SUMMER VISITORS

This past weekend we had the pleasure of my cousin and her two boys visit us! It's always nice to have visitors! I had a wedding to shoot all day Saturday, but we were able to spend some time together on Sunday and Monday. Aubrey LOVED having two friends to play with and she especially adores these two!

 We visited the boat locks Sunday evening.

 She sure loved having someone new read her bead time books!

 On Monday we went to the zoo and spent a good part of the day there.

 That night they met up with us at Golden Gardens where a bunch of people from church had gathered for a bonfire. It was such a pretty night!

MORE MINIS!

I found a lady on craigslist that was selling a lot of dollhouse miniatures and I checked them out today. She had a dining room table FULL of stuff. It was so hard not to buy everything that I liked. I had to picture each of my rooms and think about what I was needing or missing from what I already had. This collection of miniatures was mostly well used, but really old and had a lot of charm.

Here's what I came home with:

 I gathered all my picks together and asked her for a price, she basically gave me all the accessories for free as the whole lot was $40. Some of these tiniest accessories are about $10 each new, nevermind the larger furniture! I think I got a deal! Here's some close ups of some of my favourite items. The things I didn't take a close up of are: baskets, dozen buns, basket of strawberries, ceramic pot with brooms etc. mini bust, ship ornament, toast rack, towels, wind chime, bathroom towel rack, china cabinet, grandfather clock and 2 lamps.

 The next room I'm doing is the library/art room. I love this little ink well and feather!

 Look at this necklace, shoes and doll - all made in England.

 This is what I really came for! desk and chair! Bonus is the lamp, book, newspaper, paper weight and the Bible is a fully printed working book!

 This secretariat even folds down for a desk.

 This might be my favourite thing: A mini dollhouse for a dollhouse!

I've seen a couple tiny ones in the stores, they were just solid wood carved into little houses with not much detail, but this one is a similar style to my house and . . .

It's FULLY functioning! the outside lifts off!

Now I am motivated to get working again on it, now that I have a lot more items for the library to get started on!

PHOTO GIFTS

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SUN + FUN

 I think it's been 3 consecutive days of sun and the forcast looks even better - finally!

 At the wading pool yesterday

 Yesterday, I painted my first abstract style painting. I started out painting a detailed picture and got to frustrated so I slapped white paint over it and tried the opposite.

And last, but not least - I got my new hair today! What do you think? It's a little longer and so much more full. I think it tripled my thickness! (it's clip-in hair extensions).

ZOO DAY

It started out as just running an errand - I had to take a photo of a park for a poster I was making, so we drove to Woodland Park. Aubrey was pretty disappointed that this "park" didn't have a playground so we went to one that was next to the zoo. Since it was nice and we had no plans, we just continued to the zoo - it's so nice to have passes!

 The first place she wanted to go? The gift shop! I don't think we have actually taken her in there before - I think it was her favorite part!

 That and her baby elephant she's grown fondly off!

 Penguins are one of her favorites too, she likes sitting in this little window and waiting for them to swim by.

Just chillin'

BIKE JOURNALS

Well, we have been out for a few bike rides so far. Each one leaving me exhausted! It's always great leaving the house and going to our destination, it's just coming home that kills me! There's too many hills that coming home! I'm hoping I'll just get better at it and it won't be such a challenge.

 Our first ride to Smith Cove, just down a little path from our house to the water - I think she liked it!

 Here's the set-up. I'm still getting use to handling the bike with the seat on it - it's so back heavy and tips easy.

 Going for a ride to the beach - last night.

Coming home across the locks.

WESTPORT

Last weekend we went on a little camping trip to Westport which is on the Washington coast SW of Olympia. We left on a very raining day and it didn't let up until the next evening. We went with friends who camped for one night and we stayed for another night, hoping the weather would get better! My camera didn't come out until the first morning. We went for a drive into Westport to check it out. It's a small town and it was very grey and quiet.

 We came across a tower that we climbed up which gave us this view of all the pelicans.

 The marina area of Westport

 Jenny & Eli checking out the view - the only photo I have of our friends on this trip before they left. So sad!

After driving around Westport we went to Aberdeen in hopes of finding something else to do or see while it rained. We ended up going to Walmart to buy the forgotten unpacked items and some new rainboots for Aubrey. Then we took Aubrey to a movie: Brave. It was good, but had some scarey moments. When we came out the rain had stopped and by the time we got back to our campsite, the sun was shining!

 We walked down the path from our campsite to the beach. 

 This beach had so many sand dollars everywhere. I have never seen so many in one place! Aubrey used them as plates.

 We found some sand dollar artwork someone else had made.

 It's nice to see Aubrey not freak out about the sand anymore! She still has to warm up to it, but it's taking much less time! We even played in the water, it wasn't as cold as we were use to and Aubrey loved it!

A common Aubrey pose.

 Our campsite

We made peach cobbler in a dutch oven for desert the last night and it was so good, but way to much for just us, especially after a big meal of taco salad! We shared a little with our neighbors.

The next day we went to church in the little branch and then packed up and went to the beach one last time for some lunch before making our way home.

Does anyone know any remedies in getting rid of the smoke smell in clothes after camping?

I just finished doing 3 loads of laundry and it still has a slight smoke smell to me. 

Maybe it will just take a couple washes??