Another sheet of jokes.

Lunchbox jokes.

I love making school lunch fun.  I love sending napkin notes!  I love having a little reminder of home during the chaos of school.  So, I've been making these little lunchbox jokes.  I got the jokes themselves from Yahoo kids jokes.  Feel free to click on the picture.  Then click again to enlarge.  Left click to save and print.  I laminate mine to use again.

Take heart.

It pained me to take down my Christmas wreath.  But alas, I couldn't pull it off any longer.  And I went on a search for the perfect replacement.

Be still, my little heart......

 A ruffled.heart.wreath on my royal blue, faux-stained-glass door!

 

  

Tutorial found HERE on Little Birdie Secrets

And one bit of advice.  Skip everywhere else and go to Joann's fabrics for the wreathform.

A Preview...Finally!

I've been asked by a few friends to show off my living room.  And I kept meaning to.  But first, of course, there's a little story behind it.

A few years ago while we were livin' up the student life, I read a parenting book called "The Parenting Breakthrough" that ultimately became one of my faves.  Somewhere within, there's a passage that simply describes the author's own home and conversation piece found within.  When I read it, I pictured it in my mind's eye and that picture has stuck ever since.  I've wanted this in my home for years.

On a date with my lover boy a couple of years ago, we ran across this print of "The Creation of Adam" by Michelangelo.  I snatched it up and have held onto it ever since, just waiting for the right time to put it up.  I LOVE this piece of art.  God's right arm is outstretched to impart the spark of life from his own finger into that of Adam, whose left arm is extended in a pose mirroring God's, a reminder that man is created in the image and likeness of God (Wikipedia).

Placed around Michelangelo's famous piece are my own creations.  Photographed creations of my family creating.  With. Their. Hands.  Building with blocks.  Exploring a train.  Creating music.  Holding tight in the backstroke.  Bending wires; straightening teeth.  T-Ball.  I Love Yous.  Striking keys in the right key.  Choosing the Right.  Exploring nature.  Reading the written word.  Interlocking fingers.  All. With. Their. Hands. 

 Then, in the October 2008 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave one of the most amazing talks for ME that just really spoke to me deeply.  "Happiness, Your Heritage" didn't teach necessarily teach me something I didn't already know, but the Spirit that I felt that night while I watched him speak just made such an impression on me.  It was undeniable that God loves each of us and "Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness."  But the most memorable part of his talk came to me when he said this: "The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before." When I heard this, my whole vision for my photo collage was complete.  

 ...and now I've finally created it.  I so love it!

Deck{ing} the Halls.

We pulled it all out from the attic. Decor in a new place. In a new home. Oh, the thrill (and the exhaustion) that comes from giving everything it's new snug place.

Through a series of fortunate events, we were gifts two free trees this year. We had our first tree, a thrifty 6-footer that swallowed our teeny, tiny apartment. It now barely makes it's presence known in the Morning Room.

The first tree, given to us by my dear brother-in-law, has been hoisted up to the tip-top of the 20 foot ceiling in our entryway so that the adorning lights are visible from the great outdoors.

The second, left behind by sister's renter, turned out to be a pre-lit 8 footer. She's a beauty posing beside the baby grand. This year, she'll be adorned all in pure white. White knitted garland, white ornaments, but my favorite: white origami Pennsylvanian Moravian stars handcrafted by me.

More to come...

Dollar Tree for Me!

I love making things. And having money to make things is even better. And having a house to put the things that I make is the best! If I don't have a list going of craft projects, then I'm always on the lookout for what I'll make next.

So. You probably know that I am about to show you something that I made. Yep! I saw this first on this blog and loved it! I saw these wreaths last year at a very hefty price of over $100, baby. Mine, it cost me a whole eight dollars. Eight.




And this week, I'm teaching a Relief Society craft night with these bling-bling wreaths. In fact, I bought out the whole Dollar Tree!

Love it! Do you?

Want to make it? Here's how:
Hurry over to Dollar Tree!
--5 tubes of medium-sized ornaments (12 in a tube) in 4 colors
--2 tubes of small ornaments (15 in a tube)
--1 wire coat hanger
--hot glue
--ribbon

Unwind the coat hanger and bend it into a circle. Take the tops off of all the ornaments and hot glue the tops back on. Now, just string the ornaments onto the coat hanger. I used a pattern of 2 big, 1 small and alternated through my 4 colors. Keep going until you get all the way around and have them packed on there as tight as you can! Bend the hanger back and tie your ribbon!

Who'd have thought?

Little Me? An award trunk winning trunk decorator!

This year, we were blessed to attend our ward's Trunk-or-Treat, another Trunk-or-Treat (with awards!) with friends, and even hits up some of my relatives on Halloween evening before the rain set in.

