zippy+paper: an elf’s Etsy shop

Zippy must have read my announcement last night about free shipping on all {rachel+paper} orders today. While we were sleeping, he set up a little paper goods shop of his own with free shipping to the North Pole.

So if your elf needs any gift tags or garlands for their holiday celebrations, be sure to tell them to stop by {zippy+paper} today!

more fun than a barrel of monkeys

After Zippy’s surgery last night, I thought maybe we’d find him relaxing on the couch with a movie this morning, but he seems to have recuperated just fine.

Zippy’s Peanut Butter Blossoms

While we were sleeping last night, Zippy (our Elf on the Shelf) baked some cookies. Unfortunately, he made a terrible mess, but we’ll forgive him since the mini peanut butter blossoms are so soft and delicious.

The kids and I baked peanut butter blossoms together after school on Monday, so Zippy used some of the dough that I had secretly tucked away in the fridge. When Hayden saw Zippy’s tiny cookies this morning, he said, “He shrunk them!”

If your family has an Elf on the Shelf, perhaps you could pass along this recipe to your little elf.

ZIPPY’S PEANUT BUTTER BLOSSOMS

1 stick butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla
2 T. milk
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
granulated sugar
chocolate chips

Cream together butter, peanut butter, and brown sugar. Add egg, vanilla, and milk, beating well. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Shape dough into balls the size of a large marble. Roll in granulated sugar to coat. Bake on a greased baking sheet at 350° for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. Since the cookies are so small and oven temperatures can vary, watch your cookies carefully to be sure you don’t overbake them. Remove from oven and push a chocolate chip into the top of each cookie.

Enjoy!

meet Zippy, our Elf on the Shelf

Hi, everyone. I’d like to introduce you to Zippy, our Elf on the Shelf.

The Elf on the Shelf is a fun Christmas tradition that I just discovered a few weeks ago when I started seeing Elf on the Shelf pictures pop up on Pinterest. The idea is that the elf spends the month of December in your home, making nightly trips to the North Pole to report to Santa on whether the children have been bad or good. But while your children are sleeping, the elf also tends to get into mischief, and each morning the kids get to look for the elf to see where he or she ended up.

Even though I’m a couple weeks late, I recently purchased an elf (and the explanatory book) at Hallmark, and he made his debut late last night. After watching An Elf’s Story last evening, Hayden wished that WE had an Elf on the Shelf. And this morning, magically, we do.

According to the book, as soon as he makes his arrival, the family that adopts him needs to name him. So over oatmeal, yogurt, cereal, and toast, we decided on a name.

Meet Zippy.

refrigerator snowman

Last night I added a touch of wintry whimsy to our home by turning our white refrigerator into a snowman.

I can’t take any credit for the idea, as I pretty much copied this refrigerator snowman that I discovered via Pinterest. Thanks, Tami!

our Thanksgiving table decor

With Christmas season in full swing, it’s hard to believe that we were feasting on turkey and cranberry sauce just nine days ago. We hosted Thankgiving dinner at our house this year, but I can’t take any credit for cooking for 29 people, since everyone who came contributed part of the meal. We squeezed 22 adults around our regular dining table (fully extended to 16.5 feet!), and put the seven kids at a separate table.

I wanted everyone at the main table to be able to enjoy the decorations, so I ditched the traditional idea of one or two centerpieces and instead created a long runner that stretched from end to end. I laid a burlap garland on top of a long strip of kraft paper and anchored it with gourds, apples, and slim white flowerpots full of wheat and popcorn kernels. (That’s blue and red popcorn you see in the picture below.)

In each flowerpot, I stuck a bamboo skewer (painted white) with paper leaves glued on. During the meal, people were invited to write things they were thankful for on the leaves as a visual reminder of what we were celebrating that day.

That evening our family read through everything that people had jotted down earlier in the day, and it was fun to see recurring themes — and an occasional unexpected item like dirt!

So simple, so easy, so thankful.

give thanks

I enjoy bringing touches of fall into our home with funky gourds, bright orange pumpkins, and potted mums, but I don’t have any seasonal decor that specifically relates to Thanksgiving. Turkeys and cornucopias aren’t really my thing, so I decided to string up a few words that will remind our family to be thankful during the weeks leading up to the holiday.

