Sick Day Paintfest March 31, 2008

This book is one of my favorites:

Don’t Move the Muffin Tins by Bev Bos

The Internet is a Jumbled Ball of Yarn, but in a Good Way March 29, 2008

I seem to be on an envy kick and I’m going to pretend it’s a new thing.

I’ve got letterpress envy. I’ve been exploring all things letterpress on etsy and ebay. (I feel like Dave Letterman, “Oprah, Uma…”)

There is a shop called Sweetbeets on etsy that sells these eco-friendly cards I’m swooning over.

I bought the #2 card for my little guy’s upcoming second birthday (I told you I was birthday crazy) but when it came in the mail I immediately tucked it into the pile of treasures waiting to be framed. I’ve enjoyed talking with the artist, Lisa, through etsy conversations and she’s been generous enough to share her letterpress story with me. She has blogged a bit about the printing process here. She also has another site, mod eco kids, which I devoured in a late night computer binge.

Maybe you are all better at finding YOU time than me, but lately I’m all about the ‘3am just got up to pee let me check the computer’ times. I’m not saying it’s great for my general attitude the day after, but I still savor those dark, quiet moments alone.

While trawling modecokids, I came across bookhou design -so inspiring!

Check out this kid goodness:

I hope my summer includes making 2 quilts, inspired by her design, with fabrics picked out by the boys. Oh, and saving up to buy that mobile!

Arounna Khounnoraj, who is half of the bookhau team, also has an amazing kid craft oriented site. This plaster relief project has cut to the front of the line of the projects-to-be waiting impatiently in my craft room.

You’ll be surprised to discover that I was thinking this would be a perfect craft for my oldest’s summer birthday party! Ancient Egyptian artifacts anyone?

Here is a short letterpress documentary that’s interesting and informative (but if speaking so crisply is a prerequisite for being a good presser, I’m in trouble):

If you have any expertise in the art of letterpressing I’d love to hear more about the process. Unfortunately, I know my loyal reader (mom) and frequent commenter (aka, total stranger) knows diddley squat about it. But if you happen to NOT be my mom and you DO know a thing or two about L.P.ing, as I imagine all the cool kids call it, shoot me a line.

Hi Mom, how’s my punctuation?

Recipe Box/Treasure Box March 27, 2008

My husband’s Gram died a few months ago and we’re missing her like crazy. I’m working on a post that will do her right, and this isn’t it.

It is, however, meant to be a little nod to one of the ways in which she held our family together.

I found this little metal box, discovered it in the back of her kitchen cabinet, last weekend while doing some cleaning in her kitchen. It was one of those things that I didn’t know I was looking for until I found it. I wanted to share a recipe I’ll be making this weekend. I look forward to cranking her hand mixer and stealing some quiet moments to remember.

Her death has made me take stock, as deaths tend to do. I’m hoping to add new recipes to this little tin that will stand with Gram’s and together act to create more memories of family and togetherness. Shabbat Shalom.

I Have Seen the Future… March 23, 2008

and it’s on wheels! There was much wheel envy happening at the park today. My little guy wanted all the wheels except his own.

This nice skater kid said, “Don’t worry, I won’t hit her.” They were really patient seeing as we were probably putting a damper on their fun.

My big guy has been waiting to do this trick all winter. He’s working up to doing it one handed. Your untrained eye might not have picked up on the fact that he is decked out in biking gear. He invents an outfit for every task. Dusting, yup - he’s got special gloves. Soccer team that he’s not on, check! He’s turning out to be quite the gearhead. Wonder where he gets that from?

On the way to school the other morning he told me, “I might want to train for the Olympics. Maybe skiing (he’s never been) or bobsledding (this verse, same as the first).” Then he asked, “Do they have special uniforms for the bikers in the Olympics?” and that swayed it. 2020 Olympics, mark your programs people!

He wasn’t the only one experiencing envy. One of the skaters had a sweet little camera!

