They have a special Meet the Makers Party the evening before the show opens for everyone else, and you're invited:
Discounts, goodies, meeting cool people? Yes, please! I'll be there, too and would love to see you that evening!
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friends. Show all posts
Saturday, April 23, 2016
You're Invited to Meet the Makers!
My art and goodness from other local vendors is going to be available for browsing starting next week, and the Salt & Honey Market.
They have a special Meet the Makers Party the evening before the show opens for everyone else, and you're invited:
Discounts, goodies, meeting cool people? Yes, please! I'll be there, too and would love to see you that evening!
They have a special Meet the Makers Party the evening before the show opens for everyone else, and you're invited:
Discounts, goodies, meeting cool people? Yes, please! I'll be there, too and would love to see you that evening!
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
Call for Volunteers!
I am the Art Team Lead for the upcoming All-together Playground that is going to be built in Utah County in just a few short months. It's a playground that has many accessibility features and will a community-build project. How fun is that?
What a great reason to pull together as a community and make something we can all be proud of. If you want to learn more about who it helps, you can do so here.
I am putting together a volunteer team of artists, craftspeople, and designers! Our job is to make the playground beautiful and fun while incorporating historical elements that make our area unique.
If you'd like to be on the Art Team (which I don't know why not because it's going to be awesome), please sign up here, so we can get cracking! There is a lot of work ahead of us, but it will be so much easier with more hands.
Other teams are looking for additional members as well, so if you're interested in helping with the construction, planning, child involvement, special needs, or the many other ways of helping, please sign up here as well. Or, if you are able to help financially, you can find sponsor opportunities here.
And of course, spreading the word about this project is one of the best ways you can help!
So what do you think? Is this something you'd like to be involved in?
What a great reason to pull together as a community and make something we can all be proud of. If you want to learn more about who it helps, you can do so here.
I am putting together a volunteer team of artists, craftspeople, and designers! Our job is to make the playground beautiful and fun while incorporating historical elements that make our area unique.
If you'd like to be on the Art Team (which I don't know why not because it's going to be awesome), please sign up here, so we can get cracking! There is a lot of work ahead of us, but it will be so much easier with more hands.
Other teams are looking for additional members as well, so if you're interested in helping with the construction, planning, child involvement, special needs, or the many other ways of helping, please sign up here as well. Or, if you are able to help financially, you can find sponsor opportunities here.
And of course, spreading the word about this project is one of the best ways you can help!
So what do you think? Is this something you'd like to be involved in?
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Burns Night
If you're Scottish, you probably know of the great tradition that is Burns Night. It's a jolly gathering of friends during which we feast at a fabulous Burns Supper, toast and roast, and share poetry while appreciating all the good and irreverent things Robbie Burns, Scottish poet, gave to the world. It's usually hosted around the anniversary of his birthday and can be quite the formal affair with kilts and tartans all around.
We decided we had waited long enough over the years and would host our own evening of singing, toasts, and rhyme-sharing:
You should know that Burns Supper includes traditional Scottish fare, which was most likely born out of desperation if you take a close look at the ingredients. Luckily, both Kirk and I come from strong Scottish stock, so we survived.
The cock-a-leeky soup is a nice take on something similar to the chicken noodle soup that is comfortable to so many people. The neeps and tatties are good too, and aren't too adventurous unless you haven't ever had mashed rutabagas before. They're pretty much orange potatoes, though, no biggie. The most interesting dish by far is haggis, which is usually sheep offal mixed with oats and spices and boiled in a sheep stomach. We don't typically have access to such ingredients, so in order to make our Burns Supper a success we had to take a new-world spin on it. Still.
First of all, meatloaf is the worst. Second of all, haggis is crumbly liver-flavored meatloaf.
But, the flourished recitation of Address to a Haggis makes it acceptable. We were lucky enough to have a true Scotsman do the honor, and the brogue was better than we could have dreamed. He really let it loose for us, too. What a pal!
