Christmas Gift Idea

I have to share this neighbor gift that we did last year. I should have posted this earlier but you could still do this and give them to your neighbors and they would bloom shortly after the New Year. These are paper whites and it takes 4-6 weeks for them to bloom. They sell them at about any store right now but if you go to a nursery like J&L they are usually a ton cheaper. This is probably the easiest neighbor gift we've ever done. The only downside is you can't just leave them on their front porch or else they'll freeze.
Also if they save the bulb they could plant it again next year and it will bloom again. Here is a close up of the flowers.
Then here are some of the leftovers and also I planted a lot more than I needed but was worried they wouldn't grow. They were seriously the easiest plant to grow that anyone can do it.

TTV

Through the viewfinder (ttv) - I've been meaning to do a post on this since July but now I'm glad I waited. When I first saw a photo taken this way I thought it was just a very old camera taking a picture. My favorite artist who takes ttv photos is on etsy, Alicia Bock. Her work can be seen in tons and tons of places even on sets on tv. Well once I figured out what it was I figured that's just too hard to do and I don't have a vintage camera so I'll just have to do a faux ttv in Photoshop sometime.

Before I get ahead of myself I should explain what a ttv is. You get a vintage camera and make usually a cardboard contraption for it that is a tunnel from the viewfinder to the lens of your camera. Your camera is on the other end of the cardboard tube taking photos of the vintage cameras viewfinder.

This past weekend at Spark there was a photography class taught by Jefra Lin. This class was different than I was expecting. I was expecting a more instructional workshop but instead it was a get out and play. Which I'd never done and it was so fun. Jefra had a bunch of different toy lenses, a Lensbaby and a ttv. It wasn't till I uploaded my photos that I truly appreciated this class.

So here are my ttv's. Keep in mind I didn't think any of them were turning out so I was simply just taking photos all within like a 5 feet area. I wish I would have walked around a little and taken even more photos.

If you'd like to learn more about ttv's or just see some amazing photos there are several ttv groups on flickr.

I loved the results of my photos so much I hopped on eBay and I have a old camera in route to my house so I can create more ttv.

Spark

So this last weekend was Spark. Even though I won a spot to this event it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. They haven't announced if they are doing one next year but I all ready know I have to be there. It was like they seriously got into my brain and found everything I'm in love with and obsessed with and we created it at this event.

Their big thing was finding that spark of creativity in yourself. Well I definitely feel like I've found it. Actually Sunday and Monday it felt more like a bonfire. It was actually very hard to focus during church and then go to my totally right brain job on Monday.

The 4 women in charge of this event thought of everything. They had This is the Place Monument all decorated for the event and it was absolutely darling. I'm totally going to go out and buy coffee filters to make some cute flowers.

Poor Tad when I'd get home each night he had to listen to me babble on and on about what we did that day. It still is hard to decide which was better, the fun projects or the amazing women I met at this. I was so completely scared to go to this because I was going alone and I'd been to an event similar to this before and it was so clicky that I was sure I'd be by myself all weekend. I just happened to sit at a table with the nicest women ever so it was like I was there with 6 friends. It was awesome. Aside from sitting at the best table I was amazed because everyone attending this was also very very nice.

Okay now onto the artists that were there. The first day we had 16 artists there to do quick projects with and I was totally blown away by all the talent. I always knew there were a bunch of creative people in Utah but these women each one of them were beyond amazing. I'm going to try to get photos up of some of the projects in the next couple days (it's been a crazy week work/church wise so cut me some slack).

Then the next day was 4 classes with the women that created this event. One of the classes was with Kelly McCaleb and she did these t-shirts with vintage fabric flowers and ruffles on them. Here is Vicki's shirt. Aren't her roses adorable?

Here is Sister O'Malley (left) and Heather in that class. Heather was a total savant when it came to making the fabric flowers.

Then here is Vicki, me and Holly.
Then here is our whole group from left to right: - Krista, Holly, Amy, Vicki, me, Heather and Anne.

At the end of all the classes and after dinner we had a Spark fireside. It got a little scary there with the sparklers for a minute but no one started on fire. It really was so amazing and I was inspired in so many ways. Now I'm just hoping this happens next year.

If you want to see more photos check Liz's blog - or Wynona's blog.

Grr Tina Fey

So keep in mind I haven't bought glasses in a decade. So I have an eye appointment yesterday, after I'm all excited to go to Costco and pick out some glasses. Uggh, have you looked for glasses lately? While Tina Fey and Ali Edwards may look great in glasses like these not everyone does. Right now I'm thinking my glasses that are missing one of the ear pieces in better than the choices I found.

The alternative is either lesbian, kooky grandma or Sarah Palin glasses. No thanks.

If anyone has any advice on selecting glasses I'd appreciate it.

The Deadliest Catch

Okay so these pictures are in reverse order but I'm too tired to switch them. Here is Baby George aka Miles and Logan. Logan thinks every monkey is George or maybe he just thinks anything that looks like a monkey is called George. He loves to play with his cousin, give him kisses, hold him and also step on him. Sorry Miles.

Here are my two of my favorite dinner buddies, Sookie Stackhouse and Jared. Sorry Jared couldn't come up with a creative name. If you couldn't tell from the earlier picture, Logan was a shark. Tad and I were fishermen. Sorry Tad this was the best picture I could find.

At our ward trunk or treat we had a chili cookoff and Brittany won the Judge's Choice Award. I had her chili and it was very yummy. Different from your regular chili, it was a sweet chili and it had bacon. Yum. I made sure I had Brittany's chili because I honestly had nightmares about this chili cookoff (just think Wendy's chili with the finger in it).

Earlier in the day we had a party with the cloggers. Check out how cute Baby C is. He is only 4 months and he has so much hair like his big sister did. In case you didn't know this is Logan's future brother-in-law and he was Elvis for Halloween.

So that was our Halloween. It was super fun and I didn't really get many good photos so this will have to do. Oh, we did go to this house above Davis Blvd. that was all decked out. It was really cool and next year I'll have to post the address because it was awesome.