Fairyland furniture shopping

A charming English garden entrance for gnomes and fairies from Miniature Garden Shoppe.

Well, all of this fairy garden research has had me pining for teeny tiny accoutrements. While there are a lot of choices out there (eBay is a good place to look), I decided to try the Miniature Garden Shoppe, because they had comparable prices to everywhere else, and they had a good variety of arbors and accessories. Natural Havens also had a lot of great choices, and flat-rate shipping, but I found a few more treasures at MGS, and I only wanted to pay shipping one time.

Just check out this cuteness!

I love this arbor with the gates that open and close. I can just see a fairy vine trained up both sides. Beautiful!

The cuteness of this bird feeder! It's killing me! This is the tiniest of gardens—can't you just see it on a sunny windowsill?

If your fairies are into the mid-century modern vibe, their garden might include chairs like this, and tiny glasses of scotch.

Starboy definitely is going to need a bridge for his fairy garden.

I wish I'd ordered a bucket so he can water his fairies' plants!

I love how wheelbarrows are a classic symbol of gardening. Does anyone even use them any more?

Starboy definitely needs some gardening tools. Wish I'd ordered some!

We could finish the English garden with this prim but weathered bench for having a chat...

And, just when you think you've bought everything, Christmas will roll around and you'll have to redecorate! You wouldn't want those fairies to feel snubbed!

Many of these items are at a variety of online shops; I just happened to find the Miniature Garden Shoppe through a Google search and decided to give them a try. I don't receive any benefit for telling you about them. If you have a favorite spot for finding little treasures for your fairy garden, could you mention them in the comments?

Fairyland planning *

Starboy and I went to Lowe's to scout out Fairy Garden gear. I chose Lowe's to check out this 18" "wine barrel" for $10. Which, of course, they didn't have.

But now that I look at it closely in the photo, it probably was plastic and I wouldn't have wanted it....but it's about as inexpensive as you can get to buy a new, decently-sized garden container for your fairyland.

By the way, my experience at Lowe's in Burbank wasn't all that positive. I spoke with at least three different sales people and not one of them seemed familiar with their stock, interested in finding out more information for me, or helpful in pretty much any way. In single days I would have just bailed and gone back to Home Depot, but we already were Beyond Nap with Starboy so I decided to figure it out on my own.

I also wanted to see these saucers for $13. They were as expected. Very roomy, sturdy, pretty. This possibly would be a good way to go for a garden, especially with a lot of kids putting one together at once, though I would advise caution because it would need a lot of watering and attention to stay alive since there would be hardly any soil. And there's no drainage, so the whole thing could mildew.

Overall, the best deal seemed to be these planters, even though they are plastic. Nine bucks and 18" across. They don't use a lot of soil. If you weren't sure you wanted to commit to a permanent garden, or you wanted to sponsor gardens for the whole birthday party, this might be the way to go.

It also comes in terra cotta color. Still plastic. You might have to drill some drainage holes.

This looked like a good option; it's lightweight (plastic) but doesn't look too bad. But I didn't really want to spend $30 for a plastic planter.

So instead I spent $30 on an old wine cask. Which I know is going to make a good garden, because that's what Donni's family used several years ago at The Magic Onions.

And the fillin's:

• One flat of moss $3 (I would have gotten two, but they only had one.).

• Tiny succulents, $2 each

• Terra cotta pot for a fairy cave, about $2

• Flowery plants that I hope will cascade down the side of the barrel, about $4 each

• Some chives that I might include...though I feel like either all of the plants should be edible, or none of them, so children can't get confused.

• Fancy river rocks for paths and making a well and a pond. Five bucks per bag! Geez! If you live near a lake, spend a day collecting!
• And soil! I nearly forgot to mention I picked up two bags of organic soil to fill the bucket. *

The next step is to sand the edges of the wine barrel, which are rough and splintery. But first, I have to figure out how to get it out of the back of my car. And all of that is on hold until they finish the street resurfacing today, since we can't even get into the driveway.

Fairy Longing

It all started here.

And here.
And here.
Fairyland by Trio Events Kids. Photos by Carla Gates Photography.

Two years ago, my friend Trés Juliee, the incredible artist behind the magical Blue Cupcake, hosted an enchanted fairy birthday party for her daughter Oceane. The girls were transformed into fairies with wings and skirts of gossamer, and they painted homes for smaller fairies to live in. They feasted on Blue Cupcakes delicious cakes, cake pops, macarons, and s'mores pops. Trio Events created a mystical fairy land, that Juliee echoed in planters on the tabletops. It was transfixing.

And then I learned of the amazing Donni, of The Magic Onions and other Waldorf inspirations. She blogged about a fantastic fairy garden she built with her kids in a wine cask in 2009, and turned it into an annual challenge for her readers.

Photos by Donni's Dovie Moon, used with permission.

