Acorn Hats and a Gall

I love oak galls left by gall wasps. I remember the first time I saw one. It was an unexpected discovery, a roundish organic shape about an arms length away in a scrub oak. Since that day long ago, I keep my eyes open for them. This one was found under our small Coastal Live Oak and is destined for a nature swap.

Birthday Apron

We are entering birthday season at Camp Ramshackle. First up is our friend Nate who celebrates his fourth birthday. Nate and my son met when they were eight and six weeks old respectively. What do to for a boy of four? I decided a work/art apron was in order. I pulled some fabric from my stash for applique.


The fabric is attached with fusible Steam-a-Seam, a trick I learned from Sally at Shim and Sons. I added some hand stitching with coat thread around the large circle a la Alabama Chanin.


I hope this apron will properly transformed and improved with paint, dirt and all the fun stuff that makes four a year to enjoy.


We made a card and sent off the package in a cigar "treasure box" with shells from our stop at the Colorado River in July (our first nature swap with Florida based Nate). Every child should have a treasure box.

Family Nature Swap

These treasures were carefully picked out by my nephew on a hike in Colorado and gifted to my sons. We talk about where they came from, who gave them to us, and take turns making up stories about them.

This gift has sparked the desire to start a nature swap with the cousins, little do they know. As my sons and I have been hiking, we've been keeping an eye out on what to gather to share with our relatives in Colorado and Alaska.