Turn This into That:A Pool Table and Swimming Pool for Ken and his Barbie Wives

If you've read yesterday's post, you've seen this amazing little dollar toy found in the grocery store.  Why so amazing?  Because it is perfect for Ken and the Barbie wives!  and because it was a dollar.  Today was the day to turn this...

Into that...

Pretty great, right?!

Click here to see how.

It's set up in the doll ballroom for now.  I taught Barbie everything I know.  She won the first game.

And since we're talking turn this into that, have you seen this?

Friend Bev posted it to my fb wall.  I kinda looked like that earlier today.  except my hair is brown.

Daughter Sara and I have been working on our little garden, but we needed more good dirt.  I was on my way home from getting that dirt, when behold....two large yard sales making me stop to buy stuff.

One of the sales was at our church.   I knew the money spent would support our youth ministry's missions trip. Also I still owed youth pastor J.P. money from their last sale. It was only right to pay off my debt...and buy more stuff.

While rooting through a box in the corner, I found this.

I attempted funniness by placing it on the counter with my other fine purchases. Friend, youth pastor, and fellow junkaholic J.P. asked if I was serious.

"Are you serious?" he said.

"Pshh," I said, "no. What could I possibly do with that?  pshh."

He said I should be able to do something with it.

Because that's what friends do.

They remind you of your greatness and potential when "facing" a challenge. 

I remembered my superpowers.

I took the headless lady who carries a bunny in her basket.

What would you do with it?
Most people would do this.

So far this is the best I've come up with...

  chore list--Sara will think it's funny.

It's not going to last, because although I don't know what it is, that's a living something on top.  Well it's dead now, but it was living, and it will rot if we don't eat it first.

At the second sale, there was a "5 dollar fill a bag" sale on clothes.  Okay.  I'll do that.  I can get all kinds of stuff into a plastic bag.  When we do "5 dollar fill a bag" at our sales, and I see people stuffing it in, I think to myself, "good job yard saler! go for it!"  5 dollar fill a bag is no time to be shy. 

So I sat down on the grass, and filled my bag.  I asked for two bags, trying not to appear too eagerly greedy, but deep in my heart I was certain one bag was going to work. I would make it work. It worked.

Some of the clothes didn't fit me, but there was a nice coat for husband Dion, and a great vintage shirt that will go well with these shoes scored at goodwill last weekend.

cheetah heels/$3...black/white heels/$5

I also put in a soft, cream-colored, winter scarf, two pair of sandals, and these vintage scarves and belts.  fantastic.

Okay, here are a few more doll house progress pics:

The new pool with real water and optional fountain is a spinach container.  The dolls can cover it with a lid when using the space for outdoor, not-pool parties.

 Check out the air plant in the seashell planter on the left.  Next-to-no maintenance, they are 3 dollars and some cents at Walgreens...or free in Florida.  :)

She doesn't want the outside of this pool painted, because it's much deeper than the last one, and she likes opening the garage door and looking underneath the water.  The light also shines down into the garage this way.

Instead we put in pretty rocks and plastic flowers.  This winter, we'll bring the fountain motor in so the water can flow all the time.  

Here the Lalaloopsys are enjoying the sun and pet/kiddie pool.  Do you know what's grosser than a kiddie pool?  A kiddie pool that's shared with family pets...or in this case a pet pool, shared by the kiddies.  Still, the other pool is too deep for Loopsys.
I like the little safety board.  The image is a temp tattoo. Reach or Throw. Don't Go.  It's made out of cardboard and duct tape.

Now I'll leave you to dream of the treasures you would squish into a 5 dollar fill a bag.  But first, see this pretty mushroom?  The humidity has been making it not-so-great for working in a garden, but it does make it great for this mushroom to grow here.  It was a gift that added beauty and happiness to this day. I hope you like it too.

How are you making your today world beautiful?

Have you turned a this into that?

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The Story of an Adventure Back to a Water Park

One might think adventure would happen in the water park.  But in this story the adventure began after the water park.

You know, the part where you walk out of the park with your kids, exhausted after a few solid hours of water parking, ready to pack it all up in the mini-van. You smell like you've ingested one of those chlorinated pool tablets, and as you walk, you're looking over your kids, questioning if the seventh coat of sunscreen was enough, while announcing a prompt "rest time when we get home", followed by a "where did we park?!?"
 

That pretty much describes us today...us being daughter Sara, who is a ten-going-on-sixteen-year-old, and was suffering through a no talking until we get home time-out, and daughter Siri, who was being pushed in her wheel chair, looking beachy in her larger-than-life, sun-protective hat.
  
Reaching the mini-van, I rooted for my little water-proof carrier thingy that keeps my important things like i.d., park tickets, and the mini-van key.  As I pulled it out of our beaten up Old Navy tote, I realized something.

 

I realized the car key was in the water-proof carrier thingy.  That wouldn't be a problem if we were driving the car, as we had been the day before at this same water park.  But today we were driving the mini-van.  So that meant the mini-van key was...in the mini-van!

Oh no.  What are we going to do?!!!

We are going to think and act a little too quickly.

