Julie Kittredge Art & Photography

I’m on this quest to use up, throw out, or give away all the stuff that’s been laying around here in my wee home. Everything takes up space that I would rather use to breath in. I ascribe to the philosophy, “Keep only with that you find to be beautiful or useful.” The rest can go. Unfortunately, I’m the only one in the family that desires to live this way. Every family has the purger (me) and the keeper (the rest of them). My sweet daughter keeps everything, candy wrappers from a special drive in the car to pick up the dog from the groomer. A broken McDonalds toy. The tissue snowflake that has long lost it’s welcome, let alone it’s shape and glitter. You get the picture. I have to throw things away in big can outside so she doesn’t ‘accidently‘ find things in the kitchen garbage. She may need a therapist one day because of this little dance we do. I throw it out, she pulls it out … in tears. Ugh.

This bag of rocks from our last Door County trip has been laying around my laundry room for many months too many. Rather than throw them in the bushes, I thought we would use them in an artsy collaboration to doll up our garden this year. I envision the garden as a place Kiana and I can do whatever we want to and not worry if it looks messy or wierd … I want it to be an experience and memory that we add to throughout the summer. My expectations are low – I am not aspiring to a Pinterest worthy outcome – just a great experience. So … why not start with the Door County rocks. We’ll scatter visual reminders of a favorite memory among the tomatoes and flowers – and spend time together making art in the process. Win win! {We’ve been brainstorming ideas together, it’s going to be fun!}