Tea Parties

                                       
Here are some ideas for tea parties:

Doll Tea Party: Use a shoe box, a stack of books, an upside down bowl, or a chair for a doll table. Decorate your doll table with a few paper doilies, or a piece of pretty fabric for a tablecloth. Use pillows for doll chairs. 

For doll-sized refreshments, put a small plate in the middle of the table and fill it with small chocolates or candy, berries, mini cupcakes, mini pretzels, mini cookies, or nuts. If you don't have a tiny tea set, you can make one with play dough or salt dough. My mom has a recipe for salt dough on her website. Click HERE for my mom's salt dough recipe. 

More suggestions for doll tea parties: Make tiny invitations and hand them out to friends, (make sure to remind them to bring their dolls!) ask everyone to dress up their dolls for the party, ( and themselves, too!) and make mini party favors for the dolls, like tiny bracelets, tiny stickers, tiny thank you cards, tiny colored rocks, or anything fun and tiny! (To make colored rocks, just paint rocks in bright colors.)  

Stuffed Animal Tea Party: For stuffed animal tea parties, just do everything you do for the doll tea parties, except for stuffed animals! 

Paper Doll Tea Party: Draw a tea set on paper and cut it out for your paper dolls. Then draw some refreshments, cut those out, and put the tea set and refreshments on the top of an old spool of thread or jar. 

Nancy's stocking

                   
                       Here is the Christmas stocking I made my doll, Fancy Nancy. Like it? =)

                                     P.S. I got my hair cut, as you can (sort of) see!!

Merry Christmas!

                                 Merry Christmas!! 
Merry Christmas, everybody! Here's a fun Christmas post:

Gift ideas:
For a baby: I always make the Christmas presents I give, but I couldn't find any suggestions for Christmas presents for my baby sister. Well, I finally came up with my own suggestions:
                                    Knit or sew a tiny teddy bear 
                                    Knit or sew a blankey
                                    Make a rag doll
                                    
Sorry! That's all I could think of. (I'm making my baby sister a tiny teddy bear.)

  Ideas for kids presents: Glue pretty buttons on a plain round box bought from Michael's. (It will make a nice jewelry box.) Decorate a plain notebook with buttons, glitter, stickers, ribbons, or rhinestones.(Maybe even decorate a matching pen.)

 Make a bunch of bracelets, rings, earrings, or even a whole set of jewelry. Decorate a notebook with a picture of a Lego guy or an action figure on it. Make a coupon for free back rubs from you for your mom or dad. 

Make a nice picture frame out of card board. Buy a blank book and make it into a coloring book, a joke book, or a story book.

Sew a doll Christmas outfit or dress. Knit some fun, decorative mittens or pot holders. Make a Christmas snow globe out of a clear jar, using confetti and glitter for the snow. Decorate a T-shirt with iron-ons, and the help of a grown-up. 

Christmas books: Here are some great Christmas books!! 

The Tomten by Astrid Lindgren

The Tomten and the Fox by Astrid Lindgren

Christmas in Noisy Village by Astrid Lindgren

The Night Before Christmas told by Jan Brett 

Holly the Christmas fairy by Daisy Meadows

Stella the Star fairy by Daisy Meadows

Paige the Christmas Play fairy by Daisy Meadows

Cheryl the Christmas Tree fairy by Daisy Meadows

(I think you can probably get all these books at your library)

Chocolate candy cane Christmas cookies: Mm!
Ingredients: Your favorite chocolate cookies, vanilla frosting, peppermint candy canes.
Directions: Spread vanilla frosting on one cookie. Crush up some candy canes, and put some on your cookie with frosting. Place another cookie on top. Dee-licious! 







                                    

Make a fairy box of secrets!

Instructions on making fairy box: Making your fairy box is very simple. All you have to do is decorate the shoe box with things you think a fairy would like, such as glitter, confetti, pretty wrapping or tissue paper, fairy stickers, colorful beads, ribbons, rhinestones, hand drawn pictures of fairies, or even a couple of Silly-Bandz. The main thing is to make the box pretty and fairy related. 

"Secrets" to put in your box: You don't really have to put "secrets" in your fairy box. You can always just put in your fairy things, or craft supplies, or whatever you want. But I put  my fairy wand, pretend fairy magic, and a little notebook that I call my fairy spell book in my box.

To make the pretend fairy magic, just put confetti in a small plastic jar or bottle. I labeled mine "Zoe's Fairy Dust". If you don't have confetti, just cut up tiny pieces of colored paper.  For the fairy wand, wrap a plain pencil in glittery ribbons, until you can't see the pencil anymore. Glue a glittery cardboard star on top of the wand. And you can use a pretty notebook with the words Spell Book on it. 

