Kudos to Brittani

I just got home from an amazing evening of children's Christmas music and dance theatre organized and taught by this beautiful and very talented Brittani. I sat in the back with the dearest Rebecca(s)- there were two of them there, and we oooo'd and aaaah'd the whole 2 hours! On a whim, I also took along my camera and biggest zooooooom lens we have. For those with an interest in photography, this is how I captured these images in a difficult lighting situation: I turned the ISO to 2500, flash off (of course, flash would be obnoxious and ineffective) and I was in Program AE mode ('P' in the creative zone), and held VERY steady (prop elbows firmly on person's shoulders in front of you if you are fairly good friends, otherwise do the best you can on your own, which is what I did). Then shoot it up and you might get a few out of a gazillion that you can then EDIT to your heart's content. I DID take images of my Anna and Abby neices and lots of friends and neighbors that were in it too. But, for now, this one of Brittani begged to be posted right away. I couldn't help myself. I mean, look at those eyes and clavical!

I thought I would be there by myself (Jay and Twins were heavily into a building project that would not wait), but I was lucky to meet up with Rebecca - also by herself - who said I was a great date. Fun evening, what talent.

A Little more Christmas

Here are a few more details of 'The Event'.A detail of the 'Christmas Wall of Fame'. This one is Bronwyn's I think.
Some of the details of the dining room have disappeared. There were candy canes in the glasses. The elves had second thoughts.

Is this really . . . no - nobody would be so tacky . . .

It is! A TP tree. There are no scruples when it comes to decorating 'cheap'. And anyway, there's always that fine line in art between whimsy and bad taste.

For a tin foil garland, take a long line of filament, tie one end around the middle of a 8 x 8 peice of slightly scrunched tin foil, finish scrunching. Repeat this step along the line and add a curly ribbon bow.

For lampshade covers, take off a shade and make a pattern (I used newsprint). Now cut as many as you need out of your favorite wrapping paper.

The master bedroom took on a little more dignity and reverence. The photograph over the bed is missing - try to imagine the most beautiful image of the Manti temple. Jay is a very fine photographer - his love is architecture, landscape, and cowboy life.

Dinner and a party calls, more to come later. Merry Christmas! Only 12 days away.

A Christmas Story

Our home was in Manti's Christmas Home Show this year. It's been days of fussing and fluffing (paper and pillows). Thanks to all my 'santas helpers'. You know who you are, and it just wouldn't have happened or been so fun if not for you. Here's a sample of what it looks like. Think red and lime green and black and white and Dr. Suess all over. Think Merry and Bright and disposable - that's what I was after. And on a shoestring if I could (and I did, basically because of slave labor earlier referred to as 'Santas helpers'.)

Gena's whimsical handwriting.
Candy trees. 1Cup sugar, 1/2 C cornsyrup, 1/2 C water, splash of vinegar (what does THAT do?) Bring to hard crack stage. Add coloring. Pour thin stream onto oil sprayed cookie sheet into shapes. I tried these trees, large and small dots, into a cookie cutter and crazy non-sensical, Seusical shapes. Not a project for kids!

But this is: These little nut cups that go over tree lights are folded in half 3 times. Cut a little scallop on the big end and a tiny snip on the point. Unfold and put over any of your lights. Mark and Kyle did great on this. Thanks Keli.

A puff and curly ribbon and flat sided marbles decked out three over-the-bar lights. You can get great instructions on how to make puffs from Martha Stewarts website.

Wall detail.

Crepe paper snow ball pile. I violated an idea from Martha Stewart - her tower was elegantly made with styrofoam balls covered in glass glitter. But that would have violated MY motto of CHEAP. I'm thinking we'll have a snowball fight with them when we're tired of looking at them.

Disposable chair backs. Double sided wrapping paper worked nicely.

This puff just got made and set there - nothing deliberate - but doesn't it look like the first course? It ended up staying there - deliberately.

A change of look in the twins bedroom and the rest of the house. But more later, I'm too tired to finish tonight.

After the Party was over . . .

. . . it was time for this wedding cake to happen. We closed the door to the last visitor at 9 pm, then a movie went on (Little Women, While You Were Sleeping) and Lacey's wedding confection started coming together. Rice Krispie, chocolate and classic white cake is underneath all that buttercream and fondant. The 'bustle' was the last finishing touch.

And the Winner Is . . .

Cami and Annaleigh - you got it.
It is Mark kneeling and Kyle peering over.
Congrats!
Since there were just two we are going to send you both a print! Yaaayyy! Thanks, everyone, for guessing - it was fun for them.

Christmas Print Contest

For a brief moment, our ruff-an'-tumble boys turned into 'Twin Shepherds Adoring', which will be our family Christmas card this year. Psssssstt! To my minuscule readership . . . if you'd like to enter a

Contest for a 5 x 7 print of 'Twin Shepherds Adoring' :

• Leave a comment naming the twins (Kyle and Mark, or Mark and Kyle) in the correct order.

• On Monday, November 16th at 6:00 pm, we'll very scientifically place all correct responses in the hat and one of the shepherds will draw a winner. I'll post the winner Tuesday morning and you can email me your mailing info.

Aesop Missed This One

Have you ever been in the same room as someone else, but known your presence doesn't register with the others? I got that lonely feeling yesterday with our twins. They sometimes are in their own private world. The perk is that I get to listen in on their conversations and sometimes I get a great laugh. This time I laughed, and then mused. This is how it went: Kyle: Mark! Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
Mark: Yeah! (pause, pause) What are we thinking?

Moral: Happy is the person who can have so much faith in someone's friendship (mortal or heavenly) that you know you want to think like they do - even if you're not sure what it is.

Sign of the Beaver

Besides having just read 'Sign of the Beaver" we found one on our last fishing trip of the year today. They were fresh and fascinating. And surely the dam was not far away . . .

And heeerrrrreee it is! No 'sign of the beaver', however - just the dang dam.

The one who always makes it fun. HE is the Patient One who actually hooked the trout and let Mark . . .

. . . reel it in! Kyle is saying, "Mom! we caught one THIS big!"
We were going to take it and one other home right away and have them for dinner. Alas, while scraping mud off his boots, Mark laid the string down and never picked it up again! We had leftovers instead and we MAY have forgiven Mark by morning.

A Fund Raising Gala

This purdy thing was the result of a day with Keli and Mom. It's headed for the auction block for Meridian School fund-raiser. It is just the sample, now it will be remade fresh for the bidder when they want it in the upcoming months.

In Which I Discover Sugar Cookie Glaze and Ruby Blooms

Ruby Blooms is a charming florist shop managed by the lovely and talented Chelsey. Its Grand Opening is today(Saturday, the 7th) If you're in the vicinity, go see an artist at work, eat a cookie (see below), and take one of these beauties home like I did.

Cookie Glaze! Whoever invented the stuff is a genius and I'm just grateful to my Keli sister for bringing it into my life. I've always been a buttercream sort of gal - you know fluffy and buttery-sweet. But GLAZE! . . . Glaze takes sugar cookies into the realm of fine art.

Keli and Mom spent a day with me fashioning marshmallow fondant into beautiful things. Mom colored, and marbled, and cut, and veined dozens of beautiful autumn leaves. They now rest on top of a glazed sugar cookie for refreshment for the grand opening of "Ruby Blooms" today. We made 90! Errrr. . . now there are 80. Oh, I almost forgot! Heeeerrrre's the recipe I used:

Sugar Cookie Glaze

1 Cup powdered sugar

2 Tablespoons water (or milk)

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

1/4 tsp. almond or lemon extract

food coloring

Mix together and spread on cookie with back of a spoon. Kind of like spreading pizza sauce.

The glaze will set up quite quickly, shiny and dry - you can touch the stuff. Better yet, eat it. Go get one now!

Questions I Have

This morning I am doing the laundry and I find several pants and a lot of shirts of the twins', but only 2 pair of underwear (and WHY are they called 'pairs' of underwear anyway?, what's so 'pair-ish' about one article of clothing?) Why is that? Perhaps a short, friendly discussion (again) about personal hygiene and what to put on after a bath is in order for breakfast conversation.

A Parade

It was the Elementary School's Halloween parade today. These two Vikings looked familiar so I'm blogging a picture of them.Mark hallooing me with his ax
They showed up, quarreling, on our front porch.


One of their many creative poses.

Miss Bone sporting lots of bones.

Now the real hunting fun begins. We sliced, diced, chopped and lopped,vacuum sealed, freezer wrapped, and pressure canned a whole bunch of venison. Later, Big Kyle BBQ'd us up the ribs. It was better than candy we all agreed, even the candy-loving twins said so. Mmmm, thanks for the memory Kyle.

Is he winking at us?

Anna sent these 'mystery' packages with the guys hunting to add to the twins first deer hunting pleasure. Boy, did it! They were as excited to read the instructions and find out what was in them ( a whole bunch of goodies) as they were to sleep in the tee-pee and hunt.

A wee giftie from Anna. This is a modge-podged copy of a picture she made when she was a little girl. We saw the idea in a magazine. The image is made of pressed wildflower petals our family collected in the mountains by Woodruff when we lived on the Deseret Ranch.

What a Doll is McKall

McKall - pretty in pink and azure. Whew! watch out college.

Together Forever - Alyssia and Jason

Love autumn, love fondant, love them. Way to be Alyssia and Jason. Thank you for the privelege.

The Vikings are Coming

The view from our front door The twins are going to be vikings this year. We have had fun reading about them, now it's time to put on the persona of Erik the Red (Mark) and Leif Erikson (Kyle). Papier Mache is taking shape as a helmet. Horns and silver duct tape bands tomorrow.

Mark gets some help from his dad. I like his genetic tongue biting concentration.

Saturday we went to Grandma's to pick grapes and leave a little autumn cheer with these pumpkins. If you want to make them, drill a little hole through stem and make a little loop of wire. Hang them from the eaves' nails with varying lengths of fishing line (I used 10 lb line Jay says, who would know that?) We also taped a few leaves onto the line for more color and flutter. ( think I saw this idea in Family Fun magazine)

Hidden treasure.

I love this guy.

I love these guys, even the headless horseman.

Headless Horseman's wranglers, wallet and cell phone in the grape vines.

The best part - cousins! Andrew here.

Abby. We learned that she is into 'balls'. Especially her halloween one.

Mr. Blue Eyes - Senior Man of the hour

He was Senior Man of the hour for sure (actually, it was more like 2!) Peter was so fun, he never lost his sense of humor. I like this guy a lot. And he has the bluest eyes ever, just wait til you see the close-ups! Isn't he terrific in his happy farming element?

Fall = Senior Picture Time

A photo shoot with Chelsea this morning. Can you believe how pretty this brown-eyed Senior is?

Who is that Masked Man?

It's Conner, Kyle, and Mark. What a way to end a week! Setting traps for scorpions and snakes. Eating sugar woopies, pizza, milkshakes, rootbeer. We even 'flew' to Canada (several times) Ahh, the imagination of boys 7 yrs and younger. We had so much fun with Ryan and Kara and kids in St. George. And this . . . THIS is Jay. I knew you wouldn't know if I didn't tell. He's gonna love that I posted this one!