kiss me quick

i wear this skirt only once a year because it is my favourite.  my mom bought it for me for christmas in high school. and i want to wear it only once a year for forever.

love,

me

ps. i'm on my way to paris with my mom and sister. here was my dress up and packing song...

pps. i miss you already, ty.

five minutes of makeupless fame

i was on tv. the office i work at had a halloween candy buy back the day after halloween. kids brought their halloween candy to the dentist, and he gave them $1 per pound of candy, and he gave a pound of apples per pound of candy to the food bank.

i like that.

back to me being famous...

i was walking by the front desk when a camera crew came in the door. they just started talking to me and asking questions and the only thing i kept thinking was, "i can't believe i didn't put makeup on this morning..."

i didn't look as cute as i did with my niece at the actual event...

anyway. here's my television debut.

enjoy.

love,
y

the house elves got a job

well, i am all grown up and gots a real job.

and tyler gets to play all day at school.

i guess its a bit more work than that, but i am slightly jealous that i don't get to go back to school this semester. 

although getting a paycheck is rather nice...

we pre-bought tickets and dressed up for opening day of the last harry potter movie. both my nephews dressed up as malfoy; one even had a dark mark painted on his arm. when the first movie came out, our entire family dressed up. my dad went down in history as wearing the single best hagrid costume of all time, complete with a full beard and wig made out of raw brown wool and a humongous sheep skin coat. he only made it about twenty-five minutes waiting in line for the show before he was sweating buckets and peeling off layers... but it was the best part of the movie. and even though i haven't liked any of the movies (yes, i'm one of those "the books are so much better!" kinds...), i found myself dressing up, once again, to say goodbye to daniel radcliffe and all his friends... i even cried. a lot.

another part of our growing up was moving into a place of our own. we're house-sitting and helping to clean a house this year.

funny that we dressed up as house elves, and now we ARE house elves...

huh...

love,
r&y

ps. to prevent any more of this growing up business, i will listen to this and wish that i could grow up and be a rockstar so i could sing with the muppets.

nephew pictures taken on a yashica 35mm with fugifilm 400 (with light leaks...), ty and i on our mamiya 120mm with portra 400.

dandelion gardens

i got a new dress. i had a yellow dress when i was four, and i have been looking for another more grown up, less poofy sleeves version. and here it is.  

i also wanted bangs like dr. blight when i was six, and even when i try to change it up, i always seem to revert back to blight bangs... i thought they were fabulous as a six year old, too...

and i think it is too bad that it is looked rather poorly upon to have a garden of dandelion globes. thank you, city of mississauga, for not using pesticides and letting my garden of dandelions grow in the field across my old street.

love,

me

ps. all pictures taken in mississauga except the last one with an alberta sky.

  

baby, we've always got next year...



this year, it was quite possibly the best. christmas. ever. we were filled with food, presents, memories, sleep, and energy to last us for the remaining few months we will be out here. and everything on our to do list was easily forgotten (we've always got next year...).

and we took about 12 rolls of film. so for me (and you), christmas will last another month or so!

this is charlie, my gold dress, and GQ tyler after church at our cabin in idaho. there are too few times you get to wear gold, sparkly dresses, and christmas time is one of them. one of many reasons i love that season.

love,

r&y

ps. these pictures were taken with my christmas present, a mamiya m645



making everybody look like ants

Official Guidelines to Solidifying Yourself as Best Aunt Ever Ever

1. Move far away so nieces (or nephews) may take an airplane ALL BY THEMSELVES to see you. It is only when you fly by yourself that you get many things "free," such as chocolate and caramel apples.

2. Arm said nieces with their own cameras. A short film lesson may be in order (you have to look through that little hole to see the picture. no, you can't see the picture you just took on a little screen. yes, you have to wind before you take EVERY picture.).

3. Make a lot of rules, only so you can break them. Things are way more fun to do if you are breaking rules doing them.

4. Always have makeovers. More than two is preferable.



5. Go out for pizza in heels.  Heels should be at least 3 sizes too big.  And expensive.

6. Eat skittles with skittle fingers

7. Pick your very own pumpkin, even if you have to get Uncle Tyla to lift it into the wagon for you.

8. Must ensure that everyone gets the exact same amount of everything (popcorn, rootbeer in the rootbeer floats, marshmallows in hot chocolate, etc...) or points towards best aunt ever award will be deducted.  The only way to remedy this horrendous mistake is to make sure that everyone gets double (or triple, in extreme cases) the next time.

9. Get very dirty. It is ALWAYS worth it.  Especially when you HAVE to make arrows to show the birds where to find their nests (obviously).

10. Lick your fingers.  Especially after making cinnamon knots.

11. Do not let the wind blow you off the tallest building in the world, although it is sure fun to let it try.

12. If you are afraid of heights, lie down.

13. Make your own princess slippers. Use any thing available that can be glued, taped, cut or twisted.

14. Eat dinner in the middle of a rain storm.  Preferrably in a rainforest.

15. Get lost. Corn fields are the best places to do so.  Bring Uncle Tyla and his sense of direction.  Use him ONLY if you are so lost that you may actually be lost forever and will never see mom or dad or siblings or best friends or food ever again.

16. You are movie stars if you are on, see from a distance, or sneak close enough to a real live movie set.

17. Hold both hands extra tight and give lots and lots and lots of kisses when niece has been waiting 2 days and FINALLY gets her ears pierced. And only go to ear piercing facilities that give lollipops to ear piercee AND ear piercee's moral support.

18. Find trees on fire, swan princesses, and grass taller than you. It is all magical.  Every. Last. Single. Tinsy. Weensy. Thing.  Must never forget this.  And take a bazillion pictures.  You do not want to forget one millionth of a second.

19. Have a theme song.



21. Cry lots and lots when you have to wave goodbye to them at the airport.

I love you, girly girls. Come back soon.

Love,
Auntie Holly/Best Aunt Ever