I'd Like to Buy a Vowel

Every year, I volunteer at the Wisconsin Public Television auction.  It's a fundraiser for WPT, but mainly I volunteer because it's fun.  This year, I scored a really awesome package at the auction, and I wrapped it up to give to a very special someone who loves a certain game show.  The package included:

 a hat

mildly creepy talking keychains of Pat and Vanna 

a smaller keychain in the shape of the wheel, a pen, a large signed photo of Pat and Vanna (trust me, it's in the envelope), and four VIP passes to a taping of the show (in the butterfly wrapping-- can you tell these photos were poorly planned?)

and of course a tote bag.  Go green! 

Quiet Book Sewalong: Page #6

Okay, I admit it.  I skipped a page.  And I totally changed another page.  But I think it turned out pretty cute! 

Whoooo could resist unzipping the tree trunk and playing with these two little owl finger puppets?  I'm secretly thinking about not attaching them to the page with ribbon or string.  I imagine that all those strings are going to be completely annoying to the parent who ends up untangling them all.  And if the owls fly away, who cares?  Just zip something else into the tree trunk. 

Garden Update

I have never been much of a gardener.  Typically, I plant things and then they wither almost immediately.  But this year we've worked really hard, and this morning I was thrilled beyond belief when I saw a litle green bean in our terrace garden:

Do you see that?  A green bean!  A green bean, people!  It's like it just popped up overnight.  And the real magic is that we planted the green beans from seeds. 

We also have a lovely fairy tale eggplant that is flowering.  It's supposed to bear mini eggplants!  Cute, huh?

The butternut squash- also from seeds- are thriving.   

And take a look at these beauties!  One of our tomato plants is loving life right now, and the others are pretty happy, too. 

I'm also proud to report that we've frozen one batch of kale, and we had many delicious salads straight from the lettuce patch. 

Quiet Book Sewalong: Page #5

What's this little suitcase doing here? 

Oh I see.  It has all kinds of little disguises in it!  A party hat, a crown, a pig nose, a mustache, glasses, and a bow tie!



Plus it's lined!  What more could you ask for?

Well, you could ask for a mirror, to see yourself wearing the disguises.  I'm working on creating a facing page with a mirror, so quiet book readers can look at their reflections and put the disguises either on their reflections or on their actual faces. 

More of Carissa's sewalong is here!



Sunday Morning Bike Ride

I was lucky enough to spend Sunday morning riding bikes and eating pancakes with five of my very favorite people!  We rode out to a little biker bar ("biker" as in motorcycle, but it's right on the bike trail, so it attracts a lot of bicyclists, too), had breakfast, and rode back home.  I couldn't have asked for a better morning!  

Garage Sale Goodies

Have I ever told you that I love Hallmark pins?  Maybe not, but I've at least hinted at it.  I'm not obsessed enough to be trolling ebay or anything, but they're one of the things I always keep an eye out for at yard sales.  So when I found this little turkey for a dime on Thursday, I snapped it up. 

I also scored this antique Swedish camping stove for $3.00.  We don't need another camping stove, but it's Swedish!  It says "SWEDEN" on it!  So obviously I had to have it.  

I also bought a Kelty child carrier (the backpack/frame kind) for $5.00 for a friend who's been looking for one.  Sweet! 

I hope your garage sale expeditions have been fruitful!

Quiet Book Sewalong: Page #4

Twinkle, twinkle, little star,

In a quiet book you are.

Connect the buttons with the string

Make a constellation or any thing.

Okay, not my best rhyme ever.  At least I didn't try to work in the word "mutton" to rhyme with "button." 

Here it is... page #4!

The stars are shiny gold buttons with anchors on them.  Little quiet book readers can wrap the sparkly ribbon around the stars to create shapes. 

Ten Tens for a Very Wonderful Ten-Year-Old

Remember Macie from the Irish Dancing post last year?

This month, believe it or not, she's turning....

Because we love her so much, four friends and I teamed up to create this little package for her. 

What's this?!  A Queen Bee wallet?  Lucky girl!

But wait... there's more!  The wallet is packed with ten $10 gift cards to some of Macie's favorite places!

The line-up: Target, Barnes and Noble, Einstein's, Claire's, Starbucks, REI, Hobby Lobby, Little Man Ice Cream (local in Denver, where she lives), Noodles and Company, and Cold Stone.  

Happy happy birthday, Macie!  Enjoy your ten tens, and your tenth year of being you!

Yard Sale Goodies

After the farmer's market on Saturday, Karl and I hit a garage sale and scored these treasures:

This cute yellow metal cart was only $1.  How could we pass it up?

A pair of sawhorses for $2.50!  The last time we needed sawhorses, we made them and they were way more expensive than these nicely foldable ones. 

Our success at this sale further proves my new garage sale philosophy: Go on Saturday.  Skip the frantic Friday morning rush.  Chances are, other shoppers aren't looking for the same things you are, so you'll still have good stuff waiting for you on Saturday.  Plus you get a better experience-- and probably better prices. 

Karl and I weren't planning to go to any garage sales; we just happened upon this one.  As long as we're talking about garage sale philosophies, I'll mention my tried and true favorite (a girl can have more than one garage sale philosophy, right?): Follow your heart and don't overplan.  Most of the great deals I've scored have been at sales that I just kind of stumbled upon.  And when I don't feel like going to a sale but I force myself to go anyway, it's nearly always a bust.  It's almost like we have an intrinsic ability to predict which sales are right for us.  So listen to that little voice inside of you when it says, "Turn right!  There's an awesome estate sale two streets over!"

I need to write a book about garage sale techniques and philosophies.  Or maybe a pamphlet.  Or a series of pamphlets.  Yes, a series of pamphlets, definitely.

'Tis the season

Quiet Book Sewalong: Page #3

It's time for the third page in our quiet book sewalong! 

This page is called "Hide and Seek," but secretly I like to call it "Caboodle" because the color combination is similar to that of a beloved cosmetics carrier. 

The fun starts with the row of buttons up at the top... 

Each one has an identical button hiding somewhere in the fringe! 

Wait a moment!  There's no match for this button!  What's it doing hiding down here?!  Just hanging out, I guess.