Not a box of pineapple.

It took me some serious puzzling to figure out what this was, and no, it's not a box of pineapple. The kids had been working on in all afternoon. The kids had all disappeared outside leaving only this box full of foam chunks for me to find as I walked into the kitchen- no one was left to explain. Any guesses so far? Like I said, it took me about 15 minutes into making dinner, staring at it from all angles to finally get it.

Does the added feature help your figuring?

It's a foam pit of course, duh. Who doesn't need a foam pit for their finger bike, or Lego moto man? The Lego man here just so happens to be wearing his helmet, this is no accident my friends... safety first.

Why can't the skiers have a go? I'm not sure if skiers practice in foam pits in real life, but that's beside the point. And besides, he's grinding the rail here. The twin tip skis here are carefully crafted (after bedtime of course) with many colors of duct tape. F made a chair lift to go along with the skis too.

I think this guy forgot something... like his pants.

Easter treats

I like to think about treats (safer to just think...) these days, (OK, all days)..., when I came across some Chocolate Bird Nests with the Cadbury Mini Eggs- a very important, favorite candy around these parts at Easter time, (only more perfect if they were made with dark chocolate).
Now, believe me, there are some crazy looking edible nests out there. This recipe/egg combo, with crunchy chow mein noodles looks the most like a "nest" and not a pile of poo with eggs balancing on top, like nests made with Rice Crispies or smashed up Frosted Mini-Wheats. And really friends, who needs jelly beans in a nest? Please, not chocolate= not interested.
I think try and round up my young ones this week and give this recipe a try.

Chocolate Birds Nests

5 oz. crunchy chow mein noodles, 1 small can ( I wonder how Fiber One cereal would work, might try that instead)
1 cup chocolate chips (1/2 a bag)
1 tsp. vegetable shortening
1 bag Cadbury Mini-Eggs, a few for the nests, the rest for snacking or jelly beans (if you're crazy... or that's the only egg shaped candy you have on hand)

-Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Melt the chocolate and shortening together in a microwave or a double boiler, stirring until melted.
-Allow to cool slightly, but do not let it set up. Stir in the chow mein noodles ( or cereal) until evenly coated.
-Drop the coated noodles onto the baking sheet with a large spoon. For 5 large nests, form into a circle about the size of an adult palm or half that amount for 10 small nests.
-Use your fingers to sculpt the noodles into a round shape and to form an indentation in the middle of the nest.
-Place eggs in the nest while chocolate is still wet. Place nests in the refrigerator to harden.

not to dwell in the past...

It seems like every time I'm at Grand Targhee, (which I admit isn't very often) but through the years... there seems to always be a fresh coat of powder, a gift really. I love the sugar coated trees, they reminded me of frosted mini wheats. I just couldn't get enough. All day long I waited patiently for some blue sky to sneak through the clouds so I could get a really stunning picture. Never really happened... but the snow stayed soft all day making for exceptional spring skiing. Ahh... good memories and very sore legs.


This is the best look at the Grand Tetons we got all day, hiding behind a blanket of clouds. Use your imagination here.

sushi makes me happy

Here are some nice thoughts on stuff that makes me happy, like the felt sushi my lovely spouse gave me for Valentine's Day:

One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating. ~Luciano Pavarotti and William Wright, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Laughter is an instant vacation. ~Milton Berle

And let us never forget: Happiness is a journey not a destination.

Speaking of vacation... I'm off to Grand Targhee for a few days to get some last minute spring skiing in with my ski peeps- hooray!

Gentleman Broncos

I finally saw Gentleman Broncos, an here is how it went- the first time I smiled frequently, lol here and there and generally enjoyed the extreme wackiness, the perfect movie for 10 year old boys and anyone else who find poo-poo pee-pee, throw-up then make out jokes hilarious (I guess that's me).
The second time (and I've only seen it twice so far) around much funnier, I laughed out loud the whole way through. I'm thinking this movie is only getting funnier the more you watch. I feel same way about Napoleon Dynamite.
Here's the deal- you have to buy the movie, not rent it. This is because the Extras aren't on the rental version- and the Behind-the-Scenes Extras are an integral part of the entertainment.

