what are best friends for...

...talking you into doing crazy things (in a bar on your birthday) like running a half marathon, and then being right there with you when you accomplish it!

Thanks Kelly-Jo! You are the best!

a summer tote

It is amazing how a little spring cleaning can rejuvenate my creative spirit.

I spotted this chartreuse scrap of fabric while reorganizing my sewing room, and was instantly inspired to create.  Something. 

Something fresh.  Something clean.

So a bag it was.  Perfect for a spontaneous adventure in the sun.   

 Made entirely of recycled materials - thrifted fabric and a belt.  I love it.  Love the idea of creating something new from something old.

Summer fun, here we come!

 

(now we just need to convince Mother Nature to turn off the rain and bring on the shine!)

while little brother sleeps...

big brother is busy designing a new t-shirt

complete with a camel's hoof and a treasure map.  Ahhh, to be 4 again!

geocaching - great family fun!

About three years ago, I while sitting in a waiting room (I'm telling you, I find great inspiration in waiting rooms) I came across an article about geocaching - my first thought was, Geo-what?  Then as a read on I learned that it was basically a high-tech version of a treasure hunt. 

With one little boy at home, and one on the way, I knew this could become a very popular pastime for our family.   And I began visualizing all the wonderful places we could go treasure hunting...

 
As soon as I got home I informed my husband that I wanted a GPS unit for Christmas...  he was a little shocked at first, but when I explained to him what geocaching was, and about the adventures that we could have in our own back yard (and all over the world), he was excited too.  

Buying a GPS is kind of a steep up-front cost, but you might not even need to buy one if you have GPS-enabled cell phone or PDA.  (The iphone has great ratings.)
Geocaching in 8 easy steps: (list from geocaching.com)

1. Go to www.geocaching.com and register for a FREE account.
2. Click “Hide & Seek a Cache.”
3. Enter a postal code or address and click “Search.”
4. Choose any geocache from the list and click on its name.
5. Enter the coordinates of the geocache into your GPS device.
6. Use your GPS device to help you find the hidden geocache.
7. Sign the logbook and return the geocache to its original location.
8. Share your geocaching stories and photos online.

 

So, here we are three years down the road.  Summer is right around the corner, and we are itching to get out and so some exploring.  I download some new caches and began to pack a bag so we could go on a hike. 

While searching the house for all the items we needed, and I realized that it would be so much easier if I just had a bag to keep all of the essential geocaching items in.  A bag that we can just grab and go at a moments notice - when the sun decides to peek out from behind the clouds.  (Although, I might not be able to wait that long, so some ponchos might need to be added to the packing list.)

After making the first round of Hobo Sacks from Dana's wonderful tutorial over at MADE, I knew they were the perfect size for a geocaching bag.  I grabbed some fabric from my stash (navy linen, gray quilting cotton, and orange jersey) and set to work. 

 

Feeling like I needed to label the bag, I searched the internet and came across the geocaching symbol and stenciled it on using freezer paper.

But I couldn't stop there, I then decided that we needed a First-Aid pouch, AND a bag for all our treasures to trade (swag). 

I had so much fun making these bags - super fast and easy!
Our Geocaching bag includes:

• GPS
• notebook
• pen
• trash bag - cache in, trash out (we use plastic bread bags)
• Swag Bag with various small items for trading
• first aid pouch
• sunscreen
• (poncho)

 
Other items we throw in the backpack:

• camera
• extra clothes
• snacks

I hope you get out and try geocaching, it is fun for the whole family.  And you might even learn something along the way, because many caches are linked to historic sites! 

Happy Hunting!

beautiful day for a parade!

Mother Nature worked some magic today.  With rain for nearly a week, it seemed inevitable that today would be a soggy one too, but (like the flip of a switch) it turned out to be a BEAUTIFUL day!

We had fun watching the parade with friends and family...

and boy did those Hobo Sacks come in handy!

hobo sacks

 

Tomorrow we are attending the Maritime Parade in our town, and with the parade comes a lot of treasures to carry home.  So this year, instead of stuffing our pockets , I thought it would be great if each of the boys had a bag to carry their loot in.

I have been eying the Hobo Sack over at MADE for a while now, and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to try it out.

And I am excited to report that they are AWESOME (the perfect size for little ones).  I already have plans to make several more very soon!   

(The pink one is for a darling little girl who we are meeting at the parade) 

We are ready for a fun day tomorrow (with fingers crossed - praying for rain to stop). 
A big THANKS to my friend Michael for all the trifted material.