If you read this blog regularly, you know I typically feature projects I do with my daughter. I'm usually right behind her, gathering materials and asking questions, and always taking photos.This time, I let her go. Following days of miserable…
Folks, don't try this one at home. In fact, don't try it anywhere. Just don't bother.I love bubbles. You're never too old for them. Amelia and her buddy played with good old fashioned bubbles for almost an hour a few…
This blog is posting a few days late, but I have a good reason. I've been distracted by something very old and very crafty.Thirty-four years ago, when I was twelve, I spent a summer in my parents' basement building a…
In theory, I like tie dye. I always stop to look at the tie dyed clothing-selling stands at festivals. I even consider buying a shirt sometimes, but usually remember just before a purchase that I'm a little too old for…
If you are anywhere near the Carolinas, if you have a TV or use Facebook, you surely know by now that Charlotte is in the midst of Snomaggedon, the Snowpocalypse, the Storm that Stopped the South, or my favorite, snOMG!Whatever…
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Amelia LOVES Valentine's Day. Seriously loves every sugar-coated, glitter-dripping bit of it. So with late-January snow days to occupy, we've already made valentine cookies, purchased valentines for her classmates, and set about making cards for teachers, grandparents, the dog, and…
We had no plans on New Year's Eve, which seemed perfect at first. Just a long, relaxing evening by the fire, watching the ball drop and reading and playing games in our pajamas. This plan entertained our 6-year-old for about…
I fell into the trap. At the start of the school year, my daughter's school held an open house, and her very wise kindergarten teacher put out volunteer sign up sheets for events throughout the year. I had to sign…
I can't remember when I learned to sew. My mother sewed, and I know I used a sewing machine in late elementary school. But stitching by hand must have come first.I still sew a lot, and my Etsy business is…
When it comes to snow, sometimes we have to make our own here in the South.
Now that Halloween is over and it's finally chilly enough to think about winter, we're looking ahead to a season of celebrations. Next up is the once-in-a-lifetime collision of Thanksgiving and Hannukah-Thanksgivukkah! This might justify a deep fried turkey, but…
Have you ever stumbled upon an idea that made you wonder why you'd never thought of it yourself? That's what happened to me the other day. I found this. Yes, at first glance it is a fairly complicated tutorial on…
With the start of kindergarten and the strict school schedule that comes with it, I wasn't sure Amelia or I would have the energy for a craft project this week. Well, just the opposite was true – we NEEDED a…
There's sand in my suitcase, and I put it there.We just returned from a week on Cape Cod with three generations of family. This is the second year we've participated in what is already an annual event—the cost, hassle, and…
I wish I could take credit for this week's project, but I cannot. I have a crafty new friend, and I met her just in time. Her twin girls attended the same preschool as my daughter, and now that the…
We're enjoying a few weeks of Camp Mommy over here. What's Camp Mommy, you wonder? So glad you asked. It's the four weeks between summer camp ending and kindergarten starting. That's right, four weeks. We'll be visiting family for the…
A few months ago, I wrote about a project that involved melting channels through blocks of ice with salt and then watching color flow through the pathways. This project is its room-temperature cousin. You'll need: Stiff paper Glue Water colors…
Remember my last post about getting the deck done faster by inviting Amelia to help? Well...one project led to another. Now that the deck is done, our sun-faded patio umbrella looks SOOOO much worse in comparison. But of course, it…
If you've ever tried to get a project done with kids in the house, you know just how impossible this is. For the past month, my husband has been getting antsy to clean and stain our deck, and we've been…
Do you remember the Zans for Cans, from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish? It was a monster that opens cans...so if you have a lot of cans, you should have a Zans for Cans. According to the…
As a kid, I remember making bird marionette puppets with my mother. Upon more specific recollection, I actually remember watching while my mother made them. And I remember a lot of tangled strings. And now I know why. Because these…
For this week's blog post, I had a plan. We were going to make bird puppets, really we were. Amelia and I went to the craft store for some feathers and other bird supplies, and then we saw it...there in…
When I was a kid, my mother refused to buy anything we could make ourselves. Last week I caught myself eyeing some garden pinwheels in a store, thinking about how to make them. It's official; I've become my mother. Of…
Typically, Passover food is nothing kids get excited about. Brisket and matzo just don't compare with the seasonally concurrent colorful eggs, chocolate bunnies and Easter baskets. But this year, our Seder was a contender. We had a Matzo Candy Castle!…
