A Thousand Little Wishes...

Ten on Ten: June

Borax crystals from Potions Class

Pets from the Magical Menagerie (an owl, a toad, and a monster)

Quidditch practice

Our recipe for Polyjuice Potion

The plan for the next day

The never-ending duty

 An afternoon beverage

 The boys' favorite new thing:  zip-lines = FUN!

 My favorite new thing

Dessert.

I finally remembered to participate.  Actually, I had to bring my camera to school to take pics of our campers for our Polyjuice Potion activity, so I went ahead and did the whole ten hours.   

We have camp at our school for the first three weeks of summer.  Teachers have the option of planning and teaching camp for extra money.  Most people teach the same camp each summer.  For some crazy ass reason, my friend and I always come up with new camps each summer.  Which is both kind of fun and kind of torturous.  Well, not always torturous, but definitely always stressful.  Last week, was Camp Hogwarts.  It actually turned out to be really cute and the kids had a lot of fun, but it was a whole lot of work.

This week, we're teaching Cutie Cakes, which is supposed to be cake decorating.  We're having a hard time, though.  We're both exhausted and we can't seem to make decent frosting.  We have nineteen little girls and limited funds, so we're making the nasty shortening frosting.  Today it was either too stiff, too liquidy, or sort of curdled looking.  Luckily, we have a pretty great group of girls who, amazingly, have not complained once.  Hopefully, tomorrow will be better.

I feel so out of touch here in this space and out there in all of your spaces.  I inadvertently dealt with my grandmother's death, the end of school, and a few other big things by not touching my computer except for work emails.  I later realized that this was the first time ever that I have made it through the end of the school year without having at least one miniature meltdown.  The end of the year is ridiculously stressful for teachers.  But giving myself a break from checking Reader really helped me not freak out.  The only downside was that I stayed away longer than I meant to.  Lucky for me, you all are so awesome and forgiving.  I know you won't hold it against me.  Hee hee.

I'm ready for camp to be over.  I want it to feel like summer.  I'm ready to relax and clean something out and maybe sew something for myself.  Now, if only I had a white-trash pool to lounge around in.....

         

A Moment in Time

Lee and the boys went camping, so my Lulah B slept with me all night.  Her full name is Talulah Buttercup.  She's such a snuggly, lovey kind of dog.  She does have a bit of a licker problem, though. We're working on it.  I love it when her ears are up.  

Thanks to Amy for letting us know about such a neat and easy photography project!

iheartfaces- Dramatic B&W entry

This boy is full of drama.  Max pouting at the beach this past summer.  I just turned it black and white.

I'm entering it into the contest at iheartfaces.  I never enter contests.  I've certainly never entered a photography contest.   

Color Week: Earth Tones

This is one of my favorite corners of my house.  The table was my great-grandmother's.  It's our nature table.  The boys like having a place to keep their finds.  I feel like it's full of earth tones.

This cute little thrifted owl full of feathers and a plate of  rocks they found on various hikes.

A couple of drawings and a painting from my grandmother and a picture of my great-grandmother. 

What looks like a tiny, tiny nest on a twig, that I found on a shelf in my grandfather's study. 

One of Lee's shirts.

My goofy boy. 

A cool old chair that I half-assed recovered.  I basically just wrapped, tucked and pinned it.  Sort of like a diaper.

Lee's djembe drum.

The treehouse that Lee built for the boys.

My boots.  They were a very nasty beige when I bought them, but the boot dealer dyed them for me.  I want some new ones.

A baby picture of my dad in Peru.

My Lulah B at the Greenbelt.

My mother's genuine hippie love beads.  I've had these in my jewelry box forever, but I'm too worried about breaking them to wear them. 

Four very dirty little feet after playing outside all day.

*Whew.  Color week was fun, but this posting every day business is exhausting.  I really enjoyed looking for photo worthy things for each day, though.

Color Week: Purple

This was definitely the most difficult day of the week for me.  I don't know why, because I like purple.  I'm actually wearing a purple cardigan right now.

My mascara.  I like cheap make-up.  And I like the mascara that curls my eyelashes for me. 

This is in my backyard.  It showed up on its own accord.  I think it *might* be trillium.  But again, I'm no gardener, so I really don't freaking know.

Some of Ben's art work from school.  A construction paper collage.  Our art teacher is pretty awesome.

A Mardi Gras bracelet.  My parents go to the Mardi Gras parades in Galveston most every year.

One of my vintage dresses that I don't freaking fit in anymore.  I bought this in high school at some antique store in New Orleans.  I love this dress.  It's from the 40's.  This is one of those ones I used to dress up in when we went out.  With a slip, of course.  Here's a close up of the top with the rhinestone button detail.  Why, oh why can't they make affordable clothing like this anymore? 

My mother's Stella McCartney perfume.  I don't really wear perfume, anymore.  In high school, however, I smelled like I worked in a freaking perfume store.

Max's art from school.  Chalk background with a construction paper butterfly on top, cut out by Max.  Notice the "patterin of shapes."  

One of my mother's several hand-made quilts.  Not by her, but by some little lady from some time long ago.  Someday they will be mine.

Color Week: Blue

Blue tea pot and little cups made by Lee's dad.  He's very talented.  We're lucky enough to have lots of his beautiful bowls and things.

The tiny little bike that Ben used to learn how to ride a two-wheeler.  Max is working on it now.  After Max gets it down, Ben wants to add pegs to make it a BMX bike.

This box was the first Christmas present Lee ever gave me.  He actually came to my parents house and spent Christmas Eve and Christmas day with my family.  We had only been dating a little more than a year.  He must have been terrified.  It was pretty cute.

Some candy eggs I got as a little surprise for my grandmother.  She has a thing for robin's eggs.  These are filled with caramel.

A candle holder on our back porch.  I think I've had this since college.  The candle has melted in this Texas heat so many times that we can't get at the wick.  Maybe I'll get it a new one.

Some more tea pots from my collection.  The top one is another Hall and is the first one I bought.  The bottom one just says "Japan" on the bottom.

 
Some blue cowboy cowgirl boots I saw the other day while shopping on South Congress.  I've been wanting a new pair.  Nothing this fancy, though.  These were only $570.

Ben's Pine-wood Derby car from the one year he was a Boy Scout.  He was in first grade.  He loved it and I hated it.  I don't know if all the dens work like this, but at our school, it was a HUGE time commitment on the parents part.  Plus, I really did not enjoy the other kids in his den.  We felt like we go camping often enough and do outdoorsy things, that we did not need to make this a part of our lives.  Maybe it was just that I didn't want to spend an evening every other week with a bunch kids from my school.

This pendant was a gift from my aunt from a trip she took to Italy.  I've always wanted to go to Italy.  Maybe someday...

I love this old shirt.  Ben wore it for a few years and now Max wears it.  It's almost too small for him, though, which makes me a bit sad.  Lee's childhood best friend is a vintage clothing dealer and he gifts us with lots of his little boy finds.  Some are too crazy that the boys wouldn't wear, but they both loved this tee.

 
My baby's blue eyes.  His eyes are beautiful, but this picture isn't very great.  We were hoping the kids might have baby blues, too.  Sadly, my genes won out in every way.  

Color Week: Green

I really can't commit to one single favorite color.  I love color.  All of it.  But whenever some kid tries to make me choose one, I always say green.  I love green.  In all of its various hues.  It's cheery and fresh and earthy.

My favorite wrap skirt.  I made a bunch of these and bought fabric to make a bunch more, but got bored with them.  I still like wearing them, though, especially this one.

 

 Candy, Go Go boots, funny "pot" holder, and Elvis street sign- all shots from shops on South Congress the other day. 

  
This was my favorite bath toy when I was little.  There used to be a little Neptune-dude that would sit in the seahorse.  He had a white beard and a gold scepter or something and a pink dress on, that I suppose was really more like a robe.  I'm still trying to find him at my parents house.  I really want the complete set.  

This cute little patch of clover popped up in the pot of cactus we have on the front walk.

Max's picture of Larry the Leprechaun.  Every March, Larry plays many tricks on the kindergartners at our school.   He throws all the green markers on the floor, or switches up the backpacks and lunch boxes on the hooks, or moves things around in the classrooms.  This year, he even left a "golden chocolate coin and a REAL quarter for each kid."  Max is loving Larry the Leprechaun and all of his mischief.  He is constantly dreaming up traps to catch Larry.  He woke up this morning with plans for a new one, involving three strategically placed wads of bubble gum and shiny bits of green and gold paper.

This painting is by my grandmother.  My grandparents both got real into painting a long time ago.  They took some classes- probably from someone who idolized Bob Ross.  I have a few others, too.  Some sand dune scenes and one of a train coming at you down the tracks by my grandfather.  I love that I have little pieces of their history- their hobbies.  I'm not entirely sure who that girl is supposed to be.  The hair is too blonde to be my mother and too matronly to be my aunt.  I don't think my cousin or I were born yet when they were in this painting phase.   Maybe a a young version of my grandmother.  That meadow and trees looks like the back of my grandmother's yard.  Who knows?  I just like the colors.

Vintage costume bracelet.  This was a present from my high school best friend on my sixteenth birthday.  We loved to rock big chunky rhinestone bracelets like these when we went out.  Really, we just loved dressing up in old clothes and jewels.  

I wish I had been more mature about our relationship.  I loved her dearly and knew what her friendship was worth, but I still chose to screw it up.  I was desperately trying to undo some hurt I caused my boyfriend, but I hurt our friendship.  Because she's awesome, she forgave me and we had some fun times in college.  She was in my wedding, too.  But the last time we saw each other was weird.  Mostly because I felt like such a mom-dork as I sat there with her and her way-too-cool-for-me boyfriend.  I had a hard time relating to them, but I bet if it had just been Emily and me, it would have been fine.  That's one of my biggest regrets in life- screwing over Emily.

* Unrelated, I changed my banner picture, so hit refresh if you can't see it.  It's my favorite photo I've ever taken.  My babies, when they were still babies (Ben was 5 and Max was 2) dancing on the dunes at South Padre Island.

Color Week: Orange

 Clementines.  I love that they're called "Cuties."

 
My yarn.  I'm still trying to learn how to crochet.  At least I try every couple of weeks or so.   I think I just need to jump in and try another granny square.  These endless chains aren't very motivating.

My star lantern in the corner of the living room over the piano.  It was a gift from my mom. 

Seeds I've been meaning to plant for a few weeks.  I hope it's not too late now.  Gotta get on that.

Max's dinosaur.  I love kindergarten art.

My teeny tiny Buddha in the window of our breakfast nook.

Ben's Longhorn shrine above his bed.  He bleeds orange.

A sign for a band I found on a telephone pole on South Congress.  We are the Live Music Capital of the World.

We stopped in the Big Top Candy Shop this afternoon.  I'm sure you can understand why it's the boys' favorite.  They have some hilarious things.

A pretty rad chair outside of the Avenue Barber Shop on South Congress.  

*I got some other shots for Color Week this afternoon while we were enjoying our ice cream sodas and window shopping.  It was a pretty good day.  
 

  

 

Color Week: Red

Sorry there are so many pictures here.  I got a little carried away.  This is more fun than I thought it would be.  Today I was lazy and never left my house, but tomorrow I'm venturing downtown for some orange!

The letters above the window in the craft room.  Someday, I want to add some sort of a valance-y/ cafe curtain-ish thing under them.

Some pom-poms.  I do love pom-poms.

This was one of Lee's favorite toys.  He searched ebay high and low for this and was giddy and excited like a little kid when it arrived.

Some left-overs from Valentine's day.

A back-porch chandelier Lee made for me out of old bicycle parts and crystals from my grandmother.

My washer and dryer.  Not my favorite things in the house, but definitely well-used.

Vintage bottle from 1978.  Is that old enough to be vintage?

My pin cushion.  With the pins organized by color.  Dani should be proud.

A little mexican heart from this awesome store.  I've got little junk like this all around our breakfast nook.

My antique lamp on my very dusty antique vanity.  I love this lamp.  
Lee made this for me, too.  It was an anniversary present a few years ago.  He's made out of paperclips and a bead.  My man is pretty crafty.

    

 
  

Ooops. If only I'd realized.

Apparently, I'm hosting a color week.  I'm not saying this sarcastically, just a little surprised.  It was actually Dani's idea.  I deserve no credit.  She asked me if I'd want to play along.  Of course.  Then she posted about it and mentioned me.  I figured I had no need to mention it here.  Most everyone who reads my blog, also reads hers.  But then Tammie wrote "Dani and Lia are hosting a color week," which made it seem a little more official.  I'm feeling a little like a slacker for not mentioning it.

So, if you want to play along with us, start snapping some pics.

Monday:  red

Tuesday:  orange

Wednesday:  yellow

Thursday:  green

Friday:  blue

Saturday:  purple

Sunday:  earth tones

Now, I'm off to find something red!