Wrapping up Christmas

This was the best gift of Christmas 2010. Meet Shadow, my youngest son's now constant companion.
I thought it would be fun to have a stuffed cat to chase C's rodents around. The funny thing is that Squeeky (the mouse) has been lost for a week or so. Did he know a cat was coming?

My boys were funny this year. They didn't stay in their jammies on Christmas morning. They got dressed right away so I don't have the traditional photos I wanted (of opening presents, posing by the presents, etc.)

I did manage to get one by the tree (with cheesy grins), taken at bedtime.
We had *such* a bushy tree this year! I actually had to prune it. A lot. We got it from Farmer Brown's Tree Farm in Arlington, if you are interested.
Another fantastic (because of the price) gift we gave the boys was a cardboard pirate ship, life size, well, kid-sized. I found an amazing deal and it was $5.00 including shipping. It arrived on December 24th.
My boys use it as a fort. It will be great to take outside in the Spring.

A family photo taken by Rene:
We always do Christmas crackers in our family. It is a British custom that my husband's family has as a tradition. This year we forgot but remembered on Boxing Day. Here are my parents in their crowns. My dad and A playing air hockey (the table was an early present that we found on Craigslist).
Here we are saying goodbye to my parents as they flew back home.
Now, I need to go back to bed. I've caught some nasty bug. Bronchitis? The flu? I'm not sure. I have a deep cough, a constant headache, and I feel achey. Thankfully, I'm the only one who is sick right now and my hubby is off work today. I have to get better for Monday since the kids go back to school and I'm back to my "job" as driver.

Happy New Year!Pin It

Creative and beautiful photos!

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Christmas goodies

I did some last minute baking on Christmas Eve. Well, it wasn't actually baking since I made "no bake" treats! These are sooooo easy.

These treats have wheat germ in them! Now, that *has* to make up for the chocolate, right? ;)

Mud Balls
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup wheat germ

Heat the peanut butter and honey over low heat until melted. Add the remaining ingredients. When cool enough to handle, roll into oohey gooey mud balls. Try not to eat too many!

I found this recipe on a lovely blog a few years ago but I can't remember which one. If it is yours, please accept my thanks and apology for not giving credit.Pin It

Pinata???

I luv glitter houses, especially glitter churches. This year I was on the hunt for the ultimate one. I found it at an unusual place - Yankee Candle. This beauty was in the window and I had to have it! :) So, I talked to hubby, found a great coupon, and voila! I had an early Christmas present! So, I put it on top of our old school TV - you know the kind that you can actually put thing on top of?
Well, what did my seven year old boy think of it? He said "it looks like a pinata!!" Bashing up my precious church? Oh, the horror!!

Ah, boys.Pin It

Christmas crayons - a handmade gift

Need an idea for a last minute gift for classmates?

My son's Kindergarten class has stockings hung up for every child and we parents were asked to bring a small item for each one. Now, even if I bought something at the dollar store, with 22 classmates, that would set me back 22 dollars! Um, no. :) So.... I brainstormed a bit, read some blogs, and I remembered that I made recycled crayons in heart shapes for my son's classmates earlier this year. Now, I confess that I get most of my good ideas from other people and these Christmas crayons are inspired by Sew Totally Smitten. She has a terrific tutorial so I'll just direct you there.

Recycled Crayons in Christmas shapes - I added a fun little poem (click on the photo to make it larger) so the kids wouldn't accidentally eat them!
Now I realize this post isn't exactly timely. Our school has its last day on Friday and I finished these up last weekend. It does take time and time's awastin! You can just file this away for next year or use it for a birthday party favor idea, OK? :) One tip: if you are making as many crayons as I did - you will need way more crayons that you think you need. :)

Another word to the wise: crayons melting in the oven smell pretty nasty.Pin It

I think it is in the genes.

Check out the Christmas ornament my youngest son made, completely unsolicited and on his own. He backed it with a small popsicle stick for sturdiness. I have a well-stocked craft cabinet. :)Pin It

Homemade glitter garland

I looooooove banners/garlands!