Last night I cut the letters out of kraft paper, and then this morning before work I punched two holes in each letter and strung them up with some monofilament fishing line. I hung them from two suction cup hooks and called the project complete. Thanks to Sally of Shim&Sons for the project inspiration!

This morning I’m thankful for sunshine, oats, and Gladware/Ziploc containers (even though I feel like I wash a million of them every day). What are you giving thanks for today?

rachel+paper

rachel+paper = my new paper goods shop!

My little online shop is currently stocked with gift tags, garlands, and confetti, but I will continue to add a wider variety of items as I create them. For a long time, I’ve been wanting to sell things that I’ve made, and I’m finally turning that dream into a reality. Come visit!

{rachel+paper} fall 2011 preview

P.S. If you live locally and can arrange for your items to be easily hand-delivered, contact me for a code to use for free shipping.

a tiny pink flannel nightgown

Several weeks ago, eight women and girls from our family enjoyed a mother/daughter/grandmother’s daytrip to the American Girl Place in New York City. One week later, I found myself at the fabric store, carefully selecting a variety of fabrics and snatching up a bunch of patterns (McCall’s for a dollar!) to sew some doll clothes.

Don’t be fooled by the miniature clothespins — the tiny flannel nightgown I sewed measures only 11 inches from shoulder to hem. It looks so cozy that I almost wish it were my size, but instead, it’s for an American Girl Doll named Mia who you met back in June.

The pattern I used is McCall’s M6137. I spent a dollar for the pattern and $3.50 for the adorable pink flannel fabric.

This sweet little nightgown is one of my favorite things I’ve ever sewn.

rolo pecan treats

rolo pecan treats

Question: What happens when you smush a Rolo between a pretzel and a pecan?
Answer: You end up with a little stack of deliciousness.

rolo pecan treats

I’ve made several batches of these rolo pecan treats since I discovered this extremely simple recipe about a month ago, but they keep disappearing. It’s so mysterious…

rolo pecan treats

mini paint can party favors

Four score and seven days ago, Magen had a birthday and invited several friends to celebrate with a sleepover. One of the little party favors is still sitting on Magen’s nightstand, which either indicates that it was amazing… or that she can’t get it open to access the goodies inside.

mini paint can party favor

When I was shopping for party supplies back in June, these little paint cans at Michael’s caught my eye, and I knew immediately that I wanted to use them as favors.

mini paint cans from Michaels

The brightly-colored paint cans are so fun and festive, but I opted for the clear paint can instead.

mini paint can from Michaels

The sides of the paint can are flexible plastic, so I suppose the all-metal cans would be more durable, but the clear plastic of this style really allows you to show off the contents.

I stuffed the little paint cans with fun but inexpensive treats — flavored chapstick, a flip-flop keychain, bubbles, paper soap from Pier 1, and a few Starburst and Laffy Taffy.

mini paint can party favor

mini paint can party favor

The lids were easy to put on, but they were somewhat challenging to remove when the girls discovered the favors at the end of the treasure hunt. (They were easily popped open with a table knife.)

mini paint can party favor

I personalized the mini paint can favors by adding a little paper circle with each girl’s name on the top. I forget what kind of glue I tried to use, but it didn’t adhere well (as in, not at all), so I ended up just using a little loop of tape to attach the circles to the lids.

mini paint can party favor

There are endless possibilities for these mini paint cans, so I’m eager to find another excuse to use one!

birthday photo shoot with a big number 8

What 8-year-old girl wouldn’t love a birthday photo shoot?

This one did.

For Magen’s big day, I created a large number eight that she could pose with for lots of fun pictures.

I made the big number eight out of a 20×30″ sheet of 3/16″ foam core. I made a template out of newspaper, traced around it onto the foam core, then cut it out with my X-Acto knife. The final dimensions are about 19×28″.

I then painted the foam core with acrylic paint — in this case, Apple Barrel’s Plum Kiss. I also decided to spraypaint the opposite side with metallic silver paint, but that caused the foam core to warp a little, so I would recommend not doing that. And then in a step that might be considered overkill, I colored in the edges with a black Sharpie and the project was complete.

The large foam core number was surprisingly durable, and survived a slumber party, two photo shoots, and several flights into the air. It was a simple project with a big, fun impact.

a very little sundress

I just spent about an hour sewing the cutest little dress I’ve ever made.

If the sundress that Magen’s American Girl Doll is wearing looks familiar, it’s because I made it to look like a dress I sewed for Magen a couple months ago. After I wrap it up and give it to Magen for her birthday next weekend, I’ll take a picture of the dresses together. Meanwhile, shhh! It’s a secret!

celebrating the first day of summer

What better way to celebrate the first day of summer than with ice cream and water balloons!

Last evening we invited a bunch of friends to come over for a party to celebrate the official arrival of SUMMER!

I snapped a few pictures as we were setting up, so don’t be surprised if toppings and props seem to appear and disappear in these pictures. Goodbye beach ball, hello fruit and ice cream!

We had no shortage of toppings for our ice cream: sprinkles, oreos, gummi bears, M&Ms, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, whipped topping, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries! The brand new beach buckets held puppy chow and pretzels.

The kids enjoyed Laffy Taffy, all kinds of outdoor toys, and glowsticks at dusk. They also had fun with 200 water balloons!

Welcome, summer.

 

Just Checking

I know a book is a short, easy read when I start and finish the book in the same day AND reading is not the only thing I did that day. That day was today, and the book was “Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive” by Emily Colas.

Written by a woman with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, “Just Checking” is full of stories of how OCD manifested itself in her life and marriage. She has a wonderful sense of humor, and tells these short vignettes in an engaging, entertaining way. I bought the book last month at a used book sale at the Indian Valley Public Library, and since it was bag day and I bought 22 books for two bucks, it basically cost me about 10 cents. The book was enjoyable and even humorous, but given the topic, it was also kind of stressful, so I’m glad it didn’t take me long to read it!

Here are a few sentences that stood out to me that I jotted down as I read:

  • “I possess an endless capacity to keep a worry alive.” (pg. 33)
  • “When I can’t handle the world, I clean it.” (pg. 89)
  • “But the startling realization I made as I was coming to my senses [via medication] was that life’s kind of a drag. There didn’t seem to be much to it. And my rituals had been a nice diversion.” (pg. 138)

new summer dress

This evening I wore a new dress to go out to dinner. This morning it was just one big piece of fabric.

I think the last time I sewed a dress for myself, I was in high school. The dress had big puffy sleeves that I would occasionally adjust so they were perfectly inflated. Thank goodness dresses like that are no longer in style!

The fabric for this dress came from JoAnn Fabric & Crafts. According to the selvedge, it was made “exclusively for JoAnn,” and the fabric has a linen feel. When I bought it, I was a little afraid that the floral print looked too much like a curtain, but now that it’s a dress, it seems less like a window treatment. The pattern is NewLook 6885, and has quite a few different bodice styles, so I’m sure I’ll use this pattern again.

Hooray for a new dress!

microwave popcorn in a brown paper bag

Did you know that you can pop popcorn in the microwave in just a regular brown lunchbag? It’s true.

I’ve been seeing various mentions of this on the internet, so when I started feeling hungry this afternoon, I decided to try it out. All I did was put 1/8 cup of popcorn kernels in a bag, drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of olive oil over the kernels, and shake it a bit. Then I folded over the top of the bag two times and put it in the microwave on top of a folded paper towel (to protect the microwave from any oil that might seep through). I nuked it until the kernels stopped popping, put some popcorn salt in the bag, shook it up, and dumped it out into a bowl.

Yum!

When Magen got home from school and smelled the lingering aroma of popcorn, of course she wanted some, so we made a second batch using the same brown bag — and even though it didn’t have any butter flavor like she’s used to, she didn’t waste any time gobbling it down.

I love that popcorn is such a cheap, easy, fun, delicious snack!

2 for 22

This morning I paid two dollars for twenty-two books.

Our local library often has used book sales, and today’s was a bag sale, which means that I could stuff a plastic shopping bag full of books and pay only two bucks for the whole thing. I came away with 22 books, and my bag wasn’t even completely full.

Ten of the books were children’s books, but the other twelve were not. Here is the stack I’m most excited about.

