Coming to a Close

I am working on my last 2 lesson plans for my craft class with the teenagers, my "delinquents" as they call themselves.

This will be our last 2 classes ever as a group. I will still see the girls but not as a group. Conflicting schedules, jobs, and school have finally come between us. I knew it would happen eventually, but I didn't think it would be so soon into our time together.

We've done a lot of things together. They've taught me just about as much as I've tried to teach them. I am so thankful that God put them all in my path. I'll miss the light they all bring into my day. When we started out, it was a bit rough. We had to learn how to respect others space, opinions and outlook. For some, it was a welcome change, others......a losing battle. You win some, you lose some.


We've made jewelry, greeting cards, photo booth props, candy, cookies, inspirational signs, Get Well Soon Cards, Christmas ornaments and best of all.......We made friends. The best thing I will bring out of this......new friends.

So, what will we make for our last project?

We're going to make a plan.

When I was their age, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I didn't even know how to figure it out. My youngest student is 15. The oldest is just about to turn 18 and she will be setting out on her own. She has decided to join the military and this summer she will leave for basic training. But until then she plans on working and taking a few classes, learning more about computers. She has a plan. And this all came together in the last 3 months. I am proud of her. My other students are a little nervous. When, Shawn, the soon to be 18 year old, announced her plans, the rest of the girls were happy for her but at the same time they questioned their own future. I remember when I did the same, questioned myself. I struggled. Then I became a Mom. I didn't set out to do anything else besides raise a child. I started and ended with Mom. There was nothing else there.......and I struggled.

That is where I went wrong. Not that being a Mom and a wife was a mistake. But, I stopped there. I found something I could devote my time and attention to. I loved my son and husband so much that I held on tight.......So tight that everything else around me just fell away. I poured my heart and soul into my child and my husband and just let who I was stop. There was nothing else to me, just Mom and wife.

My advice would be, make a plan that revolves around who you are. What makes you YOU? What do you dream about doing? Whatever it is,  Don't think it's a silly dream! Don't let someone tell you that you can't do something! Unless you want to rob a bank or cause bodily harm to someone......probably a good idea to refrain from that! Be Wonder Woman!! Stick to your guns! Don't give up!!

I know for a fact that one of my girls dreams about saving animals. But she can't see past the things in her way. No money for college. No support system outside of foster care and myself. Obstacles. She's too young to see around those things. She isn't sure how to get around them. (It's going to take a lot of hard work to get to where you want to be but, it's worth it) This is why this generation needs mentoring. We have knowledge. Lessons Learned, right up here in my head. In my heart I know these girls are destined to do great things. Audrey, my short little friend, who has no idea what she wants to do, she's just afraid to try! Failure doesn't exist if you try! That is how I see it. If you try and things don't work out the way you thought......Well, then it's time for plan B. That's not failure to me. If you don't put your self out there, you have failed yourself. I am writing this post because there are so many young people today that don't have a plan and I think they need help. I don't expect them to have it all figured out. But, we can at least point them in the right direction. Help them solve the problems, get over the hurdles. Give them that confidence boost that they need. We all need a boost now and agian. Don't be afraid to reach out! I'm all about paying it forward!

New Lifestyle

Today is the first day of the rest of my new life......I mean lifestyle.

I am learning that making diet changes and becoming more active is a lifestyle change. So, I'm going to make a list of the things I will do differently from now on.

Carry a water bottle instead of a styrofoam cup of Mt. Dew and ice everywhere I go.

Park at the back of the parking lot no matter where I go.

Take the stairs, always, no matter how many floors up!

Grilled, never fried. Or nothing at all til you get home.

No ice cream.

No Sweet Tea.

No candy bars.

More veggies & protien.

Always eat breakfast.

Stay active.

Stay positive.

Stay Focused.

My Personal Trainer.......jk

This is going to be a challenge. I was an hour into this epiphany yesterday and almost fell off of the wagon. I stopped at the gas station after picking my son up from school. I would normally walk into the store and head straight to the fountain drink machine. Yesterday, it was no different until my son grabbed me by the shoulders and directed me to the cooler that held bottled water. Good looking out Son! I bought a very large bottle of water. I noticed as we were driving I kept reaching for my styrofoam cup......it wasn't there. It's just habit. So, I am re-programming myself to reach for a bottle of water instead. More water! I am not giving up pop, or as some say, soda. I am simply cutting back. I am proud to say that I have not had Mt. Dew in 24 hours. Tonite when I go to the movies to see "One for the Money" I will have a cup full of ice and Mt. Dew. Let's see if I can control my urge to chug it! I'm not much of a candy person when I watch a movie. I use to eat popcorn until it began to irritate my stomach. I'm a chip person! I love salty chips! If they had some baked lays I might be open to a bag of those but if not, I will refrain from snacking. Eating a sensible dinner before hand is my best bet!