I have this spring banner
(boughten, not made) that I've kept up all year (in my room) because I love it so much. It was starting to annoy my family, so I decided to use it as inspiration to make my own, more seasonally appropriate banner. I found glittery letters at WalMart (of all places!), which were packaged as decorations for Christmas stockings, and that got me started.

Here is a tutorial. Sorry, limited photos.

Materials needed (if you want to make a similiar garland)
- WalMart glitter letters (warning: they will shed glitter. This may bother you, it may not! I have a story about this so keep reading!)
- patterned paper with a Christmas theme
- cardboard
- a good strong glue (I used Tombow Mono Aqua Liquid Glue)
- 1/8 inch hole punch (I used my CropaDile)
- 1/8 inch gold eyelets
- large jump rings - these can be hard to find. I'm sure a bead store would have a good selection. I found mine at JoAnn Fabrics.
- 2 kinds of ribbon. I used a cream organza ribbon and a red glittery ribbon.
- scissors with fine tips
- patience

Instructions:
1. Copy the letters on scrapbook paper, cut them out and then backed them on cardboard to make them stiff.
2. Glue the patterned letter on top of the glitter letter, slightly offset.3. Punch two very small holes in the tops, then attach eyelets for more sturdiness.4. Insert large jump rings to attach the letters to the ribbon. Hang up in your home or if you are really lucky - on your mantle!! My banner is hung above the entrance to my kitchen.

That dangling "A" bothers me a lot but I'm trying to relax about it! :)

Now, if you have one of those fancy die cut machines (Cricut, Silhouette, etc) this garland will be a snap to make (and a lot easier on the hands and wrists!). Hey Santa, I've been good!!! ;)

One funny story related to this craft: I was making this banner on my dining room table and my son was asked to get working his homework. He normally likes to do his homework at the same table but he protested (and wanted to work somewhere else) because the glitter was getting a little too close to his section! He is *such* a boy!

I'm linking to the Christmas Craft Link Party at Centsational Girl!Pin It

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here is my little Indian boy at his Kindergarten's Thanksgiving party last week. He's about to say grace for the yummy snacks. :)

One of his recent class assignments was to decorate an "Albuquerque" turkey. The kids were given a paper turkey which they needed to disguise (in any way they choose) so it wouldn't be eaten for Thanksgiving. My son loves mice, so his, of course, is a mouse! :) I have to admit that I helped in the making of this project.

A lot. :)Here are some done by his classmates.I think it was a fantastic project for Kindergarteners and even older kids would enjoy it. My 2nd grader enjoyed seeing all the turkeys up on the wall near his classroom.

I found this cute pilgrim couple at a local craft fair. I love handmade decorations!
We are very thankful to have friends who invited us to join them for Thanksgiving. We don't have any family close by and the price of travelling to visit my parents is pretty high due to the rising costs of the ferries (my parents live on an island).

Today, I'm thankful for many other things. Here's a short, very random list:
1. My husband has a job that he enjoys and he is compensated fairly.
2. My children are doing well in school (we just had report cards and parent teacher interviews).
3. I am healthy and happy.
4. We didn't lose power in the recent snowstorm.
5. There are so many interesting and inspiring blogs to read out there. Check out my sidebars!Pin It

I want to win a Silhouette!

You know those nifty die cut machines that cut stuff out of paper for you? The Silhouette Craft Cutter is the ultimate because you don't need to spend big bucks on cartridges. You just need fonts! There are so many cool project using this machine, including home decor, scrapbooking, card making, etc.

Thrifty Decor Chick is giving one away - click here for the details. Pick me, pick me! :)Pin It

Keep your hands away from my children!

photo credit: Chip Somodevilla, Getty Images

I'm on the "no fly" list. I put myself on it today. I'm not going to be flying anywhere until the TSA's (Transportation Security Administration) policies change. I was planning on visiting some family friends during Spring Break but no more. I'm not going to subject my children to s#xual assault. Yes, I know those are strong words. Supposedly travelers have a choice - go through the Advanced Imaging Technology machines (which emit high levels of radiation and the naked images amount to child p*rnography), get "patted down" or, if you refuse the enhanced pat down, get escorted out of the airport and risk fines, arrest, etc. I have a hard time believing this is happening in the freedom-loving USA.

