Haiku #51

Haiku #51

"Not again," you say.

"Not another hat haiku!"

Nope. It's a potty.

Candy Robots

Robot Cupcakes!

For Eli's second birthday I made two dozen of the best cupcakes I've ever made (thank you, Martha Stewart) and I topped them with edible robot heads. They were so fun to make and Eli loved them.

Here's how they came to life!

Remove the paper wrapping from the Starburst. I wanted a variety of colors so I used 3 or 4 of each color.

When the paper is removed, place the candy between two pieces of wax paper and roll gently. I found that the best tool for this job was a cylindrical shot glass (thanks, VCU!) but an actual rolling pin would work as well. The candy does not need to be heated before rolling.

When the candy is rolled gently in each direction it takes on the shape of the robot's head! I rolled 2 Starburst for each robot. One piece was for its face and the other piece was cut apart to become the eyes, mouth and ears.

Here's my audience!

I used kitchen shears to cut the Starburst. This worked much better than using a knife.

I used the "fancy" toothpick to create the robot's antenna. The toothpick is sandwiched between the head and the strip of candy used for the ears, which extends behind his head. I gave the sandwich a good pinch and had no problems with the pieces coming apart.

To finish the robots I used a knife to gently press a series of vertical lines in the mouth to create "teeth" and I put 1 round cupcake sprinkle in each eye (see first photo). I stored the robots in the fridge between layers of wax paper.

To display the cupcakes I placed them on a grid of old CDs. The reflection of the metallic cupcake liners on the CDs created a pretty cool effect.

The birthday boy admiring his cupcakes!

Haiku #50

#50

Now that he's two

he's mastering some new skills.

Pretty impressive!

Haiku #49

Haiku #49

Today marks the start

of your third year on the earth.

Enjoy the ride, Love.

Happiest of birthdays to my little love, Eli!

Haiku #48

Haiku #48

Here's the last picture

of Eli at one year old -

tomorrow he's TWO!

Haikus #46 & #47

#47

Whatever his path

I hope he finds happiness

like chasing bubbles

#46

The horse hitched a ride

on top of a garbage truck

in his nonsense game

Haiku #45

#45

Lady Gaga says

anything can be a hat -

even a breast pad

Haiku #44

#44

After a few bites

the cookie became a horse.

Raisin for an eye.

Haiku #43

#43

He held the Skittle

for a long, sticky hour.

Here's the evidence.

Haiku #42

#42

Foofa & Brobee

did not have to say a word

to make him happy

Haiku #41

#41

Hard to imagine

that our home would be complete

without him in it

Haiku #40

#40

Sophie the giraffe

makes a return appearance!

She's fun to gnaw on.

Haiku #39

#39

Bouncing requires

30,000 years of art

and two monkey feet

Haiku #38

#38

We drive in circles

Like a long lost satellite

To put you to sleep

Haikus #36 & #37

#37

With a steady hand

he traced around Dad's fingers

to measure their size

#36

He was frustrated

that his small hand

wasn't the right fit

Haiku #35

#35

As the rain poured down

he sat looking through the door

and made some sketches

Haikus #29 - #34

Today we visited the newly remodeled Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It was AWESOME!

#34

We spied the rabbit

through the glass elevator

in a frozen leap

#33

When I was a kid

the shiny yellow rabbit

was my favorite

#32

I secretly hoped

that he would love the rabbit

as much as I do

#31

We found a Frida

strolling through the gallery.

The dog, not Kahlo.

#30

I am not surprised

that he loves those shiny hats.

They'd look great on him!

#29

The sculpture garden

was blooming with big blue heads

sleeping in the sun

Haiku #28

#28

On a hot summer day

the wind shakes the Crepe Myrtles

and the snow falls down

How I Hacked a Paul Frank T-Shirt

For Eli's first birthday I made a jumper with an appliqued number 1 on the front. It was my first attempt at sewing clothes from a pattern.

For birthday #2 I wanted to simplify by appliqueing large 2 on a nice cotton T. I had a difficult time finding a simple shirt without buttons or pockets.

Luckily, I found a cool Paul Frank shirt at Target on sale for under $4 and the design of the shirt worked perfectly for adding my applique! Here's how I did it:

Step #1:

I drew a '2' on a piece of scrap card stock to make a stencil. You can also print the number (or letters) in a font and size you like. Cut the number (or letter) out.

Step #2:

Trace the number backwards on the back (smooth side) of double-sided Wonder-Under.

Step #3:

Iron the Wonder-Under with your backwards number to the wrong side of your chosen fabric.

Step #4:

Use fabric scissors to cut out the number. Check out those crisp edges.

Step #5:

Remove the paper backing on the Wonder-Under and iron in place. I was careful not to let the iron touch the print of the shirt.

At this time I also ironed a piece of freezer paper to the inside of the shirt beneath the '2'. It acts as an easy stabilizer when sewing the edge. The "slick" side of the freezer paper should touch the fabric. It peels off easily at the end of your project.

Step #6:

Use a small zig-zag stitch to edge the applique. This will prevent fraying and make the piece look finished and professional.

Step #7:

Remove the stabilizer (freezer paper). It peels away easily thanks to the perforations of the needle when sewing the zig-zag edge.

Step #8:

Knot the loose threads & voila! What would normally take 30 minutes took ALL DAY LONG thanks to my two helpers.

To my right, drawing at my ankles, it's Eli!

At my left, smiling among the remains of our warehouse store robot (see Haiku #27), it's Lucas!

Coming soon: A photo of the birthday boy donning his birthday shirt! 8.28!

Haiku #27

#27

To build a robot

shop the stores with concrete floors

and save your boxes

Haiku #26

#26

He isn't concerned

about where the sand will land

and neither am I

Haiku #25

#25

With lots of practice

he's mastered drawing circles

on our furniture

Haiku #24

#24

If it helps you sleep

we can talk about Maymont

in the moon's shadows

Haikus #22 & #23

#23

His buttery skin,

chunky wrists and sausage legs

are thanks to Mama

Happy World Breastfeeding Week!

#22

Coco said it best:

Before heading out the door

one thing should come off

Haiku #21

Haiku #21

Dusty chalk circles

turn into scribbled robots

on the green chalkboard