At some point during the upcoming week, I will have someone take my measurements so I can keep track of my starting point. Last night I visited Anytime Fitness, if you're not familiar with them, you can find them online. I am not sure if they are in your area. I am impressed with the local set up. They have a tanning bed for crying out loud! I spent an hour on the treadmill. I was a little jelly legged when I got done. But, it felt good to move. I'm on a 14 day trial run. In 14 days I will decide if I want to buy a membership. I figure the money I'm saving on not buying fountain drinks will pay for my membership if I do decide to join. I feel like I am more likely to work out if I am a member. If I try to do it at home.........it's probably not going to happen. I will have so many lame excuses staring me in the face if I try to "do it" at home.

I've made this choice, to lose weight, be more active, eat healthier because I want to set a good example for my family. Not just my kids. My husband, My Mom, my friends, the girls I mentor.........I want to be the best me! I want to live longer! I want to wear my Capt. Jack Sparrow shirt again. I won't wear it in public......often. I just really like that shirt! And it's a belly shirt on me now. So, I think if I shrink myself, I'll fit!

This is a big thing to ask. But, would you join me? Would you be willing to make the change too? Make the changes to be a healthier person. Work with me! We can encourage each other! Come on! Pour out that sugary drink! Get your stretchy pants on! Let's get moving!

Diet....my 4 letter word.

I never talk about my weight.

There's a reason for that. I don't like to.

I don't like to see myself in mirrors unless it's from the neck up and some days that's pushing it. That made trying on wedding dresses a bit difficult.  My best friend use to force me to stand in the full size mirror at her house. The first time she did it, I cried like a baby. I just couldn't stand to look at my size 12 frame. Size 12. Wow. I would love to be a size 12 again. She just wanted me to see myself as a beautiful person. I didn't listen. I was in shape back then. I walked about 2 miles a day, played with the kids in the yard and stayed pretty active. Now, active means carrying a laundry basket from one end of the house to the other. The most walking I do is at the grocery store and that's not much.

When I went through my break from the ex husband I dropped almost 40 pounds. It was a dangerous weight loss. 40 pounds in about 2 months. Between the throwing up, the not eating and the adrenaline.....I was losing weight at a rapid pace and it was unhealthy. I can't remember ever being so skinny.

I got pregnant with my daughter, put on some weight, stayed within the limit the doc gave me, gave birth to my daughter and lost a little bit of the weight. And now, 3 years later, I weigh the same as I did the day I gave birth to her.

I can't give you a number......I can't bring myself to say it.

Saying it kills me. I can't even fit into my fat pants. I feel heavy. I feel slow. I feel pretty confident that if a serial killer was chasing me, I wouldn't stand a chance! I was out of breathe taking the stairs at a friends house the other day. I don't like feeling this way.

So, I'm announcing, for the first time in my life, I'm going on a DIET! And I'm starting a workout routine. The workout routine is the first thing......the diet will come after......just as soon as I buy groceries again.....wow! That sounded like an excuse! That's my problem. I'm full of excuses! No more! Don't let me make one more excuse for not living the best life I can. I'm setting an example for my kids. I want them to live a long time and I plan on living long enough to become a burden to them......at the rate I'm going that will be age 45! I don't want to be the Mom who has a stroke or heart attack when my daughter is still in elementary school! So, I'm making this change. Stay tuned for the master plan.

Witch Book? Anyone?

One of these days I will stay in bed and read all day because I want to and I can! And not because I have the flu and lack the energy to do anything else!

