Mom, What’s a Babe? Parenting Plights & Delights

Posted on December 26, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor
Ah, I love how children are always surprising us.
My nephews Soldier (at age 5) and his brother Joker (at age 2)

One Christmas when Soldier was six, his mother read him the nativity story. When she got to the part about Mary bringing forth a babe, Soldier stopped her and asked, “Mom, what’s a babe?”

Soldier’s father Jim overheard the conversation. “I’ll tell you what a babe is. A babe is your mom in a bikini.” He winked at Cindy. She chuckled along with Soldier and Jim.

Then Cindy went on to explain to Soldier that in this case, a babe was a baby. Baby Jesus in this particular story.

Soldier then wanted to know what a bikini was, so Cindy explained that it’s a small swimsuit that women wear.

Satisfied that he now knew what a babe and a bikini were, Soldier listened to the rest of the Christmas story.

A few hours later, the family went to visit Grandma and Granddad. Soldier told his grandma, “I know what a babe is.”

Grandma played along. “What’s a babe?”

“A babe is Mom in a zucchini,” Soldier said with a smile.

Grandma laughed so hard, she cried. Soldier is grown up now, but she still recalls the incident as one of her favorite moments in grandparenting.

Scan-2Jim & Cindy (in a tankini instead of a bikini)

So, do you have a parenting or grandparenting incident? 
If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too! 
 
Warning: I might feature your story in a future post. 
(Names can be changed to protect the guilty!)
 
I’d like to thank those who shared a parenting story with me last week. 
I’m saving them and will publish some in future posts.
 
If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, 
here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.
Posted in family, Funny, Humor, Parenting Plights and Delights | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments

Santa is Very Real!

Posted on December 23, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor
 
For those who no longer believe in Santa, my friend and co-author Maria Toth will tell you otherwise. She works at a craft store, and here’s what happened this week, in Maria’s own words: 
 
At work a customer and her two young children stepped up to the cut counter with bolts of fabric. As I began to measure, I asked the brother and sister if they were excited about Santa Claus. They were quiet. Then their mom explained that she told her kids that there is NO Santa Claus. 
 
Whoa, whoa, whoa. . . As I cut her fabric, I smiled at the kids and told them that Santa is very real. I happen to know this for a fact since I was an elf and worked at the North Pole in the Doll House. 
 
I told them how every morning Santa came by and said good morning to all the elves. 
 
And how Mrs. Claus makes the yummiest fudge and gingerbread with whipped cream.

And how the reindeer are real. I’ve seen them!
 
At this point, Mom is giving me this odd look. . . so, I stopped and said, “Ah, you still don’t believe, do you?” Then I told her that I could take a lie detector’s test and pass with ‘flying reindeer.’ (It’s true.) A curious smile began to sprout on Mom’s face, and soon her little girl began to tell me about the Easter Bunny. My co-worker tossed in a good word for the Tooth Fairy. I could see the magic in the children’s eyes. Sooo much fun!
 
BTW. . . I REALLY was an elf and worked at the North Pole! Honest.
 
So what can I say? Years ago Maria really did work at Santa’s Village!
Here are some memories from Christmases past:
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas isn’t jolly in this picture.
In fact, Santa looks downright bored.
Why are his eyes droopy?
Look at his hands.
 Is he thinking that kids have cooties?
Puck and Tulip when they were little.
How can Burt go anywhere without Ernie?
Scan 2
Scan 5
Tulip’s got the whole package!
She was in the Christmas Parade with her Girl Scout Troop.
“I don’t want to be a queen!”
Lily was picked by Mrs. Weber, kindergarten teacher, to be a queen,
wife of one of the three kings, for the school Christmas play.
She opted to be a donkey instead!
Scan 1-3
One Christmas Eve I entertained the family by reading
CAJUN NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS by Trosclari.
Kids of all ages get the biggest kick out of this picture book.
So do adults. Such a fun read aloud!
One year I read it to every grade at my kids’ school. 
I went to each classroom, from kindergarten all the way to 8th grade! 
The middle school kids enjoyed it as much as the little ones.

