Cameron's Tree--It's Up :-)

(before)

(the trunk)

(here it is!)

Scran's Graham Delights

I know i'm going to have to have something sweet to get me through tomorrow...well, this whole back to school week for that matter.

I attempted to make Scran's graham delights...we'll see how i faired...they are cooling at the moment!

1 c butter
1/2 c light brown sugar
1/2 c chopped pecans (or walnuts or whatever nut you like)
12-19 graham crackers
1 1/2-2 c chocolate chips

Mix the butter, sugar, and nuts on low heat and bring to a boil for 3 minutes (I cheated and did the melting and boiling in the microwave)

Place graham crackers on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Pour mixture over graham crackers. Bake for 10 minutes at 350.

Remove from oven. Cover with chocolate chips and allow them to melt, then spread the melted chocolate. Let cool in the refrigerator. Break into pieces.

YUMMY!

an almost purge turned into homemade bread

in an attempt to be more little Betty Homemaker, I made homemade bread today. it all started last night when i was going through some cabinets with small appliances. i found the breadmaker that i haven't used in i don't even know how long. i put it in the give away pile and then it occurred to me....i hate store-bought bread...i should use this hunk of love to make bread every couple of days.

she was saved...maybe i should name her Betty.

and so it begins...here's my first loaf...Whole Wheat Bran...hopefully it tastes good!

menu board and dick clark's corn fritters

the other morning when i made the message board and dry erase board i had one piece left over. i've been the world's worst at making dinner lately, so i thought making a menu board might help me get my act together.

i just took smaller pieces of the dry erase sheet from Michael's that i used for the other board and made 7 little areas.

so far so good. i went to the grocery store today and stocked up. i'm hoping i can keep this up!

for part of tonight's dinner we had "Dick Clark's Corn Fritters." I think i initially gathered the recipe from a Rachael Ray magazine. i have plenty of fritters to munch on during the week at school...yes...i go back tomorrow...so sad. here is the recipe in case you're interested:

Dick Clark's Corn Fritters

1 15oz can creamed corn
4 large eggs
1 c frozen corn
2 T sugar
salt and pepper
1/2 c flour
cooking spray

In a medium bowl, combine creamed corn, eggs, frozen corn and sugar; season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle flour gradually, whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

Spray a skillet with cooking spray. Drop tablespoonfuls of mixture into the pan to form small pancakes. Cook until browned on both sides.

Cameron's Halloween Costume

The votes are in...it was so hard to decide. I took into consideration not just the final vote, but the progression.

When i went to order on etsy.com (i know i've said it 100 times, but if you haven't been there, get to going!) the set had been sold. I am so glad i contacted the seller because not only was she a sweetheart and agreed to make another set for Miss C, I feel really good about settling on this choice, as this woman has 4 children, 1 on the way, she's getting ready to start college classes yet is still able to make darling pieces! I know that a lot of love will be put into Cameron's hat and leggings and i could not be more excited!

thanks for your help!

now, it's time to figure out what mr. mr. is going to be!

missing coffee...

want to try these recipes:

Iced Mocha Frappe (Deen Family)

Iced Coffee

Mochacinno Shakes

laptop decoration

before:

i'm sure the tech folks will be really thrilled when they see my computer, but it looks darn cute if you ask me!

i simply used some removable wall stickers from the dollar store to create my pink and green polka dotted computer!

maybe having my cute computer will make going back to work easier...or not!


after:

dark chocolate banana protein shake

I need to get more protein...esp considering i'm a vegetarian AND pregnant.

In an effort to do so, I came up with this recipe.

I am really not a fan of protein powder, and believe me, thanks to my bodybuilding hubby, I've tried plenty of varieties. I needed a way to mask the flavor. Since I'm a chocolate lover, cocoa powder is my new best friend!

Ingredients:

8oz skim milk
1 scoop protein powder (you choose the brand...I think ours provides 24g of protein per scoop)
1/3 of a frozen banana cut into slices (I would suggest cutting the banana BEFORE you freeze it)
1 heaping tablespoon of cocoa powder (or less if you don't like bittersweet chocolate flavor)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth

I hope this helps any of the rest of you who are protein-shy.

message boards

I went through the effort (if you've shopped with me you know i hum and haw about stuff) to buy a seagrass board and a dry erase board at the end of last week. I put them up in the kitchen and not 24 hours later...BOOM...yes...feel on the floor. One would think that I would just secure them a little better and be done with it, but I think in the back of my mind that wasn't really for that space in the first place.

so....

