and add 6-8 drops food coloring. Stir again and grab your favorite crafty paintbrushes. Insert sunny day and a couple of kids, and you've got it made! Note: paint came off the ground with just water. We didn't have any spills on our clothes, so I'm not sure how it washes out. Paint looks pale when wet, but dries dark. Enjoy!

happy may day!

I'd love to give (and receive!) cheerful flowers like these to all my favorite people this May Day. Alas, the billowing snowdrifts and howling wind will prevent me from doing so. Sending spring-time thoughts your direction this chilly morning!

image via marthastewart.com

for the locals...

It's almost time for this to begin. Looking forward to opening day April 26th and picking up fresh produce, honey, cut flowers and other local wares and visiting with the nicest local folks ever, with jazzy live music in the background. A great Saturday morning: treats at the local Great Harvest, cruising the market, and strolling the greenbelt. See you there!

What to do with all the fresh finds? Click here.

photo courtesy of realsimple.com, by Anna Williams

Happy Spring, Happy Easter

Skagit Valley, WA

An idyllic image, don't you think? This weekend I'll be doing this with M, sharing this message with the Young Women, rejoicing in the promises of Easter and of Spring right around the corner, and sharing sweets with my guys. Have a lovely Easter.

could it be?

And so it is, a crocus shoot popping up through the dirt! So either I planted them too shallow last fall, or Spring is nearer than I thought. Or Mother Nature mocks me. 

Mocking aside, today was a great day: Sunshine (as you can see from the shadow of my wee little crocus shoot), the promise of Spring, good mail (this new book for me and new clothes for M thanks to some of these bargains), a good diet coke, an angelic child, and an evening free of obligations!

Darn that groundhog

I don't care what that little groundhog said, I'm ready for Spring. We've definitely had a severe case of the winter blahs (and nasty colds) around here, but it seems Mother Nature doesn't heed my opinion on the matter. Thus, a little retail therapy is in order to cheer things up:

I've never worn yellow, ever, but I'm loving it these days. How darling is this sunny yellow top from Anthropologie?

Or these bright striped headbands from The Finest Accessories, Inc.

For your little darlings, I love this polka dot set from Oneity.

Too bad I don't have little girls!

Or for the home, this darling "spring in a can" from this gal, found on Etsy.

when your day is gray and ordinary

...shoes (and probably Mary Poppins, too) can make the sun shine bright! It's very cold and very gloomy and very snowy (7 more inches last night!) here, and it's making me a little blue. But Piperlime has showcased some of their fun new shoes for spring and oh, the eye candy! One pair of lemon yellow peep-toe pumps for me, please!