Lofty Ideas

 "So, you get paid to have birthday parties in your daughter's room?" That's not a question that most people are asked- unless you're me. It wasn't my intention for things to work out that way; but they did. We moved our home and business to this location when Lily was 3 1/2. Every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning we had kids over for our Paint & Play Mom's Day Out program. Lily became friends with all of these children, and we had them over for other playdates, parties, etc... Initially, during working hours, we kept children out of Lily's room. But then, for the children who had been over to visit outside of working hours, the lure of all of those wonderful toys in her room was just too much to bear. They would all ask: "Ms. Missy, can we go in Lily's room?" After a while, it just seemed pointless to say no. As new children entered the picture, they were also able to play in the room. And the rest is history. I know that it won't be able to stay this way forever, and that it is an extremely unorthodox way of life. But then, I always knew that my life would never end up normal. :-)

This kid would never end up normal.

Over the past two and a half years, the room has seen quite a transformation. No longer is there a dresser in the room, or a conventional bed. The walls have gone from a boring bone color to a vibrant blue and green. Brightly colored flowers and toys are everywhere. If you didn't know any better, it would simply look like a (very cool) playroom.

I love this room!

The only catch is that Lily sleeps in it when she is with me, which necessitates a bed of sorts. Our first solution was an adorable bed tent with a mattress on the floor. She loved sleeping in her tent, and children loved playing in the tent. It went well with the grass green and aqua blue walls, and was visually appealing in her "magic garden style" room.

Ah, glorious naptime. You were perfection!

Too cute... Lily's "garden cottage" tent.

Recently, my mom stared telling me that I needed to get Lily a "real" bed because it wasn't good for her to sleep on the floor. I don't know about the health consequences, but I do know that my mom put a bug in my ear- so I started combing the Internet for cool playhouse-style loft beds. There are a lot of great options out there but, for one reason or another, none of them fit the bill. The idea seemed easy enough; fabric suspended from a loft bed, usually with cut-out windows, curtains, and a door. Once upon a time, I sewed a lot. I knew that I could make my own, if only I applied myself.

Best laid plans! Posting this on Facebook kept me accountable for completing the project. :-)

The first step was to find a bed. The main priority was to find one that could have a detachable or hide-able ladder. During working hours, I didn't want children to even TRY to climb the ladder. Another consideration was height. I wanted the bed to be high enough for children to play under without having to crawl or stoop. However, I didn't want it to be TOO high- Lily was concerned about that, too. Last but not least was the issue of price. I didn't want to spend more than I had to. After a thorough online search, I chose a white steel loft bed with integrated side ladders. I bought mine from Amazon and got free shipping with my Amazon Prime membership. The same exact bed is also available from Walmart, but buying from them would have added tax and shipping costs.

The next step was to decide what to use to create the playhouse. It didn't take long to settle on felt. Felt by the yard is surprisingly affordable and can often be found for $2.99/yard (sometimes less!). Another great thing about felt is that it is a generous 72" wide. A little goes a long way. There are many blogs and Pinterest posts that feature little playhouses made out of felt that fit over standard card tables. The motivation to use felt is also based on the fact that its edges don't have to be finished as other types of fabrics do. It is available in an array of colors and can be easily cut and hot-glued. You can also add hand or machine sewn decorative stitching, embroidery, etc..

I bought my felt online at Hancock fabrics for $2.99 a yard. There were about 12 yards total.

Though I found many pictures of felt playhouses on card tables and even on low loft beds, none of the photos showed what I had in mind. In the case of the low loft beds, the playhouses always looked like beds because the railing was seldom a part of the design. I didn't want our bed to really look LIKE a bed, so I based my project on a wooden playhouse bed from a paint advertisement.

I sketched out a design on a printout of the bed, then went to work figuring out how much yardage I would need. Lily got to choose which colors would go where. She didn't want a scalloped roof at all- but I "talked her into it" by telling her that it would create a more finished look. What I didn't tell her was that her dear old mom had her heart set on it. :-)

The design idea, sketched over the bed.

