Ocean's ELEVEN

I really should do some current events, but I'm trying to get summer squared away and as you know, sometimes the last weeks of summer can be the busiest. Week eleven was nice and busy for us. In some ways it was our last week to play without school looming over us and breathing hard.

On Monday, we did a craft that ended up being a favorite: Bow shirts. There is a tutorial, but I couldn't find it again. So, if you really want to do it, and my basics aren't enough...use Pinterest. (You all know how.)

For our craft, it was recommended to use a shirt that was a bit oversized, probably because you have to cut off part of the bottom. As you will see from pictures, I recommend something that is not TOO oversized, or it will hang funny. We grabbed our shirts from Hobby Lobby. Inexpensive and then we didn't ruin any existing shirts. Now cut two inches off the bottom.

And cut off the collar as well. They are supposed to have an unfinished look on the top and bottom.

On the back, measure and mark every two and a half to three inches. You'll want to cut some lines. Put some cardboard underneath so you don't cut through the front of the shirt. Ivory's lines are a little jagged here, but I don't think it took away from the overall effect.

Cut out strips from the two inch hem you removed earlier. Then grab sections of the shirt and wrap the strips around securing them with Liquid Stitch, or Fabric Fusion. (No sewing allowed. Just my kind of project.)

Use the scraps for a fun new look.

If you have a little strip at the bottom that doesn't seem big enough, just cut it off. We cut several little stragglers, and it looked just fine. Check out these finished shirts.

And the individual shots. Since Robyn chose a white shirt, she embellished it with a fabric marker.

Pearl's shirt ended up being a little saggy. See what I mean about making sure the shirt isn't TOO big for the wearer. All the girls really liked how they turned out. I wish I had made one for me.

Tuesday we went to the library as usual. In fact, it was my last time for school library. It was a good experience, but I probably won't do it next year since we will be at a different school. Tuesday evening, there was a ward party up the canyon. We have been there before and Ivory has did this last time.

I didn't take a lot of pictures. In fact, I spent some of my time huddled in a corner finishing a book. (Yes, I am anti-social sometimes, but always for a good reason.) My kids had a great time and it was a nice evening overall.

Wednesday was swimming and we got to take Curtis with us. We invited him earlier, but it hadn't worked out. It was so fun to play water games with him. I am usually 'it' when it comes to these games, and I sure got a workout trying to chase down Curtis. (It is hard to run through water. Phew.)

Here is a random picture for you. The removal of Robyn's braces was imminent and she wanted me to capture this trick she liked to do. I guess braces are good for something after all...besides just straightening teeth.

Thursday was treat day and what a treat it was. We had Deanne come to help us make homemade caramels. She used to help a lady make and sell them, so they are profesh. Here we are getting ready.

Here is our lovely confectioner.

And the beginning of our lovely confection. (Mmm...butter. And lots of it.)

Deanne brought some of her crew - Warren, Alex, and David. We ended up playing some Kubb later, because I'm pretty sure the boys were bored to death.

Actually, I think Warren and David took a turn stirring. So did my girls. When they were just right, we poured.

Glorious! They set up in our fridge and then it was time to cut them. We got a good assembly line going. I cut strips, Ivory cut sections, and Curtis, June, and Robyn wrapped away.

One batch made a ton. We had caramels to gorge ourselves with and more after that to share with neighbors. We made sure to take some over to the Moses' as well. Thanks Deanne for helping us. One of the best treats of the summer for sure.

Thursday evening was the annual Trapnell Seven Peaks night. It was a bit chilly this year. Everyone was very excited to go.

But it didn't take long for the littles to be chilled to the bone. Pearl and Daisy wrapped in towels and hung out. That meant that I stayed with them. It wasn't the best Seven Peaks day for me, but I'm glad the kids had some fun. We got some fun pictures while we were chilling (literally). Gotta love the grumpy Daisy face.

We took the day off on Friday. We had played hard the night before and everyone wanted to relax. That is what Summer is for after all. Week Eleven was epic because June and I finished our challenge to read the Book of Mormon over the summer. We missed a few days in there, but we still finished right on time. Grandma Dargan and Tricia also read it over the eleven weeks. (76 days to be precise.) Robyn finished a week later, and I'm so proud of both my girls.

Only one week left to play. I can't believe how fast summer goes. But stay tuned for some current events before that. I need to keep up with the 'now' as well.