3 Great Natural Sunburn Remedy Recipes

We just went camping last weekend, which I highly recommend for getting you into the summer spirit.  Nothing like hanging out in the sunshine all day, with nothing much to do but surf and roast marshmallows.  But dang, all that sun!  Ruby got the worst of it, she forgot to put enough sunscreen on her legs.  And all our faces felt a bit sun kissed.  

I've got a few remedies to help ease the pain of too much sun.

ALOE AND LAVENDAR SPRITZER

My favorite go to for relieving the extra sun exposure is a mixture of pure aloe water and lavender essential oil in a spritzer.  Even if you're not sunburned this combo is so refreshing on a hot day.  The aloe water also is a great moisturizer without the greasy feeling.  you could spray this on your face before applying your makeup to keep your skin fresh.  Mind Body Green has a great article on many more benefits of aloe.  

1. Start with a glass spritzer bottle, I like the 2 oz. and 4 oz. sizes. (you can grab these at your local health food market, or online at Aroma Tools)
2. Drop in a generous amount of lavender essential oil.  I used about 10-15 drops in the 2 oz. spritzer.  I get my lavender oil from Doterra.
3. Fill the rest of your bottle with the pure aloe water (you can find some here at Vitacost, or at your local Natural Health Food store, just make sure your not buying a sugary drink, or one with other ingredients you don't want spraying all over your face)

Vinegar and Coconut Oil 

This is a great double team combo for painful sunburns.  For quick relief, and for speeding up the healing process.

1. Grab a washcloth and get wet with cold water.  
2. Add some apple cider vinegar to your washcloth and dab onto burned skin liberally. You'll notice an instant relief of the pain.
3. Let dry completely.
4. Rub your coconut oil on skin.  This will help moisturize, but also will speed up the healing process overnight.

Hydrate and Heal

Now that you've treated your sunburn on the outside, don't forget to stay hydrated on the inside. Drink your water!  All day.  And protect your sensitive skin by keeping it covered and out of the sun as much as possible while it is healing.

Some more wonderful natural healing remedies that I've discovered, but haven't tried yet at Cosmopolitan, and Secret Tips from the Yummiverse.

Check out this post for a list of all natural baby safe sunscreens. Is yours on it?

Crafting with kids :: Fourth of July American Flags

The girls just love waving American flags on the fourth of July, and this year we made our own!  We invited a couple friends over, got out the paints, and made a fun afternoon of it.

My first plan of action, always, when crafting with kids, is to gather my materials ahead of time.  We headed to the beach to collect our flag poles, aka driftwood.  We also got the acrylic paint, fabric glue, foam paintbrushes, and a star hole punch from our local craft supply shop.  And then I cut some white sheets into rectangles.

The girls kept the far left side of the flag white, since that will be the part that rolls around and gets glued to the driftwood.  Red stripes, and a blue field to start with.  Best to let this layer dry for a few minutes.

Next step was to make a star stencil with the star hole punch.  The girls were extra excited about the stars!

Painting over the blue field with the star stencils and white paint.  Make sure the blue paint is well dry before you do this step.

I loved all the star patterns.  No two flags were alike.  Maybe not historically accurate, but who's counting. 

The final step was putting a line of glue on the back of the blue edge of the flag, put the driftwood on the glue, roll the fabric around the wood once and put another line of glue down to hold the fabric in place.

And then forever wave your banner high!

end of summer dress sale!!!

** This sale is now over**
Don't miss out!!  There's only a few dresses left. They are all unique and original, and once these guys are gone, they won't be back.    But summer is ending, which means it's time to make room for some winter goodies in my shop.  So to celebrate a fantastic summer, I'm offering, for a limited time, 50% off all dresses in my shop. Use coupon code 50dress at checkout.

new!! girls reversible sunhats

New! Reversible sunhats for the girls!  This one has a side of lace, the other side has a vintage geometric print.  These hats work as well at the beach as they do at the lake, park, backyard, swimming pool, downtown...

Two hats in one!!  This one has a side of Polka Dot light weight denim, and the other side is a vintage orange stripe fabric.  Both are sunshine magnets! They come in three different sizes, machine washable. Available now.

sunhats! because summer's almost here!!

Are you ready for summer?  We sure are!  

To help you with the necessities of long days in the sun,

 I've made up a fresh new batch of super cute sunhats for your little ones.

These hats can be made in sizes newborn to 24 months.   

They are made from lightweight cotton, 

some vintage prints, some modern prints.  

They have a chin strap, because I don't know about your little ones, 

but mine often tried to pull theirs off, 

and once they find they can't they seem to just give up trying.  

