What WE are reading...

I recently announced that I would be reading "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. I'm ashamed to say that I have never read it since it is suppose to be such a grand novel. Also it's such a shock because it's played out in the 19th Century British society which I LOVE! It's high time I put my night clothes on and cuddle up with this book! I've made tea and I've found my fuzzy socks. Let the reading begin! I'm happy to say that I will have  company (not in bed with me right this moment, but reading at their own home....) while reading this novel! A few of my good friends have also decided to bury themselves in the lovely book! Why don't you join us! If you have a kindle, amazon offers the book for free! It's one of many classics that they offer for free actually. Recently I read "Alice in Wonderland" out loud to my daughter. I'm not sure she listened to the entire thing. But she sat still for a time and stared into space! If you have a NOOK or purchase your ebooks from Barnes & Noble they offer the book for 99 cents! If you're not so fortunate to have an ereader or you just prefer the feel of a good old fashioned book, well, I think you can find it priced anywhere from 4 bucks to $444!! Yes, you read that right! A collectible copy of the book will run you around 3 digits! I love books. I love the feel of them. But, I don't have room for them and I certainly don't have that kind of money! What are you reading right now?

My Bucket List~Revised

Five years ago I threw away my bucket list. The things that were on it were not going to get crossed off at the rate I was going. I thought I wanted things that just weren't achievable. For example, Go to a Cubs Game (Who would I go with?).....Read 100 books (When would I have time?)......Repair something in my home (I don't own tools).

All of those things seemed so ridiculous to me. But I wrote them on a piece of paper. I sat down with a pen and paper and I wrote out the things that I truly wanted to do......for me. Not my family. Not my boys. And most certainly not my husband. Then one day, I think I was feeling like I was not worthy to achieve any of those things and that maybe I was being selfish for wanting anything for myself. It was almost as if I wanted to punish myself for something. I wasn't good enough for my husband so why should I be happy. That's what it was. I think I just had an epiphany.

Anyway, I ripped up that list. I tossed it in the trash and I didn't think about the things on that list for a while. My husband left. I fell apart. When I started seeing my counselor she told me I had to pick myself back up and heal myself, stop looking at the past and focus on the future. I had no idea how to do that. So, she suggested that I make a bucket list. It would be something to focus on. A way to move forward.

11. Get a Tattoo.....done.

 I didn't know how to put my own "wants" before others. So, when she told me to come back in a week with 10 things written on a piece of paper I thought "I might not be back!". It was too much work. Too hard to focus on me alone. But I did it! It makes me giggle now! I read over that list and I think "WOW! I'm a rock star!" Because I've crossed off most of the things and added a few....or revised it. Other people might think that the things on that list are silly and that's fine. Everyone is entitled to their own adventure.

This is the list I took to my counselor. I've marked the things I've since accomplished.

1. Go to a Cubs Game.......done! Thank you Jen!

2. Read 100 books.....done...read 100 more.

3. Drive to Arkansas with kids by myself....done.

4. Learn to forgive......done.

5. Learn to laugh at myself.....done.

6. Take a trip overseas.

7. Dye my hair pink......done.

8. Take a glass blowing class.

9. Hold a frog in my hand.....done (long story)

10. Repair something in my home.....done....scars to prove it.

I've added things to that list. I have about 31 things written down. These are things I want to do for myself and my family. I feel like I can include my family now. I've come a long way. Next week in craft class my girls will bring their own Bucket List. We'll talk about the things on their lists and figure out a way to achieve them. I'm looking forward to seeing what they've written. What's on your list?

Times are Tough.

A year ago I started selling some of the goodies I make. It all started when my best friend needed hair flowers for her daughters dance troop. I made 3 dozen!  From there I got more orders from people who saw the dance troop and fell in love. I started making other things, cupcake pix, glass tile pendants, bookmarks, invitations, party favors.  I did a craft show and more orders came in. I opened an etsy shop and then found myself unable to keep up! I didn't enjoy that. I had a very hard time working from home. We have very little space for me to claim as work space and being home with a toddler who is into everything was harder than I imagined it would be.  I couldn't get anything done and the orders were overwhelming me. Custom orders were not being paid for and I found myself losing money. House work was being ignored. It was a viscous cycle. I found myself struggling to be an efficient mother. Anybody who is friends with me on facebook might remember me feeling guilty about following my dreams. Well, that was right around the time I was having issues with my business venture. My inability to price items was a major downfall. I seem to have a problem charging for my time. Now that I look back I realize that I was basically charging people for the materials I was using. I guess I didn't put enough value on my own time.  I was my own worst enemy and I'm having a hard time finding the joy in it anymore.

