Wednesday, August 27, 2014

projects...

So while we are waiting for the backyard stuff  to get finished up (still waiting on the permit) I have been working on little projects here and there.   The state of the backyard has left us with a lot of mud but that doesn't stop the beans from using the space......enter mud and fence posts!



But we have been visiting parks when it gets really muddy.  Here is one of our local parks that is still loaded with summer color thanks to an impressive use of annuals......








On the home front things are busy so creating comes when the beans are doing projects or when I have some time at night.  I finished my first crochet project.  I have SO much to learn but am inspired to continue with classes to keep learning new techniques.




I have been using my old drapes to make ornaments...



pinecones from the garden to make giant acorns for fall...



and a scarf to keep the beans warm this winter....


Wishing you all a wonderful week!
Happy creating friends!  



65 comments:

  1. Your scarf looks beautiful and I love that acorn. Your beans remind me of my kids when they were little. My girl loved to make mud pies while her brother like to run his toy trucks into mud hills. So many times I would here Amy screaming that Jason was running his trucks over her pies. HA! HA!

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  2. I remember my first attempt at crochet...it was hideous...yours is lovely :)

    Beautiful photos as always!

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  3. Wow - look how creative you are! You did an amazing job on that scarf . . . very pretty.

    I love seeing photographs of children playing bare-footed. It just looks so earthy and homey to me.

    Hope you have a great week (and that the permit comes in soon!).

    eli

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  4. I am amazed that you can actually be creative with the Beans around. I love your scarf and can't wait to see what else you make. I like having hand work at the ready on winter evenings by the fire.

    Your garden views are wonderful. I am watering just once a week and that is probably too much with our drought so everything is looking sad in our yard.

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  5. Love these great peeks at some of the awesome projects you have going on. It's so fun that your beans get in on the action as well :) I just bought some yarn and am looking forward to getting back into knitting this fall. Happy Wednesday! Hope you're having a marvelous week Nicole!

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  6. I LOVE when you post pictures of The Beans - these, like the others, are beautiful - they are growing so fast! Glad you've found a little creative time - it's so hard in the summertime, with being outdoors and all. The scarf is pretty wonderful - Little Beans need to stay warm in the winter, for sure! XOXOXO

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  7. I love your idea to recycle the old drapes into ornaments. I love making homemade ornaments each year.

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  8. Wow - those park gardens are just stunning. Love the colour of your crochet scarf too. I haven't mastered crochet, my sister has, so I get her to make me things.

    Have a great week.

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  9. OMG!!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!! I'm not sure where to begin, the beautiful gardens at the park, the crochet, the ornaments!!!!!!!! You have me in a spin here!!!!!! You have been holding out on me on the crochet front!!! I love it, so even and perfect and a great colour, I really like the little flecks of colour and the fringe too!!!!! You did an amazing job and if you are loving it, you should definitely continue as you obviously have the knack for it!!!!!!! Your park is just fabulous, so beautiful with such lovely and beautiful flowers and beds and statues, it really is a lovely place isn't it!!!!!! Did I mention WOW on the crochet!!!!! Tee hee hee!!!! I hope that the permits come through soon and that you can get it all completed in the garden! xxxxxx

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  10. I love how smart and resourceful you are. I'm almost done with a project that involved loads of buttons and some beads and kept thinking of you as I muddled my way through. It's a good thing kids are so washable. :o) It'd be a pain if we had to dry clean them.

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  11. Nothing better to play in mud when you're a kid! Love your up cycled ornaments, especially the one with the pine cone. Handmade things are hard to beat! Your scarf looks great, you have great tension and that's your first project? Wowsers! Love your park pictures, everything looks so green and lush ! Have a good one!

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  12. What a beautiful park! I can imagine how peaceful it is......
    Mud pies......haven't thought about them or the mess they make in years! There's something wholesome about kids playing in the dirt and mud.....
    My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was elementary school age on her one and only crochet hook...it was a size 5 made of bone....I made nothing but chains for the longest time! .It's a great pastime and it looks like you're well on your way to making amazing things.....have fun!

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  13. I love to see barefoot children. It spells freedom to me and I love to see a Mom who is willing to put up with some extra mess so her children can have that experience.

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  14. I love your projects-the Beans look like they are having lots of fun-I still love walking through the mud puddles too

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  15. Gotta love anything that keeps the kids occupied.
    I can't believe those photos are from a park. Are you kidding me!?!? So amazingly beautiful.

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  16. Lovely, I like very much the scarf, the colour is so beautiful.

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  17. Love it! It is so refreshing to see other parents having their children exploring nature. It is our natural environment and it is sad that some children are unaware or know much about it. More kids need to explore outside and make their own discoveries. :)

    Love your scarf. Colder weather is coming and it will look beautiful on you. :D

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  18. It seems children don't mind the state of things and can find anything to use as a plaything - they are just so sweet. Although I'm not fond of 'park' planting the annuals are certainly bright and cheerful - it seems parks are the same the world over - which is quite reassuring in a way. Loving your projects, the scarf is a gorgeous colour and will certainly keep the cold out. Enjoy the rest of the week.