This is how the evening works:
and some wad eat that want it;
but we hae meat and we can eat,
and sae the Lord be thankit.
Have you ever heard of Burn's Night or been to a Burn's Supper before? Do you want to learn more about it or have any questions about this fun tradition?
We decided we had waited long enough over the years and would host our own evening of singing, toasts, and rhyme-sharing:
You should know that Burns Supper includes traditional Scottish fare, which was most likely born out of desperation if you take a close look at the ingredients. Luckily, both Kirk and I come from strong Scottish stock, so we survived.
The cock-a-leeky soup is a nice take on something similar to the chicken noodle soup that is comfortable to so many people. The neeps and tatties are good too, and aren't too adventurous unless you haven't ever had mashed rutabagas before. They're pretty much orange potatoes, though, no biggie. The most interesting dish by far is haggis, which is usually sheep offal mixed with oats and spices and boiled in a sheep stomach. We don't typically have access to such ingredients, so in order to make our Burns Supper a success we had to take a new-world spin on it. Still.
First of all, meatloaf is the worst. Second of all, haggis is crumbly liver-flavored meatloaf.
But, the flourished recitation of Address to a Haggis makes it acceptable. We were lucky enough to have a true Scotsman do the honor, and the brogue was better than we could have dreamed. He really let it loose for us, too. What a pal!
This is how the evening works:
- The guests are piped in (yep, we had a friend who brought his bagpipes along!)
- There is a welcome speech and someone recites the Selkirk Grace:
and some wad eat that want it;
but we hae meat and we can eat,
and sae the Lord be thankit.
- People gather and eat the soup course (we made cock-a-leeky, which is a soup with chicken, leeks, and barley)
- The haggis is piped in and the cook presents it to the guests
- Someone recites Address to a Haggis and brandishes a knife and carves open the meat at the appropriate place in the poem
- We toast to the haggis!
- The piper tastes the first bit and declares it fit
- The feast commences and can include a dessert course (we made a version of cranachan!), a cheese course, and a coffee course too
- After eating, a program begins with an Immortal Memory Toast to Robbie Burns
- There are poem and ballad recitations of works by Burns
- There is a Toast to the Lassies by one of the men
- There is a collaborative reply Toast to the Laddies by one of the women
- More poems and literary discussions ensue
- We end the evening by joining hands and singing Auld Lang Syne in one another's faces as we jig in and out of a big circle
Have you ever heard of Burn's Night or been to a Burn's Supper before? Do you want to learn more about it or have any questions about this fun tradition?
Thursday, January 21, 2016
See ya, 2015
So long, 2015. Let's be honest, you were a doozy. Nevertheless, we had some good times too. The Word Of The Year was "DO," and do we did. Here's a little review of the ups and downs of 2015:
The very first day of the year, my brother's roof literally came crashing down from burst water pipes in his ceiling. He and his family stayed at our house for a month or so while his apartment was fixed. We all learned a lot about living with other people, and we enjoyed the company. Plus, I got to cook my first pheasant, compliments of my brother's hunting prowess.
I got to try out my snowshoes, and did some hiking, more hiking, more snowshoeing, and even more hiking!
Taking a leap and turning in a piece of artwork for the LDS International Art Competition was scary! I hadn't focused that hard on a finished piece of artwork in a long time, but it came together with a steady schedule and purpose. That was a lot of work, but I learned a lot about my art process along the way.
I had been really interested in beekeeping and took a class about it. I loved it! Bees are so amazing and I feel like we are kindred spirits. Oh tiny sisters, I love you! Unfortunately, we can't have bees in our current house, so it will need to wait until we have a different home.
I got back into rock climbing! It had been years since I last enjoyed it, but with a trusty friend to show me the ropes again, I took it up again and had some of my best lunch breaks!
