Money No Object Monday - Band Geek Edition

I guess I'm guilty of being a Band Geek/Nerd/Whatever. I was in band years ago (oboe and percussion). We didn't march much but we were a mean pep band at Basketball games. Four of the six BLKids were Band Geeks. We did put an instrument in the hands of the other two but it didn't stick as well. When we moved to Arkansas with the two last band members we learned what it really meant to be part of a Marching Band. The Yellowjacket Marching Band won awards for their field show. Maybe it's a small town thing, or we were special, but the whole town loved the band. In Southern California, where our oldest girls were in band, at the half time of a football game there was a set amount of minutes that the band could be on filed. If they weren't completely clear of the field by the given time the team would be penalized, severely. In Arkansas, the band did it's complete show, and then the opposing team's band would perform. If the other team failed to bring their band the crowd would be disappointed. The BLMiddleboykid even carried on with band in college. (Our school loved to say that a student would be 50 times more likely to get a scholarship for band than for any sport.)  We continued our tradition of going to a football game to watch the band. There must be someone else that loves the band, maybe more than the team.  The Etsy Shop, Little Band Man, makes tiny marching bands.

LSU Miniature Marching Band $395

This little band set is made in the same tradition as the little metal or "tin" soldiers that were popular toys for boys a century of more ago and are now fine collectibles.  They are 1:32 scale, which makes the figures about 2 1/2 inches tall. He only sells them as sets, not individually. You get a Drum Major, two "Golden Girls" (LSU's dance team), two Flag Line girls and 12 musicians, each molded and painted in detail.  Not a LSU fan?

He has NotreDame's band and Texas A&M, all for the same price.

Each rendered to be true to the uniforms and type of Drum Major and instruments used.  I wonder if he would make other college bands?  I'd love to have the "Power of the Wasatch" in miniature. I can see how soldiers wouldn't be as popular now but a little band, genius. OK, so this may be more for grownups than kids, but it shouldn't be.

Classic Toys - Swings

When I discovered the over the top Money No Object Monday play sets I couldn't help but think of what always was in my back yard growing up - plain old swings.  Yup, that's me above.  I  was introduced early to the joy of swinging back and forth for hours.  I loved it.  Loved it when I was little and loved it even more as I got bigger.  In High School we all met at the swings at lunch. Swings at a High School?  Our school included grades 1 - 12.  Back and forth on the swings was acceptable because we were "hanging out" and visiting as well.  

My favorite swing set was made by my Dad.  He had a lot of two inch iron pipes that came out of a defunct water well on the ranch and he welded them together into a very tall "A" frame that held two basic board swings. We all spent a great deal of time swinging. The only photo I could find of the Best Swing Set Ever is below:

It looks like a pose of my brother in his baseball uniform but look in the back ground - right by the fence.  That slim bit of work was a fantastic swing set and it didn't cost anything but some of Dad's valuable time, a welding rod or two chain to hold the swing seats (which were made of some left overs) and some cement to anchor the set.  You could swing so high that the set would tip over.  It took a couple of tries to get enough weight to anchor it down.  

Any one else have home made swings or play equipment?

The Coolest Wagon Ever!

In the spirit of Money No Object Monday, I present the coolest wagon ever.

Custom Kids Hot Rod Wagon by FreddyG

Ok, it's $450, but - isn't it neat?  You can choose colors and he will size it so it fits your car seat.  It looks like it will last forever.  Freddy G is on Etsy, but doesn't have any info on his profile.  He must be from Canada, as shipping ($150 US) is more expensive than Canadian Shipping. 

Would I have to have insurance on this? Maybe a rider on my auto policy.  I would be seriously sad if this got a dent.

Money No Object Swing Sets - Cedarworks Play Sets

I found this website and pinned my favorite on Pintrest and my "hits" blew up.  Lots of us adore the idea of having this in our back yard.

Serendipity play set by CedarWorks

This is by a company called CedarWorks.  They have lots of outdoor and indoor fantastical creations that beg for a gaggle of kiddlets to invade them.

This version is even bigger.  The concept is that they are modular and you can pick the units and then add them together for you own specialized unit.  I sent for the catalog and they emailed me a price list.  It looks like this Serendipity line starts at about $11,000 and can run up to over $44,000. They do have a bargain line that starts at around $1,000. That doesn't include shipping - and some assembly is required.  They have some great customer stories.  Families that watched their children grow up on their set and then passed it on to others.

