Everyday Adventuring

Visiting Ross Park

2011-09-24T14:52:00.001-06:00

Apophis playing on the rocks at the park

More life lessons

2011-09-19T16:22:00.001-06:00

Zane being instructed on inflating the van's tires.

Morning Walk

2011-09-19T11:16:00.001-06:00

Spotted this beetle on our way to breakfast.

First Signs of Fall

2011-09-07T11:02:00.001-06:00

Taking a walk to get breakfast, and we spotted a few leaves that were starting to change colors!

Life Lessons

2011-09-04T19:23:00.001-06:00

Papa Jim teaching Zoe how to clean a fish.

(Not) Back to School

2011-09-02T09:59:00.000-06:00

Look who wandered right through our "classroom" this morning!

Meet Gus

2011-08-29T13:15:00.001-06:00

This is Gus. We got him at the Bodies exhibit at the Museum of Idaho. I have been wanting a small anatomically correct skeleton forever, and I finally got one! His oh so fabulous scarf came from the Tautphaus Zoo, the other half of our weekend excursion.

Wheeeeeeee!

2011-08-18T20:10:00.000-06:00

New Bike! So fun! Wheeeeeeeeee!

Better than Lollipops!

2011-08-12T16:34:00.001-06:00

Well that's certainly an upgrade from the suckers I got when I went to the bank with my mom!

Crafty Fort!

2011-08-10T14:25:00.000-06:00

In the backyard.

Afternoon nap

2011-08-09T16:39:00.001-06:00

Zane taking a nap in the hammock. (Yeah, yeah, our grass ain't pretty.)

Also known as...

2011-08-07T19:58:00.001-06:00

Idaho. Also known as...Home.

Slap bracelets!

2011-08-07T12:51:00.001-06:00

Took a walk down to Walgreen's to get some snacks, and the kids found these cool snap bracelets

Cool Hair!

2011-07-18T17:06:00.001-06:00

Zoe's pink hair looks especially cool in a french braid!

No pictures, please

2011-07-14T19:51:00.001-06:00

Sparklers!

2011-07-04T21:55:00.001-06:00

Happy Independence Day!

Sssssssnake!

2011-07-02T15:04:00.001-06:00

Ball python, as yet unnamed. Pretty dang cute!

Hockey Time

2011-06-30T22:05:00.001-06:00

Glenn just before his hockey game. He scored the first goal of the night and his team won in overtime.

Bracelet

2011-06-30T14:51:00.001-06:00

This is a picture Zoe took while volunteering at the zoo. This is Gomez the gopher snake.

Channeling...

2011-06-29T20:21:00.000-06:00

Channeling Violet from the "A Series of Unfortunate Events" books. They're great fun, we had a grand time reading them. (Although I still need to finish reading the last couple of books.)

Tortoise

2011-06-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

Had to stop by the local pet store McKee's today. They had this adorable tortoise and handsome bird.

The bird got very curious when I took out my camera to take a picture.

MMMMMM....Mint!

2011-06-27T18:42:00.002-06:00

My very favorite herb! My Nana had a patch that grew right by her front door. We would always grab a leaf to chew on when we went to visit her and Grandpa. Grandpa would always give us 'milk nickels.' (That's an ice cream bar. They actually were only a nickel when he was a boy.)

Hockey Girl!

2011-06-25T20:06:00.003-06:00

Hockey Boy!

2011-06-25T20:06:00.001-06:00

Spider!

2011-06-25T08:21:00.001-06:00

A cute little jumping spider.

Hockey Time 2

2011-06-24T09:14:00.001-06:00

2011-06-23_19-51-27_417 a video by dancinjules on Flickr.

Yet more hockey!

Hockey Time

2011-06-24T09:13:00.001-06:00

2011-06-23_19-02-25_65 a video by dancinjules on Flickr.

Hockey!

Catnip within

2011-06-23T15:34:00.001-06:00

To you, it's a fast food box with rubber bands around it. To me (who knows that there is catnip inside) it is a homemade cat toy. My daughter, who recently got done training to volunteer at the zoo informs me it is animal enrichment. :)

Manicure!

