Galaxy Dyed Vans

My oldest son finished third grade this past spring and that year was the first time I had been able to volunteer in his class with any regularity. I volunteered once a week when they attended art class and I was able to get to know a few of the students and learn a little about third grade dynamics. This is the gist of what I learned:

• Third graders are still emotionally sensitive. They want to be cool, but they still suffer from the emotional instability that plagued them at the magical age of seven.

• Third graders aren’t quite old enough to believe that everything is stupid… yet. But they’re getting close.

• Third graders can be really mean!

It was so fun to be able to help out when I could and I hope I’m able to join his fourth grade class as often as I can in the fall.

A while back, my son had it in his head that he needed more expensive shoes. Supposedly, a kid in his class declared that his Keen shoes were “dollar store shoes,” and that cool kids only wear expensive shoes. Ugh.

First, I reminded him that we actually can’t buy him super cheap shoes anymore because he’ll rip through them faster than you can even say the words “Dollar Store.” Second, I explained to him that how much a pair of shoes costs means absolutely squat. What matters is if they fit comfortably, look good to you, and keep your feet dry. And it’s nice if they last a while, or at least until they’re outgrown.

Their teacher reprimanded the kid who tried to make others feel bad if they didn’t have $100+ shoes, but I did my own little passive-aggressive comeback (with my son’s blessing, of course). I made him some custom-dyed Vans.

Vans are ALL the rage among kids from elementary school all through high school. I have to admit that it makes me chuckle to see teenagers wearing the exact same pair of checkerboard Vans I’m wearing. I wear them because I like how they look and they’re slip-on, and I LOVED them when I was a kid.

We bought some plain white Vans from Journeys earlier this month and I galaxy-dyed them in green and blue, my son’s favorite colors. I used fiber-reactive dye from Dharma Trading and a similar technique that I use for galaxy-dyed clothes and baby carrier. They ended up being quite a pain to rinse, the dye inside the soles was tough to get out. I also did my best to mask off the white rubber to prevent them from being stained by the dye. Lastly, I masked off the rubber and labels when I painted stars with fabric paint.

I really love how they turned out and so does my son. Apparently a few of his friends want a pair now. #momwin

Hiking My Way Retreat 2019

At the end of March, I had the privilege of attending a retreat in southern Utah with more than a dozen really fantastic women. My friend Shanti is quite literally, a force of nature. She has a natural talent for bringing people together and does it in the most wonderful ways. She’s a writer for REI and Outside Magazine and the founder of Hike it Baby and Family Forest Fest and last year she published Hike it Baby: 100 Awesome Adventures with Babies and Toddlers. One of her recent projects has been her Hiking My Way Retreats. Twice a year she hosts women for a long weekend of hiking, exploration, running, yoga, and reflection. For the last few retreats, she’s had The Mirnavator, Mirna Valerio, as a co-host.

We explored trails around southern Utah, mainly close to Zion National Park. I enjoyed taking lots of photos, but we were lucky to have Arika Bauer with us on a few hikes too. She’s an amazing photographer and if you find yourself in southern Utah, consider reaching out to her for family photos. If anything, check out her website for amazing tips on hiking at Zion National Park and the surrounding areas.

Here are the trails we explored:

Timber Creek Overlook Trail, Kolob Canyons - This trail is north of Zion National Park, just off of I-15. We’ve driven past the exit many times, me wanting to stop and explore, but alas, with my kids, sometimes it’s better to just stay in the car and get home. This trail is short and a climb, but it’s absolutely gorgeous, especially at sunset. The clouds hung low and clung to the steep, red cliffs. The trail was extremely muddy when we hiked because of recent rain, muddy enough that I wished I’d brought my trekking poles. I almost wiped out a couple of times coming back down in the near-dark, my iPhone as my flashlight. It was an absolutely stunning hike and I cannot wait to bring my kids.

Photo by Zion Adventure Photog, Arika Bauer

Image by Zion Adventure Photog, Arika Bauer

West Cinder Knoll - This trail is popular with mountain biking because it’s open and mostly flat. We did climb up to the Cinder Knoll itself and we had a beautiful sunset view of the contrasting red rocks and the snowy mountains in the distance. It was a beautiful end to a really fun day.