My Uncle John described putting up a big play set a few years ago at his Wisconsin home as "the set the kids would have liked but the one the grandkids got."  If money were no object I would so get one of these - but my practical soul says I should donate it to a school.  These were made to be played on by a crowd.

Found Treasure

I'm a little slow getting reorganized after the holidays, but in my defense, I've just had a tour of half of the Best Loved kids and grands.  We went west, were bumped off planes, experienced snow and lived!  Pictures to come of the cuties.  Visiting them is worth anything!


I started making the things I have in the Etsy store because I wanted the little folks in my life to have something special, made by me.  I wanted it to be special enough that they would keep it around for their own small folk to love.  Not to toot my horn, but I wanted to make things that my decendants would fight like wild weasels over (nicely fight).  I've been captivated by someone else that made sweet childrens toys that have been saved and cherished and now are in the Victoria Museum in Australia.  I found this image on the great  blog Kickcan & Conkers and clicking on the links found an amazing story.

Victoria Museum via Kickcan & Conkers

Ada Perry was an English woman who immigrated to Australia in 1924.  She was a widow with eight children and saw herself as a pioneer.  Australia gave her land to work in an isolated area of Victoria and she and her children struggled to eke out a living.  In 1928 she was injured in a buggy accident and could no longer do the physical farm labor she had done daily.  Her children continued to work the land and she worked creating countless handicrafts from the most humble of materials.  She reused scraps and old clothes and took great pride in making wonderful gifts for family and friends.  The first "prototype" designs were kept for her children and the rest from each pattern were given away.

Humpty Dumpty - Victoria Museum

Her designs are captivating. Australia suffered from the same Great Depression we did in the U.S. in the 1930's but I imagine that Ada, like my grandmother, was already poor and living off what her farm produced so frugality and using what you had were already a way of life.

Navy Velvet Cat - Victoria Museum

Ada lived until 1962 and created original designed crafts through her entire life. I'm in awe of her tenacity.  In spite things that might make someone want to lay down and die, she regrouped and pressed on.

Cream Velvet Pig - Victoria Museum

I'm inspired by her life and work.

Fairy Gardens

Fairy House from Orlando Sentinel

Have you heard of Fairy Gardens?  You use natural materials to create a little "habitat" that a tiny fairy would love to inhabit right in a garden nook or maybe better, in a container. 

The blog, The Magic Onions details how they made this lovely fairy garden. It's got little furnishings and a pool!

Melissa, from The Inspired Room made this sweet table top version for her porch.  (You need to check out her blog it's one of my favorites.)  One idea I heard about was for the kids to check each morning and see if there was any evidence that the fairies enjoyed the garden in the night.  Of course, mom or dad made some modifications in private.  I think you don't have to be a kiddlet to enjoy a fairy garden.

Summer

Here in Arkansas summer is in full swing, the hedge roses are done and the ditch daylilys are in full bloom. I'm getting a bit wilty already.   Summer isn't my favorite season but it has its joys.  One is that we usually get to see more of the Best Loved kiddlets and plans are in full swing for coming visits.  As a child I was allowed to be pretty feral as soon as some chores were done.  One of my favorite activities when I ran out of books to read and no friends were around was to make hollyhock dolls.  I confess I will pick a flower or two and make some whenever I find hollyhocks. 

If you search the web you can find lots of pictures and directions on how to make these fleeting beauties but I think there is only one true construction method - forget the toothpicks.

For each dolly, pick one full opened flower and one bud that shows a lot of color.  The open flower should have a bit of stem left on it.  Pick the green leaflets off the bud and remove all of the stem.  You now have a white end on the bud with six holes spaces  around the stem end.  Push the stem of the opened flower into one of the holes and Wooot.  You have a little lady.  Magically, two of the holes are now positioned above the stem end on the bud to look like a little face.  You can poke little twigs or leaves in between the green leafy part of the blossom for arms (as shown above) but I never did.  I was sure these were medieval ladies and their hands were tucked into their gowns.  Toys and entertainment all provided by nature.  What's your best summer memory?

Waldorf Toys, Ideas and Dolly Faces

Waldorf principles and education and toys are relatively new to me but any search for wooden toys will bring you several toys labeled "Waldorf".  Guided play is central to early Waldorf education and out of curiosity I've explored the movement as it relates to toys.