What I might like the best about these hats though, 

is that they are washable!!

Available in the shop now.  Grab yours before they're all gone.

Sign up for my newsletter to receive 20% off 
your next purchase in my shop!

sunhat love

I am in love with these little guy sunhats!  This is the latest "big batch production" freshly listed in my etsy shop.  Just in time for  spring's sunshine.  Made in a variety of sizes, from newborn to 2 year olds.  Fun prints for both boys and girls to keep that fresh skin safe from old Mr. Sun.  

postcards from an afternoon at sandspit

Dear Friend,  Our afternoon at Sandspit yesterday was lovely!  You can see the whole sandspit here, it's that finger of sand reaching all the way to Morro Rock and the harbor mouth.

The trail is peaceful, and not too long.  Although the trudge back up the sand dune is a doosey.

The waves were small.  Too small for surfing.  But because of the steep incline of the beach, the shore pound is always exciting.

The girls wasted no time getting their wetsuits on and fully enjoying the day.  The water temp. is still around 57, even in late July!

We hope your having a great summer, and look forward to seeing you soon!!

california succulents

The soil in my yard is 100% sand.  We live a block away from the bay.  There are some beautiful native plants that grow in this soil and climate, including the fennel forest growing on its own accord in our backyard.  My succulents do well too.  They don't need much attention from me, which is a must, because I often forget to tend to my outdoor plants.

A few weeks ago, though, I did a lot of tending to my succulent garden just outside my front door.  Many of my succulents had had babies!  When these babies are big enough, I break them off and start them on their own, often right next to their mama's.  Sometimes the mama plants get leggy, when their stems get super long, so i took them out, broke off their long stems, and stuck them back in close to the soil.

I am now watering my little guys often, 

because some day I'm hoping my front garden will grow into this:

 photo via here

or this:

photo via here

home time

I fell off my photo a day wagon about a month ago.  It seemed so harmless at first, but the longer I stayed off, the harder it was to get back on.  I'm back on now, but feeling rather rusty.

I noticed this last week that most of my photos are cozy "at home" shots.  This has definitely been my love lately.  Although it's summer time and we're out and about all day and loving it, there is a special spot in my heart for my cozy home time.

This has been a skill I've had to relearn since having kids.  There was a time when they were babies that I packed them up and got out of the house as quickly as I could.  I think this was the only way I knew how to relax with them, to be away from all the duties I just wasn't accomplishing at home.

Now those days have past, and I have learned how to relax, with my family, at home.  

I wish I learned it sooner.

summer beach season begins

School is out.  And that means it's beach season.  Except, it's beach season all year for my family.  But, I guess to make summer beach season feel more special, I decided to make a new beach blanket and beach bag.  I figure this is my equivalent to buying new patio furniture (which we won't be doing this year).  But really, the beach is I where I do a lot of my summer time entertaining, and I can enjoy a good friend and a cool drink on my new beach blanket as easily as I could on new patio furniture.

 The bag is white and orange-y patchwork.  Extra roomy, with padded straps and lining for durability and comfort.  I also put in some large zipper pockets for the essentials: sunscreen, hair ties, surf wax.

This last year when I taught embroidery lessons to a sweet group of girls, my girls and I had some pretty little embroidery pieces that needed homes.  I decided to put them here and there on the beach bag.

Ginger mastered the chain stitch and lazy daisy stitch.  How could I not want to look at that all summer?

I made the blanket and the bag a sort of a set.  The blanket is a white, aqua, and orange patchwork, with some pieces of my old beach blanket and the awesome vintage trim from my old beach blanket.  I couldn't say good bye to that. 

 What makes summer special for you?

a new beach hoodie

Ruby has a new beach hoodie for the summer time foggy mornings at the beach.

It was a hand me down, too big, boy sweatshirt with a skull on the chest.  

But, where there is a large aqua zipper, there is potential.

We knew the sweatshirt would be usable if we could think of a creative way to cover up that skull.  

(We are not partial to skulls on our belongings in this house).

We thought of various shapes to applique on.  None of them seemed quite right.  Then I knew when our buddy Toni came over for a visit that she would have a great idea.  (You can always count on Toni for great ideas!). 

 She had an idea for us right away!  A doily!

I have a basket full of vintage thrifted doilies for such occasions as this, but they were all too large.  I knew in time I would come across just the right size, or I could even buy a new one at the craft store.  I couldn't wait.  I made one.  I found the doily pattern here.  I also put a new white string in the hood to tie it all together.  Now I want to put a doily on everything.  And you know what they say in Portlandia...