I volunteer as a craft teacher now and don't spend a lot of time crafting for profit. But, times are tough and we need money so very desperately right now. Yet for some reason I just can't seem to get back in the groove of selling. I'm not a good salesperson to begin with. But, in a few weeks I will be setting up shop at a local craft show where I will put on a confident smile and hope people don't look at my wares and think "I'd be better off making that myself." I've been using up all of my left over supplies, hoping to get rid of it and make some of the money back that I lost.

Christmas Baubles Glass tile Pendant Neclace by TooTsie Designs

Denim Flower Headband by TooTsie Designs

Times are tough folks. Try to buy local when you can. Support the local farmers and local artisans. We're all just trying to follow a dream and support a family. I know it's so much easier to stop in at the big box store and get everything on your list. But, please stop in at one of the local craft shows and check out the quality craftsmanship that the local artisans have to offer! If you already do that then Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!  

It won't kill you.

I just want to take this time to say that I'm very annoyed by the fact that automobile makers are not equipping new cars with a very important feature. A feature that could ultimately save your life and the lives of others........

A Turn Signal....Blinker......

Ohhhh! They do? Well, then why are so many people refusing to use them these days? WHYYYYYYYYYYYYY!? It won't kill you!  It's not difficult to use. You don't have to remember a password to get the thing to work! You make the decision to turn and then  flip it on, then wait a minute before turning. Don't turn it on as you're turning. And especially don't turn it on as you are turning in front of me! Keep in mind, if you find yourself at a 4 way stop and you and I are across from each other, if you do not signal that you're turning I will think you're going straight! I don't know how many times that has happened to me! I'm at a 4 way stop, the person across from me isn't using a blinker so I assume that they are going straight. Then I go straight when they decide to turn into me! It happened at the school yesterday when I was picking my sons up. A man, who was obviously blinker challenged, almost hit me and then pointed at the stop sign as if I hadn't stopped! Ummmm....I stopped! I wanted to follow him and give him a tutorial on how to use his turn signal. But, the boys wouldn't love me anymore if I embarrassed them like that. So I let it go. But, low and behold, this morning it happens again. It irritates the bejeezus out of me. I want to make signs to remind people that they could make life easier for everyone if they'd just learn to use their blinker! But, I think I'd have to get a special permit to put billboards up in peoples yards.....it could get messy. So, I'll use the tools I have and bitch about it here!

Please, for the love of my sanity, use your turn signal. Honestly, it won't kill you.

Something New

I tell ya! I learn something new about myself everyday!

It's that time of the year. Mice are looking for a place to settle in for the winter. I opened the silverware drawer a few mornings a go to find that something had chewed up the handle of my daughters favorite spoon! It's an outrage! And very disgusting. So, I cleaned everything out of the drawer, bleached it all and left in the dish drainer until I decided that we no longer have a mouse issue. We put out traps and I was hopeful they would work!

Now, let me introduce you to my son........He's 15 and very inventive. He is handy and skilled with a blow dart gun......Yes, I said a blow dart gun! He made it using my curtain rod and various other household items. My curtains are riddled with holes from said instrument of destruction. Anyway, I love my son. He keeps me laughing and amazed! He decided he was going to catch himself a mouse the old fashioned way. He fashioned a trap out of a bowl, a string, a can of beans, a box and peanut butter. He placed it in the kitchen and sat a short distance away to watch it. When/if the mouse went after the loot he would yank the string to drop the bowl onto the mouse! Genius!

I figured there was only one problem with his plan. There was no way that mouse was going to come out in broad daylight with him sitting there like that and just as I was telling him this that mouse came trotting out and sat right next to my son! My jaw dropped open! It was absolutely comical.We all just sat still waiting to see what it would do next.....It finally ran under the couch! Once we all snapped out of our amazement,  my two sons worked together to catch the mouse and then  dropped it off by our mailbox. The end of that.

But ever since that day, I can't help but wonder if he got back in the house! Then today my daughter says "Mama, Mouse!".

This is where I learned something new about myself!!!!

I'm afraid of mice.

I don't know if I've ever moved so fast in my life! But I do know that my dining room table will support my weight and the toddlers!.......And the no good for nothing cat! She's fired by the way! :)

This party sucks

Today the weather is not at its best. The wind must be blowing at a whopping 40mph, the rain is not letting up and it's cold! It's October! And it's days like this that use to inspire me to throw a pity party. I was the only one on the guest list. I'd spend the day watching sad movies, thinking about all of the things in my life that sucked just as bad as the weather! I'd listen to sad music. Blah blah! Cry me a river. This party sucks! I'm going home!  

I've changed my ways.........which  is always a good idea if you have ever looked at yourself in the mirror and said "You are pathetic", well then it's time to make some changes. If you ever find yourself imagining that your life is something that it isn't then it's time to adjust your situation. Fortunately for me I had help in the adjustment department when my ex husband left. There's one  Problem solved. From there I realised that I was holding myself back. I had to make the changes to make myself happy.

Anyhow, I have made a list of things that I try to do on a gloomy day to ensure that I don't get sucked into the deathly vortex of self pity. Because let's face it, when you're in a gloomy mood you will find anything, I mean anything to be melancholy about! For instance........a mouse chewed up my daughters favorite spoon, it bothered me.......I know! Pathetic! Get a mouse trap! Problem solved!

1. I read something upbeat. Any of the Stephanie Plum books will do! Avoid Nicholas Sparks!

2. I avoid these movies: Fried Green Tomatoes, Steel Magnolias, Titanic, The Lion King, The   Kingdom and last but not least..........P.S I love you! ( I also don't watch the news unless I need to check the weather)

3. Dance.......wherever you are, whatever you're doing, even if you don't have music....humm if you have to but for the love of footloose.......DANCE!

4. Paint your nails. The fumes might help lift your mood.

5. Re decorate! Change your decor up a bit! Don't go out and buy new paint or anything. Just move things around, put the couch somewhere new! Throw things away if they're broken. Let's face it, you're not going to fix it! Toss it! I did this yesterday and I felt so good after I was done! I listened to music while I did it and it was very cleansing. And BONUS.....it really throws your family off when they get home and things are changed....makes them wonder if you moved the couch to hide evidence.......just saying!

6. This is the important one. Do something nice for someone else! You'd be surprised at how good it will make you feel to do a good deed! A random act of kindness can help someone else's day turn around just by witnessing it. This doesn't mean you should go out and throw change at a homeless person. Help someone at the grocery store. Spray fabreeze on your kids bed....it makes them think you took the time to wash thier bedding. It's a sweet gesture, don't judge me!

That's just a short list of the things I try to do on a gloomy day to avoid self pity. What do you do to snap out of it?

We're all pleasantly Mad here!

I got married in August! A week before my wedding my sisters threw a bridal shower for me and I was so completely blown away! I have dreamed of throwing a tea party for a very long time and I am a huge Alice in Wonderland fan. Not to mention I am also a tea drinker! So, they put their brilliant minds together and planned a Mad Hatter Tea Party Bridal Shower!

I knew absolutely nothing about this shower. I knew it was taking place and that I was to wear a dress. As far as the theme or what it would entail....I was in the cold, clueless so to speak! I was told the day before to be ready at a certain time! So, I was!

It all started out with a scavenger hunt where I was driven around town by the white rabbit aka MOM. I had to follow clues and find a card at each stop! I wish I still had all of the cards! They rhymed! I was in love with the whole thing from that moment on and you know me! I shed a tear or two! The final clue gave me an address for the actual party. This was so exciting!

We showed up at the home of my sisters friend who I had never met before but her home is absolutely lovely! We had to follow a little path to the house where I noticed Floyd and Erma, my pink yard flamingos....I didn't even notice they had been kidnapped! lol! Once we got to the front door I was speechless. Layed out in front of me was the most amazing tea party I had ever seen! It still makes me feel loved! Everyone was asked to wear a hat and almost everyone did! I was given a cute little top hat to wear too. It was loads of fun and I swear every time I looked around the table I saw something I hadn't noticed before. We had meringues that looked like mushrooms! We used real silver! I was totally blown away by it all!

