The teenage boys were sitting together at one table. They must've stayed up all night because they were pretty low energy! Still, they were there with the rest of us and that was nice.
My youngest nephew, Finn, posed up in the garden for me. It was nice to see everything so green. He is a pretty happy kiddo......
We had a big surprise. Up in the tree above the boys' table was a tiny nest with two tiny eggs in it. I feel so lucky to have witnessed this little miracle twice so far this spring.
She inspires me. Her colors and patterns...... the quality of her design, the subtlety and innocence.
Isn't this skirt magnificent? I would like to make one for myself.......or, a three dimensional one out of paper for a doll, maybe.... 
I wish I could paint like this. There is a naive quality that is so pure and lovely.... not one you can reproduce, really. It must come from the heart. She is an exquisite artist.
It now stands alone in the west yard, looking a bit sad, since the kiddo is too old to play in it now. Anyway, he led me up the stairs and pointed to the corner and said, "Look."
A tiny nest with three tiny little pale blue eggs snuggled close together. What a special treat!
As I peeked in, I was thrilled to see that today there are FOUR eggs nestled together! What a delightful spring surprise. I am so glad that this little family has found such a perfect place to be - out of the way and protected (for the most part) I can hardly wait til they hatch....happy days!
Tomorrow, I will be painting several sets of wings so that some of these little "people" can become little "fairies".. I am excited about this new direction I seem to be following. My heart is certainly in it and I have not been so pleased with my work in a very long time.
The delicate child pictured above ("The First Curtain Call") is absolutely breathtaking.
...And this little guy is a real charmer! Equally as sweet, and full of "impish-ness" ("The Garden Visitor")
We both laughed when Julie realized that the stuffing she was using in her balls looked just like steam coming out of a hot cup of tea in her tiny, blue teacup.....
When Julie brought out these tiny chocolate mushrooms, I was speechless! She got them at Borders, so we went back to see if they had any more of them. I was lucky to get the last box in stock. They are precious (!) and pretty yummy, too.
And, last but certainly not least, the DOLLHOUSE. She walked into Anthropologie one day and there in front of her stood this incredible dollhouse from Portugal. She took it right home!
These photos are the front and back of the "twirling girl" - can't you just see her skirt billowing as she twirls around? Not sure what she will be holding in her arms, but I know it will present itself soon......
Honestly, I think that they show so much movement with so little. It is pretty exciting to see how the personalities of each figure comes out of a bit of wire and paper.
I just love when I am able to actually create an image that is in my head and sometimes make it even more wonderful than I imagine it....... super cool!
The trees below are at the other end of the yard from the above photo... 
I bet that it is soo beautiful in the summer when the flowers are blooming. There are lilac bushes all along the edge of the yard. It is between seasons right now, so things are still a little brown around the edges. But, it's beginning to start sprouting and won't be long...
