Missouri State Quarter Coloring Page (A Redo)

It's been about 18 months since I finished coloring pages all 50 state quarters using different art materials. And for that whole time, I've been unhappy with the inks I used for the Missouri quarter. At the time, I didn't have better color choices, so I went with the ones I had, knowing they weren't what I wanted. I have some new ink colors now, so I gave them a test run by redoing Missouri's quarter. As before, I started with a base of ink, then added Prismacolor colored pencils on top. 

In addition to using different inks, I changed the colors for the text and the border. I added some golden browns to the river since "The Big Muddy" is actually a yellowish-brown as it flows by Gateway Arch. It's not perfect, but I'm much happier with this version. 

There's one more state quarter coloring page that has been bugging me. I'll share the redo tomorrow. 

The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 5: Massachusetts to Missouri

This is the fifth post in a series. I recommend reading the first, second, third, and fourth posts before this one. Today I'll be picking the city in Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, and Missouri that I most want to visit, then listing my top 2 attractions in each location. 

---------

The City I Most Want to Visit in Each State, Part 5: Massachusetts to Missouri

 

 

The city I most want to visit in Massachusetts is Provincetown. While I've been to Cape Cod, we didn't make it all the way to the tip where Provincetown is located. This town is most famous for being the landing site for the Mayflower in 1620. I would most like to visit the Province Lands Visitor Center at Cape Cod National Seashore. The other attraction that interests me the most is the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. 

I am most interested in seeing Grand Rapids during my next visit to Michigan. Grand Rapids is home to the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum (although not the Presidential Library; they're typically colocated, but in this case the Library is 130 miles away in Ann Arbor, another city I'd like to visit). The other attraction I'd like to see is the Grand Rapids Public Museum. 

The city I'd most like to visit in Minnesota is Duluth. Duluth is a port city located on Lake Superior, and is the largest and busiest port on the Great Lakes. Fun fact: The Port of Duluth is the world's farthest inland port accessible to oceangoing ships. When I make it to Duluth, I want to take a narrated boat tour of Lake Superior and the Duluth Harbor, then visit the Lake Superior Zoo. 

Natchez is the oldest continuous settlement on the Mississippi River and also is the city in Mississippi I'd most like to visit. The top two attractions I want to see are Natchez National Historical Park and the Natchez Museum of African American Culture. 

Independence is the city I most want to visit in Missouri. It is best known as the main starting point for the hundreds of thousands of pioneers who traveled west on covered wagons along the Oregon, California, and Santa Fe Trails. I would love to learn more about this history at the National Frontier Trails Museum. Independence was also home to President Harry Truman; the Truman Presidential Library and Museum is my other priority when I visit. 

-------

Have you visited any of these cities? What else do you recommend I do there? Leave any suggestions you have in the comments!

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.

The Fifty States By ColorIt: Missouri

I have a new coloring book that I absolutely love and I'm so excited to share it with you! The Fifty States by ColorIt is everything I want in a coloring book (affiliate links here and below). The hand-drawn illustrations are gorgeous, the thick paper is very high quality, and the spiral binding on top means the pages lay flat. 

I love that each of the designs features so many of the official state symbols. I picked a random page to color first, which happened to be Missouri. The design includes the state animal (Missouri mule), state bird (Eastern bluebird), state dessert (ice cream cone), state flower (hawthorn blossom), state game bird (Northern bobwhite), state grape (Norton), state insect (honeybee), state monument (Gateway Arch), state musical instrument (fiddle), state tree and arboreal emblem (flowering dogwood), state tree nut (black walnut), plus the state seal and state flag. 

I colored the page with Prismacolors. They performed beautifully on the thick, smooth paper. I am really happy with how my page turned out and can't wait to color another state!

Ice Cream Cone Easter Egg

Ice cream cones have been around since 1904, when visitors to the St. Louis World's Fair tried a revolutionary new treat. Vendors folded waffles into cones and filled them with ice cream. In 2008, 104 years after the birth of this now-ubiquitous treat, Missouri named the ice cream cone their official state dessert. Honor the ice cream cone by making an Easter egg version. Affiliate links below. 

 

 

Ice Cream Cone Easter Egg

Materials:

• egg (raw, hardboiled, or empty)
• acrylic paint
• cardstock (tan)
• colored pencil (tan)
• scissors
• craft glue
• binder clips
• Sharpie

Steps: 

Start by painting the egg your desired color. While that is drying, work on the cone. Use a ruler and a colored pencil to draw diagonal lines on the cardstock, first in one direction and then the other. There's no need to measure - just get some lines on there to mimic the look of an ice cream cone. 

