Last week on Craigslist I came across a ridiculous posting. Someone was actually giving away a bag of coke bottle tops. It was very clear in the posting that the codes had already been entered, yet she still kept them and I thought it was stupid of her to think anyone would actually call this a treasure. (especially when the listing is an entire month old! Who keeps trash in their house for a month?)That is until my 13 year old nephew got home. He decided he just couldn't live without these diamonds in the rough. An email later, and I am not surprised to find they are still available. Even weirder is that when we picked them up she said she had found a second bag. Who just randomly runs across a grocery sack full of coke bottle caps? Crazy people....that's who!

I would like to publicly say, I was wrong about the level of fun the bottle caps brought. Yesterday we spent a chunk of the day playing shuffle board on the kitchen table, building pyramids, and playing table football. However, today the teenage boys took over, and slowly the bottle caps are meeting their demise. It just so happens there is an extra old grill lying around, and there are 2 boys who like fire. I came outside to find them grilling coke bottle tops on an open flame. Ashton thought it was the greatest thing ever, and I couldn't be more thrilled that Justin taught him such a useful skill. (insert sarcasm). 

Here is what we began with. Thank you crazy Craigslist lady for pack-ratting these bottle caps. 

The boys, realizing that they had successfully started 3 fires instead of one. 
But, who freaking cares! Its fire. And, as always, fire equals fun!

Ashton was nervous to get too close. 

Recruiting!!!

There is a blog contest going on with a prize of free wallet pictures. All I have to do is recruit 12-20 people to comment on the blog post of Ashton and Talan's pictures. (This means YOU!)  The comment just has to be about the pictures, and the actual blog post is about half way down the page. 

Here is where you can post a comment:

Bella Ray Photography

(scroll down until you see pictures of Ashton and Talan and click on comment.(for all the blogger-challenged :))

Thanks!!!

Today is national whining day in our house apparently. I told Ashton I was going to throw myself out of the window because everyone kept whining and I couldn't deal. 

He replied, "Do you want me to open the window, or do you want to just crash through." 

Bec's Bloomz

A while back I was shopping for a new dress. I ran across this fantastic website that not only had great dresses, but also had a very unique accessory. Flowers made from zippers. Intrigued, I though surely there had to be a tutorial online for making these funky creations. After much searching and experimenting, I figured out not only how to make them, but how to make them different from any other zipper flower. Things fell into place, and I found a "zipper man" about an hour away. He is my new best friend. He's really nice, only a little creepy, refers to his own "shop" as a dungeon (which I totally agree. He has a little part of the basement of a tailor shop packed full of nothing but zippers. There is no sign to point out the massive amount of zippers, just a dark, damp cement stairwell and door with no windows. I will have to take a picture). I now visit my "zipper man" (stan) about once a month. 

Back to my creative outlet....Since first visiting the zipper dungeon I have made several flowers. Trying to perfect them. I finally feel like I am good at making them, so over the weekend I opened up my shop on Etsy. Saturday, I got all my policies in order, but I had to list at least one thing for sale. I decided on a very cute black headband with a big white zipper flower. I listed it Saturday afternoon and by Sunday morning it had sold. Woo! There are now five bloomz (as I like to call them) waiting to be fitted on the heads of little girls. 

So without further adieu, here is my new creative place:

Bec's Bloomz

Ashton loads the dishwasher...

Today Ashton had the chore of loading the dishwasher. I figured he had put his plate and fork in the dishwasher enough to know where everything was meant to go to allow for best washing, so I didn't bother hovering over him. He doesn't like that anyway.... because you know, he's 7 and pretty much that makes him in charge of everything, expert on anything, and capable of doing any task without help.  Even when he told me he needed help getting the soap into the small compartment, I didn't think twice about double checking. It wasn't until 14 hours later when someone else was trying to unload the dishwasher that I was able to see the method of his ways......

Is this the beginning of the classic "if I do a REALLY horrible job she won't make me do it again", seemingly common, men's disease?

Sneak Peek...

About a month ago I won, at a silent auction,  a studio session with a very talented photographer, who not only takes fantastic pictures, but also can make anti-social Talan smile. A task in itself! If you are ever in Kansas I highly recommend you see Amber Johanson (Bella Ray Photography). 

On Tuesday, despite the torrential downpour threatening to ruin hair and clothes(the boys survived....I did not), the little stud-muffins had their pictures taken. I'm thrilled at how they turned out, and can't wait to see the rest! Here is a sneak peek of the new photos... 

Sneak Peek...

This is how stud-muffin Ashton rolls to a car wash--

And this is how Tal decided to show up---

Just for the record....this was all Talan's idea. I turned around and this is how I found him: