Thursday, December 8, 2011

Jason-Proofing

Is there such a thing? I'm not sure it can be done.

One of his favorite past-times - throwing things over the baby gate and down the stairs.

Why we don't check out books from the library:
Luckily this one was ours.

I started with the ornaments about half-way up, but kept having to move them up higher and higher!

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Tree Music, Sand Music...

This is so so awesome. And frankly, astounding.

NPR interviewed Italian-born, Diego Stucco, who makes music from trees, sand, dry cleaners, and who knows what else. That description alone may not have piqued your interest, but if you listen to it, you'll be floored. Here's the link to listen to it at NPR's site (from minute 12:30 to 18).

The interview is interesting and there's a funny story behind his music background, but if you'd rather watch how he does it, here's a youtube link, where you'll also be able to listen to / watch his other instruments, like sand, etc.

Let me know what you think!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Paint-Swirled Ornaments

For our recent Activity Day, we had the girls make ornaments (an idea from Sherry at Young House Love found here to be exact). They each made one for themselves and one to deliver w/ a candy cane and some caroling to the nearby KOA trailer homes. They really had fun making them and they turned out awesome!
To keep:
Some of the girls took theirs home to dry.
Blue and purple were a popular combo, if you couldn't tell. I really like the middle one above that's blue w/ silver glitter.

To give:
Two pink w/ gold glitter, one pink w/ silver glitter, lots of blue & purple (although I convinced one girl to add a light purple too), LOVE the berry and gold glitter one, a christmasy one, and a yellow one.

Mine?
This:
to keep
and this:
to give
I really love the one I made to give. It originally had more negative space, but as the paint continued to spread, it ended up having a lot less. Bummer. Oh well, I still think it turned out pretty cool.
Can you see the cool swirl effect inside?! Awesome!! Most of them had LOTS of extra paint sitting in the bottom, which I've had to let drip out so they'll dry faster. But I wish I had had a blank canvas for them to drip onto because the drippings w/ all the color swirls looked SO COOL! It would've made a stellar abstract painting.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Wild Child

I leave him alone for a few minutes...
And I start to hear unusual sounds...

Hmm, what's that on your face?

Oh man! My makeup! He's clearly quite proud of himself.

Goodbye eyeliner and lipstick.

I guess I should be grateful it wasn't the loaded dishwasher he was getting into again.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Food & Fertility

Not that I am anywhere NEAR needing to use this information at this point in my life, but I thought it was interesting. The post title: Eat Yourself Fertile!
Five fertility super-foods.
Go check it out.
:)

Monday, November 21, 2011

Cast Your Votes

What will Jason be when he grows up?
A) an engineer
B) a professional athlete
C) a bomb maker
D) an inventor
E) a marine / navy seals
F) other [please specify]

Sunday, November 20, 2011

YMTH

That stands for You Matter to Him - my other, side-bar blog.

I've put up some stuff if anyone's interested. The page "My Story, part I" is up, as well as one little post.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Me

This is kind of a silly post, since it's just about me, but I wanted to write it down, and this is the place. I was thinking recently about some of my friends and how I'd describe them to someone who didn't know them. Then I asked Stephanie how she would describe me. Here's what she said (i.e. texted):
"honest; goofy in an endearing way; open to hearing others' opinions, but unyielding about those things where you believe applies an absolute higher moral law [that is very true]; wholly faithful and dedicated to anyone or anything you trust; detail and aesthetically aware; and give off a unique but groovy vibe of what can only be described by my own oxymoronic term of a modern, straight-laced hippie."

Haha! I love that last part. Stephanie, as you can probably tell, is very good at wording things :). Which is one of many reasons why I like her. Our discussions are usually very thought-provoking and intellectually stimulating. :)

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Erin (#1)'s Wed. + Wall Art

As I recently mentioned, my friend Erin (or as I lovingly call her - Drin ... thank you text autospelling) got married in sunny San Diego. Stephanie, Erin, and I met in September 2001, our freshman year, in DT, 'T' hall, 4th floor :). Then sophomore year we all lived in The Colony apartments, along with several of our other friends from the 4th floor.
Emily (another 4th floor friend) + bun in
the oven, Steph & baby, Erin, and me
Obviously, we've kept in touch over the last decade, and Stephanie & I were so excited to hear she was getting married. We HAD to be there.
Erin w/ the new hubs. He BAWLED through
through the sealing. Aww!! :)

And luckily, even though San Diego down to the Mexican border lost ALL power the night before, they got it back on in time for us to fly in the next morning and for Erin to get married without ever knowing about it :).


A CARAMEL fountain!!

There HAD to be fruit - it's California!

Wedding favors - cupcake-esque cake balls

The hottest trend - a cupcake cake!

Steph with her baby, and me.

Such a beautiful gown.
Their reception was a BLOCK AWAY FROM THE BEACH at Laguna Bay (I think). Thank you! So Stephanie & I changed into our suits and walked on down to the coast :). It was a bit chilly, actually, as it was September and the sun was setting. But it was still so so relaxing. I fell asleep with the sound of crashing waves all around me. :) Ahh.

