our new obsession
I know I wrote "our" new obsession but let's be honest for a minute it's more "my" new obsession... dried flower bookmarks!
Yes, I'm back to my school aged arts and craft years and loving it... honestly anything that can keep mama from falling into a depression stage because it's the end of Summer in the Pacific North West and that means we live in Mordor.
What do you mean? Well California, Oregon, and Washington catch on fire. This means we live in a depressing dreary constant gray existence, surrounded by smoke, we sometimes pretend is a hot fog that smells and play Christmas music. Because it's the Pacific North West and winter is gray, another dreary gray existance but less depressing? The jury is still out on that but at least you can feel the cool crisp air and fill your lungs of pine beautiful clean air.
We have not seen the sun in days and when we do is a Red ball, the moon was so eerie red last night kind of beautiful and scary. We have to wear masks to walk out of the house (or should) because the ashes flying around are real! Guys I'm not kidding the smoke is so bad grampa brought green beans from his garden for Sunday dinner and they tasted smoky!
Yep, we had our traditional grampas house Sunday family dinner at our house this week because we were asked by the pediatrician not to take baby out in smoke like this... long story short 4am visit to ER with breathing difficulties, doctor's visits, 2 decadron shots later and he's still fighting croup? He is doing better now and getting into shenanigans again.
But We ended up ductaping the french doors because the smoke was still getting in the house, our poor air purifier could not keep up, how long can we live off recycled oxigen? Meh some is still probably getting in through the windows lol.
So stuck in the house we are... and even though it's annoying we are focusing on being grateful for a place to be and safe... and praying for all those living in the streets right now.
Back to the obsession... I am constantly drying flowers, I think it's a compulsion by now... if you open any of my heavy cookbooks flowers will rain on you, and let me tell you this summer they have come in very handy! Specially since it's a quiet craft and perfect for naptime.
If you are new to this, to dry flowers is very simple process: place them in between a white piece of paper and cover with another or just fold it in half or paper towel could work too and place it in-between the pages of a heavy book (if not the petals by themselves they will ruin your book because they get stuck and the color and oils sometimes bleed out). Leave them in the book for a few weeks and when dry place in contact paper (they may look cloudy) or self adhesive laminating sheets (yes upped the game this year) or through a laminator (don't have one but it's on my Christmas list already... yes a laminator... and yes I am weird)
I was also thinking it would be fun to brush modpodge on the outside of little yogurt or baby food jars, place flowers, and cover with modpodge again for super cute little candle holders or pencil holders or anything really... ideas for my next obsession? I guess haha
Anyways I hope this craft gets those creative juices flowing and if you are blessed to live in a fresh air place go frolicking in your garden (lay on a blanket after and read or look at the clouds), a friends garden (bring cookies or a yummy baked something and have tea together), the woods (maybe a picnic?), anywhere outside foraging for greens and flowers to press and find ways to make it an experience to live and enjoy life, we're so bussy and running around we forget to live...
Luz
Ps: also making the small batch of rice krispies have kept us from completing loosing it... here is a little reel over on instagram and recipe (it could be halved and made mini batch too)
Melt in the microwave
1TB butter
1 Cup mini marshmallows
Add 2 C rice krispies and mix
Now the best part... eat it all and not feel guilty or get a stomach ache 🤣