Read the story of a mommy blogger who traveled through the Tulsa airport on November 12th and was touched without warning or explanation and is now charging the TSA agent with s*xual assault.

Did you hear about the three year old girl who was terrorized and screamed "don't touch me" as the TSA agent groped her and her mother restrained her? How is that protecting our children? What message does that sent to a child? Will she trust her mother 100% after that?

Whenever my boys' pediatrician examines either boy's private area, he gives the same talk,"This is your private area. The only people who can touch you here are your mom or your dad or your doctor and its only OK for me to touch you because your mom is here." My job as a mother is (among other things) to protect the innocence of my children. I'm not letting any stranger see naked photos of my children OR touch their genitals. I also don't want my children to see me get groped by a stranger. It doesn't matter if they are wearing a TSA badge.

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty
to purchase a little Temporary Safety,
deserve neither Liberty nor Safety."
- Benjamin Franklin

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A day to remember and be thankful

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada and Veteran's Day in the US.

In Canada (and the UK) we wear red poppies on our lapels to honour those who fought to give us freedom. Why a poppy? Well, they grow in Flanders (southern Belgium and north-west France) the site of WWI battles and burials. The poem "In Flanders Field" is recited today all across Canada at Remembrance Day ceremonies. It was written by a Canadian doctor.

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

...Lt. Col. John Macrae

Why is Remembrance Day on November 11th? The armistice (end of fighting) agreement between Germany and the Allies took effect at the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918. A moment of silence is observed at 11 am. I wonder if I could get my kids to agree to that this morning? (They have the day off from school.)

Canada's national newspaper has a sobering graphic on the front page today. Each dot represents one of the 107,156 Canadians killed in both World Wars, the Korean War, peacekeeping operations, and the conflict in Afghanistan. Read more: http://news.nationalpost.com/2010/11/11/we-remember/#ixzz14zsjDozq

Who knew reading my blog could be educational? :)Pin It

Reading, listening to ....

Do you ever finish a book and feel a little sad that it is over? I did when I finished Katherine by Anya Seton. It is historical fiction and a romance but don't let that scare you. It is set in 14th Century England and even includes Wycliffe and Geoffrey Chaucer, who were contemporaries of the Duke of Lancaster and Katherine Swynford - the main characters. It is *very* well written and not trashy like Philippa Gregory's stuff* (she only wrote the introduction to the book. It's a bit confusing on the Amazon page.) I'm waiting to get more of Seyton's books from the library. I'm not watching much TV these days so I need exciting books to read. :)

My boys are hooked on Adventures in Odyssey. We've been borrowing the CDs from the library and they are listening to them ALL THE TIME! I recommend them for children ages 7 and up (even though my youngest is 5.) The topics are a bit mature (such as drug use) even though there is a clear moral lesson in each episode. I think it's great that my boys listen to these CDs more than anything else.

Here is some music that I've been enjoying.

First, The Lower Lights - hymn revival band.

Listen to more of their music here. Does anyone remember the song Sunshine in my Soul? That's a fond memory from my Baptist background.

A new song from Brooke Fraser that is soooo cheery!
What have you been reading? Listening to?

*I don't recommend any Phillipa Gregory books. They are gratuitous and don't leave anything to the imagination.Pin It

Happy Trick or Treaters

My oldest son (on the left) was a "road trip." He had matchbox cars stuck all over him. I found the idea on the Family Fun website. It claims to be a last minute costume but it wasn't. I was sewing on velcro right up until last night. My youngest was an astronaut. We went trick or treating with friends in a nearby neighbourhood.

