5 California Bay Area Gardening Urban Farming Camps in honor of Earth Day

Five Nature, Gardening, Urban Farming Camps bay area, San Francisco, San Jose California 

Farm Camp. Growing your own food, teaching our kids respect for the earth and knowledge of where their food comes from is not only trendy these days, but it's wise. You may be taught about food from garden to table.

Have to Go work on my Farm gifts  

Become a shirt affiliate at zazzle

Here are some San Francisco, San Jose bay area California summer camps, day camps and workshops where kids and teens, sometimes adults, may get a taste of gardening and urban farming. Try volunteering, backyard farming, maybe an internship at a community farm or garden.

1) Children's Day School in San Francisco is holding a Cooking and Gardening Day Camp. Each day will begin with morning chores and harvesting at the urban farm and garden.

Peg Perego John Deere Tractor Ground Force Tractor with Trailer

Great parent/customer reviews, it even has a working radio

2) City Slicker Farms in Oakland has unpaid internships. The internships are an "opportunity to deepen your knowledge of food justice, to build your gardening skills, and to provide much needed support to City Slicker Farms' mission of increasing food self-sufficiency in West Oakland."

3) Full Circle Farm in Sunnyvale has a Kids Summer Farm Camp. " Whether it's learning about vermiculture (worms!), concocting an edible soil snack, making a kite to learn about how seeds travel, pouring beeswax candles with a local beekeeper, or building a solar oven, kids will have the chance to get their hands dirty..."

4) Plantation Farm Camp in Sonoma. "Being on a real, working farm means you will have the chance to work with animals everyday and learn how to take care of them. This isn't a petting zoo -- you will really milk the cow, feed the chickens, and help shear the sheep."

5) Slide Ranch Summer Day Camp Muir Beach. "Campers are encouraged to touch, taste, smell, hear, observe, and ask questions. We focus on teaching respect for animals, plants, the earth and each other."

These are in no particular order and we have no affiliation with any of these programs.

Fairy Art, Gothic and Fantasy * Jasmine Becket-Griffith * Strangeling on Zazzle

Jasmine  Becket-Griffith's artwork may be appreciated by many audiences. It falls into the realm of Big Eye Art. This is a style that has been around for years, made famous partly by Margaret Keane and known to many by the popular Blythe doll.

Les Vampires: Lanterne-Citrouille ART PRINT cat by strangeling

sell your posters for free with Zazzle.

Becket-Griffith's has refereed to her own work as Fairy Art, Gothic and Fantasy. The images are dark and captivating, they draw you in and intrigue the viewer. She works in a variety of media and her images may be found on canvas and on shirts, jewelry and more.


Her mermaids and fairies are some of the best and most creative that I've seen. There are holiday specific pieces and the cat lovers out there have got to check out her work.


April 2-3, 2011 Jasmine Becket-Griffith will be in Celebration, Florida:
The Celebration Spring Arts Festival 2011

"FREE ADMISSION FOR ALL - I'll be there at my tent with the largest array of original paintings I've ever brought to a single show."

Don't miss this opportunity to see the artist in person and see some of her original artwork! 

More information is at her web site! Other personal appearances are listed there.

Fairy: The Art of Jasmine Becket-Griffith

Visit Jasmine Becket-Griffith's Amazon Page:

Jasmine Becket-Griffith's Amazon Author Page

My Bucket List... One Foot on a Banana Peel ... Listening to the Universe

Bucket List Big Yellow Chair Funny by ImagineMDD

Become a part of Zazzle's clothing affiliate program

One Foot on a Banana Peel Bag by ImagineMDD

Browse more Organic Bags

Rocking Motorcycles Inspired by Harley Davidson Bikes

Hugh Laurie of House, M.D. and A Bit of Fry and Laurie is said to be mad about his motorcycle. We have friends who love to ride their bikes.

While I've seen rocking horses and other rocking animal toys, I was gobsmacked to see that there was a wild assortment of rocking motorcycle toys for kids!

Rocking Motorcycle such as the

Harley Davidson 30" Softail Rocker (right)

Fire Engine Pedal Cars

Some are modeled after famous motorbikes such as those from Harley Davidson and some are pink for the Barbie fan, girly girls out there. There's even a rocking golf cart.


Your kids will love play that sparks their imaginations. Here's something which is fun and incorporates physical activity. You don't have to insert any quarters or batteries. It's all kid-powered.

Want to dress like Paul Teutul Sr. of American Chopper for Halloween, a party or every day?? Find tps to put together a look like Paul Senior.