Have fun!  
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Charlotte's first mystery

Chapter 5: It's him!

The next morning Charlotte ate breakfast, and then she new exactly what she needed to do. She put on a lady bug print tank top, shorts, and flip-flops, and slung her Detective kit over her shoulders so she was ready to do her detective work. She marched up to Elizabeth, and said, "Miss Elizabeth, may I please see that message in secret code for a second? I promise to be very careful." "Well, okay, for a minute." Charlotte waited patiently for Elizabeth to get it. When she saw it, she gasped. It was a piece of paper and on it was a explanation point, a picture of a man with spikey hair, and a picture of a dog." "What?" Charlotte cried."This is picture code!" Elizabeth beamed, and asked "How did you know that?" "My detective kit came with a list of secret codes, and one of them explained picture code. Now all we have to do is see what these pictures represent, put them together, and then we'll know what it means." Charlotte told her proudly. She looked at the first picture. Hmmmm... she thought. What is something that needs an explanation point?

Later Charlotte finally decided she needed help figuring out what the exclamation point meant. She went to the couch in the living room, where Paige was reading. "Paige, can you please help me with something? " She asked. Paige looked up, put a marker in her book, and replied, "What do you need help with?" Charlotte explained everything to her, and then Paige frowned. "That sure is tricky, I agree. Well, you know how when you are happy, sad, angry, or excited the first word you say has an explanation point?" "What? I'm confused." Charlotte exclaimed. "You just did it!!!! Charlotte, you were confused, and the first word you said was "What?" Then you paused for a split second before you went on. If I were writing a book and I wrote what you just said, I would add a question mark after the word, "What".

"Oh! I get it now! Charlotte grinned." So now we have to think of words with exclamation points. I think I've some: Yippee! Whoa! Wow! Yay! Huh?! Ahhh!" Paige laughed. "Those are some good ones. How about: Help!" "That's it!!! " Charlotte cried. "Help! I am positive that "Help!" is the one." "Why? It could be any of those." Paige pointed out. "Paige, just help me think of the next one now." "The guy with spikey hair? Maybe that is the person who needs help." "Maybe..." Charlotte said slowly. "But if that were the case, wouldn't the picture of him be at the end of the code to say that it was from him?" Paige gasped. "You're right. And you just gave me an idea. Why don't you try to find out who the person is? That way, you'll get a little information. Just don't tell anyone why you want to know."

"That's exactly what I'll do. Thank you! You have been so much help!" Charlotte yelled. Then she rushed to tell Mama that actually she did want to go on a walk with her and Elizabeth and Flora and aunt Olivia ."Don't forget!" Paige called after her. "Don't tell people why you want to know!!" But Charlotte was already outside.

When Charlotte, aunt Olivia, Elizabeth, Mama, and Flora reached the beach, the grown-ups decided to sit in the sand for a little while before going back. Charlotte immediately said she was going to walk around, and that she promised to stay close to where they were sitting. Then, when they were not looking, she went up to the first family she saw and said, "Hello, sorry to bother you, but have you by any chance seen a man with spikey blond hair walk by, or just seen one?" A lady smiled and said, "Are you lost sweetie?" "Oh, no, I just... need to find this man because I want to compliment his shirt, and I lost track of where he went." Charlotte wasn't sure if this would work, but luckily the lady told her that she had seen a man with spikey blond hair, and that he was the boss of the surfing class a couple blocks down.

Charlotte remembered that Elizabeth and Flora  worked for a surfing class, and she asked if a Flora or a Elizabeth Pearl worked there. "Hmmm... let me think... yes, I believe a Flora and an Elizabeth work there. Does that help you?" the lady asked. "Oh, yes, very much. Thank you, and again, I am very sorry to bother you. Good-bye!" Charlotte jogged over to aunt Olivia, Mama, Elizabeth, and Flora and asked if she could see where Elizabeth and Flora worked. They said yes, and then they took Charlotte there. Charlotte asked to see the boss. Elizabeth and Flora were surprised, but they took her to see the boss anyway. When Charlotte saw him, she had to stop herself from gasping. The man looked almost exactly like the man in the picture code!

"Hello. I'm Charlotte. What's you're name?" Charlotte tried to avoid the surprised faces of her companions and squinted. Did she see a little bit of hesitation in the man's eyes? She wasn't sure, but something about him made her shiver a little bit. "I'm Jack Elkon. Um, nice to meet you. Oh, hi Elizabeth and Flora." said the boss. By now Charlotte was positive that this man was the man in the picture code. "Then, do you know why you are in this sec-" Suddenly, before she could say " secret code" a hand cupped over her mouth.

Doll travel kit

_________________________________________________________________________________
 Doll suitcase: For a doll suitcase you can either use a small bag or purse, or  a small metal  box/container.

