A Glimpse

<A link to Kyle's reflection on the evening added at the end of the post>

Last night was a big night for my husband.  Each year since he started a new project based learning program at his high school they have a big expo in the spring.  It’s a chance for the studio students to show off their projects and practice their presentation skills in front of their families, friends, teachers, and people from the community.  I have been to several and continue to be impressed by what students are capable of doing when you let them explore their skills and interests.  For example some of the projects I saw last night included a safe driving application for smart phones, an academic social media site (built from scratch by 15 year olds, amazing), team building programs including interactive modules, a novella piggy backing off Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, short film tutorials for advance placement world history topics, and an LED programmable bumper sticker.  These kids are learning and applying market research, product design, coding/development, website design/maintenance, script development, film editing, and presentation skills.  They were honest about the challenges of overcoming the obstacles they encountered and they were passionate about their projects.  Even though they were graded last night on their projects several plan to continue to pursue and advance what they created.  Some of the presentations I saw are products and services I would be willing to purchase especially if they were refined and moved out of beta stages. 

At the end of the night the students had a closing ceremony.  They had several current students and soon to be studio graduates speak briefly about what the program has meant to them.  The recurring theme was that through the program they had surprised themselves with how much they are capable of and that they were inspired to keep growing their confidence and skill sets.  This was more than just a class.  It was a safe place to push the boundaries of their capabilities with teachers who helped guide them but didn’t get in their way.  It was a safe place to fail and try again.  It was a place where they learned the frustration and the potential of working with others.  The lessons learned about working in teams will serve them well throughout college and their careers. 

As they spoke they thanked my husband and his team teacher for dedicating the last 4 years of their careers to the program.  Their words brought tears to my eyes.  It is not often you get to see the people you love through someone else’s eyes.  I got a chance to do that last night and I saw what a huge impact he has made in the lives in those kids and it made me incredibly proud.  They made them each a card and I cherished getting to read their words to him.  Some were silly but some were incredibly sincere and great reminders of the lasting impact of the program on the lives of the students.

Last night was also a big night because next year my husband will be moving to a new school to pursue an exciting and challenging opportunity.  I know it was a bitter sweet night for him.  He is excited about what is to come but sad to leave behind something he built with such passion and pride.  It takes a great deal of courage to walk away from something good in pursuit of something even better.  To push yourself outside of your comfort zone for the greater good of yourself and your field.  This is where Kyle inspires me the most.  He knows when to play it safe and when to take a risk.  I truly believe that what he built in the studio is just the beginning of the amazing things he will do throughout his career to enrich the education and lives of his students.  

Here is Kyle's reflection on the expo: http://theartofforgetting.com/2014/05/09/my-final-studio-expo-a-reflection/

Stitch Fix

I had received recommendations from a bunch of my friends to try Stitch Fix, an online personal styling service.  At first I wasn't sure but after several rave reviews from friends I figured it was worth a try.  You create a portfolio online by answering a series of questions.  They also give you the option to provide a link to a Pinterest board which I did and I think that helped the stylist a great deal.  The set-up was pretty quick and then I scheduled my first fix.  I got it in the mail and I was very impressed!  I loved 4 out of the 5 items although they are a little pricey so I only ended up keeping two of the items.  I scheduled my next fix for mid-June, I can't wait to see the next set of items!

Staycation Day 4

The sunshine and nice weather came back for our last day of our staycation which was so welcomed after two overcast and rainy days!  Since the sun was out we knew we needed to soak up some Vitamin D and spend most of the day outside enjoying the beautiful spring weather.  We made our way to Atlanta Zoo and spent the first half of the day with the animals.  Going first thing in the morning was an excellent choice since the animals were very active and animated.  We got to see the new twin pandas play fight and the tiger pacing in his enclosure.  I managed to walk through the whole reptile exhibit without needing to excuse myself to wait outside.  I even took some really cool close up photos of a few of the snakes. It was easily our best visit to the Zoo since it wasn't overcrowded and the animals were very active.  

That said the giraffes once again eluded me.  Two years ago the zoo opened an addition to the giraffe area that allows visitors to feed the giraffes.  Giraffes are my favorite wild animal.  They are elegant and awkward all at once and I love that because I can relate to it.  Since I heard about the exhibit I have tried 5 times to feed the giraffes.  They have been standoffish, not out due to conditions, generally disinterested or some combination of those things each time I've been.  I hoped this would be the trip that would break by bad luck with the giraffes but alas they eluded me once again.  It is clear my love for them is unrequited.  Maybe one day!

We ended our last staycation day by joining my parents and some friends for dinner.  It was a lovely cap to a great few days!  

Staycation Day 3

Day 3 involved Whales, Dinosaurs, the Farmer's Market, and an amazing home cooked meal!  We started the day at Fernbank.  They are featuring an exhibit on Whales - Giants of the Deep.  It was fascinating to see how much we have learned about whales and yet how little we truly know about them.  The exhibit had some impressive fossil replications including a giant sperm whale that was larger than a school bus and was not even one of the largest of its species.  I had a hard time reading about whaling and how violent and destructive humans have been towards whales.  