Wooden Helicopter via Bella Luna Toys

 One principle is that handmade and artisan toys have a spirit that is felt by the child that plays with the toy. Another central idea is that play should stimulate the imagination.

Little Wooden Rabbit via jupiterschild on etsy

 I like the idea of handmade toys that carry the spirit of the maker with them  though my toys would not quite fit into the Waldorf idea as they are more decorated than the typical Waldorf type toy and I'm not sure that many toys labeled "Waldorf" that are mass manufactured would really meet the ideal either.  The Waldorf idea is that simpler toys give a child's imagination more room to play.   As a result, dolls have simple, barely suggested face.

Via Elijbeta on Etsy

 I confess I've shown this Etsy seller - Elijbeta,  at least 3 times on my blog. I'm clearly in love with her dolls.  This beauty has the barely suggested face, so her owner can imagine her happy, sad, sleeping, etc.  I'm not sure that works for everyone.  As I remember my beloved dolls, there were some characteristics I really wanted and some I disliked.  I loved dolls that had eyes that closed - especially baby dolls.

American Girl Bitty Baby

  Who wants to put your baby to bed and see his/her eyes still open.  Creepy!  I realize that the dolls I love the most, even now (do a check - most dolls on the web are NOT for kiddlets) have a pleasant, neutral expression.  I've always disliked crying baby dolls.

Berenguer La Newborn

Even as a pretend mom I knew crying was not good and like the Waldorf idea, it's hard to imagine the above doll doing anything else.  In the same vein, I don't like overly smiley dolls.

Ashton Drake So Truly Real Baby Doll

I want to be able to add a bit of my own imagination to a pretty doll.  What's your favorites?

Paper Toys and Kidlet Fun

I have a thing for paper toys.  What is a paper toy? Anything printed that can be cut out, assembled or otherwise manipulated to create a plaything.  Paper dolls - love them!  Paper planes -  classic!  There are lots of stuff other than paper dolls and plane out there.  One of my favorite Etsy shops has doll houses you can print, cutout and play with.

Mushroom Cottage Dollhouse

For $4.00 you can download and print this loveliness.  The fun is in making it as well as playing with it. Paper dolls are part of this category and I'm the proud owner of some but that is another blog post.

Made by Joel is a blog of a Portland artist that makes simple toys, many of paper that are tested on his own twins.  My favorite is his Tumble Bunny.  This is a variation of an age old toy and you can download for free the template.

From Made by Joel

Another favorite artist that does much more elaborate folded paper toys is Marilyn Scott-Walters.  Her website, The Toymaker , has some free downloads and some books that I covet.  Check out her marble mouse for free.

Marble racing mouse by The Toymaker

In anticipation of kid time in AZ I got some paper toy goodies for play.  One of my favorite artists, Sarah Jane Studios had a download for a paper theater and puppets for Peter and The Wolf. 

I printed out two sets (still one price) and then laminated them at my local bookstore for only a dollar.  I assembled them all but the sticks (bamboo kabob skewers with their points cut off) and bagged the whole thing.  I ordered a CD of Peter and the Wolf so we were set!  I loved this when I was in grade school and I think schools rarely use this anymore. (I'll repress a rant). 

This was a hit with the seven year old.  Our four year old listened and played with the puppets for a while but lost interest.  Seven year old got it out on her own later and played with it on Sunday evening.  Her Mom thought it was a wonderful Sunday activity.  The littles Mom took their copy home to use later.  Yeah!

Arizona Week

The Best Loved household has migrated from AR to the great state of AZ for a week of kid cuddling and family togetherness.  First things first.  I decided it was time to pass on my childhood dolls to the BestLoved Grand girls.  I have two Madame Alexander dolls that I treasured as a child and thought my own daughters would love them.  Alas, they were indifferent to dollies and when they were old enough to take care of my beauties I felt that they wouldn't really care if they had the dolls or not so the babies stayed in the drawer.  Now the grands are getting old enough to enjoy them and they DO like dolls.  I have two childhood dolls and (at least for now) two Grand daughters.  It's kismet, the planets are aligned and I'm ready to pass them on.

