Sketches of the Week and The Nutcracker

So I didn't post an outfit of the week on Monday (more about that below), but I did want to get at least one post done before Christmas. So here are my latest sketches. Above and below are my favorites of the last batch, both done in gouache. 

The scene below is also in gouache, and I was practicing shadows.

I used a sketching app on my phone to do the little Christmas cat below.

So the reason for no outfit post was that we went to the Nutcracker ballet last Friday night and I fully intended to get a shot of my outfit. But it was snowing like crazy and I was hemming and hawing on what to wear that would be cute and practical. So by the time I was dressed and ready, it was time to go! So the best I can give you is this selfie me an my girl took out in front of the O'Shaunessy Auditorium, in the snow!

I had to borrow the pic below, as you aren't allowed to take any photos. This is the second time we've gone to this particular ballet, and it is just magical. It is all my daughter can talk about. And I must admit, I can't stop thinking about it myself.

Source

We definitely want to go again next year!  Have you ever been to the Nutcracker? Have you seen any other ballets?

Apple Picking 2016

 Sampling the apples

One of our favorite family traditions is apple picking. Where I grew up in northern North Dakota, we didn't have any apple orchards to go to. So when I had my own family that was something I really wanted to experience. This year we had to go to a different orchard because the u-pick trees at our favorite orchard were damaged by frost last spring. In searching for an alternative, I found that not all orchards offer u-pick, but I found that Deer Lake Orchard does thank goodness. They are actually not far from our regular orchard, so that was nice. It's a bit less fancy, but I liked that fact that it wasn't quite as crowded. 

 My daughter picking apples

We ended up picking a huge bag of Sweet 16 apples. At least I think they are Sweet 16, they could also be Harrelson. My only real criticism of this orchard is that they don't give you much guidance as to where the u-pick apples are and which is which. You pay for your bag up front in the store, and then they cashier gave very vague and confusing directions. We ended up wondering around for about 10 mins. before we finally found the u-pick, and then we still weren't sure whether we were picking Sweet 16 or Harrelson! Oh, well, they definitely taste great whatever they are!

 Fuzzy (sorry) shot of momma and baby apple

 Shop with more goodies

We also went back to the shop and purchased a bag of Honeycrisp apples and a jar of jam. Did you know that Honeycrisp apples were actually developed here at the University of Minnesota? They are my daughter's favorite. 

Do you ever go apple picking? What is your favorite variety of apple?
Bye for now!

Five Free Things to do in the Twin Cities

 Unfortunately summer is just about coming to a close, we are already half way through August! There is still time to get out and have fun in the Twin Cities area. So here is my list of 5 great free things to do.

1. Take a Hike

There are so many great parks and lakes in the Twin Cities, and many are in the suburbs. Above is Palmer Lake Park, in Brooklyn Center, a suburb of Minneapolis. My family and I have gone on many walks there, during every season.  It has a paved 3.1 mile trail, and two recreation areas. We've seen lots of wild life there, including deer.

2. Mall of America

If you want to do some indoor walking, and do some window shopping at the same time, there is the Mall of America. As one of the most visited tourist destinations in the world, Mall of America features—520 stores, 50 restaurants and attractions galore, including Nickelodeon Universe^®, the nation's largest indoor theme park. There are two hotels attatched and it has just undergone an expansion. And there is even an IKEA across the street.

3. Antiquing and Thrifting

One of our favorite things to do in the area is go to antique and thrift shops. They can be found all over the area, but one place we love is Stillwater.  It's a quaint little town just a few minutes away from the Twin Cities located on the St. Croix River. It's full of  antique stores, gift shops and local restaurants.

We especially love to go there in the fall when the leaves are changing.

 4. Como Zoo and Conservatory

 The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory is full of fun things to do. Technically is is free, but there is a voluntary donation of $3 for an adult and $2 for a child to help care for plants and animals. Our favorite things to do besides visit the giraffes and polar bear, include the Cafesjian’s Carousel (which was built in 1914 and only costs $2 to ride) and the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory full of beautiful flowers and plants.

Cafesjian’s Carousel 

 Marjorie McNeely Conservatory sunken garden

5. Swim in a Lake

Minnesota isn't called the land of 10,000 lakes for nothing, and there are many lakes in the Twin Cities that charge nothing to take a dip in. One such lake is Parkers Lake in the suburb of Plymouth, MN. It's a pretty little lake with a lovely beach and docks for boating. 

So there are some of the many fun and free things to do in the Twin Cities area. Have a great rest of the summer! Bye for now!

Summer Vacation Part 7

When it finally came time to leave Yellowstone, the trip out of the park was especially beautiful. There was a combination of fog and steam making the park look even more otherworldly than normal!

We exited the park through the east entrance that led into the Shoshone National Forest. This happens to be the first national forest in the United States, created by President Benjamin Harrison in 1891.

We were on our way to Cody to spend the night, and passed by ranch country and the Buffalo Bill Reservoir.

I didn't get any pictures of Cody I'm afraid, but we had a great time there. Cody was founded by Colonel William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody. Buffalo Bill, was an American scout, bison hunter, and showman. We spent most of the day at the Buffalo Bill Cody Museum, where we learned about the history of the man himself, the Native Americans of the region, the natural history, western art and a huge firearms collection. I think my hubby could have spent all week there, and we all thoroughly enjoyed it.

 Then next day we headed back through the Bighorn Mountains, dropped my sister back in Spearfish and headed back to Custer to spend another night with the in-laws. The next two days were spent heading back to Minnesota. It was such an amazing trip, getting to see Yellowstone and the Tetons again after all these years. And to see it with my family made it even more fun this time around. I hope you enjoyed my photos and if you want to see the rest of my trip here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6.  Bye for now!

Summer Vacation Part 6

The next day of  our trip we headed south to Jackson Hole and the Tetons. I think I was most excited about this part of the trip, because I loved the Tetons so much when I first saw them years ago. They did not disappoint!

Our first stop was Colter Bay on Jackson Lake. This is an ideal spot to get pix of Mt. Moran which stands at 12,605ft. (3842m).

As we drove on we got better views of the hightest peak, Grand Teton, which is 13,770ft.(4197m).

Below are the stunning views we had while eating lunch at Moose Junction. I couldn't imagine a better view!

Finally we headed to the town of Jackson, which I had remembered being very quaint and cowboy. And my hubby was excited to see where they shot scenes from an old favorite movie of his, "Every Which Way But Loose".

Thankfully the antler arches are still there, so we took advantage of the photo op, but with the exception of a few touristy buildings; most of Jackson is very upscale now. No doubt it's do to all the celebs who have homes there such as Harrison Ford, Sandra Bullock and Dick Cheney. It was more art galleries and jewelry stores than tourist traps. Still we got to see it and we had fun.

My daughter, my hubby, and sis.

The drive back to Yellowstone, was just as beautiful. We really didn't want to leave! The last part of our trip was a stop over in Cody WY which I will post about next. If you want to catch up on the other days of my vacation, here are the links: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
Bye for now!