Roll the cardstock into a cone shape, making sure the lines you drew face out. Measure the cone against the egg and adjust the wide end of the cone accordingly. I ended up cutting down my paper significantly. You may want to make a template with scratch paper first if you don't have another use for the excess cardstock. Glue the cone and add a binder clip to prevent it from unrolling while it dries. 

Use a Sharpie to add flecks of chocolate to your mint chip or chocolate chip ice cream, or skip this step if you chose a different flavor. When the glue on the cone is dry, trim to the top to make it even and nestle the egg inside. 

Another fun Easter egg idea, inspired by a state symbol!

The Best and the Worst of the 50 State Seals, Part 3

This is the third post (of five) rating the designs of each of the 50 state seals. I suggest starting with the first post, which gives the background and explains the criteria I'm using for grading. 

---------

Rating the State Seals: Massachusetts through New Jersey

The Massachusetts state seal was modified most recently in 1900. It includes the coat of arms of Massachusetts, which depicts a Native man holding a bow and an arrow pointing down. Above his head is the state crest, a disembodied arm holding a sword; this is controversial and is the primary reason Massachusetts is developing a new seal, flag, and motto. The banner below the coat of arms loosely translates to "By the sword we seek peace, but peace only under liberty," which is the state motto. The text around the seal translates to "The Seal of the Republic of Massachusetts." I am very glad to see that Massachusetts will have a new state seal. All of the choices are much better than this existing one, which depicts two weapons and little else. 

Design: 1.5, Representation: 1.5 = 3

The state seal of Michigan includes the state's coat of arms. On a dark blue shield, there is an image of a man standing by a lake with the sun rising behind him. His raised hand represents peace and the gun the ability to defend his rights. Tuebor translates to "I will defend." Around the shield are a moose, an elk, and a bald eagle. The other banners include the US motto ("Out of many, one") and the state motto ("If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you." The date at the bottom (1835) is the year the seal and coat of arms were adopted, two years before statehood in 1837. I'd prefer that the date referenced statehood, but using the coat of arms for the seal is not a bad choice. It's too busy for my taste and there's a lot of Latin going on, but now that I've taken a careful look at 21 other state seals, I can say with confidence that I've seen a lot worse. 

Design: 2.5, Representation: 3 = 5.5

Minnesota's state seal is the newest among the 50 states, adopted in 2024. It features a loon (the state bird), wild rice (the state grain), pines (the state tree), the North Star (representing the state motto, "The Star of the North"), and water representing the many lakes and rivers in the state. The phrase above the loon comes from the Dakota people and means "Land where the water reflects the sky" and is the origin of the name Minnesota. There are 98 golden bars around the outside edge, representing the 87 counties and 11 federally-recognized tribes of Minnesota. I love everything about this seal. The design is near perfection, as is the symbolism. This is the gold standard of state seals.  

Design 5, Representation 5 = 10

The state seal of Mississippi was adopted in 2014 and features a bald eagle holding an olive branch (representing a desire for peace) and arrows (representing the power to wage war). A shield with 11 stars and stripes is on its chest. "In God We Trust" appears under the eagle. While this is an aesthetically pleasing design, it's hard to ignore the similarities between it and the US Great Seal. Other than the word "Mississippi" there is literally nothing about this seal that represents the state in any way. They could have included their own state motto instead of the national one, or put their own flag on the eagle's shield, or put the date of statehood - anything. 

Design 2, Representation 0 = 2

Missouri's state seal was adopted in 1822. In the center is the Missouri coat of arms and the US coat of arms, surrounded by "United We Stand, Divided We Fall" on a belt. The crescent represents how Missouri grows in population and wealth over time, and its status as the second state formed from the Louisiana Territory (since the crescent moon is the second phase after a new moon). The grizzly (and the two on either side of the shield) represent the strength and bravery of Missourians. The helmet signifies state sovereignty and the 24 stars the fact that Missouri is the 24th state. The state motto ("The welfare of the people shall be the supreme law") appears on a banner above the date 1820, when Missouri adopted its constitution (actual statehood was 1821). Fun fact: Grizzly bears don't live in Missouri. While this isn't the most attractive design, there are a lot of elements representing the state. 

