Day 98 : 04-07-12

Day 98 : 04-07-12, a photo by ha! designs on Flickr.

An absolutely gorgeous day to hike (and pose!) in Zion's National Park...

We had an absolutely amazing day today! Leila hiked Angel's Landing (SCARY!) with her Uncle Todd, and the rest of us hiked Emerald Pools and Weeping Rock. Our timing to meet back up together couldn't have been better!

Day 91 : 03-31-12

Day 91 : 03-31-12, a photo by ha! designs on Flickr.

My girls... I'm the luckiest mom alive!

teddy & giveaway winner

I just walked past Cami's room... I looked in to see her bed so nicely made and "Teddy" with a place of honor. She's been making her bed like this for awhile, it's just one of those moments when how special it is hit me. Special because my little girl is such a sweetheart and it warms my heart to think of how proud she is of all the little things I make for her and her big sister. Special because I made "Teddy" 20 years ago for Leila and after all these years Teddy still gets love and a warm bed to sleep in. (Although he now only has half a smile. Cami refuses to let me fix this.) Special because both of my girls are growing up so quickly. I am so proud of them and their accomplishments. I look forward to sharing in their continued growth... and I hope Teddy will continue to share their hugs and kisses too.

The winner of this month's chocolate tag giveaway is Nathan! Congratulations Nathan! I'll be sending out your set of chocolate tags soon! :)

widgets & running with the bulls

I've had too much fun today adding a couple new widgets to my blog! I had to add a video game... of course, since I LOVE video games. That's why Mario is here! It's little but you can actually play it! (Arrow keys to move & jump. Spacebar to select. 0 for menu. You'll need to point with your cursor to start the game and select your player.) I think I may have to have a game of the month or something... :)

The other widget I added is "the drama llama." The drama llama sometimes wanders around our house and the houses of certain members of my family. We tease each other that it's someone else's turn to "feed the drama llama," if lots of drama has been going on at someone's house. I thought I might do my whole family a favor if I "sponsored" this drama llama. Now all my sisters (and anyone else who needs it) can come and feed the drama llama here, if they need to. You know... I do what I can! :)


OK... I have to add this picture and mention... Leila sent me this photo and the video clip where you catch a glimpse of her boyfriend, Mike, running with the bulls in Spain! She's circled him! I think that's a little too close to the bulls myself! (But I have to admit that must have been SOME adventure! Mike... I hope you're OK and that your mom didn't have a heart attack!) Mike is participating in a study abroad program in Spain for the summer. Leila is missing him but happy that they can communicate via skype.

Cami starts a blog...

I got Cami's blog up and running today! She has invited all her cousins, aunts, and grandma! It was so much fun to see how excited she was about it... She did a great job completing her profile and writing her first post. I'm going to enjoy reading her entries!

Unfortunately I didn't get much done besides Cami's blog! I did learn a lot in the time I spent on it. I took a template and totally transformed it. My first time messing with a blog template... it was FUN! I want to thank Lena... she has an amazing and simply fabulous tutorial and some great free blog templates. Her work inspired me to try my hand at my own template. Cami's blog template is based on one of her backgrounds.

I'm also feeling a little out of sorts. Norm made reservations for our San Diego trip and Leila called to ask if I'd go to an appointment with her the day that we're leaving... then the guilt starts and I start worrying. I hate that! I know I need to relax... I know I can join her another time. I guess I have a tendency to read more into everything than there needs to be. Relax, Holly! (sometimes it's not so easy...)

21 & graduation

Leila turned 21 yesterday! I'm so happy that she came home and shared this special occasion with us! We had such a great time!! Cami, Leila, and I caught up on episodes we were behind on for "So You Think You Can Dance." Leila opened her gifts AND we went out to a very lovely dinner at Mastro's Steakhouse. We had DELICIOUS Maine lobster and YUMMY rib eye steaks. (Oh... I think I'm still full!) It was one of those dinners where everything turned out perfectly: our location in the restaurant (nice corner), food, service, and best of all: company! We miss having Leila around all the time and so it's especially nice when we get the chance to all be together.

Cami had a special day as well on Leila's birthday.... It was the last day of school AND her graduation from elementary school. It's another one of those "where has the time gone" moments for me! How does this happen? Cami was awarded with the "President's Education Award for Outstanding Academic Excellence." We're so proud of all her hard work. Here she is with her wonderful teacher... Cami has absolutely LOVED being in her class. (One of the things I really liked about Cami being in her class is the emphasis she put on the kids to be good people and to treat each other with respect and kindness. Sometimes simple things like this are just plain overlooked. It's sad.) She is definitely going to miss her, but she's VERY excited about moving on to middle school.

I guess I have to end this post by saying how EXTREMELY proud I am of both my girls and the people that they are. They inspire me everyday.

a ballet-rific weekend

WOW! I definitely have a little ballerina!!! :)

This weekend she performed Saturday and Sunday in "Sea to Shining Sea," a dance recital for her dance school. Saturday's performance was in the costume shown above. Her teacher choreographed an adorable number that was so entertaining. It was one of the crowd favorites for the night! Cameron was AMAZING! ...OK .... I knew she was good, (I'm her mom after all!) but seeing her on a big stage, and the confidence, ACTING and dance... WOW! Just thinking about it now makes tears come to my eyes. She had the time of her life AND you could see it! Just look at the photo above... this was taken BEFORE the show... she's not nervous... she's calm and just anticipating the show. Oh... how I wish that my parent's lived closer. I know they would have loved watching her perform.

The photo below was taken after Sunday's performance. Leila was able to come home to celebrate Father's Day and attend this night. (I sure have gorgeous girls! ...proud mama talkin' again...) It was ANOTHER outstanding performance by Cameron... in fact, I heard people behind us in the theater comment on her grace and elegance during her dance. She really stood out! I'm so proud! I guess I'm going to have to buy both DVDs of the performances! (Of course they wouldn't put all the performances together... You must buy separate DVDs for each night! $40 each, adds up! They also prohibited any recording in the theater... so you're pretty much stuck! Oh well... I know she'll love being able to have all her relatives watch it!)
It was definitely a ballet-rific weekend! I don't know if my husband's first choice for Father's Day weekend would be to spend over 5 hours watching ballet for the weekend.... but he was definitely the proud papa! Happy Father's Day honey... our kids are lucky to have such a wonderful, funny, generous, video game playing, silly, scary movie watching (and torturing), BBQ-ing master, hard working, thoughtful, supportive dad.... I love you!

banner & avatar

Ahhhh... I felt MUCH better today. I still had some mild nausea, but nothing compared to the last couple of days! I started on the medication the doctor gave me to reduce the acid in my stomach so this may be what helped as well.

I've been working on Gigi's banner and avatar today. I've really enjoyed the challenge of coming up with a design that represents her shop. I'm looking forward to finishing it up in the next day or so once I make any adjustments or changes she'd like. It was fun to see the elements come together. I love how you start working on one part and soon you're working on the next section and then before long you realize you have a cohesive design! That's the best! That trial and error thing really works! :) I am definitely NOT an expert with photoshop yet... but I'm really enjoying learning a little more each time I work on a new project. It's a whole new art dimension for me! :)

Cami's last regular ballet class was today. The class was dress rehearsal for their BIG performance on Saturday. (Her other ballet class performance is on Sunday... busy ballet weekend!) I took some photos of her all dressed up in her costume. Doesn't she look so cute!?! I'll have to take pictures of her in her costume for the other performance. It's a totally different style. (She prefers this one because she thinks the other one is too "little girlish.") I also finalized her summer dance classes. She wanted to take 2 ballet classes and 1 jazz class... so she'll have 3 dance classes a week for a six week period during the summer. She sure does love her dance! Of course... we'll also make sure she has some good volleyball during the summer ! ;)

Leila is in the midst of finals this week. Poor thing... I sent her a goody box last week to help her through the all-nighter's. She'll come home Sunday for Father's Day and then head back after Cami's performance that night. She'll be back for her birthday next Wednesday.... SHE'S TURNING 21!!!! WOW! (my goodness... I guess this means I'm getting older.)

clippy & dance

Earlier this year I created a bunch of felt flowers and have been wanting to use a couple to embellish a clippy... today I finally did it!

It was a so fun to sew together. I am going to make a little bunch of them... they are so happy and summer like! (I plan on making a few to list in my shop!) I wish I had made these for Cami when she was little, she would have been soooo cute with the little clippy in her hair! :)

I guess I have to admit that this is where my ACADD (Arts & Crafts - Attention Deficit Disorder) came into play today. I had every intention of getting the purse ready to list but got distracted by the "bright lights" and had to make a clippy instead. (Oh... I did cut out some pieces for a new blossom card too! That IS on my project list for this week!) Stay tuned... maybe tomorrow will be the day I FINALLY list the purse!