What a gorgeous trail!

Beautiful woman and a beautiful landscape.

Red Reef Trail, Red Cliffs National Recreation Area - I was lucky enough to explore this trail with Shanti last year. It’s truly a hidden gem, although it’s not all that hidden anymore and was quite crowded on the Saturday we went. Because of all the snow and rain we’ve had this past winter, there was twice as much water in the creek as there was last year. The trail has lots of space to play in the creek, little waterfalls, and as it narrows into a slot canyon, there’s a fun spot where you can climb up and over a waterfall.

Image by Zion Adventure Photog, Arika Bauer

We climbed up into that big cave to stop and have a snack. We had a lovely view looking out over the creek and there was even a pictograph on the wall!

Snow Canyon State Park - Snow Canyon was a wonderful surprise (I’d never been!) and I cannot wait to bring my family there. It’s a state park just outside of St. George. It features petrified sand dunes that my kids will love to climb. Jenny’s Canyon is a fun and short slot canyon. We practiced yoga on the sand dunes at sunset and it was really beautiful.

Gould’s Wash, aka Molly’s Nipple Trail - This one is another popular mountain biking trail and features a little mountain formation that is called Molly’s Nipple. Some opted to jog on this trail and the rest of us enjoyed a peaceful walk.

Grafton Ghost Town, Grafton Gap Trail - Grafton is a historic Mormon town that resides along the Virgin River, just down the road from the entrance to Zion National Park. It was abandoned in the late 1800s and a few buildings still stand. You can explore inside a couple of the buildings too, but first we hiked a mountain bike trail that climbs up a mesa and it gave us an amazing, panoramic view of the area.

Florence Williams talking about how important smell is when we spend time outside. The trail was lined with wild sage and it smelled lovely. I’m currently reading her book, The Nature Fix and loving it!

Shanti told us that this little cliff is called the Grafton Gap and mountain bikers try to gain enough speed to jump over it.

The town of Grafton from the trail we climbed. I can see our van from here!!

Confluence Trail, Virgin River - This trail was really close to the AirBnB houses where we stayed in La Verkin. The trail meanders past a golf course down to the Virgin River and then you can just explore the area from there. We tried to get there closer to sunrise than later and it was quiet and peaceful with no other hikers. We saw a few desert wildflowers too.

On our last night, we were all gifted this bracelet engraved with “Hiking My Way - Slow AF.”

All in all I had a wonderful time and I really hope I can get the pleasure of attending one of these retreats again some day. It was amazing meeting every one of the wonderful women there. Thank you so much Mirna and Shanti!

What's in My Pack?

Not at all art-related, but I’m an avid hiker and I love to explore the trails around where I live in the Salt Lake Valley and beyond. We just got home from spending a weekend at the Devil’s Garden Campground at Arches National Park with eleven other families and we had a blast exploring trails, arches, climbing boulders, and eating really well. A few weeks before that trip, I got to spend five days in the Zion area of southern Utah with a group of amazing women where we hiked and explored a bunch of really fantastic trails.

Image by Arika Bauer - Zion Adventure Photog

Spending time with other hikers ALWAYS results in us “shopping” through each other’s clothing and gear. We are always on the lookout for items that make the experience easier or more comfortable for us. This is even more helpful when we’re hiking with our kids. Sometimes there are little items that you don’t even realize could be useful to you until you see another hiker rocking them.

This post has LOTS of affiliate links. You are under no obligation to shop through these links, but they do help keep my business going and it’s very much appreciated.

In My Pack

• Deuter Speed Lite 24 Backpack (it’s probably bigger than I really need for most of my hikes, but it’s comfy and it’s sometimes nice to be able to throw in something extra).

• Peak Design CapturePRO Camera Clip (attached to the shoulder strap, gives me the security and confidence to bring my DSLR on trail, this clip also fits on baby carrier straps or a standard belt)

• Canon 50mm f1.4 lens, Canon 18-135mm f3.5 lens, Canon 70D DSLR, and a zipper pouch with spare batteries (obviously the camera and bigger lens were used to take this photo. This camera has been so good to me in the years I’ve had it. Eventually I would love a 35mm wide angle lens… someday)

• Matador Mini Pocket Blanket or Wenzel Mini Blanket (downright handy to have, the Wenzel blanket is waterproof too)

• Adventure Medical First Aid Kit (FYI, these have the BEST tweezers for removing tiny splinters)

• Black Diamond Carbon Z Trekking Poles (they fold down nice and small, small enough to fit in the water bottle pocket of my backpack. When opened, they are too tall for my kids to use, I did that on purpose! For poles my kids can use, I have Cascade Mountain Tech poles from Costco that were $30.)