As you know, I am a self proclaimed bookworm. I was stuck in book limbo for a few months, re-reading a series that I love dearly, The Hunger Games. I was reading alongside the teen group that I mentor. You might remember the story, none of them had read a book before. Can you imagine, living to see 16 and never reading an entire book? Inconceivable!! So, I introduced them to the wonderful world of reading! And together we read the Hunger Games trilogy. It was a beautiful moment.............Anyway, then I found myself stuck, wondering what I should tackle next, when my wonderful sister-in-law recommended a series that I had never heard of. (A fact that shocks me since the series, so far, has been wonderful, how have I never heard of it before?)

Book 2 in the Hollows series

The Hollows by Kim Harrison is a supernatural urban fantasy(.....mystery.....MAGICAL.....did I forget anything?) series.......well, I think it's a great series so far! I am on the 2nd book at the moment! The first book "Dead Witch Walking" wasn't exactly a quick read but that's what I liked about it. I took my time reading it, taking in all of the characters history and falling in love with the story line.It kept me interested all the way to the end and I found myself wanting to snatch the book out of my purse and read at the stop lights while I was on my way to pick up the kids from school. The 2nd book "The Good, The Bad and the Undead" has been even more interesting. The main character, Rachel Morgan, is a Witch/detective and has so much spunk, sometimes I want to be her. If you like the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evonovich, you might enjoy this series. Rachel Morgan finds herself in a few awkward predicaments throughout the story and you just never know how she will get out of it! So far, the books have been full of memorable characters and I look forward to seeing how the story evolves in each addition.

Overall, I would say that the story line has been unpredictable and fun to read. Often I find myself reading a book and can tell you what will happen before it happens. Sometimes a story line is just that predictable. I didn't find that with the first 2 books and hope that the rest of the series follows suit!  Even if you don't get into the supernatural you should really give this series a try! According to Wikepedia there are 9 mystery novels, 6 short stories and a graphic novel. Does that sound right to you? I'll have to look into that further. I browsed amazon but I've realized lately that amazon doesn't exactly tell you which books are in a series and the order they should be read in........I'll figure it out.......Anyway, if you're looking for a good book to read, I would give The Hollows series a try!

The Great Tattoo Debate




 

I have always been a fan of body art. When I was a kid I would draw tattoos on my barbies. They usually washed off before my Mom saw them. I turned 18 and got my first tattoo. I was renting a room from my uncle at the time and when he saw the tattoo he flipped out. He told me that if I couldn't follow the house rules I would have to move out.......Apparently, he had a house rule for his children.....No tattoos! Newsflash....I'm not your kid. Whatever. Let's not bring up the badly done tattoos he was sporting! I think back to it now, the tattoo I got.......not my favorite. It's a tribal looking "thing". After that I was kind of lost when it came to tattoos. I never knew what to get. I just knew I had to have one more. Then another. And another. I only have.......let me count them.......4 tattoos.....wow it seems like there should be more! Now that I have a steady mind, if you can call it that, I have made a promise that each tattoo I get should have meaning or represent who I am, or people who have touched my life. I especially love the tattoos that tell a story. An entire back piece dedicated to firefighters who have given their life to saving others, the world trade center, a battle with cancer. The list goes on and on. To each his own. It's your skin.



sorry....bad photo!

Recently, my 16 (almost 17) year old son has decided he would like a tattoo. Hmmmmm? Let me think about it. No. Not because I want to be the mean mom. I just think you need to think about it long and hard before you get that first tattoo. I bet if you asked the first tattooed person you saw after reading this if they truly loved their first tattoo they would say NO! I don't like mine. I would love to cover it. But it's one of those tattoos that would be a B!tch to cover up. It's all black. I'll post a picture. If my son came to me and said "Mom, I want to get a tattoo on my back that says "Mom"......I would have a hard time saying No to that. lol! You've got your whole life ahead of you and lots of skin to  cover son! Don't rush into it.

But then again.......You only live once. This is when the little angels on my shoulder duke it out! The Good angel is shocked that the Bad angel is considering letting her son get a tattoo even if it says MOM! And the Bad angel is......Oh! My!.......I can't even tell you what she just did! And here I am, telling them both that I would not let him get a tattoo without the permission of his father and that both his father and I should be there when he gets said tattoo.......And that's final!