Alright, so now I have to say that I am EXTREMELY happy about something... what could it be? OK, don't laugh... but I am absolutely ADDICTED to "So You Think You Can Dance!" It was the first night of auditions tonight. Cami and I had a BLAST watching it. It's especially cute this year since Cami is SO into her dance classes and has decided that one day she wants to try out! I wouldn't be surprised. Once she puts her mind to something she works at it until she masters it. What a nice way to spend the evening... laughing together and enjoying the talent of some amazing dancers. I can hardly wait for the next episode! :)

Leila called today for my Caramel French Toast Recipe... She and a group of her friends are planning a breakfast potluck tomorrow and then they are heading to Six Flags for the day. They'll have so much fun and I know that her breakfast dish will be a hit! That french toast is one of Leila's favorite things for me to fix for breakfast when she's home.

Thinking of going to Six Flags makes me think that summer is almost here... Every year Cami and I go during the summer with a couple of our longtime friends. It's a tradition we've been doing since the kids were in kindergarten! Every year they're ready for another roller coaster! I love that summer is just around the corner... we have some great things planned! :)

mother's day

I had such a wonderful Mother's Day! My family planned the perfect day for me. I played volleyball in the morning and then came home to a delicious bagel brunch. Cami and I hung out in the spa for awhile while Leila took a nap (Walter joined her... He is definitely a snuggler!). Norm fixed a yummilicious BBQ rib dinner. I've eaten enough to last the week! :)

Cami made me the cutest flower pen with a matching notebook. They are adorable! I can't wait to use them in my office! I absolutely love it when the girls make me things. It makes me happy to think of the thought and care they've put into their gift. They are both so creative and artistic, I'm always thrilled with what they come up with! Leila took some of the cactus bloom and desert landscape photos I've taken and transformed them (via photoshop) into AMAZING art prints! She framed them perfectly as well! They are beautiful... gallery ready! I can't wait to hang them... Words can't fully express how overwhelmed I was by this gift... It was like seeing my art and Leila's art come together... I'm very proud! Thank you Leila, Cami, and Norm for making me feel so special. I love my family!

My mom LOVED the tree of life afghan that was her present for Mother's Day. (Read about it here.) I was so excited about her opening it. I could barely fit it in the box to mail it (flat rate... to save money!) so I couldn't wrap it. So Heather had the brilliant idea of me mailing it to her so she could wrap it and take it to Mom. (Of course, she had to torture me that she never received it and didn't know what I was talking about!) Thanks Heather for making the presentation of my gift perfect! You're the best! :)

p e a c e

Friday was a BIG day! (I know it's Saturday... I didn't have time to write about this yesterday... it was THAT busy!!)

The big event was that Leila had a big project for her Peace Communication class at UCSB. She decided to do it by teaching Cami's 5th grade class! She prepared about an hour's presentation. She began by talking to the kids about their perception of peace and what that meant and how it felt to them. She progressed through discussions of inner peace, using peace to solve conflict, peace in the classroom/family, and how to spread peace in the community. She did a TERRIFIC job! I am so very proud of her!!! :) The photo at the right shows Leila and Cami at the end of the presentation. (Additional photos here.) Leila is wearing a shirt she painted and altered. It was super cute and creative! Leila wanted to do an art project in conjunction with this project so Cami invited three friends over to the house after school. Leila continued her lesson with the girls and they had a wonderful time drawing images/thoughts that they associated with peace. The girls had such a great time and I think all the students really learned a lot and broadened their view of what "peace" really means.

Cami made two more peace shirts today. I was amazed at one she made based on her memory of the one Leila made... I have two extremely talented daughters! I am so happy to see them be creative and think outside the box! They cut the t-shirts (collars, sleeves, and shape cut-outs) and just made them into the cutest little boutique fashion shirts. WOW! I guess I feel proud that somehow I've encouraged them and allowed them the freedom to express themselves in ways that aren't always obvious.

All I can say is that I am in awe and so proud of my daughters... (sniff, sniff)

good deed = ORDER

I found a note on my door this afternoon from Eva (my neighbor across the street)... She invited me to go into her backyard and take photos. She asked that I call her when I was finished. I was excited to have the opportunity to check out her backyard as I hadn't seen it before. The roses were amazing! I took many photos although the wind was blowing slightly and some of the shots I wanted to take just wouldn't cooperate. I was a little upset, because I felt like this was my only opportunity... I didn't want to be staking out her backyard every day! She might get tired of me and call the police! :) (She's a very private person, we've lived here for 5 years and have just exchanged cursory greetings in the past when getting the mail, etc.)

