1001 Words #6

Shiny_Things-2

 

Shine

{aperture: f/4.0, ISO 100, shutter speed: 1/100th, 47mm on 28-135 mm lens}

1001 Words is a fun little series where I post one photo + one word.

A side note:  This is what our June looks like.  Our family is in the Mormon Miracle Pageant. We are a Nephite family and Jacob is a Nephite warrior. Meri portrays such a sweet (and wiggly) Nephite.  Shiny headband and bright shiny eyes. Pleasant as all get out – even though she’s teething. Such a sweetheart. You are more than welcome to come see our whole family in this outdoor production. It is Tuesday through Saturday this week (we also performed Thursday through Saturday last week). 9:30 pm at the base of the Manti Temple.

Our treehouse and living room are available if anyone would like to spend the night after. All are invited!!

Just hangin’

I love that my clothesline holds so many clothes.

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I also love that my washing machine washes so many clothes at a time – all here from one load. 🙂 With another about to go on my 5 (five!) lines.

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Hanging clothes on the line is one the chores most of my little ones are happy to help with. Even Meri. She first helped Grandma Gedeborg by sweetly handing one article of clothing up at a time. After each one Meri would say “thank you”. So sweet. Mom told me about it and said she just knew Meri had done it many times. She hadn’t – that was her first time. She has done it many times since though. Such a sweetheart.

Food Fast

Cheesy Sausage & Fries

Hotdogs&Fries

Child-friendly – simple & delicious.

Swirl some oil into a skillet. Slice sausage and chop potatoes (used a fry cutter). Brown in the skillet together. Cook over medium heat for about 20-30 minutes until throughly cooked and delicious.

The adult version:

HotDogs&Fries_adult

Seriously yummy as is – just change out the dinnerware. 😉

 

Living it up!

Served Popcorn Chicken in muffin cups
child-friendly

and just wrapped a birthday present topped with candy.

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I love my child-friendly life!

Quiet Game

We showed up late to church last summer and the chapel was filled. We had lots of cousins that wanted to sit by each other. The empty choir seats (up front!) were offered and we decided to give it a go.  I sat by Katey and told her we needed to be very quiet.  Later in the service she said she had a “quiet game” for me. She proceeded to whisper clues to me and I was to whisper back the animal she described.

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{Later we took these photos to show her oh-so-adorable and animated faces.}

What has a long neck and eats leaves?

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A giraffe!

What is small, eats cheese and lives in a hole?

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A mouse!

What is big, swims, has lots of teeth and holds it’s breath under water?

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A hippo!

What is orange, with a little bit of white on it’s tail, and eats long-earred bunnies?

Um…

I was stumped. This was when she leaned a little closer and said:

“Say fox!”

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And then burst into giggles, making our little quiet game not so very quiet after all.

In Bloom

Katey brought me a whole cup of dandelions the middle of last month and told me if I watched closely they would bloom into wishing flowers. This week it happened.

 bloom-1
 A little evening glow and Jim Bob blowing wishing fluff off his hand in the background make the photo even more magical.
Makes me ponder …  what weeds in my life given enough time will transform into beauty/wonder/usefulness?

Story Giveaway

Ready to see Story Playground in action? (Read more of the back story here.)

This video explains the process:

Now imagine that with your own stories, your photos and your voice.

Accounts are free and it is free to create the books. You can purchase them and virtual copies to share with others.  New users that sign up during the month of May will receive enough credit to share 5 copies of their first book free.  The credit can be redeemed any time. Sign up now and create your story when you’re ready. :) The spring sale is also on through the rest of today. Like their Facebook page for future deals and sales.

Time for the giveaway!

Here’s the title page of my first book:

17

{created with Dani Mogstad’s Chasing Rainbows digital kit}

The first fifteen people that sign up for a free account, log into Story Playground and leave a comment here saying that you have will receive a virtual copy of my book:  17 Whimsical and Captivating Things about Me. (Cuz we all have them! 😉 )

Much Love!

Introducing… Story Playground

Two of my brothers worked together to build a very neat site to share stories:  Story Playground.  The idea is to take your photos and your voice and make a book that can be viewed over and over.  It can be any story. Fun family vacation memories, stories from growing up or ones about the people in your family that came before.  Top 10 lists, recipes, wishes for the future – whatever is shared is sure to be loved by those you love.

