We're getting ready to go on vacation. Yesterday we spent the morning with Laurie as she pampered us for hours. Nature Girl got her own special reclining pedicure chair. She was thrilled! It was the best manicure & pedicure I've had. Laurie really spoiled us. Thank you Laurie!!! 
While we were in Vermont we took a little field trip to the Vermont Apron Company. The owner started off making carpet bags to sell at craft fairs and farmer's markets. She got tired of always sewing bags and sewed a few aprons. She found that the aprons sold out faster than anything else. She started making aprons and opened the Vermont Apron company.
Nature Girl posed with the manikins. She wasn't as excited about the aprons as I was but she still had a good time.
The cashier had fun talking with Nature Girl as I tried on aprons. She even dressed her up in a manikin's wig. With Nature Girl entertained, I finally decided on a pretty reversible sheath apron. My husband wondered why I needed another apron, let alone to buy it! I can't explain why . . . I just loved it.
We did our first Toy Society drop this morning. The Toy Society spreads joy and kindness one homemade toy at a time. You can check out the Toy Society and it's mission here. It was very exciting to take part! Nature Girl picked our drop location and the spot to leave the toys. We left the house early and went to the park before anyone else would be there. She asked me to tie the bag to a play structure. Then we played on the slides, swings and merry go round for a bit before heading home. It was a great outing! 
We hope that whoever finds and rescues the turtle and his fishy friend will enjoy them. Nature Girl enjoyed this project. Now she wants me to make and hide toys in our backyard and in our neighbor's yard for their kids too.
From time to time I've posted Nature Girl's artwork. I LOVE her pictures! This time I wanted to share two pictures that she has recently drawn. Nature Girl really enjoys drawing and has gotten very good at drawing people. The first one is a picture of her friend Abby. The second one is a drawing of her Mimi. The photo isn't the greatest. That's my fault not hers. I like to scan in her artwork but the original of this one is on Mimi's refrigerator in VT. I think it's still somewhat visible though. I think her drawings turned out great!
She gave me on a guided tour through the ferns down to a brook, where she climbed on the rocks, found a salamander and collected river stones for her rock collection. We had a great time!
Nature Girl was having some leafy fun in the yard this week. She's gotten really tall this winter but she still had to pull the branch down to cover her head with the leaves.
She picked some daisies while she was at daycare this week. She put them in this jar and set them on the table so we could enjoy them during dinner. Those of you who know Nature Girl know that she is a rock collector extraordinaire. She LOVES rocks and picks them up everywhere we go. Tonight she added some of the rocks that she has collected to her flowers. She told me that it would make the flowers look prettier. I think she's right.
These little matryoshkas headed out to the backyard for some spring fun and a photo opp too. Nature Girl has a few sets of wooden matryoshkas on her shelf. I've always liked matryoshkas but have never owned a set until now. My mother knew that I liked them so look what she bought for me. They're matryoshka measuring cups. They measure 1 , 3/4, 2/3, 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4 cup. Aren't they cute! You can find them on Perpetual Kid.com. Thanks Mom!
I joined the Great Apron Swap 2010 and was partnered with the lovely Joanna in New Zealand. Joanna sent this sweet bunny for Nature Girl. Look at that swap happy little face!
Nature Girl named this sweetie, Lovey Dovey. Lovey Dovey now has a prominent place in Nature Girl's bed and even got to play in the back yard tonight. She's made with wool, corduroy, cotton and duck cloth. She's a one of a kind treasure. Thank you Joanna!
This is the beautiful apron and pencil case Joanna made for me. It's fresh out of the package after the long trip from New Zealand. Don't you love it?! It's beautiful but even more, I love that Joanna based it on an apron her daughter's kindy teacher wears. I'm a teacher so I just love that it's modeled after another teacher's apron. She also included a lovely matching pencil case for me because I'm a teacher and have tons of pencils. By the way, Joanna makes beautiful pencil cases, wallets and bags to sell. You can see them here and here. You can also check out her lovely blog here.
I tried to get Nature Girl to take my picture but I kept closing my eyes and laughing so this is one the pictures I took of me wearing my new apron. Thank you Joanna for such a lovely swap package. I have greatly enjoyed swapping with you!