For my birthday, we took a trip to Zion National Park with friends and went on some wicked cool hikes. We got to do some light bouldering and also visited the Valley of Fire, which will forever hold a special place in my heart. We stopped by a crazy cool ghost town and of course an old cemetery. We played games and talked without any children interrupting. Yes, it's a thing!
Not too soon after that, Kirk got laid off due to the dip in the oil market. Well, poop. While it was a major bummer, we looked for the silver lining and decided to move forward as a single income family with a stay-at-home parent. What a lucky kid we have! We had to make some major adjustments. It was a palette cleanser and turned out to be the catalyst for many life introspections and realignments in our lifestyle and the direction in which we want our family to go. All good things, but a painful route.
With a clear and free schedule, we were able to attend a wedding in San Diego last minute. The sunshine was just what we needed, the little kid got to go to the beach for the first time, and we got to see family that we hadn't seen in forever. Cousins, guys.
I got up the guts to submit my first piece of art to the Springville Museum of Art's Spring Salon. It was so much work too, but I am proud of the final product and loved the way the piece turned out.
Also, I got up the courage to get my own website up and running. There are a lot of moving parts and every time I would change something, I would discover 10 more things that I needed to do. Gah! So. Much. Work. But also, it's a labor of love that I'm super proud of! And, I got some business cards made, which helped me feel a lot more official. Being a business owner has been so rewarding and I can't believe I waited so long to get started. Once I got through all the worrying in my brain and got things done, it finally came together. I finally found my purpose and style, which was a major win!
I had my first art booth at the Beehive Bazaar last spring! For some reason, it was a super scary step for me to take but I was blown away by all the support from friends and family and was humbled that people liked my art enough to buy it. Thank you, friends! And, I got more comments on my booth than anything else. Kirk made it for me to display my wares. Isn't it amazing?
Our family took part in a fun run.
We were in charge of a large family reunion, and it was full of crazy fun times and crazy fun people. We hiked along a petroglyph ridge, visited our old stomping grounds in Nevada, spent time splashing in the pool, and swapped stories. We also got to spend some time with our little family visiting Zion again, and tricked our daughter into hiking with us there.
Pepper took some swim classes and turned into a little fish and may have proposed to her instructor.
I did some hiking, more hiking, even more hiking, and solo hiking.
Then, there was that one time I had a baby. He arrived a couple hours after one of my favorite woodsy hikes. He just needed a little encouragement but he came with a smile and a sense of humor. We took a couple weeks off of our regular lives while we adjusted and got to learn how we would be as a family of four. We spent those weeks exploring the wilderness, exploring more, and exploring even more.
We planted and cared for and harvested a garden and flower beds this year. We also got some unexpected blessings from our labors and dried, juiced, and froze some of the best food.
Again, we participated in the Beehive Bazaar. Kirk's booth construction was all the rage again, and I added more pieces to the booth. I loved making all the art!
We got to cheer Kirk on in his half marathon through the beautiful fall foliage. He practiced diligently and did a great job!
I submitted my first-ever art piece to the Springville Art Museum's Religious and Spiritual exhibit. Again, it was a ton of work but I love the way the piece turned out. (The post will be up soon!) Plus, I was able to see a vast difference between this piece and my first submission from earlier in the year. Progress, guys!
I read some books.
Pepper's preschool ended, and she said goodbye to her friends there and hello to a full-time life with a great stay-at-home dad. She started a dance class, though, and fell in love with performing on stage!
My brother got married! In a whirlwind of familial excitement we spent loads of time planning, prepping, doling out unsolicited advice, and participating in general merriment. I took photos of our family with all the new additions before we all went our separate ways and started our own roots.
I got in some delicious autumn hiking, more hiking, and even tried mountain yoga hiking!
We partook in some of our favorite holiday traditions during the fall and Christmas seasons. The last quarter of the year is always one of our favorites! We also started new traditions to make our family life more intentional and to encourage one-on-one time and great family times too.
We cheered Kirk on in another race and got to share in the sugary spoils.