Doll accessories: For doll perfume, use an old, small, plastic, bottle and cover it with a piece of colored paper that has your fake perfume brand name on it. For a doll comb, cut a piece of cardboard with bristles. For a doll toothbrush, cut a little bit of a plastic straw off, and wad a tiny piece of paper up and tape it to the end of the straw.

Doll tickets: Cut pieces of paper in the shape of tickets, and write a fake airplane name on it. Then write  your doll's name and the place you are going to.

Doll postcards: Cut pieces of tiny paper in the shape of a postcard, draw a picture on the front, and once you've written out what your doll wants to say, draw a stamp.

Things to pack for your doll: Put a doll dress, a doll coat, two doll outfits to mix and match, a doll bathing suit, and a couple of doll shoes in your doll's suitcase.

If you're not going on a real vacation, you can have a pretend one with your doll. You can even pretend to go on really adventurous trips, like a safari. For the safari you can arrange stuffed animals in different places in your back or front yard. 

Fun!

Cinderella!

                                                          Rodgers & Hammerstein's 
                                             Cinderella
Watch this movie! It is awesome. Instead of a cartoon Cinderella, this movie has real people in it. I think it's more fun, too, because its a musical so it has lots of dancing and singing and it's hilarious! 

I think my favorite character is Lionel, because he is so funny and clumsy. The movie is just like the famous story, except that it is about Cinderella realizing that all these years she has been wishing to be somewhere else than her mean stepmother and stepsisters' house instead of doing anything about it. 

But then her fairy godmother comes and helps her, since she has no way to get to the ball, and no pretty clothes to wear. It is a great movie, like I said, and I highly recommend it, like I said. 

Starring: Brandy,(Cinderella) Jason Alexander, Bernadette Peters, Whitney Houston, and Whoopi Goldberg.  

Judy Moody book review

         Judy Moody, M.D. The Doctor is in!

I love this book.  I love all the Judy Moody books, but this one is my favorite! (Besides Judy Moody and The Bad Luck Charm) 

In this book Judy is learning about bones at school, and she even gets to go on a field trip to the hospital emergency room! From trying to clone a guinea pig to trying to operate on a toad to operating on a zucchini to getting sick, Judy has a lot of adventures in this great read!  

This a Disney Adventures Magazine book award winner! No lie. The book even includes funny doctor jokes, an Elizabeth Blackwell first women doctor time line, and ideas to help kids in the hospital in the back. 

To learn more, and to play some awesome games, go to www.JudyMoody.com. 

P.S. Today I bought myself a locket that opens up. Like it? =)

Holiday Posts and comment

                                                Happy Thanksgiving! 

I have decided that every holiday I am going to do a post about that holiday. Each one will have a fun craft, a book review, ( well, maybe not all the posts will have a book review ) and a recipe. Sorry I forgot to do a post about Halloween!

My aunt Tegan recently left a comment on my blog saying that she once went to Pompeii. I wrote a post about when I when to the Denver museum of Nature and Science and saw the A Day In Pompeii exhibit. I thought you'd think that would be interesting. Anyway, here is a post about Thanksgiving:




Turkey Presents: Make fun turkey shaped paper envelopes full of mini presents!

For paper Turkey envelopes, you will need:

Orange or yellow paper
a stapler
crayons
fake feathers
glue
Your hand

To make the envelopes, trace your hand on a piece of paper. Cut it out and repeat. Use your crayons to draw a turkey face on your paper thumbs. Glue  a fake feather on each of your other paper fingers. On the bottom of the paper hand, which is now a turkey, draw the feet. Then staple the two paper hands together, but don't staple the fingers together, because that is where you put the mini gifts.

Things to fill your paper turkeys with:

Rings
Bracelets
Stickers
Candies
Nuts
Crackers or pretzels
Mini cards
Tiny Origami Stars
Temporary Tattoos
Etc.

Thanksgiving mashed potatoes: Mashed potatoes is my favorite part of thanksgiving feasts, besides the pumpkin pie and stuffing!

Ingredients:
White potatoes
Butter or Ghee
Cream or coconut milk
Salt

Directions: Cook potatoes in oven. When they come out, mash them. (Of course!) Then add the other ingredients, and stir!

Harry Potter book review

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

I just got this book on my Kindle, and I think it is the best book in the world! It is about this boy named Harry Potter, and he is a wizard, although he does not know it until the good giant Hagrid tells him.

When Harry gets his letter from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry saying he has been accepted, he gets on the train to go. When he gets there he learns about this evil wizard Voldemort, and that when Harry was a baby Voldemort tried to kill him, but for some reason he couldn't. Harry still has the scar on his forehead from when Voldemort tried to kill him. 