Design 2.5, Representation 4 = 6.5

The current design for the state seal of Montana was adopted in 1893. It highlights the beauty and natural resources of the Treasure State, including the mountains that led to the state's name and the stunning Great Falls of the Missouri. The plow, miner's pick, and shovel above the state motto ("Gold and Silver") symbolize the agricultural and mineral wealth of Montana. Lawmakers debated adding people, animals, and transportation to the seal but ultimately decided that it would be too cluttered. Good decision. This is among the best of the 100+ year old state seals. 

Design 4, Representation 4 = 8

Nebraska's state seal was adopted in 1867. It shows a blacksmith at work, a settler's cabin with corn and wheat nearby, a steamboat on the Missouri river, and a train headed to the Rocky Mountains, pictured on the left. A banner displays the state motto. The date of statehood is at the bottom of the seal. Overall, this is an attractive design. It represents the state's role in western expansion, but I'm not crazy about the Rockies appearing on Nebraska's seal, since they aren't within the borders. I'd rather see Nebraska's prairie represented.  

Design 3.5, Representation 3.5 = 7

The current version of the state seal of Nevada was adopted in 1866. The main image includes mountains (with snow and without), a quartz mill, a silver mine and miner, a plow, sheaf, and sickle, a wagon, a train, a telegraph line, and a rising sun. There are 36 stars for the 36th state and the state motto sits right above the state name. While there is a lot going on here, it is well-balanced and attractive and doesn't feel too cluttered. It represents many facets of historical Nevada. 

Design 4, Representation 3.5 = 7.5

The state seal of New Hampshire was modified most recently in 1931. At the center is the frigate USS Raleigh in the harbor of Portsmouth. It is surrounded by a laurel wreath. There is a granite boulder in the foreground and a rising sun in the background. 1776 represents the date it ratified the state constitution; statehood came in 1788. I'd say this seal is solidly OK. It's not the most attractive or the most representative of its state, but there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I would have done 9 yellow rays on the sun instead of 7 to represent New Hampshire's status as the 9th state. 

Design 3, Representation 3.5 = 6.5

New Jersey's state seal was modified in 1928. In the center is a shield with three plows, representing agriculture. A helmet and horse's head represent sovereignty, speed, and strength. On either side stand Libertas (goddess of liberty, holding a Liberty Cap) and Ceres (goddess of agriculture). Below them is the state motto and the date 1776, representing the first state constitution. This is another seal that is... fine. Three identical plows seems like overkill. While the goddesses don't represent New Jersey specifically, I do appreciate the tie-in to the state motto. 

Design 2.5, Representation 2.5 = 5

---------

So far, we have Arizona (10), Minnesota (10), California (9.5), Kansas (8.5), Alaska (8), Idaho (8), Montana (8), Delaware (7.5), Hawaii (7.5), Nevada (7.5), Colorado (7), Nebraska (7), Florida (6.5), New Hampshire (6.5), Missouri (6.5), Maine (6), Maryland (6), Iowa (5.5), Michigan (5.5), New Jersey (5), Kentucky (4), Louisiana (4), Indiana (4), Alabama (3), Georgia (3), Massachusetts (3), Illinois (2.5), Mississippi (2), Arkansas (1.5), and Connecticut (1). Let me know your thoughts in the comments. On Monday I'll look at the next ten seals.

Standing Horse Craft for Kids

Did you know that there are 17 states which have named a horse as one of their state symbols? Thirteen states have an official state horse, including: Alabama (Racking Horse); Florida (Florida Cracker Horse); Idaho (Appaloosa); Kentucky (Thoroughbred); Maryland (Thoroughbred): Massachusetts (Morgan); Mississippi (American Quarter Horse); Missouri (Missouri Fox Trotter); North Carolina (Colonial Spanish Mustang), Oklahoma (American Quarter Horse); South Carolina (Carolina Marshy Tacky); Tennessee (Tennessee Walking Horse); and Texas (American Quarter Horse). Two more states have named a horse as their state animal, including: New Jersey (Horse) and Vermont (Morgan). Virginia has a state pony (Chincoteague). North Dakota has an honorary equine (Nokota). With so many state honoring this animal, it was the obvious choice for my next craft. 

In order to represent multiple breeds of horses for this blog post, I made my craft two sided. You can opt to make yours the same on both sides (like a normal horse) or different (like mine). Affiliate links below. 

Standing Horse Craft

Materials: 

• chipboard
• microtip scissors
• Folk Art paint
• embroidery floss
• craft glue
• binder clips

Steps: 

Create a pattern for your horse. You can draw a horse or find a photograph you like and cut that out. Trace the pattern twice onto chipboard. Cut out both horses. Paint each horse with a base coat of paint. (Remember, I made my horse two different colors intentionally.) Let the paint dry. 