2011-06-23T10:41:00.001-06:00

Gotta love purple and green nails with sparkles right? Because when it comes to beauty stuff I am an eight year old at heart.

Om non nom

2011-06-21T15:57:00.001-06:00

Yummy! A strawberry from the basket we got from Swore Farms at the Farmer's Market.

Today

2011-06-20T12:44:00.001-06:00

We went for a walk and had Chinese food. I know, we are so living the glamorous life. But we're having a good time.

From our walk today

2011-06-17T14:58:00.001-06:00

Just a couple photos I took while we were walking.

Testing...

2011-06-16T17:29:00.001-06:00

Yup, still testing.

At the Park, early in the morning!

2011-06-12T08:28:00.000-06:00

A couple of pictures I took early one morning when we went to the park:

Random Boot

2011-02-07T08:05:00.000-07:00

Random Boot!

On one of the EXTREMELY cold days we had last week, I could not get the car to start and therefore ended up playing hooky from my classes that morning. The kids and I headed down the street for biscuits and gravy at a local restaurant. And yes, spotted a random boot out in the snow that puzzled us all. How in the world did it get there? Is someone walking around in the snow with only one boot? How do you lose one of your shoes while outside in the cold? What's the story here?

Celebrations for the Birthday Girl!

2011-01-17T11:56:00.000-07:00

Uncle Jeff knows his niece well! A new sketchbook for the artist. Joked her dad: Wow! Enough paper to last her for a whole day!

Although it's been a couple weeks since she officially turned 14, my folks came down to help celebrate Zoe's birthday last weekend. We went out for lunch, had birthday cake (mmmm....homemade cake and frosting! Thanks Mom!) and (of course!) Zoe opened presents. Then we took my folks over to the CoHo Coffee Shop to take a peek at the art work Zoe has on display there. (pssst! You can also buy prints of her work at ZoeandZoe.etsy.com! There's only three up now, but more should be coming soon!)

Yay Cake!

Goofin' off at the CoHo

Accidental Fish

2011-01-10T08:00:00.026-07:00

Pretty little fishies! This sort of thing happens at our house. We have snakes, you see. Two little garter snakes. We usually feed them frozen mice, with the occasional feeder fish. Except the last time we got fish the snakes decided they wanted nothing to do with them. And there were a couple that I thought were really pretty and was sad to think of them becoming snake food. So we put them in a small plastic aquarium. Which my poor daughter had to change the water in every. single. day. For about two week straight.

So, today we went to the pet store for the snakes' "gourmet rodent." (Really, they come in a package that is labeled "gourmet rodent." It cracks me up when I open up the freezer and see it.) And then we picked up an aquarium with a proper filter and a light and everything for our fish. It's rather soothing, the light, the rippling and gurgling of the water, the movement of the fish. Our accidental fish.

Lunar Eclipse!

2010-12-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

Dec 20 and 21, North America was treated to a full lunar eclipse on the solstice. The kids and I stayed up late, heading out every half our or so to watch the skies while it happened. (And yes, it was COLD. I drank many many many cups of tea.)

It was cloudy/foggy, so we did not get the best view, but were able to see the earth's shadow move across the face of the moon. Once it was covered, it was pretty near impossible to see the moon, we did not get the glowy orange moon that many other places saw.

Here are a few (not wonderful) pictures.

This is actually one of my favorites, taken as the moon was entering the penumbra. There was a lovely ring around the moon.

Entering the umbra. You can see the shadow moving across on the lower left corner.

The night got much clearer as the moon was moving out of its eclipsed state, as you can see.

Don't know what this umbra, penumbra stage thing is about? (I didn't either) Check out this article on the 12 Stages of a Lunar eclipse for an explanation.

Creative Arts Workshop

2010-12-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

The kids recently participated in a Creative Arts Workshop at the Old Town Actors Studio with Bridget Close.

They created masks and full size poster self portraits including things they like and dislike, which they presented in a show and share at the end of the class.

The Goat Whisperer

2010-08-16T22:55:00.000-06:00

Went to our local zoo. Had to spend time in the petting zoo, of course. All of the goats converged upon my daughter. She has a way with animals - we're going to look into the teen volunteer program they have next summer.