Then Harry secretly finds out about a special Sorcerer's stone in Hogwarts that a three-headed dog is protecting. He thinks that this mean teacher Professor Snape is trying to get the Sorcerer's Stone, but he's up for a big surprise. THEN he learns that Voldemort is also trying to get the Sorcerer's stone to try to kill Harry again, and Harry knows he must get the Sorcerer's stone before him. 

To find out how Harry does it, and to read an awesome book, buy or borrow Harry Potter and The Sorcerer's Stone!

To do magic and potions, go to www.pottermore.com

One year old rockstar!

Here's li'l Ginger, just woke up. Now I know the meaning of " rise and SHINE!" Ha, ha!! What a cutie pie. 

-Zoe

A day in Pompeii

A DAY IN POMPEII
At the Denver Museum of Nature and Science 

Pretty painting, huh?

Here is my favorite statue, an eagle. 

Here is a poster of Roman gods and goddesses. I took a quiz, and I am most like Apollo. See if you can find him on this.

Here is a Roman helmet.

Here are some bracelets. The girl behind the case is not me. 

Here is a pattern that I and my dad liked. It is a bronze table.

Here is a snake bracelet.

Here is me behind my favorite part, the Roman jewelry. =)

Dolly, dolly, and Cathy Cailie

Dolly, dolly: 
a poem about a girl getting the perfect doll.
Dolly, dolly, oh so sweet, 
Dolly, dolly, today we meet.
Dolly, dolly, you're the one,
Dolly, dolly, pretty as the sun.
Dolly, dolly, you're eyes shine so cute,
Dolly, dolly,  along with you're tiny plastic flute.

Dolly, dolly, I'm taking you home today,
Dolly, dolly, my name's May.
Dolly, dolly, like you're bed?
Dolly, dolly, this is my sled.
Dolly, dolly, I'll call you Emily,
Dolly, dolly, here we'll live so happily. 


And here is a tongue twister that I made: 

Cathy Cailie chases cold, cone-shaped, cocktails carefully, 'cause cocktail cups can crack! 

Delicious snacks!

Zoe B's fairy bootie:

Ingredients: White chocolate chips, your favorite plain sugar cookies dough, dried cranberries, dried strawberries, and rainbow sprinkles. 

Directions: Make sugar cookies dough. Before baking, add the dried berries, and chocolate chips, and then mix it all together. Take a tiny bit of dough and roll it in a ball. Put on oiled baking sheet and flatten it in the shape of a tiny Cookie. Repeat the pattern until all the dough in the bowl is gone. Put the cookies in the oven at 350 for 20 minutes. When they come out, you can make them really look like fairy bootie by decorating them with sprinkles. Yum!

Jungle princess smoothies: Make these tasty smoothies to have with the cookies!

Ingredients: Cocoa powder, vanilla flavored egg white protein powder, mixed berries including raspberries, strawberries, and cherries.

Directions: Just mix together in blender and enjoy! 


P.S. Always ask a grown-up for help first!! Especially with the oven and blender!!

The Fairy Chronicles book review

Spiderwort and the Princess of Haiku book review by Zoe Bee: 

Spiderwort is a child and a fairy. When she is not helping out in a fairy quest or at a fairy circle, her name is Jensen Fortini. When in fairy form, Spiderwort's dress is of long, dark green, pointed leaves that come just above her knees. Brilliant blue flowers with spindly yellow centers are scattered over the bodice and skirt of the dress. She wears a headband made of tiny spiderwort flowers that pull back her wavy strawberry blond hair. Her wand is a red cardinal feather and her fairy gift is cleverness and the ability to come up with good ideas.

One day, her mentor, Madam Chameleon, announces that there is to be a very important fairy circle to go to that night, and so Spiderwort, and all the other fairies set off to the place were the fairy circle is to be held.

When they get there, they find out that the Princess of Haiku is being held prisoner by four, ugly and mean trolls and they must save the Princess or the spirit of Haiku will be lost forever, not to mention that children, adults, and even animals will start to forget the pleasure of hearing a birdsong, or caring to notice the snow falling.

So, Spiderwort, Rosemary, Periwinkle, Cinnabar, and Madam Chameleon set off to find and free the Princess of Haiku, but many tough obstacles are ahead of them. Will Spiderwort find a way to save the day? Or will the magic of Haiku be lost forever? Read the book to find out!! Or for more information, games, and free fairy activities go to www.fairychronicles.com! 

