The Pear Tree

Archive for the ‘Projects’ Category

For the four years that Mr. Pear Tree and I have lived in our current abode, the space above our headboard has been empty. You see, I don’t like to rush into things, and I didn’t have “just the right” art work or decoration or feature of any sort to place over it. What’s more, I didn’t have a clue what I wanted there.

But this past summer, my mum passed along an old window frame that – thanks to inspiration collected in my “For the Home” board on Pinterest – happened to have a home just waiting for it, you know where.

However, it needed some work. And, almost serendipitously, I was working on a little stockpile of items, including this cradle, painting and sanding them to give them an easy, well-worn, shabby chic look.

I think the look works perfectly with our old, c. 1930s bed frame – although it was a little bit stark (too much white) for my liking, so I added a few pressed leaves, collected from walks in the park. When leaf season is over, I think I’ll tuck a few old or of vintage-influenced photographs in the corners.

This whole restoration thing has really helped me see old furniture in a new light. I’m currently putting the finishing touches on a new bed for my son – hopefully I’ll be able to show that project off in the next week or so…

- Words and photos by Lori-Anne Poirier

I bought this wooden doll’s cradle for my daughter, Amélie, more than a year ago, for $10 at a Kelowna thrift store.

I don’t know if it was handmade, but it was in brand new condition, and while she had yet to discover the world of dollies, I had a hunch that it would be a much-loved piece of furniture down the road.

I knew right away that it wouldn’t stay as it was – as sweet as it looked in the natural wood. But it took me close to a year to decide on which direction to take. You see, I’m not much of a furniture restorer or remodeler or whatever you’d call it (see? I don’t even know what they’re called). But I was excited about the prospect of playing around with a little bit of paint and giving it a new look.

Last spring, I finally took the plunge, bought some paint and applied it to a small collection of furnishings (a stool, a desk, a window frame and the cradle).

Working at it in snatches of time, it ended up taking me the whole entire summer to complete the project (hopefully I’ll get faster)! But I’m pretty chuffed with the outcome.

I went with a shabby chic look, to compliment the rest of her (slowly evolving) bedroom.

Everyone, from me to Amélie to her little collection of baby dolls seem happy with the result. And I think I may have caught the bug. I can’t wait to get my hands on more furniture to paint. Next up? A headboard for my son, Oliver’s, bed. Stay tuned for that story (hopefully this one will take me less than a year from start to finish)…

For anyone interested in trying something similar, here’s what I did to get the look:

Supplies

Brown paint (C-I-L Dimensions Acrylic Latex, Stockbridge Brown)

White paint (C-I-L Dimensions Acrylic Latex, White Pearl)

Foam brushes

60 grit sandpaper

Instructions

*Paint a coat or two of brown paint, using a foam brush, on your chosen furniture. Make it thick enough that you can’t see any wood underneath.

*Once dry, paint over with the white. You don’t want it too thin, but bear in mind that if it’s too thick, it will be harder to sand. Allow to dry.

*Using the sandpaper, rub over the sides and edges of your furniture to rough it up and let the dark paint peek through.

*Apply a little bit of watered down brown paint over the entire object, to give it some patina.

*Place casually in your home and admire deeply every time you pass by.

- Words and photos by Lori-Anne Poirier

P.S. It’s Good Life Wednesday over at A Beach Cottage, so we’re linking up!

If you went down to the woods last weekend, you would have been in for a big surprise. It was picnic time for teddy bears, and – as far as I could make out – those little teddy bears were having a wonderful time that day. And so were their mommies and daddies, who were invited to my son, Oliver’s fourth birthday party – a Teddy Bears Picnic.

I’ve wanted to have one of these for years, and this year seemed just right. The kids were old enough to enjoy what was going on, but not so old that bringing their teddy bear to a party is no longer cool.

So, the invite went out to four friends and their bears. Sadly, this year’s invitation went out via email, but my original intention was to send out hand-made cards, cut into a teddy bear shape with the details inside. Next time, for sure!

We held the party at Mission Creek Park, since it was the “woodsiest” location that’s still central and civilized. We nabbed a picnic table for the moms and kids, and spread a blanket for the bears to lounge on.

There was such a wonderful collection of well-loved bruins – and even one horse and a sock monkey – and they looked perfectly enchanting all bunched together.

After a chance to run around a bit and break the ice, the kids all gathered around the table for a round of Happy Birthday, followed by cake, ice cream, water melon, Teddy Grahams crackers and pink lemonade.

The birthday cake (baked and decorated by my mum and me) depicted a teddy bears picnic, complete with a Teddy Graham bears, Cheerios as plates, chocolate covered goji berries as kick balls and a couple of “sunbrellas” (we wouldn’t want those bears to burn!). The sides of the cake were done in chocolate icing and decorated in a basket weave, like a picnic basket.

After the refreshments, we tried to play a couple of games. Blind Man’s Bluff quickly turned into straight-ahead tag, which somehow transformed into the kids playing in the playground next to us for a bit.