Banana Bread

2010-07-29T21:01:00.000-06:00

When you've got a bunch of bananas rapidly heading to becoming a pile of mush, what do you do?

Mash Mash Mash Mash!

A litte mashing, a little measuring, some stirring and some cooking until you have...

Yummy Banana Bread! (I only got a quick picture of it on my phone, so it's not the highest quality. )
Delicious!

Toes in the Ocean!

2010-07-25T10:47:00.002-06:00

On our Oregon trip, since it was only an hour away:

Boise Trip

2010-07-14T10:39:00.003-06:00

It might look like magic, but it's...SCIENCE!

The power of the pulley! Hoisting himself up.

Checking out the eyes - watching the pupils do their thing. (I, the ever-squeamish about all things to do with eyes, skipped this one.)

A couple of pictures from our trip to Boise. (For hockey, what else? Although these aren't hockey pictures)

We spent a couple hours at the Discovery Center of Idaho. So much fun! Just as much fun for the adults as the kids really. And once again I wonder how I ever found science to be a dull and dry subject. It's so very cool!

I would love to have a hands-on museum like this close by. This also inspired our ventures into stop-motion animation, because one of the exhibits was a set-up where you could make your own 20-frame video.

Wiggle!

2010-07-11T14:56:00.000-06:00

This is our second attempt at stop-motion animation. 75 frames this time, music created with Garage Band

Fourth of July

2010-07-11T14:48:00.000-06:00

So, um, it's a bit past the fourth - but this is the stop-motion animation that Zoe and I threw together while waiting for it to get dark enough for real fireworks. We were kinda rushed, since we were trying to beat encroaching shade! Still, it was a very fun first try:

Beaverton, Oregon Hockey Trip

2010-07-01T17:08:00.000-06:00

So, yeah, long time no blog. We've been extremely busy, of course, so what ya gonna do?

Here's some pictures from our trek over to Oregon for a hockey tournament:

Ready to Play!

At the Zoo!

Zane and an alligator!

Zoe really liked the bats!

We all rather loved the penguins.

Did I mention how very, very pretty Oregon is?

2009-10-20T12:24:00.002-06:00

Little Zorro drawing his "inner editor." He's working on the workbook for the NaNoWriMo Young Writer's Program while Mom tackles her big pile o' homework.

The National Novel Writing Month Website is here:
NaNoWriMo.org

And the Young Writer's Program Page is here:
YWP.Nanowrimo.org

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FWD:

2009-10-20T00:21:00.001-06:00

These will become headbands for Naruto Halloween costumes- the kids made them.

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2009-09-08T16:22:00.000-06:00

Zorro studying his color theory! (which basically means mixing together different colors of clay and seeing what happens.)

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2009-09-07T12:51:00.001-06:00

Five rows down, three more to go! Our backyard patio project. (With bonus kitty cat action! That's Edward Scissorpaws struttin' his stuff.)

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2009-09-07T11:40:00.001-06:00

Zorro practicing his pillow balancing abilities!

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First Tomato of the Season!

2009-09-01T20:22:00.004-06:00

Picked our first tomato!

2009-09-01T19:13:00.001-06:00

Testing out our new phones and mobile posting to our blog!

Cue the spooky music!

2009-08-13T22:58:00.000-06:00

I noticed a couple of skeletons and other assorted spooky things in stores the last time we were out and about, and realized that YAY! Halloween is only two and a half months away.

Not that I really need an excuse to do something creepy and zombie inspired, so without further ado:

Take me to Paris...

2009-08-12T14:44:00.006-06:00

Plaster of Paris, that is:

We used some beach pail/sand castle molds I picked up at the dollar store, and used them as molds to make castles. My oh so fancy mold-release? Cooking spray that we also picked up at the dollar store.

We'll wait 24 hours for them to completely dry, and then paint and decorate them. (I'm leaning toward a haunted castle look for mine. It's only like two and a half months 'til Halloween, y'know!) We added a squirt of blue tempera paint to the last of the plaster, and put them in little foil stars to make some sidewalk chalk:

And here's some sidewalk chalk work from Bannanarama, whose current obsession with anime has led her to begin learning some of the Japanese language:

Get down, get down!