To wrap things up (sorry, couldn’t resist saying that!) here are some quotes for you:I once bought my kids a set of batteries for Christmas with a note on it saying, 
‘Toys not included.’  ~Bernard Manning

Guilt – the gift that keeps on giving.  ~ Erma Bombeck

May you have the gladness of Christmas, which is hope,
The spirit of Christmas, which is peace, 
The heart of Christmas, which is love. (Author unknown)

Merry Christmas, my friends. 
 Do you have any special plans for the holidays?

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

Shadow Boxes Make Great Gifts

Posted on December 21, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor

Just in case you’re looking for a special gift to make for Christmas, I thought I’d share my shadow boxes with you. Little mementos or souvenirs are perfect to use in a shadow box

I once mentioned to my friend and co-author, Maria Toth, that I still have my grandfather’s magic wand. (He died when I was in 8th grade, and I inherited many of his magician tricks.)

“You should frame it,” Maria said.
It was a light bulb moment. I found a frame, a photo of Granddad, some of the silk scarfs he used, typed up his magic words, “Abracadabra Presto Picheelo,” and added some playing cards.

I loved the way it turned out, so I made another one with the magic wand I used many years ago when I tried my hand as a clown magician.

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I was a clown magician for my son’s 4th birthday party.
I added playing cards and Granddad’s silk handkerchiefs to this shadow box, too,
so it tied in with the other one, and I hung them on the wall together.
I bought the frames at Ross at a good price. They had some 3D funky looking plastic figures in them, which I removed.
I was on a roll, so I made some more shadow boxes that reflected the Monster Moon books my BBH McChiller co-authors and I were working on. When we’d get together, we’d surprise each other at times with little sourvenirs or dollar store treasures that pertained to things in the story. I had so many trinkets and no more room on my shelves, so I decided to make shadow boxes with them.
This one reflects the prankster character, Freddy ‘Hangman’ Gallows.
Maria bought these gags at a dollar store.
Needless to say, when I take this shadow box to school visits,
kids go crazy over it and want to know how much it costs to buy it!
To read my post about props and school visits, click here.
This shadow box reflects things that are in Secret of Haunted Bog,
which takes place in a fictitious Old Chinatown near a haunted swampland.
Too bad I never took any classes in photography.
My reflection in the glass kind of messed up the photo!
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More Secret of Haunted Bog treasures!
This shadow box reflects the first Monster Moon book,
Curse at Zala Manor.

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This one reflects Vlad’s past. He’s the talking pirate rat in Monster Moon.

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This shadow box is twice the size of the others and
captures most of the action in Secret of Haunted Bog.

Now that I have grandkids, I’ll make some shadow boxes for them one day. I’ll personalize them to reflect some of their favorite things, whether it be a sports team, books, ballet, whatever they’re passionate about. Only time will tell.
I haven’t made a Christmas or holiday shadow box – yet. Anything might inspire me at any given time. They’re really not hard to make at all, and you can buy the boxes at a craft store. Or keep an eye out for a frame that has enough depth to add 3D objects. So, if you’re crafty and have some special treasures that you want to display or give as a gift, then have at it!
If you make a grouping, they sure can dress up a wall.
These hang above my desk.
The shadow boxes inspired me to stay motivated
on our Monster Moon books while we were working on them.

“Handmade presents are scary because they reveal that you have too much free time.”

                                                                                                        ~ Doug Coupland
If someone wanted to make a shadow box for you, what would they put in it to reflect the things you’re passionate about?
Writer friends, if you’re working to build your platform,
you might want to check out Kristen Lamb’s online class,
Blogging For Author Brand.
Read about it in her post here.
There are a lot of testimonials in the comments section.
It’s a two-month class for $40 and well worth it. She knows her stuff!
Next class begins in January.
Posted in Arts and Crafts, Curse at Zala Manor, Pirates, Secret of Haunted Bog, shadow boxes | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Impossible! – Parenting Plights & Delights

Posted on December 19, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor

When my niece, Ballerina, was two years old, she excitedly looked through the new Christmas toy catalog and stared lovingly at the pages of dolls and accessories, dainty dresses and shoes, pink buggies, strollers, and bassinets.

