Best Candy EVER!

What if I told you that two amazing things smashed into each other to become the best candy ever? You'd be curious about what those two things were, right? Well, it just so happens that Nestle decided to make girl scout candy bars. Say what? Yeah, a candy bar that tastes just like your favorite cookies. I got the caramel coconut (aka Samoa's) as a gift from the PTA. It was basically the best thing I have ever eaten. So, just as a hint to all my blog readers (yes, I'm talking directly to you mom, grandma, and husband) I will love you even more if I get more caramel and coconut girl scout Crunch bars for my birthday or Christmas. (Just fyi, I'm not as much of a fan of mint or peanut butter)

Springville Art Museum

Doug and I are choosing our own adventures every weekend. Our first adventure was to the Snow Goose Festival and Topaz Internment ruins. Our second "choose your own adventure" was to the Springville Art Museum. The state high school art competition was hosted on the entire first floor of the museum. The second floor featured Utah artists and Soviet Era art.

My favorite high school pots

The medium for this piece was cut paper.

A really cool sculpture of a deer.

A magical mixed media elephant.

I've seen quilling before but never this intricate or intense, or mounted on a crosscut log.

I've always liked beetles.

This whole jellyfish is ceramic.

Each of the tentacles was suspended by fishing line.

The detail in this ink piece named "Rapunzel" were unbelievable.

If this were for sale I would have bought it for my musical bird loving grandparents.

This was one of the coolest pieces of the entire show. It was made with ink splatters.

When we were finished with the high school art show we wandered around to see some of the permanent pieces and other exhibits. I've always loved the sculptures in the atrium. 

This sculpture moves water throughout it and also makes noises.

I'm glad airplanes don't actually look like this, but I do like the angles of this sculpture.

The permanent collection had a few paintings and sculptures that I loved.

Hollyhocks have always been a flower of interest for me.

The colors in this canyon were mesmerizing. 

This is Lady Godiva.

A beautiful natural nursing mother.

There were a lot of Soviet Era paintings on the second floor. They were all very similar in style and depicted every day life.

This painting must have been at least six feet tall and probably ten feet wide.

I liked these cows.

If you'd like to plan your own visit to the museum, go to their website www.smofa.org. Their exhibits change all the time.

Snow Goose Festival and Topaz Internment Ruins

Lately each weekend Doug and I have been doing activities that we call "choose your own adventure." The name is based on books that were around when we were kids where the reader chose what would happen next and turn to a specific page number to continue the chosen adventure. Our first adventure was to Delta to the Snow Goose Festival. During their migration from Southern California back to Northern Canada, the geese stop at the local reservoir for a much needed rest.

After visiting the lake, we went to a Mexican restaurant which had beautiful murals on the walls.

Down the street was the Great Basin Museum where I got entranced by the ancient TV.

On the way back to the car we saw a map at the city park of how to get to the site of the historic Topaz Internment Camp. After about a twenty minute drive we arrived at a sage brush field with a sign posted at the corner. We wandered around and saw the ruins.

On the way back to town we saw some snow geese in a farmer's field.

I think we chose a pretty good adventure for the first time. It was a long day be we saw some really cool things. If you have any suggestions of adventures, let me know in the comments below or through email.

Cardstock Boxes

My late great-aunt taught me how to make these boxes and I thought I'd share the fun. 

Although these are quite small because I started with a 6x6 piece of cardstock, you can start with a much bigger square for bigger boxes. If you want a bottom and top to your box, just cut a second piece of cardstock a little bit smaller than the first and slip the smaller one inside the bigger one once the boxes are complete.

You will need: 

a square piece of cardstock (paper is too flimsy for anything but practice)

a ruler

a pencil

scissors

glue or double stick tape

a hard surface for folding

a hard instrument (like a bone folder) to make sharp creases

Start with a square piece of cardstock.

Turn it over. Then draw a line in the middle from one corner to the other.

Draw one the other direction too.

You will end up with an "X" in the middle of you paper.

Fold a corner to touch the center of the "X." Make very sharp creases; I used a bone folder.

Repeat on the opposite side.

Then fold the third corner to the center.

And repeat with the final corner.

Fold the right side to the center.

Repeat wit the left side.

Unfold, then fold the top and bottom toward the center.

After folding each side to the center your box should look something like this.

Unfold completely and cut along the sections I have marked with pencil.

After you cut, your cardstock should look like this.

Fold the two points that have more material toward the center.

You will end up with two pointy flaps on each side.

Bring them together.

Press them toward the bottom of the box.

Bring the corner up and fold it over those pointy flaps.

Get everything snug inside this fold.

Press the triangle into the center with some glue or double stick tape.

Repeat joining the pointy flaps on the other side.

Fold over the corner.

Make it all nice and tight.

Tuck it in, glue it, and Ta Da! your box is complete.

I made three boxes with similar prints of cardstock.

This is my first in-depth step-by-step tutorial with pictures. Please let me know in the comments

if you try this, how it works, and what could have been more clear. Thanks!