I tried a new thing on Instagram where I posted a different art series every month. I did an alphabet bird series, an autumn leaf watercolor series, and a series of requested wildlife sketches. I love being able to share my art with others!
2015 was indeed a doozy. While we are still trying to figure things out, we are managing to make the best of it and enjoy our precious family time while we can. 2015 was a good lesson in reevaluating constantly, making purposeful decisions, and getting up the courage to do things (because waiting through all the thinking is oftentimes more painful and difficult than actually getting things done!) So, there you have a few of our highlights from last year.
After talking with a friend about how I didn't think 2015 was a really good year, and that I felt I hadn't accomplished much, I was encouraged to write about it. Once I started writing, it opened my eyes to the many positive things we experienced last year, even amid the challenges. It was a great exercise in positivity and looking back I was surprised at what we were able to accomplish during crazy times and despite a definite funk.
So, if you've made it this far, first, you're a dedicated soul (thank you!) and second, I'm passing the advice forward. You don't need to post it publicly, but I encourage you to reflect on your past year if you haven't done so already and write down some of the major events. Looking back on your photos and social media accounts might help you out. So what do you say?
The very first day of the year, my brother's roof literally came crashing down from burst water pipes in his ceiling. He and his family stayed at our house for a month or so while his apartment was fixed. We all learned a lot about living with other people, and we enjoyed the company. Plus, I got to cook my first pheasant, compliments of my brother's hunting prowess.
I got to try out my snowshoes, and did some hiking, more hiking, more snowshoeing, and even more hiking!
Taking a leap and turning in a piece of artwork for the LDS International Art Competition was scary! I hadn't focused that hard on a finished piece of artwork in a long time, but it came together with a steady schedule and purpose. That was a lot of work, but I learned a lot about my art process along the way.
I had been really interested in beekeeping and took a class about it. I loved it! Bees are so amazing and I feel like we are kindred spirits. Oh tiny sisters, I love you! Unfortunately, we can't have bees in our current house, so it will need to wait until we have a different home.
I got back into rock climbing! It had been years since I last enjoyed it, but with a trusty friend to show me the ropes again, I took it up again and had some of my best lunch breaks!
For my birthday, we took a trip to Zion National Park with friends and went on some wicked cool hikes. We got to do some light bouldering and also visited the Valley of Fire, which will forever hold a special place in my heart. We stopped by a crazy cool ghost town and of course an old cemetery. We played games and talked without any children interrupting. Yes, it's a thing!
Not too soon after that, Kirk got laid off due to the dip in the oil market. Well, poop. While it was a major bummer, we looked for the silver lining and decided to move forward as a single income family with a stay-at-home parent. What a lucky kid we have! We had to make some major adjustments. It was a palette cleanser and turned out to be the catalyst for many life introspections and realignments in our lifestyle and the direction in which we want our family to go. All good things, but a painful route.
With a clear and free schedule, we were able to attend a wedding in San Diego last minute. The sunshine was just what we needed, the little kid got to go to the beach for the first time, and we got to see family that we hadn't seen in forever. Cousins, guys.
I got up the guts to submit my first piece of art to the Springville Museum of Art's Spring Salon. It was so much work too, but I am proud of the final product and loved the way the piece turned out.
Also, I got up the courage to get my own website up and running. There are a lot of moving parts and every time I would change something, I would discover 10 more things that I needed to do. Gah! So. Much. Work. But also, it's a labor of love that I'm super proud of! And, I got some business cards made, which helped me feel a lot more official. Being a business owner has been so rewarding and I can't believe I waited so long to get started. Once I got through all the worrying in my brain and got things done, it finally came together. I finally found my purpose and style, which was a major win!
I had my first art booth at the Beehive Bazaar last spring! For some reason, it was a super scary step for me to take but I was blown away by all the support from friends and family and was humbled that people liked my art enough to buy it. Thank you, friends! And, I got more comments on my booth than anything else. Kirk made it for me to display my wares. Isn't it amazing?
