Paradise Found

Just in case your holiday home is lacking in calorie content, let me direct you again to the recipe for the best fudge ever.

Robin recently mentioned that she’s going to be using my book, Great Colonial America Projects You Can Build Yourself to supplement her upcoming unit on colonial America. I just thought I’d mention that the book is available as a FREE download, here. Seriously. Free. What are you waiting for?

Just ducky, eh?

• Start by making a paper bag vest. (Cut up the middle of the front of a brown grocery bag and over the edge of the bag’s bottom. Cut a round neck hole out of the bottom of the bag, and an arm hole in each side.)
• Cut paper plates into eighths. Starting at the bottom of the vest and working your way up, glue the “feathers” onto the bag with a hot glue gun, making sure that the entire bag is covered.
• Hang the vest on an old hanger outside and spray paint the entire vest.
• Glue on yarn ties to close the vest.
• To make the head, cover a ball cap (except for the bill) with paper plate feathers and paint. When this is dry, cut orange felt to cover the bill, top and bottom, and glue in place. Add eyeballs.

While I don’t have a photo, I used the same method to make a black dog. The only difference was the hat – it had a black skull cap and glued on felt ears.

Halloween is my husband’s holiday. The kids are getting “too old” for costumes now, but back in the day? He was something with a cardboard box and a hot glue gun (I was allowed to paint). Of course, it helped that my kids ONLY ever wanted to be inanimate objects…

Artist Holli Conger is hosting a pumpkin decorating contest. Yes, decorating, not carving. You see, Holli, a children’s book illustrator creates her art using found objects. I heart Holli. Well, actually, I heart Holli’s art; in truth, I don’t KNOW Holli.

Here’s the deal.

Participation is open to all artists, young and old. Junk your pumpkin any way you want. The process is easy! Find a pumpkin (any size), gather some junk (found objects) and start junkin’!

I’m already planning my pumpkin – this sounds like loads of fun, not to mention a great way to celebrate without losing any fingers. Oh, and I think I’ll let my kids play, too!

“Mom, I would like to be a tractor for Halloween, please.”

Oh, John Deere!

We have an unwritten rule in our house: No store bought Halloween costumes and no store bought birthday cakes. I guess it’s what you’d call one of my weird little quirks. This one was easy to make, incredibly cheap, and it turned out to be an excellent toy after Halloween. Got a box?