Watercolors that {WOW}

needed ingredients:
4 tbsp baking soda                                             2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp white vinegar                                            food coloring (liquid or gel)

                                                    1/2 tsp corn syrup

additional supplies needed:
plastic spoons to stir food coloring into mixture
(found that toothpicks can poke holes in foam egg carton)
empty egg carton or small containers to store paints



Begin by pouring the baking soda and vinegar into a mixing bowl. The two ingredients will fizz
and foam so it's fun to let the kiddies watch. Once the foaming stops, stir with a spoon until
you get a smooth consistency. Add in the corn syrup and cornstarch and mix well. The consistency
will be like gak, if you have ever made it - It appears to be a liquid but as soon as you touch it is like a solid...lots of fun.



Once you have a uniform consistency, scoop the mixture into a recycled egg carton or several small containers.
Using the recipe above I was able to fill nine cups of an egg carton. Drop in the desired food coloring to each cup ~
I used a plastic spoon to thoroughly mix the food coloring into the mixture. It will seem a bit crumbly as you are mixing
but once you let it sit it changes back into a liquid consistency and levels out.


 
let the paints dry and harden for several hours or overnight.
ours dried overnight & were ready to go the next day :)
 


added a few drops of water to the surface
of each paint before he started






he really beamed over using the homemade paints
or maybe that's just the sugar rush in his eyes from the lollipop :P
i have been completely impressed with the vibrancy of the colors,
not to mention they will last us quite some time too!
homemade watercolors from here on out
& thanks to our Nana for sharing in the recipe with us!



sending love through rainbows ♥

Happy Painting!

Christine xoxo

Word{Filled} Wednesday: {Pucker Up}

{**WARNING** post may make you nauseous with all the puckering up, but i promise the story & reasoning behind it are well worth hearing!}

over the past year+ i've really been honing my photography skills... since i don't have a plethora of friends or extended family here to practice on & not feeling quite prepared enough yet to be offering my services to anyone, i use my family as practice subjects {best. subjects. ever! promise i'm not being bias, maybe just a little} plus i get to really capture the moments of us at times. {long story shortened} my hubby giggles {not at me} every time i get on a roll with the pictures on our outings {& oh how he doesn't mind, he always lets me know this first} i must really love the kissing images {see why he doesn't mind :} i really have been inclined to not believe him until i started thinking about my Wordless Wednesday for this week & how i wanted to use this top image, as we are all obviously {puckering up}, then that lead into me thinking about his comment{s} so i went on a kissing expedition {if you will} through our apple picking images & i think he is right {shhh don't tell him} but i'll let you see for yourself {oh. my. how they get funnier toward the bottom, expect the last image, my favorite *squeal*} this post's completely dedicated to my hubby, so {Pucker Up Buttercup} cause if you were here right now i'd kiss you :)
love you babes!

more WW:

you can also link up at: the paper mama & miles to go before i sleep

more lovelies:

{favorite daddy image ever! we love you daddy}
the beans quite enjoyed the kiss craze!

{personal favorite}

{definitely floatin' on cloud nine}

more cloud9:


{and this is where they start to get a little funny}
i apparently need to learn the art of constructing a better kissy face :)

{above & below images are just too hilarious!}

{oh. my. favorite!}
another version here
submitting into black & white wednesday

more b&w:

so there you have it my kissing addiction revealed,
but how can i resist those three sweet faces!

off to catch-up on my commenting

& as always a truly appreciated

thank you for yours :)

happy wednesday! xoxo

Monday Randomness

i really enjoyed having a beautiful basket to carry with us this apple picking season, made for a great prop in images & it just made the

experience all the more fun... i am using the apples for {Macro Monday} at Lisa's Chaos & i'm also using them to enter into

Pastor Girl's Ponderings Photo Challenge {Color}

more color:

more macros:

and this is the face i generally get when i ask my loving beans to say "cheese!" {i'm sure y'all are familiar with the look or maybe not...

 maybe your babes are always sweet smiling angels...**insert your laugh here**} but seriously the view from atop the hill

is just breath-taking, grouchy face or not ;)

beep beep WHAT!!! and here is me... running, in all my glory at the orchard, trying very hard to capture this image & finally {after a much

losing battle with my remote, beep beep needs new battery} i did achieve {well sort of} the image i was going for & i am quite in love with it,

puts such a smile to my face. point in sharing this take, sometimes the first, second, tenth... nine hundredth frame may not work but keep

trying you will eventually achieve the image you are going for & you might even catch a funny moment or two along the way :)

ps~ it took about 15 to 20 shoots to achieve what i wanted or maybe we just gave up :-P
taking all your own family images is an art unto itself, my remote & tripod are my best friends!!!

theme this week for beep beep click is {lost} i think i was quite

{lost} on the timing trying to capture our kissy silhouette shot.

Show'n {View From Above}

while soaking up the all encompassing views on our way back to the car on saturday i couldn't help but notice a tiny spec

floating between the mountain peaks in the distance... then before i knew it there were two... three... then four... hot air balloons!

so while in awe of my own stunning {view from above}, i too was jealous in awe of their extraordinary {view from above}!

the boys just loved watching 'em float about ♥

this week's theme for Show'n Tell

at Paper♥Camera is {View From Above}

more views:

{Mellow Yellow Monday}

and here is another one of our views from above, the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains as the sun was getting ready to set,

i truly do miss having a daily view like this...

more mellow yellow:

hope every one of you had a magical weekend filled with apple adventures, beautiful views,

silly moments & stunning sunsets or something just as happy!!!

happy monday! xoxo

Most Wonderful of All Things

"the most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth,

beauty & joy as the years increase. this inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvellous thing;

it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. it is a sort of divine accident,

& the most wonderful of all things in life."

~Sir H. Walpole

{we are ever growing in love through life}

the photo challenge this week at The Paper Mama hosted by Chelsey is

{black & white}

more shadows:

oh & if you haven't already guessed yet... we did go apple picking yesterday... still editing :)

happy in loving! xoxo