Hippos are allergic to magic and other true facts

Friends, I have painted my fingers and toes a deep, sparkly purple. I am ready for anything.

This may become a regular feature of Magpie & Whale — we’ll see if it happens with the same frequency it did this week in future weeks! But once I posted about the need for play, all of a sudden I felt like I saw it everywhere. First it was on the Huffington Post (The Key to Happiness: A Taboo for Adults?), then I rediscovered an Etsy blog post (Fearless Creativity) I had meant to post elsewhere, and then I was pointed by several sources to Make Something Every Day, which is a fantastic idea. Clearly there’s something in the air. (Other than an inspiring young year, that is.)

But this week’s real winner is the little French girl qui a beaucoup d’imagination. This kid is perfect and amazing, guys. This is what unfettered story-play looks like. Let’s hope she never loses it!