Trunk decorations were required at our friend's Trunk-or-Treat...and so I came up with something cheap and easy. I just used white fun foam, a red blanket, and some tape. The award? A free carwash, baby...which was seriously needed.

Sandbox Installation.

It's hot.
It's cold.
It's rainy.
It's buggy.

Sandboxes are better made for under the roof.
In our unfinished basement.
In the "closet".
10 feet x 7 feet.
Boarded off.
Filled with sand.
Not too hot.
Not too cold.
Never rainy.
Never snowy.
Never buggy.
Invite a friend.
It's just right.

Established 2000.

I've been storing up ideas in my head (and my Firefox bookmarks) for years while we were students. Knowing that we didn't have the money or the space for a bunch of my craft/decor ideas, I've held off until we had a place of our own and an income to support it.

Presenting idea number one of many...
Made from an unfinished wood tabletop, this timemarker gives me delight. It sets the tone for my developing black and white morning room.

Like it?

Glidden. Home Improvement.

Back in April when we were amid the high stresses of graduation, house hunting, and then the subsequent "buying a foreclosure" experience, we were (and still are!) thrilled with the prospect of buying our current home. Of course, there were some things that we knew that needed some attention, a little tender loving care. Some matters were more pressing than others ie. blinds in the Master closet, the carpets being cleaned along with the kitchen, walls, and bathrooms. Farther down the list was the front door. I hated it, but hoped that after the lock box was removed I would like it more.


I didn't.
Although I loved the view from it's sidelights and large window, I didn't like how visitors and those still interested in our already-purchased-home could just peer right in. That issue was quickly solved in June when we added more uniqueness to the door with a stained-glass look. I loved having the windows covered.



But I still wasn't a fan of the door.
Poor workmanship still shown through where gorilla glue had been used by the previous owners to solve a problem. The yellow stickiness dripped down from every side of the window. The scars of a once-broken-in-door were still screaming around the deadbolt.



A while back as I was reading through my blog subscriptions, I saw an offer from Glidden for a quart of free paint. No strings attached. And I took them up on it. I chose my color and it arrived as promised. I tore off the old, cracked caulk, sanded down the rough spots, puttied in the scars, and called on my dad to re-caulk the window. And I was set. I hit this baby up with some free paint.





By the way, I do LOVE it! I love how bright it is and how clean it looks. I love driving up my driveway and it welcoming me home. Thank you Glidden!

We've got the Top Pop.

In case you're in need of a few cheesy, but much loved Father's Day ideas. These were packaged pretty and hand delivered to our Daddy's work today. After all, the air has been cleared and the place is all his. It was grounds to celebrate on more than one account!

First up, the Top Pop. Dad's Root Beer can be found at the Dollar Tree. For the "Top Pop" award, check out 2 Clever Blog for a great printout.


I combined the Top Pop with one of our Papa's faves: chocolate. This man loves his chocolate. Instead of a pile of candy bars, I liked this dressed up look from Sisters Stuff. Here's our version.

Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy in the world. We sure love you!!!

In the spirit.

There's an old wives tale in the South that says that if it thunders in the winter, then it will snow within 10 days. I've heard it all my life. That means it's true, right?

Well, it thundered this week. And I do realize that the First Day of Winter isn't technically until December 21. But come on Mother Nature, what's a few days in the grand scheme of things? Can't we just pretend it was already winter when Green Light was terrified of those few claps of thunder and flashes of lightening!

A girl's gotta dream, right? Snow within 10 days would mean we could have a snowy Christmas-week. Now, that would tickle me pink...for sure!

Here's to dreaming...

...and a couple tutorial links. I mean, don't you want a snowflake like this to adorn your front door while ushering in the snow too? And I believe someone asked for the elves' instructions for making marbled glass Christmas ornaments. Enjoy!

like busy little elves.

How do Santa's elves keep up with all of the children in the world?! I am lagging behind, bobbing for air just trying to stay the pace. Want to know what these elves have been working on this week? Well, take a looksy...
Of course, Santa's elves work all year long, right? I think about working all year long, but alas this year is no different than any other. I wait until the last minute to concoct some crazy gift idea. Meaningful, yet fun. Affordable, minus the uselessness. Beautiful, without the calories. And here folks, you witness the winner. Why not celebrate Christmas with Christmas?!

Now, let me share one of the best parts about this little project of Navidad. She's a well-kept secret and not currently available for rent. Sorry lads.

They turned out even more incredible than I imagined! What better way to spend my $2.50 than on these little gems? Several of them jumped out and practically named themselves:

Merry Christmas Friends.

the Mood.