Thrift brag alert! I got the Community Playthings scooter at a yard sale for $3.00!

Oh, it feels so gooooooood.

This post is my first in REAL TIME. I finally got my camera and the computer working. Apparently they’ve started to fancy each other and have actually started working together. Life is good in the skating hood!

And on an unrelated note. Does anyone familiar with wordpress know how I can change the color of my highlight? When I link to something, it’s a very pretty light brown but it doesn’t have enough contrast. Any help would be much appreciated!

Happy Spring March 21, 2008

It’s a big windy day and I’ve got kites on the brain.

Being a parent gives you the chance to do things you’d forgotten were fun. Like standing at the window watching the garbage being collected, skipping rocks and some good old-fashioned kite flying! I’m heading out to pick up my big guy from school and I’ve got the kite packed in the back of the car and I’m ready to FLY!

Here are some cool kite finds from Ebay to get you started on your own kite adventures:

Hi-Flier

Kite String

Jello in the sky, why didn’t I think of this?

Kite Days

Mark Sawyer

A kite, a sky and a good firm breeze.

And acres of ground away from the trees.

And one hundred yards of clean, strong string-

O boy, O boy! I call that spring!

Birthday Crazy Part 2 March 18, 2008

My oldest son is very into Ancient Egypt and chose an Egyptian party for his 5th birthday (and currently says he wants the same for his 6th). We had so much fun working together as a family to make this one happen.

I made this birthday banner using muslin fabric that I tea dyed for an authentic ancient Egyptian look. Click here to see craftastic examples and to get inspired. Check this out for a great tutorial. Freezer paper stenciling, all the cool kids are doing it!

My husband made craft clay, an idea from The Crafts and Culture of the Ancient Egyptians. Each child made their own self hardening pyramid to take home.

I made a Egyptologist bag for each kid that had all the “tools” they’d need for the birthday adventure. I found these cool rulers that had the”Rulers of Egypt” listed on them that the kids used to add steps and texture to their pyramids. They each had a pair of binoculars made from toilet paper rolls and painted black by my son. Each kid also got an egyptian tattoo. We did some more freezer paper stenciling on the bags, a stylized pyramid with a 5 in the center. The tiny bags on the left are for the little kids.

We bought scarab beads and encased the necklaces in more of the sand plaster ahead of time. Each little treasure was then buried in the sandbox and marked with a little flag. The kids unearthed their archeological finds and had a scarab necklace to take home. It was fun to hear them wonder how they got there.

My huband organized a game of “What’s Missing”. We had a tray of ancient Egyptian “artifacts” and each child got a chance to take one away and the rest of the kids had to guess what was missing. He also read a developmentally appropriate book about Ancient Egypt. Can you tell we are both Early Childhood Educators and total dorks?

The kids got to wrap each other in toilet paper to make “mummies”. I debated whether to do this activity or not as it’s kind of wasteful but I bought the cheapest I could find and used the t.p. to clean down the tables when we were done, still wasteful but hella fun. The kids were pumped to wrap each other. My child, who is very much into things being authentic (if he were a superhero he’d be PRECISION BOY), kept saying, “There shouldn’t be a space for the eyes! Wrap me up completely!”

For food we served mummy dogs, both the barking kind (hot dogs) and the chanting kind (tofu pups). Wrapping these was harder than I thought and I didn’t win any points from my son for leaving a space for the little food faces but they were eaten and enjoyed.

My son has food allergies and making cake that looks like cake can be hard (other people are much more successful at this than me but I’m impatient and not nearly as precise as my son). I bought pyramid cupcake molds (they turned out more like diamonds but hey) and made cupcakes that we covered in graham cracker “sand”. Buried under the sand was a white chocolate mummy. Chocolate molds are my new favorite party tool. They are easy, cheap and look like you tried much harder than you did.

