fun finds this weekend

This weekend I was able to find some great stuff to compliment my bento lunches. My mom actually found some of it...such a nice mom I have...because sometimes our Targets do not have the same stuff or the little Target closer to her is not so 'picked over' like the two I tend to shop at...so

she found some great snack boxes (actual use is for scrapbooking supplies) but I saw them used on anotherlunch.com and they looked so cute! so I emailed her the link and asked her to look. She also found some dinosaur divided plates, pumpkin forks and spoons, square snack boxes and divided plates with lids!!! score 1 for mom!

I was able to get a set of mini letters and numbers fondant cutters that will be great for cheese, fruit leather and more...for HALF off! I also found a cute train cookie cutter at JoAnn's fabrics. I picked up several more 50% off one item coupons and plan on going back to get the mini set of stars fondant cutters.

I found a couple sets of mini little brown bear containers for cookies or ranch dip that fit inside my goodbyn box...at Dollar Tree! 
They also had muffin tins and more cute stuff to look through.

Sadly I took back the cute giraffe water bottle to World Market. It leaked horribly and I'm not sure if it was just that one...or all of them. 

But, in their drink and party section, I found the cutest picks...they look like swords! and you get 100 for $2.99!!!

I'm learning from a friend of mine (professional photographer who took our family portrait in May) how to take better pictures...of bento stuff and food especially...
We go to church together and at our community group today her husband commented on the cake I brought...saying something like I need to help her learn how to make things like that...I told her I needed to learn how to take better pictures of food!
so we struck a deal...she'll teach me some techniques about taking photos and in exchange, I'm going to teach her some good recipes...I think I'm getting the better end of the deal, but her husband will probably like the reward of a good meal in the end...so no pictures tonight...

first lesson...

wait til noon, 

put my 'stuff' next to a window

don't use the flash
stand back as far as I can and zoom in

we'll see tomorrow how well I do!