Our family took part in a fun run.
We were in charge of a large family reunion, and it was full of crazy fun times and crazy fun people. We hiked along a petroglyph ridge, visited our old stomping grounds in Nevada, spent time splashing in the pool, and swapped stories. We also got to spend some time with our little family visiting Zion again, and tricked our daughter into hiking with us there.
Pepper took some swim classes and turned into a little fish and may have proposed to her instructor.
I did some hiking, more hiking, even more hiking, and solo hiking.
Then, there was that one time I had a baby. He arrived a couple hours after one of my favorite woodsy hikes. He just needed a little encouragement but he came with a smile and a sense of humor. We took a couple weeks off of our regular lives while we adjusted and got to learn how we would be as a family of four. We spent those weeks exploring the wilderness, exploring more, and exploring even more.
We planted and cared for and harvested a garden and flower beds this year. We also got some unexpected blessings from our labors and dried, juiced, and froze some of the best food.
Again, we participated in the Beehive Bazaar. Kirk's booth construction was all the rage again, and I added more pieces to the booth. I loved making all the art!
We got to cheer Kirk on in his half marathon through the beautiful fall foliage. He practiced diligently and did a great job!
I submitted my first-ever art piece to the Springville Art Museum's Religious and Spiritual exhibit. Again, it was a ton of work but I love the way the piece turned out. (The post will be up soon!) Plus, I was able to see a vast difference between this piece and my first submission from earlier in the year. Progress, guys!
I read some books.
Pepper's preschool ended, and she said goodbye to her friends there and hello to a full-time life with a great stay-at-home dad. She started a dance class, though, and fell in love with performing on stage!
My brother got married! In a whirlwind of familial excitement we spent loads of time planning, prepping, doling out unsolicited advice, and participating in general merriment. I took photos of our family with all the new additions before we all went our separate ways and started our own roots.
I got in some delicious autumn hiking, more hiking, and even tried mountain yoga hiking!
We partook in some of our favorite holiday traditions during the fall and Christmas seasons. The last quarter of the year is always one of our favorites! We also started new traditions to make our family life more intentional and to encourage one-on-one time and great family times too.
We cheered Kirk on in another race and got to share in the sugary spoils.
I tried a new thing on Instagram where I posted a different art series every month. I did an alphabet bird series, an autumn leaf watercolor series, and a series of requested wildlife sketches. I love being able to share my art with others!
2015 was indeed a doozy. While we are still trying to figure things out, we are managing to make the best of it and enjoy our precious family time while we can. 2015 was a good lesson in reevaluating constantly, making purposeful decisions, and getting up the courage to do things (because waiting through all the thinking is oftentimes more painful and difficult than actually getting things done!) So, there you have a few of our highlights from last year.
After talking with a friend about how I didn't think 2015 was a really good year, and that I felt I hadn't accomplished much, I was encouraged to write about it. Once I started writing, it opened my eyes to the many positive things we experienced last year, even amid the challenges. It was a great exercise in positivity and looking back I was surprised at what we were able to accomplish during crazy times and despite a definite funk.
So, if you've made it this far, first, you're a dedicated soul (thank you!) and second, I'm passing the advice forward. You don't need to post it publicly, but I encourage you to reflect on your past year if you haven't done so already and write down some of the major events. Looking back on your photos and social media accounts might help you out. So what do you say?
Friday, June 5, 2015
Birthday Shenanigans
Our favorite mermaid/princess/dinosaur/fairy/bumblebee/superhero recently celebrated her birthday, and we wanted to make sure it was a memorable one for her, so we planned and decorated and loaded the day with surprises:
The best part is that she had no entitled expectations but had some hopeful convictions that were easy for us to execute. Surprise doughnut for breakfast? Check. Balloons? Sure thing. A party hat? Cliche, but an important detail for a 4-yr-old. Chocolate cupcakes with purple frosting and sprinkles? Getting a little specific, but still doable. Mermaid tail for the swimming pool? Fine...I guess we can do that too. (OK, OK, it was the best ever! She saw that it was purple and sparkly, and after that was determined to spend most of the day hopping around in that thing. Major parent win.) And then, in case all that wasn't enough, when she realized her birthday lasted ALL DAY LONG, she nearly burst with excitement!
