One Thousand Gifts - #69 to #85

godly teachers at my children's school
parent teacher conferences
a week off from school
no snow (last year snow prevented us from travelling at Thanksgiving)
unbelievably beautiful cloud formations that I saw last week
safe travel to visit my parents

parents that are healthy in mind and body despite their age (hi Mom!)
visiting a fantastic bookstore, again.
a date night with my hubby
my children didn't use any electronic devices on both 3 hour ferry rides
a hotel with a fitness room and pool
a very quick interaction with border officials now that we have our green cards
the return of gingerbread lattes at Starbucks
our guinea pigs survived in our absence even without "pet sitting"
returning to regular routines, even laundry and dishes and grocery shopping
a quiet WalMart on a Monday morning

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Happy Thanksgiving

Over the river and through the woods to Grandfather's house we go! My family and I are headed out to visit family up north. :)Pin It

Paper flowers & a blue wall

Hubby and I painted one wall of the living room a robin's egg blue. That was a few months ago. I've had a blank wall ever since. I don't want to put anything up until we finally have a mantle. (we have a fireplace and no mantle on this wall). I saw these paper flowers and decided they would be the perfect thing to liven up the empty wall.Isn't it interesting how the blue looks different in the 2 photos taken at the same time? Anyway, Destiny's blog has great instructions on making the paper bag flowers. I added a book page flower in the centre. Here's a close up. I used a paper punch to cut out the flower from a book. Then I folded it up to give it more of a 3-D effect. I glued a flat-backed pearl in the centre (found at Michael's). This is a VERY frugal craft. The only cost was the pearls since I already had a lot of brown lunch bags.

I'm linking up with Chic & Crafty at The Frugal Girls and A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday.Pin It

Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day

image source: Canadian War Museum

I wrote a post about Veteran's Day and Remembrance Day last year and it was pretty good. :) Since I'm lazy, I'm reposting it.
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One Thousand Gifts - #57 to 68

57. listening to my 8 year old read animal stories to his brother and me, making the drive to school more fun!
58. the beautiful and numerous colours that hydrangeas turn in the fall.59. dahlias from my garden on my windowsill in November!
60. Trunk or Treat at a nearby church
61. being Mary Poppins for a day (see my Halloween post)
62. after long last, finding a toothpick holder for my kitchen, yes it is the little things that bring a smile!
63. finally reading One Thousand Gifts - the book!
64. pumpkin bread/muffins made from Trader Joe's mix
65. flannel sheets
66. the gift of an extra hour due to time change
67. clothes - even though washing, sorting, ironing (occasionally), hanging, and purging is a lot of work.
68. a cloudy, overcast, dreary day that turns sunny in the afternoon.Pin It

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
My son taking on various identities.Pin It

Fall decor

I know that some people (especially stores) are getting ready for Christmas (now that Halloween is over) but I still want to enjoy fall and Thanksgiving, OK? I realized that I haven't posted about a fall sign that I made last year! I have a little shelf by the front door and I change the things on it for each season or holiday.

The letters came from JoAnn's and are paper mache. They are about $2 each and sometimes go on sale. I painted the letters brown first then I glued scrapbook paper on the fronts and then I put a coat of Mod Podge on top. I added some ribbons to a few, a faux sunflower, some silk leaves, and a few buttons.The wheat bouquet I found at Goodwill. I added the satin ribbon.
I found the Thanksgiving couple at local craft fair.

I'm linking up with Chic & Crafty at The Thrifty Girls.Pin It

Halloween Recap

My 8 year old son declared that he is too old for "cute" costumes and thus, wanted to be a skeleton this year. The head that came with this costume is truly scary so I was glad he didn't want to wear it.My younger son didn't have anything specific in mind so when I found a giraffe costume at the thrift store for a steal, he said he would happily wear it. This year is probably the last year either of my children will be an animal for Halloween. Sniff, sniff!
Here is my costume:
I found a photo of someone dressed as Mary Poppins on Pinterest and I began my quest. The black jacket, black skirt, white blouse, "sensible" shoes, umbrella, magic purse, and hat were ALL found at thrift stores! The red bow was taken from a cheap headband.