I love to appeal to the senses! Our bodies and minds can be so influenced by a myriad of things as Roundabout is learning about lately in Kindergarten. There's the sense of sight, sense of touch, sense of sound, sense of taste, and tonight we've experienced the

For Family Home Evening tonight, we learned about the many symbols of Christmas; the candy cane, the bell, the candle, the wreath, the angel, and the star. It was fun and to top of the night, we made Cinnamon Ornaments! Oh, the smell is so divine!

After we tucked the children into bed with sugar plums dancing in their heads, I popped our goodies into the oven. And when they emerged as ornaments, I knew just the place for them.

What a surprise awaits the little munchkins when they see the festives in the morning!

Apple Cinnamon Ornaments
1/2 cup cinnamon
1/2 cup store-bought applesauce (homemade would probably be too runny)
-Or equal portions of both ingredients depending on how many ornaments you'd like to make-

Stir together cinnamon and applesauce with a spoon until the dough becomes stiff. Then use your hands to create a ball of dough. Place the ball of dough on a sheet of waxed paper, flatten slightly with your fingers. Place a second sheet of waxed paper over the top of the dough and roll out dough to about 1/8 inch thick. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Use a straw to cut hole in the top for hanging.

Air dry creations on a waxed paper-covered cookie sheet or a cooling rack for at least 24 hours until they are completely hard. Or, if you're impatient like me, bake them in a 200 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until stiffened. Remove from oven, let cool, and ornaments should be hard.

Punkins.

Every once in a while, usually when I am in a crafty lull, I see something that catches my eye. When that happens, I can't get my mind off of it until I try it myself. Such is the case this week. And with what? These silly little Halloween shirts. You're going to love them!

Here's what you need:
1 package of Orange Rit dye (I used Sunshine Orange...doesn't that sound cheery?!)
100% cotton T-shirts for your kids (or you!)
1 package of rubber bands

1:
Pinch and gather up a portion of the T-shirt fabric, then add a rubber band 1 or 2 inches from the point of the pinch. Wrap the band around several times until it's nice and tight. Do this all over the front of the shirt.

2:
Fill your washing machine with enough
to cover your shirts. Add 2 Tablespoons of detergent. Pour dye into water. Turn washing machine onto wash for 30 full minutes of "wash" time.

3.
After 30 minutes of
turn washer to rinse. Rinse until the water runs clear. Wash, cut off the rubber bands, and then dry! (Afterwards, be sure to immediately run your washer to the max water level and add 2 cups bleach to clean the orange dye out of your washer!!)

4.
Insert cardboard inside the shirt and carefully draw jack-o-lantern faces inside of each circle. I used an "ultra fine point" Sharpie, but the instructions on FamilyFun say to use a fabric marker or fabric paint.

5.


6.
Just love 'em!

I think they're so cute that I contemplated making Straight Arrow and I one too. We could be a whole Punkin family!

Addiction.

Hello, my name is Share the Road and I have an addiction. I have the courage to admit it, finally. I am addicted to couponing. Just when I think I should back off and not always be on the prowl for the next deal, it strikes again. I have flashbacks of actually getting paid money from the cashier at the grocery store, memories of the rush of getting a cart of groceries for free, and enjoyment out of basically having my own grocery store in my pantry. I've tried to quit...to put it down...but the addiction is just too strong.

And then came Triple Coupons at Harris Teeter this week. My my my! Ladies and Gentlemen, if you aren't a believer, then I'll make a believer out of you yet. So far in the past two days, I have spent a total of $13 out of pocket for $170 worth of groceries! How absolutely amazing is that?! Is it on things that you'll actually use, you say? Is it on healthy foods, you ask? Are you spending money on things you normally wouldn't buy, you wonder?

Well, try this for starters...

12 canisters of Lysol disinfecting wipes
1 10-pound Boston Butt Pork Roast
3 bottles Coffeemate (I haven't gone apostate...Hot Cocoa recipes call for this!)
1 box chocolate covered pretzels (random, I know...but it's for Green Light's birthday cake)
4 boxes Quaker Chewy Granola Bars
4 packs of Mott's Apple sauce
3 Hungry Jack syrup
2 Martha White muffin mix
2 Betty Crocker cookie mix
2 Betty Crocker brownie mix
3 Dole mandarin oranges
4 bags Old El Paso tortillas
1 canister Quaker Quick Oats
2 cans Carnation Evaporated milk
3 Shout stain removers
4 packs Yoplait kids yogurts
2 boxes Uncrustables sandwiches
2 tubes Colgate toothpaste
1 Suave shampoo
1 Suave conditioner
3 Butler toothbrushes
3 Johnson's Scrub Buddies soap

...all for $13
...thanks Dianna for sharing coupons
...what a wonderful blessing from our Heavenly Father

A sewing fix.

