The Caribbean Clipper

Ever since he was a kid my husband has loved LEGO. Recently he has gotten re-excited about it, and now not only him, but our two boys are also avid collectors. Markus dug out all his old LEGO and he and the boys spend hours building fire stations, airplanes, gold mines etc. There is LEGO all over the house. Not even kidding. We even have LEGO Duplo, and Mega Blocks for our 2 year old. And they are all over the house as well, but at least they are easier to pick up. I enjoy LEGO as well, although when I was growing up we didn't have the fancy sets, just the good old fashion blocks, a few windows and doors. This puts me at a bit of a disadvantage, since I'm the one that has to put the garbage truck back together if Seth is having trouble with it and Markus is at work. The last time I tried to fix it I pushed too hard in the wrong spot and the whole thing fell apart. Seth was not impressed.

And ever since Markus was a kid he always wanted to build the LEGO ships. With this new found excitement for LEGO he has decided now is the time to start. Currently we have 2 LEGO ships sitting on the mantle and 4 or 5 (that I know about!) waiting to be assembled. I can't wait to see where he puts the one that is 3 feet long.

Since his birthday was coming up I decided to replicate one of these ships, the LEGO Caribbean Clipper, in to a cake. Looking back I probably could have picked something a little easier, like a LEGO block! It didn't start our very well. I didn't make the fondant sails in time to let them dry properly and so I had to make paper ones. Then getting the icing to stick to the freshly cut, boat hull was another issue. And with Seth leaning over my shoulder saying "I don't know if it is going to work Mom." over and over again until I sent him to bed I was beginning to think the whole thing was going to be a disaster! Luckily it started to come together and in the end it didn't look to bad. I ended up borrowing Seth's canons and ladder from his ship and the soldier mini figures from the Clipper. Sleep is more important then fondant canons to me these days!




Seth critiqued it in the morning and let me know what I was missing. Like the ladder, which he let me borrow. And he really thought there should be stairs for the captain to get up to the steering wheel (there is probably a ship word for that...). I convinced him they were on the inside.







It looked the same...kind of! So I had to make a few modifications! Markus was happy with it, and so were the boys!

The Card Table Playhouse

Last summer I came across a picture of a card table playhouse on Pintrest.

Such an adorable idea for a little girl! I immediately decided I simply had to make one for my little niece. I thought if I started it now I could easily get it done by Christmas, and I would only use the scrap and extra fabric I had on hand. That part made my husband very happy! So I asked my brother and sister-in-law if they had a little table that would work for such a project. I think they were a little confused as to what I wanted, and I decided that they didn't have a table. So I put the idea on hold until I could figure out a solution to the no table problem.

Until 3 weeks before Christmas. So very typical of me! Still didn't have a table, still determined to make it, still looking for ideas. I had come across another idea which used tension rods in the hallway to hold up a playhouse but I liked the card table idea better. So I called up my mom and it turns out they had a card table they never use! Problem solved!

Then I googled card house playhouses. I didn't realize they could be so detailed! They have an inside and a outside! That is when I realized I should have started back in August like I had planned. With only a couple weeks to get it done I knew I had to make it fairly simple or I'd never get it done in time for Christmas. My husband was working evenings so after the kids went to bed I got to work. I finished it Christmas Eve morning!

Christmas was at my house, so the plan was for my parents to bring the table but unfortunately they didn't have room for it. We had to set the playhouse up on some chairs for my niece :)



I was promised pictures so I could see what it looked like set up, and I just got them today!

The outside - the mail box opens,



every girl needs a flower garden,



and an apple tree!



and being a farm girl I knew she would want her own sheep!



The inside - pockets to hide her treasures,





a cozy fireplace with a family portrait,



and a teddy bear of course!



My niece loves it!









It turned out so well I'll have to make another one! There are so many different ideas, and I still have lots of fabric to use up!