In loving memory of Connie Sue

This is one of those times when I know I should lead by example and lately I have been itching to get a new tattoo. I've thought long and hard about what I would get. I really think it's time to work on that leg warmer! (My sister in law says it's a leg warmer) I want to add to the leg that has the magic wand and the tribal "thing" and since the magic wand is a symbol for my Aunt who passed away I thought maybe it would be cool to make that "leg warmer" a collage of memorial tattoos..........Is anyone buying this at all? It makes sense to me. I guess that's all that matters. So, if my son came to me and said "Mom, I want to get this tattoo because it means this to me.........", would I let him do it? Still not sure.

Now, if he said to me "I want to get a mustache tattooed on my finger......I'd say "NO!"....but I would secretly laugh about it. Because you have to admit. That's just funny!

Lovin' from the Oven

Let me start by saying I am so sorry! Because if you're like me and you love cinnamon buns you're going to try these tasty rolls and not be able to stop eating them! But, I'm getting ahead of myself.

First off........Let me tell you a little something about my Mom.

One of the smaller rolls.......It's not small at all!

She makes the best bread! I can't make bread. There's something about the kneading and rising and yeast and all that that doesn't agree with me. It never rises and it's just too much like chemistry. I failed chemistry!  So I stay away from it. But as I was killing time in the frozen food section of our local grocery store I ran across these frozen cinnamon rolls. It could just be coincidence but I was just thinking of how much I missed my Moms home made cinnamon buns! [exhale] Sooooooo goooooood! She would start with all of the ingredients she needed, mix it all together, throw in a pinch of love, let it rise, roll it out, add some Cinnamon and brown sugar.....or whatever it is that makes them ooey and gooey and in the end we would have these beautiful cinnamon buns that melt in your mouth. You could go get a can of cinnamon rolls and make those but it's just not the same. They aren't soft and chewy and it seems like they get hard if you let them set out for a while. Anyway.

I miss my Mom. I'd have to drive 12 hours to get a taste of her cooking. So, when I ran across these buns I said, maybe this is the next best thing. So, I bought a bag and made them. It was so easy! You just pop them on a sprayed pan, cover with plastic wrap (sprayed with cooking spray) and let them sit on your counter for 4-6 hours to rise. That was the fun part......watching them get enormous! The hardest part of the process was spraying the plastic wrap. For some reason my common sense shut down when it came time to do that part and I tried to spray the cooking spray on the plastic wrap before I even ripped it off the roll.....anyway, it was a mess. So, I threw that disaster in the trash and started over, ripping a piece of plastic wrap big enough to cover the pan off, layed it on top of the pan like I was covering it, then I sprayed the plastic wrap with spray and flipped it over to fit on top......etc. etc. You know what I mean right?



The smaller rolls, frozen, ready to rise!



You might be asking, "What's the difference in the blue bag and the red bag?" Well, I'll tell you.....The red bag has 12 small rolls and when I say small rolls, I mean bigger than your fist! The blue bag has 6 rolls that are bigger than a tea saucer! The things are HUGE! I should also mention they come with a couple packets of icing. You just thaw it on the counter while the rolls are rising.

So, here you see 9 rolls, fresh from the freezer, placed in a cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and then covered with the plastic wrap that I had a hard time spraying.....I'm not perfect remember!

smaller rolls ready for the oven! mmmm

I placed the pan of rolls on my kitchen counter and left them there all day to thaw and rise. I didn't think they would get much bigger but it turns out I was wrong! -----------> Pre-oven!

I think it's safe to say there will be enough to feed my 2 teenage boys, my husband and my appetite for homemade cinnamon rolls!

Over all, these rolls, are perfect. The price was right. (Under 4 bucks) They were very easy to make! Smelled great! Tasted almost as good as my Moms rolls and put a smile on my face. If you love a fresh baked cinnamon roll but lack the talent, like me, you have to try these! And no! The company is not paying me to give this product 2 thumbs up! But I wouldn't turn down a couple bags of these rolls if they wanted to send them to me!

aka "Mom"

I don't know if I would call myself the "cool" Mom. I don't host pizza parties for the kids or let them stay out past their curfew (because in order to do that they would have to leave the couch). When I became a Mom I did what most women do. I got lost in Mommyville. I lost myself to the role of Mom. I stopped having fun that didn't involve crafts with the kids. I stopped wearing make up or "doing" my hair (mostly because big hair was no longer in and who has the time for that anyway?). I packed away my hopes and dreams and traded them in for first words and baby teeth. I was drowning in it. I lost myself completely. To the point where I had no idea who I even was.....I mean I couldn't remember myself anymore. Looking at pictures of myself as a teenager, I just couldn't imagine who that girl was anymore. It all seemed so foreign to me.