She had her first party with friends (and some special visitors who totally made her day!) and then we had extended family over for the after party. We were so tired from changing the party last-minute into an indoor instead of an outdoor one, that we were both exhausted by noon. We're a bunch of party animals around here. It was fun to make her feel special and say "yes" to every request to play or dance together and give her all the attention she could ever need in one day.
She had the best birthday ever and didn't want to go to bed because she knew her day would be over. But so many people did so many kind things for her that it made her feel super important, and she's been enjoying the after-effects of the goodness ever since. It was a pleasure for us to watch her wide-eyed enjoyment of everything we hoped would go well for her special day. And, as per her request, we recreated and reenacted many moments from her birthday in the following days to continue to bring her excitement and make her feel special.
Gosh, we love that crazy kid!
The best part is that she had no entitled expectations but had some hopeful convictions that were easy for us to execute. Surprise doughnut for breakfast? Check. Balloons? Sure thing. A party hat? Cliche, but an important detail for a 4-yr-old. Chocolate cupcakes with purple frosting and sprinkles? Getting a little specific, but still doable. Mermaid tail for the swimming pool? Fine...I guess we can do that too. (OK, OK, it was the best ever! She saw that it was purple and sparkly, and after that was determined to spend most of the day hopping around in that thing. Major parent win.) And then, in case all that wasn't enough, when she realized her birthday lasted ALL DAY LONG, she nearly burst with excitement!
She had her first party with friends (and some special visitors who totally made her day!) and then we had extended family over for the after party. We were so tired from changing the party last-minute into an indoor instead of an outdoor one, that we were both exhausted by noon. We're a bunch of party animals around here. It was fun to make her feel special and say "yes" to every request to play or dance together and give her all the attention she could ever need in one day.
She had the best birthday ever and didn't want to go to bed because she knew her day would be over. But so many people did so many kind things for her that it made her feel super important, and she's been enjoying the after-effects of the goodness ever since. It was a pleasure for us to watch her wide-eyed enjoyment of everything we hoped would go well for her special day. And, as per her request, we recreated and reenacted many moments from her birthday in the following days to continue to bring her excitement and make her feel special.
Gosh, we love that crazy kid!
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Ghost Towns
We recently took a trip to St. George with some friends (no kids allowed!) and had a blast exploring the area. We were really looking forward to seeing some ghost towns, and see them we did. The one in the best condition, by far, was a place called Grafton:
These buildings were in much better condition than we imagined they would be, and it's because they are preserved by a historical society. Apparently, there are 2 Grafton ghost towns in the area, and we must have ended up in Grafton 2. So fascinating! I like to imagine what it must have been like to live in the area or how hard it would be to leave a home behind that you invested so much personal time into building.
Then, it got cold and dark. We barely left before the sun went down! So we made a speedy exit in order to not disturb any lingering ghosts in the area because we all know ghosts live in ghost towns. (Phew! Close call!) Actually, I think the feeling in the area was more of sorrow and desperation, not malice or hauntings. It made me feel very grateful for my circumstances. We are lucky to have what we have, you know.
Have you ever been to a ghost town before? What were your impressions?
These buildings were in much better condition than we imagined they would be, and it's because they are preserved by a historical society. Apparently, there are 2 Grafton ghost towns in the area, and we must have ended up in Grafton 2. So fascinating! I like to imagine what it must have been like to live in the area or how hard it would be to leave a home behind that you invested so much personal time into building.
