Stuff From Around

It's been busy around here, so here's a look at some stuff going on...

As you can tell by the large amount of paper, Quinn's been drawing a TON of pictures! He absolutely loves it!

Pokemon. Cute.

This is Quinn in Lion King version. Quinn is obsessed with Lion King. Just obsessed.

How adorable is this panda? I need to get Quinn into some drawing classes. We totally want to nurture his drawing skills-future animator? Pixar employee? Game designer? Lots of possibilities.

I made a sock owl, using THIS tutorial. Super easy. If the pictures in the tutorial are tiny (it looks like a long strand of pictures), click on them and they get bigger.

This owl bank was my anniversary gift. He's cute huh? I like owls.

Disney came out with smelly Vinylmation. I got all 4!! The gingerbread one is the best, followed by marshmallow. Yummy!

At the mall last week or so: cool lights hanging in a store window.

Run girls! Run to Target and get your Justin Bieber wrapping paper! As my friend said, "It's good for Father's Day too!" LMAO.

Now you are all caught up!

We have really enjoyed our extra long weekend around here! On Friday a friend and two of her colleagues came over to work with Riley a bit, and to help me figure out what kind of accommodations will benefit him at school. We got to have Chipotle for lunch too! Saturday both boys had Scouting for Food activities. I went to JoAnn Fabrics! Saturday evening we took the boys to the Tonga Room, in San Francisco, for our anniversary. Oh, did I forget to mention that Kevin and I had our 16th anniversary on Friday (11-11-11)? I honestly do not know where the time has gone. Today was a home day. I powered through my report cards, finished a puzzle, cleaned out my closet, prepared dinner for tomorrow night! Yes, it was an awesome weekend!

The Tonga Room is in the Fairmont Hotel.

We had drinks and an appetizer, since we arrived at 5 and dinner wasn't being served until 6. Quinn loves to have a Shirley Temple. Riley tried a Strawberry Daiquiri (virgin of course, he's 13!), Kevin had a Zombie and I had a Pina Colada.

The Stanford. They had really cool lights along the side of their hotel. They flashed and changed too.

After appetizers and drinks at Tonga Room, we walked DOWN hill to Lori's Diner. Quinn enjoyed his Oreo shake. The Fairmont is actually only 4 blocks away from Union Square-down hill, which of course means UP hill when we headed back to the car. Oh my it was hilly!

The tree was lit up in Union Square when we arrived, but it was not lit up when we left. We think that maybe the lights were being tested, because I think the city has some sort of tree lighting ceremony.

The boys, acting like statues. Weird statues, but statues nonetheless.

Macy's entrance is all lit up. The puppies and kittens are not in the windows yet. I'm sure that won't happen until after Thanksgiving.

Disney Store fancy TV trees. Can you see Sorcerer Mickey?

One window display at Anthropologie. They always have the most interesting window displays.

It appears that all of San Francisco is ready for the holiday season. These snowflake lights are all up and down Market Street. I think they are very festive.

Busy week ahead, lots of meetings, and I am starting my conferences at school. The good news is that I will have another extended vacation, next week! I need to finish cleaning out my room, and then tackle my area of our office. Plus I really want to sew!!!

Holiday Boutique

I participated in the American High School Holiday Boutique yesterday. I did it last year as well, and it was rather lucrative, so I thought I would give it a try this year. Another lucrative show! PLUS my entry fee went to help the Seniors go to Disneyland this school year, for Grad Night! Winning!

My table display-half of it. In addition to the button bracelets and rings, I made earrings this year-they are posted on the bulletin board at the back of the table. I wish I had taken a better picture.

I also made glass tile pendants-and glass tile earrings!

Here's a closer look at the pendants.

I put all of my button rings into black sand, which I got a Michael's. I used rice last year, but I like the black sand, it sets off the colors. They look so cute and colorful.

Button bracelets. I sold 18 button bracelets, and an assortment of earrings and rings and glass pendants. I am trying to decide: save for Disney World or buy a custom Blythe?

More button bracelets.

It was a fun day. I got to see lots of people that I don't usually get to see, and lots of people that I always get to see. Again, winning!

Happy Halloween!!

Happy Halloween! I am happy to finally share my Halloween costume!

I spent part of Saturday, putting it together. I am an iPhone!

I even have the Apple logo on the back!

I made the entire thing out of felt. I made a basic bag type pullover, and then attached the apps with fabric glue. I used my own phone for inspiration. I even have Angry Birds!!

Kevin and the boys went on a Scouting adventure yesterday. They visited a tank museum. A good time was had by all.

One person is the owner of all of these tanks. He has since passed away, but wanted the tanks to be available for small groups to visit. I didn't go on this adventure, but apparently his collection is quite extensive, including not just tanks, but other weapons of war as well.

Only a LITTLE intimidating huh?

