craftity craft craft

If you have been reading Suaviloquy for a while, you know that I love to have fresh flowers at my "work station". I love looking for new arrangement ideas and then going to the flower market. I thoroughly enjoy the process of actually arranging the flowers. It's quiet and soothing.

The ceiling in my kitchen is really high. For some time now I have been wanting to make an arrangement that is really tall. The only problem is cash. In order to make an arrangement as big as I want it is going to cost a lot. And by a lot I mean, like probably over a hundred and fifty bucks. Sugar Daddy would not go for it I'm afraid.

But today I came up with a super cheap alternative. I went into my back yard and clipped some dead branches. I spray painted them silver. Then I got out some pink tissue paper and made a bunch of little cherry blossoms. I raided my Christmas ornaments for birds. I put little glittery hearts on them to make them love birds.

The result is a very wintry arrangement that works well for Valentine's. And, I didn't spend a penny. Aren't I thrifty?

Please give me kudos for my thriftiness. It's not one of my strong suits and I am a little insecure about it. I do shop at discount stores though! I should get points for that don't you think?

I am also working on this little project with Thom. To make these hearts, all you have to do is iron crayon between two pieces of wax paper. It is a great project for a kid Thom's age. He LOVES making crayon shavings with a butter knife. You know, as a boy any excuse to use a knife is a good one.

Got any fun Valentine's craft ideas for kids? Let's see them!

passive aggression

One of my *Amelies is to open the bedroom shutters on a sunny morning. Sugar Daddy is like a vampire, in that he insists on sleeping in total darkness. So the shutters are clamped tight so no street lamp light can leak through. He even covers the little blue light on the TV. I personally find it a little bazaar, but it doesn't bug me too much so every night we sleep in pitch black.

In the morning, after the vampire leaves for work, I love to throw open the shutters and call out to the birds, Cinderella style. And they come. Not because of my angelic voice. No, No. I was not blessed with the gift of song (not that I don't sing anyway). I entice/coerce the birds to come to me with bird seed, sugar water, berries- you name it. I am not above using manipulation and coercion, as seen in my parenting style. Think Cinderella, only smarter.

So the last week or so, I have eagerly opened the shutters only to be met with the annoying sound of yard construction. Don't get me wrong. I think it is wonderful that our neighbors are improving their property- even if it is the absolute dumbest thing to do right now considering the housing market. The problem is, after two years of serious construction noise in our new housing tract, I thought everyone in our neighborhood was pretty much done with their yard.

I can barely hear "my" birds singing over the sound of the brick cutter. It is a screechy sound that goes strait to my nerves and I must admit that I have a burning desire to march over there- through the wet cement- and smack them over the head with a shovel. But I won't, because I am passive aggressive to people I barely know and also, it's against the law.

* An Amelie, according to my family, is something that you secretly love to do. If you have seen the movie Amelie, you know what I am talking about. Some of my Amelies include: pulling radishes from the dirt, opening cans of soda, picking price stickers off new items, running my hands through strands of beads, saying the word mochacho, (I try to work it in whenever possible), kissing my mochacho when he is sleeping and driving along the 101 with the windows down.

I am totally fascinated by the little things other people love to do. What is your Amelie? Leave a comment and check out this blog.

yesterday

Blithesome Bird Earrings

Made these yesterday. This is what I wrote about them:

"Today the sun is shinning. The birds are singing and my plants are growing tall and strong. I ate my lunch in the shade of a large umbrella and a tuna fish sandwich has never tasted better.

I made these earrings today only because I couldn't not make them. I had to somehow capture the moment.

They are entirely handmade. I used large citrine briolettes that are a beautiful shade of sunshine. I like to name the birds I make and for some reason these birds seemed like Piper and Frankie."

I won't be sad if they don't sell.

winging it

Twyla's Twig Necklace

A family of birds has decided that the top of our chimney is the perfect place to live. They sing all day long and their sweet little warbles echo down the aluminum pipe and spill out into our family room. It makes me happy.

Did you know that baby birds babble like humans before singing?

blanche on a branch

Nothing says spring like a little bird singing away on a branch.

Blanche on a Branch