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom – The author shares life lessons he learned from his former professor who is dying. I feel like the only person who hasn’t read this.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer – I read part of this at Barnes and Noble several years ago, and have been wanting to read the whole thing ever since. It’s the story of a well-to-do young man who hitchhiked to Alaska and died of starvation in the wilderness.

Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott – I’ve never read anything by Anne Lamott, but every time I read or hear a quote by her, I want to read her books.

Girl Meets God by Lauren F. Winner – I’ve actually already read this book, but I wanted to own it. I’ve heard her speak before, and also own another of her books, and she’s just as compelling in person as she is in writing. From the back cover: “The child of a Jewish father and a lapsed Southern Baptist mother, Lauren F. winner chose to become an Orthodox Jew. But even as she was observing Sabbath rituals and studying Jewish law, Lauren was increasingly drawn to Christianity. Courageously leaving what she loved, she eventually converted. In Girl Meets God, this appealing woman takes us through a year in her Christian life as she attempts to reconcile both sides of her religious identity.”

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows – I know absolutely nothing about this book except that someone recommended it to me once upon a time. (Katie, was it you?) So, from the back cover again: “January 1946: Writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. And so begins a remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.”

Perplexing Lateral Thinking Puzzles by Paul Sloane & Des MacHale – A short description of a scenario is provided, and you have to figure out how to explain the missing details.

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell – What’s worse than buying a book you’ve already read? Buying a book you already own! And I even knew that we already have it. I guess that shows just how much of a fan of Malcolm Gladwell I am. “The Tipping Point is that magic moment when an idea, trend, or social behavior crosses a threshold, tips, and spreads like wildfire.” You’re welcome to borrow it; we have a spare copy.

Just Checking: Scenes from the Life of an Obsessive-Compulsive by Emily Colas – I just thought the title sounded interesting. When you’re shoving books in a bag for two bucks, the books start to feel like they’re free.

Marry Me! Courtships and Proposals of Legendary Couples by Wendy Goldberg and Betty Goodwin – The book tells the stories of 35 couples, including Martha Bernays & Sigmund Freud, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz, Coretta Scott & Martin Luther King, Jr., Lisa Halaby & King Hussein I of Jordan, Hillary Rodham & Bill Clinton, and many others.

The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin – I followed the author’s blog for a short time several years ago while she was writing the book. Happiness seemed to be so unnatural for her, and she had to work so hard at being happy that she seemed stressed out by the pursuit of simple happiness. I didn’t find it inspiring at all, and stopped reading her blog. But recently I’ve happened to see a surprising number of positive responses to the book on the internet, so I thought I’d read at least some of it. Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Food Made Fast: Weeknight by Williams-Sonoma – I don’t really need another cookbook, but I collect them like some people collect new music or whatever else inspires them. Lime shrimp with coconut rice? Yes, please.

Real Simple Solutions from the editors of Real Simple – Eye candy plus good ideas.

All that plus ten children’s books (including the pop-up book Dinner Time by Jan Pienkowski) for TWO BUCKS!

black and white with a grosgrain hem

Six years ago, I stopped by a fabric store in Rockville, Maryland (in the greater DC area) and bought 7/8 of a yard of fabric to sew into a skirt.

Black and white floral skirts were popular in 2005, and G Street Fabrics had a MUCH better selection of fabrics than I could find in the small fabric stores in my area, so I handed over $8.39 and brought the fabric home.

A couple weeks ago, I decided it was finally time to turn that fabric into a skirt, even though black and white floral skirts are no longer on the cutting edge of fashion. So I sewed most of it, and then ignored it until last evening, when I finished it up. It’s just a simple A-line skirt, but it’s made out of stretch cotton sateen, so it’s a very nice weight. Also, I stitched a black grosgrain ribbon to the hem to spiff it up a bit and make it look a little less homemade.

Finished!

When I get or make new clothes, I always want to wear them ASAP, so I wore the skirt to church this morning.

P.S. I know you can’t see this, since it’s the internet and all, but I accidentally cut the fabric for the back of the skirt with the print upside down. The floral print is pretty busy, so hopefully people won’t notice, but some of the flowers are definitely directional. At least I got it right on the front!

Spectacles

This is the sixth in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. Click here to read the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth posts.

