I wish.....

Whenever we walk past a fountain, Hannah always asks for a penny to throw in so she can make a wish. Yesterday's wish "a princess airplane". Why not wish big!?!

To Look forward to...

I guess, Disney and Pixar had a press conference to announce their upcoming projects through 2012. I am amazed at the time and planning that goes into film making. But I guess it makes sense... there is a lot to do. Well, I was interested in some of these movie ideas, so let's see what we have to look forward to.

WALL•E - Release Date: June 27th, 2008



This one we all know about and I have yet to see it. But I will soon.

Bolt - Release Date: November 26th, 2008




"For super-dog Bolt (voiced by Travolta), every day is filled with adventure, danger and intrigue – at least until the cameras stop rolling. When the canine star of a hit TV show is accidentally shipped from his Hollywood soundstage to New York City, he begins his biggest adventure yet – a cross-country journey through the real world. Armed only with the delusions that all his amazing feats and powers are real, and with the help of two unlikely traveling companions – a jaded, abandoned housecat named Mittens (voiced by Essman), and TV-obsessed hamster in a plastic ball named Rhino – Bolt discovers he doesn’t need superpowers to be a hero. Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) brings her vocal talents to the role of Penny, Bolt’s human co-star on the television series."


Up - Release Date: May 29th, 2009



"A comedic adventure taking off (and lifting spirits) in summer 2009. Carl Fredricksen spent his entire life dreaming of exploring the globe and experiencing life to its fullest. But at age 78, life seems to have passed him by, until a twist of fate (and a persistent 8-year old Wilderness Explorer named Russell) gives him a new lease on life. Up takes audiences on a thrilling journey where the unlikely pair encounter wild terrain, unexpected villains and jungle creatures. When seeking adventure next summer – look Up."


The Princess and the Frog - Release Date: Christmas 2009




"A musical set in the greatest city of them all, New Orleans, The Princess and the Frog teams Ron Clements and John Musker, creators of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, with Oscar®-winning composer Randy Newman to tell the most beautiful love story ever told…with frogs, voodoo, and a singing alligator."

Toy Story 3 - Release Date: June 18th, 2010



"The creators of the beloved Toy Story films re-open the toy box and bring moviegoers back to the delightful world of Woody, Buzz and our favorite gang of toy characters in Toy Story 3. Lee Unkrich directs this highly anticipated film, and Michael Arndt, the Academy Award®-winning screenwriter of Little Miss Sunshine, brings his unique talents and comedic sensibilities to the proceedings."

Rapunzel - Release Date: Christmas 2010




"In this new telling of the classic fairy tale, Rapunzel, audiences will be transported to a stunning CG fantasy world complete with the iconic tower, an evil witch, a gallant hero and, of course, the mysterious girl with the long golden tresses. Expect adventure, heart, humor, and hair…lots of hair, when Rapunzel unleashes her locks in theaters for the 2010 holiday."

newt - Release Date: Summer 2011



"What happens when the last remaining male and female blue-footed newts on the planet are forced together by science to save the species, and they can’t stand each other? That's the problem facing Newt and Brooke, heroes of newt. Newt and Brooke embark on a perilous, unpredictable adventure and discover that finding a mate never goes as planned, even when you only have one choice. Love, it turns out, is not a science."

The Bear and the Bow - Release Date: Christmas 2011



"A rugged and mythic Scotland is the setting for Pixar’s action-adventure The Bear and the Bow. The impetuous, tangle-haired Merida, though a daughter of royalty, would prefer to make her mark as a great archer. A clash of wills with her mother compels Merida to make a reckless choice, which unleashes unintended peril on her father’s kingdom and her mother’s life. Merida struggles with the unpredictable forces of nature, magic and a dark, ancient curse to set things right. Director Brenda Chapman and the storytelling wizards of Pixar conjure humor, fantasy and excitement in this rich Highland tale."

Cars 2 - Release Date: Summer 2012



"All the world’s a racetrack as racing superstar Lightning McQueen zooms back into action, with his best friend Mater in tow, to take on the globe’s fastest and finest in this thrilling high-octane new installment of the Cars saga. Mater and McQueen will need their passports as they find themselves in a new world of intrigue, thrills and fast-paced comedic escapades around the globe."


King of the Elves - Release Date: Christmas 2012



"Legendary storyteller Phillip K. Dick’s short story (his only experiment in the fantasy genre) becomes the basis for this fantastic and imaginative tale about an average man living in the Mississippi Delta, whose reluctant actions to help a desperate band of elves leads them to name him their new king. Joining the innocent and endangered elves as they attempt to escape from an evil and menacing troll, their unlikely new leader finds himself caught on a journey filled with unimaginable dangers and a chance to bring real meaning back to his own life."

50 Things to do with Kids

AlphaMom is a great site with some fun and interesting articles and information. They have a series of 50 Things to do with Kids (before they grow up) in various big cities. Oh, how I wish we lived in a big city, but alas, we don't anymore, but I love San Francisco and it is only 3 hours away or so, so that list was particularly interesting to me. Next time we go up north, I have a list of things to do with our kids which will make things fun for everyone. Here is also a list of other cities too just in case you still need things to do now that the kiddos are back in school.

Hope this helps some of you out there in bigger cities than myself!
50 things in San Franscico
50 Things in Boston
50 Things in Chicago
50 Things in Detroit
50 Things in Nashville
50 Things in Kansas City
50 Things in Portland, Maine
50 Things in St. Louis
50 Things in Tampa Bay
50 Things in the Twin Cities
100 things in NYC

Crayons for Teacher

I came across these adorable snack idea at Gourmet Mom on the Go. How cute are these and wouldn't they make great first day of school gifts for teachers. Put them in a pencil box and wrap up cute with a bow and tag.

Next year, I am doing this.

Lookie That

Look at what I won! Some adorable cards from Earmark. thanks to them and Marta at Marta Writes. They had a contest and yipee, I won. These cards are so cute and clever. I love giveaways and nice people that have them!

Must Love Cats and Dogs

Now that Ella has a personality all her own and it shows each day. We have come to the conclusion that we have a cat and a dog in our family. Hannah is our dog. She is so lovey, always in your face wanting attention and love. She loves to be with people constantly, play with anyone and cuddle with almost anyone.

Then Ella is our cat. She doesn't need much attention. People will smile at her and most of the time she just looks at them with a blankness about her... kinda like "who are you and why are you bothering me". She checks in periodically for an occasional 20 second hug (kinda like when a cat comes a rubs your leg). She justs wants to connect for a second, but no big hugs and cuddles please.

People aren't kidding when they say their first two children are completely different it is true with us. I have always been a dog person. Cats, for the most part I can do without... until now... I now love both cats and dogs!

Fair Part 2

Here are some more photos from our day at the fair.

Mutual Activities Roundup 1

This week we had an Iron Chef/Top Chef contest.

There are TWO ways to do this.

1) Let the girls go at it on their own. Basically, you give them ingredients and they come up with a dessert.

2) You ask the girls to bring their favorite recipe and they can use it. But if you don't have the ingredients, the trick is they have to be creative and substitute ingredients that you do have to make their dessert.

They had approx. 45 mins to create their dessert dish. you will be judged on presentation, taste, creativity and number of "secret" ingredients used. They will receive extra credit for each “secret” ingredient they use.

I had this at my house and basically we did half and half. We broke into 3 teams and some used a recipe and some did it completely on their own... making it up as they went. The secret ingredients were: honey, yogurt and raisins.

We then had the girls present their dishes and we (the judges) taste-tested them and gave each dish a score based on the 4 criteria.

I was going to get the winners something, but instead I made something for each of the girls to take home using the circle image below. I used those cheap silver circle canisters (they are 1 1/2 inches in diameter and 1 inch tall and can be found at Michaels) and filled them with Skittles and glued the circle image to the top. All of these items I had at home, which is why I chose to do this. I ran out of time, so this is what they got. But some cute recipes cards or spatula or glass shaker filled with candy would be cute too. Really anything kitchen-y would be a fun prize.

NOTE: The girls basically had free reign of my fridge and pantry and boy did they used it. They had a blast and my kitchen looked like it afterwards. And I have to go to the grocery store to restock my pantry. It was worth it though. But I just wanted to give you a heads up, if you choose to do it my way.

And Now for the Round up of your ideas:

1) Two-three months of service projects

2) Babysitting Preparedness Night - learned about infant CPR and heimliech, made activity booklets with ideas for games, treats, songs to sing, talked about who to call in an emergency and how to change a diaper.

3) Back to School Night. Blast to the Past - all the leaders put together a poster board of pictures of ourselves from Jr.High to Highschool. We then each took a turn telling the girls a little about ourselves back then, lessons we learned, what we loved and things we would've changed. Our president related our experiences to a travel guide. We've "visited" all the cool places and "eaten" at the best restaurants. We are there to help them decide where to visit and what to avoid.

4) Modern Book of Mormon Stories: The YW's presidency had gathered items from around the house and had them put together a skit of a BOM story and video taped it.

5)Modest is Hottest Fashion Show - Take a field trip to the mall. Divide the girls into groups and they were given a certain kind of outfit they had to put together - first day of school, prom, sunday best etc. They worked as teams to put together a modest outfit in the store and then we gathered together in a corner of the store and had a fashion show and took pictures. Talk to the store manager ahead of time to let them know what you are doing and ask if it is okay to take pictures.

6) Back to School Beauty Night

Please remember to share your YW activities this week by leaving me a comment. I will gather them up again and post them all next week. Thanks again for all your help!

Off to the Fair

On Thursday, we headed to the Davis County Fair with the cousins. It was a nice small fair that had so much to do. We spent out time with the animals and then headed to the different booths/stands. The kids had a blast holding the most disgusting insects, then waited in line for sword and butterfly balloons. Then we hit the best part of the fair, the carnival rides. We ended with the finale of an all-you-can-eat ice cream tent. The kids loved it, especially Sarah, she went to town with the ice cream and didn't waste anytime trying to keep clean. (stay tuned for that picture :-)

A vintage fair

My next few entries will be about the Davis County Fair we went to while on vacation. But for now, here are some pictures I took of different fun parts of the fair. Things that capture the essence of a small town fair. Then I turned them into fun artsy-crafty type photos with a vintage flare. I love working on turning ordinary photos into something a bit different.

Logo Updates

An update on the logo business. This is becoming a nice little business and I am being kept busy. I hesitate raising prices for fear that people will say "no way", but in all honesty, I am priced way to low. But we will do this in baby steps. So, as of today, I am raising my prices just a bit to $75 per logo design. This is still extremely cheap considering I haven't been able to find good designers for less than $300 and most are more than that.

The logo will include several (anywhere from 4-6) concepts. Then I will work with you to finalize the final logo. Also, for $10 more (if you so desire), you will receive a watermark image (playing off of your logo) for use online and in print.

With that... here is price list for other items of design.

Logo = $75
Watermark with logo purchase = $10
Blog Banner = $50
Blogger Blog Redesign = $75
Business Card Design = $50
Custom Projects (invitations, announcements, etc) = Let's Talk!



Here is the whole marketing package I created for great photographer. She was great to work with and now has an integrated, cohesive brand. If you are looking for this same cohesive look for your business and brand, please email me! I would love to work with you.