We went to a "trunk or treat" this year at a large church close to our house. I was very impressed with all the decorated cars and trucks.They also had a bouncy house, mini golf, carnival games, and hot dogs and other food to purchase. A great outreach to the local community.

At one point in the evening, I was sitting down on a bench in a hallway and a lot of people went by. It was fun seeing people walk by, look at me, and then say "are you...." or "Mary Poppins?" Fun!Pin It

One Thousand Gifts - #44 - #56

(if you are new to One Thousand Gifts, please visit Ann Voskamp's blog)

44. having coffee with a new friend in the middle of the day!
45. reading a book at the beach in the sunshine in October
46. gorgeous fall colours
47. quick access to health care specialists (something we did NOT have when we lived in Canada)
48. a very fun morning spent at Ruffles and Rust with a friend.
49. I finally went shopping with my friend Andrea. :)
50. perfect weather for planting daffodil bulbs
51. participating in another Beth Moore bible study
52. my new favourite TV show - Pan Am
53. an increase in visitors to my blog and kind comments about my paper creations.
54. the thrill of seeing my crafts "pinned" to Pinterest!
55. starting to read through the New Testament in a year even if I stumble occasionally and have to "catch up."
56. my husband's improved health after a rough spot (minor)Pin It

Autumn banner

I love banners. Here's my latest, with instructions.
1. The base for the garland (a scalloped circle) is a die cut from a scrapbook store that is no longer in business. :(
I had a few of these chipboard pieces in my collection but not enough for a whole banner so..... I traced it onto CEREAL BOX CARDBOARD for the rest! How's that for thrifty???

2. the patterned paper (glued on top of the chipboard/cardboard) is from Basic Grey. The info on the paper is "mellow, cultured." Sounds like me. Ha ha!

3. using a Marvy Uchida scalloped oval punch, punch out book pages. I have to sneak in another book page since book page crafts is my theme this month. :) So far, I have made 2 wreaths using book pages.

4. using a smaller scalloped oval punch (also from Marvy), punch out cardstock. Glue the layers down. I like double-sided tape for this.

5. I used chipboard stickers for the letters.

6. punch 2 small holes in each shape, near the top.

7. set an eyelet on each hole - I used small copper ones that I found at Michael's.

8. thread some matching ribbon through the holes. The ribbon is probably from Ben Franklin.

9. Hang and enjoy!

I'm linking to Chic and Crafty at The Frugal Girls and A Crafty Soiree at Yesterday on Tuesday.Pin It

Ruffles and Rust - Fall 2011

Sigh. What a feast for the eyes! I'm back from Ruffles & Rust - a vintage market held at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. I'm regretting not inviting more friends (such as Anna H) but I am so happy that Andrea was able to join me this morning. She was a great shopping companion!! :) The show was MUCH bigger than the last one (in the Spring). I took a few photos but it was tough balancing shopping bags and a camera plus navigating the crowds. I literally could have spent all day there, drooling on all the beautiful "junk!" I kinda wish I bought the blue pillow (in the above photo) with the white background near the back. Booth: JohnBob Cool Junk

I like the lace trim wrapped votive candles (2nd shelf from top) in this photo.

This was one of the weirder sights at the show:I guess it could be a Halloween display?

Back to the pretty stuff.This tiny grand piano was so cute:
There were a lot of pumpkins. Decoupaged pumpkins:book page pumpkins:

and velvet pumpkins: Since I love to make banners, I had to take a photo of this one.Here is the loot I took home with me:Left to right: turquoise glass thingy, maps (Canada & World) on top of a silver cake plate (painted white), a little white chair, an embellished bottle, a vintage apron, and a silver platter. At the back is an ornate rectangular mirror. Here's a closer look:Of course, I'll be painting it Heirloom White. :)

Here's a close up of the embellished bottle:

A final note: Esther, you really should come to the Spring show! It will likely be in February.