I created these little numbers this morning out of foam board, fabric and a hot glue gun. they are secured by my favorite putter-uppers...command strips. oh, and the dry erase part is from Michaels...if you haven't seen these they are in the poster board section. I think they are simply called dry erase sheets. they are great!

notes to self...

future projects...hopefully NEAR future projects...

--revamp headboard
--put up Cameron's tree
--rip up carpet on stairs and decorate
--update Landon's room decor

countertop/tabletop earring holders

i've made larger earring holders in the past, which i like, but i wanted a party favor with a jewelry theme recently and came up with these.

The best part is that they cost less than $2 a piece!

Materials: 4x6 ready to finish frame ($1/piece) from Michaels

Scrapbook Paper

Mod Podge

Stapler

Screen

midnight construction crew at it again!

goodbye ugly orange construction fence...

hello beautiful classy pool fence!

shaun and aaron have been working their tails off lately to get this fence up. THANK YOU to both of them and a special thank you to the Harlow gals! We appreciate his help more than we can express. The whole thing will be up before we know it!

stair decoration

i've been wanting to take up the carpet on the stairs for a while now and this just made me REALLY want to rip it up...like this afternoon!

http://www.justagirlblog.com/2010/08/sas-in-review_08.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+justagirlblog%2FTjAN+%28Just+a+Girl%29

Granted, these stairs are darling in and of themselves, but the quotes are too precious.

i'm thinking i just found a future project.

i guess i should prioritize and focus on the nursery first though :-)

Halloween Costume--Cameron

So, I'm a little nuts and i'm thinking about halloween already and we haven't even finished summer. Cameron will be here Oct 18th and I am certain i will have no time or energy to find/make a costume between then and the big day.

SO...

i think i've decided that she will be an owl. i have found some darling owl hats on etsy.com (my new favorite place).

I need your help to pick which hat she should wear. Vote on the right side if you're willing.

happy voting!

countdown to cameron

i saw an idea similar to this in a magazine a long time ago and swore that i'd do it if we ever had another child. at the time, little did i know how beneficial it might be for a certain very special big brother. Landon is extremely bright but has always had a difficult time with transitions and new situations. I thought that setting a visual countdown to Cameron's arrival would really help him. not only will it help him understand the concept of time and anticipation, I hope it develops a sense of connectivity between the two. When we took the first link off today he was super excited, looked in her room, gave a big grin and nodded his head when we asked if he was excited to meet her! I hope that this countdown becomes a bonding and preparatory experience for all of us!

i didn't want the paper chain to have to stretch the entire house, so i cut 12x12 pieces of scrapbook paper into 1" by 6" strips.


we are 74 days out from the c-section, so i numbered each strip from 1 to 74.


then connected all of the strips to make the chain.

for now, we draped it on her crib. we've got some work to do in the nursery, so until i have a better place...

if only i could sew...

i could do lots of things...including this cute little number. Check out the tutorial: http://www.potholesandpantyhose.com/A/Arts_%26_Crap_Archives/Entries/2010/7/16_Mod_Deer_Hoof_Coat_Rack_2.html

play sand = cat litter ???

not a craft so much, but a new use for something!

so, this will be one of 3 things for you:

1. an idea you hadn't thought of and will utilize for your feline friends.

2. something so completely obvious you can't believe i posted it.

3. so gross that you're never going to let your kid come over here again.

With all of the backyard renovation this summer our deck has temporarily been shortened and the stairs removed. The beasts couldn't be happier because now they get to have a "field trip" from time to time and go out on the deck. On day I opened the sandbox to see what they would do and sure enough Moo Moo took it upon himself to pee right in the sandbox. I will have you know I CLEANED IT IMMEDIATELY, but got to thinking maybe i should look into using play sand as litter rather than paying at least 10 bucks every week or so for cat litter.

Sure enough, Mr. Picky, himself (Moo Moo, who has had major litter box snob issues in the past) is all about the play sand alternative. I don't think Schmoopie is too impressed, but he's not a snob when it comes to things like that.