-Zoe 

Biking

 This picture is of me riding my bike with my doll on my back in my wrap=)

This is a picture that my dad took of us Brozyna girls. Ginger is in the cart, Mommy is pulling the cart, Ashley is the girl in the silver helmet, and I am the girl in all pink. =)

Doll walk

Me (right) and Ashley (left) taking our dolls for a nice walk before dinner. Ashley is wearing the Ergo that my mom's friend is letting her borrow, and I am wearing a wrap that me and my mom made together. It is a piece of pink fleece with a mermaid design, and rings to hold it together. When I first tried to help Ashley put her baby doll ( whose name is Ginger, after our sister ) in her wrap it was too big, so I put the baby in the hood instead, and it fit perfectly.

Travel activities kit

We are going to New York this October. I am very excited! When we are there, I will post pictures here and tell you about it. The main reason we are going is because my dad's sister (aunt Tegan to me) is getting married and me, Ashley, (my 8 year-old sister) and Ginger (my 1 year-old sister) are going to be flower girls, my mom is going to be a bridesmaid, and my dad is going to be the groomsman. Just a few days ago I bought two books for the plane and train: Judy Moody's double-rare way-not-boring book of fun stuff to do, and Judy Moody's mini mysteries and other sneaky stuff for super-sleuths. That inspired me to write a post for a kids travel activities kit. (Most of the stuff is optional):

                                         
                                         Zoe B's kids travel activities kit: 
Judy Moody's double-rare, way-not-boring book of fun stuff to do
Judy Moody's mini mysteries and other sneaky stuff for super-sleuths
Pencils and crayons
Notebook or paper
Folder to hold the pictures you make
Stickers or other fun supplies for paper
Coloring books
Felt checker-board
Yarn for making bracelets or knitting
Paper dolls
Granola and Bumble bars for snacking
Mp3 player and headphones
A deck of card 
*Backpack or tote bag to hold this kit*

-Zoe

Awesome doll sleepover!

Want to throw your own awsome doll sleepover? Well you've come to the right place! I am going to tell you how to create a special girls sleepover for you, your friends, and everyone's dolls!

To make the invatations, you will need: Paper, Sissors,  Crayons, Stickers, and Glitter-glue. (The sickers and glitter-glue are optional, but they do add a nice touch.) First, use the sissors to cut the paper small enough for a doll card. Then on the front use the crayons and glitter-glue to draw a cute design. Once you're finished,  make little squiggles on the other side of the card to look like writing. Then you can fold a piece of bigger paper to make an envelope and seal it with a sticker. Finally, you can make a normal sized invatation for each of your friends, and give their dolls each one of the mimi invatations you made. 

Set up the doll sleepover in your room. Put a sheet over the floor, and then put pillows everywhere for the dolls. For doll sleeping-bags, use pillow-cases. You and your friends can sleep in your living room.

When everyone arives, the games begin. Hide-and-seek is fun, and you can hide your doll with you. Watching a movie is always fun too. The dolls can sit on the couch, and everyone else can sit on the floor. For crafts, everyone can glue pom-poms together in the shape of tiny teddy bears for their doll. If you want, you can even glue on sequins for the eyes, nose, and mouth. For painting each others nails, you can tape a piece of colored paper to old tooth-paste caps and set them in front of the dolls, while you and your friends paint your nails with real nail polish.

For party favors, give each doll a  goody-bag. Fill the goody-bag with a tiny beaded bracelet, a sticker or two, a silly-band or two, one piece of candy, and a tiny barette. You just had a great doll party! 

-Zoe

BLT, egg and cheese salad

                                                  Zoe's yummy home-made salad:
Ingredients: Lettuce, hard-boiled eggs, goat cheese,(or any other cheese you like) bacon, tomatoes, carrots. For dressing: vinegar, olive oil, honey, and salt.
How-to: First, put lettuce, cheese, bacon, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, and carrots in bowl. Then put vinegar, honey, olive oil, and salt in jar, secure, and shake until all mixed together. Enjoy! -Zoe =) age 10                         

Charlotte's First Mystery

Chapter 4: False... or true?

The next morning everyone had breakfast, and then they decided to go to the beach. Charlotte wasn't too happy about this, because she wanted to do some sleuthing. But when they got there, Charlotte suddenly realized something very important. Elizabeth Pearl had received the very mysterious secret-code message in a capsule on the collar of a dog. And before they had come to Florida aunt Olivia had said something about dogs going missing in the town that she lived in. Mama and Daddy had thought that she was just imagining it, but Charlotte had still been suspicious. And that gave Charlotte an idea.

