Fairy Gardens

It is Fall Break for us this week. For the first part we stayed home but since my mother's birthday is today we went to Signal Mountain for a visit. I love coming home for so many reasons, and family is the most obvious. But today I realized as I was driving onto Signal Mountain that it is also because I miss the mountain with it's abundance of trees, wildlife and it's beauty. I caught myself staring through the trees and watching the sun's rays as they lit up the many shades of greens, browns and the beginnings of fall colors. It's something we don't get to enjoy at home where we have no woods near our house to enjoy.

And with fall coming the Signal Mountain Nursery, which my parents own with my sister and her husband helping out, is also ablaze with color. The mums are is full bloom as well as the pansies with their multitude of colors. Seeing all the mums and pansies lined up waiting for someone to take them home to decorate their front porch, deck or home is exciting to me. I always struggle to pick out my own favorites to take home and enjoy. But the other thing that caught my eye on this trip are the fairy gardens that my sister has created. As you may know fairy gardens are big right now. They are an abundance of people, furniture, houses, and other accessories to place in your fairy garden. My sister has also done several workshops at the nursery for everyone who wants to make their own fairy garden. The girls and I made one this summer but I can't wait to do another one this time with a Halloween theme. When I was at Market in Atlanta this summer helping my mother and sister pick things out for the nursery we came across not only the Halloween fairy gardens but Christmas and beach gardens as well. With so many options to choose from I might have to change them out several times a year!!

How creative is this and an awesome job of recycling too!?!  Using an old wheel barrow to contain your fairy garden.   The next two pictures are some close ups of the wheel barrow garden.

This one is my dream fairy garden.  This is a container made out of 2X4's and ply wood to make a large rectangle.  My dream is to make one of these with legs to use as a coffee table for my deck.  Add a few large "stepping stones" to hold drinks and you've got one awesome and unique fairy garden coffee table.

These are a couple of awesome examples of the Halloween or Fall fairy gardens.  I love the tiny headstones and skeleton in the graveyard.  The little pumpkin house is neat too.  And don't you think that your fairy will enjoy having their homes decorated for the holidays just like you?

Just look at all those fall mums and all that color.  I love mums!

 And if you know me you know how much I love owls.  And with that in mind I couldn't pass up this little guy who looks so cute in this little 4" mum.  

I can't wait to get back home with all my goodies to decorate the house with for Halloween and fall as well.  

 

Cape San Blas {Let's go Fly a Kite and Cousins are fun}

We bought the kids some kites back in the spring when we happened to find them on sale. They were so excited to be able to use them. We bought the old fashioned diamond type while my sister and brother bought some really cool animal kites. Kaleb got his sting ray in the air and Elizabeth enjoyed flying it for a while. I think Karoline lost some of her parts before she even started putting it together so I don't think she ever got hers in the air and Dave's boys were more interested in playing in the surf. Abby and Elizabeth flew theirs for a while and Gabe flew his with Matt before I got down to the beach and wanted to play in the water with his cousins. The following two days didn't have enough wind for flying a kite. I will have to be sure to take them to the park on the next windy day so that they can really fly their kites.

 The kids had so much fun together. It is wonderful that all the cousins are so close and consider each other friends as well as cousins. I hope that that friendship lasts into adulthood.  Here are some of those special moments from the week.

 I guess those two are worn out,

 Dancing with Uncle Dave.

 Googie showing the girls how to "break dance" during one of our many dancing sessions.

 You go Girls!!  {and Googie}

 There up there are the sea gulls.

 Peace!

 Jump!  Jump!  The waves just make me want to JUMP!

 One fish, Two fish...Big fish, little fish.

 Cleaning the fish for dinner.

 The kids picking up the fish I caught in the casting net.

It was a wonderful week and a week we will remember always.  Thank you, Mimi and Googie for the wonderful vacation!


 

Cape San Blas {Final Day}

On our final day in Cape San Blas we walked down to the beach for the final time. The kids had fun enjoying the beach, and we enjoyed watching them. They walked down to the sandbar and tide pool and enjoyed some swimming fully clothed. They thought that was the best thing ever, to swim with their clothes on instead of swimming suits.  They rolled, jumped, swam and dove in and around the sand bar.  And one that night we had one of the most beautiful sunsets we had had all week long.

 Elizabeth enjoying some time with her Googie.

 Gabe rolling around in the tide pool.

Elizabeth walking on the sand bar.

 Everyone enjoying their last night at the beach.

 Matt finding a few treasures.

 Mimi and Googie walking hand in hand.

 Matt helping the kids with their sparklers.

 Aunt Kim and Uncle Mark

 A little PDA

 The kids being silly and posing on the beach.

 All seven grandkids...

 Lookout! Here they come!

 All 7 Grandkids with Mimi and Googie

 Boy!  That's a whole lot of seaweed!

Googie and Uncle Dave