There so many elements to this shower that just made it so whimsy and perfect. Luckily, my sister has a wonderful friend who was gracious enough to let them use her home and china! I love my sisters so much and the love they have for me came out in thier thoughtfulness and planning! We played fun games, ate fantastic food and it was more than the tea party of my dreams could've ever been! My brother in law even helped with this! Thank you Herman! 

Popsicle stick bracelets

I recently met up with my craft class for a session. I call it a session because I think we all leave it feeling refreshed and ready to rule the world.

Cue Rocky theme song.

This week I left my girls in charge of deciding what we would be making. Keep in mind these are teenage girls we're talking about! I'm learning that they think about boys and accessorizing the most.

They used their internet time to do a little research and came up with this idea.

Popsicle stick bracelet

They started with wide popsicle sticks and boiled them in a pan on the stove for 15 minutes. Easy enough!

While the sticks were boiling the girls chose glasses.....the kind you drink out of.....to use to form the bracelet. They had a hard time finding glasses that would be the right size. Therefore, the bracelets don't stay on the wrist very well. So make sure you have a glass that has a small opening. I thought a wine glass would be good. We'll see about that since I plan on trying this project again myself at home.

When the sticks hit their 15 minute mark in the boiling water they carefully removed them, one by one, from the water with tongs! Originally, their idea was to dump them into a strainer to avoid the hot water but, they found that this only caused the sticks to cool faster and therefore they weren't bendable. They broke quite a few sticks in that process. So, back to the drawing board. Again, they boiled the sticks for 15 min, this time leaving them in the pan on the stove and using tongs.....Problem solved! 

this stick splintered as it was shaped but this is the idea.

Once they had their stick out of the water they were able to slowly shape them to fit into the glass. Where they would leave them to dry all night and most of the next day just to be sure they wouldn't straighten themselves out. A few of the sticks splintered as they were shaped. Notice the photo above. I wouldn't try to cover these with scrapbook paper like we did because I don't think the splinters would allow a smooth area but I thought you could actually cover it with fabric to hide the splintering and to keep your arm safe! Waste not ladies and gents. I'm going to work on that today at some point to see if it's a good idea or not. 

After your popsicle stick bracelet is completely dry you can cover them with your paper. We used scrapbook paper. 

bad photo....sorry.

We traced an unshaped stick onto the back of a piece of paper, cut it out and trimmed it to fit the stick. Using mod podge we adhered it to the stick, let it dry and BAM! It's a cool bracelet! 

I'm so proud of the girls for taking charge of this project and working through the road blocks that popped up. To see them so excited and so proud was truly a wonderful thing. They gave me some advice in case I wanted to do this project again. Use smaller glasses, don't reach into the pot of boiling water and take your time forming the bracelet! The students have become the teacher!  

*I realise that I am not the best at writing a tutorial. Please bare with me! I'm working on it. I hope this inspires you to tackle a project of your own. I do think these would be a fun thing to make and as far as decorating them, the possibilities are endless! Fabric, paint, paper and wait for it........GLITTER! I would not suggest wearing these in the shower or while doing dishes! Not sure they would hold up!

Adoption Option

Every once in a while I have to ground myself from reading the news paper because often I read a story and it stays with me for days. It sets my mood and is a total buzz kill. A few days ago my husband brought the paper home and I read the front page. It was depressing.  A car accident, a home invasion that lead to the death of a college professor and then an article about the death of  a baby. Of course I was drawn to the story about the baby. 

As I read the story I found myself clinching my fists and shaking my head.

A young mother, 22 years old, killed her baby girl. The autopsy said the baby died from blunt force trauma I believe. The young mother threw the baby at her boyfriend during a heated argument, shook the baby and hit the baby's head on the door frame while walking threw the house. She said she was under a lot of stress and had actually considered giving the baby up for adoption but people made her feel bad for even thinking it.

I know the stress of being a young mom. I gave birth to my oldest son shortly after I was old enough to vote. I was very inexperienced when it came to babies. Truth be told I was clueless. I was young, scared and in a rocky relationship. I know how easily a young Mom can lose her mind. Fortunately, I had an amazing support system. I had someone to tell me it would be ok, to encourage me and show me right from wrong.