On our way back to the reception center, I saw this cute little beach shop and snapped some photos through their closed-for-the-day glass doors for a few diy ideas:


Love that last one-
You have my whole heart for my whole life.
Love You Madly

Monday, November 7, 2011

Funny!

A while ago on NPR's comedy show "Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me!", their guest was Dick Van Dyke. It's a funny show by itself, but a few things from this particular one were hilarious:
(listen to it here, or read the really funny parts below. But I just gotta say, listening to it is probably funnier [and only 11 minutes long].)

PETER SAGAL, host:
And now the game where we invite on great people to do silly things. It's called Not my Job. Our guest this week is a man whose TV shows and films are so beloved by so many, and watched over and over again by so many succeeding generations, that they named DVDs after him.
(laughter)
Dick Van Dyke's movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" is being released next month. His musical memoir "Step in Time" premiers in December at the Geffen Playhouse in L.A. Dick Van Dyke, welcome to WAIT WAIT...DON'T TELL ME!
(applause)

Mr. VAN DYKE: Thank you, Peter. Hello everybody.

SAGAL: Hello. All right, I just got to be personal. I have watched you for so long. "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" was my favorite movie when I was a kid and I've watched "Mary Poppins" so many times and "The Dick Van Dyke Show." So my first question to you is will you be my dad?
(laughter)

Mr. VAN DYKE: I'm a little busy right now, Peter.
(laughter)

SAGAL: I understand.

Mr. VAN DYKE: I can be your grandpa.
(laughter)

SAGAL: That would be fine. I would take that at this point.
(laughter)

...

SAGAL: Dick Van Dyke, what a pleasure to have you on our show.

Your first question ... is about ... when a young man, Dick Nixon fell in love with one Pay Ryan, who was acting in a play with [him]. He courted her fiercely, including doing what?
A, composing a song in her honor, titled "Pat, Pat, You Make My Heart Go Pitter Pat."
B, driving her to and from dates with other men. Or
C, making what some say might be history's first ever mixed tape.

Mr. VAN DYKE: I think he wrote a song.

SAGAL: You're going to go with that?

Mr. VAN DYKE: Yeah.

SAGAL: Sadly, no, he did not write a song. He drove her to and from dates with other men.
(laughter)
She wasn't sure about him, but he sure did love her. So he would drive her to and from dates with other men and wait around, like in a bookstore or a movie theater, until she was done and drive her home.

Mr. VAN DYKE: Are you trying to say he was a pimp?
(laughter)
(applause)

SAGAL: I'm sorry, but in the universe in which I live, you, Dick Van Dyke, do not know that word.
(laughter)

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Blogging Missionary Work

I've been wanting to do this for a while. So I finally sat down to figure out the logistics of it, and came up with this: My sidebar will have a link to another blog that I'll be doing called You Matter to Him. I had lots of ideas for what the blog could be called -

Seek Happiness
True Happiness
Peace in This Life
Your Potential, Your Privelage
Through Him that Loved Us
Seek This Jesus
Guardians of Virtue
A Consecrated Life
Things that Matter Most
Never Leave Him
He Lives -

But I think the one I chose is so inviting and warms your heart before you even go there. :) (Thank you President Uchtdorf!)

I don't know how exactly to describe what I'm envisioning for it, except what I said in the sidebar gadget. I guess I want it to have the discussions/lessons sort of the way I gave them on my mission. I want friends from home or others to be able to come to this here blog and click on that blog to check out, even if just casually, what I believe and have them feel like it's really me talking. And maybe as a spiritual journal of sorts with things that I think are really important for the world and even Latter-day Saints to know.

Nothings up yet, so for now it's just blank. (*sad trombone sound* womp womp womp) But it'll be an ongoing Sunday project for me. Hence, this is its first Sunday debut :).

I am excited.
!!!!! :D

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Love this Quote

My parents met this man, Craig Belnap, who used to always say this in his sunday school lessons. I love it and believe it. So I created it to be my mormon.org link picture (to the right).

Pear Dessert

SAUTEED BROWN SUGAR PEARS WITH MINT
I had a very ripe pear that I didn't want to waste, so I threw it in a saute pan with some butter. Can you ever go wrong with fruit, butter, and sugar?
So so so good.
(sorry no picture)

4 red pears diced w/ skin on (Any kind would do, but the red gave it some nice color)
3 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp + 1 tsp brown sugar
1+ Tbsp chopped fresh mint*

*Did you know you can freeze your herbs in a ziplock and pull them out, good as new, for use in the winter? If you do that, just break them up into pieces while they're still frozen.

Melt butter in any kind of large skillet. Add pears and saute until they start to break down. Sprinkle on salt, br sugar, and mint; stir. Serve warm or cold. Would also go well with vanilla ice cream or mascarpone cheese.

Thursday, November 3, 2011

Tile Coasters

I've seen these all over the blogosphere and Pinterest. They're super easy, not pricey, and s'darned cute.

