Gnome Sweet Gnome Gardens

Eventually I hope to make a fairy garden out in our true backyard gardens. Very dreamy and ethereal with broken china chip lined pathways, thatched huts, willow furniture, miniature teasets. The whole nine yards. Knowing that my hard work would be destroyed pretty much instantaneously by at least one, if not both of my younger two storm troopers, I have resisted the strong urge and resorted to the "boxed in" variety ensconced in a pot, that can be placed high out of reach when Mommy is not available to help enjoy the garden.
I know. I am such a party pooper. Actually this is not really true. The real theory for throwing these gnome gardens together was that they could be more kid friendly. They're really just tossed together with the kids' help and they are allowed to touch, but not destroy. I like to at least be able to admire our handiwork for longer than it takes the second hand to swoop around the clock face, after all.

The kids also wanted their own gnome garden after Daddy concocted this delight for Mommy's birthday a few weeks ago. My favorite parts, outside of the obvious adorable-ness of the gnome itself, are the wonderful toadstools (alright, mushrooms, but don't you just love the word toadstools so much more?). I adore every detail even down to the pot itself. Thank you, dear husband for this lovely gift and the even lovelier diamond earrings! I think I'll keep you!

So, being inspired by Daddy's creation, we rolled up our sleeves and set to work and this is what we made:

We didn't have any of those adorable plastic mushroom picks, but since I have been in a make do, use what you have improvise/purge mode, we designed our own using red construction paper, white prismacolor pencil and toothpicks. Voila! Mr. Greensleeves Gnome is carrying an acorn bowl full of vermiculite quail eggs (shhh don't let on that you know that they're not real, it hurts Mr. Greensleeves' feelings. He's quite sensitive.) When I took this photo I just realized I had not yet made Mr. Yellowjacket's (wearing the red hat) burlap duffel sack. Pfooey. We also added a gilded dear. I'll have to update my photos as our landscape changes. Mr. Greenhat is simply hiking with his trusty walking stick amongst the flora (cough, cough, absent, please overlook) & fauna. Gnome Sweet Gnome!!