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Camp Fleming

Last weekend Biscuit and I were at Girl Scout camp. The event was just for Girl Scout leaders and their daughters--something special for the women who run the troops and the daughters who put up with it. It was, of course, planned by fellow leaders who really went above and beyond creating a spectacular event.

On Friday night, just before lights out at 9 pm I looked out the window and realized it was snowing! All the girls ran outside in their pajamas to celebrate.

Wouldn't this photo have been adorable if I'd opened my eyes?

The following day was crafts, crafts, crafts. Ten tables each with a unique craft that each girl and mom could create. It was amazing how much work went into prep. Biscuit and I did everything except the salt dough ornaments. Which reminds me I should get some photos of everything we made!

Crafts included: paper bag memory books, shrinky dinks, copper wire jewelry, mason jar lanterns, braided headbands, fleece eye covers (for napping), metal washer necklaces, perler (fuse) beads, screen printing and even glass fusing! (with an artist who volunteered her kiln and expertise).

Biscuit finally learned to braid (I can't believe I never taught her) but her favorite thing of the weekend seemed to be helping with dishes and running the industrial dishwasher. She's the granddaughter of two people who met in the college dishroom so maybe it's in her genes?

It was my first time being away from Oscar two nights in a row but I'm glad Biscuit and I participated in this event. It was fun for me to get to know other leaders. Fun for her to play American Girl dolls with friends (when she wasn't working in the kitchen) and fun for us to have one-on-one time. Oscar and Mr. H got on just fine except for the fact Oscar kept waking up at night. One more reason it was good to be away. I probably slept more in a sea of bunkbeds housing more than 60 people than I would have at home with a restless Oscar.

Maybe next year it'll be just a little warmer and we can take a hike and have an outdoor campfire!

Felt and buttons

Rings and hair elastics with felt and buttons.

It was Daisy Girl Scouts tonight. After struggling with implementing the Daisy program as designed I finally set it aside and tried to make the meeting more fun. After all, they'll never learn anything in Girl Scouts if they get so bored they drop out. Tonight we made applesauce and learned to sew on a button with this little craft project. Biscuit made the ones above. I made the ones below as samples.

Found this project on Pinterest via Claire's "Girl Scoutin" board. Lots of great ideas collected there!

The girls did a great job (with plenty of parental help) stitching up one or two little baubles. Most made rings (glued onto a dollar store Princess Tiana ring). At least I had a lot more fun at the meeting. Hopefully they did too.

Girl Scouts and cookies (but not Girl Scout Cookies)

 Girl Scout Cookies aren't until January (sales) and February (delivery). But, Girl Scouts.

I'm having my post-Girl Scout Meeting glass of wine. It might be two glasses. And I'm wondering how anyone could be a kindergarten (or first grade) teacher. Only 8 girls tonight, only for an hour and I'm d.o.n.e. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I volunteered to be a leader and I'm happy to do it it just isn't really my strong suit and it exhausts me. Trying to keep the girls focused for 10-15 minutes is MORE than enough and then they have to dance it out so to speak.

Given the nice weather I sent them to the yard for a dance party. Of course that also meant a lot of "no, we're not going on the tire swing." "no, you can't 'skate' on the funiture dolly" etc etc. Our yard isn't first grader proofed. In the end, the dancing was a success and I was grateful to the wonderful parents who stayed around during the meeting and helped with kid control. I sometimes feel self consious to have the other parents there during the meeting as though they're watching/judging my lack of troop management skills. But, tonight, they helped take the clothes off the line and laid a soothing hand on a girl who needed a bit of extra help focusing and generally were awesome. So, Daisy Girl Scouts, fun, but phew, glad it's every OTHER week :)

Cookies.

I was involved in recent a Facebook debate with a local friend and blog reader and my cousin from PA about cookie and brownie recipes. I'm a devout follower of Ina Garten/Barefoot Contessa cookie recipes and I admit I have developed a bit of a cookie reputation (as in, I make good chocolate chip cookies). I use Ina's recipe faithfully except for a chocolate chip switch (I use only Guittard chips, half milk, half semi sweet). ANYWAY FB friend, said that the infamous Neiman Marcus cookies BEAT Ina's cookies. I didn't believe her so I had a taste off.