• Deuter Zip Pack Lite 2 - My Period Go-Bag (contains a few pads, tampons, wet wipes, and a pair of Thinx undies, useful for when I hike with any women)

• LifeStraw (I’ve never had to use it, but I still bring it, just in case)

• Fifty/Fifty or Hydroflask Water Bottle (size varies on the length of the hike, for long hikes, I’ll use a 2L or 3L Camelbak Water Bladder)

• Travel bottle of sunscreen (current fav for my face/body is Super Goop and Alba Botanica for my kids)

• Deuter Dirt Bag (In cahoots with the Leave No Trace initiative, Deuter made these waterproof, reusable bags designed to hold trash you find on trail. Donate to LNT and you get one of these bags for free.)

• Lots of hair rubber bands

• Bottle of useful medicines, usually Ibuprofen, Tylenol, Excedrin Migraine, and Zyrtec.

• Nite-Ize Flashlight Keychain (damned handy, I keep one on my keys too)

• Bag of random snacks, varies on the day, but usually contains fruit snacks, fruit leather, random trail bars, string cheese, and sometimes candy… because I’m all for bribery. I also like bringing cheese, salami and nuts for myself)

• My own business cards and Hike it Baby stickers

• Random carabiners, the non-climbing variety (handy for clipping random stuff to my pack, like a child’s backpack when said child can no longer carry their own)

• Glow sticks or bracelets (usually purchased from the dollar section at Target, they’ve saved me from many-a-meltdown)

Footwear
I hiked the summer of 2016 in running shoes and after rolling my ankle on trail twice, I reached out to my brother (a shoe buyer for a big retail company) and asked for suggestions on hiking boots and trail running shoes. I hated the way hi-top hiking boots rubbed my ankles when I was a teen, but my brother convinced me to give them a try again. Merrell and Ahnu are really the brands that seem to fit my slightly-wide feet and pronating ankles, AND come in sizes larger than a woman’s 10. Ahnu was bought by Teva a while back, so the models I have may be found under Teva now.

When one mom finds a great pair of shoes, others follow suit!

• Merrell All Out Blaze Aero Sport - super lightweight, almost works as a water shoe, dries quickly, nice, wide toe box

• Altra Lone Peak - a trail running shoe that is SO comfy, even if you aren’t a runner. The super wide toe box is dreamy for anyone with wide feet or bunions

• Ahnu Sugarpine Waterproof Hiking Boots - very lightweight, not much need for breaking in, they come in rad colors too

• Ahnu Montara Waterproof Hiking Boots - a little stiffer than the Sugarpine boots, but still very comfy, I use them for longer hikes so my feet are more supported

• Brooks Levitate 2 - for running, which I occasionally do when coaxed, these shoes are downright dreamy on my feet

Apparel
I rarely wear leggings on trail anymore, favoring breathable pants that have real pockets instead, bonus if they can roll up to capri-length. The biggest selling points for me are great pockets, lots of stretch, and LONG enough. I’d also like them to be available in my size, which isn’t a single digit number. I have a hard time supporting companies that stop at a size 12 or 14, when I personally know PLENTY of amazing women who are bigger than a 14 who love to hike. I don’t think I’m asking too much.

When it comes to tops, I buy whatever I can find that fits. I’m not loyal to any one brand. Sometimes I find athletic or running shirts from Target, Costco, Sierra Trading Post, or our local outlet stores. Some of my favorite shirts, tanks, and pullovers are from Champion/Target, Columbia, and Under Armour. These are my favorite bits of clothing for hiking that are worth singling out:

• 5.11 Women’s Mesa Pants - I love these pants, they come in Long, have lots of stretch, a real waistband that can handle a belt if needed, and wonderful, deep pockets. They have pockets on the hips that can hold my phone and allow me to sit comfortably. I wear them all the time, even not hiking *** These have been discontinued and replaced with the Apex pants. I’m hoping to get a pair soon and will decide if I like them better or not.