Here's my costume
In case it isn't clear, I'm supposed to be Heidi from Switzerland. :) I put it together using Value Village (for the black top and skirt), an antique store (for the apron) and WalMart (for the wig.) Very frugal!

I guess all that outdoor activity was too much for my little astronaut. He's home sick today. :(Pin It

Fall Flowers

All good things have to come to an end, right? Even my dahlias which have been blooming since August! I'm so grateful for them especially since where I grew up we never had flowers into October. I picked these on Tuesday, October 26th. Here's my last delphinium of the season, as well.I'm linking up with My Romantic Home's Show and Tell Friday.
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Ruffles and Rust (a vintage market to inspire)

I've been looking forward to this show
since July! My hubby called it Bednobs and Broomsticks. :) Even though I wasn't feeling all that great on Saturday morning, there was NO WAY I was going to miss it. My hubby said that he thought I'd crawl over broken glass to get there. OK, that is a little extreme. :) At least he knows what I like!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a friend to go with me, again. Oh well, I kinda like shopping alone but it would've been fun to have someone with me to share my excitement. I did run into some "old" friends of mine - Tiffany and Colleen - from "down south." :)

I *really* wanted to take this home with me but it was over my budget. :(
This was an interesting repurposing/craft idea - decoupaged (using vintage paper) metal cookie sheets as magnet boards. Click on the photo for a closer look.
Another interesting idea was this decoupaged (with vintage book pages) framed mirror:
I loved this display of vintage sheet music (Hayley's Cottage):
Fun Junk had tables full of stuff to dig through.
At this booth I found some antique roses postcards (photo below).

I love glittery stuff, especially Christmas decorations like this church from Glitter & Ivy's booth.

There were over 50 vendors but these were my favourites:
- greatfindz (Dawn)
- My Sweet Savannah (Melaine)
- The Vintage Nest (Tamara)
- Unexpected Necessities - a new to me vendor
- Joyworks
- Garden Party & Luluz
- JohnBob Cool Junk - they have the best displays.

Show & Tell Time - fun stuff that I bought:1. an antique kitchen scale - $10 (these usually go for much more!)
2. authentic, no-filler autumn potpourri from Garden Party
3. cute antique white frame
4. paper birdcage (I collect them)
5. chippy & rusty cast iron stand (with pumpkin on top!) - from My Sweet Savannah
6. photo card (purple rose)
7. floral paper covered Bible - free from Joyworks!
8. antique floral postcards
9. mini paper roses from Unexpected Necessities which deserve a close up:
Aren't they adorable?

I found some more great photos of the show at the blog Create Beauty. Enjoy!Pin It

It's never too late for a party

My oldest son's birthday is in late August. Not the best time for planning birthday parties. Lots of people on vacation and who to invite? His class from the previous year? Plus, this year, his birthday was the day before the first day of school. Kinda busy, no? I have planned and executed 11, count 'em 11 birthday parties!! Can you say burnt out? :) So, I wimped out and didn't have a party for him. He was OK with that. For a while. But then hee started asking, when is my party going to be? OK, ok. Can it be small? Please?

We had a *very* small party for him last weekend. (If you're counting, that's almost two months after his birthday.) Three friends were invited. Two were able to come. I made cupcakes and decorated them to look like a mini golf course since A loves to play mini golf.

(I found printable cupcake flags here and the cupcake inspiration here.)

The main activity was playing hockey outside which warmed the hearts of his Canadian parents. It turns out that my youngest is a tough goalie!
Silly string was sprayed.
Some gifts were opened. Pizza was eaten.

Pictures were taken.
A good time was had by all and I didn't completely wear myself out in the process!Pin It

Picking pumpkins and apples

So, I'm back. You missed me, right? :) I have a working hard drive now so I can share photos again.