Math!

 I determined that I would need: 

5 yards for the house itself (in this case, blue)

3 yards for the roof (yellow)

1 yard each for trim, windows, door, curtains, etc...

(If you are using these amounts, make sure that your felt is 72" wide!)

Hancock Fabrics delivered my felt in 2 days- I was so impressed by their speed and service. The bed was also delivered in 2 days from Amazon. I started the planning process on Monday and was working on the project by Thursday. I love it when a plan comes together! 

I started by cutting the blue felt for the front of the house. I measured 80" of felt, then trimmed the top edge off to create a piece with the dimensions of 55" x 80".

Next, I folded the piece in half, lengthwise, and measured out the door opening. I wanted the door to be tall enough for most pre-k children to walk through, but not so tall as to take away from the integrity of the structure. By cutting out the door with the felt folded in half, it ensures that the door will be centered and symmetrical. If you are planning on creating a roll-up door, just cut the sides (no across the top). I decided to make ours completely open because of #1: light and #2: potential of fighting. Just trust me on this one!

Fold in half, lengthwise.

Cut out door in the size/shape of your choice.

Keeping the fabric folded, as shown above, I folded back the top layer of the fabric so that its edge touched the edge of the door. This created a fold in the exact center of the distance between the door and the edge. Then, I cut out a window, approximately 18" x 12" (be sure to cut out only half the width of your window). I repeated the process to create a window on the other side of the door. 

Fold the top layer back to find the center. Cut out your window.

When both windows were cut out, the fun of sprucing up the playhouse could begin!

Doors and windows, cut out and centered beautifully.

To make the front portion of the roof, I cut out a piece of 80" wide felt, then trimmed it to approximately 24" (creating a 24"x80" piece). The roof is only about 12" high, but I wanted to cut the fabric wide enough to hang over the railing in a secure fashion. To make the scallops, I traced a 6" plate on paper, cut it out, then cut the circle in half. For easier cutting, I stuck the hook portion of peel and stick Velcro to the back of the template. This allowed me to stick the template on the felt to cut out each scallop along the roof's edge. The Velcro helps because it prevents the template from sliding around and also eliminates the need for any sort of pinning. I only cut out scallops on the front edge of the roof- the other edge is folded over the bed railing and cannot be seen.

The side portion of the roof was cut out later, but if you are using these instructions to help you create a similar playhouse, you may want to go ahead and cut out the side roof now. You will need a piece of felt 42" wide by 24" high. Cut out the scallops on one of the long edges, as earlier described.

Cutting out scallops with the paper template.

 To give the roof a roof shape, I folded the roof lengthwise (as it would be draped on the bed) then cut a diagonal line from the bottom to the top of one edge (see final photo). To create a symmetrical shape, I folded the roof in half and repeated the same angle on the other side of the roof. I repeated the same process with the side roof.

Creating windows was probably the most time consuming part of the project. Each window is made with 12 strips of felt, which I eyeballed and cut to about 2" wide. I hot glued the felt strips to create a window sash on the front of the house, then turned the piece of felt over to glue on the window "screens." I'd read online that it was a good idea to use something in the windows to deter little arms, heads, and possibly children, from reaching and crawling through. The blog I read suggested using the net that those $1 pop up laundry hampers are made of. What a happy girl I was when I discovered I had one in the laundry room! I cut out 4 rectangles, one from each side of the hamper. I only ended up using 2, but saved the other 2 for a rainy day.

Once the screens were glued in place, I used the remaining strips to create a window sash on the "inside" of the house. 

Once the windows were finished, the shutters, flower boxes, and grass came together easily. I also added a faux stained glass transom above the door. There are so many cute things that anyone could do to the facade of their playhouse. I've seen pictures of bird houses, dogs, mailboxes, vegetable gardens, and so much more. 

