flower peeps!

Thanks for all of your healing thoughts yesterday. I'm truly fine and so is my finger. Having a day to just play and not even go near sharp tools was all I needed to get grounded. In fact, the play yesterday was extraordinary. A good reminder for the rest of the summer... let go of expectations and enjoy spontaneity with my children. I think my summer mantra should be "let go... and play". I used to be all about that, but having a shop has definitely put a little more pressure on me to work. So, as I'm a firm believer in "a reason for everything"... my little accident, and the dynamic day that followed, was a clear message to keep PLAY the priority for my favorite season. Yesterday began with a perfect weather and an unscheduled morning. It was a yes kind of morning...
-can we go to the swing set before breakfast?
- yes!
-can we stay in pajamas all day?
-yes!
-will you watch me do tricks on the monkey bars (for the 100th time )?
-yes!
Well, I actually was ready to move on to something I could participate in... I'm not one for hanging off monkey bars any more. I'd had an idea blossoming in my head all morning. My daughter has been carrying Elsa Mora's book, Blossom Buddies, with her everywhere. I can't blame her, it's gorgeous! I got it for the entire family, but she's gotten very possessive of it. She even made a book marker specifically for her "flower peep" book.

It seemed like the perfect moment to start making some of our own flower peeps.
We collected blossoms...

and got to work (I mean play).

My daughter mostly enjoyed designing mine and taking side trips to the hose to make mud...

and returning to make fairy "food" with the leftover petals.

I LOVED it all! Heaven! Muddy little girl with ringlets, favorite flowers from my garden, sun shine and blue skies. I really couldn't stop with the flower peeps... so indulge me for a moment, please:
Introducing Rosa and Delilah

Greta and her daughter Florita


Stella and Pepita


and Nutbaby (named aptly by my daughter). Her head is a baby walnut and her face was created soley by nature... we discovered her smiling at us from under a tree!

Thank you Elsita for your endless creativity and for reminding me about the importance of PLAY... in my life, my parenting and my art.
Hope you all have a joyful day!