One scrapbook page will create 9 coasters.
Directions:
1) Measure/mark/cut the paper into thirds, so a 12x12 inch page becomes 9 4x4 inch squares. But, just as an FYI (which I haven't done yet b/c it requires a little more work), it's cuter if there's a little more tile boarder showing. That means you'd have to cut each square just slightly under 4".
2) Glue the paper down with a sponge brush (I used Mod Podge, but I don't know how important that is). *****IMPORTANT NOTE: Put glue on the entire back side of the scrapbook square, NOT just on the edges. Because as you do the next step, if only the edges are glued down, the middle will warp, and the only solution is to remove that scapbook square and use a new one. Thank you trial and error.*******
3) Using your sponge brush, spread glue all over the top of the paper/tile. Let dry and cure.
4) Once dry, spray with a clear sealer. Let dry. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat... till it's super coated and hard.
5) Put felt or foam "feet" on the four corners of the back of each tile.
-These can be used as coasters (but do people really use coasters?) or they can be repurposed as wall decor, with the help of a few more supplies.

I made the wedding ones below for my friend Erin's wedding, which Stephanie & I were able to attend in San Diego! Sooo nice to get away for a weekend. And it's been FO-EVA since I've been to the beach (where we killed some time before the reception because it was a block away from the beach!).

And these I made for my two-weddings-in-one-weekend weekend. My former roomie, Erin, got 6 of them and another friend, Kallie, got the other 6. I like these better than the "wedding" ones above 'cause they're more fun and unique.
Click on the image to enlarge and see more detail.
My favorites? i.e. the ones I want to make into pillows or use as inspiration for home decor colors (find the 6 small stars):

Here are some close-ups of a few of them. I don't know why I took close-ups of only these b/c they're not necessarily my favorites.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

A Few More

Just so these are documented:
white, wow, "Y"

toothbrush - (doo-buh)
tooth paste - (doo-bee)
noodle - (noo-do)
neosporin, a.k.a. "ouwwa cream" - (ow-wa neen)
home - (says it like "own")
away - (wayyy)
broom & spoon - (moom)
bus - (buth) He has a lisp! So cute... for now. But I know it won't be when he's older!
boots - (boowut)
I love you - (I...lllluv...yyyyyou.)
And today he said "I...llllllluv...mama" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D :D

Halloween Decor

Even though I wish I could claim them, none of these ideas are my own. Just adaptations.

The wreath idea came from cousin Christy: http://creativelychristy.blogspot.com/2010/09/halloween-wreath.html, except she used a twig wreath.
Please ignore the mess of a landscape. I may
be a designer, but that doesn't mean I enjoy
maintenance or have the $$ for shrubs. :)
I really wanted to do garbage bag streamers coming off the porch awning, but I had black crepe paper, and ... I can't remember why I put it on the door frame instead.


The yarn had a really hard time staying taped
up in the wind.
And the spider web idea came from Dana @ MADE: http://www.dana-made-it.com/2011/10/tutorial-10-min-yarn-spider-web.html.

As for the wreath:

Monday, October 31, 2011

Ghost Bean Bag Toss

I made this for the ward Halloween party. It was demolished by the end of the night. :) Oh well.
the pencil work and cutting - scissors and exacto knife

spray painted white
 
Bought dowels, broke them with my bare hands!, then hot glued them to the back. I thought it kinda looked like darth vader, and if it hadn't been demolished, I would have sprayed that back side black and called it darth.


Above: One strip of hot glue under the dowel wasn't enough, so I had to do it down each side. Used lots of hot glue.

After a few tosses, the dowels started coming off, so I had to tape them on again.

Halloween!!

A few pictures from the church Halloween Carnival & Trunk or Treat:
face painting station

craft station
The craft station was this idea:
from Martha Stewart

from Simply Creative Insanity
But instead of cheese cloth, we used white plastic grocery bags that the kids cut up and then put the balloons on balloon stick thingys, so they were kind of like balloon wands.
Yep, their mom MADE all their costumes. Not pictured above was their brother... was he Luke?? I can't remember. She told me she'd put them up on Pinterest soon, so you should see better pictures of it all there.

I don't let Jason have sweets very often (he's crazy and rambunxious enough without sugar), with the exception of fruit or a few bites of an occassional dessert. But at the Halloween party, he had:
some doughnut
some cupcake
a laffy taffy
a milky way bar
& one other candy thing
He cried almost all night that night.
Never. ever. again.

He went trick or treating tonight, but was not allowed to eat any candy. Sadly, though, he is still sobbing terribly in his crib right now. Why? Because for some inexplicable reason he decided not to take a nap today. Translation - CRANKY! Oh, and I forgot to put his blanky in the drier, so he has a substitute one, which is NOT okay with him. Oh and he can hear kids knocking at the door and saying "Trick or Treat!!" so he understands that there's fun stuff going on without him. Poor guy.

Here are some cute pictures of him from the Halloween party.
with his favorite neighbor friend

green scales with fire coming out his nose

The tail was a GREAT way to keep him running away from me.

He is saying "OFF! OFF!" to me, so I'll open the wrapper.

note the laffy taffy in his mouth

wearing someone else's helmet
Ah, the sobbing has stopped. As have the trick or treaters. It's only 7:45! Back home we weren't done till 9:30 at least! But I'll take it, especially since it means Jason will sleep :).
Happy Halloween!!