Cat Sketch Dresses & Turtle Tureens...

These are THREE THINGS I LOVE RIGHT NOW: 

Modcloth Turtle Soup Tureen

Nooworks Isa Dress

Anthropologie Whale Tail Measuring Cups

Preschool Reggio Inspired Art: "We Love Nature" Collaborative Mixed Media Heart Collage Painting

Children (ages 3-5) were presented with the title We Love Nature as their provocation, and given an assortment of acrylic paints, paper doilies, art tissue scraps, and heart shape punches.  They painted all sorts of creations including “a bug face with antennae,”  “water snake vines,”  “rainbow pond fish nest,” and “little heart tree.”

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: As Sunshine Flows

Style Muse: Vera Burr From Bomb Girls

If you haven't seen Bomb Girls, I totally understand.  It's a series from Canada, and here in the US, it airs on a weird TV channel called Reelz that you've probably never even heard of.  But I hear it's also on Netflix, so, if you like old fashioned things, you should seek it out.  It's set in the 1940s, so all the characters have incredible clothes, but my favorite wardrobe is Vera's.  (Spoiler alert:) early in the series she gets injured and her face becomes scarred, but, if you ask me, scar face or not, she always looks the very best. 

Preschool Summer Fun: Sticky Sand Dough Sensory Table Recipe

This is perfect for a summer classroom sensory table.

Sunday Sweetness: Best Kitty Hug Ever

Bunny Print Dresses & Kitty Cat Salt...

These are THREE THINGS I LOVE RIGHT NOW: 

Kitty Salt & Pepper Shakers

Eshakti Bunny Rabbit Print Dress

Modcloth Rose Earrings

Preschool Summer Fun: Solar Melted Crayon Art

How much fun is this idea?

DIY Girly Girl Eyeglass String Necklace Thingy

Learn how to make your own here.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: True Dat

Lemon Print Dresses & Retro Desk Phones...

These are THREE THINGS I LOVE RIGHT NOW: 

Anthropologie Mini Concha Garden Pots

Modcloth Ring True Yellow Retro Desk Phone

Banana Republic Lemon Print Dress

The Rainbow Fish: Collaborative Preschool Painting Collage Art Activity

The (Fancy) Rainbow Fish

I think maybe every child in this country has been read The Rainbow Fish, by Marcus Pfister.  The reason kids like it is because it has super shiny iridescent detailing in the illustrations.  To quote one preschooler, "it's fancy."

We recently studied fish in class, and of course read the fancy book.  This collaborative canvas work was an easy and fun tie-in.  Children were presented with various acrylic paints, iridescent wrapping paper scraps, and art tissue as materials.  They used paint brushes and rubber fish replicas as tools.

Several years ago there was an ECE trend in experiencing the Japanese art of Gyotaku.  This is when children use real dead fish to make prints.  We've never used real fish for three reasons:  1) It's stinks, like, literally, 2) Some children are allergic to fish, 3) In my opinion, it just seems... disrespectful to fish.  We've found the rubber fish replicas work excellently for making paint prints, and they can also double as pretend play props.

Can you spot the seaweed, starfish and sea anemone?

Sunday Sweetness: Jazz For Cows

DIY Crate Book Shelves

Learn how to make some here.

Singsongy Saturday: New Ray LaMontagne, Supernova

DIY Washi Tape Shelf Edging Easy FUNTIME Makeover

 THIS is an awesome idea.

Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Nonsense

Giraffes Wearing Glasses & Butterfly Tea Towels...

These are THREE THINGS I LOVE RIGHT NOW: 

Gift Republic Butterfly Tea Towel

Anthropologie Poppy Ring Pie Pan

World Market Giraffe Bonjour Paris Kitchen Towel

Monday Music: ScottBradleeLovesYa (& YouWillLoveScottBradlee)

I love old timey things.  If you like old timey things, too, you'll love this stuff.  It's all new timey songs remade in old timey styles:  "Postmodern Jukebox." And the musical talent here is excellent.  I picked two of my favorites for you to absorb.  The first because it's superdreamy.  I play that song over and over on repeat like some freak serial killer character from a scary movie.  The second I chose for you because of the wonderfully CRAZY tambourine man who appears at :44.  This is fun stuff.  Two awesome extras:  1) You can actually buy the sheet music for some of their song rearrangements, and 2) These people are going on tour this summer.

Sunday Sweetness: Little Leon, Piglet on Wheels

EasyPeasy Watercolor Painted Sea Shells

How brilliantly fun and pretty is this super simple idea?

Fun Movies You've Maybe Never Seen Before: The Way, Way Back

Steve Carell's BIG, HORRIBLE PERSON HEAD.

 Oh, I reallyreallyREALLY liked this movie.  It's supersweet and funny.  But I must warn you, I teared up several times... so, it will make you a little sad in parts.  And it will make you a little mad in parts, too.  Actually, maybe a lot mad in parts. You will never think of Steve Carell the same way again, because in this movie his character is a HORRIBLE PERSON.  Like, in the first 4 minutes of the movie I wanted to throw the Oreo cookies I was snacking on at the image of his BIG, HORRIBLE PERSON HEAD on my TV.  Even still, like I said, I reallyreallyREALLY liked this movie.  It's a movie about things like choices and kindness and kindred spirits, and it's a quiet reminder that while the world is populated with supercreeps, there are also nonsupercreeps out there.  There's also lots of really awesome cheesy music from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.  In fact, when exactly the story is supposed to be taking place creates an ambiguous-mishmash-of-decades sort of feeling.  I suspect that's purposeful; that it's a way of saying: "This story takes place in present day.  And it took place in the 90s.  And in the 80s and 70s.  And prolly the caveman days, too." 

Anyways,  Here's a scene with Sam Rockwell and that guy from Community:

Style Muse: Olivia Palermo

 

photos via pinterest

Olivia Palermo is a socialite.  She is also a really really REALLY well-dressed woman.  I think she has fashion superpowers.   Here is the evidence:  She wears some of the most microscopic, shortest skirts you've ever seen on an adult woman, and she always looks 100% ladylike.  Same thing with leather.  She also mixes prints like a crazy person... without ever looking like a crazy person.  She routinely pulls off paisley like it's no biggie.  I've seen her looking fashionable in overalls (YES, OVERALLS!)  And she even somehow makes denim work with... denim.