Does anyone else think of Will Ferrell’s Robert Goulet impression from SNL when they hear the word “nature”? Maybe that’s just me. A small outdoor discovery with my daughter turned into a quick, ten-second project (free and fast = my kind of craft), and it made me smile enough to share. Consider this a tiny Friday update celebrating some simple, all-natural fun.
Like many of you, I’m a sucker for outdoorsy things—framed sea fans or labeled jars filled with vacation finds make my heart skip a beat. So when Clara and I spotted a butterfly resting on the ground while playing outside, it felt a little bit magical. Clara was so close that she named “the orange and blue part” her favorite.
Sadly, the butterfly wasn’t alive. It felt too beautiful to leave in the grass, so I gently picked it up and brought it inside so we could enjoy it. I considered a shadow box, but we already have a faux butterfly shadow box we made from an exhibition flyer.
We made that faux shadow box from a butterfly exhibit flyer a while back.
In the end, I decided to keep the butterfly looking like it belonged to nature and “parked” it—on a piece of coral we brought home from a trip a few years ago.
Just like that, it found a spot in our dining room and settled in with us.
Is that odd? Clara loves looking at “her butterfly.” She knows she can wave at it, but no petting allowed.
I’ve been wondering if we should do anything to preserve it so it doesn’t crumble or collect dust. Would a cool blast of a hair dryer help? Do people spray real butterflies with a varnish or treat them somehow before placing them in shadow boxes? Maybe a light protective coating or a glass dome would keep it bright and dust-free and still let us enjoy the natural look.
It’s Friday—what do you have planned this weekend? We’re long overdue for a dining room update and have some basement projects lined up, plus a bathroom makeover for John’s grandma coming soon. We’ll share those updates next week. Happy Friday, everyone!
Psst—This week’s giveaway winner was announced, so check to see if it’s you.