Then, it got cold and dark. We barely left before the sun went down! So we made a speedy exit in order to not disturb any lingering ghosts in the area because we all know ghosts live in ghost towns. (Phew! Close call!) Actually, I think the feeling in the area was more of sorrow and desperation, not malice or hauntings. It made me feel very grateful for my circumstances. We are lucky to have what we have, you know.
Have you ever been to a ghost town before? What were your impressions?
Saturday, January 4, 2014
Christmas Oranges
Around the holidays, we become inundated with ridiculous amounts of sugar from generous-hearted friends and neighbors. We like to share the love, too, but to combat the pure fructose with a little fiber, we decided to hand out silly oranges to our neighbors instead:
This is a great way to include the little peeps in your family. We colored oranges until there were no more within reach to decorate. All we did was hand Pepper a Sharpie, and she unleashed her artistic greatness on each precious fruit. Then, I turned her delightful scribbles into happy and silly faces. We enjoyed sharing and spreading the smiles this Christmas. I'm pretty sure we won't do this every year, but it worked out well for us this time around and will be a go-to activity in the future with little ones.
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
Elaine's Coat of Arms
The ever-bubbly Elaine won the last giveaway for her own coat of arms, and I wanted to share some great things about her from her personal coat of arms:
The symbolism is:
Rainbow- peace, safety, luck
Reeds- grace
Castle- home, spiritual power, watchfulness, safety
Pears- felicity and peace
Cinquefoil- hope and joy
Crane- vigilance, justice, longevity, parental bond
Tusks- strength, wisdom, courage, longevity, happiness, luck
Stag- peace, harmony, skillful, not easily provoked
Camel- temperance, patience, royalty, and dignity
Candlestick- light, life, spirituality
Cornucopia- thankfulness for bounty of nature's gifts, abundance, plenty
Plate- generosityPlenum gratiae- "filled with grace"
I love the symbolism she picked, and she's as beautiful as she sounds. Thanks to Elaine for letting us take a peek of the things she values most. Loves!
P.S. Don't forget to leave a comment by tonight on the cards post for a chance to win one!
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Being B.R.A.V.E.
Believe
Repent
Ask
Venture
Endure
Us lassies filled our days with worthwhile activities and fun experiences. There was a great mix of unifying group activities and environments conducive to personal growth. From late nights full of giggles to quiet mornings set aside for introspection, loads of delicious eats and silly surprises, our fearless leaders arranged an incredible week! Thanks, McLassies!
And of course, I was in my element in the mountains, so I was in heaven the whole time. There's nothing quite like Girls' Camp to boost self- confidence and grow more love for others. I think being brave is an important attribute to develop, especially for young women, and I'm glad I got to work on it alongside my fun little bunches of girlies.
What important attribute (or acronym, if that's how you float your boat) have you been working on lately?
Monday, July 1, 2013
Flip Flops
My favorite girlies and I got together to decorate some flip flops in time for the summer heat:
The girls got all sorts of creative and tied on ribbons and fabric and decorated with buttons. I just got a pair of sandals at a dollar store, and glued classic black ribbon and bows on them. Done and done.
The girls got all sorts of creative and tied on ribbons and fabric and decorated with buttons. I just got a pair of sandals at a dollar store, and glued classic black ribbon and bows on them. Done and done.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Standing as a Witness
The 12- and 13-year-old girls that I work with were assigned to organize and carry out one of the largest programs for the year, New Beginnings. This event is designed to introduce the Young Women's program to incoming girls as well as the new theme for the year. The theme they selected for the program was "Hollywood," and we all worked our little hineys off for a good month and a half to pull it off.
So much preparation went into each detail and the evening was a success because of the many hands fervently involved in making the night a spectacular one. We made some interactive invitations, and the leaders gave each girl a star votive to remind her of her star quality and to stand as a witness (the new theme for the year):
(The invites are all Close To My Heart Materials except the microbeads, which are from American Crafts. The stars were from Pier 1 with tag materials from CTMH and Stampin' Up.) We had a fun evening with our favorite girls. Gosh, how I love those giggly friends of mine! I'm grateful for their dependability and joyful attitudes in planning and carrying out such a huge project.