We are going to say..."Don't panic 10-year-old-going-on-sixteen.  This is a time for an adventure (yay!) and not a chance for a bad attitude.  We are going to walk the short distance to daddy's work and ask him if we can take his car.  We will figure it all out with him, because your daddy knows all things.  Also.  You're still on time-out." 

Something like that.

3.3 miles and an hour and 5 minutes of walking later, according to google maps, we arrived at husband Dion's workplace.  It was maybe the hottest part of the day, and the humidity has been something this summer.

Once there, husband Dion said, "You cannot take the car.  If you take the car, the water park will be closed by the time I come home, and we will not be able to get the mini-van."

"Oh. (pause for thinking)  right."  I said. 

Husband Dion said, "Do you have any money?"

"No." I said.

He counted out and handed me three dollars.  

"Say whaat?" I said with my facial expression, and something like it out loud.  

I don't know.
I guess I thought it would probably be good to have a little more than three dollar bills.

He gave me a ten dollar bill.

okay.  I guess. 

We ended up making it back to the water park 15 minutes before closing.  

Now.  Since good stories have a take-away, I'd like to share with you a few lessons learned from this adventure.

Lesson 1:  Put correct key in the water-proof thingy.

Lesson 2:  My feet will begin to blister within 5 to 10 minutes of continual walking in my new flip flops.

Lesson 3:  If walking in the heat, it is a good idea to stop by a grocery store to cool down and to buy something to eat...like 2 cans of Pringles even if they are not on your diet plan.  It's good to take full advantage of these justified, stress eating, carb-laden moments, and for me, more often than not, those moments are with the white potato.

It is also good to buy a head of cauliflower for later.  Because buying a head of cauliflower helps one feel better about buying, and then immediately consuming 2 cans of Pringles.  

(Buying a head of cauliflower does help me feel better about myself.  "How are you today?" the cash register person asks.  "I am healthy and well," I reply and continue, "as evidenced by the purchasing of this head of cauliflower, thanks for asking.")

Lesson 4:  When buying 2 cans of Pringles, it would be helpful to also buy a drink for the remainder of the walk.  We, being on a limited budget, did not get the drink.

Lesson 5:  If you're in this, or a similar situation, and there is NO money...and if checking out the thrift store you're walking by with blistering feet is still a level 9 temptation, there may be a problem...

Lesson 6:  I thought I knew more people.  
You probably know more people. Husband Dion probably would know more people, but along this highway, nobody recognized me and the girls.  If they did, I'm sure they would have stopped to ask, "What are you doing, walking along these four lanes of busy, eating 2 cans of Pringles, while carrying a head of cauliflower?"

Lesson 7:  There are trollies that go from the water park to husband Dion's workplace.

Lesson 8:  Take time to think through all of the potential options before walking. 
Ask questions.  For example,  "Are there trollies?" (see Lesson 7)  "Do you have friends who might be available to help?" And I don't know, maybe, "Did we renew our triple A road plan for moments like these?"  (yes. we did.)

All in all, it was a good day.  That's what daughter Sara said when we arrived home.  She was going on about how this is how storybooks end...a good day was had by all...or something like that.  So it is fitting to end this story in that way.

And really, it wasn't a total loss.  We got to eat the white potato, see husband Dion unexpectedly...and a ground hog.  also unexpectedly.

And while at the grocery store, convincing myself that Pringles are completely acceptable in this moment, this gift appeared directly before me.  

for a dollar!  A few revisions and this toy will make a pretty much perfect pool table for Ken and his Barbie wives.  So really, it was ALL worth it.

That's the thing with adventures.  Many times they come unexpectedly.  They come with the chance to make memories.  Sometimes they come with a chance to take ourselves a little less seriously.  And I suppose in the end, a good day may be had by all.

What are you doing to make
your today world beautiful?



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Summer Giveaway, Take 2

Two beautiful friends came to visit this weekend. Husband Dion stayed in his man cave, and so together us ladies thrifted and discount stored, enjoyed hang out time, a makeover, ate cakes, and played tourists.  It had been FIVE years!  It's a challenge to carve out space and travel the distance to intentionally nurture those old, amazing friendships...but so worth it. They are the tried and true.  The ones with whom you can expose your yuck and still be loved. That's a treasure.

Still I didn't forget about our second summer giveaway. There's still great stuff to be won, and this week it's super simple.

To enter, share anything from storybook-cottage on Pinterest.  You're favorite post, idea, photo.  anything.  Then in the comments below, let me know you shared, and that's it.  Winners will be posted here Thursday. 

Again, here are some of the prizes.  There will be three winners this time. If you were a winner last week, you may participate and win again. 

Thanks in advance for sharing.  Whenever you've shared on FB or pinterest, views go way up.  And that's great, because this is all new.  My vision for the blog is to share whatever projects are going on here at the cottage, and yet also to share a part of myself, which is the vulnerable part. But I also hope and think it'd be amazing to see photos and links to ideas in the comment sections regularly...for all of us to communicate and inspire one another in our creative process.

With the last fb giveaway and all the make-up talk, it seems like a good time to link my favorite beauty blogger.   You may have already found her, as she has a huge following, and now her own cosmetic line.  If you enjoy watching make-up and makeover tutorials, I encourage you to check her out here. She's super fun to watch, beautiful, and talented.  

Okay, see you Thursday!

How are you making

your today world beautiful?

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