Scan 1-2

Ballerina at two-and-a-half years old

“Mommy, I want to go in there,” Ballerina said. Cindy thought she meant the toy store. “No, Mommy, I want to go in there.”

“You mean you want to go inside the catalog?” Cindy asked.

Ballerina nodded. Cindy explained that you can’t go inside a catalog, but Ballerina couldn’t understand why not, so she kept pestering her mom.

Finally, Cindy decided she’d have to let Ballerina discover for herself that she couldn’t go inside a catalog. “Okay,” Cindy said, “try and squish yourself in there.” She held the catalog up to Ballerina’s forehead while Ballerina pushed her head against it.

When nothing happened, Ballerina grew mad and cried. Cindy remembered her own childhood disappointment when she was unable to get inside a mirror to explore the world on the other side. She compassionately told her two-year-old, “You can’t get in there. You’re not Alice in Wonderland.”

Although Ballerina gave up on her desire to get inside the toy catalog, she turned her attention to other things, wanting to get inside the pictures on cereal boxes and books! Years later she learned the real secret of how to get inside books: She learned to read and was swept away on exciting adventures.

Scan-1
Reality leaves a lot to the imagination. ~ John Lennon

What happens to the wide-eyed observer when the window between reality
and unreality breaks and the glass begins to fly?  ~Author Unknown

Everything you can imagine is real.  ~Pablo Picasso

So, do you have a parenting or grandparenting incident? 

If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too. 
 
Warning: I might feature your story in a future post! 
(Names can be changed to protect the guilty.)
 
I’d like to thank everyone who shared a parenting story with me last week. 
I’m saving them and will publish some in future posts.
 
If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, 
here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.
 
Posted in family, Parenting Plights and Delights | Tagged , , | 28 Comments

DÉJÀ VU – Stepping Into Your Character’s Shoes

Posted on December 16, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor
Today, I’m participating in 
Nicole Ducleroir, and Lydia Kare
 
Everyone who signed up is posting an old blogpost.
 
Here’s my post from July 4, 2011.
 I picked this post because it’s insane and funny!

If the shoe fits . . . well, it sure makes it easier to step into the role of your character. What if you’re a male writing about a female? Stepping into her shoes might be difficult.

It can be tricky to balance, especially in spikes. At first it’s awkward. You might fall. Dust yourself off and get back up on those heels. You’ll soon find yourself strutting or prancing through your plot.
Does your character need to move with the poise and grace of a prima ballerina? Impossible? Not if you practice, practice, practice.
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There you go. Much better!
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Venturing into a new genre, exploring terrain your psyche never dared to conquer before? Those magic shoes could carry you off into mysterious, mystical realms. Try them on.
DSC00492
Don’t forget to pay attention to little details. Does your teen female curl her toes when Dreamy Dude flirts with her?
What if you’re a female stepping into a male character’s shoes? What kind of stance does he have? Are you taking note of his features, like those hairy legs? With a little creativity (and some black eyeliner – yes, those hairs are drawn on), you’ll be on the right track.
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Whether you’re a female writing about male characters or a male writing about female characters, in the beginning you might have to tighten the reigns to head them in the right direction. Once they come to life, you could find yourself wrangling with the keyboard to keep up as they gallop down the trail, daring to leap off the edge of the page. Whoa!
So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get to work!
How do you find a good fit filling your character’s shoes?
“Creativity often consists of merely turning up what is already there. Did you know that right and left shoes were thought up only a little more than a century ago?”   Bernice Fitz-Gibbon


If you’re participating in the blog hop, there isn’t much time to leave a comment if we’re going to visit all the sites. A simple “Hello Weirdo” is cool with me! 