Play sand it is...Lowes sells a 50 lb bag for something like $3.88, so i've figured out a way to save a least a few bucks!

Happy poop scooping! GROSS!

cupcakes in a jar

saw this darling idea on one of the blogs i check...now that i have my computer back i'm trying to catch up!

http://www.makeandtakes.com/the-perfect-neighbor-gift-mason-jar-cupcakes

i'm thinking teacher gifts...i know i'd sure love to receive this from my students!

would also be a cute baby shower idea or favor. i'm sure there are a million ways it could be used.

OH MY CUTE...

String of lights decorated with cupcake liners...why can't i think of these things?http://cfabbridesigns.com/blog/?p=3916
can't wait to make them.

i've also seen strings of lights made with flower petals and seashells over the lights.

maybe after vacation i can tackle these cuties!

if you are interested in trying them I recently saw some DARLING cupcake liners at Michaels craft store.

future projects

i've been without my computer for over a week, so i haven't uploaded pictures or really done much of anything.

i was starting to go in withdrawl, so i came across some things i'd like to do soon.

miniature memory game: http://modpodgerocks.blogspot.com/2010/07/minature-memory-game.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ModPodgeRocks+%28Mod+Podge+Rocks%29

bungee board: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/07/make-a-bungee-cord-memo-board/

easier owl???: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/03/reader-roundup-cute-animal-crafts/

beautiful, whimsical pieces...even better...they're for a great cause

if only i could have been so creative to come up with something as cute as this to raise money for landon's love...nonetheless...check it out...these folks are creating pendants out of scrabble pieces to raise money for the gulf!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pinkflowercube?section_id=7108885

wooden flower matching game

wooden blocks from Michaels transformed to a matching game...

{before}

{after}

{this is what it looks like from the top when game is being played}

{matches}

This was a fun, relatively quick project. I think it would be cute for a gift for a little girl. The pieces are certainly sturdy and should last a long time.

button keychain

{front} {back}

pool update--concrete all in!

the sealer is being put on today!!! Shaun worked like crazy last night to get the water in the pool back up and get it running again. we're almost there!

metal stamp

my metal stamp came in. smaller than i thought, but i'll just have to play with it.

hand-drawn onesies

tonight's projects...

more sharpie tie dye

pool update--we have (some) concrete!!!!

{new handrail for the steps...more practical location than on the side like we had before}

{close-up of stamp...a few more details to be added tomorrow, i believe}

{they got about 1/4 to 1/3 of it done today...i'm getting really excited to see the final product!}

pool update

just had to mention that they are starting to lay concrete tomorrow! i could not be more excited! Will post pictures asap.

ruffled onesies

Cameron is definitely going to have to have some of these! Mom--you willing to help me? you know my sewing skills are extremely limited!

http://thisideaattic.blogspot.com/2010/06/sugar-and-spice-and-ruffles-are-nice.html

sharpie tie dye

i mentioned this a while back, i think, but haven't had a chance to try it until now (gotta love summer vacation!)

Thanks to Heather for introducing it to me...8th grade physical science...gotta love it!

materials needed:

something white (I used a towel i had on hand)

and...


Directions:

1. Lay out dixie cups across the counter and place towel or shirt over the dixie cups wherever you want the "tie dye" parts to be.


2. Use Sharpies to draw dots (or whatever design you desire) on the material on the openings of the cups.

3. Drop rubbing alcohol in the center of the image. The alcohol will draw out taking the color with it! Add as much alcohol as desired. The more you add, the more the image will spread out.

4. Allow to dry completely (do not remove the cups until the alcohol has dried).

5. Place item in the dryer for 20 min to let the colors set in. Then wash and dry as normal.

Oldfields Photography--another reason she's awesome!

Aside from being a fabulous person and photographer...take a gander at how she delivered my prints today...AMAZING! (these beauties were in a lovely gift bag that i did not include in the picture)


just in case you can't see the CD very well...yes, that's us on the CD! Megs...you ROCK!
everyone get on over to Oldfields Photography and check her out!

no more mystery family in photo frame!

for those of you who have commented on the mystery family in the frame in our dining room...
you will be happy to finally recognize the new family who has occupied the frame!

(sorry for poor lighting)

Tree #2

So, it looks like we're going with tree #2...new question...pink blossoms or green???

vote in the top right corner.