Making Smiles

Sometimes you just have to cave and work on making smiles. We recently found out that the girls both have to wear school uniforms next year, abandoning their cute, brilliantly colored wardrobes for khaki bottoms and navy/burgundy polo shirts. I almost cried for them-imagining the humdrum of the same dull colors day after day. So we've decided to find ways to spice it up. Their dress code says that jewelry and small accessories are allowed so off to work we went.
First thing we did was use this adorable squirrel playdough mold to make these pins. We just used sculpty clay and beads. Mine is the one with the scissors, of course. After baking we just hot glued pins to the back (the jewelry finding kind available at most craft stores).

The other thing I tackled the other day was making lots and lots of little girl smiles. I had made this little mermaid doll a couple of weeks ago for my youngest. She's only about five inches tall. I drew the pattern myself and hand stitched the details into her tail and attached hand dyed wool hair. Then while cleaning out my studio I stumbled upon this mini lunch box. I decided to turn it into a little mermaid house complete with bed, pillow and blanket and a little trinket box filled with "treasures". I just dug some beads and other little odds and ends out of my craft drawers. Then I had my daughter cover the outside of the box with stickers and a hand made label that says "Sami's Mermaid House". It now gets carried all over the house and played with more than anything else. Its hard for her now that her sister is becoming a mini-teen and not so into childish games. Hopefully having a little friend to carry around will help.