"I Believe"

So, I'm told I'm not much for sharing.  Truth is, being transparent sort of ***exaggerated air quotes*** """Freaks me out."""  So when bloggers were getting together for a link party to talk about what they believe, I did not jump to join.  But, as I time went on, I kept thinking about it, and kept noticing the beauty all around, making me really assess this - so I wrote it anyway.

And here is my version of what:

I "Believe"

And let me just say as a side note...I'm a little sheepish mine is so long when Audrey's is so short and graceful - saying what she wants to say without overstaying her welcome.  But here it is anyway.)

• I believe jumping on a big trampoline with children is the best calorie burner.
• I believe in keeping some twinkling lights up all year round.
• I believe in dollar store flip flops, pink scrubs, and towels straight from the dryer
• I believe in tipping the waitress, even if she's mean.
• I believe it was a mistake to forgo small town candy shops, drive-in movie theaters, and toy jacks.
• I believe in drawing with pen around freckles to make them look like faces.
• I believe in telling nighttime stories for Peter Pan, (but not so much in leaving cookies for Santa).
• I believe in a long day of thrift store shopping.  Oh my, do I believe in a long day of thrift store shopping.
• I believe someone who is hard to love is in need of that love all the more.
• I believe in colorful felt, my husband's potato soup, and displaying your soap in a pretty dish.
• I believe in learning some big words like, onomatopoeia, and antidisestablishmentarianism just to have them at your disposal if you need to sound smart. (In fact, I just blurt them out whether they pertain to the conversation or not...people are so impressed they just walk away silently because they know they can't compete with my intellect.)
• I believe in humor
• I believe in displaying grandma's crocheted afghan even if it doesn't fit your interior design.
• I believe in occasionally crying for someone you've never met.
• I believe in the wisdom of most cliches, like, "Actions speak louder than words", and, "Home is where the heart is."
• I believe that dishes are some mystical evil and when you clean one, two grow back in its place.
• I believe the best compliment I receive is when people tell me my girls look like me.
• I believe in the unbelievable truth that one man could, (and did) die for the sins of the world.

Amen?

Amen.

Tell Us About School

Handmade Felt Thingies

Well, I feel like I have some really cool projects in the works, but nothing seems to be going my way with any of them.  I have now deemed them all to "stink", and need a break lest I become discouraged.

Yes, I needed a little respite from my usual things, and a less picky recipient (less picky than myself) - so I got a bee in my bonnet to make my nephew something fun and this is the product of that bee's residing:

I hope you all recognize the tall brown guy as Chewie - of course, if you don't - I would chalk it up to my failing, not yours.  I'd like to do him again sometime and I would make his bandolero more accurate, but for now, I think it's a sufficient toy for a two year old.

Then I made the crocodile, and he told me he wanted to be "fancy" - so I fashioned a bowtie for him.  (Not sure who he's trying to impress...maybe he just wants to look his best for his new little boy.)

I hope he likes them!

Treasure Hunting

Since I was a little girl, I have fancied myself a pirate perpetually on a treasure hunt.  Living in the downtown district of my hometown, there were always thrift stores, yard sales, and a Factory 2-U (Oh, yes...Factory 2-U) available within walking distance.

There really is something so fun about going somewhere with $5 in your pocket and wading through cassette tapes, finished Highlights magazines, and cheap wicker baskets to peel back the funky sheets and find that perfectly glazed piece of pottery with a $2 price tag (and just enough room to hold your paintbrushes).  THE TREASURE!  (Is anyone else imagining hoisting it high as light beams and music radiate from it?)

Thrift stores and bargain bins are some of the fun, but it's also great to go to a dollar store on a lazy day and see what they have to offer.  Here are just a FEW of what I think are some pretty great things I have found at Dollar Stores:

So, recently I found some bowls at the "Dollar Tree" that caught my eye.  We needed new bowls, and the color is my favorite.  Of course, the price was right, so I picked them up:

Okay, I had intended to tell you what became of these turquoise beauties, but this blog is already pretty long, and if you're anything like me...you're bored now...so, I think I'll show you the simple thing we did to dress them up in another blog (if you're kind enough to be interested and return)!

Til' next time, folks!

Reason #2: How I Know I am Watching Too Much "Star Trek"

Unprepared...

I've never considered myself one of the more "prepared" parents.

