checkered lilies, epimedium, mitrewort, merrybells, jack in the pulpet, alliums, jacobs ladder, iris crestida, maidenhair fern, thalictrums, astrantia, bleeding hearts, trillium, digitalis grandiflora, anemones, anemonella, primulas, dropwort, solomons seal, celadine poppy.....can you tell these are some of my favorite things? lol....sweet woodruff, fairy wand, sweet cicely, royal fern, pink lily of the valley.....astilbe, shooting stars, japanese painted fern, geranium maculatum, dutchman's breeches, crocus, mayapple, ginger, bloodroot, dwarf balloonflower, toad lilies, corydalis, sensitive fern, pulmonaria (some of these things might get larger than what you want, but I kind of like the "secret little places" that are created underneath them too. I like to hide pieces of tiny china around, just in case they want to stop by for a spot of tea.

Reading! Which I have lots of time for, now that I've been laid off since last November. Well, maybe not as much as I would want, since now it falls to me instead of DH to do all the stuff around the house. There's been a lot of 'finish up' work to do after the most recent remodeling. It is great fun to crawl around the floor taping and painting moldings, for example -- NOT!! But one of the projects we did was to turn our dark, yucky enclosed storage shed into a beautiful lanai, complete with painted walls, cushioned chairs and even a comfy rug underfoot. So with the summer finally arriving, there's a wonderful place for us to curl up with an iced tea and read comfortably for a relaxing afternoon. It's even better than a vacation -- just step out the door and it's there. Wonderful!

Heather, I am so glad that Sebastian enjoyed the box. I had fun putting it together with Rhiannon,even though she kept taking things out and saying Mine, Mine. I enjoyed doing this and so did the girls. We should do this again sometime. Stacie Here is what I found out about the soap flakes: Making Soap Flakes for Craft Recipes Crafts Tip From Stephanie Brown, Your Guide to Parenting: Babies & Toddlers. Have an Idea? Pitch a Story FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Many craft recipes call for Ivory Soap Flakes. Unfortunately, the company stopped making this product in 1993. Soap, in general, helps keep paint from staining hands, clothes and other surfaces and it also helps paint made with gritty, powdered tempera go on paper more smoothly. Those testing and developing the recipes found that flakes were preferable to liquid soap because it kept the paints from becoming too runny. In addition, some recipes need the "fluffy" consistency of the flakes versus powdered soaps like Dreft. You can make your own soap flakes by using any pure vegetable soap and grating it with a cheese grater. Ivory soap is about the cheapest pure soap, but you can experiment with different types to get different smells and even colors. Be careful if using soaps scented with extracts like peppermint with very young children, since it seems to make them just want to eat the paint. I find that laying the soap flat on its widest side and using the side of the grater with the long openings (2 inch slits) is more effective than using the sides with small holes. As far as the citric acid goes, I found mine at the pharmacy, I think even Walmart carries it.

I would love to participate in this with my Granddaughter Kyra (age 5)and my neice Hunter (age 11). She's a great helper and loved growing sunflowers last year. Please include us. Thanks, Kelly