• Columbia Women’s Saturday Trail Stretch Pants - very comfortable with lots of stretch, my only complaint is they aren’t easy to find in the Long length and Regular is about 2 inches too short on me, so I wear them as capris until I can find the long ones at my local store

• Merrell AlphaTherm Mid-Layer Fleece - lightweight, warmer than it lets on by feel

• Lolë Packable Down Jacket (not as pricey a other brands, it packs down small, includes a cinch bag)

• L.L. Bean Ultralight 850 Down Jacket - it packs down into a little pouch that doubles as an inside pocket when you’re wearing it. It’s warm and comfy without being bulky.

Other Accessories, Sometimes Weather-Specific - Random other stuff that I only sometimes carry that also isn’t apparel or shoes, this stuff is sometimes seasonal.

• RoShamBo Baby Sunglasses - designed for kids but also made in adult sizes, so they’re kinda indestructible, which means I can cram them into a pants pocket or my backpack without worrying that they’ll get damaged, and they’re only $35 with polarized lenses

• AlaskiWear Hooded Scarf - warm and snuggly without giving me hat hair, I love them so much, I have two

• Fingerless Gloves - handy for when it’s cold but I still need dexterity to take photos or tie kid shoelaces, these are handmade by my aunt, but you can find plenty online

• Kahtoola MICROSpikes - handy for hiking in the snow or on ice. I also own YakTrax that work well and are WAY less expensive than Kahtoola, but they sometimes slide off my boots. If you opt for YakTrax, spend the couple extra bucks to get the YakTrax Pro with a strap that goes over the boots

• Sunday Afternoons or whatever trucker hat is actually in my car and my oldest hasn’t stolen (I’m on the lookout for a proper wide-brim actually looks decent on me

• Art Toolkit - this thing is freaking awesome for the rare times I can sit in one spot and paint, everything you’d need has been well thought-out

• Way 2 Cool Mesh Cooling Towels - handy in the summer, especially on hikes with no shade, just get it a little wet and it stays cool on your skin

• Líllébaby CarryOn Toddler Carrier - if I have room in my pack, I may bring it if I think my son will need a ride, we’re almost to the point where I won’t be carrying him anymore… almost)

• Onya Baby Pure Baby Carrier - always in my car in case another parent needs it or if I am volunteering to wear someone’s baby. I actually prefer the fit of the Onya Baby Outback carrier, plus it has a big pocket and a hood, but the Pure is what I currently have

• a Hammock - this is a relatively new item that I bring on many hikes; especially hikes where I know we will have time to play, splash in some water, or just relax. Hammocks range in pricing incredibly, but I have been really happy with this brand so far.

That’s all I can think of for now. I’m sure as I do more hiking and camping this spring and summer, I may add more.

Are you a hiker, what items are essential for when you go hiking?

Still-Life Painting and Stress-Relief

My grandma’s silver champagne bucket; this was a homework assignment. Still kicking myself for not getting an actual bottle of champagne. I would’ve enjoyed sharing it with Grandma.

When I was in college, even though I was majoring in animation (yeah, that changed), a still-life painting class was a required course in my first year. It met once a week for six hours (lots of my classes were like that) and before it even started, I dreaded it. I loved painting landscapes, but I’d never painted a bowl of fruit or a vase of flowers. The idea seemed daunting to my early-twenties self and I had no interest in a subject matter that I considered boring.

Little did I know that still-life painting class would turn out to be one of my favorite classes ever. Not only did I learn more about what makes good composition and how to use light and color in different ways, but I also learned how to paint reflective surfaces, how to paint transparent glass, how to paint folds in fabric, and how to really handle oil paints (I’d only ever painted with acrylics). But mostly, it was just a fun class. We’d crank up some music (usually Pink Floyd or Bjork) and just paint. That class became a source of stress-relief when other classes, a long commute, and work had me frazzled and feeling overwhelmed.

My second or third attempt at painting wine glasses. I loved how they turned out but didn’t love the pink fabric. This canvas is in a pile of ones I’m planning to let my kids paint over. The frame houses a different painting now.