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  19. The best thing for children playing with and in the mud, they love it and me too........
    The annuals in the park look so vivid with all these colours, I should like to sow more annuals but where to plant them? I have a full garden. Amazing how creative you are the idea of the autumn ornaments on the drape, the tough knitted scarf.
    Wish you together a lot of fun over there.

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  20. Hello Nicole,

    Mud, mud, glorious mud. How well we remember its fascination for us when we were children. It is so reassuring to feel that some things never change!

    But, what a brilliant idea it is to make use of your local park and what a brilliant place it looks to be. In Budapest parents and children make great use of local parks and playgrounds, much more so than we ever saw in England. Perhaps it is time for a revival as these public spaces are often wonderful and make great adventure playgrounds for children!

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  21. My boys would LOVE all that mud. So impressed with your scarf. I wish there were local classes here so I could learn how to crochet. I have tried online tutorials but I really need one on one. I would happy just making dish cloths! Looking forward to seeing your projects, I'm will be working on one this weekend, thanks to inspiration from you. xoxo

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  22. Well you just know I love that park and the flower colour combination!! :)

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  23. Such beautiful gardens. I have picked up my hooks again and am determined to crochet myself some winter woollies from the stash of yarn I have. There is a great website Crochet Pattern Central http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory.php with lots of ideas and free patterns to keep you amused :)

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  24. Nicole! I love these so very much. Your first crochet project looks so lovely and I love the ornaments you created using your drapes. I was thinking about making some ornaments to send to friends this year. Last we made cookies but I think this year I'll get crafty!

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  25. Nicole you are a woman of many talents...lovely flowers from your visits and your Beans sure know how to show us how to play....but oh my that scarf is warm and gorgeous...very talented ...lovely ornaments too. Never could sit long enough to concentrate and crochet.

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  26. Love the ornaments(old drapes) Wow... and keep on crocheting..that scarf is beautiful!!! Acorns...yes too! Now..those flowers at the park....again..WOW! I love the potato vines weeping over the rock wall with the petunia's...Lovely. I so enjoyed all the beautiful flowers.. Blessings!

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  27. Good for you, Nicole! Your scarf looks really good. I am sure you'll master all kinds of techniques in no time. :)

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  28. Inspiring! I love it. Thank you for sharing your great idea.

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  29. I think mud just makes the yard EVEN BETTER when you're a kid :). they look like they're having a fabulous time!

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  30. What a sweet scarf Nicole! I like that recycling idea too. Fantastic! It's always so wonderful to read your posts. Happy weekend! Bx

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  31. I love that statue surrounded by the tall grasses.

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  32. Go you! All those makes look super - well done you for persevering with the crochet. Keep going! And I love how kids will always find a way to make their own fun. Hope you have a wonderful weekend xx

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  33. Your ornaments are wonderful! Well done on your crochet as well, you clever thing.

    Seems there's been a lot of rain about at the moment. Lucky you have such beautiful parks around you!

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  34. Look at how talented you are with your scarf and your acorns and birds. I love the balance beam.
    Hugs to you,
    Meredith

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  35. Nicole, it's all coming along so nicely! Looking forward to more updates!

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  36. Happy to see your beans having fun in the mud.. your crochet scarf looks so lovely! great idea to make ornaments from old drapes... have a fantastic week :)

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  37. What a gorgeous park! Loving your creative treasures there, Nicole. So envious od you guys going into autumn....Winter is over in two days and I am in mourning! xx

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  38. Oh my gosh, your flowers are beautiful. You have so much energy! And you beans are adorable. Love seeing them. xx

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  39. Congratulations on learning to crochet, Nicole! The scarf is beautiful. A girl after my heart, you have recycled something and made some beautiful ornaments! The colors are so pretty and the buttons add a lot of impact. Isn't it amazing how little ones can find inventive ways to make fun out of anything, even fence posts? That park is so pretty!

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  40. Awesome projects! The scarf is so pretty and looks so cozy :)

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  41. Your little ones are absolutely gorgeous, Nicole! Of course they take right after their beautiful Mom! What is it about children and mud - they just have to play in it. I do love the feel of mud between my toes, though! I just love all the flowers you posted today - I wish I could achieve a bit of that beauty here. I love the chartreuse foliage with the dark purple - my new passion and inspiration for next year. Congratulations on learning to crochet! I crochet, too, although not nearly as much as I would like. The scarf is beautiful - I love the colors. I absolutely love your ornaments - the pine cone acorn is just darling! Can't wait to see your backyard all done (and I'm sure you feel the same Lol! ) Have a lovely weekend, my friend. Hugs xo Karen

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  42. It's great to see the beans out in the mud playing, love the look of your new scarf.

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  43. Oh, what lovely photos of all the colorful blooms in your local park! Makes me think I should plant more annuals next year. How wonderful that you are learning to crochet. I took a class years ago and then made a blankie each for my 2 kiddies, and that was it until recently so had to re-learn all over again. Keeping it simple - making dish cloths this time! Your ornaments are so sweet, too! Looking forward to seeing your new backyard space!

