Feeling a Little Down?

I know we have had an unusually warm winter in this part of the country but don’t forget it is still flu season. I’m doing fairly ok. Not really sick, just maybe a little run down (or on overload).

Looking at our snowman today, made me wonder, how many other people might not be feeling up to par.

In an effort to stay ahead of the game, I thought I would publish my own PSA. Don’t be fooled by the extra sunshine, remember to maintain your health. Always get the rest your body needs. Be sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat something healthy everyday.

Seriously, I hope you all are doing well. Take care of yourself. Spring is almost here, I can feel it!!!

(Hmm, Maybe that’s what the snowman is doing…He’s looking for spring??)

I am surprised that he is still standing. Really, how far can he tilt????

Still here and with a flash back

I know I’ve been neglecting you all for ohhhh sooo long. Geez, I missed the whole month of January. Aside from the three kids…in two different schools and four extra curricular activities, the jewelry business and the feeble attempts at maintaining the house I have another project on my plate that has been monopolizing my attention. As some of you know I not only sell jewelry on my website but I occasionally participate in vendor shows.

Well now instead of waiting for the right show at the right place with timing that suits me… I’m co-organizing a vendor show with a friend of mine. In about a month from now, 40 local vendors will be coming together to sell their handmade crafts and art work
Myself included!

It’s been a wonderful learning experience and a great deal of fun to fine so many talented people and pull them all together. I’m sure it will be a great success for all of us but I didn’t want to just post (brag) about what I’m occupied with right now.
I thought it would be fun to share a blast from my past.

A week or so ago my Mom came over with this….



Finger Puppet Gloves!


A few decades ago, when she was in nursing school, I “helped” her with a class project (Ok, so I did it for her but I had fun doing it). I think it was for a pediatric class and she had to come up with some sort of toy for the patients in a hospital. I bought a cheap pair of garden gloves at the hardware store and used a bunch of acrylic paint and some embroidery floss. (I’m sure I had most of that on hand already. I have inherited a pack-rat gene somehow????

Anyway, I think I did ok showing ethnic diversity but I may not have been entirely politically correct. I might have gotten carried away with the American Indian??? Nonetheless, my kids have had a little fun playing with them.

I do have a few more ideas for some posts in the near future. I promise to do my best at not taking quit so long next time.

I hope you all are well and I’ll be around to visit your blogs soon. Miss ya!!!

T’was the night before Christmas…

(that's my boy posing for the camera...I'm so proud)

Anyway,

I had some fun this year making shirts for the kids…and me.

This is a fun, simple way to add a little of your own touch to a T-shirt.

All you need is a white shirt, gel glue and dye.

Pre-wash the shirt then put it over a piece of cardboard that has been covered in plastic. Use the gel glue to write a verse or phrase that you like. You can also draw a picture or design. Let the glue dry at least 4-6 hours.

Once the glue has dried, you can dip the shirt into a bucket of dye. Use any color you want. I followed the instruction but the color didn’t come out as dark as I would like so I would say go stronger on the amount of dye you use.

After the dye process (which takes about 30 minutes to an hour depending on the color and how dark you want the color) wash the shirt in your washing machine and dry in the dryer.

Here’s the one I did for myself.

Have a very wonderful Holiday!!!

Hair today, gone tomorrow...

For what feels like forever, my daughter and I have been growing our hair out to make a donation. While it might not seem labor intensive it didn’t come with out its hurdles. When you have a 6 year old there can be a few battles about knots and tangles in her hair. I mean you pull a blanket over your head and run around trying to scar your bother and there is a fair amount of static built up. Crawl around in the grass and dive under that tree to get a ball and your going to come out with some issues.

Bath night is always such a joy. Thank goodness it’s hubby’s job. “Daddy that hurts” “Daddy, your pulling too hard” “Stop yanking on my hair!” Aahhh the memories they’ll have.

I know I sure went through an awful lot of conditioner. And this may sound strange but I get hair headaches. Don’t laugh, it’s true. All that hair pulling down can make your head tired. And if you pull it into a pony tail that get’s it our of you face but man…nothing feels better that taking it out at he end of the day!

So for a few years there has not been more than a tiny little nip to the ends of our locks. My daughter had her hair in a braid most of the time just to keep it somewhat under control. I did what I could to make mine look presentable and tried to keep from looking like one of those older women desperately holding onto youth by having long hair. Not sure I pulled that off??

Either way, the time had finally come. We reached our goal of 12 inches. We took some time one evening taking a bunch of silly hair photos. Then this past Saturday we were off to the salon. The first time ever for my daughter. I always cut the kids hair at home so they don’t know what the salon is all about. She had a few questions on the way about where she was going and what they were going to do to her. Would she be in a different room? Was it going to hurt? How would they do it?

She was such a wonderful little trooper!!! The look on her face when they washed her hair and massaged her head was priceless. I think she’s ready to move in there.



Silly Moustaches...


Cousin it...

Yes, that is the front of our faces...

Ponytails GONE!!!!

Before and After....

What do ya think?

Big difference huh?

