ripper

brown legs / red hands / pink claws / blue wings

it never got its claws...



why sit around and wait to get them? there are too many places to explore, things to see, battles to fight

ripper -- it can blink, it can sit, it can fight, it can fly -- but it can't rip :)

oh so thoughtful

Whenever there is an occasion for gift-giving, my 11 year old niece, Jin, never asks me what I want. She sits with me and we talk- a lot, about anything and everything. Our conversation a few days ago was about entering middle school; I talked to her about what to expect, and it led to a discussion of that expected thing every girl gets at an unexpected time. I suggested keeping a pouch in her book bag that has all the necessary items. So for my birthday, she gave me this snake. It's a tampon holder. She designed and made it all by herself. I call it John the Tampon-Eating Python. It rhymes. :)

And this is what she gave me for Christmas last year. A bed for my phone. This is where my phone rests, recharges, and waits to wake me early in the morning. I remember talking to her about making a cell phone bed, and she made one just for me! The bed matches my night table and the fuzzy pillow and sheets match my linens -white and a dreamy blue.

making gifts

Four more days of school. Snow is making little purses and hemp bracelets for her friends; and gathering rocks and shells for her teachers.

Maku is making bendy snakes.

I made this for my brother-in-law Joel last Christmas. He loves Oreos. His birthday is coming up and we have a week to come up with something and then make it! Snow found a pineapple tarts recipe but it is lost in the house somewhere.

chickens for the soul

Maku still talks about roosters so we made one. Now Snow's hen is in love. We should be expecting plenty eggs soon.

beach ready

new swim trunks for our little friends made from Jin's old sundress
Summer here we come!

it's a flat world

It all started with Zicke, Snow's first sewing project. Now there is a book and the whole family is here as well.

Here is Zicke, towering over his parents. In his mother's arms is his brand new baby sister. And to his right is his petite blue-headed grandmother, who is just a wee bit taller than their family pet, Peek.
I found them hanging about Flat Map Park this morning, a perfect opportunity for a photograph. When Snow got home from school she led them across the river to Mushroom Restaurant where they had early dinner reservations.

missing James and making Edward

It is called Bamboo Garden Partly (yes, Partly) - a picture by our dear friend James.
I asked Maku, who do you think lives in this thick bamboo forest, underneath the dandelion clocks? He drew me a warrior, a square-faced one with prickly hair. And what color would this warrior be? No one knows, for he can disguise himself easily.


We call him Edward. He may be a warrior but the flower on his back shows his soft side. He loves nuts and Rambo.
He was on the road for almost a week and has finally reached his new home.

Hope your new friend is treating you nice, James.

inside the laundry room

So there I was, happily sewing in the laundry room, with a 4 year old pirate underneath my table, when two girls joined in. They asked me for a pair of scissors, some old shirts, sewing needles, and thread. Then, with an exotic accent, I heard one say, "Designers, today's challenge is to make a prom dress from these old shirts." I didn't pay much attention to what they were doing, there was giggling and sewing, and a mess of toys on top of the washer.
The mess was still there the following day and, concerned about misplaced needles, I took a closer look...


it was no mess...it was Project Runway! That's Nina Garcia, Michael Kors and Heidi Klum (sitting on the pin cushion) to the left. And what a great dress! I love that Jin made the stripes diagonal. And that turtle neck top!
So I told them I was impressed and they told me this:
"See, when we leave a mess, it's not a mess, it's complicated playing."
"Did you take a picture? Are you going to put it on your blog?"
"It's our playing, can we have a blog?"
So, from this conversation comes: Jinjerpop - my niece Jin's first blog.
Congratulations, Jin! I am so proud ^.^

his name is Tooter

december 1st

How time flies when you're grown up. It's hard to believe it's the end of another month and that we are approaching the end of another year.
The first of December marks the start of our holiday decorating and gift-making. Maku is putting together little pots of aloe for his friends this year. He adorns them with pebbles and puts leaf beds for tired fairies to rest in.

Snow is sewing marble pouches like the one she made for herself a few weeks ago. Jin has complicated plans but nothing she can't handle on her own...

...just look at this cutie crayon case she made for a friend.

shark specifics

The day before our trip, Maku drew me this.

"I need to bring a toy that can swim, if I accidentally drop it into Mimagra falls, I know it will be okay."

We had to make it to his specifications or potentially lose it forever.

orange - so it could easily be spotted by rescuers
blue eyes - so it could see well under raging waters
no gills - so it could breathe in air during the helicopter lift


Booksie was never dropped into the river but there have been many rescues, some more complex than others. There was a cave rescue that lasted for days with many rescue dogs hurt. Today he was found stuck in a bamboo forest and was rescued by a helicopter. Where would you go if you were a shark with no gills?

making neighbors

Look who just moved into the neighborhood: The Dollies, fresh from Jin's sewing table.
Little Johnny Merkur is most delighted to welcome the new family.

Jarry the Giraffe and Weeta's birthday

After a quiet morning at the park watching baby frogs, the children spent the rest of the day preparing for Aunt Elaine's birthday party. Some presents we bought, some we made. Snow made her a wolf mask. Jin made her a giraffe softie and a card with some fun facts about giraffes. She sketched the design, made the pattern, cut the fabric, and sewed and stuffed in less than two hours.
We played pin the tail on the giraffe and other fun party games that the children prepared.
A teppanyaki restaurant was the birthday girl's choice, the adults enjoyed their sashimi and sake with no interruptions while the little ones marveled at the onion volcano and shrimp tails flying into the chef's pocket and hat. (^o^)

Cousin Jin

A post by Snow:

She's cool! She's 9!

She knits! She sews!

molly and zicke

"Hey, Mol. Looking good!" Molly is a girl robot with really long stripy legs. That's her leg you see under the front tire.

"Hey, Zic! Not so shabby yourself." Zicke the Flatman is the product of Snow's first sewing attempt.

Chixstix thinks she's out playing Robo Rally with the girls, but Mol just can't resist the two-dimensional beauty of The Flatman.

Meet Chixstix

Maku wanted a handmade doll too. He wanted a robot that can fly.
Four hours and a hundred is-my-robot-done-yets later...

Here is Maku's new friend, Chixstix. He looks bettter here than in person. The switch on its back enables it to fly.

Maybe next time, Totoro

Snow just finished writing a story, "The Banana Peel People". She asked me to sew a doll to go along with her book. She is a big fan of Hayao Miyazaki. Her plan was to send him a copy of her book along with this doll, May.

She quickly became attached to May. She'll be staying with us in the mean time.