P.S. Also, don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win two cards of choice!
So much preparation went into each detail and the evening was a success because of the many hands fervently involved in making the night a spectacular one. We made some interactive invitations, and the leaders gave each girl a star votive to remind her of her star quality and to stand as a witness (the new theme for the year):
(The invites are all Close To My Heart Materials except the microbeads, which are from American Crafts. The stars were from Pier 1 with tag materials from CTMH and Stampin' Up.) We had a fun evening with our favorite girls. Gosh, how I love those giggly friends of mine! I'm grateful for their dependability and joyful attitudes in planning and carrying out such a huge project.
P.S. Also, don't forget to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win two cards of choice!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Christmas for the Girls
Our Christmas gift for our favorite teenage girls went a little like this:
The lanterns and candles were from Ikea and all other products are from Close To My Heart.
The theme for the year was "Arise and Shine Forth" and we thought these lanterns were appropriate and a pretty reminder of everything we've learned throughout the year. After focusing all year on being a light to the nations, our girls have shown us how bright they can be. What have you done lately to arise and shine forth?
The lanterns and candles were from Ikea and all other products are from Close To My Heart.
The theme for the year was "Arise and Shine Forth" and we thought these lanterns were appropriate and a pretty reminder of everything we've learned throughout the year. After focusing all year on being a light to the nations, our girls have shown us how bright they can be. What have you done lately to arise and shine forth?
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Festival of Trees
I love me some sister and mom time. Last minute, (according to strict adherence of the Nielson family planning time code) we took a trip to see the Festival of Trees. I am always inspired (and quite frankly, uninspired) by many of the entries. Plus, the cause is good. My sister's friend joined in and she was a lot of fun to be around.
We took our time moseying around, soaking in all the inspiration we could, and taking rests when our brains were too full to process any more. My favorite was the wreath section, probably because the crowds were much smaller. It turns out that deep down in my soul I hate people. Not one-on-one or in small groups, mind you, because I'm really good at that. Uncontrollable hoards is what I'm talking about here, and not a lick of friendly Christmas Spirit to be found among the gauntlet of elbows.
That said, feast your eyes on some of the holiday tidbits (Anna, the rainbow tree reminded us of you!), photos courtesy of my sister:
What a lovely splash of holiday color for the middle of this dreary winter season, don't you think? My favorite Christmas color combo is usually a rich ruby red with gold and browns, but this year, I fell in love with the teal version (like the first photo). What color combos did you appreciate most last year?
We took our time moseying around, soaking in all the inspiration we could, and taking rests when our brains were too full to process any more. My favorite was the wreath section, probably because the crowds were much smaller. It turns out that deep down in my soul I hate people. Not one-on-one or in small groups, mind you, because I'm really good at that. Uncontrollable hoards is what I'm talking about here, and not a lick of friendly Christmas Spirit to be found among the gauntlet of elbows.
That said, feast your eyes on some of the holiday tidbits (Anna, the rainbow tree reminded us of you!), photos courtesy of my sister:
What a lovely splash of holiday color for the middle of this dreary winter season, don't you think? My favorite Christmas color combo is usually a rich ruby red with gold and browns, but this year, I fell in love with the teal version (like the first photo). What color combos did you appreciate most last year?
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Family Photos
Before the world turned into an arctic tundra for us, I was able to take some family photos of my friend and her sweet family:
I had some trouble with waning sunlight, so I had to edit a few photos. I was a little tricky and took a head from one photo and added it into another to make a better picture. Can you tell which photo that was?
I had some trouble with waning sunlight, so I had to edit a few photos. I was a little tricky and took a head from one photo and added it into another to make a better picture. Can you tell which photo that was?
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