Put a Bird Doily on It!

summer sunhats

I have put my crochet hook aside for a while.  I can feel summer getting closer and closer.  It's no secret that I love a floppy hat.

These summer hats for girls were so fun to put together.  I made the pattern to fit a girl anywhere from 3 to 7 years old, pretty much any girl who would fit a hat circumference of 22". 

They have two fun vintage lace stripes on the brim.  And they tie under the chin (such a necessity).

As usual, I've put some vintage sheet material as the liner.  I couldn't resist.

These are now available in the shop.

Coming soon....infant sunhats....with ruffles!

the floppy hat

photos via pinterest

Is summer really summer with out a floppy hat?
It's classic, timeless, and glamorous.
It's sunkissed, feminine, and nostalgic.
It's mysterious.
It's sexy.
It smells like coppertone.
It's where I want to be.

salsa from the garden

We grew tomatillos this summer.
I just love the little green papery lanterns.

After I harvested these guys, I made up a huge batch of salsa verde, bagged it up, and put it in the freezer.

It was a simple recipe:
tomatillos
onions
jalapenos
cilantro

I froze it raw, and will eventually simmer it with my chicken, to make some yummy enchiladas!

a moment of thanksgiving

This cold I've been fighting all week has finally taken over.

I'm thankful for the long weekend ahead to recover.
I'm thankful my husband will be home from working far far away from home.
I'm thankful for the wonderful week I had with my mom who came to visit.
I'm thankful I'll be teaching a small class of kids sewing again.
I'm thankful I'll also be teaching a crochet class.
I'm thankful for the sun that soon will be shining on my house, as soon as all this summer fog goes away.
I'm thankful for these orange flowers that live down the street.

dress sale!

Dresses are on SALE in my shop to celebrate another fabulous summer season!

With coupon code summer11 you will recieve 30% off your dress order!!
This offer is good through the end of August.

My shop is freshly loaded with girls sizes 2 thru 8.
In a variety of shapes and colors.
Enjoy the rest of summer!!

3rd annual kid craft fair

This years Kid Craft Fair was the best yet!
57 booths.
Over 100 kids participating.
And such a great variety of creativity!!

Homemade jam! We got some, and it is YUM!

See the eager shopper on the left? How can you resist?

s

What amazing colors!

My own Ruby's booth. :)

This boy made cupcakes in honor of his sister's birthday.

It's not a kids craft fair without a few pet rocks!

It was such a fun day seeing whole families come together in support of their kids' creativity
and in support of the community as a whole.

With many thanks to Joe and the Los Osos Library staff for hosting the event!

This really is such a simple event to pull together. And this year, with the help of a few key volunteers, I'm calling it the best yet!

camera challenge{d}: guess where?

So, I went on another photo walk with Vanessa while she was still visiting.
And Toni came too!!
I felt so thrilled to be taking pictures with these two pros there to show me the ropes.

Can you guess where we went?
(extra points if you're not a local!)

queen bee market {summer 2011}

The Queen Bee Market is back again in San Diego!!

Saturday, August 6th
9 am to 6 pm
Bayfront Hilton Downtown
1 Park Boulevard
San Diego, California

Always a collection of amazing hand crafts.
Always creative and talented friends.
Always a good time!

This summer I have a couple of new products I am excited to bring along with me!

The hanging hearts and shells come in a small size (with one heart)
and a large size (with 3 hearts).
The shell makes it feel like home.

T

These jar cozies have an unlimited amount of uses.
I use mine as vases, pencil holders, knitting needle storage, etc.
Or there cute just sitting there, as empty as can be.

If you're local to the San Diego area, or close to it, come on by and say hello!!

3rd annual kid craft fair

Ruby has pretty much been preparing for this years kids craft fair since
the end of last year's kids craft fair!

Ginger doesn't think too much about it, until the last minute, when she decides she's going to sell lemonade (she's sold out the last 2 years).

This craft fair was a hit from the start.
I am so thankful that our library is so supportive of this awesome kid community event.
We modeled it after the kid craft fair in my sister's town of Bellingham, WA where we were happy to be a part of their 40th annual kids craft fair!


This will be Los Osos' 3rd annual kid's craft fair!

It is this Saturday, July 30th
10:30 to 12:30
at the Los Osos Library

This year we will have over 50 booths set up in the library's parking lot.
With Hula dancers for the entertainment.

It's open to kids up to the age of 13.
Each item must be handmade, by the child, and sold for $4 or less.

Ruby's favorite part is the last 15 minutes when Joe, our librarian, blows the whistle and announces "fire sale". The kids then start trading whatever is left of their wares with each other. So they not only come home with some cash, but a whole handful of awesome crafts!