Valentines Day - The Festival of Love once celebrated by the Pagan Romans
All the beautiful watercolor paintings my children create can always be used for other crafts.
- The hearts hanging from the root
Inspired as always by Gardenmama's lovely Valentine Garland, we gathered to cut our own hearts. We drew the heart shapes using two different sized cookie cutters to make a lovely garland to celebrate Love.
- more hearts
Whilst making the hearts the children cut out some of their own designs. They often sit peacefully in the evenings creating different shapes freehand from all their paintings. They mostly form trucks, cars, excavators and animals. They are such little boys.
[caption id="attachment_2232" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="A truck carrying an excavator"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_2233" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Another excavator"]
[/caption][caption id="attachment_2226" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Sania found the little sprouts"]
[/caption]We thought of hanging our hearts on a pretty branch so we set off to the creek to find one. Sania was happy to find that the gourds we had seen a while back which had fallen from the tree had sprouted.
- Seedlings sprouting through the gourd
[caption id="attachment_2227" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Little Sprouts"]
[/caption]These tiny little sprouts were so beautifully encased in their little home. It looked as if they were in their own pot. How amazing that these sprouts could push through a once very hard shell.
[caption id="attachment_2229" align="aligncenter" width="449" caption="Sania takes an Elephant Ear to plant in his garden"]
[/caption]We have so many elephant ears around the property. Sania wanted to take a couple for his own special little garden that they care for every day.
[caption id="attachment_2228" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Sania showing his brother the little sprouts"]
[/caption]Sania collected many of the gourds with their seedlings to plant by the stables and here he is showing his brother the little sprouts.
[caption id="attachment_2230" align="alignnone" width="640" caption="Claudo swimming in the creek"]
[/caption]This is the creek we visit so often by horseback. The dogs love their adventures, cool off in the clear water, jump over the large boulders and run down the steep sides. There are many branches of drift wood and exposed roots left from the gushing torrents during the tropical rains.
This is where we found the perfect twisted root that suited our little heart garland.
it is so lovely to see your version of the heart garland! i love love the adventure you went on to find such a lovely branch to hang your watercolor hearts! we have a big mossy branch hanging from our kitchen ceiling, yours is a magical sight! what incredible gifts nature shares with us, how wonderful your boys came across such creativity on your property! xoxo
ReplyDeleteLove your heart garland! It's so fun to see everyone's unique spin on this project. :) The other shapes that your boys cut out are so fun. They would get along so well with my youngest who is a car/truck/tractor fiend. So sweet! :) Great little sprouts too!
ReplyDeleteI want to kiss Sania right on the top of his fuzzy head. Little sprouts indeed. Hurray for the twisted stick and the hearts that dance ALL over that house of yours!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post! I love the large heart garland, and the excavator cut-outs. They are terrific. And such cool sprouting gourds. I can't wait until things start sprouting around here! We have a few months of winter to go.
ReplyDeleteI love your heart garland, it looks so beautiful hanging in that space. And I always love seeing such sweetness from your boys.
ReplyDelete(Thank you for the wonderful email. Next time I write though I think we need to talk about mercury, not fun!)
Love to all!
XOXOXO
Your heart garland looks so beautiful, I love how it hangs from the root. Your garden is lovely, so many wonderful places to play and run. The little seedlings pushing through the gourd look amazing, like they are part of a whole world all of their own. Erin just loved the photo of your boys riding their horses through the river! Your blog is beautiful Jeanene, thank you so much for sharing your world with us:)
ReplyDeleteTake care
Linda xo xo
So beautiful! What a fantastic valentine garland.
ReplyDeleteYour heart gardland is beautiful. And I love your boys cut outs of the How much fun to create art out of art. Your walk to the creek is amazing. I am missing the green os summer right now. So I enjoyed taking your walk with you. Nature is so magical - strong and soft all at the same time. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteBlessings, Elizabeth
your garland is so pretty! Love the root.
ReplyDeleteIt is no wonder that your family is such a creative bunch, what with being surrounded by all of that creativity from nature! Gorgeous. I have never before seen such beautiful excavators. And the hearts are *love*ly.
ReplyDeleteBlessings and light....
What a beautiful and inspiring post. I love your garland! Your blog is always so very interesting!
ReplyDeleteNamaste, Nicole
The garland is just wonderful. I love the room you've displayed it in too. It's fun seeing it in so many of its different seasonal incarnations at different times on your blog! And I'm very impressed by the excavator images too.
ReplyDeleteIt is incredible that those soft little shoots could find their way through such a hard shell. I'm always inspired by the strength these tiny living beings demonstrate. Here in the city too I often see tiny plants that have managed to spring up through the cracks in a concrete pavement and I wonder how they ever found the nourishment to do it! It all gives me great hope somehow :)
What a lovely garland! I also love the things your children made from their paintings, such creativity! I must say I am a bit jealous when I see where you live! It's so pure and beautiful there. I live in Holland, in a small town with hardly any real nature ... But I enjoy reading your blogs! ♥ Barbara ♥
ReplyDeleteSuch a paradise to live in! And some keen and skilful boys you have.
ReplyDeleteLove, Yvonne
Love the boy watercolors!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful sight. Both the nature lovers and their creation. I especially love the painted diggers. My boy (5) still loves to draw, paint, sculpt, and create them every chance he gets. I love visiting...it's like taking a deep breath of fresh, tropical air!
ReplyDeletexo Jules
How absolutely amazing and inspiring!!!! Your playroom looks entirely enchanting, especially filled with love with your beautiful garland. Your boys' truck creations, made from watercolor paintings are also incredible- the most elegant construction vehicles! I love the fluid lines and dreamy colors- they really caused me to imagine, and look at the way children see these vehicles. My sons also are in love with giant trucks, and to me, they have always appeared very sharp, angular, rough, jagged- but to children they are still holders of beauty- perhaps tapping into masculine-energy-beauty! Thank you for sharing these magical images from your life; they are so inspiring!
ReplyDeleteI always thought that an Elephant's Ear was such a cool plant... Being in the Rockies not much chance to plant it in the yard... I wonder whether it could be a house plant? I sure love the pictures of the sprouting gourds!
ReplyDeletePetra Christensen
Parelli 2Star Junior Instructor
Parelli Central
Ah my friend,
ReplyDeleteAlways so much goodness. All is so special. I especially like the picture of Sania pulling at the Elephant Ear plant and the two boys together. These are the days, hey. So much love, so much magic - every moment.
Love
Kelly
such a magical post. The garland looks beautiful & those little sprouts pushing through that shell is so cool. you really live in such beauty.
ReplyDeleteSuch a heartfelt post. Thanks for sharing your joy with us. Your boys are stunning - they look so healthy. Love Katie x
ReplyDelete