Mary Mulari Alert!!

It started off just like any other day. I was busy, and Lilly was amusing herself with her suitcase of buttons...

She LOVES to sort her buttons...

She used up all my cupcake papers...

We were planning to do some baking on this day -- but Lilly's apron tie was all knotted up (I washed it that way...ugh)...and getting it undone was nearly impossible.

The thing is -- at the age of five -- Lilly likes to do things BY HERSELF...which is why we often have to deal with impossible knots...

THEN IT HIT ME...the answer might be right there in Lillian's button collection.

Inspired, of course, by Mary Mulari's favorite sewing accessory -- THE PONYTAIL HOLDER..!!

I sewed on one big button, then brought ONE tie around her back, and sewed the elastic pony tail holder in the right spot.

This has proven to be WAY MORE CLEVER than I thought. Lilly can put this apron on ALL BY HERSELF, and she is so proud. We cook something just about every week, and she always says, "Oh oh...we can't forget our aprons, Grandma!" and she loves having her apron hanging on her own eye-level hook. I made several versions...the ponytail holder gives her enough flexibility...if the apron was too big, I'd tie a knot into the single apron tie (or maybe pin in a pleat?)

AND I'm gong to modify some aprons for ME -- FAT GRANDMA -- using a much larger elastic HEADBAND...because, wouldn't that be a lot easier than trying to tie a knot behind my back?? (and, who are we kidding, most of my vintage aprons do NOT have ties long enough to fit me -- much less tie a nice big bow...)

 yep...I'm loving it...