I gave Eva a call this evening after Cami and I returned from Cami's volleyball league. (I'm one of the coaches.) She asked if I would put together 10 sets (4 cards each) for her! 40 cards!!! :) I guess she really liked the set of cards I made for her as a gift for her to enjoy her roses a little longer! My good deed really paid off! I'm excited to get back into her yard tomorrow and take a few more shots, hopefully with no breeze! I'll print out my favorites for her to select from and then order the prints I need. This will be a fun order! (I just wish I could list it on etsy... I love seeing those "sales" numbers go up, alas, she does not have a computer (I know, shocking!)...) She's planning on giving the sets to her friends as gifts... It just makes me smile...

Tomorrow is a big day... Leila is doing a presentation in Cami's class for her Peace Communication class. She'll then do an additional art project with 3 of Cami's friends after school. She'll use the information she gets to prepare her class project. I'm excited to watch her in action!

Also... Norm's returning home from his Seattle business trip... It will be nice to have everyone home!

home again AND first weekly "project list"

The Vegas Volleyball Tournament was AWESOME! Although we had some major injuries occur during the tournament (Tram, Julie, & Robert) we had such a great time. We had FUN together. I love it when you can be competitive AND joke around. Our "Get Some" team was Julie, Art, Tram, Dale, Anna, Robert, Jared (thanks for saving us!), and me. Tram took some AMAZING PHOTOS of our team in action. I can hardly wait for the next tournament! (Heal quickly everyone!)

I also had such a wonderful time with my mom and sister... We had a lovely dinner together Saturday night and celebrated Heather's birthday. It's always such a treat when we are able to spend a "girls weekend" out. It's another benefit of my twice a year Vegas Volleyball tournament! :)

It was a very big weekend! Leila went with a BUNCH of her friends and her boyfriend to the big 3 day Coachella concert. She had a terrific time! I can hardly wait to see pictures. She stopped by the house today on her way back to school with souvenirs for all of us. Super thoughtful and sweet! :)

Norm & Cami partied it up while I was gone (of course!)! They spent the day Saturday with friends, swimming and barbecuing and relaxing... sounds nice, huh?!

I didn't get home last night from Vegas until around midnight... I've been a little sluggish (not to mention sore!) today. It's also been VERY hot here AND our air conditioning system is broken. We've been getting quotes but it will be another couple of weeks until it's replaced. It's a good thing that it cools off some at night!

Last week I mentioned that I would begin to list projects at the beginning of each week that I wanted to create. These project(s) must be art and/or craft related. (I can't say... I will "do the laundry.") The purpose of this is to push myself and not allow myself to spend as much time procrastinating about each idea that pops into my head. I want to see some of these ideas to completion. I feel like if I'm having to "list" these projects and recap my progress at the end of the week, I may actually begin to get beyond my own art barriers. Alright... enough with the self reflection! :)

THIS WEEK'S PROJECTS
Chocolate Magnet Set with Decorated Tin
CA Roll - Sushi (Faux Food/Pincushion)
Blossom Card - 2 in 1 card - New paper pattern
FINISH "the purse"

I have so many projects on my BIG list... I feel really good about starting to chip away at them. It's going to be exciting to see more items listed on etsy and to see my "gift" list items checked off. I hope to have a head start this year for the holidays! :)

I did work on the magnet set/tin today and should be able to take photos and list it tomorrow.

I had such an exciting and wonderful weekend... but... it's soooo nice to be home. :)

where did the week go?

Wow! This week has been a whirlwind!!!

Gigi and her family came for a few days to visit... We had such a great time! Cami LOVED playing with her cousins. I allowed her to stay home from school on Friday so that she could spend as much time as possible with them. They spent the afternoon in the pool... it was a perfect day! They left this afternoon, it seemed way too short! Gigi and I had fun "talking etsy" and crafts! It's always fun to hear about her new ideas and projects. She's so creative and talented!

Leila brought her boyfriend, Mike, home today. It's the first time we've had an opportunity to meet him... and it was a pleasure. It's so nice to see Leila happy. Hopefully we didn't scare him off! :)

PURSE UPDATE: ... oh sooo close! I only have to finish doing the hand stitching on the inside of the binding. I've worked so hard on it I didn't want to finish that part with machine stitching. I feel with the amount of work I've put into this project the extra time to make that finishing detail look consistent with the rest of the purse will be well worth it. (I did have fun showing off the purse in it's almost completed stage to Gigi! Her reaction made me feel very happy! Thanks Gigi!)