The Best Cinnamon Rolls Ever; The Worst Recipe Ever

I took a break from blogging this fall to blog on my design and photography blog instead. I managed to say blog 3 times in one sentence just now, didn't I?

It's 12:04am on CHRISTMAS EVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love Christmas, and I love Christmas Eve even more :).

And a new tradition I started a few years ago is making home made cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning, or in this case, for Christmas Eve morning.

But it wasn't all sugar and spice.

I found a recipe a while back on www.allrecipes.com that turned out to be a great recipe, a no-fail recipe of sorts. I started the process at 9:04pm, after asking my hubby if he was planning on staying up late based on all the caffeine he'd had today. His reply prompted me to proceed with my late night baking project.

I gathered my ingredients which started with 4 cups of flour, one package yellow cake mix (called for 18.25oz but my boxed mix was only 15.25oz...hmm...first blunder of the evening), then add the yeast and water. This all went smoothly until Alan and I got to chatting which in the kitchen together, and I got side tracked at added 4 1/4 C water instead of 2 1/4 water.

OOPS!!! Soggy, wet mess of dough that wouldn't mix!!!

Quick! Add more flour and cake mix!

But we have no more cake mix...??

Well then add more flour!

Alan was quick to think to look up what's in a boxed cake mix to duplicate some of it, so we also added 2 teaspoons baking powder and about a 1/4 C sugar to the dough (um...ok, so I just threw a handful of sugar in, and as I type this, Alan admits to it being a HEAPING tsp of baking powder and nearly a cup of sugar).

We laughed as I tried mixing it, constantly asking for more flour, more flour, MORE FLOUR!!! SERIOUSLY, just pour the flour in already!! Alan kept getting frustrated and telling me it was too much flour.

After kneading the dough for...eh...forever at this point, we then decided to follow-through and try to at least see if they would rise. Forty minutes later....and yeah, not quite so much. As they were rising I freaked out realizing I didn't add extra yeast in any way after I put in too much water, to which Alan replied, "Yes, but a little bit of yeast leavens the whole batch!"

Even though the dough didn't quite rise, I proceeded to go ahead and punch down and knead the dough, and found it quite doughy. I added more flour, again, and started rolling it out with a teeny-tiny rolling pin (our real one broke last year), but then THANKFULLY realized I had borrowed one from a friend and have yet to return it ;). It's a sweet one too ;).

Nervously I put the first batch in, and 15 minutes later stood in front of the oven checking to see if they were done and getting slightly frustrated that I had, at this point, been on my feet for over 2 hours and should have been done with a cleaned kitchen.

I took a bite, and what to my wondering mouth did I taste? Well...it wasn't too shabby. But I couldn't decide if they were ok or not, and if I should proceed or not to bake the rest. I gave the plate to Alan to take a little bite, which he did. And then another. And another, and another, and another until it was all gone! I thought he was mocking me, but he looked up and said, "Hun {insert laugh}, those are the BEST cinnamon rolls you've EVER made!!!!"

We had been joking all night that 'watch, this will be the best ever'. And they were.

And we created a Christmas memory with our traditional Christmas cinnamon rolls.

Loved This Thought...

I've been reading "Real Mom, Real Jesus" by Jill Savage {Owner/Creator of Hearts At Home ministry}. I bought it for this reason:

Yep, that's a basket of dirty laundry on the cover. What can I say...it spoke to me! The only sad part is that my husband convinced me to buy it for Kindle, so I don't get to look at that amazing cover each time I pick it up, or for that matter, I don't get to dog-ear the pages, scribble thoughts in the margins, or use a nifty pink highlighter on special passages. 

But the awesome part? It's jam packed full of great thoughts on the Lord and how He truly can relate to ME! A mommy!! A wife!!! A crazy, coffee-injected-caffeine-addict-wife-to-one-and-mother-to-two!!! 

Here's the Truth and reminder that I read today: {please pause while I click my way through the pages, you know, since I can't BOOKMARK it with a pretty receipt or scrap of a coloring page paper. Incase you haven't caught on, I'm a V-Book kinda person...that's V for VINTAGE-where you can FEEL the paper in your hands and HEAR the pages turn...}

Everyday life gives us so many opportunities to bless our family; pray for wisdom, protection, and direction; and just spend time talking with God.

He wants to hear ME talk to HIM. It's a two-way street. I need to talk to Him and He wants to hear me; He wants to talk to me and I need to hear Him.

I love how she explains a way, even as a busy mom of five, that helps her remember to spend time in prayer, and something I hope to challenge myself to do from now on.

As I folded Mark's T-shirt I began my conversation with God. "God, thank You for my husband. Thank You for all that You have created him to be." I smoothed out a pair of jeans with, "Lord, help him to look to You for his value rather than his job or what the world falsely offers. I pray that he will be a man who longs for Your truth." As I began to pair his socks I prayed, "Keep his feet on Your path, Lord. Help him to walk in the Spirit more often than in the flesh."

As I pulled a couple of Erica's shirts out of the laundry basket, I prayed, "Lord, help Erica to want what You offer more than what the world has to offer. Keep her strong against the peer pressure she experiences in high school."

As I read on, Savage depicted how she prayed for her family while folding their laundry. I loved that idea, the simplicity of the prayers, and the reminder that He constantly wants to hear me talk to Him.

 

 www.hearts-at-home.org

 

The Inaugural Playing of Winter Snow for the Season!

This is probably one of my favorite *winter* {if I say winter, does that make it less harmful than saying I'm playing Christmas songs already?} songs. There's a chance of snow today {seriously!?}, so we're going to welcome it appropriately. 

Winter Snow by Audrey Assad

Could've come like a mighty storm 
With all the strength of a hurricane 
You could've come like a forest fire 
With the power of heaven in Your flame 

But You came like a winter snow 
Quiet and soft and slow 
Falling from the sky in the night 
To the earth below 

You could've swept in like a tidal wave 
Or an ocean to ravish our hearts 
You could have come through like a roaring flood 
To wipe away the things we've scarred 

But You came like a winter snow 
(Yes, You did) 
You were quiet 
You were soft and slow 
Falling from the sky in the night 
To the earth below 

Oh, no, Your voice wasn't in a bush burning 
No, Your voice wasn't in a rushing wind 
It was still 
It was small 
It was hidden 

You came like a winter snow 
Quiet and soft and slow 
Falling from the sky in the night 
To the earth below 

Falling 
(Oh, yeah) 
To the earth below 
You came falling 
From the sky in the night 
To the earth below

Fall For Fun

Found these from 2008...

New, New, New!

New blog design...
     ...New daughter!...
          ...New & refreshed me!

I haven't blogged in FOREVER. Well, except for earlier today ;). But I'm back. Consider that a warning ;).

What's new that you'll find, other than brighter colors and an updated picture? You'll find a glimpse inside. I'm stepping out and making a point to make my life healthier. I'm working out, eating right, and trying to be a better mommy and wife {ok, so all of that is in backwards order}. I'm trying to do a better job of PLAYING with my kids, TALKING with my hubby and trying to be an encourager to him. Spell check doesn't like my word encourager and is telling me it's not correct, but I know it is because it's what I'm trying to be.

As for the exercising part...I hope to be at least a little transparent here in order for you, my (2?) readers to help hold me accountable. I NEED accountability like none other on this!!! I'll fill in more later, but let's just say that I've set some high goals that I desperately hope to accomplish, and I'm willing to be open if it means it'll help at least one other person who struggles with the same things I do.

And on top of all of that, I'm trying, deeply, to be a better daughter of the King. I slack. I disobey. I neglect. I run the other direction than He wants. I cave. I fail.

I need. I desire. I thirst.

I'm ready for HIM to transform me, from the inside out.

A New Found Love

I stumbled across this new blog.

Ok, I lied. I kinda stumbled across it. I won't go into detail here just how, but let's just say God works everything to the good of those who love Him.


Here's the site: www.incourage.me

Real name is (in)courage. Don'tcha love that name?

Anyway, it is a site/blog for women who love the Lord to come and share, be encouraged (hello Captain Obvious!), and to grow in friendships, relationships, and more importantly in the Lord. Check it out:

They also have a new fall Book Club book by Angie Smith (wife of Todd Smith from Selah). I haven't started following this yet, or gotten the book yet, but am hoping to soon. You can find more on this at this link http://vimeo.com/28911850

Trail of a Toddler

I gave up chasing him today. I let him play with whatever he wanted. My floor is now covered in:

1 raisin fallen from the high chair

2 sticker books

3 random stickers stuck to the linoleum floor

2 stocking caps

2 pair of mittens

1 pair of mommy's flip flops he tried wearing

1 winter coat

1 rain coat (it was raining outside, so he insisted he needed to wear it inside)

1 sippy cup

1 play kitchen

1 play cupcake thingy

3 books

2 pieces of play fence from play farm

1 can of corn

2 large containers of oats

1 container of hot chocolate

1 jar of gravy

1 pkg honey grahams

1 pair size 7 toddler sandals

1 pair of daddy's shoes size 13

1 wooden train

1 play laptop

2 jars of spaghetti sauce (thankful he didn't drop them)

1 pkg wheat flour unopened (thankfully)

numerous random coffee filters

1 'fit the object in its shape' game

1 old Gerber baby food jar

1 box lasagna noodles

1 can black beans

...it might not sound like much, except that we live in a small duplex, and ALL of this is just in the front room and kitchen, and I keep tripping over everything, but don't have the energy (or room) to keep bending over this baby belly to pick stuff up! Good thing he's learned to put his toys away at night :). He made me tired just watching him play...

Love Came For Me

I've been on a Shannon Wexelberg kick lately. I first heard her at the National Worship Leader Conference last year, and have LOVED her music ever since. So peaceful, so vivid with lyrics.

Now granted, this one is on her Christmas album, but it is one to listen to and reflect on all year.

Reflect on these lyrics:

Love Came for Me 

Words & music by Shannon J. Wexelberg 

If You had not come 

Tender baby King 

And humbly left Your throne 

To reach someone like me 

If You had not walked 

Upon this broken ground 

Where on earth would I be now? 

If You had not come 

If You had not come 

To seek the sick and lame 

To set the captive free 

To break the prisoners chains 

I’d still be in the dark 

Grappling for the door 

Longing for some way, somehow (but…) 

   

Love came for me 

 Love rescued me 

 Love called my name 

 Love took my place 

 Sweet Lamb of God 

 I’m bowing down 

 My eyes have seen 

 I’m finally free 

 Love came for me  

If You had not come 

Willing, spotless Lamb 

My sin would be too much 

For You to take me as I am 

But, oh, the blood of Christ 

That washes over me 

Flowing from Your hands and feet 

Don’t have to worry where I’d be        

Love came for me 

 Love rescued me 

 Love called my name 

 Love took my place 

 Sweet Lamb of God 

 I’m bowing down 

 My eyes have seen 

 I’m finally free 

 Love came for me 

 This manger King 

 My everything 

 Love came for me  

©/2010 Shanny Banny Music / BMI  

who are You? and who am i?

The song 'Who Is Like You' by Starfield came to mind tonight as I was praying. Here are the lyrics:

The Lord is my strength and my song
He has become my salvation
He is my God and I will praise Him,
I will lift him up.

Who is like You, Majestic in holiness
Awesome in glory, Working wonders?
Who is like You, Majestic in holiness
Awesome in glory, Working wonders?

In Your unfailing love
You will lead the people there You Redeemed
And in your strength, You will guide them
to Your holy place

Who among the gods is like You,
who in all the heavens?
Who among the gods is like You?

This song reminds me to put things into perspective: Who is like Him? He is everything. Why do I rely so much on the world and its wisdom, on the thoughts of others instead of His thoughts about me, why do I spend so much of my time on worldly things instead of focusing my attention to Him?

I'm reminded also in the song 'Who Am I?' of the same thoughts:

Who am I? 
That the Lord of all the earth,
Would care to know my name,
Would care to feel my hurt.
Who am I? 
That the bright and morning star,
Would choose to light the way,
For my ever wandering heart.
...
I am a flower quickly fading,
Here today and gone tomorrow,
A wave tossed in the ocean,
A vapor in the wind.
...
Who am I? 
That the eyes that see my sin
Would look on me with love
And watch me rise again.
Who am I? 
That the voice that calmed the sea,
Would call out through the rain,
And calm the storm in me.


...these questions are my questions. Even when I know full well that He is God, He is the Great I Am, that no one is like Him in majesty and glory, I still doubt {in my sinner way} that He surely can't love me for who I am, the things I've done, the mistakes I've made. I love the chorus of this song though-

Not because of who I am,
But because of what you've done.
Not because of what I've done,
But because of who you are.

-and it reminds me-He reminds me-that He loves me for me. Not because of who I am, or anything I've done, but because of what He came to do for me. 

"As for God, His way is perfect;

the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.

For who is God besides the Lord?

And who is the Rock except our God?"

~Psalm 18:30-31

Chalkboard Paint: The Beginning of an Addiction {Part 2}

Glad I took the plunge :).

Here's the final product{s}:

I did learn some things along the way. The plastic totes in the top picture did good taking the paint, but when I tried writing on them, two of the three different types of plastic had issues. I managed to easily scratch the chalk paint right off (you'll see in additional pics below).

I also had trouble with the big metal tin. The original chalkboard painted tin that I found on a blog was painted over the entire outer surface, whereas I tried to do a small area which I marked off with masking tape. In the final product the green plastic tote peeled off easily and clean, whereas the tin had some grunge/vintage look to it from the paint seeping under the masking tape. Thankfully I sort of like the unfinished look ;)

So what'd I do with all my newly labeled organization?

{sadly I am out of straws to put in my new straw container!}

{You can see where the paint looked great in the first picture before I wrote on them, but then where it chipped when I used the chalk on it. I'm considering, for smaller projects, using chalkboard contact paper sold on amazon.com for $12 for an 18"x6' roll}

INSPIRATION SPURS MOTIVATION!!!

I thought I had a picture of the before hall closet, but I'm sort of thankful now that I don't because it was just...that...unorganized!! I thought it was, but now I'm realizing it was FAR from organized. 

If you put new containers in the closet,

then the rest looks bad...so you have to clean the closet out.

If you clean the closet out, 

then you have to reorganize it with the new space {aka less clutter}.

If you reorganize it, 

you realize it still looks bleh. You wish you could paint the closet, 

...but then you remember you rent and are not allowed to paint.

Then you remember you have half a roll of white contact paper left from another project, so you cover the shelves!

The final, VERY clean, VERY organized, LESS intimidating hall closet:

There are really 3 coolers inside the one big orange one :), and thankful for the saved-in-great-condition Christmas and birthday gift bags!

Well would you look at that-the green tote for $2.64 found a home!!

Even more exciting, the clean closet meant a new shelf for my sewing machine and scrapbooking/sewing tote. The tote used to live downstairs, but I realize that I use stuff from it on a daily basis...now it's quick and easy to get to.

Chalkboard Paint: The Beginning of an Addiction {Part 1}

       i heart chalk     .

Seriously-I've always loved chalk much more than marker boards. I can remember sitting in school and thinking, "When is it MY turn to write the answer on the chalkboard??!?" I never had such gumption to write on the marker boards...perhaps because they wiped so clean and you couldn't see the ghost markings in the background which often made for a cool design? 

Needless to say, I've been wanting to play with chalkboard paint for a while. My dream was to build my own little frame on a wall and use chalkboard paint to create my own chalkboard...this of course was when we lived in Iowa and we owned our home. Now we rent, and I doubt that the landlord would be happy if I did that here. 

So, what do you do when you want to experiment with paint, but are not brave enough? 

1. Find awesome blogs that give how-to's so that you don't feel dumb for not knowing how to 

actually create it ;)

New favorite in the bookmarked blogs: I Heart Organizing

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/03/project-teal-chalk-it-to-me-again.html

{above link shows the how-to for making a chalkboard, the link below shows an awesome idea for storing the chalk on the board. I REALLLY wanted to do this, but alas, my frames were too narrow}

http://iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/2011/06/hmmm-thats-pinteresting.html

2. Take the plunge. 

I've been thinking of buying a piece of plywood and framing and make my own board...but why do that when you can come across these 2 pre-made boards with frames at a garage sale for $1 each?? Add a can of chalk paint for $9.97, a sample can of OOPS! paint for $0.50 {I wanted a fun, vibrant color, but it was $3}, and two brushes for $2...

{Before}

{After...the little guy couldn't wait for mommy to hang it-he insisted on using it immediately! One is for his play area downstairs...

...and one in the kids' bedroom for Mommy's notes, like this one, announcing our coming attraction of 

Miss Abigail Lucy :) }

I was very pleased with the results...so why stop there?? I got addicted to that blog again and decided, after seeing some organized totes, to get a little plastic organizer that Isaac could tote his crayons and coloring stuff in. Sadly, after perusing nearly every aisle in Target, I did not find what I was looking for, but I did find these:

Plastic Tote for organizing clearanced at $2.64 

{...not really sure what to organize in it, but the options are endless!}

Metal basket for $14.99 on clearance for $10!!! It's big enough that I plan on putting it by the door to drop our shoes in {my husband's sandals NEVER make it all the way to our closet, so in my attempt to live in peace, I decided to just make them more organized in their current location}

I taped the area that I wanted to paint, and attempted getting creative with the edges...we'll see how the that worked in Part 2.

Step 1: Put on first coat. ...Realize this is fun and feeling organized, 

grab sugar and flour containers to do the same.

I did notice that the paint took directly to the plastic containers, but the metal was streaky. It actually dried well after an hour (I was nervous that it might not work on metal), and took an easy 2nd coat.

Coat #2 drying nicely. ...Well that's funny. How did another container get in there??

And why stop there? 

I got extra ambitious and cleaned out the medicine containers and first aid container. They need labels too, right? {Not to mention also needed DESPERATELY cleaned out ;)}

Tomorrow I shall post Part 2 and we'll see how they all turned out!!!!

Oh, incase you were wondering what my child was up to while I was painting everything in the house to chalk:

...he was helping Mommy with the more important things on the To-Do list, like dusting :). This kid LOVES to dust!! In a raincoat of course, because, you know, don't wanna get all that dust on you apparently ;)

Hmm...new ideas and inspirations...

I'm on a decorating on a budget kick. A sewing kick. A creative kick.

I was looking for book ideas to check out at the library for Isaac, and randomly this picture came up of shelves to hold books (and then listed a bunch of cool books). I remember telling Alan how it'd be cool to make shelves like that, but shelves are hard to do considering we rent and cannot screw anything to the wall, only nail it. So I gave up on the cool shelf idea...

...until now! I am in a blog mood-I LOVE reading decorating blogs and seeing how amazingly creative women can take a $5 chair from craigslist and make it into something that looks more like $50 or more! I stumbled upon this blog and as I scrolled through old posts, I found the SAME IMAGE of the bookshelf I saw last week!!! This time it had a DIY blog about how to make the shelves, and it looks SO easy!!!

Here's a link to the blog and the shelf idea.

We recently cleaned up an area of the basement for Isaac to play while we're hanging out down there, and I want to make 3 of these shelves, paint them in fun colors and display his books rather than keep them in their current mess with all his other toys.

...Now to break the news to Alan that he gets to make a trip to Menards and help me with this project ;)

Why Some Tunes Just Don't Work :)

I just came across this as I was looking for a song of his I wanted to post, but this caught my attention in a funny yet poignant way.

Kauflin on the {In}Effectiveness of some tunes

Oh, and here's the song I was originally going to post by his son. Love the lyrics. Soak them in. 

Today is a Day of Pretend

I typed this this morning before my piano lesson arrived and emailed it to a friend. She thought it would make for a great, if not very transparent, blog post. So, at the risk of being transparent about my less than stellar mood today, here it is:

Today is a day of pretend.

I am going to pretend that I got 8 blissful hours of sleep last night, and have woken up rejuvenated and refreshed and not think about the mere 3 hours that I really got.

I am going to pretend that I do not have heartburn from too much water or leg cramps left over from said night of sleep, and instead pretend that I ate a delicious meal of shrimp scampi and breadsticks covered in marinara sauce from Olive Garden last night, and that my legs are tired from the marathon that I won yesterday. 

I am going to pretend that my child did not wake me twice last night screaming at the top of his lungs for no apparent reason other than perhaps he too had heartburn, or that they were not in fact night terrors, but instead he just loves me so much that he wanted additional cuddle time in the wee hours of the night.

I am going to pretend that my house is sparkling clean, the dishes all put away, the counters all wiped down, a meal already prepared for the night is tucked safely away in the fridge, right next to the mocha chocolate chip cheesecake for dessert. Towels are clean, clothes are washed, folded, and neatly organized in all drawers and closets, so that I can rest peacefully this afternoon in a blissful nap knowing that my wifely chores are already taken care of for the day.

I am going to pretend that I do not have nausea from forgetting medicine last night, but that I am just having hungry pangs for the above mentioned cheesecake for later today.

I am going to pretend that my child will be a perfect little angel and play nicely by himself all day. He will not have any poopy diapers or tantrum throwing moments, and he will constantly say, "Please," and "Thank you," and "I love you Mommy, you're the bestest" in his own little way.

I am going to pretend that the maintenance crew on the other side of my Venetian blinds are not tearing out and replacing water rotted siding and old gutters, but that instead they are building a beautiful wrap around porch with  white railing, white wicker furniture with bright Martha Stewartesque patio cushions and an oak porch swing, which I will sit on this evening as I watch the fire flies and feel the beautiful and humid-less breeze as I swing and sip my limeade, which will also not give me heartburn ;).   

I am going to pretend that my attitude today is one of a chipper disposition, bordering on a Southern Belle charm....

....ah crud, I'm out of creamer, running late for lessons now, and those darn power tools just starting rearing outside my door...!!!!

Decorating { & Duh! Moments}

And so the creating continues. I've been wanting to make a bulletin board for the kids' room, and thus far have stripped my old one of the fabric that was on it {with the help of a very talented piano student ;)}, yanked out all the old staples {...ok, so maybe the piano student did that part as well}, and spray painted the frame white. I want to get some fun fabric and ribbon for it, and I already have some silver clips instead of push pins...but alas, I am lacking motivation for what to do next. Not sure if I just want it for notes, to display Isaac's drawings, to post verses for him and songs, or what exactly.

And for that very reason, it is now hung in his room...blank. But with a really nice fresh white frame :) 

I will attempt it another day. 

But I did, finally, get motivated to make some pictures for his bathroom. Ever since we switched bedrooms and bathrooms, his has been plain and boring, and I can't blame the kid for wanting to take showers instead of baths anymore for that very reason! Gotta have a fun and bright bathroom!

To start off I found an old black picture frame in the basement-the kind with a collage of frames, and spray painted it white. After searching for ideas on what exactly to do with it, I came across an animal idea. I wanted to tie together boy and girl, and I'm hoping this did the trick:

Loved the final product! But that left me with two more plain walls that begged for attention. While looking at what I had created {all while the kid was playing great by himself-reading, coloring, playing, spilling mommy's cold water on himself, getting caught digging in the trashcan, coloring with his crayon on the glass front of the picture frame, you get the picture}, I decided I'd make another picture that said, "Air, Land, Sea...God Made All 3!" and then I'd also make another frame for above the bath of an ocean scene. 

How'd it turn out? Have a look!

Cute, right? Same colors (thanks to another big bunch of scrapbook paper I found I had and stickers to match!

...Look closer...

I took down the nice "decorative" towel I had hanging in there that we never used to match our bathroom decor. At least now we can add it to our set of towels that seem to be getting lost these days. Now we can hang their little hooded towels there :)

Two walls down, one to go! There was a HUGE blank space by the tub {I say tub because oddly enough considering it's a master bathroom, it has no shower!} so I filled it with another picture:

Ok, so let's back up. Remember the theme for the child bathroom? Well, did you catch my UGH! FAIL! moment? I went in to hang the ocean picture {mind you I did hammer a nail while my child was sleeping in his crib five feet away! Sound sleeper tonight thankfully :)}, and as I took a final picture, I noticed something odd. I called Alan in to see if he noticed it too...and as he graciously gave me a little hug he said, "Ah, Hun. That makes no sense at all."

^ Before. Aka~Mommy's DOH! moment. Really? "Earth, Land, Sea..."??! Perhaps it should read "Earth, Land, Sea...God Made...both?" 'Cause isn't the earth made up of land and sea? Contemplated the need for fixing it or letting it go since I was no exhausted. Decided if I didn't do it now, I never would. 

After. Fixed. Makes more sense now, huh? 

And the entire bathroom decor was free thanks to some old frames and old scrapbooking paper :)

And the kid will never know since he slept through it all :). 

tHe CrEatiVe siDe

With Isaac, my nesting habits involved much, much organization & cleaning.

With a baby girl in the womb, I have become crafty & creative.

PROJECT 1:

Make birdies to hang on carseat & playtime

Step 1.} Gather supplies and make patterns. Then empty bladder.

Step 2.} Set up makeshift ironing table because current ironing table is A. Downstairs where child can get into too much touble, and B. Broken. 

*Note what the ugly counter looks like now with clutter...that is a later project :) *

Birdies :) {it's ok, I totally admit the bottom one looks more like bird meets fish}

Step 3.} Attempt to make stuffed birdie for baby girl. Get frustrated because all my scissors are not sharp enough to cut through fabric. Get frustrated making pattern. Stop to relieve bladder...again.

Step 4ish.} Check on child who is playing a bit too quietly and find him sorting through mommy's make up bag. 

Step 5.} Complete, after much frustration, birdie {approx. 12"w by 6" tall. Be content with size as you originally wanted a bigger one, but forgot to allow for better inseam}

Cost of fabric for little birdies, big bird, and diaper holder: less than $10. I heart Hobby Lobby. I also already had the ribbon, the buttons, flowers and thread, so it was a pretty cheap but fun project!

Project 2:

Get motivated from first set of sewing projects & decide to make a little thing {can't think of an appropriate term} to keep diapers in inside the diaper bag

Happy with finished project, which was done in less than 2 hours, and included making an original pattern, stopping frequently to pee, and much deliberation on whether or not to close it with a button, to which I sewed a fake button and instead will add velcro later ;)

Happy that it turned out, and holds 6 newborn diapers!

Project 3:

Make scapbooks for cousins birthdays :)

The mess that is scrapbooking :)! Note that mommy's table has her laptop {with Pandora}...Note that the little dude decided to get creative as well, and he even brought his laptop ;)

I forgot I had these two albums, and found them in my hope chest as I was putting clean sheets in there. I had been wanting to do something like this for my cousins' birthdays, and was thrilled to find not only the albums hidden away, but also a new set of scrapbook paper and embellishments that I had bought on sale at

 Hobby Lobby about a year ago and not yet used. 

I love these albums because they have the magnetic clasp on front...

...and can be flipped over to display :)

Project 4:

Freshen Up Surroundings {aka de-clutter}

Remember the cluttered countertop? Check it out now :)

I forgot that I had 3 coffee pictures in storage downstairs until I found them a couple months back getting ready for a garage sale. I didn't know what to do with them, so they've been gathering dust on top my fridge just sitting there, waiting to be put somewhere. 

The recipe book stand was actually holding up a 12"x12" tile that I was wanting to add a verse or saying to, but haven't been able to find vinyl letters that I like, so it's been sitting on top my cabinets blankly. I'm sure people have wondered why the crazy lady is displaying random tiles. I re-purposed it tonight to hold recipe books, and in this case, the recipe scrapbook my mom made me of my 

grandmother's handwritten family recipes :)

Oh, and in the process of cleaning out the hall closet and reorganizing it today, I luckily found new night-light bulbs and the tin-star night lights!! Now I can see in the kitchen at night for those midnight cravings without turning on every light along the way :) 

Hmm...really does pay to clean once in a while as you never know what you'll find :)

I hate this backsplash above my sink. That's what you get for renting, folks, ugly green with no way to hang anything. Makes dishwashing boring {not that it isn't already a boring chore}. I've been wanting to hang something there for quite some time, but how does one hang something on tile? 

I came across the chalkboard that I used to use in photosessions, so I put some velcro with sticky back on it to hang it, and {WOOT WOOT!} finally have a non-boring and changeable picture. 

Another coffee picture I found in storage that needed a home in my kitchen. Perhaps you are wondering where the chic little glass bottle full of chalk came from?...

well, here's the before shot...}

(p.s. please ignore the spaghetti sauce splatter on the stove, or the dishes in the sink in the other picture :). Let's just say some chores had to be put on the back burner whilest I decorated :).