This Year's Iowa State Fair Entries

Last year, Livie entered the Iowa State Fair's kids' coloring contest for the first time. (Click here and also here for the stories.)

There are typically two categories for kids 3-10 years-old: a.) the age group (3-4, 5-6, 7-8, and 9-10), where they use only markers, paints, colored pencils, or crayons when coloring the year's pictures, and b.) the "Anything Goes," where they're free to use anything from glitter, to any other art-and-crafts type things. Parents can help guide their children's work, but all work must be done by the children.

Last year, Livie just did the age group, using crayons to color her picture.

This year, we decided to enter both the age group (5-6 year-olds) and the "Anything Goes." I helped her by giving her ideas on what she could do to glitz-up her "anything goes" entry, and she did the work.

Here are her entries:

Here's the 5-6 year-old age group entry.

Here's the "Anything Goes" entry.

Here's the "Anything Goes" entry up close.

Again, the "Anything Goes," so you can see the "confetti," glitter, and jewels.

And both entries, side by side. Liv says the gray curly-cues by the nose "show that the cow is sniffing the cake."

This year's artwork celebrates the famous Iowa State Fair Butter Cow. This year is the Butter Cow's 100th birthday, hence, the birthday theme.

We are looking forward to seeing how she does in these Fair contests. I hope she wins something. She and I agree that her "Anything Goes" entry is her best work (of the two pieces of art she's submitting).

And, of course, we're looking forward to going to the Fair to do all the fun things, like seeing the Butter Cow, going on the giant green & yellow slide, again, eating all the junk food (the corn dogs, funnel cakes, deep-fried Oreos, cotton candy), and seeing the sights (like the livestock), and all the other fun stuff. But it's not 'til August 11-21, so we've got a while to wait.