I followed the recipes precisely except for the chocolate chip ratio described above. I used the AMOUNT of chips called for but mixed up the TYPE of chips. And, for Ina's recipe, I left out the walnuts. I LOVE walnuts but, in cookies, they're divisive and I didn't want anyone's vote to be swayed by nuts.

First test group was Mr. H's poker night crowd. (not so blurry in real life but I loved the double fisting it of cookies)

Seven men, one woman. Vote was 5-3 in favor of cookie #2 which was Ina's. Those voting for #1, Neiman Marcus, all liked the coffee flavor. The recipe calls for 1.5 tsps of espresso powder and I used a Starbucks Via packet. The next day I took the cookies to a family event and the votes were 5-0 in favor of Ina. Now, I admit that's a crowd that is very familar with the Ina cookie since I make it a lot. Also, for the poker crowd the Ina cookies were a bit warmer since they were the second batch cookied. STILL I think Ina wins this one. Next step, add 1/2 tsp of espresso to Ina's recipe and see what happens....

Too bad I used all that cookie dough in taste tests. A cookie would go well with my wine about now.

PS Is this the funniest thing ever or is it just me?

Images of a Daisy

Since January 1 I've been challenging myself to take a photo a day and post to Flickr. Who knows if this will last through all of 2011 but I've made it to February 24 at least. I've got a lot of Daisy (Girl Scout) photos of late. It's cookie season, you know. And World Thinking Day was this week.

She pulled the wagon for a lot longer than she sewed on patches ;)

Tropical fruit for a discussion of Bolivia as part of our Thinking Day activity/celebration (there was a connection in there somewhere--it involved coconut cookies). Oh, this recipe was so easy and SO good. Perhaps the best macaroons cocadas I've had (or maybe I was just hungry?)

 

Fun times!

P.S. Could Biscuit's shoes be any funnier? Her cousin gave her those sandals and she is obsessed. I won't let her wear them to school so she changes into them every day when she gets home. Over socks!

Monoprint(ish) Valentines

I should start by noting my complete lack of art training but I had a vague memory of the term "monoprint" and a random desire to try it so I googled and then faked it.

I cut up an extra piece of bamboo flooring into 4ishx5ish inch pieces and quartered some nice, heavy art paper into 6ish by 7ish pieces. I also found some mailing tags and acrylic craft paint in the craft room.

Biscuit (or I) used a paintbrush to cover the entire smooth side of the flooring block with a thin, even coat of paint.

Then we used a q-tip to remove some paint and make a design. (q-tip worked far better than alternatives we tried including: dry paintbrush, other end of paintbrush, finger, other color of paint)

Then we pressed the paper (or tags) on top and rubbed really hard with our fingers trying not to move the paper at all.

Voila! Biscuit will write From/Love, Biscuit on the front and tape a Trader Joes mini chocolate bar (28 bars for $1!) to the back and call it a Valentine.

Sadly, the project didn't scale well. We tried it with nine Daisy Girl Scouts and encountered problems such as: slow painting and delays=>too dry paint; frustration with the inherent imperfect nature of the print even in best circumstances; a general desire to just paint directly on paper. Oh well, I had a great time!

Santa's workshop

Yesterday Biscuit and I were sample makers. She was surprisingly into it--we were testing ideas for her Daisy Girl Scout troop to make at tonight's meeting. The contenders:

wreath of felted wool sweaters: NO

Yarn wrapped thing-a-ma-bob (got the cardboard thing-a-ma-bobs free at a Girl Scout leader meeting); YES

Painted wood daisy (got the wood daisies free with the thing-a-ma-bobs): YES (this would be cuter with a photo of the girl in the middle but 'tis not to be.

"snow globe" ornaments: YES (idea taken directly from this cool e-magazine)

Clothespin Daisies: YES (but with turquouise rather than grayish felt).

Amazingly I had all the supplies on hand for ALL of these (except turquoise felt and the little santa figures for inside the globes). I don't think every girl will make everything but we'll have a nice selection for them.

Also, I discovered that I did have borax but didn't have pipe cleaners (!!) so the borax snowflakes that UK Lass suggested were a no go.

I'm excited for tonight's meeting. Should be a glitter'n'glue disaster!