2009-08-04T13:29:00.004-06:00

The boys and Grandma, playing Raving Rabbids at Great Grandma's house.

Happiness is...

2009-08-03T13:25:00.000-06:00

Brightly colored polymer clay and lots of tools!

WildFlower

2009-07-28T11:22:00.000-06:00

Taking a walk along the river is a sanity saver for me, and sometimes, I get a nice photograph as well:

Pocatello Saturday Market

2009-07-16T11:04:00.000-06:00

This video is from my first Saturday at the Market!

Thanks to Rich Brewer of Digital Junkets for shooting and editing! You can check out his other videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/user/escalus84

Road Trip!

2009-07-03T18:30:00.004-06:00

Last Saturday we headed out to Grace for the "Good Ole' Days" tractor show. We've been doing this since the very first year it was held, it's become a fun family tradition.

Since Glenn couldn't make it this year =(, Bannanarama helped me with the facepainting (and did a wonderful job, I might add.) Here she is with her cousin Miss Pickle, who got a butterfly painted on her arm.

We stopped at the Flying J on the way home for dinner, and had some yummy chicken fried steak. Here's us girls:

Score!

2009-07-03T18:22:00.000-06:00

I've been revamping my art/craft space, and went looking for a new chair today. I found this one at a local thrift store. It was boring and brown - but I made it into the Purple Chair of Awesomeness instead. (Have I mentioned that I may love spray paint just a little too much?)

I also went to a local discount store looking for some ice cube trays, since our fridge's ice cube maker is on the fritz and I can not survive the summer without a big ole glass of ice in my hot little hands! Well, while I was there I found a reasonable priced convection oven! Woohoo! They are ideal for curing polymer clay, since the fan means that the air is circulated throughout the oven and it stays a nice steady, even temperature without hot spots. (Those can lead to scorched and burned clay)

Bicycle time!

2009-05-25T16:41:00.002-06:00

One of the clearest signs of summer's approach:

Glenn and Zorro working on his bike together!

A basket of beads (and buttons!)

2009-05-21T10:56:00.000-06:00

A basket of handmade beads and buttons! These still need a bit of cleaning to remove the dust left from sanding, and a trip to the buffer. Then - they will be ready for their close-up!

Triboluminscence!

2009-05-19T13:59:00.007-06:00

We spent an evening studying triboluminescence. That sounds much more impressive than, "We spent an evening smashing Wint-O-Green Lifesavers, now doesn't it? Many people are familiar with the effect that biting down on a Wint-o-green Lifesaver in the dark will produce blue-ish sparks, and we found a very good explanation at How Stuff Works. To be enlightened,Click here!

We were using individually packaged Lifesavers from a big bag, rather than ones from a roll. The cool thing about this is that you can throw them on a hard surface in a dark room still in the wrapper and get a blue flash. AND you can do it over and over again until your candy is a pile of powder, or the wrapper gives out - whichever comes first.

Word is Evil!

2009-05-18T14:06:00.001-06:00

Bannanarama wrote this, we thought it was pretty amusing:

Disclamer:microsoft word cannot talk,and if it could it would be very polite

Written in microsoft word

Hello microsoft word!
What do you want?
I want to type!
Why?
Because I feel like it!
Whatever…

Pyon pyon
Hmm hmm
Yeah yeah
Howa howa
Kira kira
Yeah yeah
Tamagoa nani edo
Yeah yeah yeah!

Hey,that wasn't typeing!
What do you mean?
All you did was write down the words to a song!
So?
I thought you were going to write a story!
Oh fine!

It was a dark and stormy night
A brown cat lay by the fire,and thought about how it’s evil word program wouldn't let it write what it wanted to…
Hey!
What,all I did was write a story.
Oh just go play with firefox!
Good idea!
I’m so very lonely….

Hockey Road Trip!

2009-05-16T23:34:00.002-06:00

On the road to Utah for some hockey! The kiddos played two games, lost the first one, won the second one. The rink was smaller than they were used to, and it took some time to adjust.

