Thursday, April 2, 2009

Mouse House- WIP


Last Christmas I found this tutorial for a DYI book safe. I thought the idea was pretty interesting and filed it away for a rainy day.

The day is approaching! Only, instead of a safe, I am going to make a secret book mouse house.

This is my random thought process...
When I finally learned to read (in second grade) Pipa Mouse books were my favorites! I actually credit some of the illustrations for inspiring me to look at things creatively.

So, I ordered a copy of the book to save forever. Well, my tastes in literature have changed significantly in thirty years. I could barely get through one chapter of the controlled vocabulary. Akk! It was unbearable!The illustrations, they were still just as charming! This matchbox bed and acorn doll bed were just as I remembered.This mouse was also a favorite back in the day. My desk partner, Natalie, and I would set up little mouse houses in our school supply boxes. I would have hated to be my teacher! We would furtively set up their nests of crayon wrapper and feed them bits of eraser.

I tried to look up information on who made these little mice. The tag says, "The Little Mouse Factory - Hand dressed in the USA." Another tag says, Origional fur toys made in W. Germany." (The fact that it is real fur kind of creeps me out now.) I remember admiring the mice at a preppy shop in Schoen Place, in Pittsford, NY. I saved my allowance to buy this "Candy Striper" mouse.

Memories!

Any how, I have been thinking about Christmas and my little cousins who are now getting old enough to play with little things. Combine cute mouse with a secret book house! I will make the matchbox bed. I have wanted to do that since, second grade for goodness sakes!

3 comments:

Sweet Caroline said...

Such cute memories. You know what catches my eye everytime I come to your blog? You favorite book, "Where The Red Fern Grows." My fourth grade teacher read that out loud to our class for weeks. I remember being so emotional in the ending. It was at school, so I couldn't cry. And, there was no book club for all of us to talk about it! I wish I could contact that teacher and tell her how that book was so touching.

Thanks for your post memories and my memories, too!

jodi said...

Reminds me of my love for The Borrowers. Your cousins will love you.

rachael said...

woah...i just found your blog researching a post for my blog...on pippa mouse! i too was forever inspired her and used those old mice as stand-ins :)