Update: Here's a link to some photos MUCH better than mine taken by Isabel of Maison Douce who sells beautiful stuff!Pin It

Book Page Rosette Wreath

using book pages. This one took me a LOT longer than the last one. :) I've been working on this sucker for probably 10 days. My neck and hands are not happy with me. My kids kept asking me "when are you going to be done with that?" I asked myself the same question a few times. I get a little obsessive when I create something. Add in a dose of unhealthy perfectionism (I wonder where my kids get that trait from?) and a project takes me FOREVER! :)

OK, here's the big reveal.
Here's a closer look.
Materials:
- book pages - if you want a two toned look you will need one newer book and one older. Hardcover books have better pages, IMHO.
- styrofoam wreath form - 12 inches.
- hot glue gun and a supply of glue
- circle punches (optional) to make the circles
- ribbon - mine is a 1 1/2 inch jute ribbon

Instructions:
1. cut strips from the book pages and wrap them around the wreath form (this will hide any gaps between the rosettes) and glue down.
2. cut circles out of your book pages - you can do all one size (much quicker) or be slightly insane and make a variety of sizes like I did. :)
3. make the circles into rosettes - a good tutorial here.
4. hot glue the rosettes onto the wreath form
5. loop a ribbon around the wreath, hot glue
6. make a bow and hot glue it onto the loop. Martha has an easy tutorial for making a ribbon bow.
7. hang and enjoy.

I'm linking to Show and Tell Friday at My Romantic Home
and

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All About Me A-Z

My friend Bethany had this on her blog and I thought I'd answer it too.

Age: Oh, this starts out badly! :) I'll tell you at the end OK?

Bed Size: Queen.

Chore that you hate: Hmmmm, which one to choose? :)
I hate cleaning, except for washing dishes. Now, before you think too badly of me, you need to know that repetitive hand motions are a big no-no for me. I have chronic tendinitis of the wrist and elbow. Wiping counters is painful for me!

Dogs: I don't like 'em. I'm also allergic, very.

Essential start to your day: Black tea with a little milk and sugar.

Favourite colour: pink but I wear green and turquoise quite a bit.

Gold or silver: I actually like antique gold.

Height: 5'5"

Instruments I play: I played the piano about a hundred years ago.
I wasn't very good since I didn't practice enough.

Job Title: Mommy, taxi driver for my kids (I drive at least 40 miles a day)

Kids: Two boys. A is 8 and C is 6.

Live: north of Seattle

Mother's name: Eunice

Nicknames: I don't have any.

Overnight hospital stays: Twice, for giving birth.

Pet peeves: small children riding in the front seat - so unsafe!
smoking, bad language around children.

Quote from a movie: I'm with Bethany on this one.
"Life is pain your highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something."

Righty or lefty: right-handed

Siblings: none

Time you wake up: 6:30 in the summer because of the light. 7:00 most other days.

University attended: I have a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Calgary.

Vegetable you hate: brussel sprouts

What make you run late: my children on school days, doing my hair on Sundays.

X-Rays you've had: many on my neck. I was rear-ended several times.

Yummy food you make: Moroccan meatloaf

Zoo animal favourite: I like the peacock.

Oh, were you waiting for my age? Ha ha! Let's just say I'm over 40. :)

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Warming a house

Some friends of ours from church just moved into a house in our neighbourhood. When I *finally* got my act together I brought them this.
Contents?
- a bag of tulips
- a handmade card
- some loaves of pumpkin bread (I used the mix from Trader Joe's) wrapped in wax paper and tied up with baker's twine (to make it pretty).
- the basket is from Michael's

I decided to blog about it to share the idea.

A funny (sort of) story. I made some apple bread for our friends earlier this week but my youngest couldn't handle the temptation sitting on top of the stove and he ate some before I could package it up.Pin It

Fallish Wreath

I love the change of seasons. I'm excited for the new opportunities each season brings. Especially the change to redecorate or at least change up some of my "flare" around the house. This wreath isn't the traditional fall wreath but I love it.
I found the inspiration for the wreath at the Flower Patch Farm Girl's website. Now, I want you to know that the book (that I took pages out of) for this project was a stinker. Trust me, I read some of it. No great loss. :)

Materials:
- grapevine wreath that I found at Goodwill
- book pages
- polka dot scrapbook paper from Michael's
- buttons
- a 2 1/2 inch heart paper punch (also from Michael's)
- my hot glue gun.