By far, my favorite part of the entire DVD is the part in the Behind-the-Scenes when the Behind-the-Scenes camera isn't on the action, it's on Jared Hess, the director, and all of the crew sitting around him. They are listening to character Judith Purvis tell her son Benjamin about her new line of lingerie 'Decent Beginnings'. The design names include, "...church organ...drowned butterfly...simply cinnamon...righteous do..." as the names are read off by the actors Jared and crew start cracking up, barely containing their giggles until someone yells "cut" and they erupt in laughter. Tears in my eyes funny.

Oh, and watching Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords play the arrogantly nerdy science fiction author Dr. Ronald Chevalier (sporting a rockin' wardrobe) is a mega bonus.

one year older, double digits- dude

I can't really believe that three of my kids are now on the double-digit train. M just turned ten- here's to the happiest actress, comedian, peacemaking gal this side of France. Happy Birthday Doodle!

BTW, if someone in your family is nicknamed "Doodle" and you call her that most of the time (even in public), you might want to call them by their given name when traveling to Australia. We found out from an Aussie friend, during the last few days of our (month long) vacation that in the land down under 'doodle' refers to a certain male appendage. I can only imagine what the locals were thinking every time I yelled, "Doodle!" down the beach, in the supermarket, across the campground...


Look, I stepped it up in the cake department, only a month after my last feeble attempt. It's a gnome, not a Santa- duh. Can't you see it? Many young party goers were confused as well. Does Santa wear a blue shirt, green pants or yellow shoes or have a wart on his nose? No, geez.

Thank you Fruit Roll-Ups and Air Heads for delivering the goods.

local flavor

Excuse Me Mr. Captain from Solpin Films on Vimeo.

Sure do love Seve vs. Evan, here's a clip Steve O made of the fellas playing at Velour in Provo.
See kids, piano lessons really do pay off.

taking it to the next level...

Just so you know, wearing only one green article of clothing on St. Patrick's Day is so 2009. Wearing everything green is taking the holiday to a whole new level.

I think C was a little amazing when I not only let him wear such an ensemble out in public, but took some pictures as well. I was more than a little amazed when F threw in the green wool knee socks.
BTW, in case you are wondering what is wrong with these poor deprived kids, 4th and 6th graders on their way to school= "I don't want my picture taken, I don't care what day it is."

photoshop fun

It is always fun to play around with Photoshop, birthday invitations always give me a good excuse. I love the little leprechaun man, he's from this blog.
And what's with the Leap Year marriage proposal thing? What am I missing?

whatever you do, keep 'em laughing

The Big Picture- amazing, inspiring, huge photos from the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Steve O had the kids rolling on the floor laughing with his instantaneous, ad-libbed commentary as they scrolled through the pictures. Here is my favorite section of his discourse...

"Oh no, I have my cell phone in my left pocket!"

in a weepy voice..."My cell phone is ruined..."

"No- wait, it's in my other pocket!"
To view all the photos personally, and I highly recommend you do, check out The Big Picture.




I was only disappointed that there weren't any Johnny Weir pictures (at least as far as I viewed), but don't despair there is a Johnny Weir reality show on the Sundance Channel, (of course there is...), called "Be Good Johnny Weir" it's a 8 part series, first one aired in mid-January...
Excuse me, I've got a TiVo errand to run... maybe Netflix, I'm a little late in the game!

a friendly little reminder

it's what's on the inside that counts...

a special kind of gift

I can't take credit for piecing this quilt. I was in the right place at the right time (and I suppose the right person too). My mother-in-law Jan was cleaning out her covetously crowded sewing room and passed these pieced squares onto me- perhaps sick of looking at them, lost interest in the project, moved on to pink and blue... In any case, all I had to do was sew them all together and voila... I've got myself a quilt. As my mentor, I love any color combo she comes up with and this quilt is no exception. Sparkly and fantastic color palette- well chosen, my friend.

