Mona Lisa and Mickey

Drawings outside our house, on the 4th of July by Em and her friend Kiani.

It's a Bit Chalky

Feeling Creative? Share it with the sidewalk! We saw a very cool Chalk Festival in downtown Salt Lake City, sponsored by the Utah Foster Care Foundation. We were down there around 7a.m. and the artists were already out working to avoid the heat. Try having your own mini-chalk fest:

• Get permission before you take over the sidewalk with your masterpieces!
  
• Pick a day and time to invite your friends (check the weather, and ask everybody to bring their own chalk, water and sunscreen)
• Ask your parents if they'll provide popsicles, frozen treats, or a meal.
  
• Gather as much chalk as you can so you can have different shades to choose from. (if everybody shares you'll all have more colors to choose from.)
• Save your knees! Use an old towel folded up under your legs so you don't get sore knees.
• Select one of your favorite pictures you'd like to re-create. Maybe from a birthday card, or a favorite movie character, enjoy the freedom of picking whatever. *or just make up your own as you go!
• Work from the top to the bottom so you don't smudge your picture.
• Early morning or evening won't be so hot (i.e. when you can't fry an egg on the surface you're drawing on)
• If you work on this during the day, try using an umbrella for shade. Be sure to use a strong sunscreen!
• Keep water to drink nearby.
• The chalk should wash off the sidewalk when the chalk-fest is over with the rain, or garden hose, but first take some pictures!

I hope Em and I'll try this too! Send me a couple of pics of your chalk fest and I'll post a blog about this at the end of August! Have fun and, stay well-hydrated!


Suz

Summer Reading 2008

The library opens up before you like a magic carpet - it's just waiting for you, especially during the summer when you have a few extra minutes. It's pretty neat to walk for a while in someone else's shoes.

At our house, Emily just read (and is rereading) the Twilight vampire series. I'm working on Tarzan of the Apes, and re-reading The Two Towers.
What are you reading? (Comment to respond)

How do you get to school?

Zip line to school? Talk about scary! The brake is a twig and a rubber tire.

Drawstring Pouch for Gadget Girls

I have a couple of small techno gadgets and the other day I had major stress when I misplaced my iPod Shuffle. At the size of an oversize postage stamp, it’s not the easiest thing on the planet to find. After searching the house, it turned up in our hiking bag. Whew! My Nintendo DS is in a dog ugly sock bag and I never know where it is because it blends in. I can’t remember who’s DS is who’s since they’re all in gray or black bags. I go for weeks without my flash drive, because somebody’s borrowed it. So, how are we supposed to reign in these little gadgets?

I was looking at the socks at Little Miss Matched and went into their accessories - when I saw their drawstring pouches, I knew they’d be perfect. They’ll fit pretty much any bag from purse to back pack and even a dance or piano bag. These small sunshiny bags will make your little geeky gadgets fun and easy to locate. http://www.littlemissmatched.com/s.nl/it.A/id.1372/.f?sc=2&category=5269&sc=2&category=5269