KIDDOS: American Girl

American Girl started in 1986 with a line of historical character dolls, all hailing from different races and nationalities. Each 'girl' was nine-years-old and lived in a different era of American history. They were 18" dolls that came with a storybook (and, later, a line of storybooks) telling stories about our country's history and that girl's place in it. The dolls were such a big hit (despite their outrageous price tag at over $100 per doll), that in 1995 the company expanded their doll collection and included accessories. Mattel bought the company in 1998.

I admit, I was a bit skeptical of these dolls for several reasons, one being their pricetag was so high, but after Lucy got Julie, a girl growing up in San Francisco in the 1970s with divorced hippie parents, I changed my mind. We have now read all seven books in Julie's collection and I like reading them with Lucy. The books share some of the history of the time period and got Lucy interested in what was happening then, so much so that we ended up researching more about political movements and women's rights. Also, the 'girls' often overcome some sort of adversity in a positive way, which is always a good lesson for our daughters to hear.

Alice recently got a Bitty Baby, American Girl's line of baby dolls for 3-6 year olds. While cute, they aren't really that interesting, as they don't come with a name or a specific story. I didn't purchase either of these dolls or their expensive accompanying accessories (Grandma did). The dolls are standard 18" dolls, though, so you can easily find less expensive clothing at thrift stores, craft fairs, and places like Target. We've made some fun 'bedrooms' for the dolls with stuff we already have, and I made a great haul of 1970s bellbottoms and praire-style dresses for Julie at an antique shop in Idaho Falls recently. The accompanying American Girl books and movies are all available at our local library and are pretty well done, in my opinion. It's been fun to explore American history with Lucy this way, through dolls and play, something she can relate to.

ARTSY: Freak Alley

Freak Alley started around ten years ago in an alley in downtown Boise between 8th and 9th Streets and Bannock and Idaho Streets. Local graffiti artists got permission from business owners to decorate and tag the alley with their unique and funky brand of art. Recently, the Boise Mural Project got the right to paint larger murals as a sort of extension of Freak Alley on the sides of two buildings in an adjacent vacant lot. The girls loved having an afternoon downtown, eating our favorite breadsticks and soup from Zeppole Baking Company and checking out art. I admit, I like it, too. Make me feel like I live in a much bigger city than Boise.

KIDDOS: Handmade Play Kitchen

For Christmas this year, I was super excited to make the girls a play kitchen out of a recycled piece of furniture. I'd seen some cute ones on Pinterest, made from old entertainment centers and night stands. In September, I found an used, unpainted little boy's tool table at the Idaho Youth Ranch for $13. I new it was perfect, and loved the pegboard backdrop, which would be perfect for hanging tiny pots and pans a la Julia Child. We hid the kitchen in my mom's shed.

We (okay, rather, my mom) painted it red, green and white using leftover house paint she had in the garage. I bought a used faucet at Second Chance, our local architectural salvage shop and my mom had an old mixing bowl we used for the sink. I used the black plastic wheels off of a toy car to make oven knobs and Eric picked up some pegboard hooks at the hardware store.

I hand-painted on the stove burners, and all the other supplies I took from around the house and the playroom. I collected all the girls play food from various locations and put it together in bins underneath the play kitchen. I hemmed a vintage kitchen curtain to fit on a tension rod under the sink to hide them. Vintage aprons, pot holders and a rug were picked up for super cheap at garage sales. I mounted an old phone and some shelving we had around the house on the wall to complete the ensemble. And that darling mosaiced mirror was a birthday gift to me from my talented artist-friend, Reham Aarti. Eric and I spent hours perfecting the little kitchen set-up on Christmas eve, and decided at the last minute to put the girls' table and chairs in the playroom to complete the dining atmosphere. It's provided hours of imagined play for every kid that's stepped foot in this house since Christmas. And the whole project cost around $25!

FOODIE: Bagel Sandwiches

Way back in the day I used to work at a Noah's bagel shop at 4am every morning. I hated that damn job, but I did learn to love bagels and to make a mean bagel sandwich. Not like it's that hard, really. Now I make them at home all the time. My favorites are bagel melts, which are so much cheaper to make at home than purchase at bagel shops.

We buy our bagels in bulk from Winco Foods. (Alice and I love everything bagels, Lucy only likes plain, and Eric prefers sesame seed.) Cut them in half, pop them in the toaster, butter lightly and layer the halves with toppings of your choice. We often make 'breakfast bagels,' which consist of whipping and microwaving an egg in the microwave, putting said egg on toasted and buttered bagel half, top with thin sliced ham and a slice of swiss cheese. Place on a cookie sheet under the broiler and watch closely, warming just until the cheese melts. We also make them for lunch with all kinds of veggies, lunchmeats, and tun, all topped with cheese, of course. Makes for a delicious warm meal on cold winter days, especially when paired with soup.

ARTSY: Trey McIntyre Project 10+1 pt. 3

So, I'm in this show again and I'm thrilled! A benefit for the renowned Trey McIntyre Project, a contemporary dance company based here in Boise, each year TMP invites local artists to create works inspired by dance/the company. Last year I made this. This year I made something inspired by this dance performance they did about two years ago. Here's a sneak peek:

If you're in town, you'd best come to the opening party tonight, TMP Headquarters on Fulton Street, right next to TableRock Brew Pub, 5-9pm. It's free, and sure to be fabulous!

ARTSY: Prison Art

One of my most favorite places in Boise, the Old Idaho State Pen. It's creepy and wonderfully preserved and well worth a visit. Or several. I can never get enough time here. Alice and I got the rare chance to access some of the cells in the 4 House and got these pics of the incredible inmate art.

CULTURE: The 2011 Wintry Market

Our inaugural Wintry Market was a huge success! Over the course of two days (Sat Nov 5 and Sun Nov 6) thirty different crafters, artists and makers filled the Ballet Idaho Auditorium space with good fun and terrific handmade gifts. Hundreds of people came through and the vibe was casual and eclectic and inspiring, by all accounts

And! You guys! The Ticky-Tacky shop did spectacular upon it's debut. Seriously, I got great comments about the quality of items and the originality. Several people even mentioned that I should have a store somewhere. As for now, though, I'm still just working the local booth/event market. I sold almost $350 worth of vintage goodness, though, in just two days. This exceeded my expectations, and totally got this girl a brand-new Kenmore vacuum.

My co-conspirators in all things crafty, Anna and Kristin. Together, we put together a pretty wonderful show and helped promote handmade and local goods in Idaho. I love these ladies. They also took way better photos than I did, so for more images of the Wintry Market, check out our blog and our Facebook page. You should also 'like' us/follow us to get info about other holiday markets in Idaho, as well as get updates on Wintry Market 2012!