Since this is a DÉJÀ VU Blogfest, have you ever experienced a real DÉJÀ VU? Care to share?



1. Lydia K 57. Today’s Working Woman 113. Empty Nest Insider
2. Nicole Ducleroir 58. Mish 114. Priyanka
3. Creepy Query Girl 59. Lisa Ann 115. Laugh Quotes
4. Francine Howarth 60. Hywela Lyn 116. Kibitz Spot
5. Laura Pauling 61. Gloria Richard 117. Fiona Faith Maddock
6. DL at Cruising Altitude 2.0 62. Donna K. Weaver Weaving a Tale or Two 118. Botanist
7. Jessica Bell 63. Jennifer Shirk 119. Far Away Eyes
8. Sarah Fine 64. Jo 120. Tim Snider
9. David King 65. Nancy S. Thompson 121. Better is Possible
10. Javid S. 66. Melissa Sugar 122. Jeremy [2Thumbs]
11. Gina C. 67. Sandra Ulbrich Almazan 123. Elisabeth Grace Foley @ The Second Sentence
12. cluelesseve 68. Nicki Elson 124. B. Taylor aka the Under Cover Waitress
13. Julie Dao 69. Brenda 125. A Nudge in the Right Direction
14. April Plummer 70. Em Dashes and Ice Cream 126. Julie Dorris
15. Connie, A Merry Heart 71. Sarah Ahiers 127. Allison (Geek Banter)
16. Haven 72. Donna Hole 128. shelli johannes wells
17. Liza at Middle Passages 73. Sylvia van Bruggen 129. Robyn Engel
18. L.G. Smith Bards and Prophets 74. That girl from around the bay 130. Kari White
19. Ellen Brickley 75. Colin Smith 131. Alison Miller
20. Em, 35JupiterDrive 76. Angeline Trevena 132. Commutinggirl
21. Bossy Betty 77. Sheri Larsen 133. Civil War Horror (Sean McLachlan)
22. Erin Jade Lange 78. Jossie Marie Solheim 134. Stu
23. Shannon O’Donnell 79. Donna’s Real World on Writing 135. Tizzy @ Creative Therapy
24. mshatch 80. Kristina Atkins 136. Clarissa Draper
25. Nia Raie 81. Over Yonder 137. Andrea Franco- Cook
26. Brinda Berry 82. Green Monkey 138. Steven Symes
27. Carrie- Anne 83. Donelle Lacy 139. Katy Upperman
28. Chippy 84. Jennie Bailey 140. Medeia Sharif
29. Alex J. Cavanaugh 85. tara tyler 141. Sophia Chang
30. yvonne lewis 86. Amy Lunderman 142. mybabyjohn/delores (Feathered Nest)
31. Tammy Polen Manocchio 87. M. E 143. Becky Povich
32. L’ Aussie Denise 88. Charity Bradford 144. mybabyjohn/delores (Youngish)
33. Heather Day Gilbert 89. Mary Pax 145. mybabyjohn/delores (Tormented)
34. Dianne Salerni, In High Spirits 90. Carla Ecland 146. Margo Kelly
35. Jemi Fraser 91. Man O’ Clay 147. Heather Arundel
36. Jennifer Hillier 92. Scarlett Stokes 148. Ms. Persevere
37. Theresa Milstein 93. Julie Flanders 149. Cold As Heaven
38. julie fedderson 94. J Larkin 150. Jessica Salyer
39. Tracy 95. Tim Brannan 151. Juliann Wetz
40. Wendy S. Russo 96. David Brawley 152. Jules @ Trying to get Over The Rainbow
41. Amy L. Sonnichsen 97. Pearson Report 153. Sue Travers @ traverselife
42. Catherine Denton 98. Helen Ginger 154. Melodie @ Forever Rewrighting
43. Elaine AM Smith 99. Stephen Tremp 155. Vicki Rocho
44. Sarah Pearson 100. Laura Marcella @ Wavy Lines 156. Lynn Kelley
45. Spunky L. Diane Wolfe 101. Enid @ SteamyFantasy 157. Nisa
46. PK Hrezo 102. Belle Unruh 158. Laurel Garver
47. Swagger Writers 103. The Golden Eagle 159. SJ Driscoll–Come sit by my fire
48. Jennifer Wilck 104. Len Lambert 160. Coleen Patrick
49. Jenn 105. Rhonda Eudaly 161. Amie McCracken
50. Leigh Moore 106. Holly Stacey 162. Margo Berendsen
51. Kelly Dexter 107. Callin 163. Chris Phillips
52. Arlee Bird 108. Blogging from A to Z 164. Julie Hedlund
53. Accidentalwriter 109. Rafa 165. Karen Peterson
54. J.C. Martin, Fighter Writer 110. Melissa Ann Goodwin 166. Operation Terrible Idea: Parkour Master
55. Fabulosity Reads 111. Carol Kilgore 167. Sarah Allen
56. LD Masterson 112. Alana Garrigues 168.
Posted in Authorly Stuff, Humor, Writing | Tagged , , , | 68 Comments