The boys recently had a day off from school so, as we did last year, we went an orchard to pick apples. This year I didn't go to the same orchard. Instead we drove to Sedro Woolley. Yes, that is a crazy name for a town. I wonder where the name came from? Anyway, at the orchard we were given free range to try as many apples as we liked. I appreciated how friendly and welcoming the farm was. A big shout out to Jones Creek Farms! There were so many varieties of apples. Many that I hadn't heard of before. One thing that surprised me was the number of apples on the ground. What happens to these apples? I hope they're made into cider or something.
Here is one of my happy apple pickers and tasters.We ended up picking 14 pounds which sounds like a lot but wasn't overwhelming. Yes, we made a pie. I should say my hubby made a pie with the boys' help. How sweet, eh?

We also made our yearly pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch. This year I decided to take the boys to Craven Farm (in Snohomish) after school in the afternoon so we could avoid the crowds. It was a good strategy. We practically had the place to ourselves. The only drawback was the traffic going home since it was 4:30 pm by then.

I love family traditions!Pin It

DIY sticker shock

So, I've been painting and improving stuff that I find at Goodwill. That's my current hobby/obsession.

I was painting a big ornate framed mirror (I wish I could show you a picture but I still have a sick computer) on the weekend and, whoops, I broke the mirror. I was very sad. Hubby wasn't even here to cheer me up.

Oh well, I though later (after some chocolate, that is.) The mirror had a "black spot" so it wasn't perfect and I'll just go to a glass place and get a replacement.

Today I went to a glass store. I brought in my big 'ol frame and asked for a quote for a beveled mirror. I was quoted 75 dollars. SEVENTY FIVE DOLLARS? For just a mirror without a frame? Sigh. I tried not to think about the fact that I dropped something worth almost that much.

So... I'm settling for a non-beveled mirror. For $25 dollars. Sigh. So much for frugal redecorating.
I *love* the frame, so I guess it it worth it.

The moral of this story? If you are painting a Goodwill/thrift store find, take the mirror out of the frame before you start moving it around! And those framed mirrors you find? If they are in good shape, grab 'em!

Maybe someone can learn from my expensive mistake and my free but valuable advice. :)Pin It

Blogging without photos

Sigh. I still don't have my "real" computer. The power supply is toast so I'm using an old laptop with my monitor. All this to say, I can't share any photos right now. I do have some, believe me. So, instead of whining about this situation (well *after* whining a lot), I'm going to blog anyway.

What's on my mind? Fall! Today is the official first day so I can go for it as far as decorating, crafts, plans, etc.

1. I like non-traditional fall decorating. Too much orange makes me feel a little ill. Chelsea's idea for making black & white pumpkins (using dollar store materials) is so cool!

2. White pumpkins. I love them. The problem is the price and scarcity. So, what does any self-respecting crafter do? Spray paint some regular ones! Here are some instructions.

3. Going to Molbak's for their fall play has become one of our family's traditions. This year it is Rumpelstiltskin (I had to look that one up!). Almost every Saturday in October, you can go see a very funny family play (for free!) and grab some yummy snacks, too. Bring your camera since they always have a photo spot set up.

Now, to really get me in the fall mood, I need some apple cider from Trader Joe's. Hear that TJs?? It's time!Pin It

Messy Beautiful

I love this blog post - go read it! It will change your perspective.
Thanks, Andrea, for the alert.

(I would include a photo of my own messy beautiful but I'm having computer problems right now. I'm grateful, though, to have a hard-working hubby who will soon have it fixed.)
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Back to School!

September 1st was the first day back to school for both of my boys. My youngest started kindergarten and my oldest started 2nd grade, both going to the same school for the first time!

This photo was taken today:
No, my boys don't just decide to wear the same outfit, they're wearing their uniforms. :) And those are "the guys" that C is holding.

We had orientation day on the 31st which is the day to find the classrooms, meet the teachers and bring in supplies. My youngest wasn't all that interested in posing.
My youngest had some trouble saying goodbye to Mommy and Daddy on the first day, although we think he was "putting it on" a bit. :)
He did great saying goodbye today.

Here is my oldest on the first day of school:

(note to self - get a photo of A with his teacher)

Now, if only there was a school bus, everything would be perfect. ;)Pin It