Monday 12/19/2011

Michael will be in Michael's Museum tomorrow, Monday from 10:30 - 12:30. Come visit. 

Sorry, Santa won't be able to join Michael. Santa will be at the toy shop working towards the holidays.

The Brick Thief

Watch this video then be sure to visit the Changing Collections Cabinet at Michael's museum featuring Guest Collector Amethel Parel-Sewell's MINIFIG MADNESS. Lego mini figures for winter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa. Until January 2, 2012.

Click here to watch.

Happy Holidays

Believe in the magic. Happy Holidays from Michael's Museum!

Michael's Museum Mondays

Today Michael visited with families from both coasts - L.A. and N.Y.C. - and many families from the city and suburbs of Chicago.

Sophia (3 years old) and Michael made "Puff Ball Cupcakes." She was able to imagine each color puff ball as a flavor: Red = Cherry, Brown = Chocolate, White = Vanilla, Pink = Strawberry.

Julie (2 years old) enjoyed calling the "Cat" a "Dog" and the "Elephant" a "Horse." She would giggle showing that she really was teasing.

A bother (10 years old) and sister (13 years old) were identifying correctly the people in the Changing Collections Cabinet on the Lego "Famous Mini Figures" shelf. They noticed that most of the figures were "created" by the guest collector, not "purchased."

Michael and a Caregiver discussed in Spanish, the fact that she brings the children to Michael's Museum at least once a week.

Come visit with Michael, Curator of Michael's Museum, on Mondays in December (5, 12, 19) between 10:30 and 12:30.

Fuzzies

Had a very serious conversation with a kindergardener today in Michael's Museum. He noticed that I was carrying a bunch of "puff balls" from one Visitor Display Cabinet to the Visitor Display Type Tray on the wall.

"I made a Fuzzy out of a puff ball," he commented.

"Oh, tell me all about that," I replied.

"Well you make feet out of a piece of leather and glue the puff ball on the feet. Then you very carefully glue two google eyes in place. Then you give it a name. I have made millions of Fuzzys."

"Wow, how nice to have a Fuzzy Collection. Thanks for sharing."

MINIFIG MADNESS: Part II

The Lego MINIFIG MADNESS Part II is now in place at Michael's Museum in the Changing Collections Cabinet on loan from Guest Collectors. The show will be up until January 2, 2012.

Come see over 125 Lego mini figures, most of which are not for sale from Lego but rather have been created by Amethel who has been collecting Legos since she was in Junior High School (some 20-30 years ago?) 

Come see the Thanksgiving Feast, the Winter and Christmas VIllage, the family in their apartment celebrating Kwanzaa, and in another apartment a family celebrating Chanukah.

Pictures will be posted soon. Drop by MM@CCM!

TODAY: Saturday November 19, 2011

Michael will be in Michael's Museum this morning helping Amethel install Holiday Lego Minifigures in the Changing Collections Cabinet. Drop by.

Today in Michael's Museum

Met a woman whose son-in-law has collected over 2,000 Donald Ducks of all sizes.

Visited with a father and his son who spend time together in Michael's Museum at least once a month. The father still has a large collection of Action Figures proudly displayed on the shelves in his childhood bedroom in his parent's home.

Talked with a woman, in Spanish, from Ecuador about the differences of how Día de los Muertos is celebrated in Mexico vs Ecuador.

Native American Heritage Month

Be sure to visit the Native American Tiny Treasures Collection in Michael's Museum.

Visitor Display Areas

In Michael's Museum, there are many Visitor's Display Areas waiting to be "curated" by a child, sometimes with the help of a parent, using many of the available "Tiny Treasures."

On the Curator's Desk, this cabinet is filled with wooden animals.

Also on the Curator's Desk, this muffin tin is filled with plastic buttons ready to be "baked into cupcakes in the oven" according to the visitor who curated it.

In no particular order, someone organized these Puff Balls into a Visitor Display Cabinet on the wall. Additional Puff Balls are waiting in the drawer below.

Colorful Spools & Puff Balls line a Printer's Typeset Tray on the wall of

Michael's Museum: A Curious Collection of Tiny Treasures

at Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier

Chicago, Illinois U.S.A.

Happy Anniversary

Today we celebrated Michael's Museum's 6 month anniversary! There was cake and candy and celebration.

NOW AVAILABLE

Now available for purchase, "The Story of Michael's Museum." To celebrate its publication, for a limited time only, get a 10% discount. Check it out at lulu.com:

Click here to go to a new window at lulu.com.

Helping Families in Guatamala

At Michael's Museum today, I visited with Sharon and Dwight Poage who were visiting Chicago representing the Mayan Families Organization which helps with education, health care, elderly care, and more for indigenous Guatemalans. Not sure how yet, but we hope to be of some support.


CLICK HERE: http://www.mayanfamilies.org/Home

Halloween

What a wonderful Halloween spent in Michael's Museum at Chicago Children's Museum. Over 140 individual packets of Candy Corn were handed out to visitors of MM@CCM. "TINY TRICKs or TINY TREATs." The highlight of the day was Michael trying to "scare" the visitors by puffing up and whispering "BOO" with a questioning look on his face. He only got giggles, no fright there :•)

Happy Halloween

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is the last of our interesting LEGO facts:

Each year LEGO produces over 380 million tires for their toy products.

Happy Halloween

The Halloween Faces of Michael

1) The Angel

The Devil

Día de los Muertos

Michael's Museum celebrates Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and Halloween. This is a picture of Michael's Offerenda (Alter) to his departed friends and family. Notice tiny photographs at the bottom of the photo.

Today's Interesting Lego Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

On average, every person on earth owns 70 LEGO bricks.

Halloween

Michael will be at CCM on Monday, October 31 from 10:30-12:30. His costume is a "Candy Corn." Tell him,  "Trick or Treat."

Today's Interesting Lego Fact

Come visit MINIFIG MADNESS in Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum, featuring over 125 LEGO mini figures collected or assembled by Amethel Parel Sewell, on display in the Changing Collections Cabinet through January 1, 2012.

Here is TODAY'S interesting LEGO fact:

On average, every person on earth owns 70 LEGO bricks.