Monday, June 21

Summer Solstice

The longest day of the year....hooray for the sun...hooray for summer :)

















Today we got into some projects to celebrate the power of the sun...this is sun printing fabric paint. We brushed some sunny colors onto white cotton  and arranged a few flat objects on the fabric, then left it in the sunlight to dry. Wherever the sun touched the fabric, it fixed the pigment...wherever our flat objects blocked the sun's rays, the pigment faded away leaving pale silhouettes on a background of bold color.

















They turned out like this...

















...and some were used like this...Solstice banners! (That cute little tow-head is one of Toucie's buddies who spent the day with us).



















We got the opposite effect when we left colored construction paper out in the sunshine with objects placed on top to block the sun's light...the background faded and the covered areas remained bright.



































Mado and I sliced a few lemons and grapefruit and Toucie and her friend laid them out in the sun to dry into perfect solar representations...when they are hanging as a mobile in the sunlight they look like jewels...like stained glass ornaments.


Then we borrowed some more sunshine to make a gallon jar of minty sun tea...(I am so grateful for ice)




That sun in our sky is one beautiful and powerful thing!
Which is why we headed to the river to cool off around midday  :)

















We spent alot of time building bark boats...

















amassing a large fleet....

















and sailing them downstream and trying to catch them before they slipped away.


















A lazy afternoon went by while dinner was prepared: fresh basil pesto with pasta - a salad of tomatoes, basil, sweet onions, and fresh mozzerella - pizza (yellow peppers and onions on split foccaccia bread) -  and a heap of beautiful sausages that Daddy grilled for us. Fresh blackberries for dessert...I love summer!


















Mado and Toucie waiting for the dinner bell.
























Happy Summer Solstice! (Or Winter for some of you friends out there!) Wherever you are,  I hope your season is full of  joy!


PS) There is a lovely giveaway over at at GreenMomma's blog that is sure to bring joy to any family with a small one! Check it out :)

6 comments:

  1. Thank you for all your Summer Solstice inspiration. We will DEFINITELY be sun painting in 6 months time! :) xxx

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  2. Oh good! Happy Winter Solstice to you...it is so cool that we are both celebrating the sun , but in opposite seasons!

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  3. Love this! My little ones think the Summer Solstice is tomorrow - perhaps I'll add the sun paintings!!!

    So cool.

    Namaste.
    Nicole

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  4. Yes, Nicole...slip it into the celebration, it is so rewarding. And, by the way, we too have had many, many instances where holidays or festivals were celebrated a bit late or early because life got hectic or schedules got jumbled. Hope you have a lovely Solstice...do blog about it, ok?

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  5. such solstice fun!! how delightful. i have never seen this sun painting on fabric....i LOVE it!! thanks for the link. glad to have found your blog. ;)

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  6. Where did you get the name for your blog? I have a son named Cypress Tyde, so I had to come check you out and follow along. That's a cool and very kid friendly idea with the solar printed paper, thanks for sharing.

    Blessings,
    Kat

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