Let the Girls Eat Cake

Ok, while the kids are off running down the street in their pjs at 7:43am tacking handmade signs to trees for a performance they are planning to put on I thought I would tack some thoughts on OSH. Franny and Nori have finally reached the age when they can paint "politely", have tea parties and endless games of pretend. The beautiful cake above was made by my friend Heidi who is one of the most creative people I know. I think this cake is made from an old cold cream container, a rose butter dish, some millinery flowers and strong glue. She can turn old clothing patterns into gorgeous multi-layered flowers. There is a really cool paper show called Silver Bella held each year in Omaha, Nebraska that she went to last year and came back with the most amazing paper creations I'd ever seen. http://www.paperbellastudio.com/pages/silverbella.htm I wish I had those skills and maybe one day I'll go and be a fly on the wall and see if any of that creativity rubs off on me.
The girls' tea parties often have cake (light as air), vegetables and other interesting foods. I bought these antique butter plates at an antique store and since they are so small they are perfect for teatime and meals with bears and dolls. The patterns on the butter dishes are so simple and yet extraordinary. These are some of my favorite treasures for little girls. I also keep fresh ginger root on a butter dish in my kitchen.

I can't forget Franny and Nori's other love of pink things like unicorns and palettes of paints. They can sit for long stretches of time and paint picture after picture. It is a delight to see them in the act of creation with bent brushes in their little hands. This is a new development. A year ago they would have merely eaten the paint or thought a blue set of toes a wonderful idea. Have a splendid Thursday!