Interview With a Pirate Rat!

Posted on December 14, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor

I have a special guest for you today. Please welcome Vlad, the talking pirate rat.

Thank you for visiting, Vlad. I’m thrilled I get to pick your brain today.

Arrr, swabber! No one be messin’ with me poor brain, lest ye end up in Davey Jones’ locker!

Forgive me, Vlad. What was I thinking? I didn’t mean it literally. (The scars on the top of his head make me wince.) It’s just that you’re such an amazing rat, being able to not only talk, but you can also sing.

 
  Aye, swabber, thanks fer ye blog invite,
Yeo-heave-ho and a barrel of crumbs,
But don’t be askin’ this rat to write,
Yeo-heave-ho, got a bottle of rum?
 

I love your pirate ditties, Vlad. That was way cool.

Aye, got me voice from me sweet mum. Singing ditties is me specialty. Glad ye likes it, landlubber.

I’m sure people are wondering how in the world a rat can not only talk, but also sing. Can you explain it for them, Vlad?

(The hair along Vlad’s spine bristles like a scrub brush. His eyes are misty. He wipes them with the back of his paws.)

If this is too painful to continue, I understand.

Nay, matey. Let me tell me tale. I once be a spry young parrot on a pirate ship. Woe, how me longs fer salty sea breezes ruffling me wings.

Ah, I love the crisp smell of ocean air, too.

To makes a long story short, after being kidnapped by two scurvy swine, me ended up in the clutches of a mad scientist, Bela Zantony.

Oh, yes, Uncle Bela Zantony is mentioned in the first Monster Moon book, Curse at Zala Manor. He was AJ Zantony’s 13th great-uncle, a scientist.

A mad scientist, me heartie. Mad as a kraken in a witch’s brew. A beautiful, plumed parrot t’was I when he took me into his lab. Blast! I awoke trapped in this wretched rodent’s vessel.

I’m so sorry, Vlad. What a nightmare. How long ago did that happen?

Awk! Summer of 1698 me parrot self met me fate, but me brain lives on. Bela messed up when he transplanted me parrot brain into this blasted rat’s head. He muddled up the aging process so I be cursed to live as a rat forever.

Here, Vlad, have a piece of muenster. I hope this isn’t too uncomfortable, sharing your history with us.

(No response. Vlad’s scarfing down the cheese. My bad. Note to self: Never offer animals a snack in the middle of an interview.)

Ahem! I’m sure AJ Zantony, Emily Peralta, Freddy ‘Hangman’ Gallows, and the other Zombuddies are thankful you survived through three centuries and are there to help them face the spooky predicaments they find themselves in.

(Vlad’s slurping from my hot chocolate.)

Excuse my bad manners, Vlad, for not offering you a drink. You can have the rest of mine.