I teach a craft class a couple times a month. My students are teenage Moms who have been misplaced or need guidance. When I first accepted the position I wondered what I could possibly teach them other than how to successfully use a hot glue gun without gluing your hand to your forehead. Now that I've read the article about this young mom I feel like I need to teach them  more. I want them to know that it's ok to be frustrated! It's ok to be overwhelmed! But they need to know how to deal with it! They need to know that it's ok to ask for help. Common sense tells us it's not right to throw a baby or shake them. But not every one uses their common sense when they are overwhelmed. Especially young people.

These girls need to know that adoption is not a failure on their part. It does not make them horrible mothers at all. It saddens me to think that 2 lives could've been saved if the ignorance of others could've been squashed. If those people would've just kept thier mouth shut and used thier brain a young mother might've done the right thing and she wouldn't be going to prison and a loving couple would be welcoming a baby into their home. There are so many people out their who, for whatever reason, can't have children of their own. And there are young women out there who feel like adoption is a failure on their part. It's not.

I feel pretty when....

I've struggled with low self esteem most of my life. But, I'm working on convincing myself that I am beautiful and worthy. I use to avoid mirrors. Now I stop and make faces at myself!
I use to wear boring clothes that are easily 2 sizes too big to hide my curves. Now, I wear stretch denim to show off my curves. Still working on breaking away from black shirts though. I use to hate pictures of myself. Now I only dislike bad pictures of myself and learned how to take a better picture.

So, what makes me feel pretty? I've thought about it long and hard. I'm in my 30's and I have grey hair and creases on my forehead. I have wrinkles around my eyes. My hair isn't always perfect and I usually have a zit somewhere on my chin because I'm cursed with adult acne I guess. But those things don't make me feel pretty. I feel pretty when I laugh or smile. It's that simple. I feel pretty when I make other people laugh or smile. Didn't someone say "The most beautiful curve on a woman's body is a smile"? And ain't that the truth?

I feel pretty when I smile. Not when I have loads of make up on and brand new clothes. Not when I have freshly dyed hair or when I'm wearing a dress. I feel pretty when I'm having fun. So, I guess when I ran out of the house the other day to greet my bf and I told her I didn't feel pretty, I was wrong. I had a huge smile on my face and she was smiling back. I had one charcoal grey eye and one mocha eye but hey! I was pretty anyway!

Don't get me wrong. I love to sit in the floor with my daughter and paint my nails. I love to wear nice clothes. But comfort is a big thing for me. And wearing a dress is not always comfortable.  I have stepped outside of my comfort zone a few times and I'm still trying to feel less awkward in a dress than I use to. It's a gradual process. I do feel better when I don't have as many grey hairs but I'm learning to embrace the changes that come with age. I've come a long way.

I hope you're feeling pretty today. Where ever you are in life. Don't let someone ever make you feel like you're not pretty. Do what makes you feel pretty! Do it for you and do it for future generations.

Me + eyeshadow= Train wreck

My best friend recently visited me  while back in the states from Australia! I was so shocked when she called and said "I'm coming for lunch!" I screamed with excitement! It scared the cat.

She said "I'll be there in 45 minutes to pick you up!" and at the time it seemed like enough time to get myself ready but once I hung up the phone and stepped into my closet and realized that I have no clothes..... panic set in and I wanted to cry.

I hadn't seen her in years. YEARS! We speak on the phone almost everyday! .....Ok maybe it had been a year! It seems longer! She's a size 4, long blonde hair, has fake....well, she's bigger than God intended her to be. She's the mother to a hand full of kids and she looks like she should be the poster child for fit and 40! I hate her.......just a smidgen! But I love her at the same time because she is such a beautiful person on the inside. I can look past her outer gorgeousness and see the inner beauty. It doesn't make me want to vomit a little. Anyway, I am not a size 4, I have frizzy unruly hair and I've had 3 kids and it shows! I should be the poster child for "What not to wear" and "People of Walmart". That's me! I was not Prom Queen!

Hourglass Studios took this amazing photo!

