RAW52 Kinetic Ring Challenge

Carnival Pinwheel

As a kid, there were two things that absolutely signaled the beginning of Spring.

Well, actually three things, but only two of them are relevant to this post!

1) Pinwheels.  Every year my Mom would let each one of us pick out a pinwheel at the store. 

We would play with them outside until they broke.  Which usually happened pretty quickly ;) 

2) The carnival came to town.  I grew up in a very small town that didn't have any sort of amusement park.  So when the carnival came to town, it was a very big deal.

 

I guess it was about a month ago when Tomi asked if we would be interested in doing a kinetic ring challenge. 

EEEK!!!

It scared me, but I was in....

This is exactly what I love about RAW.  I'm not sure I ever would have sat down and decided to make something with moving parts.

I had another idea in mind at first, and even started it.  

I wasn't loving it though and set it to the side.

One day while shopping with the girls in the toy section, I saw a stand full of pinwheels.  Just like we used to get when we were kids.

Now, my pinwheel isn't quite like those, but that would have been a whole other challenge for me to create a pinwheel like that.  Which if I'm feeling very ambitious I may try some day.

It was interesting putting this ring together.  Trying to figure out a way to make it work.  And, truth be told, the design still needs some work to make it really wearable.  

But it works!  It really works!  And it's pretty too!  :)

The video isn't very clear, but you get the idea.....

Actually, I'm having trouble get the video to load on blogger.  So, here's a link to my Flickr! account...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/amynicolesrubymtnbeads/5555836187/

The State Fair of Texas

When I hear the word "Fair" my mind conjures up visions of ferris wheels, livestock shows, cotton candy, children running, laughing and playing. I think of horses, chickens, goats, and pigs. Beautiful quilts, canned goods, and other craft items made by ranchers or farmers wives. I think of the animated Charlotte's Web.

The reality for me going to The State Fair of Texas was a little bit different. I'm sure when the fair was founded many years ago, it was much more like the vision I had in my head. While walking around the fair, I imagined what it must have been like for kids out on the ranch to come to Dallas all those years ago to show their wares, to see and be seen. How exciting it would have been. The flashing lights, the cotton candy, corn dogs, popcorn, ice cream. Friends you only see once a year....

To be fair to the Fair, we arrived in the late afternoon and were quickly sucked into the carnival rides. The only animals we saw were the horses in the mounted patrol in the parking lot. There had to have been exhibits and animals somewhere, we just didn't get to see them. I really want to go back and see everything. We'll do a better job of it next time! The parts we did get to do were great.

The first thing we saw was a pond full of swans floating around a pond. Of course the girls HAD to do this.

We teased my husband and oldest daughter that they got "the ugly duckling". It was weird, a whole fleet of swans, and they got the duck!

The Dallas skyline from the top of the ferris wheel.







They had a great kids section in the carnival. My youngest is barely tall enough to ride the rides. This was the first time she was able to ride the cool rides! The girls had so much fun. I have always hated amusement parks, but the smiles on their faces while going on the rides made me smile too. I really, truly loved seeing how much fun they were having. So much that I just might take them to a real amusement park. Someday. Maybe. :)