Coconut pond with stone pathway.

This year, The Magic Onions' family's fairy garden really expanded—into a steamer trunk!

Photos by Donni's Dovie Moon, used with permission.

With delicate details.

And a handmade well!

I can't resist. We must have a fairy garden for Starboy's gnomes and fairies to play in. We just must. Starboy is very excited about it. Coincidentally, The Magic Onions announced that this year's Fairy Garden Contest is coming up! Check out previous entries here.

Let the daydreaming begin....on my Pinterest fairy garden board.

Flower fairies

We trekked to Moskatels (Michael's) downtown yesterday to scout materials for fairies and fairy gardens. Starboy has been interested in the fairy books we've been reading by Cicely Mary Barker, and we've been talking about having a fairy party for his birthday, which is a ways off. Gnomes may factor in as well, stay tuned.

He was hot to get started on the fairies yesterday morning, on a rainy day.

Tools and materials:

•Flowers for skirts in at least three sizes, plus tiny ones for hats ($4 per bunch)

•Leaves and butterflies ($8 for eight, cut off the heads) for wings

•Pipe cleaners ($3)+wood beads ($4/pack) for fairy bodies

(or use a doll pin, $5/pack or 20c each plus shipping at Caseys Wood)

•Doll stands for drying fairies and allowing them to stand during play

(a wooden doughnut that the clothes pin fits right into, seen below, about $4 for a pack of 25 or more. Casey's Wood has them for 15c each plus shipping.)

•Glitter glue for decor

•Scissors

We got everything at the craft store, in the spirit of instant gratification.

Also recommended:

•Wire cutters for cutting off flower heads

•Glue gun (with plain or glitter glue)

•Roving or yarn for hair

•Small baskets or bowls for holding "parts"

•Trash bowl or container

Optional:

•Gold thread to create a loop for hanging as an ornament

•Beads to use as hands and feet

•Beads to decorate clothes

•Feathers as hair and decor

Plan ahead, glitter glue takes a long time to dry: Clothespin fairies were dried using typical doll stands. Pipe cleaner fairies were used by stuffing feet into a wooden bead and balancing it into the doll stand, seen above. Maybe glue the bead on permanently. Hanging the fairy from a string loop might be one way to go.

I'll start by describing the pipe cleaner fairies. Although we have made these fairies before at our local Waldorf school faire, we used tiny clothespins for those. The pipe cleaner inspiration came from the brilliant Donni at The Magic Onions.

I used one pipe cleaner per fairy, but this often left the legs a little short. Donni actually cut her pipe cleaners and hot-glued them into the head bead, which may be a better way to go. I was trying to avoid the glue gun altogether, but that might not be the easiest route.

The pipe cleaner mohawk at the back of the head was covered with hair. It occurred to me during this process, which was heavily mommy-driven, that for a party with smaller kids the fairies should be already made up with wings, and the kids allowed to choose skirts, hair and hats. Otherwise the time ends up being parent-dominated, and that was getting frustrating for Starboy.

Separate the flowers carefully; they all are hot-glued together. We used small, medium and large flowers, chosen based on color and price (60% off spring bunch sale at Moskatel's). Save all the other parts cut off from the flower, they can become hats and other accessories.

Slide the legs through the hole, then secure with hot glue. I used glitter glue; I think hot glue would be faster and more secure. Repeat, repeat.

Baby hummingbird!

Bunny bounty

Starboy celebrated spring with an Easter basket this morning, during our desert camping trip.

His favorite part was the shortbread cookies.

Starboy was very curious to discover what was inside the treasure eggs. He tried to convince us to open them for him. Techman caved and suggested he smash the eggs open.

Wooden lamb and cloth to accompany Pelle's New Suit, plastic hedgehog, felt chick, felt birdies, glass chick and flower for the nature table, and some refreshments for the gnomes. Oh, and the cookies, which were long gone before making this photo.

The hedgehog didn't survive in its pictured form. I was putting Starboy's initials on the bottom of him when the silver paint pen—affected by the change in high-desert altitude—splurted all over the thing, turning it entirely silver. The little guy looks like he's been chromed. I think I'm going to owe Starboy a new hedgehog.

Easter's not usually a big holiday for us, but a lot of tiny spring treats added up to a pretty deluxe basket this year. He's really enjoying the Pelle story.

Last year's basket was rich as well, with some hand-felted eggs I made to hide treasures in, some Mama Roots bunnies and a reprise of the previous year's Earthentree maraca eggs, all on a playsilk. The Velveteen Rabbit — also a reprise from his first Easter — now plays along with his storybook and the Automoblox car gets heavy daily action. Lots of re-gifting, but he still enjoyed the take. And we'd rather have a few nice things that will hold his attention than a lot of plastic junk.