Finish painting the horses. For my brown horse, that meant giving it a second coat and adding dark brown for the hooves. For the spotted horse, I added the spots and the striped hooves that are characteristic of an Appaloosa. 

Wrap embroidery floss around the four fingers of your non-dominant hand, going around 12 times. 

Use the scissors to snip below your pinkie to make 24 strands that form a tail. Glue the hair in place on ONE of the two horse pieces. 

Wrap embroidery floss around two fingers, going around 12 times. Snip that to make the mane. You'll be gluing it along the back, then folding it over toward the front. Start by putting a line of glue on the back of the horse, then lay the mane in place. Repeat as necessary until the mane and forelock are as full as you want. Let the glue dry. At this point, the mane will be sticking up. To make it lay flat, spread glue along the front side and press the mane into it. Trim as needed. Repeat the process for the second side of the horse, as desired.  

To make the horse stand, spread glue on the back side of the body, neck, and head of one horse. Do not put glue on the legs. Press the two sides together, then secure them with binder clips. (I took the picture before adding the rest of the clips. You'll want one by the throat and one over the tail. 

When the glue is dry, remove the clips and you'll have a horse that stands. I opted not to add facial features, but that's a personal choice. 

Chipboard Fiddle Craft

Have you ever wondered about the difference between a violin and a fiddle? The short answer is that they are the same instrument, played in a different way for classical and jazz music (violin) versus country and bluegrass (fiddle). The long answer is a lot more complicated. Since the fiddle has been named the state instrument of Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Dakota, I thought it would be fun to design a craft based on this instrument. If you need a violin craft, just follow the same directions! 

Before I get to the tutorial, here I am holding my fiddle to give you a sense of scale. Obviously, you can make it as large or small as you want. 

Chipboard Fiddle Craft

Materials:

• fiddle image (below)
• chipboard
• binder clips
• microtip scissors
• Folk Art paint (Pure Black, Yellow Ochre, Autumn Leaves)
• brown ink pad
• black felt pen
• black ballpoint pen
• pencil
• paper piercer
• 3 mm gold brads or gold pearls
• craft glue

Steps: 

Print the image of the fiddle in the same size you want your finished project. Using scissors, separate the neck of the fiddle from the body. You now have two pattern pieces. 

Use the binder clips to attach the pattern pieces to chipboard. Carefully cut out each one, moving the binder clips as necessary. 

Cut out three more pieces from the scraps of chipboard: the bridge, the chinrest, and the tailpiece. You should have five pieces total. 

Paint the neck of the fiddle black. Extend the paint into the center of the pegbox. Rinse the brush. Mix a dash of Autumn Leaves into Yellow Ochre, stirring until it is mostly combined but not completely. Paint the body of the fiddle from top to bottom (no sideways strokes) to mimic the grain of the wood. The slight color variation will help it look more realistic. 

Paint the pegbox next, allowing some of the black to mix with the wood color. Then paint the scroll and pegs. Finally, paint the bridge, chinrest, and tailpiece. Let the paint dry completely. 

Tape the two pattern pieces back together. Use this technique to transfer the location of the F-holes to the painted chipboard, then color them in with the black felt pen. 

Use the brown inkpad to ink around the edges of all of the pieces. 

Use the ballpoint pen to emphasize the pegs and the edges of the pegbox. Draw a line across the top of the tailpiece. Then poke four holes below the line and add the brads. (Or just glue pearls in place and skip the holes. Much faster!)

Using the pattern as a guide, glue the neck, bridge, tailpiece, and chinrest in place. Draw the four strings with a pencil. 

I am really pleased with how my fiddle turned out. It was a fun challenge to try to figure out how to make it. On to the next project!

12 of the Most Memorable Local and Regional Desserts Across the US

I'm a firm believer in trying the local specialties whenever we travel. And of course that includes dessert! Below are 12 of the most memorable local and regional desserts we've tried during our travels across the US. Most of these are not available anywhere else (except by mail order) and some of these are so good that it's well-worth a visit just to try them! 

Maple Creemee - Vermont; Kringle - Wisconsin; Smith Island Cake - Maryland  

Huckleberry Cheesecake - Montana; Gooey Butter Cake - Missouri; Derby Pie - Kentucky

Hoosier Pie - Indiana; Bourbon Balls - Kentucky; Chicago-Style Popcorn - Illinois

Biscochitos - New Mexico; Buffalo Berry Candy - North Dakota; Water Ice - Pennsylvania

I would happily eat any of those right now, but the two that I think about the most are Derby Pie and the maple creemee. They're soooo good! Are there any other local or regional desserts from where you live or that you've discovered during your travels? Let me know in the comments!

