Vacation Shadowbox

2011 vacation highlights

Now that it's summer 2012, I have finished my 2011 vacation shadowbox—and given that all the stuff I saved from our 2010 vacation is still in a bag, I did good this time! (I did have to wait and wait and wait for my husband to email me some of his pictures from his laptop, as some of his were much better than mine.)

The shadowbox itself is about 16" x 20" (display is slightly less). I cut a piece of foamcore to fit, and got a map of California at AAA. Then I used Scotch photo mount to attach the map to the foamcore, and trimmed.

Next I traced our route in highlighter. I used small tags and map pins to mark the significant places.

Then I had to go through my bag of stuff—maps, info sheets, campground paperwork, rocks, tickets, and miscellaneous random things—to choose the best. This was actually really fun, if difficult. I forgot that kid 2 completed junior ranger at both parks we visited, and forgot I had saved a feather. I picked about 15 pictures and had prints made.

I got out my newish circle cutter (bought at Michael's with a coupon, as yet unused), and began arranging everything and cutting pictures as needed. I used double-sided dimensional papercrafting sticky squares to give dimension. To attach the rocks I used jewelry wire (and a needle to poke holes through the foamcore). I twisted the wire together on the back, and then taped over it to (hopefully) not damage anything—like the table I was working on.

This was a fun project, and it was even more fun to be running 10 months behind. I got to revisit the trip. And now the boys are begging to go back to Carson City.

Some of the goodies

Why is there a picture of a bug? That's a 10-lined June beetle. They are an inch or more in length, and many immolated themselves in our campfire at Grover Hot Springs State Park. Kid 2 hid in the tent when they came out. The Stellar's jay feather came from the same campsite—they were everywhere, and they are one of my favorite birds. The pumice Kid 2 found along the trail from Devil's Postpile to Rainbow Falls (national forest land, for the sticklers out there). Again, it was everywhere—coming right out of the ground, which was pretty cool.

The shadowbox is now hanging in our entryway.

Linked to Sew Darn Crafty.

farm CSA day

Another day with no crafting--but it was CSA day at our farm!

Added bonus: our CSA is a school fundraiser, and the farm has regular tours (strawberry, watermelon, pumpkin patch, depending on the season).

Rather than get any crafting in, we ate farm-grown organic produce. This is just a sampling, but boy those squash were yum-my.

The boys rode kid atvs, and these awesome pedal cars. T-bone was the first kid of the season (which started...yesterday) who didn't need a single push on the course. He was pleased.

We took the tractor ride to the pumpkin canyon, fed the boys giant shaved ices, and--of course--picked pumpkins! E-man picked his own outfit. He almost disappeared among the pumpkins.

A fun day. We love Tanaka Farms. And then for dinner I made cilantro pesto from this week's box.

Fingers crossed that crafting occurs mañana!

8:15 am

First ones here!

I am a morning person. I love to be up at the crack of dawn. This doesn't often happen--as evidenced by the fact I am writing this at 10:10pm. I'd rather be in bed, but after the boys are in bed, I am usually cleaning up.

Most people can't stand having the first soccer game of the day. Up early, breakfasts to be had, uniform and shin guards and cleats to find and put on. Drive to make. Dew. Putting goals together.

I love it. Dew. Fresh(er) air, all morning-y, if you know what I mean. Empty parking lots. And an empty Marine Park! By 9:30 the place was packed, with 3 games going on, staggered times so lots of comings and goings, lots of tennis being played, siblings riding bikes and kicking balls, joggers and dog walkers, and a hellish parking lot.

I like it early.

And, we had thunder and big raindrops! So much for afternoon plans to go to Santa Ynez canyon for a fall hike. We scouted the ESPN Zone at LA Live for a certain 5th grader's birthday party instead.

this moment

This moment, as inspired by SouleMama. A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

at 11:45pm last night...

These came out of the oven:

OK, not on one sheet like that.

What are those? This would be 14 dragon breads for my second grader's class. Another family baked some too. Whereas mine look more like mice with an allergy problem, theirs looked like awesome dragons. But my second grader didn't eat his, because it was crunchy when he nibbled its snout. So guess what I am doing tomorrow?! Making more Michaelmas dragon breads!

The good news? It has cooled off a bit. Leave it to me to volunteer to bake the one week of the whole year it is over 90°--only 85° in my kitchen. When the oven is off...

What was I thinking?!

Yes, I am the new cub scout advancement coordinator. There has not been much crafting happening around here. (And we are out of pears! The horror!)

September is baptism by fire. Year-round pack + resident camp + district day camp + another day camp = gadzillions of belt loops, patches, and pins. And me pulling my hair out. I have spent nearly 15 hours on this this week--most in the last 2 days--not counting the driving involved in going to the San Pedro scout store twice.

One shipment in the mail, one last distribution into proper baggies and bags--and one giant list of special awards for the agenda, and I am done!

mmmmm pie

So Mr 2nd grade came home from school yesterday with:
• a letter from his teacher about all the apple-related activities going on in the classroom
• a recipe for apple pie.

Needless to say, he wanted to make the pie. ASAP. So (as you likely predicted) I made crust, peeled and sliced our selection of overripe apples--and then he came just in time to add the brown sugar and spices.

No, it's not pretty. But it sure is tasty! Surprisingly so, since I managed to use up nearly all of the apples I was planning to make apple butter with.

this moment

inspired by soulemama...“{this moment}: A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.”