You ought to know me by now. Every once in a while, I've got to get my little Domestic Inclination a whirl. The perfect opportunity came along this week: an Enrichment activity.
I love to sew, but would you believe that I've always been so intimidated by patterns that I've never sewn a piece of clothing for myself?! So, I gave it a go! I really wanted to know how to make the frilly part at the bottom. I think it makes the apron!

I almost backed out of going. Sewing clothes scare me THAT much. But, when my girlfriend Katie asked me to go with her to pick out fabric, I had to go! How fun is that?! When we got to the fabric store, I found two very differing fabrics that I liked...picked them up...carried them around...and tried to find something to match one of them. I couldn't. And so it was. I came home with two mismatchy fabrics. I actually have a thing for orange and blue together. So, maybe the marriage was meant to be.
Now, for the reasons why I totally needed this apron (and why you need one too!)

1. Aprons make you feel special.
2. Aprons make you a better housewife.
3. Aprons make you a better mom.
4. Aprons make you a better cook.
5. Aprons make your cleaning more fun.
6. Aprons make you say nicer things to your kids.
7. Aprons make your food taste better.
8. Aprons let you pretend to be Cinderella with your daughter.
9. Aprons let you pretend you are living in the 50s.
10. Aprons are just plain fun.
    

On a roll.

This week. It's been a grand one. And yesterday, I even had a little time alone. Straight Arrow took the older kids on a long outing while Rest Area rested. At first, I didn't know what to do with myself! But I quickly came to my senses, perused my long list of future projects, and decided to embark on one. It was a quickie! Crayons....on a roll! I've been dying to make this for a few months. But since it serves absolutely no real purpose other than being totally cute, I hadn't made it....yet....until yesterday.

1. I used two pieces of fabric 5 X 16 1/2 inches (for the outside and inside), one 6 X 16 1/2 inch piece of fabric folded in half lengthwise and pressed (for the pocket), one piece of lightweight fusible interfacing 5 X 16 1/2 inches, one package of ric rac trim, 30 inches of ribbon, and one package of 16 count crayons.
2. Iron the interfacing to the wrong side of the 5 X 16 1/2 piece of fabric that you want to be on the inside.
3. Line up the bottom edges of the folded piece and the piece with interfacing, pin together. Starting over from the edge 1 1/4 inches sew lines parallel with the edge starting from the top of the crayon pocket, back-stitching at the top to reinforce. Sew the lines one inch apart across the pocket. You will have 1 1/4 inches on each side.
4. Take your ric rac and pin it around the edge completely on the inside edge of the fabric. Don't let it hang over the edge any. Fold the ribbon in half and pin it on the edge.
5. Pin your other piece of 5 X 16 1/2 inch fabric right sides together with the pocket piece. Sew around edges with 1/4 inch seam allowance. Leave one short side open so that you can turn it.
   
6. Turn it, press with a hot iron to fuse the front and back together, and then top stitch all the way around.
   
7. Slip your pretty crayons all inside...
8. Roll it up, tie it up, and
9. Now look...you're all done! Wasn't that easy?!

I can't wait to take this to church and let the kids color with their crayons that are each nestled in snug like a bug in a rug!

And then there were Sponge Balls!

Birthday #5 is coming up here soon for a special little girl I know. Each year, we have a themed birthday party and each year, the kids are allowed to invite as many friends to their party as the age they are turning. This year, Roundabout initially asked for a Princess birthday party, but since she had a Princess theme last year, I talked her out of it. Her second choice was a Beach (Water-themed) Party....and so we went with it.

As I started to plan this beach party realizing that we don't have access to a pool, sprinklers, slip 'n' slide, or even a water hose, I searched for other ideas. I came across these fun Sponge Balls! Martha Stewart...you either love her or you don't...and although I don't necessarily like the person that she chooses to be, I do love her ideas!

You gotta try them! Water balloons pale in comparison to these cuties!

And just like that, you've got yourself some easy, breezy

I'm glad I found these when I did...for a couple of reasons:

1. After only finding these Sponge Balls as birthday party entertainment, she has now decided to have a Princess Lemonade Luncheon (aka Tea Party). More on that later...
2. I do not enjoy filling water balloons. They are hard to fill, hard to tie off, and then they are thrown, broken, and gone in no time flat.
3. These are easy to "fill" and they never run out!
4. I bought a pack of sponges from the Dollar Tree. They are mismatched sizes, but work just fine. I got 10 sponges for $1...which makes 5 Sponge Balls! All in all, my $2 got me 10 fun balls!