Strange Fruit

The little one and I were taking a walk around the school this past weekend, when we ran into this :

There were literally hundreds of these fruits (?) hanging over the school yard wall. Do you know what they are ? Definitely not ripe yet. I haven't a clue.

My first thought was that maybe it was some sort of fig, but after exhaustive research (one google search) I have my doubts.

I should know what a fig looks like being that I'm 38 (and a half) and all ... and because behind my grandmother's house on Evangeline Street in Baton Rouge, there was a beautiful and huge fig tree. It sure was fun to play under, but not once did I ever eat a fig off of it.

PS: Fig. Fig. Fig. That's just not an appetizing word to me. Plumb. Plumb. Plumb. Now that sounds sumptuous.

Saying goodbye

Our sweet old Elvis passed away today with his daddy by his side. He was such a good boy, and we're sad beyond words.

Bonjour Butterflies

Not long ago, the little one's Granny & Granddad gifted her with a butterfly habitat. We mailed off our postcard and received 10 wee caterpillars that we spent the next 20 days caring for.

Here are 5 of our chrysalises.

Don't be alarmed by the red stuff. It's just left over coloring from the formation of the wings (at least that's what the pamphlet said). The butterfly on the lower left is emerging.

And there he is with his crumpled up little wings that will soon ...

... look like this. They were Painted Lady butterflies and their wing patterns were all unique.

They were born on Good Friday, and set free on Easter Sunday. Hopefully they'll get along with my other butterfly children.

That's my girl

My hippie tie dye wearing, cowboy booted, princess loving girl.

Fancy meeting you here

Family time has been putting a serious dent in my computer time as of late. That makes for an extra happy 4 year old, but a very lonely blog. Boo-hoo.

PS: The little one and all of her classmates wore their pajamas to school today. She was kind of excited about that.

Dear God, It's me, Kelley

When I wake up with Roseanne Roseannadanna hair, I can't help but think you are making me pay for some horrible, horrible, horrible thing I must have done. Whatever it was, I am really sorry. Like ... really sorry.

You can stop now. Love, Kelley

Hoppy Easter

bottom image via winsome hollow

Bunnies for the bungalow

The little one and I were feeling extra creative recently. We used some leftover burlap from our Thanksgiving tablecloth project, some old yarn, and extra buttons to make these smart little bunnies. Evangeline loooves to sew and is quite good at it!

Once our little bunnies were finished we rushed them over to The Bunny Bungalow. They were welcomed with open arms into their new bunny family, and are now living happily ever after .

Cat disguised as pillow

Sunday Stroll

And ending with a stop at the park, where we met little Hank (and his dimples)

It seemed like a good idea at the time

So, you know how you can be hanging out at home with your boyfriend, having a little too much wine, and you end up spray painting your own car? Yeah, I totally did that.

In my defense, my 1990 Dodge Daytona was already in bad shape. She was a dull shade of teal green and had problems no mechanic had been able to diagnose. She was already half gone, so when my ex boyfriend and I were just tipsy enough and remembered that we had some flat black spray paint in the garage ... well, we couldn't mess the car up any more than she already was. Right? Wrong.

We each picked a side of the car and painted simultaneously, thereby ensuring (total suckage - uh, I mean) that each side would be different. Different is good right ? Wrong. For some reason I neglected to immortalize the outcome on film, so I have reenacted it above to the best of my abilities.

At that point in my life, I was a waitress. When I went in to work that afternoon, I parked my car, made my way inside, and waited in the kitchen for the staff meeting to begin. Within one minute every male waiter came literally bursting through the swinging doors breathlessly saying things like ... "Oh my God ... no .... Kelley ... someone graffitied your car !!! They painted all over it. The guys are out there trying to catch 'em!!! Aw man, I can't believe it!"

The howls of laughter when I told them that I had in fact spray painted my own car could be heard as far away as Dallas. I have never lived that one down.

Random act of art #2

On a porch around the way

click photo to enlarge

The house is for sale and includes an artist studio in back. Info here

Once upon a time,

in a suburb far away, I had a blue birdbath. I loooved that birdbath. All of the cardinals who nested in our neighborhood loooved that birdbath too. So when it was time for us to move, I couldn't bear to take it from them. I left it there, under the winged elm tree.

I've been looking for a replacement ever since. For over three years I've searched for a blue ceramic birdbath. We finally found one. Isn't she grand?

This is the look I get right before I get squirted with the water hose.

PS: Hooray for leaves. I've missed you so.

Isn't he lovely

I'm always telling people that my husband is a renaissance man, and today he once again proved that to be true. While making the worlds most grunt worthy man food, he looked at his bacon weaving technique and proclaimed ... "Korto's seatbelt jacket has nothing on me!" ...

I think he's right. Project Runway, here he comes.