In my personal experience - one day I was staring at a little white stick, trying not to touch the wet end, shrugging and saying, "All right, let's do this thing." And, the next thing I know, I am holding a child in my arms, thinking, 'Oh, that's what all the fuss is about,' as I gently blow on her face to rouse her from her sleep to keep me company.

It is nine years later and most days I still feel like motherhood just mostly "happens" to me.  And, I (with my husband) do our best and pray God will take care of the rest.

Even so, I've never really considered myself at a disadvantage from any of the more "prepared" moms.  I think it becomes apparent early on, that no matter how many parenting books you read...or how much money you spend on Baby Einstein videos...no matter how big your box of "someday baby" clothes is...or how many years you waited until the timing was "just right"...

You can never be prepared for the day you say:

"Are you fanning yourself with your pizza!?"

A Working Class Hero is Somethin' To Be

The girls and I have been very sick lately.

I mean, like...couch-ridden-Star-Trek-marathonin-sauntering-about-in-a-moo moo-and-Perry-the-Platypus-slippers-no-clean-laundry-no-clean-dishes-same-peanut-butter-jar-left-open-on-the-counter-for-four-days-S-I-C-K.  Sick.

The combination of being on the couch with nuthin' much to do and adoring Robert as he sweetly brought home dinner to his sick family each night (after an already long day at work) inspired me to make this very amateur comic for him.  Enjoy.

The Practical Applications of Owning a Shrink Ray

I've been daydreaming lately about what it would be like to have a shrink ray.

Sure, we all thought about it when we were kids and wanted to make the bully on the playground feel like the weakling for once - or shrink our vegetables down to a minuscule size making them easier to hide underneath our mashed potatoes.  But, the more I think about it - it seems the power to shrink something (and bring it back to its original size) at will would have many practical applications in the life of the adult.

Think of the possibilities.  I wouldn't have to buy that $400 storage shed I've been eying, I could just shrink all the Christmas decorations, tools, and baby clothes down into a box and store it under the bed.

I wouldn't need to worry about the car getting being exposed to the elements or possible thievery.  I could simply shrink it down, bring it into the house at night and restore it back to its original size in the morning.

Admittedly, I would probably pack whole bags of popcorn at home, stuff them in my purse, and sneak them into the movie theater.  On that same note, if I really decided to abuse the power, I would even store a kid in my pocket to save the admission money.

Imagine how happy my children would be when they wake up on Christmas day to find a giraffe underneath the  Christmas tree.

I could shrink my vegetables down to hide them under my mashed potatoes so the kids think I'm eating them and follow my example.

I wonder if I could localize the shrink ray to just one area, and shrink down my thighs?  Nah, that's preposterous.

Skeleton Key Fan Pulls

The first thing we see when we walk into our abode is our living room fan/light combo.  Don’t judge me – I know fans aren’t acclaimed to be the most chic of all the lighting choices, but this is the desert and we have 11′ ceilings.  So, fan it is!  

Because this is the first thing seen as you walk in the door, (and the fan pulls being the closest to eye line) naturally, I contemplated ideas for attractive fan pulls.

Now, we live in a house that is almost 100 years old.  As the house is so old, we have many doors with skeleton key locks.  So when the idea of using skeleton keys as fan pulls came to me, I knew it would be a neat way to sort of elude to the history of the house.

Here is how they came to be:

Supplies:
1. Fan pulls
2. Skeleton keys (Note: look for some with thin metal to fit around the jump rings easier.  I also recommend going to your local antique stores for these.  I found them at about 1/3 of the price you can get them online.)
3. Jump rings (tiny jewelry pieces that look like mini key rings)
4. Needle nose Pliers

• I just went to the jewelry department of Wal-Mart and found small jewelry pieces that look like tiny key chain parts - as stated above, they are called  jump rings.
• I coiled the jump ring around both the end of the fan pull and the top of the key.  
• Then I used pliers to clamp the piece of the fan pull shut.  You have to really pierce it together - if it is not pierced tightly, the key will eventually pull off (because the fan pulls are handled so often. (I also recommend hanging the fan pulls low enough that you can grab the top of the key, not the bottom, to avoid eventually stretching the jump ring out and loosening the key.)

I took a picture and posted before and after pictures below so you can see what the part looks like. 
  
Check.  it.  out.  See how happy they are now?

Til’ next time, friends!

Valentine's Popsicles

We did the Valentine's thing today for Audrey's class.

