*If you missed the Upcycle results post, you can see it here.*

I hope all you had a wonderful Mothering Day!  Not only was yesterday Mothers Day, but it was also my 6th wedding anniversary.  I got spoiled.  But the best part of the day came later that evening when we got a call that made yesterday one of my top 3 best days of my entire life!  Nothing is official yet so I can’t share much, but I’m bursting at the seams with happiness and can’t really contain it.  I’ll fill you all in as soon as I can.

me and the hubs coming out of the SLC temple 6 years and 1 day ago  

So now that I have the little bit of metaphoric sunshine in my life, and that summer is coming to my next of the woods with literal sunshine this weeks post with all it’s Sunshiny goodness came at a very opportune time  Just like always, the poll is in the sidebar and will be open until Friday night!

Craft #1 – Vintage Darling Swimsuit - Amanda @ Simply Homemade

Craft #2 – Twisted Picnic Blanket - Brittany @ BK’s Craft Blog

What better way to enjoy a sunny day but to have a picnic! I made a picnic blanket backed with a Twister board! The Twister board keeps your blanket from getting damp should the ground not be it’s driest AND you can flip it over to play the fun group game. There is a sewn pocket between the comforter and plastic that holds the Twister spinner and a Frisbee (which was, by far, the best thrift buy of the project at .09 cents!)!

Craft #3 – Hammock Swing - Wendy @ Craft Goodies

Craft #4 – Striped Maxi Dress - Angela @ The Wray Sisters

Craft #5 – A Sunny Beach Tent - Kimberly @ Bugaboo, Mini, Mr. & Me

Summertime means tons of fun at the park and on the beach!  If you haven’t got a shady place to sit, though, the sun can be brutal.  I love the gorgeous sunshades available now – that can be made into a lean-to, an awning or a tent.  I thought it would be completely DIY-able.  And what better project for SUNSHINE WWEK than a shady spot to enjoy the beautiful weather that’s on its way?

My Beach Tent was made economically with a canvas drop-cloth which I dyed yellow and orange in ombre fashion (hard to tell, but it’s actually 5 different shades of yellow/orange).  I added extra large eyelets along the sides, which slide over two wooden dowels.  The dowels were painted to match and then whittled down on one end to make them skinny.  I placed rubber washers on the dowels as stoppers for the eyelets.  Another dowel runs under the tent, from pole to pole, for stability.  I also dyed some cotton twine for the guylines.  But the real question was how to keep the tent stable.  Stakes wouldn’t cut it in the sand.  Anything extra heavy wouldn’t be portable enough.  So what to do?

Use what you have, of course!  I sewed 6 small simple tote bags with boxy bottoms out of canvas.  When filled with sand from the beach, they are the perfect anchors for our guylines!  While I was sewing the tote bags, I decided to sew a long round cinch bag with a handle for easy transport of our fun beach tent.  Everything rolls up and slides right inside.  There’s a small pocket on the front for holding our guylines, which are wrapped around clothespins to keep them untangled.  Everything you need for your shady beach experience, easily portable and right at your fingertips!  Time for a picnic!  (Or maybe just a nap…)