Although I enjoyed reading the book “Spectacles” by Ellen Raskin long before I needed glasses, this is a delightful book for any child who has glasses, needs glasses, or hopes they never need glasses. In other words — anyone.

“Spectacles” is about a girl named Iris Fogel who had trouble seeing clearly.

One day a fire-breathing dragon knocked on her door.

Scary, huh?

Turns out the fire-breathing dragon was actually Great-aunt Fanny!

See the fire-breathing dragon?

Iris was sure she saw a horse in her house…

… but it was actually her baby-sitter.

After many instances of being confused about what she saw, Iris’ mother took her to a blue elephant.

Er, an eye doctor.

The blue elephant / eye doctor determined that Iris needed glasses. She resisted, but then realized she got to choose between glasses that made her look younger or older, sweeter or smarter, like a scholar or a movie star, adorable or intelligent. (This picture of Iris wearing six different pairs of glasses was always my favorite page.)

So Iris’ vision problems were solved… until she took off her glasses and thought her family Christmas celebration was a red rhinoceros with a tulip in its ear.

The book is from 1968, so the illustrations seem a bit dated, but in a charming sort of way. And don’t you just love that the girl with vision problems is named IRIS? Me too.

Dr. Seuss’s ABC

This is the fifth in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. Click here to read the first, second, third, and fourth posts.

If you sat down and wrote a list of your favorite children’s books, chances are good that you would include at least one title by the beloved Dr. Seuss. But as charming as his fanciful, rhyming stories are, one of my favorite books is actually his book of ABCs that features alliteration more prominently than rhymes.

BIG A, little a, What begins with A?

Aunt Annie’s alligator, A a A…

BIG B, little b, What begins with B?

Barber
baby
bubbles
and a
bumblebee.

After a camel on the ceiling, a duck-dog, and an ear/egg/elephant, we arrive at F.

I always liked Lola Lopp.

I don’t know why, but N was always my favorite page when I was a kid.

Although most pages follow the pattern of “BIG X, little x, What begins with X?”, at just the right intervals, Dr. Seuss introduces some letters in a totally different way. It’s a refreshing break from the pattern, and yet it soon feels comforting to get back to the familiar rhythm.

W… w… W… Willy Waterloo washes Warren Wiggins who is washing Waldo Woo.

Are you wondering how he handled X? No worries.

BIG T, little t, What begins with T? THANK YOU, Dr. Seuss!

Me Too Iguana

This is the fourth in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. Click here to read the first, second, and third posts.

I’m not sure why I only remember one of the 26 books in the Sweet Pickles series, but “Me Too Iguana” made a lasting impression on me when I was a child. (Maybe it was the only one we owned?)

Me Too Iguana

“Me Too Iguana” is the story of an iguana who wasn’t content with who she was. She wanted to look like everyone else and be able to do the special things that only certain other animals could do.

Me Too Iguana

Iguana wanted a trunk like Elephant, a mane like Lion’s, stripes like Zebra’s stripes, and feathers like the ones Goose had that were flapping in the breeze.

Me Too Iguana

So she took the DIY route and made her own trunk, mane, stripes, and feathers.

Me Too Iguana

When Iguana began to envy Stork’s ability to fly, her friends became worried for her safety. They realized that she was trying to be like them because she thought all of those features were better.

So Iguana’s friends invited her to a costume party — with strict instructions not to talk about the costumes in advance. Of course, Iguana wanted to wear what everyone else was wearing, but she couldn’t figure out what to wear. When she got to the park, she was confused, because all she saw were little flashes of green.

Me Too Iguana

When Iguana realized that nobody was wearing a trunk, a mane, stripes, or feathers, she took hers off to fit in. And then she realized that all of her friends had come in an iguana costume — and she wasn’t wearing ANY costume.

Me Too Iguana

After assuring Iguana that she was dressed perfectly, Stork presented the prize for the best iguana, and of course Iguana was the winner.

“You have the loveliest, greenest color,” smiled Stork. “You have the longest, bumpiest tail. Congratulations! We all think you’re wonderful just the way you are!”

“Yes,” said Iguana, very surprised, “I do too!”

Amelia Bedelia

This is the third in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. You can read earlier posts here and here.