I took a photo of everyone at the party with their face in the Tutankhamen mask I painted on an IKEA box. We made a collage to send out as the Thank You card. As I’m typing this whole thing out I’m thinking maybe we’ll do Chuck E. Cheese for the next birthday.

And here’s my final birthday photo (for at least 2 more months):

This has always been one of my favorite photos of me and my brother. Not sure which birthday it is (dad? mom? you still reading?) but it’s a cute shot and I’m rocking the rick rack.

Chocolate Bunny Test March 17, 2008

Here is a personality test I’m down with.

You pick which part of the bunny you would eat first and the chocolate bunny gives you a little hard truth. I personally think it’s a very perceptive bunny as she told me, “You truly do enjoy the finer things in life, but you don’t let on that you do. Any kind of getaway for you is more mental than physical.” I think the bunny is calling me lazy. I won’t tell you which part I picked first but a word of advice, don’t click on the bow!

Click here –> the test to eat your own virtual bunny.

What did you pick and what did the bunny make of it?

Someone Else’s Art Sunday March 16, 2008

I’m lucky enough to be waiting for this to come in the mail:

It’s from a shop called Slowshirt’s Shop on Etsy.

It was between Solar Shack (above) or Little House on Stilts (below):

Which would you have chosen? Vote in the comments section, located at the bottom of this post.

And be sure and check out Slowshirt’s shop. They make a guitar scarf that is instant cool.

Rainy Day Fabric Finds March 13, 2008

These are perfect rainy day thrift store finds. Beautiful vintage pillow cases, 99 cents each and cozy silk slippers for $1.99.

I love the embroidery and the colors on the slippers. I’m guessing that the previous owner dropped these beauties off at the thrift store after one too many feathers poked her or, a fabulously adorned, his feet. I have a thing about socks, I am firmly anti-sock. So I can take a few pokes from a former chicken if it keeps me away from socks and warms my feet in the process. Plus, $1.99! I mean, really, I would have bought a jock strap in those colors.

Notice I’ve traded in the wrinkly comforter for a piece of foam board. I thought I’d try taking a photo booth photo during the day instead of 3am, which is when I took that dank Channukiah shot. I’m going to give myself points for creative documentation. Creative documentation = making it happen while saving up for new camera.

As part of my quest to post photos without an actual camera, I scanned my favorite pillow case (there were 2 of these)!

This reminds me of an earlier textile SCORE. I happened into a shop (I don’t make a habit of happening upon shops but I really did just stumble in) on the day before the woman was closing and bought this patiently hand stitched quilt/bed spread. Anyone know anything about the style or have a guess about the age? I love the grey with the blue and brown. $25 dollars! I kind of felt like I was robbing her.

Love the imperfect stitches.

Think I’ll go put on the slippers, wrap up in the blanket and wait for Lost to come on. Talk to me Sawyer!

Craft Room Before and After March 12, 2008

This little room has a multiple personality disorder. First it was a craft/junk room (really every room in the house could aptly be described as such)

then I organized it and actually had my own craft renaissance. It was brief.

I got that yellow hanging lamp for 4 dollars at a yard sale. I bought it without the cord, because hey - it’s cool, but I left my number in case she came across it. She did, she called and it works! I got the desk off craigslist for 15, it’s solid and huge and my best 4 legged love. The yellow shelves we found in the basement of our old apartment and painted this bright yellow, which is really much more cheery than I ever am.

When our second boy was born we turned it into his nursery. We foolishly imagined him sleeping in his crib in this little room, through the night, by himself, without us. We lapsed right back into family bed by default and I think he may have had 1 nap there. And I might be boasting because it’s probably more like 0. He’s a cute little nugget though, a perfect match with his cute big brother.

Here are some photos I found on my Flickr account of the craft room as a nursery:

I still haven’t figured out the photo thing, that’s why these photos are less than current. It’s a good excuse because the crazy little room has come full circle and is now a “throw it in there and SHUT THE DOOR” room. Maybe more before and after photos to come.