Here and here are a few places you can check out if you’re thinking about donating hair.

Tis the Season...

It seems that this time of year more so than any other brings people together socially. I’m someone that could stand to plan a gathering and do something festive all year around. I love to have friends over and have that “party” atmosphere. Sometimes it can be as simple as having another family come over for pizza night. We have the kids make their own pizza then send them outside to run themselves silly while the grown ups talk.

Other times it’s a bigger gathering with more of a theme. I have a pumpkin carving party every October, where the neighbors come over and we eat tons of food and carve our pumpkins then line them up on the step out side to take an after dark pumpkin picture.



You could invite a bunch of people over and ask that everyone brings an appetizer. That always seems to be a hit. I love appetizers, why not make a meal out of them.

Or host a cookie exchange. Get 10-12 bakers organized and each participant makes 10 -12 dozen of one type of cookie. Then you come together and swap so you go home with a tray filled with all sorts of different treats and you didn’t have to spend days and days in the kitchen. This concept works well with soup too. It’s so nice to have a freezer filled with containers of soup all winter.

This past weekend I went to a Gingerbread decorating party (without kids). It was so relaxing to sit back with some wine and decorate our houses while catching up with our gal pals.

Here’s my creation….

To keep the festive feeling going, I had a Christmas party the next day with just my family.
I pulled all the tree trimming supplies out while hubby mad a few bloody marys.

The kids got to decorate their own gingerbread house and since I had already done mine, I was less “type A” about how they did their decorating. Worked out great for all of us.

Hubby strung the lights while the kids and I worked on the gingerbread house and then we all moved in the living room to hang the ornaments.

I guess I was focused on the tree and sadly my house did not survive for very long.

What fun ideas do you have for sharing time with the people around you??

Just Say'n...

I love Halloween. I think it’s a fun holiday that brings out your inner rock star or gives you the chance to be something different…out of character, even if for just a day. Plus you get candy to boot. Nothing wrong with that.

Then BAM, we’re into Christmas??!??

While I’ve never been much of a Christmas person. I am seeing it differently now that I’m a Mom. I am working at finding the magic of it each day. However, I think it is commercialized to the hilt and that it can be difficult to see the magic through all the extra hustle and bustle, the increase in traffic, the over-stocked shelve and crowded isles. It becomes so easy to loose sight of that little baby. I mean that is what created this holiday, right? That tiny baby, in that far off land…born in a barn. Any of this ringing a bell? I think that story gets a little misplaced sometimes when the grouchy driver is blowing his horn or the snarky sales clerk grunts at you.

Anyway, all of that aside there is a holiday that’s falls between the two. Anyone? Anyone??

I know, I know, it doesn’t get much attention. Well, I mean how much can you commercialize a day about food? It’s about food isn’t it? Oh, wait, no, that’s why there is so little attention to the day. There aren’t too many ways for someone to make a buck. Unless you’re a grocery store but everyone eats all year round anyway so not a huge difference here.

They don’t write songs for it. (That’s why the Christmas music starts the day after Halloween). There’s no over packaged candy or treat. No magical fairy tail land to make a movie about. But it is something deserving of a little attention. So, while you’re eating your “fun size” candy out of that black and orange wrapper and listening to How Grandma got run over by a reindeer, take a minute to be grateful. Think about something you have struggled through and overcome. Think about a new friend you made. Think about those who have sacrificed so you could have more. Think about the things you are grateful for and it will help you get ready for the next holiday. The one about that baby.



Meanwhile, from Me



The Hubby...

And our three little turkeys...

Have a Wonderful Thanksgiving!!

Subtle Decorating

After repainting most of the rooms in my house I was on a mission to also come up with new wall décor. For the one wall in my kitchen I already had two metal pieces that I thought would look good against the new color. Then I found a triple picture frame that would be just right for….

Hmm??? Something?

I liked the shape and that it would hold three photos. I thought about maybe adding some black and white photos of each of the kids. Then after I had it in place I thought it would be better put to use if I could pull the colors of the room together.
The rest of the living room - kitchen space has brown, beige and little pops of apple green.

I tried to stage photos of real items that I could then use in the frames but I wasn’t having much luck at the time with getting the right look out of the pictures. Then I found some scrapbook paper that would do the trick nicely.


I wanted mushrooms to pull out the beige color but the sepia image of the daisies works too. The green apples were perfect. I originally wanted coffee for the brown color but the chocolate made for a good substitute.

It didn’t take long for my brain to start spinning out new ideas on what other things could go in those frames. It quickly turned into the perfect place to add holiday or seasonal decorations. I made them all on the computer or added some simple artwork by hand.

Here’s the one I use during Halloween

For now, this is what I have for Valentine’s Day.

I put these three together last St Patrick’s Day.

This one is for Easter.

I put this out for the fourth of July.

Next month I’ll get this set in the frames for Christmas.

Right now I have a simple “Give Thanks” in there.

It reminds me daily that I have so much to be grateful for.

Do you have any ideas for subtle decorating? You know, something simple in a tiny space that is a little unexpected.


Check out some other cool ideas here.