In spite of all the problems she causes, it’s hard not to love Amelia Bedelia. Her antics have been amusing children (and their parents) since 1963, when Peggy Parish wrote the original story of the well-meaning maid who often misunderstood what other people meant and created all kinds of problems.

When I opened the cover of the book to find the copyright date, I got such a kick out of the incredibly succinct Library of Congress summary: “A literal-minded housekeeper causes a ruckus in the household when she attempts to make sense of some instructions.”

Ruckus indeed.

On her first day of work as the housekeeper for Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, Amelia Bedelia diligently worked her way through the to-do list they left for her, but unfortunately, she took everything literally.

She changed the towels.

She dusted the living room (with dusting powder).

When she finished drawing the drapes, she followed instructions to “put the lights out when you finish in the living room.” So she unscrewed the light bulbs and aired them out. “Just like pillows and babies,” she concluded.

Not surprisingly, Mrs. Rogers was angry when she got home and discovered all the problems that her new housekeeper had caused. She had even dressed the chicken! (Aren’t those overalls funny?)

But before Mrs. Rogers could fire her for incompetence, Mr. Rogers stuffed a bite of Amelia Bedelia’s fresh lemon meringue pie into Mrs. Rogers’ mouth.

The pie was so good that they decided Amelia Bedelia could continue to work as their housekeeper.

I think it’s somewhat unfortunate that it’s a woman in a service role who is portrayed as lacking intelligence, but of course this story is about so many other themes — double meanings in the English language; communication and misunderstandings; grace, forgiveness, and second chances; compensating for skills you lack; and maybe even about food’s ability to short-circuit rational thinking. 🙂

There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon

This is the second in a series of posts about Children’s Book Week. You can read about the first book here.

One of the books I read to the kids tonight during bathtime was “There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon” by Jack Kent. I remember enjoying the book when I was a kid, so when I had an opportunity to buy it for twenty-five cents at a used book sale a couple weeks ago, I didn’t hesitate for a moment.

“There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon” is the story of a little boy, Billy Bixbee, who woke up one morning to find a small dragon in his bedroom.

The dragon was a friendly dragon, but his mother insisted over and over that there’s no such thing as a dragon.

At breakfast, the dragon sat on the table, and I love the logic that follows.

“This sort of thing was not usually permitted, but there wasn’t much Billy’s mother could do about it. She had already said there was no such thing as a dragon. And if there’s no such thing, you can’t tell it to get down off the table.”

Throughout the morning, the dragon got bigger and bigger until it filled the whole house.

But when the dragon smelled a bread truck, it ran off with the house on its back, leaving just the foundation and a confused Mr. Bixbee.

Finally, Mrs. Bixbee had to accept that there really was a big problem known as a dragon, and when they acknowledged this and Billy patted the dragon on the head, the dragon started getting smaller.

When the dragon was the size of a kitten again, the mother wondered why it had to grow so BIG.

“I’m not sure,” said Billy, “but I think it just wanted to be noticed.”

Of course, not all problems will go away when you pat them on the head, but it’s true that big problems can sometimes be avoided by dealing with them while they’re still small problems. Pretending that the problem doesn’t exist usually doesn’t make the problem go away.

If only all problems could be accompanied by such charming illustrations…

The Monster at the End of This Book

Children’s Book Week kicks off today, so I thought it was only fitting to read one of my favorite children’s books before tucking the kiddos into bed tonight.

“The Monster at the End of This Book” is a Little Golden Book by Jon Stone, and stars “lovable, furry old Grover.”

Grover is aware that there will be a monster at the end of the book and pleads with the reader to not turn pages. He tries tying the pages together, he tries nailing them together, and he even builds a brick wall, but each time, the young reader is able to turn the page — and Grover isn’t too happy about it.

After all, he’s scared of the monster.

Of course, when we reach the end of the book, we discover that the “monster” is just lovable, furry old Grover. And the furry blue guy suddenly pretends like HE was telling the READER not to be scared. On the very last page, he makes a confession that we can all identify with.

“Oh, I am so embarrassed…”

I love the way the book breaks the “fourth wall” between the story and the reader. The book becomes an object to be overcome, and the story becomes a conversation between Grover and the reader. Plus, it’s just a lot of fun to read it aloud with a great amount of expression!