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  44. I love the scarf! The first day of winter I am picking up crochet or knitting, I promise! Everything is so beautiful, your photos are gorgeous. I am trying to catch up with blogs, I have been out of town and making new things for etsy (custom camera straps) too fun! I can't wait to see what you are going to do to the backyard...a permit is needed, oh swimming pool??? I love mine!

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  45. Nicole your scarf is beautiful!!! Well done on your first project, enjoy your classes! I love your ornements, the little birdy is so cute! How lucky to have such a pretty park so nearby, but I hope you get your permit soon. Have a wonderful week, xxx

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  46. wish to have lot of flowers like that, with no insects.
    Miss..

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  47. I love how creative kids are. They don't need much to entertain them.

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  48. Wow, that scarf is lovely Nicole, you did a great job. The beans looks so cute playing barefoot in the mud, there is something so very lovely about it, like they are at one with nature! I think it's so important for children to explore and play, I love nothing more than when my children come inside with mud all over their faces! It shows they have had fun! Your park looks lovely, I would love a park like that but we have to drive out of the city to find somewhere like that to visit. Have a wonderful week! x

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  49. I love that scarf, Nicole!!! The colour is beautiful and looks so warm and soft. Your beans are too cute

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  50. Beautiful flowers!!
    www.effortlesslady.com

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  51. Oh Nicole what busy bees you have been! You garden is coming on leaps and bounds and your plans (from back posts) is looking fab! Your scarf has turned out just wonderful.. the beans are very lucky to have a Momma who will keep them warm in homemade toastiness like you do!! I wish you a fab week my dear friend. It looks like life is treating you well in your corner of the world, as it should be :) Hazel xxx

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  52. Your scarf is so beautiful! And I love your ornaments and acorn, so cute! It looks like those fence posts are providing some great entertainment for your sweet beans, I love the balance beam photo! I hope your permit comes soon for your yard, it will be nice to get it done I am sure. Hugs Nicole!

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  53. I love these photo's. The flowers are beautiful!

    www.writingmonique.com

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  54. dear nicole,
    i love that scarf....the colour is perfect for autumn.Love your ornament.Beautiful photos as always!!!
    Wish you a nice time my friend,
    love and hugs,
    regina

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  55. yay for crochet!
    xo,
    nancy

    http://www.adoretoadorn.com

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  56. Hi Nicole,

    Your children are so sweet and what lovely photos - playing in the mud is always fun.
    Love the cute projects you have been working on - well done.
    hope you are having a happy week
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  57. That first photo of the garden wall is so beautiful and inspiring!! Thanks for sharing :-)
    I'd love to be able to learn to crochet but I just don't seem to be able to get the hang of it...or fall in love with it. Whenever I try I end up frustrated and return to my knitting needles. I think if I didn't know how to knit I'd probably have more patience but because the two crafts are so similar I think that's why I just return to the one I know so well :-) Perhaps my love of granny square quilts will one day over take my hate of crochet and I will learn to do it! :-D

    Hope you're having a good week,
    Sarah xx

    PS I just wanted to say thank-you for the beautiful comments you always leave on both of my blogs, they're so lovely to receive x

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  58. Nic, oh my there is so much beautiful color where you are! So lush! Just beautiful! Your scarf is gorgeous! I LOVE the green! Adorable ornaments! xoxo Jen

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  59. Well done with the crochet! I have so many unfinished projects and my crochet hook has cobwebs on it now! I don't think I have made one double or treble this year! Very bad! Have a wonderful week xx

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  60. Hello! My goodness I've missed you! Getting back to things now... and excited to see you've got big plans for the back yard!

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  61. Annuals are certinaly at their peak. Every fall I promise myself I will try to include more annuals next spring.
    I have all manner of crochet projects on my needlework board and one of these days I would love to try a few. Your scarf is so beautiful it is hard to believe that it is a first project.
    I like the ornaments too. Where do you find the time Nicole? The three beans must keep you so busy. I am glad you are able to find a few spare moments for yourself and those little creative projects.

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  62. Your beans are sooo adorable, they seem to be having loads of fun with the fence posts :) I am loving the chunky crochet scarf, perfect for fall! Crochets projects are always fun to create and very relaxing for me. The burlap acorn looks so cute and perfect for fall decor:) Hugs, Poppy

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  63. Great to see kids having fun..
    Your little tiny bird is gorgeous.
    Lot of things happening here..
    Have a good week
    Love, Miss.

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  64. Hi, I am enjoying browsing thru your past blogs. I appreciate your visits to my blog so much. Your little ones are so cute. My husband and I were recently reminiscing how we could balance on a beam or small wall when we were young! I have enjoyed seeing the colorful flowers in your yard and the park. My flowers are slowing down now. I hope to plant pansies and violas soon. I admire your crocheting and the ornaments are so adorable. I have a blog friend who has been making 4 felt critters per month for a Christmas tree. I'll try to send you the link separately.

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