the hippest kid

Drummer Wanted Tee by Lissoos

Before I met my husband 12 years ago, I went through a string of boyfriends that played in various K.C. garage bands. 4 out of 5 of these fellows were drummers. While this may be a gross generalization, I've found that drummers tend to be the band member most likely to experience spontaneous human combustion. You have to have a hummingbird metabolism to play that instrument, I'm convinced.

Eventually, I outgrew my fascination with these manic fellows, but a soft spot in my heart will always linger for the little drummer boys.

On a different note, the site will be on hiatus starting tomorrow. Heading to L.A. then driving up the coast for holiday.  I'm not organized enough to post from the road, so catch me in about 10 days. Happy Summer!

T-shirt available at Cute Little Me.

Otter Pops!!

There must be something in the ether. I started the evening admiring Michelle's pics at My life, Unscripted featuring her adorable son with a purple popsicle. Then I wander over to my friend Lori's site Fresh Perspective where she's blogging about some nasty cinnamon and mint popsicles.

This made me think about something that hasn't crossed my mind in at least 30 years: Otter Pops!

I went on a quest to see if these treats from my childhood still exist and was thrilled to learn that my old pals Louis-Bloo and Sir Issac Lime are still around. I guess Rip Van Lemon now is RIP for real, and has since been replaced by Poncho Punch. Probably for the best, since that now defunct flavor used to make me cough my lungs out.

Available at My Brands.

Redhood by Camilla Engman

Camilla Engman makes amazing prints and paintings. Her style is strangely sweet and dark at the same time. Little Red Riding Hood gets a "Mini-Me" companion in this made-new fairytale.

The lighthearted nature of the print almost made me forget the sad fact that Red's Grandma gets eaten during this macabre story. This now begs the question: does anyone know why so many people get devoured in German children's stories?

Available at Mahar Dry Goods.

Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman

I'm in love with cupcakes. What started out as a simple afternoon of baking for Jude's birthday has blossomed into an obsession.

I've joined "Cupcakes Take the Cake", "It's Your Cupcake", and "Gorgeous Cupcakes" Flickr groups for visual inspiration. As if that's not enough, I've added added the "Cupcake Bakeshop" , "Daisycakes" and "Cupcakes Take the Cake" blogs to my RSS feed reader.

I've even dedicated part of my L.A. vacation to cupcake tasting at Leda's Bake Shop, Sprinkles Cupcakes, Yummy Cupcakes and Joan's on Third.

So it shouldn't be surprising that yesterday, I bought "Cupcakes Galore". Jude's end of the summer party at daycare is next week, so I'm itchin' to try something really fun. This cookbook is ALL about fun... recipes include "White Chocolate & Raspberry" and "Pina Colada" cupcakes. The decorating ideas are cool as well.

I'm not really sure where this cupcake journey is going to take me. I fear if I continue absorbing cupcake information at this rate, I will become an unstoppable school bake sale juggernaut.

Available at Barnes and Noble.

Zen Shorts by Jon J. Muth

Most of my summer days involved trekking to the library by bike and camping among the stacks. Reading was and still is my favorite pastime.

At the library, I realized you could indeed judge a book by its cover because the best books were Caldecott and Newbury winners and all you had to do was find their shiny stickers.

I'd forgotten about my childhood short-cut to good literature until I starting buying books for Jude. The sticker has once again become a beacon, luring me to the precious gems.

Please check out the list of all the 2006 winners. My current favorite Caldecott read is "Zen Shorts", written and illustrated by Jon J. Muth, Scholastic Press. It is astonishingly good and I don't think I'll ever tire of its beautiful lessons.

From the ALA site:

"Zen Shorts, Muth’s story of inquisitive siblings befriending a wise panda, is told through luminous watercolors interwoven with three lessons, set apart by starkly contrasting Asian-inspired brush paintings. The interplay of artistic styles elegantly conveys the gentle, timeless messages of self-knowledge and acceptance."

Available at Amazon and my favorite place, your local library!

Newbie T-Shirt at Think Geek

Everyone has thrown a screaming tantrum and pooped their pants. I conjure up these images whenever thinking about some particularly odious individual, be it from my personal circle or a player on the world stage. The thought is a comforting reminder that we are all human and are much, much more similiar than we are different. In an era where divisiveness is in vogue, that's a pretty difficult task.

I think that is why I found this Newbie T-shirt so compelling. It helped me remember that ignorance is not necessarily a character flaw, but merely a temporary point in the journey for some.

Available in sizes 6 month to 4T at Think Geek.

Annie's Mac and Cheese

--QUICK PICK--

Amazon Grocery is officially out of beta. Since free super saver discounts apply, you can now get Annie's Mac and Cheese by the truckload.

Available at Amazon.

Blowhole Bookplates by One Good Bumblebee

--Quick Pick--

The folks at One Good Bumblebee keep on makin' the wittiest bookplates and I keep on bloggin' about them. I can't help it... Not many things make this jaded old sourpuss gut-laugh, let alone spew coffee on my computer screen. 

Available at One Good Bumblebee.

Pinch Guard Bear by DigitSaver

Jude has just gotten tall enough to start opening and closing and opening and closing and opening and closing doors.

Every time he starts this delightful behavior, I turn into a hyperventilating, neurotic hummingbird. I'm certainly not one of those helicopter parents that hovers around my offspring, protecting them from the scary, dangerous world. However, I do know the pain of smashing a digit. I once managed to shut my "FU" finger in a SAFE. I know our hollow-core doors are not the same as a 500 lb. steel door, so maybe it's the post-traumatic stress talking. But just the thought of his tiny little fingers getting smashed activates a sympathy pain in my still-not-quite-right-bird-giver.

These plush little devices are super-sweet and a bit unsettling at the same time. I love that they keep the doors from slamming. However, it feels a bit wrong that the creature's head takes the blow, over and over and over and over and over and over...

Available at Babyplayroom.com.

Dinnersaurs by Fred

If dinner time at your house has turned into food fight time, consider inviting some dinosaurs to dinner... each set includes a Spoonosaurus and Tricerafork.

Perfect for your little plant and meat-eaters.

Available at HomeRule.