Here's a close up:
The instructions are pretty simple:
1. punch out heart shapes (5 per flower)
2. fold in half
3. staple hearts together to form a flower
4. hot glue a button in the centre of the flower to cover the staples
5. hot glue the flowers onto the wreath.

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Video /TV Recommendations for kids

Disclaimer: This post is primarily for my friend Colette but everyone is welcome to my opinions. :) It is a challenge finding wholesome movies and TV shows for kids. Here are some that my boys have enjoyed recently. All of these movies or TV shows we have taken out of our library or received through Netflix. They are listed in alphabetical order.

The Absent Minded Professor


My boys have seen almost all of the Air Bud/Buddies movies. There are some bad attitudes at times but nothing too serious.


The Apple Dumpling Gang


Benji - such a sweet story


If you kids like animal movies then they might like our favourites:
- Milo and Otis
- Babe
- Charlotte's Web

My boys have listened to almost all of the Narnia books on audio (and read a few of the books) so they have enjoyed The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, and the Voyage of the Dawn Treader.


The Magic School Bus videos could even be used for homeschool science. :)


Muppet Treasure Island


Robin Hood (Disney)


Schoolhouse Rock


Shaun the Sheep (TV show) - hilarious without being frenetic. There are a lot of DVDs available of this show (at least at my library).


Swiss Family Robinson


Treasure Island - essential for boys


Wallace and Grommit similar to Shaun the Sheep


The Wind in the Willows (1996)

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Current TV shows that we record for the kids to watch:

- PBS - Wild Kratts - animals, animals, animals

- PBS - Martha Speaks - vocabulary


- PBS - The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That (they watched this for a while but got tired of it.)

- Imagination Movers - this show is on Disney Jr. so you need cable to see it. Lots of fun music and it teaches problem solving.


My kids used to watch Auto Be Good (on a Christian TV channel) but they're a bit old for it now. It teaches character development which is great, though.


God Rocks Bibletoons is a very good show. The CDs are fun to listen to as well. They teach Bible memorization.

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Movies that we have purchased

What's in the Bible - made by Phil Vischer creator of Veggie Tales. Hilarious and solid teaching about the Old Testament. The series goes up to #5 so far.


I hope I've given you some new ideas. :)Pin It

One Thousand Gifts - #25 to 43

It has been too long since I posted these.

25. the music of Fernando Ortega
26. my youngest son's enthusiasm and pride when he dug up his first ever potato
27. our family vacation to northern Idaho
28. eight years of motherhood
29. seeing old friends at a memorial
30. financial resources to send my children to a Christian school
31. my tomatoes slowly ripening every day
32. child free time during weekdays (2 kids in school all day)
33. wild blackberries
34. Pinterest :)
35. sunshine
36. a lazy day spent with just my oldest son who was home sick from school
37. discovering funny looking seed pods at the park
38. delicious pear bread - recipe source
39. thrift stores
40. remembering the great summer we had
41. my oldest son's new teacher's enthusiasm and focus on praise in the classroom
42. sweet peas still in bloom
43. very exciting happy news that came in the mail todayPin It

Back to School 2011

This year (on the first week of school) the weather *was* unusually warm so it was a little bit strange sending the boys to school when the high temps *were* in the mid 80s. This week we're back to more fall-like weather. Here are my cuties:
This year for the first time, I have my weekdays free from 9 am until 2:45 pm. Bizarre, eh? Now don't start bugging me to go back to work, OK? I want one year of freedom and then maybe I'll think about that work thing. Maybe part time but doing who-knows-what?

I'm still adjusting to being alone for so much of the day. I'll eventually be in a Beth Moore Bible study and I hope to have coffee/lunch with friends that I need to catch up with. Call me/e mail me if that applies to you. :) I'll also be volunteering in my sons' classrooms quite frequently.

One more photo. That's Big Papa Bear that C is holding. The kids were instructed to bring a teddy bear to school on the first day. They're doing a unit on bears. C seems to be adjusting fine to 1st grade. His teacher is the same one that big brother had for 1st grade.Pin It

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Inspired by Soule Mama.Pin It