GardenMama

.: Hanging Window Vase Tutorial :.

.: Thank you for the beautiful comments you shared with me on my last post. It was truly a pleasure to read each one! :.

.: Glass jar wrapped with wire and embellished with decoupage creates a hanging vase to grace the window :.

While the snow still sits outside covering the earth surrounding us there is a noticeable shift in the quality of light. The sun has returned to our windows to shower us with it's distinct feeling of happiness as it streams over the sill and kisses the tops of the children's heads. 

While the winter continues I look to the sunny spot in the living room as a foreshadowing of spring.  While  the sun works it's magic along with the help of Mrs. Thaw, the earth drinks in the melting snow that nurtures the soil of the gardens. 

Even though the Tulips are not yet awakened or prepared to greet us in the gardens, after some thought I went right to work to create our own bit of spring in the windows...
 

This is a great way to use recycled jars. Mason jars that have a smooth front work beautifully as well. 

The next step I will share here is how to create the handle for the hanging glass vase.

I was happy to come across this wire encased in jute that made for a very natural-looking handle.  (This may be found in the floral section of many craft stores)

First I took a nice long piece of wire. I  sized it by holding it up to the vase and made sure that it was long enough that it could hang from the door or windows and still lay flat.

Form the wire into a handle shape as seen in the above photo. Make 'hooks' at the end of the handle wire.

Wrap the wire around the rim of the jar twice. Before securing it, place the handle 'hooks' under the wrapped wire. Make sure it is very secure by closing off the hooks.

Pull the wire that is wrapped around the rim tightly. Twist the ends together to form a very secure closure. 

You now have your functional hanging vase. Now for the fun part!

Next prepare to adorn the glass hanging vases,  you may choose your paper images. 

These spring-like images were found in the scrapbook section of the local craft store. I am planning to create a few more vases and look forward to using images from a chicken catalogue as well as from seed catalogue's.

.: Choosing and placing each paper image :.
 

Start placing your images until you find one that will become the finished piece.  Set out some modge podge and get ready to adhere the images.

Modge Podge is brushed onto both the back and front of the paper images to adhere and seal the image.

Once the image is adhered, you may take a small damp cloth to neaten up the glass around the image.  Finish with a dry cloth to polish up the glass and make sure any last remnants of glue disappear.

Add water to your vase and some gorgeous Tulips, and you are on your way to a spring view in your window! I hung a few of these tulip-filled hanging vases from the latch on the window. For wooden window frames you can screw in a small hook to hang your vase.  

This touch of spring in our newly sun-filled windows has brought the freshness of Spring to the windows of the living room. 

It is lovely to have a handmade hanging vase full with the freshness of Spring flowers placed in the bedroom windows or in the kitchen above the sink.

Or to greet you as you come and go on your front door!

Here's to bringing the bright happy feelings of Spring to our windows and doors in a handmade way!

.: Embracing Life :.

.: Noticing my oldest son playing marbles while a very interested kitten looks on :.

As mothers we do not receive a standard handbook that tells us exactly what to do or not do. Rather we live alongside our little ones while our homes and our family organically becomes a reflection of who we are together.  

.: A moment later the kitten strikes and marbles roll over the wooden floor :.

There may be moments in our younger years that stand out to us. They may even serve as markers in our own lives with our own children today.

.: Noticing beauty in the ordinary, extraordinary part of the day :.

I can remember specific feelings of the warmth of home as a younger girl while babysitting-- a home filled with little treasures from nature and the harvest of the gardens sitting on the counters still flecked with soil. It had that beautiful mix of a lived in home - evidence of children and of life that reflected so much love.

.: Understanding math with smooth white stones collected at the ocean nearby :.

As a younger girl playing house for the day while acting as a mothers helper I remember dreaming of having children of my own as I grew older and what that would be like.

.: Appreciating my son's ear for music as he freely plays what comes to mind :.

I feel so grateful for the family that I now have and that we are able to live and learn at home alongside one another creating our very own life, following and creating our very own dreams, we get to choose just what our philosophy for our own life may entail.

.:Noticing a beautiful vignette while the music still lingers in my heart:.

This journey together as a family is rich and good, it is lived in and full with life.  There is beauty in the everyday - the small and big moments, the creative and organic vignettes that fill our days in both the good and the more difficult.

.: These sweet friends eat our veggies, create their own compost, create fiber for us to spin and most of all share their love :.

Clotheslines, composting, and backyard chickens.  Learning alongside one another at home and growing some of our own foods.  Trading in television for making art together, caring for one another, dreaming of having sheep and farm living, knitting and spinning and reading "Little House On The Prairie" at bedtime while creating our own little houses on the prairie or  apartments in the city or little houses on islands in fields or in the woods... wherever it is that your life inspires you to call home fill it up with love, mindfullness, and notice the life that surrounds you. 

 .: Noticing a sweet vignette left behind after opening presents on Valentines Day :.

We only live these days, moments and life once, just once never to be repeated in exactly the same way.

I am thankful to share moments of our family life with you. I also enjoy seeing moments of your own journeys. However vastly different or very closely knit our ideas may be lets all follow our dreams together. Say yes to life--to the life we always dreamed of for our families even when things may be placed in the way.. go for it anyway.

 

.:Appreciating bits of nature that creates this personal space we call home:.
 

Embrace this thing called life that sometimes gets in the way but continues to happen to us every day.  From the small and mundane to the great and profound lets say yes and embrace life for all that it gifts to us!

.: Puppy Love ~ Homemade Treats :.

.: Measuring out the ingredients to create homemade dog treats! :.

On this day before Valentine's Day we set out to create just one more treat for a much loved furry friend!

We made heart-shaped peanut butter cookies for a very sweet dog in our life. Its fun to create gifts for unexpected friends like the birds and the special pets in our lives during the holidays. 

.: Adding in one cup of water to create the dog cookie recipe :.

To create a jar full of your own dog treats here is a special recipe our dog friend greatly enjoy!

.: Peanut Butter Dog Cookies :.

· 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
· ½ cup Peanut Butter
· 1 cup Water
· 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
· 2 cups White Flour

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine oil, peanut butter, and water. Add Flour 1 cup at a time, then knead into firm dough. Roll dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut with cookie cutters.

Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Makes 2½ dozen.

.: Kneading the dough in preparation of rolling it out! :.

.: Rolling out the dough that will be cut into heart shaped dog cookies :.

This dough smells good enough to eat! The most fun piece of all was shaping our dough and cutting out each heart shape!

 

.: We used heart-shaped vintage cookie cutters to create the dog cookies :. 

.: Created with love! :.

With vintage heart-shaped cookie cutters we made as many cookies as we could fit onto the rolled out dough. 

We poured much love into the entire process while thinking of our sweet furry friend who will enjoy each and every bite!

.: Having fun indoors while the snow still falls outside! :. 

.: We enjoyed creating many heart-shaped treats! :.

With the scent of peanut butter still fresh on our hands, we placed each carefully created cookie onto a baking sheet and waited for them to finish to a golden brown.

.: A basket full of freshly-baked dog cookies ready to be gifted! :.

.:The children had just as much fun gifting these cookies as the dog did eating them! :.

.: My youngest son shares a special bond with this sweet chocolate lab whom we watch on occasion :.

We enjoy dog-sitting this sweet Chocolate Lab who appeared to enjoy every last crumb of his first Peanut Butter cookie and sat very patiently waiting for his next one!