(Loud belch) Thank ye, swabber. Now, where’s the rest of the grub ye promised fer this interview?

Coming right up, Vlad. Just one last question. Both Monster Moon books, Curse at Zala Manor and Secret of Haunted Bog, mention something about you knowing where pirate treasure is buried. Can you tell us how to find it?

Arrr, scallywag! I’ll never tell. Awk! Never tell!

I had a feeling you’d say that. Thanks so much for visiting Random Acts of Weirdness, Vlad. Is there anything else you’d like to share with the folks?

Aye, mates, tis a merry time of year,
Me be wishin’ ye much Christmas fun,
Remember, me loves rich tasty cheer,
Like, maybe a puddin’ full of rum.

Thanks for coming, Vlad. Your feast awaits you in the kitchen. I hope you’ll come back.
It’ll cost ye scraps fer life, matey.
 
You got yerself a deal, Vlad! *wink* 
Vlad’s a regular character in the fun, spooky Monster Moon mystery series by BBH McChiller. If you’d like to learn more about Vlad and the Zombuddies, you can read about them in CURSE AT ZALA MANOR and SECRET OF HAUNTED BOG, for ages 8 – 12, available in hardback and eBooks:
978-0615855479
Smashwords – eBook (Formats for all eReaders)
Posted in Authorly Stuff, BBH McChiller, Books, Curse at Zala Manor, Pirates, Secret of Haunted Bog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

Parenting Plights & Delights – Holiday Shopping With Kids

Posted on December 12, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor

‘Tis the season to shop, and the malls are packed with holiday shoppers. When we have to bring our children along, it can be difficult to keep an eye on them. Cindy Molina told me about the time her son Alex was eight years old. That was the same year Polly Klaus had been abducted, and the newscasters gave parents safety tips to teach their children what to do if a stranger tried to grab them.

So Cindy and her husband Frank explained to Alex and his nine-year-old brother Ryan that if you’re out in public and a man grabs you and tries to take you with him, holler, “Help! This isn’t my father!” Or if it’s a woman, “This isn’t my mother!”

Cindy explained, “Because if you just cry and kick and scream, people will think you’re having a tantrum with your own parent.”

The next time the family went shopping, they were in a department store, and Frank took Alex to look at some shirts while Cindy took Ryan to shop for pants. When Frank was done, he took Alex’s hand and said, “Let’s go find your mom.”

Alex started yelling, “Help! Help! This isn’t my father!” Everyone around them stopped and stared. The sales people gave Frank dirty looks. He was super embarrassed and explained that he really was the father.

By that time, Cindy arrived to see what all the commotion was about. “It was so humiliating.” She explained to the people that she and Frank had just taught their sons some safety tips and apparently Alex wanted to try it out.

“We found out that it really does work,” Cindy said. She recommends that all parents teach this safety tip to their kids, but they should warn them not to test it on their parents out in public!

Louise Behiel has four grandchildren, ages 7, 5, 4, and 18 months. 
“I love spending time with them. The younger two live close to me and they love to shop with grandma, so they think it’s ‘my’ Walmart and they know the store has the biggest playroom ever. What fun.”

I’m sure they think you’re the best grandma ever, Louise!

This funny YouTube video is titled, “Someone WAS Watching!”
And it wasn’t Santa Claus. 
Nope, it’s a surveillance tape from a department store. 

Sheila Seabrook shared one of her most memorable parenting stories: “It was in the middle of Sears while I was attempting to find a new dress. My two boys, then aged 3 and 5, were running around inside the racks of clothes. I finally grabbed them by the hoods of their jackets and with one hand, held on tight while with the other hand, I browsed through the rack. The two boys were straining at the bit to get out, practically choking themselves in the process. I got a lot of you’re-a-mean-mom looks from people as they passed but at least the boys weren’t running free. 🙂

Thank you to everyone who’s shared parenting stories with me. I LOVE hearing from you.

So, do you have a scary or humorous parenting memory? If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too! 