There were a few other families on the beach besides the Buttercups and aunt Olivia, and Charlotte needed to ask them something. Unfortunately, she never got the time. Oh well, she thought. I can ask the people in aunt Olivia's neighborhood. So when they got back in the afternoon, Charlotte asked if she could take a really, really quick walk around the neighborhood. Daddy said she could, as long Paige went with her. Oh, no, Charlotte thought. That will never do. Paige will spoil everything! "Oh, Daddy, Daddy please, please let me just go to that house down there and back, PLEASE!" Daddy looked confused, but he let her go. Charlotte quickly ran to the room they were sharing, and got her Detective Kit. The people who made it were clever, and it was like a back-pack so she could carry it easily. Then she rushed out the door.

                                                             
"Hello. My name is Charlotte. I am very sorry to bother you, but, um, I was just wondering… uhh… well, I was just wondering if… oh, yes! If you have seen or heard anything… suspicious? Uh, um, I am a detective, and I… am looking for clues for a mystery that I am solving." Charlotte finished in relief. She was at the house of a neighbor of aunt Olivia's, asking questions. The lady who had answered the her knock managed to give  Charlotte a tiny smile. "Oh, a young Detective are you? Well, a good one I'll bet." Charlotte beamed, and the lady continued. "And, oh, yes I am afraid I DO have some information for you. My dog Sweatie, is missing." Charlotte's eyes opened as wide as they could open. "Anyway, she may have just ran away. But the thing is, my friend said that her dog is missing also. But, maybe they ran off together. Or perhaps it is just a coincidence. But somehow I am still concerned." Charlotte nodded gratefully. "This has been an extreme help. Thank you very much. Oh, and please let me know if you see or hear anything, and also if Sweatie ever shows up. I'll be staying in that house down there for one week. Goodbye!" Charlotte waved as she went out the gate and to the next house.

Once the lady went inside her house, Charlotte swiftly pulled out the notebook and pencil of her Kit, and wrote:

1st House: Two missing dogs

Then she put the notebook and pencil back and headed to the green cottage next door. After three more houses she returned to aunt Olivia's house, Paige was helping Mama and aunt Olivia make apples and goat-cream-cheese for a snack. "What took you so long?" "I, uhh……" "And why did I see you at that house 7 minutes ago ringing the doorbell?" Charlotte froze. "I ummm-er……" She didn't want to lie, but she couldn't tell everyone the real reason. But then Paige started laughing. "Kidding! I didn't really see you ringing a strangers doorbell! I just wanted to see how surprised you would be if I said that!" Charlotte gave Paige a pretend giggle. Whooof! She thought. Saved! Then she went to the room the Buttercups were sharing to look at her note-book where no one could see her. When she opened it up, she gasped. Almost all the people she had talked to had one or to dogs that were missing!!!

She quickly shoved the book in her Detective Kit, and hid it in her suitcase. But then she decided she should have her Kit with her at all times, because you never know when a mystery or clue is going to appear!! She took it out again, slung it over her shoulders, and then went to the living room to eat apples and cream-cheese after a hard days work!

Charlotte's First Mystery, by Zoe Brozyna

Chapter 3: Party fun, but the excitement has just begun.

The next morning was Charlotte's Birthday. Mama and Daddy gave her a Toy Detective Kit.(Little did Charlotte know that this fun present would come in handy a little later on.) Paige had made her a card and a bracelet. Aunt Olivia had already given her her gift the day she came. Breakfast was Porridge, Bacon, and orange juice, Charlotte's favorite. Soon, it was time for her birthday party. The party was Mermaid themed of course, because her party was at the pool. Charlotte put on her favorite sparkly turquoise bathing suit on, and put her doll in a little pink flower print bikini. Finally everyone was ready to go. Mama and Daddy had gotten tickets for Florida last night. They would leave the next day.

Charlotte had a great time at her party. She and her friends had swimming races, did underwater handstands, went down water slides, and went off the high-dive about a million times. For lunch they had pizza. Then everyone sang happy birthday, Charlotte made a secret wish, and they all ate the super yummy cupcakes on a paper mermaid plate. Charlotte took a sip of fruit punch and asked, "Can we go back into the pool now Mama?" "Yes, for a little bit longer. But why don't you open your presents first?" Mama replied. "Ooo, yes-yes!! Open them! Open them!!" The girls cried. Charlotte grinned happily and she did. She loved all her gifts, especially the silver heart shaped locket necklace that her best friend Lizzie gave her. Then they all dived back into the water again.

"Paige, where is my hot pink vest??!" Charlotte asked. It was after dinner, and everyone was packing for the trip. "Vest?" Paige laughed. " We are going to florida remember? I hardly think you will need it." "But it might get cold at night and I want it please. So do you know where it is?" Charlotte answered. "It's hanging on your purse rack." Paige zipped up her suitcase and set it on the floor. "Girls! Do you need some help? It's almost time for bed." Mama walked into the bedroom the sisters shared. "Bed!? What do you mean? it's only 7:30." Charlotte exclaimed. "I know, but we have to get up early tomorrow and you need to get some sleep." "Can we read for a little while first?" Paige wanted to know. "Yes you can read a chapter each. Goodnight!" "Night!" The girls replied.

