summer camping....

The kids absolutely loved their first camping trip. I've had a feeling this summer is going to be special and there's no better way to start it off than a trip to the great outdoors to take it all in.

What an amazing weekend!

We're going camping!

(source: emong's )

First time for the kids.
Have a great weekend!

summer home...

Wouldn't this make a nice summer home? No, it's not mine. It's a house that was in a neighborhood where Chloe and I went to an estate sale today. I could take pictures since it's on the market. I just thought that it looked like it could become animated at any moment. Those droopy eyelids, it looks like it must have something to say. Ok, maybe the heat is getting to me. It certainly does have character and....charm, huh?!? Here's the cover of my summer art journal that I finally got started on for Kara's class. I loaded it up with goodies from my May Basket swap from Kerry Lynn Yeary. Such yummy summer colors! Have you begun any fun summer projects?

strawberry crush...

We're still wallowing in strawberries over here. Chloe and I made another trip to the patch because I used up my first haul on strawberry shortcake for work and friends and I made my first batch of strawberry freezer jam. I then combined the two and made strawberry shortcake biscuits and put jam on them. Yummy! I think strawberries are my first crush of summer, what's yours?

pick of the patch....

I can't think of a better way to spent a warm, breezy early summer day than a trip to the berry patch. After all the strawberry shortcake hoopla earlier this spring in our house, it was fun for the kids to see a real strawberry patch.

Tonight we have some thunderstorms rolling through.

Summer has definitely begun!

summer journaling class giveaway...

Summer is here...and it's raining!

That keeps us inside thinking about all the fun things we will do when the sun comes out and making stuff! I really need to get started on my summer mini book, the kids and I love looking through the one I made last year.

Can't think of a better thing to motivate me than a new class that Kara has put together called Summer of Love. It's all about my two favorite things, art journaling and photography. She has some amazing stuff planned and really fun guest designers. Find all the details HERE. Can't wait!!

If you pop on over to my summer blog, ArtsyMama's Ice Cream Social she's giving away a spot in the class to one lucky winner. You must enter by this Wednesday at midnight CST.

Let the summer art making begin!

five senses friday: school's out edition

School is out, so the first thing we did this morning is go to the mpls. farmer's market. After seeing the amazing blooms that Eric got at the farmer's market while we were in San Diego, I was anxious to see what ours had to offer early in the season. It was the perfect place for playing along with abby's five senses friday. seeing: so many beautiful colors, so rich and electric

hearing: the kids saying what they wanted to buy as we passed fresh lettuce, carrots, cucumber and snap peas. I'm happy to say that when we came home Chloe ate a big helping of farmer's market veggies. Yum!

smelling: so much fresh, earthy goodness. We also smelled the sweet, buttery kettle corn, something the kids really look forward to and were diappointed to see that he was just cleaning his cooker and not making any. The smell itself was almost as good.

tasting: fresh, home grown strawberrries We then took a walk in the woods, marsh and prairie over at the wildflower garden.feeling: squish, oozy mud after a heavy rain.
I spy two kids gleefully running through the prairie.

Our state flower, the showy lady's slipper was in full bloom!

The wild indigo were gorgeous peppering the prairie with bright purple blossoms.

What a great first day of summer break!!