Um, like the plastic junk I used to fill the eggs for the afternoon egg hunt. Ahem.

But Starboy was so enthralled with the wolf he found in the first egg he picked up, he gave up the rest of the hunt, entirely. And other kids were glad to snag his loot.

Be-bop alphabet

For a nickel a try, we used the jukebox to practice some alphabet and numbers. B3 was Elvis' Hound Dog.

Starboy thought it was a swell lunch.

Natural Marbled Easter Eggs

I wanted to try some natural egg dying this year, and was totally eggcited about this marbling technique.

First, I cut up a cotton pillowcase from the 99c Only store. Starboy placed rice, cooked noodles, onion skin, spinach leaves and barley on it, then placed the raw egg in the center.

We tied each one into a tight sachet with a twist-tie (you also could use string or pipe cleaner).

After bringing the water to a boil, we let it simmer for 15-17 minutes. I forgot to add 2 Tbsp. vinegar to the water, which will set the dye. This worked out okay for us, but I'd recommend adding it.

After rinsing the sachets in cool water to arrest the cooking process, we opened up the little gifts we'd made for ourselves. The marbled effect is beautiful! We want to try this again this week with Mary Jane, using beets!

On feeling not left-out

Recently I took a parenting class to explore some new strategies that still are in line with our philosophies.

During the class, one of the other parents recommended the Todd Parr Feelings Flashcards. We've been talking with Starboy for a long while about feelings and their labels, and I've been meaning to create a book with magazine pictures that describe a number of feelings. Which I haven't started yet. So, for ten bucks, I figured I'd give the cards a try. They've been a hit, although I have to say some of the illustrations are a little vague.

About a week or two ago, Starboy got stuck in his room, but it hit him in a funny way when I couldn't get there immediately, and he flipped out a little. Later I talked with him about it.

Mommy: You were feeling sad earlier.

Starboy: Yeah.

Mommy: You were stuck behind the gate, asking for Mommy. You really wanted Mommy to come, but you were by yourself, stuck behind the gate.

Starboy: I wanted Mommy.

Mommy: You wanted to be with Mommy when she was working in the kitchen. Were you feeling left out? .... Were you feeling left out like the little doggy on the cards, whose friends are all together without him?

Starboy: No. I was not like the little doggy because I was not in a building looking out the window. I was by the gate.

So good news: Unless we can find a thin, four-story building with a window to look out, our son will never feel "left out." A success on all accounts.

"Tie" garden

Starboy takes ownership of the red pepper plant. Techman finished fixing the sprinkler system this weekend, too.

It seemed time to finally plant some organic veggies and herbs in a small garden. They used to call these Victory Gardens, but since I kill nearly everything I plant, I didn't want to cheer prematurely. I think this garden will be more of a "draw."

Techman and I have been talking about building a raised bed for the back yard in the single sunny spot we have (not complaining; the shade is great in the summer and fall), but there is a lot of work to do back there, and neither of us have gotten around to making a plan or finding the location, so I decided just to press forward and use terra cotta containers in a sunny sliver of front yard.

A catalyst to all of this was winning a prize at a baby shower last week for being able to name 20 out of 24 baby names for animals. (A kangaroo baby is a joey. A baby eagle is an eaglet. A baby bear is a cub. And so forth.) It was a Cliff Claven moment, rewarded with a a little rake, a small red pepper plant, carrot seeds and cucumber seeds.

None of which had occurred to me to plant before.

So I picked up some planters, some herbs to replace the ones I killed from the farmer's market last August, and two "very sweet!" tomato plants. The cucumber seeds went into the right-hand pot with the pepper. Which seems ridiculous. Don't cucumbers need more space? Apparently I like trying things the hard way. I really wanted to try zucchini, but there was a small voice of reason in my head pulling hard on the reins.

The apple mint is for Starboy. I happen to know that mint and chives are fairly unkillable. But I don't really like chives.

Come to think of it, I don't like mint, either. But it's fun in the yard.

Thyme, oregano and flat leaf parsley.

Cilantro, rosemary, and maybe room for one more. I have no idea if that sprinkler head works.

We also planted basil seeds to sprout indoors, and the carrots went in a pot all their own, as well as a whole pot full of kale.

Are you supposed to sprout basil indoors? I feel like everything I know about gardening is like a memory of a dream from preschool projects. I am very afraid of the Internet on this one. I don't need another hobby to get all detail-oriented about. I just want to know that I always have cilantro and basil without paying three bucks at the store.

Starboy has been a little under the weather this week, so aside from the attachment to the red pepper plant (and let me be clear: He wouldn't touch a red pepper on his plate at any meal with a 3-foot fork and a pair of gloves on), and a few minutes with the soil and the spade, he was a little out-of-it. I'm hoping this week he'll feel a little better. I know he's going to like the watering. Let's hope he will like weeding, too.