Picnic

Bijou's Cookie Party

This post is a bit belated, but as I like to say, "better late than never!"

I'm couldn't be happier that my little 6-year-old has caught my entertaining bug.  When she asked if she could have a holiday party with her friends this year, I knew I couldn't say "no" even though our calendar was filling up quickly and I wasn't exactly in a good position to take on any more.

We decided on a cookie decorating party and found the perfect Evite invitation with the details scrolled out onto a recipe card.

My Mom was kind enough to mix, roll and bake the cookies for me during her weekly visit.

The kids got to work, frosting and sprinkling the cookies and licking their fingers, of course.

Homemade Valentines- well sort of.

I requested a little extra notice this year from Bijou's teacher of when and how many Valentines would be due at school.  Since he has a newborn at home himself, he totally understood why it may take me 2 weeks to help Bijou complete 20 Valentines instead of two days.

As you know, I always like going the homemade route and this year would be no different.  Well, to be honest, we incorporated a major shortcut.

Tip: Sipping a glass of white wine while helping your children with their school projects makes it much more fun.  Especially when it's February and 75 degrees outside. I love California!

Japanese masking tape can spruce up any paper craft project.

The results!

The Bakery

I've stooped to some new parenting lows since entering my eighth month of this twin pregnancy.  I've taken Bijou to Chuck E Cheese twice in the last week because I can just sit at a table with a cup full of coins while she goes between playing the games and checking back in with me.  It definitely beats the backaches and "uterine irritability" I would endure from a more educational outing to a museum or the zoo or something.  Unfortunately, the weather has been horribly cold for the last two weeks so my plans for lounging around at the pool have fell through.  

In addition to the Chuck E Cheese outings, I've upped the limit of television per day to no limit at all.  I think I may have reached a new high the other day with approximately 5 hours of cartoon viewing, but who's really counting.  I mentioned this to the nurse who was assisting during my bi-weekly stress tests at the hospital and she said, "oh don't worry about it.  Just do what you have to do.  As long as she isn't watching The Real Housewives of New Jersey, she will be fine."  That made me feel better, as did this homemade bakery project we made the other day.

Cocoa Banana Muffins from The Modern Baker

   
 

Tin Can phones

Her childhood is now more complete.  

Tin Can Phone how-to instructions can be found here.

A School Project

I'm trying to pack a lot into my second trimester, including, but not limited to: blogging, nesting, entertaining, baking, cooking, organizing, resting, and volunteering at Bijou's school.  She really enjoys it when I come on field trips and help out in the classroom.  I know this because she is constantly groping and kissing me while I'm there and telling me she loves me.  Really.  It's a little over the top but I eat it up any way.

 

This week I had the pleasure of hanging out with all 22 of the little 4/5-year-olds and helping them make their own stamps.  They did the drawing, I did the carving and the results are fantastic!

 

To Make:

Buy a sheet of rubber at the art store and cut it into small squares with a sharp knife.

Have the kids draw a simple drawing in pencil onto the rubber.

Using wood carving tools, carve the drawing.

Place in ink and stamp away!
    

Happy Easter

Happy Easter!  We spent last weekend dyeing and decorating our eggs and making these adorable bunny envelopes to fill with sweet treats.  We plan to spend this Sunday morning searching for eggs in the garden before heading to Big Sur for a leisurely lunch at Nepenthe.  Rain... Stay Away!

 Bunny Envelope Instructions

     

Scribble Garden

 

..this collage project takes your scribbles and doodles to create a surreal garden.

What you will need:
*Black India ink
*Brushes, scissor and glue stick
*18 x 24 in. white bond paper

step one:
..paint many shapes, scribbles and doodles with the ink – fill the entire sheet of paper

step two:
..once the ink dries cut out the different shapes and glue down with the glue stick to  create different shaped flowers and plants.  If you cut most of the white exposing the black ink – they will look more integrated. Try to keep it dense.

How about using water colour and try different scenes.

via bkids.typepad.com

Pattern Print Book Cover

 

..this project is exploring pattern with lino printing – you can use this project to make a wall hanging, wrapping paper, cards etc.  – we will use this method to make a book cover

What you will need:
*1 sheet of brown kraft paper approx.11 x 14 in”
*1 piece of soft lino approx. 3x3 in.
*scissors, pencil and ruler
*lino cutter, plexi to roll ink, roller and spatula
*white block printing ink

step one:
..take your book and trace around with a pencil – add an extra 4 in. on either side.  Cut your book cover out.
step two:
..first decide on a image for your repeated pattern – try to do an image that goes right to the edge of the lino and do some thumbnail sketches if you want to see how it will repeat.  Try to draw an image that won’t look like an image merely repeated, but rather an image that will become part of a larger pattern when repeated
..after you draw your design – colour in the areas you want to keep and leave blank the area you want to carve out
step three:
..carve out the areas left blank on your line block. You can ink the block and test how it looks on some scrap paper if you like to make sure its how you want it
step four:
..start printing the book cover by rolling ink on the lino block and pressing firmly on the kraft paper – start in the far left hand corner and work outwards
step five:
..once the entire surface is covered let dry
step six:
..place the cover over the book and fold in the inside flap.

via bkids.typepad.com

Water Color Flowers

 

..this project is painting water colours in the wet on wet method to create loose images of flowers

What you will need:
*8 x 10 in. water colour paper
*water colours, brushes and cup for water
*one bamboo skewer
*black India ink
*hair dryer (optional)

step one:
..take a clean brush and dip in the water and wet the entire surface of the paper
step two:
..take different colours of the water colour and dab small amounts of the colour to allow the paint to bleed on the surface.  Proceed with this step till you get the desired effect.
step three:
..take the hair dryer and dry the entire surface – the surface can be a bit damp, but not wet
step four:
..take the bamboo skewer and draw lines on the surface creating the outlines of the flowers
you can also blow dry this surface when you are done drawing

via bkids.typepad.com

More Shadow Puppets

 

..creating a shadow puppet show using silhouette cut-outs.

What you will need:
*1 sheet of black Bristol board
*coloured pencil, scissors, xacto knife, cutting board, masking tape
*scrap sticks
*white sheet and some thumb tacks
*a bright lamp

step one:
..take the black Bristol board and take the coloured pencil to draw your creature – cut out your image and ask an adult to cut out the small details with an exacto knife
step two:
..take the scrap wood and tape it to the back of your cut out.
step three:
..take a white sheet and either pin it between the door way or between two chairs.  Make sure it’s dark and shine a bright light on the back of the sheet and  the puppet show may begin – have fun!

via bkids.typepad.com