I don't know if Jan had a plan or a specific pattern that was meant to come through in the end. As you can see I just went with whatever square was next on the pile, jumbled it all together. The Corn Wagon Quilt Shop did the machine quilting, I like the variegated thread- ties it all together, takes it to the next level...
It's a bit snobby to say the quilt is all mine, it's not really... I was just kidding. Actually, it's headed to my folks Bed and Breakfast, Slot Canyons Inn in Escalante. I personally, am running out of wall space, but it's going to fit right in and look great on a wall with some red rocks just outside the window, after I get the binding on...

March- so far

Here's my Art by Nikki MaClure calendar, that I got for my birthday (thanks Molly!) The March image seems especially relevant, since it seems like I've done nothing but stitch (and sit at the computer...) so far this month... and February- truth be told. I'm trying to avoid the word busy, it seems like such a cop out or easy excuse for getting out of tasks you really don't want to do anyway. Just sigh, pause and drop the words, "Well, I'm just so busy right now..." and you can weasel out of whatever you don't really want to do- (and sound important at the same time). So, I avoid the word, put my head down, and don't look up until I've made a dent. But the fun, the sleep, the play, life has passed me by- and I'm still working away. Something's got to give- I want a break...

Here's some evidence of busy hands at stitchery... luck for me I really do love sewing. I've listened to about 10 books in the last month, and been running through the Netflix queue at top speed, just to pass time in the "sweat shop".


These purses (and other snazzy goods made by a few other local artists) and many other handmade treats will be purchase-able a special event coming up April 1st. Beehive Bazaar is teaming up with Deseret Bookstore for a Ladies Night party/shopping extravaganza- Conference weekend. If you're local- you for sure want to check it out.

then a step to the right...

Out on the town again- nothing short of a miracle these days...
I betcha didn't know Rocky Horror Picture Show was originally a play... well, neither did I.


It's been a long, long time since I've been to RHPS, I'd forgotten most audience participation moments, but I giggled when others participated, appreciated those who dressed up.
The live performance was just like the movie- always shocking and silly, a remarkably weird cult classic however it's viewed, (but essentially with a group and late at night). Way to go University of Utah, everyone did a great job, especially the actor who played Dr. Frank N. Furter- he was very entertaining- threw in some ad-lib I personally appreciated and reminded me of Tim Curry, the film version Dr. Frank.
Thanks to Colett for organizing the evening- dinner at The Pie, RHPS with your friends- it doesn't get much better than that.

detour

Some local construction has changed my daily drive-anywhere route to run right past this poor house. To me, this scene in both spooky and intriguing, terrifying (as a parent) and fascinating (from perhaps a trespassers point of view... and because it's not my house) I cannot help to slow and stare every time I pass, play it down to the kids I inevitably have in the car.
This scene is particularly haunting because my greatest childhood fear was our house burning while our family slept. I was way more afraid of our house burning down than getting kidnapped- for sure. It plagued my nightmares regularly. The only nightmares I remember having as a child included fire.

My fear, I have concluded, came from a plethora of fire awareness and preparedness activities and the knowledge that the fireplace flue was just on the other side of the wall from my headboard. Was it just my family or just the hot topic in the late 70's and early 80's? We had family fire drills all the time. We had a map, meeting place, secret stranger-picking-me-up code, and I had one of those metal fire ladders under my ready- we actually practiced using. Perhaps it was a Mormon family preparedness thing, or my parents slept easier knowing us kids had the skills to escape a burning house if necessary.
In any case, it's time to check the fire alarms, give my own children the fire safety skill checklist Family Home Evening lesson (just not every week ;)) and get some general preparedness in order. Fire is a messy business, I hope the homeowners are OK and everything not lost.