And here I am with 2 teenage boys and a 3 year old daughter. They look at those photos and wonder the same thing. Who is that girl? What was she thinking? Do you think your kids do that too? Boy, if they only knew!

Once upon a time, I was a get away driver! Don't worry, the police weren't involved. At one time I was hopelessly in love with the wrong person and got my heart broken. I was shy, I was lost, I was not like other girls, I had my nose pierced, I had massively huge hair and used mass quanitities of hair spray! I wanted to travel! I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. But I knew how to laugh! I loved a practical joke as long as it wasn't aimed at me! I hated to lose a bet but always paid up! I wrote poetry. I sang in the shower. I hated doing the dishes, still do. I was crafty, still am. I got my nose broken by a boy who didn't know what NO meant! Then he got a broken knee cap. I was good with a bat, just not good at baseball. I was me.........Now I'm Mom. There's still a hint of the old me in here somewhere. I still know how to laugh. Although, I lost that for a bit. I remembered how to put on make up! A lot of people are clapping about that! I still want to travel. I stopped singing in the shower, now I sing in the car....with the windows down......in the school parking lot.....as school is letting out........bahaha! I have healed my heart. I have learned to love. I still love crafts with the kids. But mostly I craft for myself, doing what I love and letting the wind take me in the next direction. I am not lost anymore. I'm learning that I'm more than a Mom. Even if it isn't the cool mom. I don't care about that. I have "ME" back.

Unfortunately, when we have babies they don't come equipped with a GPS to keep us from getting lost. And I'm not sure I can tell you how to get back to where you  want to be. I'm horrible with directions. All I can say is...........Never let go of who you are for anyone in the world. Even your children. There's this saying "Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most". WRONG! Of all the things I've lost, I missed MYSELF the most! Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying you shouldn't change. Because it's important that you EVOLVE. We go from being a silly teenage girl (sometimes) to being a responsible mother. That requires evolution, change. We trade the partying in for a different kind of fun. Our priorities have to change but we don't have to lose ourselves. You'll shed layers and add more. This is how we teach our children to follow their dreams............... We follow ours.

Yes GOD, you were right!

Every once in a while I have to be reminded that life is not as bad as it could be and that I need to embrace it as it is. This is my theory. God sends me messages........please don't think I'm nuts.....well, actually I do tend to fall of my rocker occasionally. But this time, it's a legit belief! I've messed up my back, need physical therapy. But let's rewind a bit to the beginning of December. I was stressed beyond belief over finances, not being able to find a job that will work around my MOM schedule (driving the kids to and from school, taking care of the toddler without employing a daycare) and feeling FAT (I've gained a bit of weight in the past few months, about 20 lbs!!!) So, I was feeling like life was not where I needed it to be. I started doing a little walking with the toddler, dancing around the house more, ignored the fact that we couldn't even afford the everyday essentials and focused on the reasons that employers might find to not hire me and tried to improve on them. I was looking at a half full glass. No more half emptiness for me! Then I woke up one day and thought "Hmmmm, my back is a little stiff!" As the days went by the stiffness turned to pain. And by christmas I was miserable and ironically as I type this I'm listening to the acoustic version of Marroon 5 singing Misery..."I am in Misery, ain't nobody who can comfort me"...........bahaha!, not being able to move for fear that my back would spasm. I was eating advil like they were skittles (taste the rainbow.....sorry, I can't say skittles without saying that.....doh! Taste the rainbow!) Anyhooo, So, to GOD I say, Yes, I realize my life could be worse, thank you for reminding me. But is there any chance I could possibly get the use of my legs back anytime soon? If that's asking too much could I just be able to put on my own pants without crying? I have a kitchen full of pots and pans, food that hasn't been put back in it's place for a month. I'd love to be able to do that without asking for help. Or maybe that's the point of all of this. You want me to ask for help.............this could be a problem. I don't want help. I want to do it myself. I guess sometimes you just have to welcome help when it's offered. I don't have to like it though. But I am grateful. And a special thanks goes out to Adam Levine for singing me to sleep last night! You totally relaxed me.........ahhhh! The husband seemed to sleep better too!

