"Oh my rat this is so cool."

The new students showed up in droves today. My room is filled with several comedians, athletes, musicians, gymnasts, siblings and best friends of old students, no Camp T kids, Wyld Lifers, old energetic and vocal 8th graders and so many kids I'm excited to get to know better. This first day is a blur that feels like we're time traveling back to that first day of school in August except for the intense climate change. It will be a fun first week getting to know them better.

After school I had a crafting and favorite food date with Alli Kenney. The weeks I spent staying with all three Kenney kids last year are marked by the types of pizza we ate and the intense crafts that we made like nail boards, glue shirts, Jenga key chains and Sharpie tie-dye. Tonight we tried a couple things, a few are still in progress so updates will come on those, but these shirts were finished in just a few minutes.

Twist and rubber band any colored t-shirt just like you would for normal tie-dye. Dip (rather than submerge) the shirt in bleach, you can't really do it wrong. If you don't have plastic gloves you can put your hands in plastic grocery bags (putting your bare hands in bleach probably isn't the best idea). The interesting thing is that every shirt reacts differently. With the bleach some turn white, some change colors and some don't really react at all.

You can immediately unwrap the shirt. If you have too much color you can always twist it back up and add more bleach. I would suggest rinsing the shirt as soon as you like the outcome-- you can't un-do the reaction which is nice because it won't wash out like regular dye, but the bleach will keep working and take out more color the longer it sits.

 

Easily one of my favorite easy projects-- so cheap, fast, easy and great final product. Now to figure out if we can do this at camp next summer. Camp crafts? Perhaps tie-dye all the brown CILT shirts? Cabin activity?

 

Dear Alli,

I'm so thankful for time that I get to spend with you. Thank you for always being such a great hostess and being excited about any new idea we create. I loved watching Pitch Perfect and singing along, figuring out work-in-progress crafts, eating pizza, freaking out about PLL and talking about Day Camp staff. Thank goodness your Winter Break is so long so I can keep seeing you.

Love, Sar

p.s.Emily I'm so glad you came home and got to hang out with us too! I love your energy, spunk, quirkiness and positivity. Thanks for all your painting advice, you're a pro. Next time you're crafting with us.