-a wooden serving tray with a lovely yellow cottage on it. My daughter said, “Is that where Laura [of Little House in the Prarie] lives?”

-a fantastic wool blanket. I got this a while back, but hey! it’s 50 degrees, so we’re still using it! I’m not complaining–this is my kind of summer. Awesome things to do everywhere, but none of that hot ass weather that goes a long with it.

-a ridiculously analog computer. It’s hilarious, how could I pass it up?

-and this bad boy came off the curb. A metal basket for who know what, but it fits our books perfectly. And it’s awesome.

Get anything good from the thrift store recently?

I’ll admit I totally bought this toy for myself.  I fell for this wooden robot the first time I saw him and saved up my pennies (this is no 2 dollar plastic pig) so I could take him home.  This gentle giant is designed by David Weeks, who has made many super fantastic things like the beautiful and clever flashlight/candlestick combo the castlight.  Well designed toys are much easier to find these days, but they are sometimes more design than toy, know what I mean? But this simple robot is just right. Be warned, once he moves out of cube form you will have to work pretty hard to get him to go back to that convenient shape again unless you are some sort of rubiks master.

We are at a toy crossroads these days, I think. My girl is five and my boy is four (the baby is happy playing with a spoon). They still play with little people ,we call them guys, but they are in pretty rough shape–most have a limb or an ear chewed off by the dog.  Is there a toy like little people for the next age up–playmobile maybe? Blocks and big legos are still going strong. We are slowly venturing into little legos as the baby stops putting everything in his mouth. Do you guys have any recommendations for good building toys? We got Citiblocs for christmas and they are super awesome! I would have never picked them up–they just look like sticks, expensive sticks–but they teach you how to build in a different way than regular blocks do. Anyway, long winded way to say, “hey, do you know of any good quality toys that my kids will play with for years to come, rather than the next three minutes?”

I went back and forth about buying it, because it was ten bucks, but in the end I got it and I’m glad I did. I duct taped some batteries in (why do we have a thousand C batteries on hand?) and the sucker works! Push the green button and the conveyor belt moves, slide something across the scanner and it beeps, and if you push the yellow numbers a bunch of times the receipt pops up.

On the conveyor belt: bananas, a calorie counter book (really, why?), gouda, asprin, toothpaste, cookies and shoe polish. This is definitely an old man’s shopping list–a slightly overweight old man, in the eighties with a hangover. Meet the toy designers of the past.

I did get to the thrift store while I was away and I couldn’t believe how jam packed with stuff it was.  Turns out my town is full of thrift store scavengers (competition) so the pickins is usually slim.  I think this piano was actually there last time I visited my family (umm, thanksgiving?) but I passed it by.  But really can you pass on a vintage, wooden toy piano for $20 two times? It sound very much like a toy piano–pling, plong–but I kind of like it.

I was thinking I should get a little more organized when it comes to my sewing. I’ve got so many projects that I would like to start and so many that really need to be done and I want to do all of it at once, so I end up staring at fabric or making piles or cleaning up and then it’s time for bed and nothing has been made.  So inspired by some lovely ladies, I thought I’d try to have a goal each week:  making a garment each night of the week (like amanda) or just posing a creative challenge (like fede).  I’d like to do this all summer, but really I think I’ll just start with the next month and see how it goes.  I think it will make me focus a bit better.  This week is just about organzing and getting ready, but I’ll be back next week to post the theme or goal or whatever. If you’d like to join me with your own weekly goals, please do, we’ll get even more done that way I’m sure.

Meet Olaf. He is the answer to the question: “Can this outfit be turned into a soft toy?”  The pants were mine a long time ago and the shirt I picked up at a thrift store for a different project.  I should have taken a picture actually wearing the outfit before I cut it all up, but there was a big, gaping hole in the shirt in a very conspicuous spot. I wasn’t sure if the pants would work, but my trusty little machine sewed through all those layers with just a little pushing on my part (and no swearing!).  All the pockets still work and I may whip up a little polka dotted toy for Olaf to put in a pocket, but he may be to serious for that.