Shaping up nicely!

For the inside of the windows, I created some purple curtains with printed heart tiebacks. I gathered the fabric on the top edge with an exposed running stitch done with purple embroidery thread. I hot glued the entire gathered curtain on the window. I also added some homemade pom pom flowers, hot glued to felt circles then hot glued the the window/window box.

Outside the window, and inside the window.

When it was time to hang the house, I wasn't sure how I would go about it. First, I sewed on some loops of Velcro and looped them around the bottom edge of the bed (shown in the photos below). However, I didn't like the way that the curtain and roof created a sort of gap. I cut the loops off and decided to try sticky back Velcro instead. Worked like a charm. The Velcro IS NOT applied to the felt house- it is only applied to the bed. Felt will easily stick to the hook (rougher part) portion of the Velcro. I put seven 3" strips of Velcro along the edge of the bed and attached the playhouse directly to the Velcro. Along the sides of the bed legs I used some of the little coin hooks to hold the house in place. The little coin hooks were also placed on the top rail of the bed and intermittently where the roof needed to be held in place. It works great! I learned the hard way not to use cheap off-brand dollar store Velcro. It really isn't the same. 

Velcro and hot glue! Who knew?

The roof folds back when Lily wants to climb up- it's safer for her to grip the bars than the slippery felt. Safety first! :-)

There is still more to come... I can't wait to show you the inside, if I ever get it finished. I'll also discuss the side walls and how to go about making them. If you've gotten this far, I'm sure you can figure it out! Have fun!

  

Twinkle Freaking Toes

Oh, so cute.

Lily's feet keep growing, and every time she spends the night at her dad's house it seems like the shoes she returns in are more impractical than the ones I sent her in. Normally, I wouldn't care. But she needs specific closed toe/heel shoes to wear for school. Not pink high heels with rhinestones, not sandals with socks. Of the 4 pairs of school shoes I bought her this past fall, two have disappeared at her dad's house, and one she claims is too tight. That leaves only one viable pair to wear for school. It's only a matter of time until that one disappears and I'm sending Lily to school in Tinkerbell dress-up shoes, frantically texting her dad to send back the ones she abandoned at his house. Oh, the joys of shared custody.

On Lily's 1st birthday, just after she learned to walk. Shopping for shoes was so much easier then!

So yesterday, while shopping sans offspring, I bought her some size 13 sneakers at Walmart. They look cute enough- there are colorful ribbon decorations and little hearts, and they seem like they would be comfy. Easy on, easy off. Fourteen bucks. Perfectly fine for an almost six year old without a job. Lily came home and discovered the new, practical shoes I'd bought from Walmart. First question? "Mom, do they light up?" No, they don't. Disappointed, she tries them on. She says they're too tight. Sure they are.

Perfectly cute, perfectly practical. Wildly unpopular.

How ironic that earlier in the day I was looking around at Kohls for something to buy with my store credit (an increasingly frustrating result of the Kohls cash that I earned at Christmas time- but that's a other story). I couldn't find anything for myself, so I thought I'd grab a pair of shoes for Lily, or maybe some navy uniform pants. I stumbled upon those adorable Sketchers Twinkle Toes sneakers- on sale for just $42.99. Sorry, but I'm just not that mom. Not yet, anyway. The scary part was that there were several pairs of kids shoes for $50 to $65. Hello? Really? I can barely stomach paying half that much for my own shoes, and my feet have stopped growing! I snapped a picture of the shoes and the brilliantly designed, beautifully merchandised shoebox (that says "I light up!") with the intent of blogging about them.

The merchandising isn't lost on me... I'll concede that they are super cute- but I just can't do it.

