Better late than never

Too bad I didn't pay attention to this earlier. Still, I managed to whip something up for Dad and thought I'd share the goodness. There's about a week left on the offer.

The books are really nice; I made one a year and a half ago of the kids, and Butterfly loves looking through it. You end up paying about $9 for shipping/processing -- really a great deal.

note: You don't have to make a "Father's Day" album. It can be anything you want of the 8x8, 20-page albums, including your own design.

Have you seen these?

I want to learn more about them:)

Aren't these pretty? In case you're wondering, this started with the plate on the left. I found it at a local junk store ... for 69 cents.




Part of the reason I went ahead and bought the plate, not just because it's pretty, but also because it's stamped on the bottom. So I knew it wasn't just a mass-produced trinket. Or, if it was, it was done in a convincing manner well worth the 69-cent risk:) The two photos here show the stamp on the plate, then the stamp on the candlestick holder.




The candlestick holder arrived after I took the stamp info and did some online researching. I found exactly two more entries of Aristo, Copenhagen, Denmark, as it relates to this style of ware. (There's also a town named Aristo as well as a newfangled lighting company AND some kind of car.) One of the relevant listings was for jug that had sold at auction, price unknown unless you signed up for some service. The other listing was for this candlestick holder, on eBay.

I sent a note off to the seller, who told me it had traveled with his (now late-)Danish grandmother when she came from Denmark roughly 80 years ago. I had concluded the "31" stamped on the bottom referred to 1931, and he thought so, too.

He didn't know much more about the piece, but was pleased I loved it so much. (He was selling his grandma's things because he worried they'd just get broken rolling around in the storage boxes, and there wasn't anyone in the family who wanted them. Can you imagine not wanting something so beautiful from your grandparents?) Anyway, another $7 including shipping, and the auction -- and its treasure -- were mine.

But that's it. I can't find anything else about them! The blue very closely resembles the blue of the official Dutch royal family's dishes ... or something ... which I also discovered through my research, lol. Obviously, I don't even know a lot about china. What do I even call the collection of plates, cups, etc. ... a service? Place setting?

But I do know one thing very well: These pieces are beautiful.

In for quite the treat

So I'm cleaning off the weekly kitchen-table-accumulation, and come across this funny looking little ... something. What the heck is it? It's a kind of tube, translucent and really short, not even a half an inch.

A bug casing? On my kitchen table (which is never used for kitchen table purposes, as I suspect many kitchen tables in the U.S. are never used for, but still ... )

((shudder))

Then I step back and step on something sticky. I lift my bare foot for inspection, an amazing feat (feet -- hah hah) considering my age and, erm, abundance. There's another translucent tube stuck to the bottom of my foot!! But thanks to my pets, this one comes with a bit of hair!!!!!

Ohmygod! I'm being invaded by something! It wouldn't be unheard of: Thanks to where I live, various creatures in the past have ventured in through the French doors that lead to my deck, often venturing in to their tragic fate. (I'll save the dessicated frog story for another day. ((shudder)) )

For this tragedy, however, I apologize for not having a photo to share. I must admit I was dancing around in a slightly hysterical manner, with a hairy something stuck to my person.

I, however, am a brave and fearless mama. I resolve to remove the offensive object without further ((shudder)), and reach sturdy-strong fingers down to pluck it off.

ew. It's --didImention-- sticky!

Some kind of casing that's actually a cocoon?

Then I see that it's not only translucent, but has a purple dot on each end. WTH??

And THEN I notice the smell.





mmmmmm

Candy!




Click!!

In just that split second, I realize my little girl has discovered a new trick.

Apparently, those couple of grape Mike & Ikes I gave her were only partially to her liking.

I'm guessing, from years of mamahood, that this is how it went:

After swishing the Mike & Ike around a bit in her mouth, and rendering it a beautiful shade of albino, it just didn't taste as good.

So my Butterfly deposited the part she didn't like.

By spitting it out wherever she happened to be.

And letting Mama in for a treat.

Ahhh, parenthood.

Proud of my boy!!

His school's science fair was a couple of weeks ago. He did his project on the Quaternary Period, which is the period we're currently in ... and a period that looked quite different when it began. From saber-tooth tigers (did you know those teeth were just for show, and in fact quite weak and useless for fighting?) to killer birds all the way to now, it's been an interesting time!

I helped with the printing, but all the work was his.



This is his principal ... He kept telling her more and more and more, lol.



I learn so much from him, all the time. This kid can tell you several animals in every period on the evolutionary timeline. And he can tell you countless details about each animal.



He's an amazing teacher.

A day in the life

I'm just going to let the photos speak for themselves.

Random photos

The Boy and I volunteer with a pet shelter, giving lots of love to homeless kitties. (Speaking of, check these out, then go buy some!)

Anyway, while hanging out with the cats at the store, I noticed this, on a rabbit hutch for sale. Quality in all ways ... except perhaps they lack a copy editor:


Moving on ... Coming home Saturday, we spotted these two in the neighbor's yard, enjoying a snack:
(If only I could lure them into my yard to eat the dandelions!) Yup, they're wild bunnies (it's a pasture gate they're behind.) When I worked nights, I would always see them when I came home, and I'd tell the kids. But this is the first I've seen them during the day. So now the kids know I'm not just seeing things.

And ... we couldn't let a post go by without this photo:


Doesn't she look like the little muchkin in the Pixar shorts film,
"One Man Band?"

©Pixar

Happy National Scrapbooking Day!

This morning, I told the kids we were going to a scrapbooking store for National Scrapbooking Day. Elephant asked me if he could make a scrapbook.

Told you he's a good boy;)

While I did get to spend some more time in my crafting shed doing destash and organization, I was only able to get a single page done, thanks to Butterfly's recent (though not new) wish to be physically attached to me at all times -- and whilst attached, "help" me by physically moving my arms and trying to anticipate what I might be doing and/or need, so she can do it. Yeah, yeah. I hear you now: "Awwwwww, that's so cute!" OK, now imagine what it's REALLY like.

Anyway, here was our afternoon in the crafting shed:






And here was my one page:

detail shot: I made the flower in the middle during the
scrapbook store's make-and-take.

detail shot: The tag says "Some things never change -- like my love for you." Notice, too, the line of little holes there at center/bottom? That's suppose to be sewing. But the thread pulled out of the machine (AGAIN) and I ended up with decorative holes instead of decoration. Still looks OK. The dang machine, though, is going back to the store.

detail shot: I LOVE the filmstrip ribbon. It's a relatively new product, by Tim Holtz. His products are right up my alley. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, the butterfly's also his.

detail shot

And here's the finished page. I'm finding myself attached
to orange and blue lately.

P.S. Elephant reminds me that when Butterfly saw the page, she
pointed at it and squealed, then dashed off to find the bear shown in the photo. The value of scrapbooking in action.