My first grader regularly composes an assortment of Mom love notes. She’ll come home from school with a folder filled like she can’t get all the love down fast enough. I know I’m eventually going to miss finding heart after heart in her backpack proclaiming her undying affection, but right now her notes are a total delight. The one below made me laugh out loud…

…completely random on an ordinary Tuesday afternoon. But hey, who says you can’t party mid-week? All you really need is a disco ball (that would be the black ball in center of composition.) Even a 6-year old knows you need a disco ball.

Hope you’re having a week worth celebrating!

This summer we visited some very Big Bugs at a local park. These amazing sculptures by artist David Rogers WoWed my family.  David creates the sculptures by using various combinations of whole trees found standing or fallen dead, cut green saplings selectively harvested from the willow family, dry branches, and other forest materials.

Here’s my three providing persepctive. Big bugs indeed.

Each bug in the exhibit was thoughtfully installed were the actual bugs might be found. This dragonfly had hundreds of the real live versions buzzing around him.

Here’s my favorite, the bee with flower. Completely gorgeous.

Daddy Long Leg spiders really can be beautiful. Seriously.

I’d love to plunk this dazzling butterfly right down in my own garden…even if it is almost 5 feet across.

This amazing traveling exhibit is a must-see if you have the opportunity. It was a highlight of our summer… despite being forced to do the bug hokey pokey at the coordinating park bug show. No photos available.

It’s only September, but I’m joining major retailers everywhere in anticipation for one of my favorite holidays. Halloween season along with haunted happenings (cue spooky music) will be here before we know it. This week’s Illustration Friday prompt, “mysterious”, is right up this haunted trail…a trail leading to a very mysterious house made of burlap. Can you hear shrieking from inside the decrepit walls?

A crow named Ted (ha!) hangs out on the rooftop.

I’ll be placing this painting in a thrifted frame spray painted black.

So summer got me. It lured me away from any sort of a routine. I am totally blaming summer for my blogging absence. And I refuse to feel guilty. I just love summer too much. Don’t think for a second there weren’t mind posts…the ones written, photographed and uploaded in my head, but never quite making it anywhere else. They happened. Again, summer’s fault.

I’m thinking most of you are already back-to-school, but it’s never too late for a back-to-school cake tradition like we do here. If you’ve followed along you know what I’m talking about. If you’re new, let me tell you every back-to-school year begins with a themed cake. I have at least one kid in particular who needs convincing about how back-to-school should be celebrated rather than mourned. Cake helps. In past years, I’ve done a pencil, apple, school bus and notebook. This year, visions of…

…backpacks filled my head. The rectanglarish shape was appealing since time was limited. A quick consultation with my L.L. Bean catalog (because the real backpacks were already at school) served as a reference.

Here are my basic notes for turning a 9″  x 12″ sheet cake into a backpack with the aid of one fruit roll-up for the handle. If you wanted arm straps to show, use an entire box of fruit roll-ups. My straps happen to be hidden since we were down to one lonely green roll-up.

Happy back-to-school and labor day weekend. I promise I’ll be around more with alarm clocks ringing at least five days a week.