We also enjoyed the other regular exhibits especially the section where you get to interact with different stations to understand the science around electricity, visual effects, sound transmission, and tornadoes.  They also have a walk through time which includes some dinosaur replicas so Kyle was a happy camper.  I'll never forget the story of his first day in the classroom as a teacher.  A student asked what profession he would have chosen if not a teacher and with a straight face he said if he couldn't be a teacher he wanted to be a dinosaur.  I love that he is still a kid at heart sometimes!

We capped off our Fernbank adventure with an IMAX movie on the South Pacific ocean reefs and island culture.  The shots of the coral reef and the species of fish were magnificent.  That would be a pretty amazing place to go snorkeling, maybe I'll be lucky enough to do that in my lifetime.

The remainder of our day was spent going to Farmer's Market to get provisions and then relaxing at home.  We made a wonderful dinner and enjoyed having some down time together at the house.  It was an excellent day!

Staycation Day 2

Day 2 was rainy and overcast, whomp whomp.  I think Spring Break should be sunny but the weather had other plans.  We decided to focus on indoor activities and started the day at the Georgia Aquarium.  I got to see the new (well new to me) show Dolphin Tales.  It was really cheesy but it was amazing to see the dolphins swim and jump.  We enjoyed visiting each of their exhibits but particularly enjoyed the temporary exhibit Sea Monsters Revealed (aquatic bodies).   It showed different specimens of fish and crustaceans highlighting their composition and structure.  

After the aquarium we headed over to the World of Coca-Cola.  I had visited the older World of Coke when I was younger but had not been to the new location.  It was definitely more technologically advanced and polished than the old one but like the old one it was pretty mediocre besides the tasting room.  The tasting room was my favorite part back in the day and remains my favorite part of the World of Coke.  They have a station for different countries/regions.  They highlight their products from that area and it's fun to get to try so many drastically different kind of products.  The watermelon soda from China was one of my favorites.  My least favorite continues to be Beverly from Europe.  I'm glad we went, it's a classic Atlanta tourist stop and it was fun to see the changes they made when they built the new one.

We capped the day off at the Shakespeare Tavern which is one of my favorite Atlanta gems.  It has a very authentic feel and the plays are always very well done.  We saw Macbeth and they did an excellent job capturing the darkness and madness from the play.  I still prefer comedies to tragedies but was very impressed by the emotional quality and delivery of the actors.  The sword fighting was fun to watch as well!  

Staycation Day 1

Kyle and I have always found April to be our busiest month of the year with December as a close second.  This year has been no different.  Traditionally we take a big spring break trip but with Kyle’s doctoral classes and workload we decided to do a Staycation instead this year.  We absolutely love living in Atlanta and thought it would be fun to be tourists in our own city. 

Our first day of our staycation started out with a trip to the beautiful Atlanta Botanical Gardens.  With the threat of rain later in the weekend we wanted to take advantage of the gorgeous weather and spend our first day outdoors.  The gardens had thousands of tulips in bloom and it was really quite magical.  The orchid house is always a personal favorite for me.  We walked leisurely around the gardens and took full advantage of our new SLR camera.  The difference in the photo quality with the SLR versus our old camera is tremendous. 

After the gardens we walked to Piedmont Park next door.  The dogwoods were in bloom and with a light breeze it was perfect weather for a stroll around the park.  From the walking paths you can see the Atlanta skyline and I found the beauty of our city really striking.  It’s fun to see the city you live in through fresh eyes.  After the park we hit up one of our favorite downtown restaurants called the nook.  We split their famous totchos.   That’s right totchos = nachos with tater tots as the base.  We ordered their southern classic with pulled pork, queso, and jalapenos.  Words can’t describe how delicious they are, you must experience it for yourself. 

We finished our first day by visiting a couple local breweries with a few friends.  We ended the day in downtown Decatur at our favorite brew pub Twain’s.  It was a busy but delightful day!

Recipe Project

I have been contemplating getting a recipe holder box for a while but always decided against it because I didn't want to take the time to transfer my favorite recipes to recipe cards.  A couple weeks ago I decided it was time and got a great deal on a recipe box from Amazon.  I also found gorgeous recipe cards on sale at Anthropologie and got an even sweeter deal since they were doing an additional 50% sale items for the home.  I got to work transferring all my favorites and had an epiphany during the process.  Back in 2007 we had had our friends and family bring a recipe card with one of their favorite recipes to our engagement party.  I found the book I was keeping them in and now my simple organization project is also something very sentimental to me.  It brought back wonderful memories seeing the hand written notes and recipes from our friends and family.     

Home Organization Challenge

Look out nooks and crannies in our house; I’m coming for you!  I wish I would have had a before picture but it was so terrible I subconsciously didn't want my hoarder’s corner documented.  So here is the much improved after picture of the corner near our couch. 

We also re-staged the entry bookshelves.  The end result is much less cluttered and busy.  I even tackled my board on the back of the door where I store mementos and event invitations.  

Brian & Brant's Gender Reveal Party

These events have become so popular over the last year or two.  I was so excited to have the chance to host such a fun event for our good friends Brian and Brant!  We met them in Hawaii on the trip I won through work and our friendship has grown from there.  These two have had a more difficult road to parenthood as a gay couple so they have been incredibly excited about each milestone.  This past weekend we hosted their gender reveal party and it was so much fun.  They are so excited that their little one will be a boy and they are going to name him Lucas.  Praying for this precious little boy, I can’t wait to meet Lucas in the fall!