After that, we had a teddy bear judging contest. Awards (the categories were created after seeing all the bears, to make sure everyone would get one) were given out for “Pinkest Bear,” “Monkiest Bear,” “Teddiest Bear,” “Biggest Bear” and “Growliest Bear.”

Each bear was awarded a special ribbon – a paper doiley with the award’s title on it, affixed with a cloth ribbon in back to make it look “authentic.”

As each won their award, their owner was allowed to choose a prize from the goodie bag.

After that, it was time to decorate the official loot bags – paper bags with ears cut into them to resemble a bear.

As they finished, their loot bags were filled: a bag of Gummy Bears, a curly straw, a hand-pressed teddy bear ornament with each child’s initial on it, and a CD with Songs for a Teddy Bear’s Picnic (featuring the songs “Teddy Bears Picnic,” “Me and My Teddy Bear,” “Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear,” “I Love My Teddy Bear,” and an instrumental version of “Teddy Bears Picnic”).

They didn’t quite last until six o’clock, like they do in the song, but after another play in the playground, those teddy bears were ready for their mommies and daddies to take them home to bed – because they were tired little teddy bears.

- Words and photos by Lori-Anne Poirier

While we can’t resist indulging in chocolate and eggs and baskets stuffed with shredded tissue at The Pear Tree House come Easter, I also want to emphasize the Christian perspective to my kids, and the message of hope that it brings.

Last year, I came across a fun recipe over on the blog Fly Through Our Window, and couldn’t wait to try it this year. Called alternatively Holy Week Cookies, Easter Story Cookies and Resurrection Cookies (I  myself favour the latter), they’re a fun project to do with your kids or grandkids leading up to Easter, telling the story of the crucifixion and resurrection as you go. And, if you like them as much as I did, you’ll be pulling out the basic version throughout the year.

Resurrection Cookies

1 Bible

1 cup peacans

1 teaspoon vinegar

3 egg whites

pinch salt

1 cup granulated sugar

1 large ziploc bag

tape

1. Preheat oven to 300 F. The recipe I read said to line a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper. I used wax. Do not follow my example or you won’t get your cookies off in one piece!

2. Crush the pecans with a rolling pin. Read John 19:1-3, which tells how the Roman soldiers beat and hurt Jesus. Set the crushed pecans aside until later.

3. In a separate bowl, add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Smell the vinegar, and read John 19:28-30. This is what Jesus was given to drink when he asked for water.

4. Add your egg whites to the vinegar before explaining how Jesus gave his life in order to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.

5. Taste a sprinkle of salt (my son couldn’t get enough of it!). Read Luke 23:27 and relate how Jesus’ followers shed salty tears, and how it also represents the bitterness of our sins.

6. Add sugar. Explain that the sweet part of the story is that Jesus died because of his love for us, and he wants us to know that we belong to him. Psalms 34:8 and John 3:16 back this up.

7. Beat the mixture on high for 12-15 minutes. Don’t take any shortcuts here. I only went for 10 minutes and the cookies didn’t rise like they should. They still tasted great, but the “magic” trick at the end didn’t really happen Explain that the colour white represents the purity that is passed on to us when we accept the cleansing gift of Jesus’ death. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.

8. Fold in the broken nuts. Drop the mixture by spoonfuls onto the pan. Explain how each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was lain. Read Matthew 27:57-60.

9. Place the cookies in the oven, close the door and turn off the heat. Tape or seal the door and explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed so no one could get in or out. Read Matthew 27:65-66.

10. Go to bed, explaining how Jesus’ followers were sad to leave him in the sealed tomb. See John 16:20.

In the morning, open the oven and remove the cookies. When you break them open (if you beat them for long enough first), they should be hollow in the middle – an empty tomb! Read Matthew 28:1-9, between nibbles, and talk about how Jesus’ followers would have been so surprised to find the tomb empty, and what that empty tomb means for us today.

This is a recipe I think we’ll make every year, as something fun the night before Easter.

- Words and photos by Lori-Anne Poirier

We celebrated a birthday recently at the Pear Tree House. Mr. Pear Tree’s, to be precise. And since one of his great loves is art, we threw a little bash for him with a fun, artsy theme.

I hand-made the invitations, using an artist’s palette as inspiration. Detail of time and place were included on the back.

At the front door, we welcomed guests with a painting set up on an eisel, boasting the message, “Welcome to the Art Party.” (I forgot to get a pic of that!)

While it’s not specifically art themed, I whipped up this banner using fabric from some clothes in my give-away pile.

The snack table. We went for paper plates and cups in a rainbow of colours.

A selection of Skittles candies, in primary colours, to nosh on.

My mom made the birthday cake – an artist’s palette. Inside, the layered cake was mango and vanilla flavoured – so good!

As an activity, we invited our guests to head outside before they left, to exercise their own artistic muscle by painting a flower pot to take home.

Here’s a shot of the Birthday Boy, painting with his Oma:

It’s not too late to wish him a Happy Birthday!

Words and photos by Lori-Anne Poirier