"Wake up!!" Paige insisted. "It's time to go." Charlotte sighed and sat up, rubbing her eyes. Then she climbed down the ladder of her bunk bed, clutching her Bear under her arm. When she reached the floor, she stuffed Cuddles in the front pocket of her suitcase and put on the outfit that she had picked out last night. There were scones and eggs to-go downstairs. As they all started to walk out the door, Paige suddenly laughed and told Charlotte to look at her feet. She did, and as soon as she saw what she had done she burst out laughing too. She still had her slippers on. She took them off, put on flip-flops, and walked towards the car carrying her slippers and suitcase.

"Oh look, look! It's Florida!" Charlotte and Paige said at the same time. The Buttercup Family was in the airplane and very close to Florida. "Ahem, attention please. Please note that we will be landing shortly, so put those seat belts on, and please put away any electronics, or other devices you have brought on the plane." The man on the microphone said. Charlotte quickly put her book, Bumble Bar wrapper, and sticker book in her lime green backpack. Soon the plane landed, and they were all on their way to the house in aunt Olivia's car. "I can't wait for you to meet Elizabeth and Flora. Flora is just my age, and Elizabeth is only one year younger." Aunt Olivia was saying. Finally they reached the house, and the Buttercup family Oooed and Awwed. It was a little stone cottage with a pool and flower garden in the back yard. They all got out their suitcases and bags, and walked up to the bright red door.

Soon, a lady with brown hair, a long green skirt, and pretty white blouse opened the door. Her face was tearstained. "Flora! What is the matter?" Aunt Olivia asked the girl. "Elizabeth's missing!" Flora sobbed. "What!? What do you mean??!!" Everyone said at the same time. "Come inside and I'll explain." Flora responded. So they all walked into the living room and sat on the couch. "I was making dinner for me and Elizabeth last night, and when the dessert was in the oven, I went to my room and started writing  a letter to my niece, who just won an award in horse back riding class." Flora said. "Then I went back to the kitchen to see how the pie was doing, when I noticed the time. It was about 5:30 and I realized that Elizabeth should have been back by that time. But I thought that she would be back soon. But she wasn't. I must have fallen asleep, and when I woke up, Elizabeth was still missing." She finished. "Well….." Aunt Olivia began.

Just then there was a loud slamming sound, and a girl rushed into the room. "Elizabeth!!!" Aunt Olivia and Flora exclaimed. "What happened??!!" "Oh I'm so sorry!!!" Elizabeth cried. "I'll tell you everything!!!!" And then she told what had happened. "I was teaching surfing class just as I told you I would Flora, and I was just getting ready to go when a yellow lab dog came up to me, with a little blue capsule on its collar. I couldn't possibly help being curious about it, so I looked at it. And do you know what I saw??!! Written on the capsule was my whole name!!!" Mama gasped. "So of course I opened it up, and just guess what I saw?! A hand-written message in secret code!" "What?" Now it was Charlotte's turn to gasp."But you still haven't told us why you didn't come back last night." "Right. I'll tell you. Now I know I should have called you Flora, but I had forgotten everything else. All I could think about was finding out what the note meant. So I went to the library and looked up books on secret codes. Soon the library was closing up and I still hadn't found out what it meant. But then I fell asleep, and spent the whole night at the library. And then in the morning I hurried back as soon as I could. And nobody knew what I had done." "Whooa. That's a LOT of stuff." Charlotte breathed. "I totally agree." Flora answered.

Just then Charlotte realized something. "Elizabeth," She said slowly. "Did you ever find out what the message meant?" "No." Elizabeth replied. "Then there is a …………MYSTERY!" Charlotte cried.