And so, the fight for fashion begins. Name brands and gimmicks, things that shouldn't matter to a kid but really do matter. I know this too well. It wasn't that long ago that I was BEGGING for clothes from Gotcha Covered in Mandeville- the go-to place for cool clothes in our small town. If only I could have a pair of Bass shoes, an ESPRIT outfit, a pair of Guess jeans- it would change my life! My mom was as practical as I am now- I got a pair of Bass style shoes, probably from the Sears or JCPenney catalog, but they weren't "real" Bass shoes. My Grandma was more willing to treat me to the name brand stuff, at least for special occasions- birthdays and Christmas. I have vivid memories of a $69 Guess mini-skirt she got me in 4th grade, and of a white knit ESPRIT outfit she bought for me in 3rd grade. That was about the extent of my name brand fashion luxuries. But how I longed to be one of those "it" girls at school- the girls that had a dozen pairs of color-coordinated socks from the Gap and ribbon barrettes to go with everything. Did any of this stuff matter in the long run? No, not really. But I think it did and does influence how a child is treated by its peers, and that helps to mold that child's conception of herself- for better or worse. In a perfect world, it wouldn't matter, but our world isn't perfect.

How many did you have?

Ads in Seventeen Magazine: surprisingly influential to a 9 year old.

Our schools have implemented uniforms to help level the playing field of labels, personality, and potential fashion hierarchies, but there is still room for personal expression in the student's choices of shoes, jackets, tights, and accessories. I'm sure that this is why Lily knows about Twinkle Toes sneakers; she learned about them from kids at school. My Lily is far from being a style-less kid; she is far from being deprived of anything she needs and most of what she doesn't. But, even though I know how much she would enjoy wearing those Twinkle Toes sneakers, as a matter of principle I just can't do it. Maybe for a special occasion? Maybe with her own saved up allowance? Maybe from her grandma? Oh, MeeMaw!!!

So, dear reader, I ask you, what do you think is reasonable to pay for a child's shoes and why? Don't tell me that they are more well made and that you get what you pay for. I'm well aware that all of this stuff is made in China, and that the shoes I have from Walmart will last just as long as the ones with the triple/quadruple price tag. And even if they did, what point is there to longevity if the shoes will be outgrown far before they are outworn? Am I being too practical for Lily's own good or am I simply being sensible?

Stuck Like Glue

Lily and Glue, in the early days of The Barn.

Picture it: a pile of paper, a three year old, and a bottle of white glue. Oh, the possibilities. Oh, the horror! Somehow the concept of "just a little bit" does not compute. What seems so simple, just a dot or dab here and there, proves to be more elusive than the Loch Ness Monster.

So elusive...

Instead, puddles of glue seep over the edges of the paper and copious amounts of glue are wasted in paper towels. For quite a while, when I would do gluing/collage activities with kids, I would sit with them and help them with the glue. Usually that meant that I would put the glue on the paper and they would put the pieces where they wanted. But, for most kids, that doesn't hold the same satisfaction as doing it themselves. Sometimes I would squirt glue in small recycled Play Doh containers (also wonderful for many things) and give the children a cheap paintbrush to spread the glue.This worked well enough, but it was always a pain to clean out the Play Doh containers AND it usually ended up wasting a lot of glue.

See the little Play Doh containers and brushes?

Finally, I broke down and spent the best $12 ever. I bought a dozen glue jars from the Discount School Supply catalog. Oh, much-loved and highly-prized little glue jars, oh, beautiful and brilliant little glue jars, the angels sing your praises. The concept is the same as those wonderfully-scented jars of paste that we used as children. I love the smell of paste. Demeter Fragrance should create a Nostalgia-Paste scent (if they don't have one already). I'm not sure if they even sell paste anymore. Even though it was less messy to apply, it wasn't always easy to spread. The convenient thing about paste was the lid with the attached plastic stick applicator. What wasn't used was always left in the jar, and it couldn't be dumped out all over the place. 

It's safe to say that paste isn't widely used anymore... These are the Yahoo image search results for "paste."

