See everyone tomorrow at Little Bo Peeps!

I just got a large cardboard box...hmmm...I have about a million ideas going through my head

(Doll house image from Smallable)

This sweet dolly has traveled different continents, enjoyed different modes of transportation and cuisine of other countries.  Dolly has been with Miss M the first day of her arrival and she has never slept without her.  Indeed it was time for dolly to take a nice warm bath on a very cold and snowy day...I forgot how pink her top was. 
She came home with me from here.
I hope everyone had a great weekend!  

An ode

to 

Roger

thank you very much 

for being part of 

 Little Bo Peeps Group 

and 

your love 

for

Bologna

(and thank you PopsG'Pops for the nice link)

 See everyone tomorrow at Little Bo Peeps

Miss M loves exploring my paint brushes deciding by the color of stem and the softness of the bristle.  She uses my easel to prop up her peg board to make designs and delights in showing friends and family her works.  A true artist at heart. 

Paper leaves

(by Owen Glidersleeve)

It would be fun if Miss M and I could jump into a pile of paper leaves like this

Holiday card 

December 2006

'outside ... inside'

(art by J. Whipple)

It is getting cooler and the tiles in the house can leave little toes frozen...I think Miss M would do quite well in these and at the same time give her foot a bit of support.  Another plus is that they are really cute.
(image by Collegien )

Another View

twenty artists from different corners of the world

will be featuring their original work through

  SerenArte Organizations

 Inauguration

 20 November 2010 

h.16.30  

Via di Corticella 183/9

(bus n. 27 fermata Croce Coperta.  auto: Plenty of parking space that is free!)

Orari mostra: da Lunedi a Sabato 9.30-13 15-18 fino al 27/11/2010

This is a nice little tutorial on cleaning your bathtub with grapefruit and salt.  The smell of grapefruit is always fresh and this little recipe is perfect after you make a batch of fresh squeezed juice and don't want to throw away the rinds:

Materials
1 Grapefruit
(if using rinds you will need more than one)
1/4 cup kosher salt

Instructions

1. Halve Grapefruit:  1 medium to large grapefruit will clean your entire bath or shower from top to bottom, including all the fixtures. Simply cut it in half with a knife and you'll be all set.
2. Sprinkle With Salt:  Using 1 grapefruit half at a time, sprinkle liberally with salt. Wet your bathtub and sprinkle the remaining salt around the bottom.
3. Scrub:  Scrub your grapefruit around your shower or tub, making sure to slightly "juice" the citrus over each fixture and lifting it every few seconds to pick up fresh salt from around the tub instead of just pushing it around.
4. Rinse
Additional Notes:
This technique will get thick grime and dirt rings off your shower area and does amazing work on cast iron tubs especially. You can also use this method to clean your sinks, toilets, tile and more — it just depends on how grapefruit crazy you want to get!
(image and info by Sarah Rae Trover)

It's orange season and you can order yummy organic oranges from Sicily- 

and support 

'fair trade' 

in 

ITALY

A friend(of Maiju) from Scordia, Sicily (the orange capital of Italy!) 

is organizing a trial run

of 

"Farm to Table"

offering a 7.5 kg box of organic oranges for 14-15 euro. The oranges will be picked on Sunday and arrive 

in Bologna on Tuesday (first week of December).

RESERVE YOUR BOX BY SENDING AN EMAIL (BY FRIDAY NOVEMBER 19TH)

TO AGNESE:

agnese.cavalli@gmail.com 

A little history of the situation in Scordia: 

small farmers are forced to sell their oranges to a few big companies at incredibly low cost, resulting in little economic growth for the citizens of Scordia, low wages, illegal labor, etc. These oranges are completely organic (grown by my friend's uncle, picked and packaged by her cousin), and while the whole local, km0 idea is impossible for oranges in Bologna, these oranges will not be causing any more pollution/waste of fossil fuels as they will be added to a truck that will be carrying produce to the north regardless. If this first trial run works, the plan is to continue on a regular basis.

(image by J.Whipple information by Maiju)

Food for Thought

Charred Chard

Amazing original prints 

 from  

 Claudia Pearson

(image by What Katie Ate)

With the changing of seasons we tend to change also our appetites and daily menu.  I think most people do.  This in part due to what is fresh, in season and local.  I found What Katie Ate.  Not only the style of how she writes out her recipes is cool and a nice addition to any recipe stash, but also the beautiful photography she uses to personalize each post drew me in the first time I visited her. 
(image by What Katie Ate)

This is Miss M's rabbit I made before she was born.  Loopy (hence the ears) rabbit is made of 100%cotton and stuffing.  She still doesn't have the ability to stand on her own or sit up right for that matter...but we like her.  She can even hang from a door knob.
(image and Loopy by J. Whipple)

So utterly sweet is this I love Paris rabbit from Mikodesign --- they even have a make your own I love Paris rabbit kit.  That is a project I would love to get my hands on. 
(image by Mikodesign)

Miss M is under the weather.  I needed something to cheer her up.  This circus coloring sheet by Joel Henriques was just what she needed.  Click the coloring sheet to enlarge and print your own.
(image by Madebyjoel)

I think my sweater drawer would like these.  All my drawers would like these.
A little whiff from my part of the world sounds nice.
(image by Juniper Ridge)

If it rains bring a tent inside.  It is a great place to lounge and read books, pile up the stuffed animals and as you can see... have a Miss M tea party.  It does take up almost half of Miss M's room and as we all know space is a bit of a commodity---but, when it rains at least it makes for a happy shelter from the inside blues.
Thanks Gma and Gpa of Miss M...summer fun can last.
See you tomorrow at Little Bo Peep!

This handmade quilt was made by Great Grandma of Miss M.  So now all we need is the doll bed.
Great Grandma enjoys a quilting group with other ladies, making hundreds of quilts that are sent to homeless shelters and other people in need.

(photo by Jenny Whipple and Handmade quilt by Great Grandma of Miss M)

(images by Hijkids)

In perusing a few different sites for kids clothes and play accessories... I came across Hijkids.  I swoon at the cardigans and the sweet hand made dolls.  Miss M is starting to enjoy nurturing her dollies, taking well care that they have their shoes off when they go to sleep.  The doll here is named Marny.  I like her. 

See everyone tomorrow at Little Bo Peep!

Rainy day painting... (watercolor painting by Miss M)

(oil painting by Jenny Whipple)