DIY Ice Cube Painting | Colors Of The Wind Paints

Ice cube painting is another idea that comes from Pinterest. It's summer and not always easy to find something fun to do with out allergy-prone toddler when an Indiana heat wave hits. This idea was fun and easy and something we could do in the shade or in the house, depending on the air quality! It was also free, and I love a free activity that inspires creativity.

We followed the directions for Ice Cube Painting found here, with the exception of using clothespins for handles. I just broke some popsicle sticks in half and propped them up in the trays instead. I might try the clothespins idea next time. It would provide a much bigger, more stable handle. I also had non-chemical food dyes (with the exception of the red) so our colors were perhaps a bit more muted than they might have been. We did have some red chemical dye from a science project that was left over. It was perfect for this activity! Despite having to prepare it ahead of time (which took all of 10 minutes!) it was very simple to do.

All in all, Happy seemed to really like it. He's not one for messy games and activities, but this one was a winner. I think it would be a great idea for a Pocahontas themed party: painting with the colors of the wind! Let us know if you give it a try. Here's a sample of our work:

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Hand Knit Pocahontas Riverbend Socks

Love how simple and easy these socks are to knit up. I have made them twice before and just love them. The pattern is inspired by the Kalajoki River in Finland and it reminded me of one of my favorite songs from Disney's Pocahontas: Just Around The Riverbend. I found my perfect river colored yarn from Madelinetosh and I was off and running, or uh, knitting.

The pattern is only worked over a series of 16 stitches, and and rest is stockinette. I can't tell you how quickly this knit up! And even better, the toes are not grafted! I may, in fact, be the world's worst grafter. I cannot keep straight where I am in the that god-forsaken Kirchner stitch! But with this pattern, I didn't have to! All the better. And finally, it's a nice pattern for self-striping or variegated yarns. Sometimes the patterns don't show up too well on those, but this pattern is big enough that it works with these yarns. If you do decide to knit it, realize that it won't look this pretty on the needles; in needs to stretch out to really reveal itself. It's just a little bit magic that way!

If you want all the knitty-gritty details, hop on over to my Ravelry page. You can also find a link to the pattern there. If you're not registered, don't worry. It's totally free and they are excellent about not spamming the inbox! It's absolutely my favorite knitting and crocheting resource.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

From Mrs. Potts' Cupboard | Pocahontas' Soothing Tea

With spring upon us, I thought it would be nice to have a soothing pear tea recipe perfect for spring evenings and knitting by the fire pit. At least that's how I like to enjoy this one! This princess tea was inspired by Pocahontas; it's North American in all its ingredients. And all the ingredients should promote relaxation and calming of the nervous system, something I'm sure Pocahontas would have received from Grandmother Willow from time to time, given her propensity for adventure.

This tea comes with a bonus recipe too! I originally tried using raspberries in place of the pear. It was terrific as an imitation Red Zinger tea - something I'm not very fond of! But if you like Red Zinger (very fruit forward and tangy), this recipe includes a variation for brewing Kocoum's Red Zinger. If you would like to download your own recipe page, you can find this Pocahontas Tea PDF right here.

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Meeko the Raccoon Sleep Mask

Meeko Sleeping Mask

I enjoy following Imagine Gnats on Instagram. Her blog is pretty amazing too. So when I saw this wonderful idea, posted by Jane of Buzzmills, I knew that it would be a project I would Disney-fy. I have to start by saying I love Disney's Pocahontas story. I know it's not historically accurate, but as far as a story and a princess go, I think it's fantastic. Strong willed and adventurous, Pocahontas is my kind of girl! And her side-kicks are fabulous. Especially Meeko the raccoon. I love his antics. And this eye mask is just calling his name! FYI, these were also part of the Wilderness Welcome Baskets I did for our fall break trip this year.

Altering the pattern was easy. I just googled images of Meeko and changed the eye and nose shapes to mimic his. After that I simply followed the instructions on Imagine Gnats blog page. Viola! We now have a Disney themed eye mask for dress up, or for nap time. And certainly a wonderful idea for Tinkerbell Treasures - light weight and easy to pack! I couldn't be happier with the result!

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney Wilderness Creatures Bookmarks & Window Clings

Last post I talked about some Wilderness themed baskets I created for our Disney trip to the Wilderness Lodge. These were the next things I added to our Wilderness baskets.

These adorable personalized bookmarks were a free editable download that I spied on Pinterest. Most of our crew are avid readers, so I figured these would get some action on the plane, by the pool or at least in school. You can find them on Lia Griffith's blog. They are easy to edit and simple to print out. And free!

The window clings were something I hadn't planned on, but seemed perfect for our trip. I like the idea of personalizing our room from the outside, but I didn't want to advertise who we were. These seemed to fit the bill quite nicely. I found them on sale at JoAnn's for under $2 a set. You can't beat that for budget-friendly finds.

Stay tuned for more fantastic Wilderness themed items. Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Disney's Pocahontas/Wilderness Themed Treat Bags

So we are finally in our happy place: Walt Disney World! This year we decided to bunk at the Wilderness Lodge. We've stayed here before and loved it. This time around we are trying out the Villas. Will give a full report once we are back!

As most of you know, I try and do a little welcome to Disney package for the kids (and sometimes the adults!) upon our arrival at the resort. We call them Tinkerbell Treasures. Most of the kids are older now, but once upon a time, Tinkerbell actually visited our rooms every night and left a surprise for each kid! You can read more about that experience in this blog post. I think on our next trip, Tink will start visiting again. Happy will be the perfect age for that and Doc will LOVE promoting that vision!

That being said, the goodies this year were all themed (if rather loosely) to our Wilderness stay. These little treat bags were the first things to strike my fancy. I found this adorable Hedgehog Treat Holder (design id #40511) in the Silhouette store. It was simple to cut out and assemble. Instead of cutting out the eyes and nose - sometimes those little cuts drive me crazy!- I used Candy Dots from Stampin' Up. I found the Wilton treat bags at JoAnn's. They are just the right size to hold a few small candies. If you are thinking about a stay at Fort Wilderness, these would also be themed perfectly!

I have a few more ideas for our Wilderness baskets, but I don't want to give away everything before all has been revealed to the kids! So you'll have to wait too. Until next time, (and from the most magical place on earth!) may all your days be filled with fairy dust!

DIY Ice Cube Painting | Colors Of The Wind Paints

Ice cube painting is another idea that comes from Pinterest. It's summer and not always easy to find something fun to do with out allergy-prone toddler when an Indiana heat wave hits. This idea was fun and easy and something we could do in the shade or in the house, depending on the air quality! It was also free, and I love a free activity that inspires creativity.

We followed the directions for Ice Cube Painting found here, with the exception of using clothespins for handles. I just broke some popsicle sticks in half and propped them up in the trays instead. I might try the clothespins idea next time. It would provide a much bigger, more stable handle. I also had non-chemical food dyes (with the exception of the red) so our colors were perhaps a bit more muted than they might have been. We did have some red chemical dye from a science project that was left over. It was perfect for this activity! Despite having to prepare it ahead of time (which took all of 10 minutes!) it was very simple to do.

All in all, Happy seemed to really like it. He's not one for messy games and activities, but this one was a winner. I think it would be a great idea for a Pocahontas themed party: painting with the colors of the wind! Let us know if you give it a try. Here's a sample of our work:

Until next time, may all your days be filled with fairy dust!