Warning: I might feature your story in a future post! (Names can be changed to protect the guilty.)

If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo at yahoo dot com.

A version of Frank and Cindy Molina’s story first appeared in The Highland Community News in December of 1998.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 23 Comments

Altered Art Photo Box – Homemade Gifts

Posted on December 9, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor

My last post featured an altered art book I made for my parents for Christmas 2009. If you missed it, you can check it out here.

Below is an easier altered art project:

For a quicker, simpler altered art craft, you might want to decorate a filing box, like the one I bought at a craft store. These can be used to store photos, DVDs, CDs, or miscellaneous things. They make great gifts and don’t cost much to make.

I bought a calendar at the dollar store with some great photos of Tuscany. I tore the photo into three parts, with the middle part being wider to decorate the lid of the box and the other two sections for the sides.

If you like to make collages, you’ll love this craft.
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Let your creativity explode. You can decorate the box with various textures and objects such as pieces of jewelry, a small embroidery piece, ticket stubs, glitter glue, pics from greeting cards. Anything that fits the recipient of the gift or the theme of the box. If it’s a box to store sewing supplies, do a sewing theme using buttons, zippers, patches of fabric, a tape measure, and anything else you can think of.
For a pet theme, you could use photos of your pets, an old dog license tag, pics from magazines or greeting cards, an old dog collar that your dog or cat outgrew, and paint some paw prints all over the box.
The sky’s the limit. Make it special. Make it your own!
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A decorative box for your teen would be fun. You can make it wild and zany.
Going to a baby or wedding shower?
Those themes would be fun to work with, and what a wonderful, unique gift.Be sure to think outside the box! 
Sorry, just couldn’t help it! LOL!

Here’s a link Melissa Marsh shared with me, a blog post from January 2009 when she and her daughter made some cool collages. At the end of the post are photos of the beautiful wooden box her mother made for her that Christmas. Melissa keeps sentimental letters from friends and family in it. A real treasure chest!

Do you have any ideas for some other themes that would make a cool decorative box? If someone gave you one of these for Christmas, what would you store in it? What theme would you want? Do you have any tips for others who might want to give this a shot?

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

Homemade Gifts – Altered Art Scrapbooking

Posted on December 7, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor

Do you love to give homemade gifts from the heart? Here’s one of my favorite crafts, a form of scrapbooking, but you can mix & match different mediums, from braided ribbon, fabric, a pocket from an old pair of jeans, paint, embroidery, old jewelry, pressed flowers, scrapbooking embellishments and paper.

 This is an altered art book I made for my mom and dad for Christmas 2009.

I used an old board book, sanded down the pages, then covered them with scrapbooking paper.

On the cover I used:

  • Braided ribbon for the border
  • A photo of my mom and dad when they were children (don’t use originals)
  • Scrapbooking stickers
  • A flower made from fabric (From the dollar store. If you sew, you can make your own.)
  • A hanging tassel (another dollar store treasure!) dangles next to the spine of the book.
  • Beaded trim is glued to the spine.
  • I used Tacky Glue to glue everything on. Recently I discovered Zots, little round two-sided stickers, which are great for heavier items, like imitation gems or a charm from a bracelet.

Another dollar store bargain, two craft pens for a buck – one gold and one silver, were perfect to color the edges of the inside pages.

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This is one of my first altered art books, so it only has a few different mediums. The longer I do it, the more I experiment with other techniques such as macrame, paint, tissue paper, buttons, various textures, anything that catches my eye.

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I wanted the theme to be family and tried to add a photo of each family member as a child, although I couldn’t locate any photos of my mom’s mother when she was young. She passed away when Mom was 13. No one remembers ever seeing a childhood picture of her. Darn.

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I learned to add pockets to some of the pages, which are good for putting little keepsakes or quotes inside. It’s quick and easy to tear around some of the photos for an old fashioned look. For other photos, I cut around the outline of the subject and discarded the backround.
Changing things up and using different looks is fun. I don’t plan out each spread, just kind of add one thing, then hold up another embellishment or photo here or there on the page to see where it looks the best. It’s kind of design as you go.

