Interesting US Maps, Part 1

I collect interesting maps. Not physical ones, but every time I see an interesting map online I save it. Today you get a peek into some of the maps I've collected recently. 

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This map refers to the 63 National Parks (not the remainder of the 433 National Park units). Someone in the comments said they need a Tornado Alley National Park, which totally cracked me up. Many people pointed out that Hot Springs, Gateway Arch, and Cuyahoga Valley are all urban parks, so that portion of the map doesn't represent proximity to what many people think of as what a National Park should be. I thought it was interesting that I live in the only part of California that is yellow-green. With 9 National Parks, most of the state is pretty close to one. We're 130 miles away from the nearest, Pinnacles.   

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Spanish is the most commonly spoken language in 43 of the 50 states, so it is fascinating to see what the next most common language is. I'm not one bit surprised it's Tagalog here in California. The one that surprises me the most is Hmong in Minnesota (I would have guessed Somali) and Tagalog in Hawaii (I would have guessed Japanese). 

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This map was posted on Terrible Maps, but it is not terrible at all (other than the fact that it doesn't have a title). It shows the most populated city in the US that starts with each letter of the alphabet. I wish I had thought of this idea. I would have LOVED to research this. It makes me want to visit Xenia, Ohio and Zionsville, Indiana, which were definitely not on my radar before. 

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This map compares the geographic center of each state with the population center. I'm not especially interested in the geographic center, but I'm fascinated by the population center of each state. In many cases, it's not biggest city. Take California, for example. As best I can tell, the icon is sitting somewhere between Buttonwillow and Maricopa, which is apparently the average between the massive cities of LA, San Diego, and San Jose. 

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I'll be back on Monday with Part 2 of Interesting US Maps. Enjoy your weekend!

How to Draw an American Lobster

I feel sorry for lobsters. 

I literally can't think of another animal where every craft project, sign, or other visual representation portrays it as dead. A red lobster is a dead lobster. Can you imagine if you wanted to make a cute chicken craft and instead of this 🐓, the only options looked like this🍗? It seems... rude. So today's craft honors the living version of Maine's state crustacean, the American lobster. 

My lobster, while realistic, is not intended to be a scientific drawing with every feature exactly perfect.  This is the level of detail I'd use with the 4th or 5th graders who are most likely to be studying their state symbols. I chose to use watercolors, which is the easiest way to mimic the mottled colors of this fascinating animal. Affiliate links below. 

How to Draw an American Lobster

Materials: 

• watercolor paper
• pencil
• watercolors
• colored pencil

Steps: 

Start by drawing the main part of the lobster's body in the middle of your paper. I'm struggling to describe its shape; the best I can come up with is a stubby carrot or an elongated guitar pick. 

Next, draw the abdomen. There should be six segments, not four like I drew (sorry). I was looking at a photo of a live lobster while drawing and it looked like four from that angle. 

Add the tail fan - two segments on either side of the middle segment. 

Now draw the claws. An American lobster's claws are asymmetric. The larger one is used to crush its prey. The smaller claw is for holding or tearing the prey. A lobster can be right or left "handed" depending on which side has the crusher claw. 

Time to add legs! The lobster actually has ten legs, but you've already drawn two of them (the claws). There are 8 "walking legs" along the body of the lobster. The first three pairs have small claws, but you don't need to draw that level of detail unless you want to. 

From the angle we've drawn, one pair maxillipeds ("jaw legs") are visible near the lobster's mouth. There are two other pairs that are hidden in this view. The lobster uses them to pass food to its jaws

I've also added the eyes, antennae, and smaller antennules. If you won't be painting your lobster, draw them now. Otherwise wait until after painting. 

I said before that a red lobster is a dead lobster. That isn't quite true, as approximately one in ten million lobsters is red while it is alive. Read this article to learn about other rare colors! Most American lobsters are a mottled greenish-brown color, so that's how I chose to paint mine. 

I painted the lobster itself, let that dry, then painted a watery background. When that was dry, I used a brown colored pencil to outline the lobster and add some details. I used a black pencil for the eyes, then went back to the brown pencil for the antennae and antennules. 

I learned so much about lobsters in the last 24 hours! I love how much I learn with practically every craft project I do. 

"Unofficial, Proposed, or Facetious" State Symbols

While I was working on my state-inspired crafts chart, I checked to see if any states had adopted new official state symbols that would be potential craft projects. Indeed, there have been a few new additions that I'm considering for future crafts. But that's not what I want to talk about today. Instead, I want to talk about the list of Unofficial, Proposed, or Facetious State Symbols that Minnesota maintains. 

Every state has a list of their official state symbols, but (as far as I can tell) Minnesota is the only one with a publicly accessible list of state symbols that were voted down and/or were proposed in jest. I love this. For the ones that were actually serious, it's really interesting to read the bills and follow the debate. For the others, it's a fun look at Minnesota culture / humor. 

You can read about the many (MANY) attempts to name a state mammal (I am #TeamTimberwolf)... 

... or the tongue-in-cheek options for a state insect. (I'm voting for the wood tick.)

I have a lot of thoughts about the debate over an official state soup. I would laugh, but that's hard to do when you're shuddering so violently. 

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I really wish the other 49 states kept a list like this. If you're aware of one that I didn't find, please let me know!

Mini Keepsake Quilts 1 & 2

It is extremely rewarding to make quilts and give them to people in need. I love knowing that someone who is facing what is likely the most difficult time in their life will receive warmth and comfort in the form of a quilt that I made. I've shared photos of the first quilt I ever made and, two weeks ago, my second quilt, but I wanted something more to remember my quilts. So I gathered up the scraps, cut (or pieced) twelve 2-inch squares, and turned them into mini keepsake quilts. 

Just like the originals, the minis have plenty of mistakes, but I'm fine with that. I'm a beginning quilter (and beginning sewist) and I'm proud of these mini quilts. This time last year I couldn't have made them at all. The mistakes show my progress and motivate me to keep improving. 

My plan is to hang a cord on the wall like a clothesline, then use mini clothespins to display my mini quilts. It's going to be so cute!

State Name Art: Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, South Dakota

It's Round 3 of State Name Art! This time, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire, and South Dakota. As before, I love how different they each are. It's great fun figuring out how to place the letters of the state in its silhouette, then deciding what scene to add. Affiliate links below. 

State Name Art

Materials:

• Bristol vellum
• Flair pens
• colored pencils
• microtip scissors
• colored cardstock
• glue stick

Steps: 

Print or trace the outline of the state onto paper. I like to use Bristol vellum when working with colored pencils. I made the outlines using graphics from PicMonkey, but you could also draw or trace your own outline. 

Use a pencil to sketch in the letters of the state. Sketch lightly so you can make adjustments if necessary. Some letters will have missing parts or distortions; that's not a problem as long as the state name is legible. Outline the letters with a Flair pen, then color in all spaces that aren't part of the name.  

Lightly sketch a scene across the white space of the letters, choosing an image that represents the state. When you are happy with what you've sketched, fill it in with colored pencils. I drew a horse in a pasture for Kentucky...

... Gateway Arch for Missouri...

... sunset over the mountains for New Hampshire...

... and a buffalo grazing for South Dakota. 

Cut out the state and glue it to colored construction paper. 

I'm continuing to have a lot of fun with these. This makes 12, which is a far cry from 50. I'll keep taking them four at a time until it's not fun anymore.