Kids, Craft and Chaos

Top Ten Books... I'd save if my house was going to be abducted by aliens

It's been a while since I participated in Top Ten Tuesday but this one intrigued me. I can honestly say - hand on heart- that I have ever considered what books I should save if my house were to be abducted by aliens. And that's a thought- first you have to consider what kind of books would you need-

-if my house is being abducted and never to return but the aliens are not invading then I should probably pick five books that mean the most to me, books that are more about who gave them to me rather than what the book actually is about. Hmmm.

OR

-is my house being abducted as part of an alien takeover programme? in which case I really need to consider which of my books would be of most use in forging out a life in the new world order, that one will require some thought.

OR

-I'm just losing my book collection (assuming all my other belongings will be returned) perhaps I had better just pick books I haven't read yet, that I have been trying to get around to reading.

Since if the aliens do take my house I won't know which it will be I had better hedge my bets in all camps, although given my recent clearout this should be a whole lot easier now.

1. The Princess Bride- William Goldman

This book was a gift from an old boyfriend but it represents a time of my life when the world seemed so big and yet, so within reach of anything I wanted to do. A birthday present when still at university and a lovely hardback edition, it never fails to make me smile and remember the great times I had before grown up life got in the way with that carefree existence. Besides it's a great book and an even better movie.

2. English- Norwegian dictionary

If the invasion does prove hostile I reckon it might be safer over the water in the wiggly fjords of Norway where there will be plenty of places to hide and survive. I don't speak much Norwegian (erm, none) so the dictionary will be essential. (What, you don't have dictionaries of languages you neither read nor speak? really?)

3. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy- Douglas Adams

I reckon this book would come into both the first and the second category. My copy is old and well thumbed. I don't remember where it came from but I know I've loaned it out countless times and love that it always comes back slightly more worn each time. And it would help with the Norway plan too.

4. 101 Poems to Remember

Is there anything more useful on the run and trying to put together a new life that a book of poems? What do you mean "yes", don't be ridiculous- what else could there be to still the mind when trudging miles in the wilderness or to lull the kids to sleep in a tent on foreign soil? See, good idea.

5. Star Trek Encyclopedia

I'm pinning my hopes on the fact that whoever is part of the great alien home abduction programme we already know them from watching excellent Sci-Fi. I mean it's unlikely that they were ALL made up, right? Some of them have got to have been a plant into the subconcious by government agencies looking to make the news of alien life more palatable.

6. The Girl Who Played with Fire & The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest- Steig Larsson

I have only read the first one so far and really enjoyed it but I really need to consider the fact that it will irritate the hell out of me if I don't get to finish them.

7. Chrinicles of Narnia- CS Lewis

Firstly, it's a really pretty edition (and it belongs to Lexie) and we haven't read it yet. I can't imagine not reading this to the girls at some point, it's part of growing up to discover the land at the back of the wardrobe- and it is probably one of only two times I would reccommend you don't start at the beginning of the series (the other time being Starwars, of course). Plus in an emergency it's really heavy and would work well as a weapon. 

8. The Family Cookbook- Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall

Everything from making bread to making marshmallows with everything in between. Lots of information about where food comes from, storage, alternatives and ideas! It's the most useful cookbook I've ever owned and the one I always start with when looking for ideas or information- even before those other great methods- twiter, google and my mum. I don't think I'd like to be without it.  

9. First Aid Handbook

Yep, practical, sensible and neccessary. 'nuff said really.

10. Photo Books 

In reality, lets face it- I would probaby pick my photo books. I could probably (and this is mere conjecture) live without owning books (I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy living without books) but I would want to remember my personal history, the years where my house had not been abducted by aliens.

I'm not sure I've actually approached this meme in the way it was designed but I sure have enjoyed it and now I totally have an "aliens abduct my house" plan to go alongside by "zombie apocalypse" survival plans which is nice.

With a special place in the history of Girl Guiding (and Scouting) -Brownsea Island is a brilliant badge to have but even more exciting it fulfills the "P-Bird" criteria too, and itn't it pretty?

Charlotte tried out for the role of Pharaoh in her class assembly, she got the part and she was really working hard to learn the all of the songs as well as her speaking parts- with typical Charlotte panache. And every acting diva needs an over the top costume...

So we made her a dress and a very large pharaoh headdress.

The dress was simply copied from a nightdress pattern- laid on top of the nighdress and drawn around leaving room for seams. I used white sheeting and  added ribbon to decorate the neckline (authentic colours though!) In all it took around an hour to an hour and a half to put together one evening. In hind sight I should have left the seams unsewn below the knee for movement but it did add a certain authentic Egyptian walk (the necklace and cuff were made in class).

The headdress was a different matter and took a little bit longer. I can't take the credit for this- Christopher was inspired and it's all his own work!

So here is my simple Tutorial on Making an Egyptian Pharaoh Headdress.

Step 1: Making the shape.

First things first, it needs to fit the head that will wear it. Measure said head and using the measurement cut a strip of cardboard a few inches wide and make a circle taping the ends together. You then need to use a giant sheet of paper (or stick together smaller ones- this will all be hidden) to attach to the top of this strip, curving partially around the front and folding over at a point where you want the top of the headdress to be (think about the size of the person who will wear it). Don't worry if it doesn't yet look like the correct shape.

Trim the back of the sheet of paper to make the "cobra" shape that the headdress is based on. If it's not quite big enough- simply attach more paper to make it big enough. The final step is to get the rest of the shape at the top- using strips of paper or card attach them to the front and back  of the headdress until you have managed the shape you are looking for.

As you can see we found a large glass and an inflated balloon worked well as a way to balance the headdress while working. More practical than a small child.

Step 2: Strength

The key is to add strength next. Paper-mache is the simplest way to do this- long strips in one direction and then layer it again in the other direction. We found it did bubble up if we allowed it to dry between layers so it would be better if you complete the paper-mache layers in one sitting. Allow it to dry thoroughly.

Step 3: Colour

The Egyptians were all about colour! And rich opulent colours are the order of the day for Pharaoh. As Charlotte was Tutankhamun blue and gold were called for. Paint each colour separately and allow to dry completely between colours.

Ideally we would have preferred to add a snake adornment on the front but we simply ran out of time- I do think air dried clay would work well though.

And voila! a headdress is created:

There is just one extra ingredient that is absolutely essential to make the costume work perfectly, and that is to have a Pharaoh who is more than happy to dole out a bit of attitude. As you can tell, we had no problems in that department.

So there you have it! Make your own Egyptian costume!