Story_Playground

Steven and Adam are experienced programmers with families.  Years ago Steven recorded his grandpa telling stories. They have been able to share those stories with their children. His grandpa’s captured voice is animated and vibrant on the recording – just as Steven remembers him. Steven says those stories were an important part of his childhood. He wants to someday share them with his children’s children. He wants his children to also know his stories and voice and that’s one big reason behind Story Playground. His children are also loving telling their own stories and expressing their imagination and creativity.

I love the way the library is set up – where you can see all the available stories you have and click on the one you want to view. Nice and easy for children and grandparents and everyone. 🙂

Creating a “virtual” book is free.  You can make as many changes as you want. When it is how you like you can purchase virtual copies to share with family and friends. A standard 20-page book is about $10 for 2 gift copies and the price per copy gets less the more you buy – $30 for 30 gift copies. The stories are available online the moment they are shared.  In the not-too-distant past I checked into the costs of making an ebook. It was hundreds of dollars. This is sooo much more affordable. I also love that you can buy the copies to share – and all the viewer needs on their end is a free account to view the book.

In their words: “Story Playground, created by software development company Dragon Playground, LLC, makes it simple to create and share your family’s unique stories. All you need is your memory, some pictures, and the internet.”

Right now they are having a fun spring sale to try out the product:  http://storyplayground.com/Home/SpringSpectacular

Spring Sale Flowers copy

New users that sign up during the month of May will receive enough dragon gold credit to share their first book free.  The credit can be redeemed any time. Sign up now and create your story when you’re ready. 🙂

Already have an account or want more than one story to share?  One purchase per customer is eligible for the half-off deal.  Just enter the promo code P-Spring50 at checkout.

I’m working on my first creation.  Come back soon for a fun giveaway. 🙂

Well, hello…

Sewing_Day-23

Dollies. 😉

My wondrous friend Karly had a sewing day and invited us. Karly’s sewing is delightful and fun-loving – this pettiskirt is one of my favorites she’s made and her post on storing patterns – brilliant!

The magical afternoon began with the girls (Karly’s girls, my two older ones and niece) choosing their doll dress size, fabric and legging fabric. Ooh – and eye color. That was fun. 🙂 The free doll pattern by girl. Inspired. was a perfect choice for our girls and made good use of some pretty fabric scraps.

Karly was so sweet to cut out the pieces while her little ones played/danced nearby. So fun to see her in her element.

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Love the twirling dress and adorableness of her little guy.

After the pieces were cut, Karly showed the girls how to use a needle and thread to sew on the button eyes.

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After the eyes were sewn on and all the pieces carefully laid out and admired…

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it was off to the sewing machine.

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Karly patiently sewed and sewed and the girls watched and waited… mostly patiently.

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Then they got to stuff the arms and legs and sew up the bottom section of their dolls.

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That they loved too. Huge thanks to Karly for a splendid afternoon and new skills learned!

Outside for a quick photoshoot:

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After being inside they were ready to run around and play with their creations. Sewing_Day-25

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Sweet poses for the dolls & the girls:

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I adore those giggles and shrieks of delight at the end.

Two months later and my girls are still loving their dolls. They find their way to church and the store as well as snuggled in bed with them most nights. I think partly why those dollies are loved so much is the wonderful memory of creating them.

Half and Half

This is seriously the best way to eat leftovers of the baked potato chips.

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The potatoes are already a third of the way to being cubed.  😉

Brown sausage in a cast iron skillet.  Finish cutting the potatoes and throw into the sausage-y goodness.  Scramble eggs on the other half of your massive skillet – or use two. That works too. 🙂

Half potatoes/sausage:

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Half scrambly eggs:

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Fully delicious.

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Enjoy! – Best eaten outdoors.

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Seriously, this meal is something our whole family enjoys.  Meri (15 months old now!) is sitting on my lap helping me put the photos in the post and she keeps saying “yum, num, yum”. That may have something to do with the brownie remnants on her face.  😉 In my defense – she is pointing at the screen and diving for said photos.  She has learned a new word “Tate-toe”!  and I am fairly certain if she was given that plate the first thing that would make it’s way to her mouth would be the watermelon.

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