Saturday Morning Dispatch No.11
Wax-resist watercolor Valentines and... that's it!
This week, let’s see…
I baked these salted butter chocolate chunk shortbread cookies which probably top my list of all-time favorite cookies.
I took my 5-year-old to Target which was exhausting.
Ryan and I met with an attorney about estate planning because we’re grown-ups.
Our boy kitty went AWOL for 24 hours and then trotted home like no big deal.
Oh, and we made these:
Make-your-own Valentines. Or not.
I just bought a bag of Strawberry Cupcake Glitter Lollipops for my 10-year-old to hand out on Valentine’s Day, because her interest in my art projects is zero, and because candy is fun. Ain’t no shame in that game!
But IF YOU WANT TO, this is a super easy activity to do with your kids, even if you have zero artsy craftsy skills. Or, buy the lollipop Valentines for school (currently on sale at Target), and do this art project another time.
You’ll need: heavy white paper (we used cheap watercolor paper), a white crayon, and watercolors. And scissors if you plan to cut the paper into smaller pieces. And I guess something to protect your table if you’re worried about it.
You know how Easter egg dye kits come with a half-size “magic” crayon for making designs that will show up when you dye the eggs? That’s what we’re doing here. Draw hearts (or your kid’s name, or zigzags, or whatever) with a white crayon onto the white paper. Press kind of hard, and go over the shape a few times to make sure you have enough wax to resist the paint. Then use watercolors to reveal the secret image. My 5-year-old thought this was the coolest thing ever - she was genuinely surprised when the heart appeared, which is really the whole reason to do something like this.
We used Richeson fluorescent tempera cakes, which are super bright and fun, but also kind of pricey. Ooly makes a set of neon watercolors for cheaper, but really you can use any watercolors you have at home or that you can pick up at Walgreens.
Even cheap watercolor paper is expensive compared with printer paper, and my kids rarely fill a full sheet. It’s like, “Dot, squiggle, done! Next piece!” Stretch your supplies by cutting a full sheet of paper in half or quarters (or eighths if you’re making Valentines).
Quote of the Day
“Love has nothing to do with what you are expecting to get — only what you are expecting to give — which is everything. What you will receive in return varies. But it really has no connection with what you give. You give because you love and cannot help giving.”
— Katharine Hepburn
It’s a short one this week! I hope you have a happy Valentine’s Day, whatever that looks like for you and your family, and I’ll see you soon.
Love,
Kathryn