As I have mentioned a few times over the past week, I just returned from a 2-1/2 week vacation on th eMaine coast visiting my family. It is always so wonderful to go back and visit all the places I frequented when I was a child. It's even more special to have the opportunity to share these places with my own children! Today I thought I would share with you a famous Maine tradition that you may or may not be familiar with... fairy houses!
What is a fairy house you ask? It is a small structure made for fairies to visit. They are made out of natural, found objects from the great outdoors. There are some rules for building a fairy house, and they can be very elaborate to very basic depending on the builder's age/skill level. It all began for my family with a special book, "Fairy Houses...Everywhere" by Tracy Kane. If you walk through many woodland parks, the backside of beaches and many other places in Maine, you will find these little fairy houses built by children and it is absolutely magical! And it makes me so happy to see children being so creative!
(as a reminder, you can click on any of these photos for a larger view)
Hannah and I decided to build our own fairy house while we were at the beach one day. We spent the whole afternoon collecting shells, driftwood, feathers & bark to create our special hideaway for the fairies. It is a two-story home with an elaborate garden and outdoor eating area. According to Hannah's research, these were all important things to incorporate into the home!
David snapped this shot while we were hard at work on our creation. I love how you can see all the bits and pieces of the construction materials scattered around Hannah's knees. So cute!
This is a shot of the side garden, complete with a little "pergola" so the fairies have some place to sit and enjoy the ocean view.
This is the set of table & chairs that Hannah created so they had somewhere to eat outside. The backs of the chairs are made from razorback clam shells while the seats and table are made from flat rocks. Hannah even "set" the table with acorn tops to serve as bowls for the fairies to eat from.
Here is a view from the top of the house. You can see Hannah's handiwork with the clamshell path! I have to add that when we went back to check on our fairy house a few days later, someone had built their own fairy house a few yards away from ours. So fun to see the magic pass on! Thanks for letting me share this today! Have a wonderful night!
Hello again, everyone! Happy Friday! I hope you have all had a wonderful week and are about to embark on an amazing weekend!
I wanted to pop in and give you a little website update. We have been notified by our web company that as long as everything goes according to plan, the all-new Papertrey store will be tentatively launched on May 10th!
In order to prepare for this switch-over, the store will be tentatively down on Sunday, May 9th and you will be unable to make any purchases. So, if you are in need of any items, we urge you to order before that date.
If for some reason unforeseen circumstances occur and the launch will not be able to take place on May 10th, we will be holding off until May 31st to attempt again, to allow all of our scheduled May release activities and shopping to remain uninterrupted.
We are very excited about the changes coming and want to thank you in advance for your patience with us on May 9th while we put everything into place.
On another note, the gardens here around our home are bursting with color and beauty. We've been spending a lot of time on our beloved screen porch again and it has just been heavenly! I thought I would share some of my flowers and sunshine with you today!
This last photo is where I like to sit and read on the screen porch and enjoy the view of the backyard. I just began reading an AMAZING novel yesterday, The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton. So, so, SO good. A tiny bit reminiscent of The Secret Garden, only in a completely different, grown-up, enchanting way. Total page turner! It has been awfully difficult for me to tear myself away from it and concentrate on my work today! If you happen to be at the bookstore soon, I strongly urge you to pick one up!
I hope you all have a most fabulous weekend!
Christmas is right around the corner, my dear friends.
The gifts are all wrapped and under the tree. Packages have been shipped to loved ones far away. The last of the groceries needed for holiday meals and festivities have been purchased and tucked away in the pantry and refrigerators. The turkey has almost completely thawed. Company has safely arrived to celebrate with us. The children are asleep in their beds, dreaming of what wonders will await them when they wake up on Christmas morning. Such an amazing warmth fills my heart tonight, something I wanted to capture and engrave in my memory forever.
This is also a time of reflection in a way. Looking back over the past year and being grateful for what you've been given. Which brings me to a heartfelt message I would like to share with each and every one of you. A special thank you that is almost too expansive to express.
Thank you for visiting me here and showing an interest in what I have to share. It is still unfathomable to me the reaches that this blog has found since I started it more than three years ago.
Thank you for all of your kind words & comments (I read every single one!). You lift me up, you motivate me to reach higher, YOU, my friends, inspire me.
Thank you for expressing your enthusiasm and excitement. It's contagious and inspires not only me, but others as well. The joy of stamping is something that is spreading across the craft industry before my very eyes and each of you should be proud to know that you played a part in that!
Thank you for stamping. For getting those new images inky. For trying a new technique we might focus on one week. For using & ENJOYING this hobby. Nothing fills my heart with more joy than to see what you create with the basics & inspiration provided here and throughout the Papertrey family.
Thank you for being a positive force in my life. I tell everyone that will listen what a wonderful group of customers we have built over the years. Many of you have become like family to me and I will never, ever be able to adequately express my gratitude.
So during this holiday season, I wanted to be sure to thank you. A from-the-bottom-of-my-heart kind of thank you. For stopping by, for being there, for your support, for your genuine kindness, for the love of this hobby that we share.
YOU are truly one of my Christmas blessings. I wish you wonderful moments of celebration during the coming days. Time with family & friends and many happy memories made. May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, the gladness of Christmas give you hope & the warmth of Christmas grant you love.
It's a dark & rainy day here today, which puts a bit of a damper on my plans! You see, this weekend is a very special birthday party that I planned for myself nearly 4 months ago. Michelle & Dawn are even flying in just for the occasion. The kids are going to stay with their grandparents while my friends and I have a weekend long sleepover. So much to do to get ready, so little time! I'll be sure to tell you all about it next week!
Before I step away from the computer to dedicate my time to the party and preparations, I thought I would stop in to share a few things with you!
1. I still have one last, very special Birthday Blessings post to complete. I will not have time to do it the justice it deserves before this months countdown, so it will have to be delayed until after the 15th. I just wanted to let you know that it WILL be coming, so now you know you will have something to look forward to!
2. If you get a bit of stamping time this holiday weekend, be sure to check out Cath Edvalson's challenge on her Moxie Fab blog. Just for playing along, you could have a chance at winning a prize package of FOUR Papertrey stamp sets! CLICK HERE to read more!
3. One of my favorite bloggers, Travelingmama, has started a very special project with her children in an effort to assist in improving a local school in her current home of Morocco. The program she has put together is fantastically heartfelt and urge you to stop by HERE and read ALL about it!
4. My dear friend, Jennifer McGuire is currently collecting cards to support a young girl and her family's plight to fight the cancer that she was recently diagnosed with. Visit Jennifer's blog to read her meaningful message and how we can ALL help with this cause!!!
5. One more note, David and I have some big news that we have been waiting to tell the world, and we have chosen today as the day to share! You can read all about the new chapter of our life HERE.
I hope you all have a WONDERFUL holiday weekend! I am hoping for good weather when my company arrives Friday night! Don't forget, sneak peeks of the September release begin Friday night at midnight EST, right here. So be sure to stop by daily to see what's new!