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A chart lists which family members and ancestors are featured on each spread of the book.
I researched the history of favorite toys such as skates and bicycles, typed it up, then downsized the 8×11 pages on my copier to a size that would fit in a pocket.

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The photo on the top was shaped like a bookmark, so I glued it on to stick up higher on the page. I glued another photo on the back of it.
More photos can be tucked into a pocket, along with a favorite quote. Old ticket stubs are cool keepsakes to put in the pockets or a love letter, whatever you have that has special meaning to the person you’re making the gift for.

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A pocket at the top of the page on the right holds scaled-down photos from vintage magazines.

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Since my theme was about family members and childhood, I asked each family member what their favorite toy was as a kid, then typed up a list, which was also printed out on a smaller scale, about 3×5 sized pages.
I put the pages inside a pretty drawstring bag, then tucked it in a pocket.

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The back cover also has a fabric flower embellishment from the dollar store.

There are more great-children in the family now. Mom and Dad can add small photos of them in some of the pockets. We don’t want any hurt feelings!

In my next post, I’ll feature a filing box that I turned into an altered art piece. It’s a homemade gift that doesn’t take as much time as an altered art book does.

Do you like to make gifts for friends and loved ones? Do you like to receive homemade gifts?

Have you had any disastrous results when trying to make a gift? How about receiving a  homemade gift that was so fugly you had no idea what to do with it? I’d love to hear your thoughts! 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | 23 Comments

Teaching Your Kid to Ride a Bike?

Posted on December 5, 2011 by lynnkelleyauthor
 
 
 
Once Santa leaves that new bicycle under the tree (okay, maybe near the tree), someone has to teach the newbie how to ride it. 
Have you ever taught your kid how to ride a bike?
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My husband teaching our son to ride many years ago.

When Steve King’s oldest child, Rhett, was not quite five years old, he got a spiffy red bike for Christmas. Steve was excited about teaching his son how to ride his bike. They lived in an apartment complex with a swimming pool in the middle of the complex. Steve realized the pool could pose a problem, but he decided he would steer Rhett away from it.

Steve ran behind Rhett, holding onto the bike. Rhett proved to be a fast learner, so Steve steered Rhett to the right and then let go. Rhett veered to the left and rode along the pool until the bike tipped over and he splashed into the cold water.

Rhett laughed at first, but when Tammy, his mother, ran outside, he cried when he saw how upset she was that he was swimming fully clothed in the dead of winter. Steve helped Rhett out of the pool and then fished the bike out.

Later that same day, Steve decided it would be best if Rhett got back up on the horse right away. He convinced his son that something like that wouldn’t happen again. After steering Rhett to the right and away from the pool, Rhett turned left again and fell into the pool once more.

Steve couldn’t believe it, and his wife wasn’t the least bit amused. Knowing well that with three strikes he’d be out, Steve decided to play it safe and took Rhett up to the high school where his son could learn to perfect his bicycle riding skills.

Once he got the hang of it, “Rhett was thrilled and smiled from ear to ear,” Steve said.

Good thing we had a school near us when it was
time for our son to learn to ride!

This little boy is mighty proud of himself for learning to ride his bike.
If you need a pep talk or a little motivational speech to tackle your goals, you gotta watch this!

So, do you have a parenting or grandparenting story? If you’re not a parent, memories from your own childhood count, too!

Warning:  I might feature your story in a future post. 

(Names can be changed to protect the guilty!)
Thanks to all who shared a parenting memory with me last week. I’m saving them and will publish some in future posts.
If you don’t want to leave a comment but would rather contact me by email, here’s my address: lynkelwoohoo (at) yahoo (dot) com.
 
A version of this story first appeared in The Highland Community News in June of 1998.
Posted in family, Parenting Plights and Delights | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments