sunday snapshot...

Here are my top three this week. You can do {here} to see which ones are your favorites!

oh my...this takes some...well...you know...

just the scale is amazing!!

first earthquake, then water, then fire, then snow!?!

Good Times

Below you'll see video's I've borrow from a colleague of mine, thanks Melissa!!

Every year (long, long before I got there) the teachers at my school have done a performance of their own at the end of the Spring Program. It is fun and I was especially fond of the country theme!! Enjoy the video's. This truly is a special place to work!!

In both video's I'm on the left of the screen. In the first one (where we all look squished in our little gym) I'm right behind the person leading it. In the second one (where we are at the high school and there is MUCH more room) I am next to the lady with the light cowboy hat and blue shirt for the last bit. I'm just wearing jeans and a paisley tee, and of course, my cowboy boots!! And I just realized I didn't get a single picture of me that night...I REALLY need to get a new point and shoot!!!

Good Times "Performance Night"

Good Times Teacher Dance

Dance Practice

Rainbow Birthday Cake!!!

*I shared this at my other blog - madebyACE but it is too great not to share here too*

So I've been plotting this cake for a year, maybe more...I can't remember when I first saw it here ~ at Almota Roses and here ~ at i am baker. I feel in love. I love rainbows. L.O.V.E them. Kind of (still) want a tattoo of one but I'm too chicken to do it. I've been known to pull over to take pictures of rainbows...okay, you get it :)

For some reason I was craving boxed cake, maybe it was because that's what I grew up on. More than likely it was the fact that my birthday was on a Wednesday and I didn't want to make a "from scratch" cake during the week. I also used canned frosting (gasp!) but I was CRAVING sugar...hum...weird.

Anyways, I had a blast making this cake. I used one boxed white cake in the 6 inch round cake pans from some Wilton decorating class I took. I'm not sure I'd readily make this for tons of other people but it certainly has that WOW! factor once it is opened.

Preparing the cake.

Tasty rainbow!

Teddy bear sprinkles!!!

It is GORGEOUS!!!

Taste the rainbow :)

love it.

sunday snapshot...

I can see the rainbow!

I love seeing different perspective of things. I can imagine what this would look like from the ground, but from the air, it's a new way to look at it!

This Sunday Snapshot wouldn't be complete without a few images from Japan.

WOW.

CRAZY.

Glass Blowing Class...

Have you ever heard of Groupon?? It seems like most people have. It really is a cool deal. You get deals (usually half of services) do various places. Back in November/December there was one that just jumped out at me!! It was before Christmas and I was looking for something anyways, that Jason and I could do together, as a couple. This particular Groupon was for a glass blowing class at a place in Portland called Elements Glass.

The was as follows: For $30, you get one introductory class to glass blowing with a take-home glass float ($65 value) OR For $30, you get $60 of merchandise from the studio store .

We chose the first option and finally cashed in on it today!! Funny how we bought it has a Christmas present and used it around my birthday. Jason will have to go pick them up tomorrow because they had to be put in the kiln to harden all the way.

I think we will definitely go back. I know they just had a "heart making" session that was $45 for one heart. It could be something that Jason and I could take turns doing for each holiday, because $90 would be a LOT of money...He said they do pumpkins in the fall, Easter eggs soon, tree ornaments for Christmas and I am sure more!!

It was a semi-hands on experience. We did go one at a time and thanks to the time change, we were the only ones in our group :) Apparently the other people forgot...bummer for them! We got to help shape and blow the glass float. We did not blow directly into the metal pole but we had a hook up, a think black tube that was hooked to what the pros used.

Picking our colors. I picked the 3rd one back...orange/yellow/red.

They only left be alone because all I was doing was warming up the pole since I was the first one to participate. Looks like I know what I'm doing though ;-)

Forming the hot glass.

Adding the color.

Solo :) I wanted a dotted pattern so I just had to swish it back and forth...

Blowing the glass.

My float!!

Look at Jason. He looks like a PRO!!

Jason wanted red and white. The guy decided it should be striped...it was a different one than mine and had very different techniques.

Jason's was much more technical. Because of the stripes.

Jason blowing the glass float up.

Sealing the float. Looks brown-ish now. I'm excited to see what it looks like after the kiln.

The sticks being prepped for the next group!

sunday snapshot...

Okay, we're back to normal pictures. It was a bit of a hassle and I hope I remember exactly what I did next week :)

Any time there is a space picture - I will love it!!!

THIS is multi-tasking.

To think, this is a real place where this was really happening...it looks made up.

NOL is getting itself back!

happy {200th} post & herding cats...

There has been a lot going on lately around here.

We've started to plan what work we NEED to do in the backyard this summer, notice I did not say WANT. Jason and I aren't huge fans of outdoor labor but we are huge fans of wanting to enjoy the out of doors...so we need to do some work to our yard.

We've bought about $2000 worth of air fare in the last month. We are headed to St. Louis for Leena's wedding and Boston/Cape Cod for Maryann's wedding and our first "traveling" vacation!! We haven't done too much revolving around that lately...I probably should make some more hotel reservations.

I've been sick, again. The flu, again. No, I do not get a flu shot and do not plan on ever getting one if I can help it. Though I will say - the flu is not fun. This round seems to be less intense than it was in September. Here's to hoping Jason doesn't get it. Though now at least he has sick days!!

The flu resulted in the below picture...

Oh yes, when I was out sick this Monday my sub apparently had a busy day. I got 3 pages of notes. I've never, ever, ever gotten that many!! This was my favorite part of it by far. This is referring to a little group of 6, 2nd grade boys. I love my boys and for me they really do work but they know how to work a sub too. My last sub before this said "They tuckered me out".

I just love that he (yep, a male sub) felt comfortable enough to tell me my group was like herding cats...which is sometimes true. How do you herd cats you might ask?

Quickly, carefully, and with bribes of many chance tickets...

sunday snapshot...

So something funky is up with my Microsoft Paint. I've edited these pictures as I have for a year or more but for some reason this week they've been turning out weird...guess you'll have to head HERE to see the bigger ones and see which ones you like for yourself! Sory!!