The glue jars are clear and have little red lids with brushes attached. I fill them up about halfway and happily distribute them to the kids. The children can work on their collage/gluing projects on their own, and I don't have to worry about any "glue disasters." Sometimes if the glue gets too low, a child will tip the glue jar and spill it, so it's always a good idea to keep the jars about half-full. I buy cheap white glue by the gallon and it lasts a LONG time.

One of our glue jars at work during a tissue paper collage activity.

Want to get your own set of glue jars? Discount School Supply, sells art and classroom materials (usually by the dozen) for pretty reasonable prices. The also offer free shipping for any order over $79, which is easy for someone like me to reach. Shipping takes 2 days. If you have kids, work with kids, or are just a creative type, it's worth your while to check them out. (This is not a paid endorsement! :-)

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Little People

Aside from the incredibly short commute, one of the best things about running The Barn is being surrounded by toys. I love shopping for toys online. I love the toy section at Target. I love independent toy stores. Maybe this has something to do with working with children for the past 20 years, or maybe it's how I've been able TO work with children that long.

Oh, dear and lovely Christmas Wishbook... How I loved to go through your pages.

Some of my favorite toys were and are Fisher Price Little People. Growing up in the late 70's/Early 80's, we had the classic yellow roof Play Family House, the castle (still at my parent's house!), the circus train, the barn, garage, and (my favorite) the Ferris wheel. In the late 90s I revisited my childhood by collecting many of the vintage Fisher Price toys I grew up with, as well as many that I didn't know existed until I bought the Fisher Price Collector's Guide. I artfully displayed the Little People Playsets and old-school pull toys on three huge shelves in my home office. I can't say that I did anything as interesting as spreading everything out and playing WITH the toys- but they were fun to rearrange and display. Maybe in another life I could be a window dresser for FAO Schwartz. Is that a real job? After a while, I ended up selling most everything to help earn money for a car, which I am still driving. I do still have my old Fisher Price Circus Train in our playroom; it's holding up great and is a favorite of the children who come here. I also still have the Fisher Price motorized Ferris wheel, but it's safely stored in my supply closet so those pesky kids don't break it. I'm eying the Play Family Castle at Mom and Dad's... But I'd probably have to fight my sisters for that one!

When I had Lily, it was the perfect opportunity to feed my toy obsession. By the time she was 6 months old, I was already building "her" Little People collection. Because she really needed all of that stuff. Yeah, that's it. Today's Little People don't carry the same nostalgia as the old wooden ones, but I have to say that they are a lot cuter and come in a greater variety- which is a blessing and a curse! They also aren't choking hazards- that's a bonus when buying toys for a newborn! Quickly, I learned just how many playsets and accessories there were to be had, and diligently went about procuring everything I thought Lily (Lily? hahahaha) needed.  

 Journal Flashback: Proof of my Strange Addiction... 

9/15/07
Yep, it's official. I'm addicted to collecting toys. She can't even crawl yet, and I'm already looking to build a Fisher Price Little People collection for her. Yeah, right. She doesn't know what to do with them besides gnaw on the pieces, and here I am looking for the perfect seal to go with the circus train, the cutest people, and the best accessories. Sure, it's for Lily. Yeah, right. Lily doesn't even need or know what any of this stuff is. It's all ME. I'm the one looking at the stuff, admiring how cute it all is, thinking about how much I'd want to play with it. Why this profound urge to get it all NOW NOW NOW? It will be there tomorrow, it will be there a year from now, it will be there for as long as it takes plastic to disintegrate- probably 100 years!

Truth is, I just love being on a mission- especially when that mission includes shopping and bargain hunting. Is it my style to go to Walmart and buy one of each? Hell no- that's much too easy. Besides, one glance at the price and I turn the other way. The selection sucks, anyway. So here I am, kicking myself for the stuff I know I passed up, looking at eBay and driving to yard sales to find the perfect additions at a cheapskate's price. I just love the hunt. Tomorrow, if I found everything I was looking for, I would think of something else. 