Looking Forward

Right now, in order to avoid falling asleep too early I am thinking of all of the things that I look forward to in 2012! Really, there are so many things that I look forward to! I'm hoping that my son decides to go to Prom! That is something I didn't do as a teen and wish I would've! Some say it's never too late to throw an adult Prom but, honestly, I don't know if I have enough Muchness in me to pull that off just yet! I'll work my way up to that epicness! But that would be a great co-ed Wedding Shower theme wouldn't it? Especially for the couple who knew each other in high school but went to prom with someone else. Oh. to think of the level of sweetness that would bring! Makes my heart sing.........[exhale] 

I also look forward to all of the awesome movies that will be released in the theatre! ONE FOR THE MONEY! If you're a fan of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evonovich, you will not want to miss this movie. It looks great! We'll be seeing several fairy tale themed movies this year, Snow White and the Huntsman, which I am looking forward to. But more importantly I am looking forward to the 1st movie in the Hunger Games Trilogy! I've said it before and I will say it a million kazillion times. LOVED that series! If you are a book worm like me, you have to read it! I don't care who you are, it's a great read! 

Speaking of books, I am looking forward to making my way through a few different series of books this year. I finished "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" just as the year came to a close. So now I need to finish up that series. I am also starting a new series by Kim Harrison.  It's a paranormal mystery. My truly wonderful sister in law tells me I will not be disappointed in this series and if it's good enough for her, well then, it's good enough for me! The first book in the series is "Dead Witch Walking" and I read the first page and decided that it was going to be great! So, I look forward to reading the series which I believe boasts either 8 or 9 books. I could be totally off and it has 10 books. Either way, it excites me! 

I'm looking forward to seeing how my children evolve, especially my boys who are becoming young adults. I am so proud of them already. It would be nice if they'd let me get a good photo of them though. But I have an idea that might solve that problem and I look forward to trying it out! [insert sinister laugh] I look forward to spring when my plants will poke through the ground and reveal themselves. The warm summer sun and time in the back yard with the toddler. This year I'm growing a small garden. Soon, I will be starting seeds indoors. I look forward to that because it seems that kids always light up when they see how the seeds you poked into soil are now tiny little plants!

So much to look forward to this year! I am truly blessed. What are you looking forward to?

Betting on the Ponies or the Germans

It's friday the 13th. I don't know if I would call myself a superstitious person but I do try to avoid putting shoes on the table or the counter because ewww! That's just gross! I don't walk under latters, mostly because I never encounter them and I try not to cross the path of a black cat since I am a sucker for a stray animal! It has nothing at all to do with bad luck though! I do know plenty of superstitious people. When I was pregnant my bf told me I couldn't watch shows about murder because the baby could hear it and it would make her have nightmares..........I'm not sure if that can be filed in the superstitious category but either way. If you've ever watched the movie "Leap Year" you will see how superstitious the irish can be. "You can't start a journey on a sunday, it's bad luck".

I inherited a book about home remedies and superstitions of Pennsylvania Germans. Listen to this......If a person suffers from homesickness, if you have a garden, take a pinch ground from the cross path and put it into your coffee to cure the homesickness! And it also says you can cure a nosebleed by chewing newspaper! Oh! And here's one that I thought was absolutely absurd........If a person drowns and the body cannot be found all you need to do is throw a loaf of bread in the water......it will hover over the body! Please don't throw a sliced loaf in, it could cause mass confusion or swarms of fish or geese!  Bahaha! If you want to know more about the superstitions of pennsylvania germans all you have to do is find this book "Popular Home Remedies and Superstitions of the Pennsylvania Germans" by A. Monroe Aurand Jr. It's a very thin book but is full of crazy ideas. Or if you want to borrow it, contact me and I'll pass it along. Anyway............. 

