Imagine Childhood : Magic & Memories That Last a Lifetime

. . . the spring catalog is here!

It's that time of year again.  Time to open the windows and shake out the dust.  Time to jump in puddles and play in the mud.  Time to soak up the sun and fly kites in the breeze.  Time to watch things grow.

Although the official start of the season is still some days off, spring is definitely in the air.  This year's guide is full of products and tutorials, recipes, crafts, and activities. There are things to buy, things to bake, and things to make! Take a peek below and let us know what you think.

And now for the really fun part: The Giveaway!

In order to celebrate the coming of the season, we're giving away a $75 gift certificate to the shop, and if you help us get our Facebook likes to 3000 we'll make that gift certificate out for $100. Help us get to 3500 likes and we'll give away a $150 gift card.  Think you can rally enough friends to push our likes all the way to 4000?  Well, then we'll make that gift certificate a cool $200!  That's a lot of spring fun right there if we do say so ourselves.

 

And the winner is Jayna who wrote:

"How fun! Thanks for the chance, great way to start the season!"

 

Thank you to everyone who participated!

 

 

... nature walk: westcliffe, co

This week's lovely nature walk comes to us from the foothills above the Wet Mountain Valley, just outside of Westcliffe, Colorado. There Colleen and her family explored the beautiful winter wonderland and surrounding trails. Thank you Colleen for sharing your fun nature walk with us!

If you would like to contribute to our weekly Nature Walk series, you can learn more about submitting photos here, or you can also visit our Nature Walk Group Pool on Flickr to add your adventures to the collection.

Thanks again Colleen!

 

*Last time in Nature Walks: Negev Desert, Israel

. . . starting your garden

It's that time of year again. Time to start planning for the warmer days ahead. . .

. . . for this year's garden.

Time to pull out your favorite seeds. . .

. . . to start them inside. . .

. . . or make plans for when they can go out.

Yes, the season will soon be here.

Gardening from the archives:

Garden Planner

Egg Seedlings

Seed Tape

City Planning Garden Markers

Wild west garden markers

Groundhog's Garden

Easy Seeds to Start for Beginners

*Last time in Crafts and Activities: Birdseed Houses

... barn stories: show off

I could just barely hear my husband yelling from the backyard. I quickly ran to see what it was about. Two Redtail Hawks and an Bald Eagle were off in the distance, and on the hunt.

The wind was just right for the job, they could glide in silence casting fleeting shadows on the ground.  High above us, we could  just make out their forms in the sky, then the eagle banked a turn leaving the others to follow, swooping in rapidly from far away. He was just over head!

The sun brilliantly illuminated the white of his tail feathers, while his great wingspan stood in stark contrast to the blue sky. At one point we were looking eye to eye, my camera jamming in my excitement. It was on auto focus and I was clicking furiously with no telephoto lens attached, there was no time, he was here now.

He floated by in all his majesty, showing off as it were. Just look at his feet, tucked in the just the right position, his beak rather large in portion to his head, and that wing span fully extended, full of pure wonder and delight.

To the inspiration just overhead and to never knowing when it will appear...

 

~ Deb

 

*Last time in Barn Stories: Nellie's Love

... knowing green: on the go, in the moment

I find myself running around a lot lately, with little more on my mind than getting my "to do" list done. I also find this rather problematic. I much prefer to move a bit more slowly, taking in the world around me, preferably with my trusty camera around my neck. I'm used to sharing the "life" responsibilities, like taking care of the house, the bills, the shopping, and most importantly, doing the dishes (I really hate doing dishes). My better half and partner in crime is away for the next few months, leaving me with all the running around, and also leaving me with little time to indulge my in the moment picture taking.



Luckily my family and some good friends have stepped up and are graciously keeping me company (and keeping me sane). One of which recently helped me to see I could still be in the moment even when I'm on the go. At the wise old age of one, she literally brought me down to her level and showed me a whole new world. My little friend, her mother and I were spending a few minutes at the small playground outside the local grocery store when she started wandering towards the parking lot. Following close behind we coaxed her into stopping at the shopping carts where we noticed something wonderful...

... Sparrows!  Half a dozen of them, quite comfortable within the tangled web of metal cart-dom, they were not the least bit shy. With cars driving past and shoppers coming and going we sat there, still as could be and just took it all in. The stillness only lasted a few brief moments, but it was enough to bring me well within the wonder of the moment, and back to my happy place.

 

~Jordan

 

*Last time in Nature: A Love of Nature