Land (check!) Water (check!) Sky (check!)

Back in May, Trevor's Scout troop did a weekend campout (land) that included canoeing (water) and a flight in a private plane (sky). The Scouts were divided into two groups: one went out in the canoes while the other went up in the air. Then they switched, so everyone got to do both activities. Trevor already had his Aviation merit badge (it was the first merit badge he ever earned); the Scouts who didn't were able to complete all the requirements for the badge. 

I used 8 photos on this page - seven in the grid, plus a photo of the plane in the sky as an embellishment in the upper right. 

Land - Water - Sky (affiliate link)

This was the first layout I made for Game 2 of the 2024 BYSS World Series. 

I used 2+ sentences of journaling, two arrows (the 'Nature' and 'Fresh Air' stickers), three patterned papers, and an outdoor themed element (cloud die-cut). That's a total of four points for my team, the Scrappin' Banshees. Go, Banshees! 

Davis, California: Art in Public Places

In 1973, the city of Davis, California started the Art in Public Places Program. For 51 years (and counting), the City has allocated 1% of all public funds for Capital Improvement Projects to go toward art. The result is a city packed with sculpture, murals, tile work, paintings, and other beautiful features in the public areas. 

Trevor has been living in Davis since we moved him into the dorms on September 17. He loves UC Davis and is thriving. In addition to his classwork, he's volunteering at the California Raptor Center (where he did his Eagle Project and part of his Senior Project), has joined multiple clubs, and is spending a lot of time with his new friends. Fortunately for us, he made time in his schedule to meet us for lunch one day in downtown Davis. 

But before we met him up with him, we walked around downtown specifically to see the art. 

  

Steve and I both went to college in Davis and have spent a lot of time there over the decades, but this was the first time we used the City's public art pocket map to guide our stroll. 

We saw a good amount of the public art within a few blocks of downtown, but that is only part of the nearly 200 pieces of public art within city limits. It's impressive. 

  

Davis is a really special city and well worth a visit if you haven't been. 

Alabama State Cookies: Introducing the Yellowhammer

In 2016, our family visited New Mexico and tried their official State Cookie for the first time. When I wrote the blog post about our trip, I included this: 

"Note to self: Petition California's legislature to adopt an official State Cookie. I'm not sure what it should be, just that we should have one too."

 

It took two years, but in 2018 we set about inventing the California Cookie. Trevor and I, plus three of his friends, had a really great competition, picked a winning cookie, and wrote to the legislature. Unfortunately, our efforts to make it official were not successful, but it was really fun. 

While Trevor and his friends were not able to enter the annals of history through the invention of a State Cookie, an Alabama 4th grader named Mary Claire Cook did. Her cookie, called the Yellowhammer, is a pecan and oat sandwich cookie filled with honey and peanut butter. It's a great representation of the state, as peanuts are the State Legume of Alabama and pecans are its State Nut. Alabama is nicknamed the Yellowhammer State, after the state bird. 

When the Yellowhammer was adopted in June 2023, Alabama became the third state (after New Mexico and Massachusetts) with an official State Cookie.  

The Yellowhammer is a hefty cookie... and quite delicious. 

The filling is outstanding. 

This is the official recipe for Yellowhammer Cookies. Enjoy!

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Yellowhammer Cookies
Yield: 24 cookies

COOKIES:

• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 24 pecan halves

FILLING:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup melted butter

BAKING AND ASSEMBLY:

1. In a bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, using a hand or stand mixer, beat together butter, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Add flour mixture and stir well.
3. Add oats and continue beating until well mixed.
4. Cover and refrigerate dough for two hours.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
6. Form dough into 48 1-1/2 inch balls and flatten. Arrange on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place a pecan half on 24 of the cookies, which will become the top of the finished treat.
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until set.
8. Make the filling: Mix peanut butter, honey, butter and powdered sugar and beat to combine, about three minutes.
9. Spread filling between two cookies, topping with the pecan-topped halves and sandwich together.

50 State Quarters: Coloring Pages Using Crayola Crayons

I've finished four more 50 State Quarter coloring pages: Vermont, Maryland, South Dakota, and Florida. I went back to basics, as these are all done with Crayola crayons.

 

There's something relaxing and fun about coloring with crayons (good quality crayons, that is), but crayons are not the best choice for these specific coloring pages. It is really difficult to get into the small spaces, particularly the letters. Crayons don't blend well, so I struggled with trying to use the limited colors I have to create textures and shadows.  

Curious to see how other art materials have behaved on these coloring pages? So far, I've used: 

• Ohuhu markers (Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Wisconsin)
• ink and Prismacolor colored pencils (Connecticut, Idaho, Missouri, Montana)
• Flair pens (Delaware, Indiana)
• Sharpies (Maine, South Carolina)
• Stabilo Woody 3-in-1 (Colorado, New Hampshire)
• Folk Art acrylic paint (Wyoming, Rhode Island, Mississippi, Michigan)

 It's been so interesting trying out different materials. I have some clear favorites, but I'm going to wait until I finish all 50 coloring pages before ranking my choices. It feels like I've been working on this for a long time (because I have) and I'm not even halfway through!

10 Fun Facts about Brayden

This is the fourth project I made for Game 1 of the 2024 BYSS World Series. I scored a triple for my team, the Scrappin' Banshees: 1 point each for using stickers (on the title), chipboard (the branch), and a journaling card. 

 

10 Fun Facts about Brayden (affiliate link)

I'm really happy with this page, with one exception: I wish the green margins were even. I cut the yellow paper down too soon, planning to go in a different direction. Originally, I was going to use the yellow as the background and piece scraps on top. Once I decided that the green would be the background, I cut down the yellow. I shouldn't have cut so much. I thought about piecing things back together and hiding the seam, but ultimately just accepted the uneven margins. Like I said, I like everything else about the page. 

I'm happy to report that the 15 points I earned for the Banshees helped contribute to our victory in Game 1 over Twisted Scissors. Two more games to go!