More from Grandma...

Here's my mom's next creation for the delight and entertainment of a grandchild.  This one was intended to keep my little niece busy on a long trip.  I have to say I think it is pretty amazing!  Maybe you can get some ideas for making one of your own?

Alphabet match-ups

Animal homes (with magnets!)

 apple picking

baby birds and their momma (with a removable wing!)

a hungry, and stretchy!, catapillar

a lacing butterfly, with his own little pocket

a fuzzy bumble bee, with a sweet flower to explore 

(the flower is scented with perfume, so you can smell it!)

Now that is one amazing Grandma!

Pew Baby

As promised, here's a look at a clever little baby doll that's sure to delight any little girl's heart.  

Disclaimer - this is my mother's handiwork, not my own!  I just like to show off how clever she is...

These dolls are called "pew babies" because they were so simple for mother's to make in church to quiet a fussy little one.  (Back in a more gracious time, when people still carried handkerchiefs!)  They're really easy to make, and can be as simple or as fancy as you want.  Another benefit - they don't take up a whole lot of room, and so are easily carried around by little hands (or mouths, or pockets, or stuffed down the front of a onesie...)

Here's a quick tutorial on how to make your own.  

 Start with a square (or rectangle) of fabric.  If not using an actual handkerchief, go ahead and hem all the edges so they won't fray.  (Just pretend that head isn't there yet)

 

About 1/3 of the way from the top edge, make a "head" by wadding polyfill, cotton balls, or scraps and then tying the handkerchief around it.

Tie the top two corners in a knot to make "hands".

Fold the handkerchief down to leave the head at the top.  It should look like she has a cape.

Tie a ribbon around her waist, catching the back cape in the ribbon.

Add embellishments as you choose - draw or embroider a face, add a bit of lace and some ribbon to give her a "bonnet", anything you desire!

Fun Fact #3

 I hate ticks.
When it comes to creepy-crawleys, I'm not really a "girly" sort of girl.  Worms I regard with a sort of friendly interest, although I will stick one on a hook if required.  I find fireflies fascinating.  Spiders and ants I can take or leave, but mostly I "leave", as long as they "leave" me.  And any other little critters than cross my path I can either pass by with calm disinterest, or deal with with a minimum of fuss.
But....

I

HATE

TICKS

In fact, the first summer Little Man was old enough to crawl around in the grass outside I was doing some frantic research on whether or not I could treat him with Frontline so he wouldn't get bitten, because I had serious doubts about my abilities to deal with that kind of emergency situation -- And serious doubts about what Steve would say to an ambulance bill for a tick on the baby.

It's probably the only thing that seriously has me considering a move to Alaska at times.

( Don't worry - my research was pretty conclusive, and I have never used any kind of pet medication on any of my children.)

A little carpentry...

Hi again!  Did you think I'd lost my computer?  Actually, it was the camera.  And I didn't lose it, it's been in the shop. 
But apart from that, it's been a funny couple weeks around here.  First we were working through Coxsackie virus (the girls) and then I've been in crazy "organize/planning/trying to find where I put my mind" mode.  Which, thanks to a couple wonderful friends, I think I finally found!

Moving on...

Since I haven't been doing much of anything creative myself lately, I though I'd share a few little things my mom has made recently, sometime in the next week or so.  Today, I'm going to share a little trick for fixing those loose screws...

Here we have a "treasure box" that I found at a yard sale really cheap.  It needs a bit of love and attention, but it's going to make a great Christmas gift for Ailidh!

I do enjoy a little "shabby-chic", but this was just shabby.

 The first step was to repair all the loose parts: wobbly legs, loose handle, and falling off hinges.  The trouble was, many of the screws were stripped - you know - when you tighten a screw and tighten a screw but it never gets tight?  Well, here's a quick trick to take care of the problem.


Here's what you need - some toothpicks, wood glue, and a hammer.  Oh, and a screw driver of course.
(Please excuse the poor quality photos.  As I said before, my camera is in the shop and I had to use the phone)










Now, remove the loose screws and expose the screw holes.

 Dip the tip of a toothpick into the wood glue.

Poke the glue-y end into the hole as far as you can.  

Cut off the part sticking out.

If the hole is large enough, repeat the process until it's completely filled with toothpick.

If there is still little bit sticking out, hammer it in gently until the surface is smooth.

Now, replace the piece and the screws.  Screw them right into the now plugged holes.  They should tighten right up.

Good as new!

Stay tuned for further developments!

Fun Fact Friday

#2a  I first met my husband in Honors Chemistry 101.  He sat up front and paid attention.  I sat in the back and talked to friends.  Little did we know...

#2b  Steve thinks I'm wonderful.  I believe he has moments of doubt about my sanity, but he still thinks I'm wonderful.  I, on the other hand, have no doubt about him -- he's CRAZY.