That Time of Year

For the last 5 years July has meant one thing, and one thing only to Dagny.  Camp. 

Today she left to spend the next 2 weeks in her favorite place.  She is doing the Leader-In-Training program this year and her excitement has been hard to contain.  

this is her "I'm going to camp!" face

Shaggy

Recently Dane has become as elusive around a camera as Big Foot. Looking through our family photo's for the last 6 months you'd think that Dane didn't exist.  That means I have very few photo's of his "Shaggy" faze.  Dane went for months without getting a haircut and for awhile he was looking like Shaggy from Scooby Doo.  

It wasn't a bad look, but playing rugby with a mop of hair was not working out, he was ready to chop it off. (he was also ready for us to stop calling him Shaggy)  He went to the salon intending to get a buzz cut (which he has never had in him entire life) but at the last minute he decided not to go that severe but he did come away significantly less Shaggy. 

With his new look Dane is channeling Angel, from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  I approve. 

Dane really likes what he's got going on on his head, I think he's going to be posing for a lot more pictures. 

Birthday Adventures

This year Dagny's birthday was on the last day of school.  Not only the last day of school, but a day where she had to take two finals.  Not the best way to spend your birthday, but she made up for it with a weekend full of birthday adventures.  

The traditional birthday fruit tart

Presents

Fondue birthday dinner 

A trip to the zoo

 The best part of all, a kayaking trip to Elkhorn Slough so she could see otters in the wild. 

17

 Happy Birthday Dagny! 

Last Day of School '12

so long, Freshman 

good-bye, Junior

Just for fun, here is a look back at the first day of school. 

The Art of Scrapbooking

Steve has been telling me for years that traditional scrapbooking is over and it's a waste of time and resources. He thinks because pictures are digital that organizing and sharing them should be digital.  To a certain extent I agree with him.  It's much easier to scroll through my phone or the iPad and share pictures with friends that way than it is to pull out all my scrapbooks.  That being said, I still think traditional scrapbooking has a place. I think that there is an art to scrapbooking and I am a big believer in handmade things.  There is, and always will be, something special about creating things by hand.  There is also satisfaction in giving someone a handmade gift.  

My friend Leslie wanted to give her daughter, Jenna, a scrapbook as a graduation gift. She wanted her to have a keepsake of all the big moments from her time in high school.  Leslie knows this is my area of expertise so she asked if I would make it. I knew it would be a big project but I was happy to take it on because I adore Jenna and Leslie.  It took me about 3 weeks to do 20 layouts and when it was all done I was really proud of what I'd made. Leslie could have very easily uploaded all the pictures and had a photo book made from any number of online places, but she wanted Jenna to have something much more than that.  There is a time and place for the convenince of digital but, at least for me, there will also always be a place for the handmade and personal.  

a few of the pages from the book

Craft Fail

I am a crafty person.  I see things on Pinterest and think,"I could do that." I pin the project and assume that someday when I get around to attempting it the results will be spectacular.  The lesson here is don't ever assume, just because it looks do-able doesn't mean you can do it.  If you have ever attempted and failed at a Pinterest project (or any craft/baking project) head over to Craft Fail and check out all the awesome fail. Seriously, go check it out, it will make you feel better about yourself.