Patriotic shirts

Every year, I try to find us some cute shirts to wear on the fourth of July. It makes for good family pictures and I love the tradition that we started from our first 4th of July as a family. If they weren't packed, I'd love to share pics of the first shirt DH created with a white t-shirt and spray paint! It actually turned out better than I expected and has last for many years now!

When I first saw this blog, I just knew I had to try it...I couldn't get to the store fast enough to get the shirts and paints! lol I was able to find cheap shirts for DH and myself at Walmart and then found the cutest little white dresses for the girls (complete with a white tutu!) and before I knew it, the girls and I were out in the grass getting creative with our shirts!

The night before, the girls and I talked about what we wanted our shirts to look like and I set to drawing on the stars and stripes with the Elmer's washable Gel glue.(I put the shirts on those cardboard cutouts with wax paper under the top layer of the shirt)....finding a place in the trailer for them to dry without the cats laying on them wa the trickiest part! lol

Once the shirts were dry, we took the shirts outside in the grass to paint with the watered down acrylic paints (I put the water in the cups and just a little bit of paint mixed in went a long way!)

The girls had a blast painting and I think they turned out cute!

Here they are all washed (I soaked them in wamr water to get the glue to soften so I could scrape it off with my nail) and ready to wear! I can't wait to take family pictures this year! And now my mind keeps thinking of all the other things I could make with this painting effect! The possibilities are endless!!! So go get crafty, there's still lots of time to make some patriotic shirts of your own!! Wear the stars and stripes with pride!

George Harrison Got My Mind Set On You (2009 Stereo Remaster)

The Song Remembers When Challenge- I've got my mind set on you

I think I was 7 or 8 years old when this song came out, I didn't know anything about the Beatles I just knew that there was a guy named George Harrison with a really cool music video called "I Got My Mind Set on You"...actually two videos. I can remember watching the video every chance I got when it played on MTV, you know, when MTV was good and actually played music videos! lol I'll post the one but haven't been able to find the other,( yeah! I found it!) which of course is the one I remember and the video that plays thru my mind while I'm walking thru a store and this song comes on the radio! I just can't help but smile when I hear it...I have loved George Harrison (and later came to love the Beatles too) ever since!



I finally got someone else to play! Hop on over to Hermits on the Hill and read about how the song remembers when for Kathy too! (She just so happens to be my mom so please leave her a comment and tell her I sent you! )

The Song remembers When challenge & Lavender Festival

This weekend we headed out to explore more of our area and ended up in Oklahoma at Lavender Valley Acres' 6th annual lavender festival!






I so miss or lavender plant at the old house! I can't wait to plant some in our new home!







We enjoyed the vendors and I even got a new pair of earrings!









It was all I could do not to buy a new plant!







The girls loved watching the belly dancers! Their dancing was beautiful!

It was SO hot...and we were all thirsty! lol

the gardens were beautiful and so full of flowers and veggies!

The details on this bird are amazing! The girls ooo and ahhhed until we had to finaly pull them away! lol

It's funny that we'd be reading a new fairy book this week about a lavender fairy getting ready for the mid summers ball...and she was singing this song! I had forgotten about this song, haven't probably heard it since I was little....so glad to have a new song to sing with the girls! Now I need to find the guitar chords! Don't you just love Burl Ives?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcvQcPatQdQ

Lavender blue

Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly, dilly, you shall be queen.
Who told you so, dilly, dilly, who told you so?
'Twas my own heart, dilly, dilly, that told me so.
Call up your men, dilly, dilly, set them to work
Some with a rake, dilly, dilly, some with a fork.
Some to make hay, dilly, dilly, some to thresh corn.
While you and I, dilly, dilly, keep ourselves warm.
Lavender's green, dilly, dilly, Lavender's blue,
If you love me, dilly, dilly, I will love you.
Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, And the lambs play;
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way.
I love to dance, dilly, dilly, I love to sing;
When I am queen, dilly, dilly, You'll be my king.
Who told me so, dilly, dilly, Who told me so?
I told myself, dilly, dilly, I told me so.

The Song remembers When-This Land is Your Land

As we all think about our plans for the upcoming 4th of July holiday weekend, it's hard not to think about the amazing patriotic songs we have in our history too...My girls have been learning this song and it brings such a smile to my face when I hear their little voices singing it. I don't know if its possible for them to fully understand how lucky we are to live in the country we do but I hope that this song stirs up the same kind of pride in our country and our military that it always has for me....Growing up, I didn't take part in a lot of patriotic songs, due to religious beliefs at the time, and I can remember asking if this song was ok to sing because we sang it in music class and I always loved it. I remember being asked why I would want to sing it and I just remember thinking that it made me proud to be an American and that the song just made me feel good. I know that pride isn't always a good thing, but I think the word pride can sometimes be interchangeable with the word "thankful"...and I am so thankful to have seen the diamond desserts and the wheat fields waving...and that my children can someday see the beauty of the redwoods and all the other amazing things this land has to offer... This land was made for you and me...

I have be so lucky to have seen Arlo (Woody Guthrie's son) a number of times and could listen to him sing forever...folk music speaks to the soul like non other!

Aloha Friday

Aloha!

Isn't Friday a great day for making new friends? Head on over to Aloha Friday and join in on the fun!

The question for today was what do you have planned for the 4th of July? We are actually going to get to spend ours with family this year! What a treat! Fourth of July has always been a big deal in our house, big bbqs, fun desserts, outside games, friends and matching patriotic shirts! From the time DH and I first were married, we have always had some sort of matching shirts, either store bought or handmade. the first year we were married, we were almst late to the BBQ at my parent's housebecause DH was finishing up his spray painted flag shirt! At the time I thought he was crazy but it turned out to be one of my favorite shirts! lol This year the girls and I are trying something new...tutorial and pictures to follow!

My question for you....what is your family tradition for the 4th of July holiday?

Crazy Peaches

Every year we have planned on going to the Peach Festival and every year something comesw up that we aren't able to. So this year, we marked it on the calender and stood strong that nothing was going to get in our way....not even the 100 degree weather! lol Had the heat been a bit less, I'm sure it would have been fun but to be honest it was miserable!!! Lunch was amazing but the heat got to us before they even brought out the peach cobbler and icecream...and when hundreds of people started standing in line (for what seemed like forever!) at the empty tables waiting for icecream, we decided that Braums with air conditioning was sounding better and better....lol

I was trying to lighten the mood, and said something like " Good food, good music and good friends, what else could we ask for?" and my good friend Jackie answered "Air conditioning!" I thought that was just too funny...maybe you had to be there! lol

Never the less, we FINALLY made it to the Peach Festival and we can now leave Texas without wondering about what we missed! lol

I couldn't believe how many people were there during a work week! the heat was insane and some people had long sleeves on!! It was so hot out I couldn't think straight!

The lunch was worth the drive!! Yum!

I loved hearing the old time music...and it was even better with a Granny who could rock! lol

I thought for sure the mob of people were going to jump those poor workers for the icecream!! It was CRAZY!

The girls were SO ready to go! lol

J asked "Why's it have to be so hot in Texas mom?"