Missing flaps

There is a fine line between thifty and creative or downright anal and cheap. I may have just crossed it.

Alligator's favorite book currently is called "Trick-or-Treat Calico." She got it from her grandma last Halloween, and is just now understanding the fun of searching for her friend Calico the kitten. Each page shows one of Calico's friends dressed up in costume for Halloween. Alligator lifts the flap to see if she can find Calico who is hiding at the end of the book. I think some of the appeal of the book is that Alligator loves to say Calico over and over, although it comes out more like "Kaiko"

Well, the other day, apparently without my notice, Alligator managed to rip off Calico's flap. Now we searched for two days for that flap because I've fixed numerous other books that have suffered at Alligator's not so gentle hands. And since she now know's I'm able to fix her books, she spent the last two days walking around the house with Calico saying "Mama, fix it." But how am I supposed to fix a flap that I can't find.

So I got creative and thrifty (or anal if you prefer). I used the drawing tools in MS Word to match colors and pattern as best I could; and then traced, as best as I could remember, the shape of Calico's veil. A few scissors, glue and packaging tape, and voila! Calico is as good as new. At least in the eyes of my sweet little almost 2 year-old Alligator who spent the rest of the morning saying "Tank you, mama, tank you mama" She always says it twice, to make sure you heard her.