When these events come around where the parent is obliged to send in something, I often fantasize about Audrey bouncing into class proud to have a fun, handmade project that she and her mom have teamed up to create.  Smiling, Aud delicately passes them out, turning the best side of the project toward the eye line of the recipient.

In my fantasy, the children often say, "Wow, Audrey - These are great! Your mom must be really cool to help you make something like that."   (And a 9 year old me in my head says, "They finally accept us.")

And Audrey says, "Why, yes.  Yes she is."

Alas, my fantasy is quickly cut short by the fact that, in order to get such a reaction, I would likely have to put in...you know...lots of work, and possibly money.  So, I weigh out my options in favor of a balance between something that still feels special to Audrey, but will be practical regarding both money and time.

This year I had a couple fun ideas rolling around in my head for Valentines cards.  One idea involved taking pictures of Audrey and cutting out holes for the legs (like a vintage dancing finger doll).  I thought the recipient could get a kick out of making the pictures of Audrey dance (although, I never asked my daughter how she would feel about it...).

But, Aud got sick right before Valentine's and much of our free time was spent nursing an earache, so we came up with an easier idea instead, which included mostly things we had around the house.  We called it, "Make -a- Popsicle"

The Supplies:

1. Tang

2. Disposable cup

3. Tongue Depressor stick

4. Scrapbook Paper

5. Rubber band, glue, and tin foil

The Instructions:

• First, Aud cut out paper hearts and glued them to the top of the tongue depressor. Then she wrote each of her 26 classmates names on the tongue depressor (she wrote the names small enough that the ink would be on the "holding" part of the stick, and not on the bottom where the ink would seep into the juice.
• We filled each cup with 1 1/2 tbsp of Tang (optimal amount for numiness). 
• Next we covered the cup with a square of tin foil - this would serve to hold the Popsicle stick/tongue depressor in place both for the purposes of making the package look nice, and also for keeping it upright as the Popsicle solidifies in the freezer.  We secured the tinfoil in place with a rubber band.
• From there we cut slits in the top of the foil with a knife and inserted the sticks.  We had to cut the slits because if we tried to force the stick through, the foil would rip.
• Lastly, we made a little label for the deal that simply said, "Make -a- Popsicle".  I really wanted to put instructions for the children, but we don't currently have a printer, and we so didn't fancy writing them all out by hand.  In the end, we decided the project was simple enough that the children and the parents could probably figure it out.

So - a whole lot of fun!  This was a super simple, inexpensive project - I spent $5.00 on Tang and birthday cups.  On a side note, I think this would also make a great party gift in the summer. Most importantly, it was all stuff we could do together, and none of it was too complicated for Audrey to help with.  I can't wait for her to come home and tell me how it all went, and just how many of her friends think I'm cool.

My First Blog: An Introduction to Why I Feel My Life is Blogworthy (she types, choking back laughter)

Testing, testing...1, 2, 3.  Is this thing on?

Hello to all those out there kind, bored, or obligated enough to visit my blog!  This is a good place to say, 'Thank you (and truly)' for cyber traveling over to my little mouse hole of the internet!

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Long have I admired the blogging community.  Whether we like it or not - blogs have entirely reshaped our lives over the last several years.  I am not blind to the myriad of empty blogs out there - but I also feel there are those that do some good with this readily available power.  

Filled with countless tutorials and advice - a blog can help an aspiring chef find just the right recipe to make, an unemployed penny pincher  make his own laundry soap, or just inspire and instruct a mom in taking better pictures of her loved ones.  With these mini magazines online, fellow blog enthusiasts can be exposed to amazing photographs that otherwise would have not been seen (probably my favorite of all the blogging treasures), or somebody in one corner of the earth can learn about and pray for a sick child thousands of miles away.

So, why do I feel my life is blogworthy (she types, choking back laughter)?  Not sure if it is.  Pretty sure it's not.  But, it sounds like good fun, and I think if it's done right, I think I can contribute something of worth to the blogging community (ooh, and to Pinterest!).

But if you need some convincing to come back and check in once in a while: I have a really rad 100 year old cottage style house that I will be renovating, two totally excellent girls that I (with my husband) will be raising, and what I feel is a wealth of DIY and decorating ideas - some of which already made, and others stored in "the vault"  (*points dumbly at ear, realizes mistake and moves pointing finger to head*) that I will be sharing along the way. 

I guess my point is this: If my life were ever blogworthy, it is now - while my kids are still young, my house is still unfinished, and my fingers are still carpel tunnel free!

And now ve vill commense ze picture photograph showing: