whatever

DID YOU SEE THIS?!

 

 

becky's girls

umm....yeah.
could they be any cuter?! 

thanks becky for letting me play with your girlies.
i love those tutus!

charla's family

  


 

  



 

i loved this session.
the daddy is one of of craig's cousins...i grew up with him...we worked at the grocery store together.
and i just met his wife this year!  
crazy.
(but i did have your wedding photo from the newspaper on my fridge in chicago..what a beautiful bride!)
i really did have a good time charla.
how could you not when there was a pony involved?

ornaments

our kids get a new ornament every year.
we store their special ones in boxes with their name on them.
(you can read about it here from 2008)
then when the grow up & move out (gasp! i can't even imagine nor do i want to!) they take their box.

sometimes i take them to pick them out...sometimes i don't.
this year i did not.
sometimes they have special meanings...sometimes they don't.  
can you tell i have a really great system going on here?!

these are the specials for 2009.

annie....because she's 5 and loves cookies.                 talby....she bought her own iPod this year.
  

sean...he likes snow globes
AND his name was spelled correctly!                          scott...i used a toy bike and just added a hook.
  
   
lauren....a capital L all covered in bling.    
 

and the orange star is just one i got at target a few years ago...look how easy that is?! 
i could make that.  and so could you.
you could put any words you wanted....peace, joy, love, jesus, noel...ANYthing you wanted.

   
are you feeling peaceful?

craft week

well...i did it!

at first the kids were bummed to be torn away from the tv and computer.
but on wednesday morning while getting dressed out of her jammies annie asked excitedly
"what's our craft today mama?"
that made me so happy.

it was very low key...very laid back...small crafts....took very little time.
and they really did like it. 
and i did too.

scott informed me he "wasn't into crafting" so he would not be participating...at all.
bummer....that time has come.  i missed him.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
monday:

popsicle stick christmas trees
 

 
 


we made them into ornaments.
i let them use the glue gun...i thought they would like that...turns out they don't....HA.
at one point i looked over and sean was playing in the glitter making it like snow.
UGH.

 

***edited to add...we used green craft sticks that come pre-colored and i cut them with big scissors to get the different sizes.  don't use good scissors for this...and watch out...the pieces fly everywhere!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
tuesday:

pompom ornament



cottage cheese break.

 

 

it's simple as can be.  
push stick pins through pom poms and stick them into the Styrofoam. 
 
and even a big kid sat down and made two ornaments herself...

these were easy and fun.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
wednesday:
 
felt gingerbread men


i googled "gingerbread man shape" and printed out an image to make a pattern.
we cut them out, picked out buttons, strung our (huge blunt) needles,    
sewed the face and belly buttons first...then sewed the back and front together with a big stitch.
just before we closed up the last few stitches (10-15 of them....)
we stuffed it with just a few cotton balls for plumpness.

this was a hard craft.
but rewarding.
 


annie was tired and playing barbies ALONE-DON"T-BOTHER-ME-GO-AWAY so we let her be.
lauren was studying.
scott was playing ball.
so the just three of us sat on the couch and sewed gingerbread men.
talby said many times "this is fun...i didn't know i could sew!"  
made me feel a little guilty.
but now she knows.  
and sean liked it too...he made one for his friend with his initials on the back...sweet.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

thursday:

sugar cookies (used this recipe from REAL SIMPLE)

i almost gave up.
i was tired and they were spastic.
but i just plowed through...and i only yelled twice.
 
 
  
****edited to add:  in case you weren't aware...you need TONS of flour on your counter, rolling pin
and hands when working with sugar cookie dough.  it's very sticky.  i don't want you to give up because
you thought you were doing it wrong.  the flour was why i was yelling...SO MESSY!!!****
 
we only baked them...the  frosting part was way more than i could handle.
i was on my own with kids all night.
i was tired.
did i tell you that already?
because i had already been baking all day...
 
 

 

 

yes...i made the peppermint swirled cupcakes.
so good.
i think i will have another one right now!

i also made the chocolate mint brownies that IS christmas tradition for me. (left sidebar for recipe)

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
friday:

gingerbread house.

it deserves it's own post...when (and IF) i do it!     
i have paid my friend to bake it the past two years but this year on my 35 things list (right sidebar)
i said i wanted to make one myself...what was i thinking?
i have all day today to figure out how to bake one.  
yuck...i get weird about having to learn something new.  change is hard.

are you feeling crafty now?

here is a collage of the arts and crafts i was inspired by and wishing i could make all of them.
maybe i could still...over winter break.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. cafe mom  2. clover lane  3. nini makes  4.  5. parents  6. sarah's art house  7. the joy of today 
8. no time for flash cards 9. just for fun  10. parents 11. zakka life  12. elise blaha 13. sara's art house  
14. martha stewart  15. crafty crow  16. oh so happy together

although i linked everyone individually i found almost all of them through THE CRAFTY CROW.
i love that site.  i check it all the time!
 
are YOU going to craft with your kids this week?
no pressure from me.
but tell me if you do.....i want to know.
i hope my kids still want to do it next week also.   

links

lots of links coming up.
i just have a bunch of things to share with you so get your back arrow button ready.

first....

really loving this book.
our small group is reading it and discussing it on sunday nights.
it's goooooooood.
you can find out more about it here.

this bracelet was sent to me as a sweet gift...even with my blog name on it!


very cute erin!  thank you so much.
you can get one here.

i feel happy wearing my flower headband i got from megan.

you can find out more about her felt flowers on her site.
she is so creative. 
(i kind of look like i have mom hair....ugh)

i finally ordered some pictures.  
i hadn't done it since last october. 
like october 2008.
and it was the best feeling.  i went through all of them IN MY HAND and i had a moment of glee.
it has been so long since i even held real photos!
(how crazy is that since i am a photographer and i take pictures EVERY day.)

i order from scrapbookpictures.com and i LOVE them.
i was so impressed again.
i ordered my christmas card picture from them also because they will make EVERY size imaginable.
i couldn't find what i wanted anywhere else and then realized "why would i want to?"
if you've never tried them....you should.

i ordered this CD last week.

(photo by jody landers)

it is ROCKIN'.  
totally professional...totally.
very cool jody! (it's her husband!!)
everybody likes christmas music right?  
and all the proceeds go to WATER.  
hurry and order yours today.  

AND i want to make these....
 (photo by candace)
 
candace said they are from southern living.....YUUUMMMMMM!!! 

remember the vintage pearl?
she is having a gift certificate sale.
you can give that and your significant other can pick the jewelry themselves!
brilliant!

 

 

it's all so pretty.

    

ok...enough links.
right?

wait, one more!
go check out Project 320 again today.
 

 
it's almost over....and now they are going for $10,000!
i love watching as God's BIG plan unfolds for project 320.
He is so good. 


i am working in the kitchen today.
and a big craft post coming tomorrow to give you ideas for the weekend and next week with your kids!
happy thursday! 

zozobugbaby

annie has a new outfit.
and it's pretty cute!
and so very.....ANNIE.

 
 



 


intruder.

  

  



i love it.
it's from Julie's shop at ZoZoBugBaby.
this set is called the candy shoppe.
it IS quite yummy.

she has gotten so many compliments.  
"she sure looks happy!"  people say...everywhere we go.
so true.

julie's blog is super colorful and will make you go crazy over fabric.
you can check that out HERE.
 
julie would like to give my readers....a discount!  
how cool is she?!

when you find something cute in her shop type in "MEG" in the Notes to Seller section
for a 20% discount!  

very cool.

annie also got this dress to wear this christmas.
super cute. 
have fun shopping.


**************************************************************************************************
have you checked out project 320 today?
unbelievable....in an AWEsome way.
 


"Now glory be to God!  
 By His mighty power at work within us, 
 HE is able to accomplish infinitely more
 than we would ever dare to ask or hope."
 Ephesians 3:20 

amen. 

around the house today.

  
 




 
i made it home and got some good sleep last night.

i got to see scott's last game of his basketball tournament yesterday...they won!  
he was so happy.

i am gearing up for craft week.
day one is in an hour or so....still undecided on what we are doing.
but whatever we do i will share it with you.

project 320 started today.
donate and enter.  :)
 http://project320.blogspot.com/

           

i'm here.

this is maple memories. 
it's a great house.
i love old homes so it's the perfect place for me.
 

this is the upstairs hallway...all those door are little bedrooms filled with twin beds 
to fit as many ladies into one scrapbook weekend as possible.
i love all the old doors and the sound of closing them.
and there are chandeliers here too. 
love that.

this group of women is a bit younger than my usual scrapbooking crowd
and i have noticed a difference...

laptops.


and sewing machines.
at the scrapbook weekend.
it's fun to see this group of scrapbookers....who are not scrapbooking.  
they are free.
wild women.
sewing at the scrapbook weekend.
making blog books on their lap tops....at the scrapbook weekend.  
  

making christmas gifts.
these ladies are very crafty.
 

coasters and notebooks and burp cloths and table runners...
 

and even a man showed up!
that is a first.
(for ryan's sake...he was being sweet and dropping off something his wife forgot...and he quickly left)

 

i got all my gifts wrapped.
I HAVE FINISHED MY PHOTOS FOR 2009!!
i have sewn a number t-shirt.

and i have eaten a lot of chocolate.

it's all good.
and it's midnight.  
but i am not going to bed yet.

scrapbooking

so....i am going to a scrapbooking bed and breakfast this weekend.

a few months back some women from my church asked me to go with them.
"i have plenty of time to get ready...no problem...it will be fine." i told myself many times.

i am a moron.

hello?  it's december 11.
christmas is in 2 weeks....i am so ridiculous.

i didn't order my photos.
i haven't scrapbooked since the last time i went to this b&b 14 months ago.
and guess where all my supplies are?
 

behind that.
and that is my stack of christmas gifts.

so i decided i am not even going to TRY to scrapbook.
the pressure to find that creativity when my brain is so fried....i can't take it.

i am going to wrap my gifts.
yes...i am going to drag them all to another town and wrap them.

i am going to work on a christmas card/photo/letter project.

i am going to set up my blog posts for the week of christmas vacation so i can take a break.
 
i am going to sew two t-shirts for etsy orders.
if i can dig my machine out.

can you see it?

those cheez-it's?
i have no idea why they are there...how long they have been there....who put them there....yuck.

i am also going to plan out my big week.
next week i am going to have CRAFT WEEK with my kids.
i want to make a different christmas craft every day after school...supplies ready and out for when they come home from school...hot cocoa and cookies waiting...christmas music playing in the background.
sounds dreamy.
we'll see how it goes.
i will use my time this weekend to make lists of the crafts i want to make & the supplies i will need.
i am excited.

and maybe i will watch some of my favorite movies.

one other pic from the disaster of a craft room...
for julie, heather and sarah.
check out my lockers! 

i bought them at the barn sale in september and painted them red.
they are full of fabric, t-shirts, canvases, and bags.
they looked like this at the barn....
 

craig said "you PAID for this?"
and then he said "good job honey...it looks really good." when they were painted.

ok...i have to do 25 things at least before i leave town.

but the GOOD NEWS is...the b&b has WIFI. 
woo-hoo!  

crazy busy

do you feel crazy busy?

i don't like that feeling.
i want to be relaxing in the christmas season....enjoying the moments...being INTENTIONAL.
but instead i am doing the opposite.
bleck.

i have only TWO sets of photos left to finish up and deliver.
then i am taking a break from pictures (mostly) for awhile.  
i plan on getting crafty with my etsy shop all winter.

i have to share the family pictures i worked on yesterday. (took them over a month ago though)
it was our second shoot...and so much fun.
 







 
       


is that cute or what?  
we had great light...i missing those fall evenings already!


change of subject:

ashley ann...my online best friend who i cannot wait to meet in person...
and have her take MY family's picture...
and go to the barn sale...  
wrote some very sweet things about me on her blog today.  
she makes me look pretty good!
HA!
i check in on ashley everyday.
and i bet you will too now that you have been properly introduced.

****i am so happy that so many of you made crescent chicken.  that just made me so happy!**** 

AND...Jody has a raffle going on for water4christmas.
and i just bought her husband's christmas album and can't wait to get it.
he is a seriously rockin' pastor!