Resin Earrings

One great perk of marrying a dental student is access to unusual craft ideas and tools. Last week, Chad brought home some "Ortho Clear" and "Ortho Resin" and we made earrings. Well, we are making earrings. I actually need to put the posts on the backs still. (Or maybe make them into necklaces? We're on the fence.)

Step 1: We started out with a concept--little piano keys drawn on paper with a pen. We sprayed the paper with a clear finish because Chad thought the resin might make the ink spread and ruin the image.

Step 2: We had some thin metal strips to wrap around the outside of the paper (I wish I could explain that better...basically, the paper is flat, but we wanted it to be suspended in the resin so we needed something to hold it all together.)

Step 3: Sprinkle ortho clear (a powder) into the mold a little bit at a time, followed by the ortho resin (a liquid), which solidifies the powder and causes it to dry clear. Repeat this step until you've achieved the thickness you want.

should have had the mask over my mouth--the resin stuff  smelled pretty toxic.

don't I look like I belong in a dentist's office?

putting his skills to good use.

pretty cool, right?

It was a fun way for me to play around with some of the tools Chad gets to use at school. And now I get to wear little pianos on my ears! Awesome. I would love to find out what the non-dental-tool equivalent of these products are (I'm sure similar things exist in the crafting world). If you know, do share!

Just Lovely.

Check out the beautiful view from down my street as I got home from work last night. I had to run in and grab my camera.

to the right of our casa: TOO MANY CARS, but what an amazing sky

to the left of our casa

So, last night was Monday. We try to have Family Home Evening on Monday nights. I'd have to say that it was just perfect last night. Chad and I had invited a family from Church to come have FHE with us, but they weren't able to come. So it was just the two of us, as usual. We had a great discussion about how Jesus is described as the "living waters" in the scriptures, and what this means to us. Then we watched the re-run of BYU beating Georgia Tech in Atlanta last weekend and decorated a little family of acorn squash for our porch (thanks to Mama Smith for the cool pumpkin stickers!). What a fun time!

3 Months and Goin' Strong!

Today is our three month anniversary (awwww!). Chad told some people today that he feels like it's been "forEVER!"--to which they sort of shuffled and laughed awkwardly. What he meant, I think, is that the first three months have gone so seamlessly and wonderfully that it's as if we were never NOT together. That's my interpretation, at least.

Chad is wonderful in so many ways. He is smart, ambitious, dedicated to his church calling. All of that. But he also makes some really sweet sacrifices sometimes that make me really happy--like purchasing my favorite Halloween movie with his i-tunes gift card money AND being a good sport about watching it with people we want to be friends with/don't want to embarrass ourselves in front of by showing them a lame movie. (Ever since I pronounced Better Off Dead as one of my favorite movies, Chad doesn't trust my movie judgement. I still stand by said pronouncement, but also declare that Wait Until Dark is, truly, a fabulous Halloween movie. And I think he actually agrees on that one, despite himself.)

We have a great life! Here's to at least three more months. ;)

Primary

Today was my first day as Primary Chorister in our new ward. I loved it!

We spent the majority of our time learning a new song for fall: "Oh, what do you do in the autumn time?" It's just like the summer-time version, if you know your Primary songs.

Oh, what do you do in the autumn time,
When all the world has changed?
Do you jump in some leaves?
Or swing in the breeze?
And watch all the birds go by?
Is that what you do?
So do I.

Oh what do you do in the autumn time,
When all the world has changed?
Do you sip hot cocoa,
Or wait for some snow,
As you watch all the clouds go by?
Is that what you do?
So do I.

I made picture cards for most of the lyrics (ie. a kid jumping into some leaves, a snowman, birds, etc.) and got some of the kids to come stand in a row and hold up their card when we got to it. We had them scramble up after everyone had the words down, and then I let some other kids have a chance. One of the best things about primary is how excited everyone is to be a "volunteer." They reach their little hands up as high as they can, and they yell, "Me, me, me!!" until you say, "I'm going to choose someone who's reverent. . ." and they all glue their lips shut but can hardly contain themselves and can't quite stay on their seats. At what age, exactly, do we lose that enthusiasm?

Another highlight of singing time was when we sang The Wise Man and The Foolish Man, and one of the little kids explained that the "rock" we are to build on is Jesus, and the winds are Satan. I was so amazed that he actually knew what the song was about.

I also visited the Nursery and we sang. There were six kids there but really only one of them was a singer. So really, he and I sang some duets, with the others looking on. He knew ALL of the words to his favorite song, "NEPHI!" (Nephi's Courage; extra fun because I know and love the people who wrote it).

I even got to go to Relief Society after it all--I have the best calling, ever!