I wonder how much superstitions effect the economy. I bring this up because I have a family member who works at a Horse Race Track and they open their live season on friday the 13th. In past years they have brought in tens of thousands of gamblers! That's just the amount of PEOPLE! I can only imagine how much money they spend on bets, food, beer, shoe shines and etc.  I just wonder how this will effect their profits. I tend to think that gamblers are highly superstitious folks! I've been to the track a few times. I'm not sure if I like the "sport" and I don't understand the betting process but,  I've placed one bet and won. It's easy to pick out the hard core gamblers. The beads of sweat forming on their brow as the horses shoot out of the gate, gripping their tickets like it was a free pass to heaven! And when their horse comes in short the color drains from their face or it has the opposite effect and they turn beat red with anger. If they are superstitious,  They have their lucky numbers. They only bet at certain windows. They only bet on horses of a certain color or maybe they bet on the horse in the odd number shoot. Who knows. Either way, they can be superstitious. So, I wonder if they will lose money on a day where people tend to be highly superstitious! Or maybe the Germans have a lucky charm you can carry in your pocket to keep bad luck away on friday the 13th.............Nope! Didn't see anything about that! Sorry! But I did run across something about catching a wife that I thought was silly.......If a man seeks a wife he should put sugar in his armpits (honestly! I'm not making this up) until it gets warm....it will act as an aphrodisiac if put into the womans drink! LADIES IF A MAN OFFERS YOU SWEET TEA.........do not drink it unless you want to fall in love with him or you saw him take sugar out of the sugar bowl! You just never know what a man has been reading these days! There could be more copies of this book floating around! And I'm going to leave it at that! But don't worry! We might have to try out some of these goofy superstitions.......we'll see!

Life's a Beach....a simple beach wedding

June 2011.......My sister got married. It was a simple Beach Wedding at Weko Beach in Bridgman Michigan but don't let the term "simple" fool you. It was a beautiful occasion. I was recently contacted by a bride who needed help with wedding invites and also needed ideas for a beach wedding. And of course my sisters wedding was the first thing that popped into my head. So, I'm sharing some pics with her and YOU!

Getting a few shots before the big event!

The Bridesmaids wore black and walked the walk barefoot. The Groomsmen wore white and khaki. The ring bearer was the cutest darn thing in white and khaki, carrying a ring box that looked like a treasure chest, made by ME.

I was one of the bridesmaids and I have to say that other than my sister looking so beautiful and happy, my favorite part was when I heard the Grooms sister playing her guitar as I walked down the beach to meet everyone at the alter. The soft music coming from that guitar mixed in with the sound of the water was so beautiful.

Who says you can't make your own bouquet?

 I used flowers and plants that we had around the house or in other folks yard to make the bouquets. White Peonies, Hosta leaves, beach grass and Sedum. On the stems I wrapped white ribbon which we saved from my Uncles funeral flowers........No that's not creepy! And to add dimension I added a narrow black ribbon on top of the white. Sorry I don't have pics of that aspect.

The Man of the hour and his Men.

Just thought this said it all "carefree"

My beautiful sister.....the Bride.

Afterwards everyone met up at a local tavern for drinks and cake. The cake was so flipping adorable, made by the Grooms sister! I'm telling ya, we are a talented bunch! Overall it was a momentous occasion that I am proud to say I was a part of! Hope this gives you some wedding inspiration and enforces the theory that you can have a simple, stress free wedding!

Treasure Chest Card box to match ring box & The glass jug was for
honeymoon donations!



Red and Black Inspiration

So, I was playing around with some red and black paper and leftovers from my own wedding, making an example piece for a friend of the family. This is what I came up with. Keep in mind, There was suppose to be a cylindrical vase for a pillar candle but.......it was broken! So, I had to keep that out of the equation.

The random piece of embroidery thread is suppose to be black ribbon. Or white.
I had neither!

Cupcake Pix Tutorial

I get bored. I have to keep my hands moving. When I was planning my wedding I had scraps and scraps of paper left over from the invites and save the dates and etc etc that I made. I didn't like the idea of throwing the scraps away. I'm frugal like that! I had some drink stir sticks left over from a different project. So, together with the scraps I made some pretty fancy pix for my cupcakes. I also make them to stick in sandwiches and pie when I am home alone and want to feel like I'm celebrating something.

Here's what I used: A paper trimmer, scissors, hot glue gun, drink stir sticks and 8x11 scrapbook paper or any paper that you have that you can cut into strips..... (To get the lace trimmed flags I used a Martha Stewart paper edger that I found on clearance at Micheals craft store)

First, Cut your paper into strips using your paper trimmer. They don't have to be the same width. I like to mix it up a bit. Skinny, fat etc.

The stir sticks I used were longer than I wanted my pix to be. So, I cut them shorter while my hot glue gun was heating up. You can also use toothpicks but I happened to have the stir sticks left over from something else, waste not, want not!

Now that you have your sticks cut and your glue gun is hot, take your strips of paper and cut them into sections. I make sure not to make a crease in my paper.

Once you have your pieces cut, put a little got glue on the center of your strips like soo....

 While the glue is nice and sticky take your stick and place it in the glue before it loses its gooeyness. Now twist your stick a little to coat it with the hot glue all over the tip and fold your paper so it closes over the tip like a book closing on a book mark (Make sense?)........

When you're all done with that step the easy part begins. I did this while I sat on the couch, watching Trueblood. Use your scissors to cut a "V" shape in your flag. Or use your paper edger to make a fancy edge.

If you want to dress them up and personalize them you could always add a glittery initial sticker to the flag! I kept mine plain. I wouldn't recommend that you use glitter on the flags! There's a chance that the glitter will fall into your icing or drink if you're using them as drink markers. And I am sure it wouldn't taste good!

 I'm sorry I didn't make cupcakes to stick these beauties in! I really wish Iwould've now that I think about it! I've wanted orange cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting for a while now!  

Cupcake Pix

 I am sharing these photos with you because a friend of mine needed ideas for cupcake decorations for an upcoming party she is throwing for a co-worker! I love cupcake pix! These pix in particular were super easy and who doesn't like easy when it comes to DIY?  In a few days I will be posting the Tutorial so you can make your own!

The Card Box

When I got married I wanted a unique card box that could be re-used after the wedding reception. So I did a little research. I'm a DIY type of gal so I decided I would make my own. But then I found this card box and realized that I know squat about working with wood and power tools. And I also didn't want to be the bride walking down the aisle with a missing hand. So I did what I could and delegated this project to my Mom who delegated to her friend the carpenter! He built the box and I painted it to look like a garage.

See, my husband is a mechanic! So, I thought instead of making a card box that looked like a house, you've probably seen them on etsy......It would be way cooler if we had a garage! So, here it is! Isn't it adorable!? Now that the wedding is over with, I use it to store the toddlers extra toys! It looks cute sitting in my living room! The roof of the box is painted with chalkboard paint! And it's lots of fun to see what people write on it when they come to visit now! And it keeps the toddler busy sometimes! I used my computer to make a sign to place on the front of the garage just like a real garage would have. This box is heavy duty so it will last a lifetime. I can pass it down to the kids or keep it forever and ever and ever!

I hope this has inspired you do think outside of the box so to speak when you're planning your own celebration. Try to use things that have a dual purpose! If you can't make it yourself then maybe you know someone who can! If your local high school still offers its students a wood working class, call the school and ask if they would be interested in taking on the project! Schools can always use generous donations! Just a thought!

DIY Dry Erase Board

Here's a useless fact about myself that you could probably go your entire life without knowing.......I use to work at a hospital. (Best Bunch of gals I ever had the pleasure of working with!) Anyway, one of the things I loved about my job there besides the gals I chummed it up with was.....wait for it because it's going to be the silliest thing.......the dry erase board! In the Nurses Station there was a massive dry erase board where the Unit Clerk would write the days line up. You know, that way everyone knew which Nurse and Assistant was assigned to which patients etc. I loved to doodle on that board. An inspirational saying or funny picture! It was fun! But it was ugly! 

Anyway, another useless fact.....I love to leave funny notes for my kids and hubby in the house. Occasionally, I might leave a note to remind them that I enjoy a clean living room floor or that I think they are the best family in the history of ALL families. Or maybe a funny qoute or fun fact. But, I don't have an ugly dry erase board! Oh! NO I do not! I made a fancy dry erase board because I am crafty like that!  And I also happened to have an empty frame hanging on my wall that needed something in it.......but I'm getting ahead of myself.

Did you know that you can use dry erase markers on glass just like you would on the dry erase boards? Of course you did! You can also use them on a mirror! How cool is that? So, don't be surprised if you walk into my bathroom and see "Clean the toilet" written on the mirror! And how cool would it be to have a Chore board for each kid in your house that looks good and trendy! It's super easy to make! The hardest part was hanging the frame straight......I have crooked frame syndrome! Don't laugh! It exists!

I used fabric left over from my wedding.....but use fancy paper if you want!

So, basically if you can put a picture in a frame......you can make this dry erase board! I cut my fabric to fit the frame, placed it in the frame, pretty side up and then replaced the back of the frame. DONE!