So, I'm standing in my closet thinking "She's going to think I've gone off the deep end!" if I wore my usual uniform of yoga pants and the husbands T shirt. It felt like I was going on a first date or something. I threw something young and ridiculously girly together, washed my hair and shaved my arm pits just in case I had to lift my arms. I watched a quick how to video on youtube on how to get that smokey eye look. After getting the "black eye" look a couple of times I gave up and  ended up with charcoal grey on one eye and a dark mocha on the other. Geesh. I'm the definition of Train wreck.

So, she arrives a little late as usual and I run out of the house with the toddler in tow. I don't want my bff to come in the house and see the state it's in. She takes one look at me and absolutely screeches! It literally made me jump! We hugged and she kept the screech going. Then she says "You look awesome!". Her southern twang is just the sweetest thing and I can tell when she's lying. She really meant what she said and I let her know that I did not feel pretty. She couldn't believe I would say such a thing! And asked what in the world would make me feel pretty then? I didn't know how to answer it. So, it got me to thinking.

What makes me feel pretty? And why don't I work harder to achieve that feeling? Why don't I try to make myself feel good about ME? Well, you'll just have to check back tomorrow if you want to know! :) Because this might take more thinking than I want to do right now!

My sweet escape

Being a stay at home Mom means that I am surrounded by my work pretty much 24/7. Even though I love being home with the toddler on good days, I also love the time that I get to sit with a good book and a cup of hot tea. Last year my mother in law bought me a kindle. I literally squealed with excitement! I was so happy! We live in a tiny house and I have very limited space. This kindle has eased the burden of finding room for books. When I got it I didn't realize how many free books I would enjoy. I think most of the books that I have read on my kindle in the past year have all been free. I've never spent over $8 on a book. Go ME!

I love my kindle. I have affectionately named it "Sweet Escape". Seriously, on my amazon account it is labeled "Sweet Escape". I sit down with my kindle, start reading and the world fades away. It is my sweet escape. I take it with me every where. My Granny made me a fancy little carrying case for it and everything.

However, it seems that ever since the new Kindle Fire has been announced I can't get a wifi connection on my kindle. To me, it seems a little conspiracy related to me. Is this a little poke to get people to upgrade to the newer better version?

photo via mashable.com

I glanced at the new kindle. The price looked super! The fact that you can watch movies on it was a wonderful perk. It's a color screen! I think I saw a better magazine selection. It all looks great! I'm in love. I think I will do a little more research and decide if I should put it on my birthday list! Santa can't bring it this year. He's working over time just to make sure the kids get something!

Be careful what you're thankful for.

I read something somewhere a few days ago. I can't remember where I saw it. I guess it isn't important. It said:

What if you woke up tomorrow with only the things you thanked GOD for yesterday?

It has stuck in my mind since the day I read it. It has made me rethink how I talk to GOD.

Before I read that quote I would randomly thank GOD for things. Sitting at the stop light in town one day I whispered "Thank you GOD for this short light". Another day I thanked GOD for the extra $1.35 in change I found in my Jeep. I often thank him for Nutella and locally grown apples or Mt. Dew in a styrofoam cup from Wesco.

Now, though, I do things differently. Because what if.........What would I do if I only woke up with those things? Life really wouldn't be worth it. I wouldn't be able to enjoy life with out my kids, my husband or my family. I can survive without the refreshing beverage and tasty snacks. I can sit a little longer at the light in the afternoon. But I wouldn't want to live with out the things that truly matter.



Anna Marie Pictorials



I made a scene!

My Mom lives 12 hours away from us! She doesn't get to see the kids as much as I would like. So I try to take pictures as often as I can of the kids so she at least knows what they look like day to day. My efforts are lost on the teenagers. You would think the camera was a tazer gun the way they dive behind couches and hide behind random strangers! I will tell them in advance that I expect them to be showered, groomed and picture ready days in advance and they still manage to weasel their way out of a photo shoot! I've lost all hope where they're concerned. But, the toddler is still at the age where I can bribe her!! And luckily, all it takes is a few Ritz crackers and cheese!

Today, the weather was BEAUTIFUL! So, I made a scene! I don't mean I threw a tantrum or yelled at the cashier in Walmart for throwing my eggs in the bag again! I mean I took a few items I had laying around the house and made a cute little scene where I could take the toddlers pictures. I even got her to help me set it all up!

I started with an old chair that I salvaged from my uncles garage a while back. Then I added a few hydrangeas that were at the end of their life cycle to my favorite flower container from my Granny's collection of Ball Jars.

The toddler is in love with the chalkboard signs I made for my wedding. So we threw those in the mix along with some bunting that was left over too. I placed this all in my flower bed next to my driveway where a zucchini plant had taken over. I liked the way it looked! She had fun.....win....win!

This is one of the pictures  I came up with! Enjoy!

I heart sidewalk chalk.

I can't even tell you how much I love a bucket of sidewalk chalk and an extra long paved driveway! It just so happens I have both! On nice days, I sweep the driveway (which is a workout) and bring out the bucket of chalk. The toddler and I lay in the driveway and draw until we have tiny fragments of chalk left! Sometimes I lay there and read. It's relaxing.

You all know that I am also in love with Pinterest where ideas flow freely. Each time I log on I am motivated to create something new. Sometimes I encounter a project that just doesn't turn out but I try. Recently, I was searching for ideas for photo props when I came across the most wonderful idea. I can't even believe I didn't think of this myself! Don't get me wrong. I have used sidewalk chalk in photos before but it was nothing like this!

None of the photos I've seen like this have a quote. I chose this quote for my sister who happens to have the middle name "Sunshine". Don't laugh at it! It suits her! She has a way of brightening your day just by being in the room. Her name comes up and your mood is instantly elevated! I love her dearly but she recently moved to the other side of the country and I won't see her for a while. I wanted to let her know that she's on my mind. So, I decided to create a little something for her. It took me quite some time to get the toddler to agree to this! And if it weren't for the artsy son, this would've never happened!

"No Sissy! Like this!"

This was attempt #1!

Ok. So if at first you don't succeed. Try. Try. and maybe improvise! My original idea was to make it look like she was flying over buildings. So, I took the time to draw some ugly skyscrapers, balloons etc. I even wrote my quote. But, while I was taking a bathroom break, the toddler set the tallest building on fire! Or at least that is the way it looks to me. I think I should hide the matches. This attempt was a disaster! So, I had to wait a while to try again. I couldn't get the chalk rinsed off. And by the time I scrubbed it off I had absolutely no energy left in me!  In the end I did the basics and instead of writing the quote with chalk I used picnik.com to add my wording. So much easier that way! If you haven't tried picnik......well, check it out! It's a bit addictive. So I will apologize to your family ahead of time! Sorry your most embarrassing photos have been retouched and jazzed up and put on facebook for all the world to see. It happens. Put your big girl panties on and draw on the driveway with chalk! You'll feel better! I promise!

What a Hoot!

I can't believe my baby will be turning 3 in a month! All of my kids were surprise pregnancies but the toddler was an outright shocker! I was told I would never conceive again then 3 years later I actually got pregnant with her! I was making plans to have a hysterectomy at the time. It all blows me away. I truly believe in miracles and I believe that GOD sends us angels. But that's another story!  

So, the toddler will be three next month and I thought it would be super cute to have an owl themed party. I told my Mom a couple of years ago that owls were making a comeback and that she should make a few owl themed quilts to sell. I don't think she took me seriously. And here we are. Owls are everywhere. I make party invites. Sometimes I use scrapbook paper and embellishments but lately I've been doing everything on the computer. It takes up less space and I can lounge on the couch while I do it. bonus. I try not to spend a lot (any) money on these little projects of mine. We're so broke, toilet paper is a luxury item! So, since we have a budget of zero I thought I'd turn to my favorite source for freebies. Pinterest! I punched in "free digital scrapbooking" and was very happy to find so many sites! I was in heaven! And luckily there was a site that had just what I needed. An owl!!

http://www.everydaymomideas.com/search/label/Digital%20Scrapbooking%20Freebies

This is the kit I fell in love with! It is so versatile! I love all of the elements. Especially the different scrapbook papers. And check out the cute owl! Eek! This FREE kit is just one of many that she offers. I admit that I downloaded a few and might have to ignore the dishes today just so I can play with the fun images and papers. I almost want to throw a party just so I can make a cool invite using some of the other kits I got!!  I've already made the Toddlers birthday invitations and as soon as I get them printed I will most certainly share it with you!