I am a girl, so I don't know if I know the "technical" terms for these guns, but I would call that some sort of machine type gun, on a tank. Quinn looks thrilled to be blowing away fake enemies. He looks a little too happy, if you ask me.

Riley wouldn't hurt a fly, but he looks pretty intense with this gun. Geez, boys and guns.

Quinn, riding a motorcycle. Look, it has one of those little side cars! It's very Indiana Jones, or is it GI-Joe?

Riley, "driving" the military jeep. You know, he'll be able to really drive in just over 2 years!

I believe that is a bazooka. Again, a little too excited for my taste! Go Quinn! That thing is bigger than him! I wonder if those things had a pretty big kick-back after being fired?

Quinn, inside a tank. Looks like everyone had a really great time! I had a great time here. I went to Ikea and I worked on my Halloween costume. I will have pictures of THAT tomorrow.

Pumpkin Patch

We decided to visit the local pumpkin patch last weekend. We waited until 4:30 on Sunday to go. Kind of a mistake. It was super crowded and the sun sucked. You can't tell how glary it was, from the pictures, but it was horribly bright. Also they didn't have any decent pumpkins. We took pictures and then left. Kevin got a nice pumpkin from the grocery store.

This pumpkin patch is located at Ardenwood Farm in Fremont. We hadn't been to this pumpkin patch for a couple of years. We've been driving out to Livermore. There's a nice one out there.

I had to snap my picture quick as there were tons of kids trying to climb this tractor, even though the sign clearly says not to.

This is at this patch every year. I have pictures of Riley, sitting on the ground, as a smiley baby. I would link to those, but those pictures are from film. Remember film? You had to load it into the camera (out of the sun) and then take it, and drop it off, at Longs or somewhere, to get it developed. AND you couldn't delete any bad pictures. Getting your pictures back, in that cute envelope, with the negatives, was a lot like Christmas though.

All of the pumpkins were dented and smashed in some way. They had good sides, but then you turn them around and there would be a hole or a yucky part. I like my pumpkins pretty on all sides.

Quinn, in motion, running from the hay structure. I am amazed that there aren't any people in my picture (only half), as this tower of hay is a big draw. The little hay maze is an even bigger draw, but when you are finally taller than the hay, it's just not as magical. Both boys are taller than the hay now.

Kevin wanted to get this pumpkin, as it's already mostly cleaned out!

I think we waited too long to get pumpkins. They were really picked over.

These are the nice sides.

I really love this one, but nobody else did.

Corn! Such pretty colors.

Mini pumpkins. I love these.

By the way, I tried not to get the many people in my pictures, and now that I look back at them, I was pretty successful. I really hate to have strangers in the backgrounds of my pictures. I know I just opened myself up for some photo bombing from my friend, Michelle. It's a hobby of hers. :-)

Work is really cutting into my play time! Things are starting to get busy. We are conferencing this year, so I am trying to schedule all 27 of those, and it's a complete nightmare. I sent home a note to my parents, to see best available times-as suggested in a staff meeting. I got almost all of them back! Awesome. Only that's not the problem. The issue is not with them, but with HOW we are scheduling the siblings, and the fact that I have a sucky number for getting to the sibling book so that I can schedule them. I can follow my own schedule, but then the parents may be at school more than once for conferences. I am trying to avoid that, but I so dislike the way the procedure is being done this year, that I feel I may just make my schedule because it's what the parents want-it's the times they chose, when they are available. That could open up a whole can of worms. Did I mention that I have 15 students with siblings???? It's stressful. I'm not going to think about it anymore tonight because it just gets me all worked up.

Anyway, we have been equally busy at home! Scouts, appointments, piano, meetings. It is never ending.

I am participating in the American High School Holiday Boutique again this year. It was rather lucrative for me last year. I've made 44 new bracelets, plus a bunch of earrings and some rings, oh and glass pendant necklaces! I am all set! Now, let's hope I do as well this year. It's November 5 from 9-4 at the high school. If you are local, come on by!!

We finally got to play with our Lightning McQueen Appmate! It was designed for the iPad 2, but they came out with a compatible version for the iPad, so we were able to use it. It's pretty cool. You drive the car on the screen and it interacts!

Saturday night we went to Palo Alto. We had dinner at the Peninsula Creamery, and then walked through the downtown, to the Apple store. All of the trees are lit up and it's so pretty.

We have our own clouds now! Super cool, but I'm not too sure just how it works yet.

Quinn, concentrating on his game.

I dropped Quinn off at a birthday party on Saturday afternoon and then I went to the thrift store. My $11.95 went far!! I got that Disneyland plate for Riley. See the vintage, plastic pumpkin up there? 50 cents!!! My favorite is the little glass tumbler in the front, the one with the birds on the lid. 50 cents!!

Well, I have some correcting to do, so I better get to it. It's not going to correct itself!