Design a Square Dance Outfit Coloring Page

There are a whopping 24 states that have named square dance as their official state dance (or folk dance). These include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Washington. The point of state symbols is supposed to be to highlight what sets one state apart from the other 49, so I'm not crazy about the fact that 24 states share a state symbol. But it's not a coincidence: starting in the 1960's, square dancers across the country petitioned to make their hobby the official national dance. Despite many attempts, it never passed (the story is fascinating) and square dancers turned their attention to state legislatures. Obviously, that was far more successful. 

Because of the popularity of square dancing throughout American history and its status as a state symbol for so many, I wanted to design a craft inspired by it. I settled on the most iconic aspect: the outfits. Students can use my coloring page to design clothing for a square dance couple standing in promenade. I opted not to add faces or hair, as if the clothes were on mannequins. Feel free to add in whatever features you'd like.  

Square Dance Outfit Coloring Page

The first thing I did before making my coloring page was to research square dance outfits. Square Up Fashions gave me a good idea of what's popular amongst square dancers. Check out some of the dresses and skirts they currently have for sale: 

I used the basic shape of the outfits to draw a very simplified couple.

I scanned and copied my drawing. I put two couples on one page (so I could try different designs) and printed it out. 

I colored in both images with my Ohuhu Honolulus, then added details with a black fineliner. The first design (purple and black) is at the top of the post. Here's one in shades of blue. 

I tried to make the two couples look as different from each other as possible, while still staying true to what square dancers might actually wear. It was a lot of fun. As is square dancing! The last time I did square dancing was at Trevor's 4th grade Gold Rush camp in 2016. I'm overdue to do some square dancing again!

The Best Tour in Every State, Part 3

This is the third part in my series about the best tour I've taken in every state. I recommend reading the first post (Alabama through Georgia) and the second post (Hawaii through Maryland) before this one. 

-------

Massachusetts

I think we've taken more tours in Massachusetts than in any other state besides our home state of California. It was really difficult to pick a favorite, but I'm going to have to go with the Cranberry Bog Tour at the Ward family farm. It was fascinating learning about the stages in growing and harvesting cranberries and trying some of the traditional equipment in the Education Barn. 

Michigan

The best tour I've taken in Michigan was the Ford Rouge Factory Tour at the Henry Ford near Detroit. It's one of the best factory tours I've ever done... and I've done a lot of factory tours. The size and efficiency of the assembly line was amazing. This photo is from the lobby; as with many factory tours, photography of the factory floor is not allowed. 

Minnesota

The Flour Tower at Mill City Museum is the best tour I've done in Minnesota. The tour takes place in a giant elevator with stadium seats. At each floor, you see artifacts overlaid with historic film. Special effects make it feel like you're really there. It's incredible. 

Mississippi

The only tour I've taken in Mississippi was the self-guided tour of the State Capitol. It's done very well, with interesting and challenging activities to do that help teach you about the architecture and history of the building and its occupants. 

Missouri

The best tour I've taken in Missouri was the Gateway Arch Riverboat Cruise. The narrated journey along the Mississippi River provides a great view of St. Louis. We learned all about the history of the city and the importance of the river in the past and now.  

Montana

The best tour we took in Montana was the Last Chance Train Tour in Helena. The open-air, trackless train took us past historic buildings in Montana, as well as a restored miners' village, Last Chance Gulch, and more. It was a great introduction to Montana's capital city. 

Nebraska

The best tour we took in Nebraska was the Bite of Omaha culinary tour. We learned so much about the Omaha food scene and stuffed ourselves with fantastic food. 

Nevada

I've taken several great tours in Nevada, but the best was the tour of the Hoover Dam that Steve and I did in 2003, during our first-ever vacation together. 

New Hampshire

The best tour I've taken in New Hampshire was the Portsmouth Harbor Cruise. Our captain taught us so much about Portsmouth, past and present, as he took us down the Piscataqua River to where it meets the Atlantic Ocean. It was a great tour. 

New Jersey

The best tour I've taken in New Jersey was a guided tour of the Capitol building. In addition to covering the history, our guide provided a detailed look at the art and architecture of the stunning building. The photo below shows my favorite piece of artwork on display. 

If you have any tours you recommend, tell me about them in the comments. I'll be back tomorrow with the next ten states.