And our little goalie Zorro got a shut-out (that's 'allowed no goals' for you non-hockey folks!)

Cosmic Encounter!

2009-05-04T21:46:00.005-06:00

One of our favorite games! Essentially a card game of "war" (highest card wins) with "alien powers" that turn the game into something with a distinctly Calvinball feel. (Oh, you think you win? Actually my alien power makes the lower card win. etc.)

Zorro must be doing well:

Bannanarama looks less pleased:

Earth Day 2009

2009-04-24T12:29:00.004-06:00

Hooray! for
Laundry dried in the sunshine:
(check out Project Laundry List)

and Pocatello's brand new curbside recycling program:

Sprucing up the website a bit

2009-04-07T15:15:00.000-06:00

Check out the recently updated DancinJules Creations!

I've found two websites that I really enjoy working with, one is Picnik.com which allows you to edit photos online, as well as pull photos from your flickr, facebook, photobucket, etc. accounts. It has some tools for creating photo collages and such, it's what I used to create the collage above.

The other is Weebly.com which is a website building site. Now, I have used things like Tripod or Geocities in the past and never really been happy with the limitations (or all the ads that end up on your site,) but so far I'm enjoying using this one. I'm no HTML genius, but having the option to add custom bits of HTML here and there on the site are really nice. They have an option to upgrade, but so far I've been content with the free version. (And aside from a "get your own Weebly Page" button at the bottom of my site, there's no advertising on it.)

We are a very busy family, and I like the portability that being able to edit photos and websites online provides. (We don't have a laptop, but I have high hopes of getting a small netbook within the next few weeks)

Earth Hour Bunny

2009-03-30T02:40:00.000-06:00

earth hour bunny
Originally uploaded by dancinjules

Created this little bunny by candlelight during Earth Hour, 2009!

Mmm...What 's that delicious smell?

2009-03-25T11:45:00.003-06:00

She worked, and she slaved:

To bring us:

Brownies!

(And these were totally from scratch brownies - no store bought mix going on here!)

Silliness....

2009-03-23T15:35:00.000-06:00

So, my lovely purple hair has faded to a washed out pink color. And I want to re-dye it, but I don't know what color. So, solve my dilemma and vote in my poll over there on the right-->

Elko Hockey Tourney!

2009-03-23T10:46:00.003-06:00

The kids had a blast at this tournament - we appreciate the Elko Roller Hockey Association for hosting, they have a great group of parents and players!

Slideshow fun...

2009-03-11T12:49:00.000-06:00

So, I finally played around with the program that came with my camera - it's kind of fun, and although it doesn't give you a lot of control, you can create a fun little slide show with it fairly easily. I apologize in advance for the cheesy techno theme music - it was what came with the program.

The Cutest Blog on the Block!

2009-03-09T10:26:00.000-06:00

Well, no, I'm not claiming that honor - but this is the website responsible for the cute background that I'm sporting on my blog now:

The Cutest Blog on the Block
If you want a snazzy background for your blog (and don't have the necessary know-how to create one yourself,) I recommend taking a look through this site's backgrounds. They have a wide variety of backgrounds offered for free, it's super-simple to install them on your page, AND they have step-by-step instructions to get that coveted three column blog layout in their "Blog Secrets" section. They also offer customized designs for reasonable prices if you are looking for something unique.

(And no, I'm not on their payroll, I just thought I would give them a mention since I was pleased with the service! :))

Yay! Polymer Cafe! (and guess what I found...)

2009-03-08T03:06:00.000-06:00

Woohoo! My very first issue of the Polymer Cafe Magazine! You can read my review at Craft Gossip here. (And why, yes, yes I did just find the black and white setting on my camera, why do you ask?)

Aaargh! (self portrait Thursday)

2009-03-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

Aaargh!
Originally uploaded by dancinjules

It was just one of those days today, the sort that make you want to pull your hair and pout.

Luckily, I got to go out to dinner with my kids and in-laws, along with my cutie pie of a three year old niece. She was a fantastic cure for the grumpy mood!