The pattern has been the same for a lot of different things over the course of my short life. So, I ask myself, what was my first collecting obsession? Did it start with Madonna pins and posters in 4th grade? Or was is earlier? Barbie clothes? Smurf figurines? I don't remember being gung-ho about collecting toys as a child, save harvesting logs for building clubhouses. I do recall collecting "secret places" in the woods. As I got older, I started collecting make-up. Lipsticks were my favorite, although I do remember some yellow and blue tubes of mascara. And them I started collecting dance stuff: leotards, shoes, warm-ups, plastic pants, tights, posters. Soon after that, my obsession was vintage clothes, fashion, fabric, and magazine ads. My bedroom walls were plastered with great old dresses, beaded and embroidered purses, and pictures of design inspirations. My dresser was piled with box purses and old platform shoes, draped with psychedelic scarves and crocheted shawls. This was all before eBay, or even the internet (as a widely-used thing) existed. It was a lot easier to find old stuff at yard sales and thrift stores because there wasn't as much competition. Years later, I'd wish that I had kept all of that stuff so that I could sell it on eBay (another thing on my long list of obsessions). 

As Lily gets older, she is less than interested in playing with Little People. On occasion, she will spread out the castle, dollhouse, barn, and pirate ship to create a village of sorts, animating its inhabitants and creating mini-dramas that star rubberized plastic people with constant smiles and perfectly coiffed hairstyles. But, she is more interested in Barbie, Polly Pocket, and, my favorite, her Loving Family dollhouse (that's become an obsession, too... Stay tuned for that). But I'm keeping the Little People. For the kids who like to play at The Big Red Barn. Yeah, right.    

 

Worth 1000 Words

So, looking at this strikingly revealing, provocative picture of my supply closet, I have to ask myself: what is all of this crap?

Every item has a purpose and a story. I think I've heard that somewhere. Oh yes, Hoarders. On Hoarders, a counselor prompts the hoarder to explore why they have what they have and keep what they keep. I can't afford a counselor, so here's a little self-examination and storytelling.

#1 Balloon Cups and Sticks

These are awesome. They should be put away in the plastic "party box" but they haven't made it there yet. They are more accessible here, sticking out of the repurposed over-the-door storage pockets that I found at a yard sale for $3. When we have a party or event requiring balloons, I use these awesome sticks to create balloon bouquets in large glass vases. I bought a gross of the sticks from Oriental Trading Company 4 years ago, and have used them religiously. They are so much more convenient than a helium tank!

I'll admit, I get a little "Soup Nazi" about them. When children say that they want a balloon to take home and reach for one, stick and all, I swoop in like a hawk and say they can have the balloon but not the stick. Kids shouldn't be playing with sticks anyway. You'll poke your eye out, kid!


#2 Paper Towels

We go through A LOT of paper towels. When children paint, I give them a palette of paint, a cup of water, and a paper towel- cut in half and folded to make a small square. I call it a blotting cloth. I don't know why I use that term; I'm not sure that it even makes sense. I show the kids how to clean their brush in the water, then dry it on the blotting cloth (???) to make sure it is clean and also to keep their paint from being runny. I love to see the happenstance art that reveals itself on the paper towels, and have kept a few particularly pretty ones. For what? That's another story. Sometimes the kids will even ask if they can keep their paper towels. It's contagious, I think.

Paper towels are also a must for bacon. We eat a lot of bacon.

#3 Used Coffee Containers

I've yet to use these for any kind of project. They still have remnants of coffee grounds in them. Most people would clean them before storing them. Me? You've got to be kidding. My favorite ones are the metal ones, but I can't bring myself to throw away the plastic ones, either. They have a lot of potential for something, I know it.

#4 Plasic Crayons

Found at Dollar Tree about a few months ago... They've been waiting to be hung above the windows of the art room. I'm vertically challenged and hate to ask for help. So they're still sitting here.

