Ella Says #6

Remember When
by: Ellafish

Remember when
the waves rushed over your feet
but the cold shocked you
and you ran away?

Remember when
you saw your first fish
and it grazed your leg
so you swam
like an Olympic Gold Medalist?

Remember when
your lips were blue
and you were shivering
like a madman
but you argued to stay?

and now
you Google pictures
and sign at the screen,
wishing you were there
at the ocean.

STEM Camp Completed

Ella finished STEM Camp (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
15 incoming Sophomores from 5 local high schools all experimenting and learning at Paradise Valley Community College for two weeks.



The kids lovingly called it "nerd camp".
I'm proud of my nerd...she had a great time!





They learned about pathogens, the human immune system, disease prevention and research, the human respiratory system,  a respiratory disease outbreak, pipetting and gel electrophoresis (lab skills), virus DNA fingerprinting to a disease outbreak, food testing protocols, tracking environmental food contaminants from the source to the table and a few other things.





They also learned about the evolution of the moon, crater formations, meteor probability, precision versus accuracy, the standard measurement system, data collecting, projectile motion, energy and power, probability and failure rates as well as doing multiple (fun) experiments each day.

Whew...







Cool surprise, one of the 4 girls at the camp is Ella's good friend from school.  Neither knew the other would be there.



There will be another STEM camp for incoming Juniors next summer.
Ella already said she wants to sign up!  She really responds to hands-on-learning, so much more than sitting in class and taking notes.

Lately there's been talk of incorporating the STEAM program into our local schools. (Science, Technology, Engineering, ART and Math).  Yes! That sounds even better to me.

All photos except the first and last were taken by STEM instructors.

iPhone Cases

I squeezed in design time and finished my iPhone case.
Mr. Mailman should be delivering it in a couple days!

Lately I'm into beachy colors (hello summer) so my phone will be covered with Ocean Tiles.



Pretty, huh?
I love it.
Makes me want to snorkel.
Totally okay if you don't like this - really, no prob.
My feeling won't be crushed.
I'll still like you.

Ella wanted me to make a cuttlefish cover.
Squishy, tentacled, ink-filled chameleons, they're her fave animal.
I have something in the works for her...
but for now, there's a Glass Beach Crab.



Cute little thing- we found him on Glass Beach in Kauai, Hawaii.
Perfectly camouflaged to fit in with the tumbled ocean glass.

I plan to make a bunch more - drawing by hand, digitally and using some of my photos.  I'll list them all in my new Society6 shop.

Covers will be available for iPhones 3, 4, 4s and 5 as well as the Samsung Galaxy S4.

Ocean Tiles and Glass Beach Crab are all that's in there now but if you like, they're offering free shipping until midnight, June 16th.

I can't wait to be able to drop my phone.
I've been soooo overly careful - it feels inevitable.

My last phone was cracked on a hike two days after I bought it.
Replaying it in my head, I'm sure it looked like a Happy Birthday to the ground.  Wish I had a case for that one.


SNL short, teeny bit PG.
What's your worst dropped cell phone story?
Please don't say toilet...oh man, you're gonna say toilet right?

Paper Clouds and Windrush Farms Model

Sam is on the Paper Clouds Apparel website.



From June 10-23, Paper Clouds Apparel is raising money for horse therapy sessions at Windrush Farms for special needs individuals.



You might remember the fun photo shoot we did back in April...
Also, an interview with Paper Clouds Apparel CEO and Founder Robert Thornton.



Just so you know,
I'm not getting paid or perked to promote Paper Clouds-
I just really love what they're doing!

They have lots of Tshirt styles to choose from, this is just a sampling.
They also have prints and greeting cards.
Check them out if you get a chance-
Paper Clouds Website
Paper Clouds Facebook



In the past, I've mentioned that Sam is going to create artwork and help raise money for a special needs organization.  We still have to discuss as a family who we'd like to raise money for...we're definitely open to suggestions!

(All photos except the photo shoot are from the Paper Clouds Apparel website.)

Canyon Lake

No gigs, no summer camp...nothing planned but going to the lake.
Canyon Lake is a man-made reservoir in the Superstition Mountains.
Nah, we didn't find the Lost Dutchman's mine- we were on a mission to swim!



I was camera snappy happy.
I did manage to get one with me too - on my phone.
Our usual car photo.



112 degrees in Phoenix, the lake was an amazing escape.
Plus, at only an hour and a half away from the house- perfect day trip!









A cooler full of snacks.
A bag full of swim suits.
An enormous amount of sunscreen.
That's all we needed.







Hawks and ducks were everywhere.
The heron (I think that's what it is) was fishing at the marina.











Exhausted and happy, both kids fell asleep on the drive home.



Do you have lakes or the ocean close to your house?
Growing up in Michigan and Alaska, I was always by the water.
Going to a lake, even if it's man-made, feels like home to me.

Summer Vacation in Phoenix

Summer vacation.
Right now, summer vacation feels more like
summer stay-indoors-and-go-crazy!

We're going to the lake (about an hour from us), we're going camping "up north" and we're going to Michigan for three weeks. We'll be doing the usual summer library events, making the rounds at the museums, going to movies and splash pads...anything with air conditioning or cold water.

Today, we'll hit 112 degrees.



Ella usually does tennis and swim camp, which ends by noon.
This year, she's in STEM camp at a local community college too.
Yay Ella!

The rest of us...we're turning into chickens, haha, feeling very cooped up between activities.  Over-heated and under-stimulated.  It happens every summer. It's part of living in Phoenix. We like to prepare ahead of time by planning as much as possible. And the rest of the time, we try to adjust.

Mu and I went for a run at 10:30 last night.  That was awesome, we'll be doing that often.  Now I need to figure out how to squeeze in design time - alone.  I really need to work on some cell phone covers.  There are a lot of ideas swimming around between my ears I need to get down before they swim away.



You ever get that cooped up feeling in the summer?
Wait, probably not, you probably live somewhere with amazing outdoor summers - right?
So great!  Soak it up!
We can't wait to roll in the grass, run through the trees and jump in the lake when we get to Michigan.  Counting the days...

Sam Says #9

At the grocery store,
Sam, Ella and I are looking for Sunbutter Crunch Bars.

A mom with her son and daughter pass by.

Sam sticks his arm in the air and gives them a long, wide wave
as he tells them, "I will always love you."




Sam's Bird Stew recipe:

2 crow bones
1 reptile scale
1 spider head
2 dragon feet
1 lantern
1 Manta ray body
1 glob of pee
1 glob of oil
2 white wings
1 black wing
1/2 caterpillar body
2 1/2 cups of octopus tentacles

Put in a pot and stir.