Vrrrooooom!

Vintage Sparking Spinner Friction Toys

In my vintage toy series of web pages, I chose another old toy of a hundred names. It's still around today, often used as a promotional or holiday item. You may remember it as a sparkling wheel noisemaker toy. 

I'm looking for more information and for people's personal memories of the toy. You can find a lot of terrific old versions of this toy on eBay and similar auction sites.

You push plunger and usually a colorful wheel will turn around. When a striker wheel touches the flint, sparks are created. Some sort of whirring sound is emitted. There are a number of variations. Valuable old versions of the toy are still in existence today.

Some old Mickey Mouse and Popeye tin versions are still around. You can find some antique early figural versions from Germany which are funny and quite amazing. 

A rare German so-called Grandma toy with sparks that come out of her mouth sometimes comes up for auction.

They may or may not operate a little differently and that makes them all the more valuable and collectible. The fact that they've been used a lot by adults and kids, are often cross-collectible, and probably thought of as disposable over the years makes the older ones harder to come by.

Sparking Wheel with Swirling Colors Modern-day version  

In the 1950s, bicycle siren toys made by Fire Chief were created in virtually the same fashion.

A close cousin of the toys are Spinners, which spin around and open up like the petals of the tulip to expose some kind of figure inside. The most famous are holiday spinners shaped like Christmas trees. They'd open to expose a miniature Santa Claus. An Easter version may be an egg that opened to show a little chick.

Some vintage tin Halloween noisemakers were made in this style. The fact that they lit up and shot out sparks made them even more desirable.

These days, plastic versions of the toy abound. Fast food chains often place them in their kids' meals to promote films such as Star Wars.

Do you remember any of these toys?  

That was SOME Party! Funny T-shirt warns others of your mood

Maybe not technically a gargoyle but when I saw this guy, gargoyle is what I thought. Getting a funny shirt or iPad case might take the edge off of your hangover, you never know. It might speak for you, when you'd rather not talk through a pounding headache.

Or maybe it was one of those parties spent debating the economy and the stimulus package with some relatives from the red states? Laryngitis?

Crooked gargoyle says: That was some party by ImagineMDD

Create a customized t-shirt at zazzle

Crooked and angry, he looked like he'd survived a wild party and wanted to talk about it. Or yell about it maybe. Put your own name and message on the case. The back of the shirt? Oh boy. It's your party now.

Crooked Angry Ghostly Gargoyle by ImagineMDD

Browse iphone cases

Sure the house with this gargoyle was kind of spooky. The doorknob had been stolen! This guy had seen a lot and, being askew, off-center and no doubt uncomfortable, he suffered from hanging on the house rage.

 

Crooked gargoyle says: That was some party by ImagineMDD

Browse Gargoyle T-Shirts

Crooked gargoyle says: That was some party by ImagineMDD

View other Gargoyle T-Shirts

So if this is your condition, your syndrome, consider letting a funny t-shirt or iPad case express your emotions to the world for you. You can zone out in your mind. Yes, the shirt's available in long sleeves and as a hoodie for these cold winter days! Wishing you laughter as one of the best medicines.

Wedding Planning: Unique Designer Bridesmaid Dresses, Accessories to set your wedding apart

Did you see the funny Katherine Heigl film, 27 Dresses about the woman with the closet full of old bridesmaid's dresses?

Traditionally, bridesmaids' dresses Crystal bridal bling is hot for every aspect of the wedding.

Stay on budget, youthful
and fun with a dress or
separates by Flying Tomato

get a really bad rap. Wedding season is coming up.

Personalization, making your event right for you is best. There are alternate rituals for weddings and other milestone events becoming more and more popular.

Are you planning a wedding and looking for different and pretty bridesmaids' dresses?

Lindy Bop Audrey Hepburn Style Rockabilly Swing Evening Dress The Lindy Bop 1950s inspired dresses are popular with all age groups. Order early for best results. The blue with white polka dots is just one of many styles you can choose from to dress up or down, something they'll wear again.. (below)

For my wedding, the bridesmaids did not wear matching dresses. We went with a color scheme. Think about people's possible budget restrictions and your own time situation if there is one.

Take advantage of all the inspirational ideas around us when it comes to planning a wedding. Does your favorite song or movie give you an idea?

Check out ideas to help the bride and groom customize their day. Wedding fashion, hair and food tips and ideas from TV Challenge shows.

Please note: The items listed may be sold, shops may no longer be in business.