A Mash-Up

I like things mashed up.  Like boiled potatoes and corn all mixed together.  Or avocado, tomato and onion in a bowl for dipping.  I like combining new finds that are actually old, with other even older junk in my house.  I've made a frugal lifestyle haunting resale shops.  Now that I've taught myself to sew, sometimes I am able to repurpose a scrap of fabric into something useful.  I enjoy the process of altering a room, especially when I begin to sense a difference in the amount of light or inhale a breath of warmer air.  The seasons change, and so does our interior.

Today was so much better than any day I've spent in the last two weeks.  Having the energy to turn on the vacuum cleaner for a little while led to a full day of housekeeping and redecorating.  Our classroom, which is really our dining room, was the focus of my energy.  We needed to reclaim the space for sharing a family meal, without packing away all of our learning activities.  If the books and games and puzzles were put away in a closet, I'm pretty sure they might stay there, forgotten and unused.  I needed to make a mash-up: a one room school house and a spring-themed dining room.

Our school name is "Learning Free and In the Wild" which I'm sure will be a name that inspires laughter in the admissions department of Elliot's future college.  We named it after a phrase used by Elliot's heroes the Kratt Brothers on the PBS Kids show "Wild Kratts."  At the close of every show, Chris and Martin Kratt remind viewers that animals should be left "living free and in the wild."   Another reason we chose this name is because we spend many of our educational days outdoors, exploring the wooded trails and lake near our home.  Wildlife biology is one of our big themes, and the subject which Elliot excels.  He knows more about animals in the wild than I've ever known, and mealtime is one of those times when Elliot becomes our teacher, sharing facts and stories he's learned from Chris and Martin Kratt, or from his observations outdoors.

So when I found a pair of pillow shams with a vintage wildlife print, I knew this was the perfect way to mash up the space.

Elliot made this ceramic bird house last year during his first pottery class.  I stuffed it full of dried rosemary and added some dollar store birds.

Emily is with us every day, in our hearts and our home.

The telescope was my dad's, and he gave it to us when we moved  to our house.  I have enjoyed  using it to see the moon and her seas and craters.

A good spot for reading!

I guess it's just that season when birds begin to nest!

Thanks to God for days of better health and a return of days with abundant light!!!!!