#5 Lily's Artwork

Lily was 2 when I started the barn. Up until the time she started Kindergarten, she attended most every event and class that I offered, and created copious amounts of artwork. I've weeded through a lot of it, only electing to keep what I considered the best pieces (yeah, I'm not biased.) I attempted to put them all in boxes, and succeeded for a while (see those long flat boxed off to the right? Totally full.) But she keeps making more, and the stacks keep growing, and growing, and growing. In fact, there's a stack currently growing on a table in my office.

#6 Picnic Basket

I love this little basket. It used to be in the playroom, and the kids loved it, too. They loved it a little too much. They'd fill it with food and bring it here and there, having impromptu picnics on my old printed tablecloths. The more they used it, the more I got scared the basket would end up crushed. One misplaced step and bye bye birdie. So now, like many of the toys I've deemed off-limits for one reason or another, it sits in a shelf with stacks of games and "table toys." Table toys are toys that usually have a lot of pieces and can only be played with at the table. Periodically, I take out different ones and put them out for the children to play with. The problem with this seemingly sensible procedure is the fact that getting all of the toys to fit in the shelves is not unlike an HD game of Tetris. And when I want to get something from the back or on the bottom, everything needs to be moved or rearranged. And then, after playtime, the toy needs to be put back again. Yeah, right.

#7 Fake Flowers

I have nowhere to put these little pots filled with sunflowers. Their original place was on our art tables. I stopped putting them on the tables because children could not resist picking them up and playing with them. That, and the fact that they just cluttered things up (as you can see, I can't stand clutter.) But I can't throw them away. As I've often learned, as soon as I throw them away, I'll figure out where to put them.

#8 Paper Towel Tubes

This is a biggie. The only reason these tubes are visible in single digits is because I didn't feel like scaling my appliances to put them with their colony of cardboard above my washer and dryer. Once upon a time, I could overhand toss the tubes like javelins and land them in their storage baskets. But the colony has grown, and now the toss only orchestrates a landslide.
What's more, the colony's residents also include toilet paper tubes, old Play Doh containers, styrofoam and plastic mushroom containers, strawberry baskets, and egg cartons. All of these items have a destiny- someday they will become Easter baskets, Valentine topiaries, egg carton flowers, recycled art, and who knows what else. It's a mess- but no one can say I'm not doing my part in saving the planet. :-)

#9 Metal Chip Spinner

I think I found this at a yard sale or possibly on the side of the road, and it just screams cool to me. Using clips or clothes pins, I can hang pictures, ephemera, etc.. The problem is that it takes up so much space, and it hasn't found an official home. At our last art fair, I used it on one of the tables to showcase class time photos. It is usually stored in the back shed, but somehow it hasn't made it back there since the fair (in November!)

#10 Chocolate Molds

This is probably the most likely item to never be used... But, like Kim Wilde (or The Supremes), I keep on hanging on. These are Halloween chocolate molds, probably acquired from a box of random craft junk at an estate sale. My intention was to use them as plaster molds. In theory, they are great. Reality is another matter entirely. They are usually stored in they big picnic basket they're sitting on top of. Which means that they are out of sight and out of mind. So when I come across them, Halloween is too far away or it has just passed. Maybe next year?

I know that I am not alone in my (limited) hoarding tendencies. Creative teacher types are often the worst offenders. If you took a picture of your closet, what would it look like?

Confession

Our Art Room: Neatly Organized!

People who come here always seem to think that I'm organized. They remark on how clean our playroom is, and how all of the toys have a place. They admire the adorable buckets hanging on the wall of the art room, art supplies neatly sorted, a la Ikea and Pinterest. But I know better. I know what they don't. I know the truth...

I know the horror of my supply closet.

Aaaaaggghhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We met pleasantly enough. It was a bright summer day. The closet showed such promise, and things between us started out just fine.

That's what they all say.

