~Docket Duly Updated~

 

   ....I actually finished those two projects on my docket in a reasonable amount of time. There was not even any bit of shuffling them out of eyesight (well, the papier mache mountain was not going *anywhere* but I could have been much sneakier with the dress. I refrained.) Yay me!! The pillowcase dress turned out fantastic and it was also fantastically simple. Even for me, and I tend toward absolute sewing failure most of the time. Don't even ask me about how many times I have sewn myself OUT of a lined garment (i.e. I can't get back into the garment to turn it right-side-out. It's pathetic.). Seriously, don't ask. It's sad. But, this set of  instructions helped me to turn the tide in the Battle of the Bobbin. Also, I totally adore this pillowcase that I found at goodwill. It has a sister to go with it that has light green trim instead of yellow and it's on my list of things to finish before spring vacation. 

As for the Mountain....

 

  

We finished it!! It was a family effort that took a lot of drop cloth, tempera paint, homemade mod podge, and (of course) imagination. I wanted this project to be an exercise in shading and highlighting with paints for my daughter. We did it simply: One color paint to be used at a time. Light green paint on the elevated areas, darker greens/blues/purples on the recessed. Then some grays for the rocks, paths, and caverns. Finally, some light greyish/whiteish paint for the most elevated of the rocky areas. Once dry, the whole thing was painted with our homemade mod-podge mixture and voila!! She was really proud of herself for all the effort she put into it.....and for the final result. Now we have a place to stack a small portion of her giant collection of shleich animals. Those little animals provide a really quick and painful lesson in kartwheeling when they are left haphazardly on the floor. So, it's a win-win on all counts!!

Homemade Ice cream Deliciousness

 

Goodness me, if I wasn't watching what I eat right now.... well, I'd be watching myself eat THAT. Fast. As it was, I was lucky enough to see my little gal eat some homemade ice cream she made herself. She was totally thrilled with the fact that she did it.... and that she could then EAT it.  Here's the recipe I found on this website:

*1 tablespoon sugar

*1/2 cup half & half (or milk)

*1/4 teaspoon vanilla

*6 tablespoons rock salt

*2 Quart-size Ziploc plastic bag

*1 Gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag 

Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag. Put the milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it. Place the small bag inside the remaining small ziplock try to get as much air out of the second bag before sealing it, and then place it all in the large one and seal again carefully. Shake, rattle, and roll that mixture until it turns to ice cream (5-10 minutes). When you're ready to take it out of the larger bag: rinse the small outer ziplock in the sink to get off any rocksalt residue and then you can pull out the one with the ice cream. Plop it into a bowl and serve it with any and all extras you and your kiddo may desire. Miss Chelsea recommends: To make a larger amount, try doubling the recipe. Anything larger might be too big for kids to pick-up, because the ice itself is quite heavy. 

**I would also recommend having your child wear gloves so that their little hands don't get too chilly. **

Have Fun!!!!

Projects on the Docket

 

Isn't this fringe adorable???!!! I found this pillowcase (and another one that was a pale green fringe) at my local goodwill and I knew that these would make the most perfect pillowcase dresses for my daughter. Ever made one of those?? Yeah, neither have I. But I got a good start on it. Here's the link to the instructions I've been following. What I like about these instructions is that she updates the traditional directions and changes the drawstring casing (a choking hazard) to an elastic one for a more safety conscious outfit. I'm not going to do all the frills she suggests - I think this fringe speaks for itself.  

  

 This is my little papier-mache mountain. I made it as a perching spot for all of my gals little hard plastic animals she has collected (and which tend to make for some risky foot business in every room in the house). I just used tomato hoops and chicken wire to make a frame, covered it with newspaper, and now I'm waiting for it to dry so I can paint it. I'm in charge of the greys and blues and my daughter gets to paint all the pinks and purples. My husband gets all varieties of green paint.  The papier mache that resembles cement is actually just paper that sat in hot water for about an hour, was blended it in my cuisinart, and mixed with the usual ingredients to make a more moldable medium. The whole mountain stands about 3 feet tall and is already home to many dinosaurs. They don't seem to mind it's unfinished state.