Vol. 5, No. 129, August 10, 2020

5129 - Hiatus.

I needed a posting/arting break. Today I decided to get back into it. This week I get to hang out with H. Part of my job is to help with school work. I was so excited when I saw that part of his assignment was to create a ripped paper collage an ice cream cone. He caught on really quickly, so as he worked, I did too. Here are our completed cones side by side.

Vol. 5, No. 128, July 23, 2020

5128 - One More.

Today I celebrate the fourth birthday of the week as L is turning 1! With the assistance of CC and Littlest Miller, I made a Lemon Blueberry Bundt Cake with a pink Lemon Glaze. It smelt heavenly; I can't wait to try it!

Vol. 5, No. 127, July 19, 2020

5127 - Another Year Older.

I spent my 32nd birthday relaxing with my family. We started off with Dad cooking eggs and bacon for breakfast.  Then we played some games, including virtual Kodenames with the sibs who couldn't join us in person. Everyone worked together to make dinner of salmon and quinoa. Margo and I collaborated to make Mint Julep Cupcakes for dessert. We rounded out the evening with a sunset walk amd stargazing to find the NEOWISE comet.

Vol. 5, No. 126, July 16, 2020

5126 - If At First.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. This was my mantra while making friendship bracelets with the Miller Littles and CC this afternoon. CC taught us how to make a patterned bracelet and I really struggled to get started. I finally got it figured only to have a string snap about halfway through.  That was the values of pink. Then I finished two more the pink and orange bracelet was started by Oldest Miller and the one with blue was started by CC. When stating the favorite part of our day during dinner, we all 3 mentioned making bracelets.

Vol. 5, No. 125, July 15, 2020

5125 - Stuck In The Mud.

I took a little hiatus from posting, but while doing so, I kept thinking I should be doing something creative. I just didn't know what, so I didn't do anything. Tomorrow is H's birthday. He likes to play in the dirt, so I thought worms in the dirt cupcakes would be very fitting. CC came over to help me bake. I love how they turned out! Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting dipped in crushed oreos, sprinkled with maggots aka white sprinkles, and garnished with a gummy worm. You may be wondering why I am posting them prior to the birthday. My reasoning is that today is National Gummy Worm Day.

Vol. 5, No. 124, July 4, 2020

5124 - Independence.

It was a perfect day for a lake day. It was hot all week, making the lake nice and warm for swimming. After that excitement, I was able to enjoy a pontoon ride to view the various firework displays around our lake and the surrounding lakes. This is a photocollage showing five of the best shots I got.

Vol. 5, No. 123, July 3, 2020

5123 - Finally Did It.

Tonight I enjoyed the company of a small group of family and my brothers friends as we gathered to bid him farewell as he begins his new adventure in Arizona next week. While waiting for the party to begin, I took advantage of the nearby rock pile to practice my rock stacking skills. I only managed four rocks before the heat got to me and I decided to give up.

Vol. 5, No. 122, July 2, 2020

5122 - Garage Needed.

While waiting for an appointment with P, he decided we should build a garage for the Duplo car. It may not be grand, but P was proud of it. My favorite part is the tree.

Vol. 5, No. 121, July 1, 2020

5121 - Playing Possum.

Today I was hanging out with P. I decided that we were going to do some Nature Art. He wasn't super into it, but he did help me gather supplies, including clumps of grass clippings and sticks. At first I thought we'd make a turtle, but when it was finished I thought it's head made it look more like a possum or muskrat or some similar rodent. I dislike rodents enough that I wasn't going to Google it to figure out what type of rodent I was actually thinking of, but I knew that it should have a long skinny tail. One eye was made from a hole in the wood; the other is two rocks stacked together.

Vol. 5, No. 119, June 29, 2020

5119 - Waterfalls.

Today is National Camera Day, so I decided to share a picture that I took last week while on vacation with the Millers. Our hotel had an outdoor pool with a waterfall. I snapped some pics of the Miller Littles sitting behind the waterfall. It took me multiple shots, but I managed to get three pictures that showed one of their cute faces. I put the three pictures together to greate this composite showing them all together.

Vol. 5, No. 120, June 30, 2020

5120 - Sharing Sea.

Over the weekend, CC got a new iPad with an ipencil, she was showing it off today and let me play with Procreate. It is a fun art app, but a lot different than using actual art materials. However, I did have fun creating. After almost 2 hours of playing I had created this little seascape.

Vol. 5, No. 118, June 28, 2020

5118 - Tiny Dancer.

Last night on our family walk, we found some hollyhocks growing next to the road. Today, walking home from church, I stopped to pick a few. When I got home I created a tiny dancer with a layered skirt. The dancer is supported with a stick through the center.

Vol. 5, No. 117, June 27, 2020

5117 - Fish Food.

Margo pulled out fish for dinner, but didn't have any plans on how to prepare it. So I pulled out the recipes. I found one that was suppose to be made with shrimp and  just made substitutions and additions. The final plate was roasted scallion and garlic scape rice topped with slightly warmed lemon and basil marinated zucchini, carrots, and garlic scapes, fried tilapia, and drizzled with lemon butter. The only complaint anyone had was that it had too much lemon; I disagree.

Vol. 5, No. 116, June 26, 2020

5116 - Monkey Business.

As we were packing up to go home I quickly made a towel monkey. The instructions said to use clothes pins to hang the monkey, but our hotel didn't have that style hangers, so I made do. I cut an ice bag into strips and used the plastic to tie the monkey up. I sjould have trimmed the ends, but I forgot until after I had taken the picture. It was left hanging for housekeeping to find.

Vol. 5, No. 115, June 25, 2020

5115 - Leaf The Best For Last.

On our last night of vacation, I decided to fold a toilet paper leaf. I suppose you could also call it a water droplet as we spent a large chunk of the day at the waterpark. One of the favorite rides of the day was Flash Flood; you know the kind where you board a Rollercoaster that creates a huge splash over a bridge.

Vol. 5, No. 114, June 24, 2020

5114 - Sailing Away.

Today we spent a few hour at the waterpark, going on many different rides. One of my favorites was Black Anaconda which is a raft ride, so I made a toilet paper boat.

Vol. 5, No. 113, June 23, 2020

5113 - The Heart Of It.

We had a low key day, sleeping in amd haning in the room until lunch  amd then playing in the hotel pools this afternoon. Yes, I hit all 3 pool areas. Then it was a nice dinner out and Mini Golf, where I came in either 2nd or 3rd depending on who you ask. On the way back from golf we stopped by the White House to see what it would look like upside down. It got mixed reviews. While the kids "swam" in our hotel room jacuzzi, I headed to the real hot tub. It was relaxing, especially for the 10 minutes when I had the entire pool area to myself. I quickly folded a toilet paper heart while in the bathroom to shower before bed.

Vol. 5, No. 112, June 22, 2020

5112 - Seeing Shells.

I decided that I am going to do a week of toilet paper folding. It's really fun when you stay in fancy hotels that fold the toilet paper and/or towels. Ours doesn't so I am going to. Day 1, a shell in a pocket.

Vol. 5, No. 111, June 21, 2020

5111 - Drought Daisy.

Since it is Father's Day, I decided to go to Mass with my dad. I figured if I am going to venture out of state for vacation, I could walk 3 block and attend Mass in person. As we stepped out the front door of the house, I spotted a daisy growing in the lawn near the sidewalk. Despite the lack of rain, a daisy grew; I suppose the fact that we haven't mowed in over two weeks because the grass isn't growing, helped the daisy immensely. Regardless, it was a fun surprise. Happy Father's Day!

Vol. 5, No. 110, June 20, 2020

5110 - Happy Summer.

To celebrate the first day of summer, I decided to share last night's sunset. I spent the afternoon and evening out on the lakes. First boating with the Millers and then dinner, a pontoon ride and bonfire with my family. As I complained slightly about the spotty sun, I knew we were in for a magnificent sunset. It did not disappoint. In fact it was so beautiful that I couldn't choose just one picture.

Vol. 5, No. 109, June 19, 2020

5109 - Fresh Baked.

In planning for vacation next week, I made some quick breads for breakfast. With H's help, I baked banana bread, chocolate chip zucchini bread, and rhubarb cinnamon strudel bread.  

Vol. 5, No. 108, June 18, 2020

5108 - Symmetry.

It maybe my art background, but I like things that are symmetrical. Symmetrical balance is pleasing to me no matter where I find it. When I am driving, I love seeing my odometer at a symmetrical number. Today I hit a one such number while at a stop sign so I snapped a quick pic.

Vol. 5, No. 107, June 17, 2020

5107 - Summer Nights.

I am loving my summer night tradition of laying out in my hammock before bed. It has been the perfect temperature to be enjoyable. I usually spend the time listening to an audio book, so I have beem getting a lot of reading done as well.

Vol. 5, No. 106, June 16, 2020

5106 - Game Night.

Today I soaked up the sun and went swimming with the Miller Littles. Tonight I made time to hang out with my family 

And play a game of Hand and Food Canasta. My team didn't win, but we still had fun.

Vol. 5, No. 105, June 15, 2020

.

5015 - Nature Walk.

Nature is one of my favorite photographic subjects. So to celebrate Nature Photography Day, I used my phone to take pictures of flowers, bugs, and a snakeskin while on a walk with Littlest Miller this morning.. I would have taken more,, but she was antsy to keep moving.

Vol. 5, No. 104, June 14, 2020

5104 - Shattered.

As I laid outside this morning, I decided that I really wanted some pretty nails for summer. I wanted a full spa experience, but I didn't want to sit inside all day, so I moved everything outside. Sitting on the edge of the hammock I soaked and scrubbed my feet. Then trimmed and oiled my nails. After letting everything dry for an hour or so, I moved on to polish. When I got to the dotted details, the sun was to hot to stay where I was, so I moved to a chair on the shaded patio. Everything was going great until a bottle of polish slipped from my hand and shattered on the patio, purple polish pooled on the ground. I was disappointed because it was a new bottle. I was able to pour what was left of the polish into an old bottle, but I lost at least half of it.

Despite the spill I am happy with the finished result of my nails and I am excited for sandal season.

Vol. 5, No. 103, June 13, 2020

5103 - Serenity.

Today was beautiful. Between loads of laundry, I was able to find lots of time to read in my hammock. After a dinner of slow-cooked BBQ ribs, I took a walk with my parents and Ziva. This picture may not be anything amazing, but it embodies the calmness that I felt all day 

Vol. 5, No. 102, June 2, 2020

5102 - Perfection.

I convinced my family that we should have a campfire dinner tonight. When we were finished, it was time for s'mores. Not to toot my own horn, but I am a pretty good marshmallow toaster. Tonight the fire was perfect I was able to roast 4 golden brown mallows. With some peanut butter and dark chocolate my s'more tasted as good as the mallows looked. 

Vol. 5, No. 101, June 11, 2020

5101 - Lucky Shot.

During my regularly scheduled Miller Time, I was hanging out with Miller 4 Ever. He love vehicles and kept running between the ones parked in the driveway; "mama's car, daddy's truck". For some reason he was enjoying sticking his hand inside the front of the truck. I was sending Mama Miller SnapChats of Miller 4 Ever playing. There were some cute candids, but my favorite was this one where I captured a dragonfly without even knowing it was there until I glanced at the picture before sending it.

Vol. 5, No. 100, June 10, 2020

5100 - Choo Choo Collaboration.

It seems that I have become the birthday cake master for the Miller's. That's fine, I like baking and decorating. The next birthday is tomorrow. I decided to try a pull-apart cupcake cake. Oldest Miller and I had a slumber party last night, so this morning she got to help me bake. She did all of the measuring and mixing herself while I prepared the cupcake pans.  We worked together to fill the pans. After the cake was cooled, I got to work frosting. I decided to use sprinkles rather than dye the frosting. The engineer made from cookies with a frosting face, was a great afterthought.

Vol. 5, No. 099, June 9, 2020

5099 - Accidental Omelet. 

This morning I decided to get up and make scrambled eggs and whipped coffee. I prepped all of my supplies, and started mixing the coffee; I turned the mixer on too high and sprayed the stick coffee mixture all over the kitchen and myself. My frying pan was already hot, so I decided I would put my eggs in the pan and clean up part of the mess while the eggs started to cook. I intended to go back and scramble them, but by time I returned to the pan, my eggs were a perfectly cooked disk ready to be flipped. So that's what I did, thus accidentally creating a delicious chive and cheese omelet. 

Vol. 5, No. 098, June 8, 2020

5098 - Heat, Hammocks, and Happiness.

After taking a break from the heat by taking a dip in the pool with the Miller Littles, I headed home and relaxed in the hammock. The picture is nothing special, but it makes me happy.

Vol. 5, No. 097, June 7, 2020

5087 - Making The Most.

Today was a hot summer day, with few clouds but lots of wind. The humidity was low, making it a decent day to be outside. I filled a kiddie pool and spent some time soaking my feet to cool off.

Vol. 5, No. 096, June 6, 2020

5096 - Creative Bonding.

Today I got to hang out with Oldest Miller and Miller 4 Ever. While Miller 4 Ever was napping, I asked Oldest Miller what she wanted to do; she chose drawing. So I set out with a blank piece of paper and eventually had a lovely mixed media rose, with markers and crayon. Then, as a demonstration, I drew a maze.

Vol. 5, No. 095, June 5, 2020

5095 - Nature Hunt.

I took some Miller Littles on a walk/nature scavenger hunt this morning. We had a tough time finding everything on our list and decided to get creative. I was assigned to make a butterfly. I used different sized leaves from a weed at the park to make the wings and antennae. Then I used a stick for the body. The body was a little long, so maybe it's a dragonfly.

Vol. 5, No. 094, June 4, 2020

5094 - Glamor Shot.

Today's photo was actually a candid shot. Littlest Miller walked up to me on the stairs, I happened to have my phone out and the camera open so I quickly snapped a picture. I couldn't believe how cute it was.

Vol. 5, No. 093, June 3, 2020

5093 - Summer Vacation.

Today was my official last day of school, which really just meant watching two meetings from the comfort of my hammock. After that I spent lots of time outside with some of my favorites peeps. I snapped this picture while enjoying craft time on the deck.

I was asked "does it really feel like summer vacation if you are spending your time cutting and gluing?" Maybe not, but i was working with friends so I didn't mind.

Vol. 5, No. 092, June 2, 2020

5092 - Rain or Shine.

Today should have been the last day of school for my students. Instead, we ended a week ago and today my school hosted a parade, so that we could say goodbye to our students. As the art teacher I felt the need to be extra creative with my sign and painted it on canvas instead of just a regular tagboard sign.

It had been a hot day with temps in the 90's again, but the weather decided to take a turn and we stood outside in a thunderstorm, which lasted only the one hour we were outside for the parade. Oh well, we teachers had fun anyways.

Today was also the day that I turned in my keys, saying goodbye to my middle school classroom. It was a tiny bit bittersweet, I am looking forward to new adventures.

Vol. 5, No. 091, June 1, 2020

5091 - Restart.

I more or less gave up during the month of May, posting only about 4 projects. I have decided to try a summer restart. I am going to begin with a week of photography, maybe more. We'll see how it goes.

Today was, I think our first day above 90° for the year. Despite being hot and humid, and still 85°, I convinced Margo to go with me for a sunset walk. It was well worth it, because as they say, cloudy skies make beautiful sunsets.

Vol. 5, No. 090, May 28, 2020

5090 - New Adventures.

It wouldn't be a proper graduation celebration without a homemade card. After a Pinterest search, I decided to create a pop-up hot air balloon card. As I was pulling out supplies I came across a stash of old pictures entered in the county fair. I thought that the pictures would make great backgrounds for the card. The basket of the hot air balloon made a perfect money holder.

Vol. 5, No. 089, May 26, 2020

5089 - Drive-In.

The reason I got to be with CC on her birthday was because it was also her Graduation Party. She was one of, if not the first, in the area to have a graduation party this year. Rather than the traditional reception, she had a drive-thru party in her driveway. We lined the drive way with a balloon arch and pictures of her growing up. CC stood at the end of the driveway to greet each guest and hand out goody bags. If was a fun and unique experience. I was fortunate to be invited to hang out longer and take pictures. Here are a few of my favorites.