Charlotte's First Mystery, by Zoe Brozyna

Chapter 2: a trip to Florida, and a potential mystery

"What?!" everyone asked. "well.....," said aunt Olivia, "just very wierd things have been happening." "Like what?" Mama asked. "Oh, just things like .......... wellllll....well alright, dogs have been going missing in the town that I live in and I think that there might be a dognaper and....." "Oh Olivia, it sounds like you are just imagining it." Mama replied. Charlotte was uneasy. "But...." aunt Olivia began. "Olivia." Mama began. "Oh, alright, I guess I am really imagining it. Maybe I am just home sick." Then aunt Olivia's face lit up. "Hey", she said. "I've got an idea. How about you guys come visit me for a while? You could stay at the house me and two other girls I know are sharing. Oh, I am sorry, I forgot to tell you. Well I couldn't possibly afford a house in florida on my own, so I am sharing it with two other girls, named Elizabeth and Flora Pearl." "Oh can we Mama? Can we Daddy?" Paige asked. Charlotte was wondering the same thing. "Well...." Daddy began, but Charlotte inturupted him. "After my birthday, and my birthday party which is tomorrow of course." She said. "Well..." Daddy said again. "What do you think about this Belle?" He asked Mama. "I think that if you want to go, and if we can get a ticket some time tonight, after the girls go to bed, it would be nice." She smiled. "Well then, lets go!" "Yay! Yay, Yay yay!!!!!!" Charlotte screamed, and Paige echoed her. Mama, Daddy, and aunt Olivia laughed. "Alright now, calm down, calm down. How about you put on the Judy movie movie,...." The girls giggled. "I am sorry the Judy Moody Movie." Mama laughed.

When it was time for Charlotte and Paige to go to sleep at 9:00, Charlotte grabbed her stuffed Bear Cuddles, and climbed up the ladder to her top bunk. Mama and Daddy came in to say good night, and aunt Olivia came in too. Then Daddy turned off the lights and left the room. Soon she could hear the grown-ups laughing and talking down stairs. Charlotte lay in bed for a long time thinking. Finally, she kicked of her blanket, and climbed down the ladder. First, she checked her clock. It was 9:12. She crept over to Paige's bed. She was relived when she saw that Paige was awake too. "Paige", she said. "Paige I have been thinking. I don't think aunt Olivia was imagining those things that she told us about." "What? but..." Paige started the say. "Paige!" Charlotte said. "Are you kidding?! you really think that a grown up would imagine somthing like that?" Paige looked worried. "Hmmm...... I guess you have a point. But how could all those dogs be going missing?" "That," Charlotte said, "is why, I, think that there is a mystery. Somthing scary is going on at the town aunt Olivia is living in."

Charlotte's First Mystery, by Zoe Brozyna

Chapter one: Aunt Olivia's arrival 

 Nine year old Charlotte Buttercup sat on her top bunk playing with her dolls.Today she was especially happy, because aunt Olivia was was coming.Her tenth birthday was tomorrow, on monday. Aunt Olivia was was going to be there for her birthday party. My was Charlotte excited! Aunt Olivia always brought such wonderful presents, and she was the most fun grown-up Charlotte knew. Charlotte's older sister Paige, who had just turned twelve four days ago, always agreed. Aunt Olivia was going to come to Paige's party too, but she had had a cold at the time, so she could not come until she was better. Paige said she did not mind this, that she was just glad that aunt Olivia could come now. After a while, Charlotte decided to write in her Journal. This is what she wrote:

 Dear Diary, Today aunt Olivia is coming! I... 

Just then, Mrs. Buttercup called up the stairs,'' girls! time to go! We gotta pick up aunt Olivia from the airport.'' '' Coming Mama!'', both girls called back. Charlotte quickly thrust her Journal in her backpack and ran down the stairs. ''So which airport are we going to again?'' Charlotte asked for the 2nd time. The Buttercup family was in the car, on there way. ''the one in boulder."Paige said.

Charlotte and Paige's parents were in the front seats, Mama driving, Daddy reading the newspaper that he got from a coffee shop. Daddy turned around in his seat to smile at his Daughters."Hmmmm..... I don't think these girls are excited....." "oh daddy we are!"Charlotte exclaimed, not getting her father's joke. And she said it the same time as mama laughed, and Paige shouted,"we're here!!!" Charlotte jumped in surprise. She hadn't noticed.

When they got inside, Charlotte looked around. She didn't see anybody but strangers. After a few minutes, Mama suddenly called out, "Olivia! over here!" Charlotte and paige spun around. There, walking towards them and laughing, was aunt Olivia! Once she was where the Buttercup family was standing, she huged and kissed everyone. There was lots of "oh!"s and "I'am so happy your here!"s.

When they got home, aunt Olivia got out two sparkly gift bags from her red duffel bag. She handed charlotte a yellow one, and paige a violet one. "oh, oh, oh!" Charlotte cried out in delight. In her bag was a Care girls doll, a box of twistables crayans, and a Nancy drew mystery book. Paige had a book too, and a mood necklace, and a pencil set with butterflies and shiny swirls on them. Aunt Olivia smiled."I am very glad you like them. But that is not all. The other present is for you to to share. Its a Judy Moody movie!" The two sisters howled with delight at that.

At supper Aunt Olivia put her pizza down after taking a bite. Charlotte was confused."don't you like it aunt Olivia? I thought you said pizza was your favorite food." "oh yes, yes my dear, I do love pizza. But........alright I have some good news for you! I moved to florida! but........ oh well I suposse I should just get it over with................I have some very bad news...................."