Easter basket treasure hunt

This morning we gave our kids their Easter baskets, but instead of just handing them over, I made a treasure hunt with clues that led to the baskets of goodies. I wrote up about ten clues, including one that took them all the way to the end of the driveway to look inside the mailbox, and then tucked each clue inside a plastic Easter egg.

The middle clue pictured above was my favorite one. “I’m packing your extra pair of shoes, and your angry eyes… just in case.” Anybody know where the next egg with a clue was hidden? (Hint: it’s a quote from Toy Story 2.)

It was inside Mr. Potato Head! (That’s where Mrs. Potato Head packed her husband’s shoes and angry eyes.)

Also, that blue and green chevron fabric pictured above is now a dress for Magen. I didn’t start sewing it ’til yesterday, so I was relieved when I finished it up this afternoon. Hopefully I’ll be able to get a good picture of her in the dress tomorrow.

Happy Easter!

crepe paper confetti

When the Easter egg piñata I made this week is destroyed on Sunday afternoon, a whole lot of candy and a few bits of homemade crepe paper confetti will fall from the sky. I know the kids will be too busy scrambling for the candy to care about the confetti, but I’ll enjoy it. And I snapped a few pictures of it so you can enjoy it too.

The paper is actually just crepe paper streamers, and the circles were cut out with a 3/4″ punch. I folded the paper and punched four layers at a time.

I’m sure the confetti doesn’t look as lovely now that it’s stuffed inside the piñata with the Laffy Taffy, Nerds, and Starburst… but it was fun to make!

marshmallows with sprinkles

Question: What kind of special edible Easter treat do you make for a kid who doesn’t like chocolate?

Answer: You combine two of his favorite forms of sugar — marshmallows and sprinkles — and end up with the most beautiful, simple treat ever.

A couple weeks ago I saw a picture on the Hip Hip Hooray blog of marshmallows dipped in chocolate and sprinkles, and I knew Hayden would love them if I used something other than chocolate. So today over lunchtime, I took a few minutes (literally — it was so quick) to make my own version with white candy melts instead of chocolate. All I did was melt some white candy discs in a double boiler, dip the marshmallow in the melted goo, and drop some sprinkles on before it hardened.

It would be easy to make these with other colors of melted candy or sprinkles to coordinate with a particular color scheme, but the classic multi-colored nonpareils are fun and cheerful.

one little apron

One Sunday evening a few weeks ago, I pulled out a bunch of containers of leftovers from the fridge and started announcing all of the options for dinner. Instead of groaning at the idea of reheated food, Magen thought it seemed like a restaurant. So much selection! Suddenly she wanted to write up menus and take orders, but at that point, I really just wanted to get dinner on the table, so we put her idea on hold for another time.

Fast forward to this past Sunday afternoon, when I went to my fabric stash and pulled out some cute brown fabric with pears on it that I had bought on clearance. After all, if Magen was going to be the waitress for our Sunday evening dinner of leftovers, she needed to be properly attired with a little apron.

After taking a few quick measurements, I made a pattern out of a paper grocery bag and proceeded to make a very simple lined apron. (The colors look better in real life than in this photo.)

While I sewed, Magen wrote out the menu, took orders, and even made a little cardboard sign for the table highlighting the dessert options — {leftover} brownies with ice cream.

Our little waitress had so much fun serving dinner that Hayden now wants an apron too so he can be a waiter. The chef plans to make him one this weekend…

31 days of green: a handmade calendar

Although my creative endeavors don’t always turn out as I had pictured them in my head, sometimes they come very, very close. Tonight’s project was one of those lucky times. I was itching to do something creative, so I pulled out some paint and paper and made a little calendar for the month of March.

I cut a 4×6″ piece of white cardstock, drew light gridlines with a pencil, and painted the squares with three shades of green acrylic paint. After the paint dried, I erased the gridlines, wrote the date on each square with a silver metallic marker, and added the word “March.” My final step was to cut a piece of foam core to size and mount the calendar to the foam core with a glue stick.

The calendar isn’t exactly centered on the paper, and my cursive script leaves a bit to be desired, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out.