Baby girl 2 is now the custodian of my Little Women Jo doll.  Her stringing broke years ago and I was able to find several tutorials on restringing and think I did a great job of putting her back together.  I did some research, and she is a Lissy doll body - eleven inches tall and straight legged. From what I can find Madame Alexander has always made Little Women dolls but this model from 1962 or 63 was a little unusual.  The most common ones are in the 8 inch Wendy doll body or I found a few on line that had bendable knees.  Apparently the greatest value in these dolls comes from their clothes and my Jo's dress is in fantastic shape with her labels still intact.  I did replace the elastic on the waist of her petticoat and the black braid trim on her pinafore was stitched down  where it was coming unstuck a little.  I was sad to find her pantaloons and socks had vanished somewhere in the last I won't say how many years.  Her original shoes are still perfect, and a good thing cause on ebay these things cost more than I spend on my own shoes.  

I wanted to make her some modern clothes and went on a search for doll patterns.  I feel lucky that I found MHD Designs at DollOutfits.com.  I got to "play dolls", BL Girly girl was excited. I can't tell who's prettier.

Box or Toy?

The best classic toys are sometimes not designed as toys.  Take your basic cardboard box.  One memorable Christmas my youngest sister (#3), aged 2 at the time, had the most fun opening her presents ever.  She emptied gifts from their containers and played ecstatically with the box.  She appropriated all of our boxes and never looked at the toys they contained.

She wasn't the only one of our tribe to find happiness in the box, not the contents.  Here''s another of my sisters (Sandy? Carol?) loving a cardboard box under the Christmas tree.

The first Best Loved Grandson went through a time when he was about two years old when his favorite pastime was playing with a large box that he had decided was his "truck".  When he started to pretend the box was his truck, Mom and Dad drew a dashboard on the box flap with crayon and the box became officially his favorite toy.   He would carry around a set of plastic teething keys in his pocket when he wasn't in the "truck", just like his parents did.  To make the scene even more real, his Daddy drove an old truck that needed a screwdriver to start it (the ignition had been drilled out at some time) so BLGrandson carried his keys, but kept a plastic screwdriver in the box so he could "start" his truck.

I found this that is supposed to attach to a box to make a toy.

Rolobox via Odeedho

 What do you think?  Would this have made our BLGrand's truck better? Or does a kid need it? Should we defend the purity of the cardboard box?

Heirloom Toys

My intent for my work, besides making a beautiful item for play or display, is to create an object that will last and be cherished and passed on - a Heirloom.  I been thinking of what kind of children's products have been saved in the past.  My mother and her brother each had toys that had been played with a lot and they love to this day.

image via shirleytempledolls.com

Mom had a large Shirley Temple doll that she loved and saved.  As a child I was so fascinated by her mostly because she had an open mouth in which there were teeth and what looked like a felt tongue.  Mom had clearly played with her and loved her.  She was missing a couple of fingers and had some scratches and dings.  She did have her original wig and clothes.  Unlike the pictured example she had a short pink taffeta dress with pleats coming out of a high waist.  I believe the dress was original, too.  Though Mom played with her she didn't let me or my sisters play with her.  We could see her sometimes.  I believe she now resides with my youngest sister who became quite a doll enthusiast and she's part of sis's collection.

 My Uncle Wayne's favorite toys resided in my grandmother's dinning room buffet.  When we visited her sometimes Uncle Wayne (who lived near by with my cousins) would get the train out and run it.  We heathens weren't allowed to play with it by ourselves.  I have no idea what model it was but it looked similar to the one above. Like Mom's doll this was played with by a child and not a collectors piece.  I hope it resides with one of my cousins in whatever shape it's in.

Rubber Disney 7 Dwarfs

The other toy that could sometimes be found in Grandma's buffet was a set of hard rubber Disney Seven Dwarfs that officially belonged to Uncle Wayne but Mom remembers playing with.  This pictured set is available on Etsy shop My Favorite Things for $270.  I was delighted to see one available.  The set I remember at Grandma's had been loved so much it lost all it's paint but all the details and features were molded in so they still had their personalities.  My mother told us that during WWII, school children had drives where they collected rubber and metals and sent them to be recycled for the war effort.  Apparently there had been a family conference as Mom and Uncle Wayne agonized over if they should send the dwarfs to be recycled to help win the war.  They decided they couldn't part with them, even if it would defeat Hitler, and the dwarfs were saved.  I believe they still live.

What heirloom toys do you have?