On a happier note, but no less intriguing- you can find some really groovy, tiny, haunted (but not scorched) houses by a local Utah artist by looking here.

birthday cake- what what?

I know what you're probably thinking- WOW, that's it? That's the best you can come up with? I actually had a party guest say as much... My fault- I suppose I've raised that bar, the "I'll make a cake for you in any shape you can dream of lil darlin'" bar- Now, I'll have to deal with the consequences of disheartened party guests and perhaps be cast as temporary disappointment (I'm hoping for a recovery in 2011) to my own precious cherubs.
F didn't seem too worried thankfully, didn't cry himself to sleep. It was still homemade and way delicious. I *heart* candy that looks like rocks, I mean really, who doesn't?
When you get tired of looking at this bo-ring cake, head on over to Cake Wrecks for some LOL fun.

break time

I took a much needed break to ski a few runs this weekend. Everyone opted out but F and myself, this worked out well for us- we headed straight to the top of the mountain (Sundance) and didn't come down until the day was through. I skied with my ski school peeps I'm missing working with this year, it felt like a family reunion-(in a good way). It was glorious to go real fast, feel the legs burn and enjoy some sunshine.

the best new app out there

I was so thrilled to discover the This American Life iPhone App. Now, after downloading it and personally discovering just how fabulous it really is... it's on the top of my list of favorite things- up there with dark chocolate and Australian beaches.
For a mere 4 bucks you can get all 400 (and counting) episodes of the show, their list of favorites, all sorts of cool ways to search for episodes and extras you can't get anywhere else.
By the way, Parent Trap, aired February 19, 2010 was good, very thought provoking as a parent.
Watch the Youtube tutorial, narrated by Ira Glass himself here.

if I get a minute

This wreath is super awesome, and if I wasn't up to my neck in purse making I would be making one right now. All the info on how to make one and for some more inspirational photos of the project look here.
In any case I need to get my hands on some of the day glow thread she uses here. Rad.

memorable moment

While driving in the car with all four kids my 9 year old daughter, M all of the sudden stated, "Mom, C (her 5 1/2 year old brother-pictured) still has his baby softness." We were all happy to hear this, relishing the truth in her words, all but the 'baby soft' man himself, who growled a little bit... under a smirky smile.

Twelve- today

Happy Birthday to F, my son turns 12 today. It's funny how time flies- It honestly feels like one minute you're holding a 10 lbs. 4 oz. baby boy in your arms and the next, he's almost as tall as you. What an awesome kid, brother, athlete, student, friend, comedian. Here is is about a month and a half ago in Australia, surfin' it up at One Mile Beach. Mama loves you.

Mama just finished reading (listening to) The Help by Kathryn Stockett, I've been talking with a southern accent all week. Great book- a must read.

yarn bombing

My thoughtful little Valentine gave me this book, that I love so much.
Call it what you will- public art, graffiti, bombing... The fact that anyone and everyone can participate, it brightens up the sometimes dreary looking world, encouraging creativity and putting smiles on the faces of passerbyers is enough for me.

I have only encountered one act of yarn bombing personally, any no it wasn't this tree (I wish) It was this bus stop in Provo Utah a year or so back. Giggles.

handmade Valentines

Some deep thinking needed here... I mean really, who wouldn't love to get a Valentine with a cow stamped on it?


We busted out the drawers of rubber stamps, paint markers (our new family favorite), card stock, some spray glitter and not much else and made up some Valentines this year in lieu of another trip to the store. The fun part was watching the kids and their friends crack each other up with silly sayings, or dare each other to put "kiss me" on valentines for classmates. Everyone who has stopped by all week has sat down to make a least one Valentine, giving me another reason to smile.


One of my favorite stamps, (thank you Hailey for introducing me to my new stamp BFF), you can say so much, keep it anonymous (no tell-tale conspicuous handwriting to secret admirers), save time not having to stamp out each letter. I would recommend one of these for every rubber stamp collection.