Happy Square Root Day!

2009-03-03T16:04:00.002-07:00

March 3, 2009.
3/3/09

Hey! That means it's Square Root Day! A good reason to make a meal featuring root vegetables (cut into squares, of course,) enjoy a root beer float, play tic tac toe, or bake a square cake!

We went with simple, and made Rice Crispy squares decorated with the square root symbol:

Happiness is....

2009-03-02T10:54:00.000-07:00

A new box of clay with lots of colors!

I actually order a lot of my clay in bulk - in the one pound blocks, but every once in a while (with a JoAnn's coupon in hand,) it's fun to get a box that has a smorgasboard of colors, take it out, and then just sit down and play! This box was destined for cane making, here are some of the results:

Like these? Then don't forget to bop on over to Craft Gossip, check out the new layout, and enter the March Madness Giveaway!

Who's that dropping the puck?

2009-03-02T09:00:00.000-07:00

Who's that dropping the puck for the faceoff?

It's Bannanarama, making her debut as a roller hockey ref!

Our refs are mostly parent volunteers, but they decided to let the girls have a shot at reffing the youngest kids' game:

The Rockin' Hockey Girls

2009-03-01T17:21:00.002-07:00

Okay, there's a couple of rockin' hockey guys on the team as well, here they are:

This was Bannanarama's team - they played the entire tournament together, and if you count very closely (and know anything about roller hockey) you will realize that they played the entire tournament with only one sub. (Player to rotate out and in from the bench) Woohoo, endurance! They received silver - and even though they lost, their last game was an EXCELLENT one. We were playing a team from Elko - the parents were all very nice, and the kids had great fun playing each other. That is youth hockey at its best.

Goalie!

2009-03-01T17:11:00.004-07:00

Zorro, all decked out in his goalie gear! (This was for a tournament that was back in February, but what with I-Move Dance Performances and my new blogging responsibilities, it's been a while since I've gotten things written over here! Giving love to the sadly neglected family blog right now! :)

ArtFire Rapid Cart - How cool is that!?

2009-02-25T11:02:00.000-07:00

A cool new tool they rolled out for us at ArtFire today - you can now easily buy items from my ArtFire shop right from my blog. Lookie!

DancinJules

Buy Handmade

This will normally live right over on the right column of my blog.

CPSIA

2009-01-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/01/more_harm_than_good_more_on_th.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954

What's happening on February 10?

2009-01-28T16:15:00.003-07:00

A law that might be very, very bad for people who handmake wonderful items for children:

http://nationalbankruptcyday.com/

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2009/01/more_harm_than_good_more_on_th.html?CMP=OTC-5JF307375954

Road Trip!

2009-01-27T22:40:00.018-07:00

On Sunday morning, we headed out for a trek to Utah to watch the Grizzlies and Steelheads do battle upon the ice! On our way there, we were treated to the rockin' sounds of the new band "Cheese for Dinner:"

Auntie Arika and Uncle Chris with the "Birthday Princess" These are college friends of ours who remember back when Bannanarama was a wee little thing.

The crew at "Crazy Jim's" buffet. I ate something with tentacles (Octopus? Squid? who knows?) Glenn had Questionable Sushi, and Arika and I tried the "rice crispy things that were made with fruity pebbles and fruit loops instead of rice crispies" I discovered that I can't eat something that looks back at me (the shrimp still had eyes attached) and all in all, it was a very...interesting dining experience.

Yay! after several wrong turns, we found the rink!

It's hockey time!

oops! We had to wait while they fixed the boards - that really *was* a hard hit, I guess!

Zamboni!

Zorro with the Utah Grizzlies mascot, Grizzbee

Grizzbee pestering Bannanarama.

He shoots, He scores! The Steelheads celebrating their overtime win:

We headed for home, but ended up having an unplanned slumber party in Brigham City:

Because the weather got horrible and the roads really bad around about Ogden. In the morning, there was lots of snow!

Finally, a bit of sun:

And headed home:

A collaboration

2009-01-27T12:48:00.000-07:00

I made these magnets over the weekend - they were a collaboration between my daughter and I, she carved the girl stamps that I used. They now live on the fridge at my kid's honorary Aunt and Uncle's house in SLC. And yes, a few of those girls do have fangs, DD is quite the fan of vampires!

I'm quite impressed with my picture, actually - I took it with the magnets balanced on my leg in the car during our weekend road trip. I was sure they were all going to turn out horribly blurry, but they actually look quite nice!

Seriously, this is how I was taking pictures, sitting in the front seat of the car:

Let me Call you Sweetheart...

2009-01-14T17:01:00.000-07:00

Two brand new heart-shaped polymer clay brooches just in time for Valentine's day! Available at my ArtFire shop: http://dancinjules.artfire.com

Loading....

2009-01-09T21:22:00.007-07:00

Zorro...working hard to create his very first mini-comic "Loading" We used the tutorial to make a booklet out of one sheet of paper that we found here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elizabethgenco/sets/72157594276405114/
This is fun, because after he made it we scanned it in and made a few copies. So we can share it with the grandparents!

A fun project, just for me...

2009-01-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

So, I had this old dresser (it's the one I had as a kid) in my kitchen, currently put to use storing yarn and paper. Fed up with the boring finish, one day I decoupaged some old pattern papers on the top two drawers, and the pattern packages on the one below. And then it sat. Finally, over the holidays, I painted it, resulting in this. Quite fun, I think!

A lil' Patch o' Blue!

2009-01-08T12:09:00.000-07:00

After days of gray, cold, and windy weather I was quite happy to see even this tiny little patch of blue sky yesterday!

Wow....

2009-01-08T01:57:00.024-07:00

How could we have known? How could we possibly have guessed? We knew this was important, of course, but...
We drove to the hospital that day, and met you for the very first time, and...

WOW!!!This was some serious, serious love.
Oh, there would be sleepless nights, and plenty of tears, but you were so very, very wonderful!

And now you are growing up into this AMAZING person, creative and kind, intelligent, funny, and interesting. I'm so glad to be your Mom!

Jackie Chan...

2009-01-07T12:14:00.003-07:00

There's a fabulous new article up at the Life Without School blog (one of my favorites!)

Everything I needed to Know About P.E. I Learned from Jackie Chan

New Buttons!

2009-01-07T11:23:00.000-07:00

Some new Buttons, up at both ArtFire and etsy!
Artfire:
http://www.artfire.com/modules.php?name=ViewListing&product_id=44104
Etsy (at the MAke Messes Shop!:)
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=19085166

Handmade Toys - Let's Save them!

2009-01-06T15:50:00.000-07:00

Handmade Toy Alliance

Party animals!

2009-01-01T12:22:00.004-07:00

Rockin' Out!

2008-12-29T22:31:00.005-07:00

Does this really need any more explanation than "We got Guitar Hero World Tour for Christmas?" And, um...I had a little too much fun playing with Photoshop?!

My First...

2008-12-29T22:20:00.000-07:00

And Quite Possibly my last...

My first Lino Block print! (Told you I would post it eventually, didn't I?) It was cool to pull that first print, but now that the cuts on my hands are slowly healing, I think I will stick to carving erasers and soft carving media! I wanted to try wood block printing as well but, um, this experience may have dissuaded me from that.

My "Making Stamps from Kids Drawings" project was printed yesterday in the "online" section of our local newspaper. (I had shared it with our "Pocatello Parents" section of their website.) If you'd like to give it a try, the original tutorial (with lotsa pics) is here:
Making Stamps from Children's Drawings

Polymer Clay Gossip!

2008-12-29T09:45:00.000-07:00

Pssst! Guess what? I'm the new polymer clay editor at the Craft Gossip blog! I get to scour the web every week for cool polymer clay stuff, and share it on the blog. How very fun! Come check it out and say hello:
Polymer Clay at Craft Gossip
You can check out the other subjects that are covered at Craft Gossip while you are there - they have everything from sewing to bath and body to recycled crafts!
Craft Gossip Blog

I have a juicy little tidbit of gossip....

2008-12-28T17:58:00.000-07:00

And I'm going to share...

tomorrow!