A couple of canvases went to my grandma; whom I lived with when finishing college. She would often call dibs on canvases before I was even finished with them. A painting of fruit and a silver kettle on a purple tablecloth went to my mother-in-law. I even managed to sell two little 5x7 canvases to a random customer from my job at a picture framing store.

One of the 5x7 paintings I actually sold, eggplant, Bosch pear, and grapes in an extravagant frame. Sometimes it was fun to get to play with scrap pieces of moulding.

The other little canvas I sold, this one was my favorite with the little silver pitcher and pomegranate. I’m a little sad I don’t have them anymore, or at least have a higher quality photo, but I needed the money at the time.

Quite a few canvases were garbage too and I will eventually paint over them, or let my kids paint over them. This painting was my favorite with the copper kettle and brass bowl. It currently sits on my dresser and though I don’t love the frame, looking at it brings me back to that still-life class and the peace it brought me each week.

For some reason, that flower was the hardest part to paint, hahahah!

It’s been probably fifteen years since I painted with oils and the idea of starting up again with small children just seemed daunting. My 3rd grader has recently shown some interest, so I ordered some student-grade oil paints. Thankfully, I have a few unfinished canvases that we can doodle on and we’ll see what sparks us to put on canvas.

School Valentines, 2016-2019

We don’t do much to celebrate Valentine’s Day in our family. It’s just not a holiday we celebrate; even back when my husband and I were dating.

With our boys in school now, Valentine’s Day is back on our radar and every year I fully expect my boys to want store-bought, character valentines. It’s been a few years now and they’ve surprised me with wanting something custom-made by their mom. I’m not sure whether to feel used or that I set myself up for it.

The year my oldest was in kindergarten, we missed his party because he only attended school three days a week, and the Valentine’s Day party fell on a day he didn’t attend. I thought I was off the hook with valentines until he went back to school after the weekend and a box of Valentines and treats was waiting for him from his classmates. I felt like a stellar parent.

The next year I knew he would have been happy with character Valentines from Target, but I wanted to do something fun and non-edible since there were a couple of kids in his class with scary allergies. We already had a bunch of bacon bandaids, so I made this little card and printed them onto card stock, then added the bandaid with double-sided tape.

The following year, my oldest set his expectations high with something fun again and considering the sheer amount of candy he got the year before, I wanted to try and avoid food again. So we went with hand warmers! I took his photo and played with it in an iPhone app called PicsArt. Then I added the background and text in Adobe Illustrator. We stuffed the card and a hand warmer into a some 4-bar envelopes I had left over from a baby shower and done!

Last year (2018), both kids were now in school and my oldest wanted to use PicsArt again to make some fun photos. I asked both boys to put on a red shirt and they chose the same Manchester United jersey. Then we made their cards with PicsArt, a little Illustrator, and we taped mechanical pencils and Dove chocolate hearts to their cards.

This year, I was feeling very meh about Valentine’s Day and was all set to hit up Walmart and see what boxed valentines they had left 3 days before their school parties. Then my oldest asked what fun Valentines we were going to make this year and if we could go look on Pinterest for ideas. I couldn’t say no. We searched for non-candy valentines and saw a couple of baggies of Goldfish crackers with a fun, fishing-themed greeting. That was the winner! My boys (especially my oldest) are WAY into fishing right now.

Here’s what we made:

We already had a box of Ziplock snack-size baggies that we weren’t using much (they’re so small!), so we bought a few big boxes of Goldfish Crackers filled enough for both classes. Then I took photos of each of my kids in good light and re-drew them in Adobe Illustrator, added the cartoon-y fisherman bodies, a less-then-thrilled fish, and Voile! The “Hooked on You” graphic is on one side and the “Fishing you…” graphic is on the other. The only difference is the names and different heads, of course.

I saved some time (because I created these 2 days before the parties) and had everything printed onto 8.5x11 card stock at my local Office Depot. I trimmed the pages, scored, and then stapled them onto the baggies that my boys filled. I really love how they turned out…. so much that I may add them to my Etsy shop next year that others can customize.

I know there are only a few years where we’ll get to make Valentines for school. I’m pretty sure they stop around middle school. Whether you celebrate or not, have a Happy Valentine’s Day!