Have a wonderful Valentine's Day everyone!

And to my Valentine, rocking New Zealand for the holiday- I love you, wish I was there too...

Norwegian design

I just ran across this dangerously delicious font, and some other delectable, exciting, comical options for every imaginable occasion-special or not so- by Handmade Font The bread font is by the Norwegian design firm Commando Group.

For all of you who might be snowed in, school or work canceled, sitting-by-the-fire sipping hot chocolate, I would recommend a trip to the Norwegian Commando Group- amazing, inspiring, humorous design work. This image is from one of their projects.

I'm just going to go ahead and admit just how bitterly jealous I am of the East Coast/Midwest right now and their "snow problem" ...AND it's still falling?!
We got nothing. Brown, frozen ground (and air)- Bor-ing. Utah could use a good storm- I wouldn't mind being snowed in right now or having something fresh on the slopes, I wouldn't complain.

gallery strollin'- Park City

We put the kids on autopilot Friday night and took off for a few hours to dine on our favorite mexican food in Park City, (El Chubasco) and have a look at some art.
We used to go out way more often when the kids were little, keeping our favorite babysitter busy most weekends, but it seems like we hardly ever get a moment to breathe now much less go out for an entire evening. Those tweens have plans of their own on the weekends- parent chauffeurs' essential. It was a treat to sneak away for a bit.
We stumbled upon Denise Duong's mixed media artwork in Phoenix Gallery and fell in love. I wished I'd been more than just window shopping.
We've got some quizzical weather going on as well- not very cold up there in PC, not much snow either... creepy.

what a difference a coat of paint can make

Here is the before picture of the master bedroom, the way it's looked for too long. About a year ago I could stand it no longer. I chucked the old worn bedding and sewed up some new stuff. Finally, at long last, I finished the rest of the room. I realized this room has been 'squash blossom' yellow for 10 years now. Wow, time flies- I never thought I would be the girl that leaves a room alone for anywhere near that long, but then you get busy and the years pass...


The new wall color is gray, looks kind of purple in some light, and is so refreshing and clean. While I was at it- I picked up some much needed new blinds, a new light fixture with a ceiling fan. I used a can of metallic spray paint for the fixtures on either side of the bed and found a couple of new lamp shade at Ikea too. Almost the best part was that it was all done in 24 hours-(thank you Steve O for the help) The only things left are to make the curtains and a quilt for above the bed.
I ran into the fabric hanging in front of the window at Ikea and picked up a couple of yards just for fun- not even with this project in mind. It's a little bold in this room but I think I like it.


Here is another curtain fabric option- also in the bold category and from Ikea. As I look at these pictures, I lean toward this fabrics for curtains, but I still can't decide. The chair, I can say for sure, needs to go or get an overhaul. I got it out of the trash many years ago, had it reupholstered once already. But the four precious little angels that run this place sure are hard on furniture. Perhaps some new upholstery- again.



In the end, I suppose the final drapery decision all comes down to the quilt I make for over the bed. Here is the criteria for the quilt- that it take about a day to make, uses mixed textures, is abstract and of course- colorful.
I've been loving Thomas Campbell's stuff lately and quilt boy- what's his name- Ian Hundley. Also, I've always loved the abstract quilt at Sundance in the hallway between the General Store and Grill Room, but I can't find an image of it to share- sorry.
Let's see if I can find a moment to stitch something up for this empty spot.

an open invitation

If you feel like taking a step in an artsy direction and want to make some extra cash- get your application in for the Spring 2010 Beehive Bazaar Art and Craft Fair taking place May 5-8th (Mother's Day weekend) here in Utah.
The Beehive Bazaar hosts all the latest, newest, hippest art and craft going on in the West. Bigger than ever before, 75 vendors will be featured this spring. If you've got the itch to create and some new ideas in your noggin get the vendor facts and apply at thebeehivebazaar.com. The application will only be open until February 21, so don't delay.