No, really! Painstakingly, I labeled supplies and sorted them. I stacked boxes on 3 large plastic shelving units. I tried, I really did.

They say that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. They also say to begin as you wish to continue. If only it were that easy.

Because as time goes on, life (or Michaels, or Hobby Lobby, or the garage sale you just couldn't pass up) keeps throwing things at you , and you have to figure out what the bleep to do with them to make them fit in your life- or supply closet.

I always tell the children: "pick up as you play." If only I followed my own advice! 

See? It says it right there: Pick Up!

It's really no surprise. When it comes to being neat, hypocrisy is my middle name. Case in point: my clothes closet. Oh dear. It's not that things are actually strewn all over the floor. It's more of an organized chaos of creative draping and pile-making on any surface OFF of the floor. My daughter does not have those skills yet. She is more partial to emptying the contents of her drawer all over the floor and leaving it for me to find. This MAKES ME CRAZY. Lately, her punishment for doing this has been closet/dresser prohibition for weeks at a time. She's quite the clothes horse, and likes to spend time finding just the right thing to wear. Part of her punishment is her having to wear whatever dear old mom picks out. Oh, the possibilities. But I digress...

Point is (do I have one?):

Do as I say, not as I do!

Yep, total hypocrite, that's me.

Beginnings

The Big Red Barn?

This is The Big Red Barn. It’s not red. It’s not a barn. And it’s not particularly big. But it’s mine. Inside is my home and my work; a place made for children, and for me.

The Big Red Barn in downtown Ponchatoula

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Okay, a little background...

Once upon a time, I lived in a wonderful old farmhouse out in the country. We had a red barn on the property, as well as a converted detached garage- a cottage, I liked to call it. Whenever I gave people directions to our house, I always said "Drive 2 miles down Weinberger Road, and when you see the big red barn, you're there." So when I started my business in the cottage next door, the name The Big Red Barn just fit. I began offering children's art classes, mom's day out, birthday parties and summer camps at The Big Red Barn, and quickly gained positive feedback from many parents and their children. With my 2 year old daughter, Lily Grace, I ran the business from this location for about a year and a half.

Due to personal circumstances, I had to leave the old farmhouse on Weinberger Road. I was happy with my little business and I had established a good reputation for The Big Red Barn. Many people were sad that I may have to close completely. However, the future was uncertain, and I wasn't sure how or where I could continue running The Big Red Barn if I had to support both a home and a freestanding business. The only way it would work financially would be to find a place that could house both home and work.

The original "Big Red Barn" with an actual barn!

I had sketches in my journal of floor plans and brainstormed ideas of how to combine my home with the barn. Most of my ideas take shape in my journal. It is a drawing board, so to speak, that allows for sketching, listing, free-writing, and general daydreaming. It is fun to see how many of the ideas originally expressed in volumes of my journals achieve fruition in one way or another.

Planting seeds of hope in the fertile pages of my journal... I still have trouble spelling the word separate. :-/

Planning and brainstorming and thinking... Nothing like ink to get ideas flowing!

All I needed was the right place, and the right landlord. I knew that few people would be that thrilled at the prospect of renting out a home to someone who was going to entertain dozens of children at a time- with paint, no less! I searched classified ads and Craigslist looking for a place to land. I drove around looking for "For Rent" signs. There was one house in downtown Ponchatoula with a small sign on the porch. I called it once, but got no answer. I kept looking. About a week later, I drove by it again. I called again. The landlord answered. It would be $975 a month. Higher than what I budgeted. Nevermind. But wait...  I may as well take a look at it.

In less than 10 minutes the landlord was there to show me the house. Lily was asleep in the backseat. I left her in the car (doors locked) while I quickly looked through the rooms. This was it. It was perfect. It would work! My landlord was totally on board with me using the house for home and business. By the time that Lily woke up, I had already signed a lease and gotten the keys.

And so begins the story of my life living in a playhouse.

Ready for children- Fall 2010