remodeling this life

This summer has not been one of those hot, sunny, sweltering summers in which all we want to do is jump in the water. There has been plenty of water jumping. And then a lot of shivering. It reminds me of the summer of ‘92. Don’t ask me why I remember such things, I just do.  Cold (hey, I live in Florida now, so yes 70 degrees in New York feels cold) and rainy it has been. With two kids on vacation who just wanna have fun, we have had to get creative inside to make the days more exciting.

My daughter wanted to do puppet shows because while digging through bins of toys when we arrived, she found this puppet. I surfed the net to find some ideas, something cute and whimsical that I could do with what we already have. I found this neat little circus inspired puppet theater at Makes and Takes and used that as my inspiration. Don’t forget I am lazy though. I decided to use a doorway and a tension rod already in use with a curtain already on it. Put it in the doorway and voila – puppet theater! We used the bathroom, because my daughter likes the curtains that are there in place of a door and it just seemed to work well there. So, yes, the puppet theater is in the bathroom. We’re wild and crazy around here.

The curtain was taken right from the creatively concealed under stairs play area that I have shared before.

yes, we can be messy and quite clutterific

The activity of the summer, a daily event in fact, has been puzzles. Something about a cottage that just demands that family puzzles be out on tables and we all sit when we can and put a few pieces in from time to time. It’s time to get a new puzzle or two, because we’re wearing the ones we have out.

Art can be done anywhere. My daughter has been loving carrying her drawing pad around with her colored pencils holder and coloring. One morning I found her, fresh out of bed, in the reading nook – or should we call it her art studio?

I am learning, when it comes to creativity with kids, all I have to do is give them the tools and the space to play and they take care of the rest.

I am adding this to Kimba’s DIY Day. Check it out for lots of other fabulous DIY projects that are making homes more beautiful and fun to be in.

I’m also adding this to Alison’s What I Made Wednesday. Check out the cutest DIY thank you cards ever!