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.

nesting

apparently, nesting has begun. i spent an hour and a half cleaning two rooms yesterday. don't know if it's because i'm slow as molasses or just that they were THAT dirty.

i've been wanting to change around our room, so hubby helped me rearrange it last night. not only does the room look SO MUCH BIGGER we were laughing so hard we were crying in the process. LOVE THAT MAN! once i get it decorated, i'll post some pictures.

today i plan to tackle the living room, bathroom and L's room. then the entire upstairs would be done with the exception of the master bathroom, which is almost complete (yay! shout out to hubby and aaron) and C's nursery, which is a project i can't wait to get into it!

latest pool progress

they had to call in a bobcat to get the rest of the concrete up...it was crumbling too bad. most of the fence is gone. lookin kind of sad out there right now, but i know it'll look great once it's done.

personalized paper lanterns

i could not be more excited about this project. i mentioned it the other day...it was featured on Dollar Store Crafts, HOWEVER...i have put my twist on it.

i think i mentioned that i have the kids decorate a paper lantern at the beginning of each school year to be hung from the ceiling for the year. 1--it decorates the room for the ENTIRE year and i don't have to really worry about anything else! 2--it allows the kids a way to express themselves so that i can get to know them and a way for them to display their uniqueness.

so, i saw the tutorial the other day and wanted to try it to see how it could work for my classroom. This is going to be FABULOUS! it's cheap (i probably already have all of the materials i will need), it'll be a fairly quick project, it's gender-neutral, completely unique to each kid!

Materials: 12 x 12 scrapbook paper (8 x 8 if you want them smaller)--use patterned paper so that when the lantern is done it will be decorated on the outside AND inside!
tape or stapler
scissors
scraps of ribbon
markers or colored pencils
old magazines for students to cut out images
glue sticks

Process: Have students decorate the WHITE side of the scrapbook paper however they want. (I am going to require mine to put their name somewhere on it and then i will suggest that they include things they like, sports they play, etc). When dry, hotdog fold (long ways) the paper. At the fold cut parallel strips toward the open end leaving a 1/2"space at the top. Roll the paper and bring the ends together with the fold in the middle...you should see the shape coming together. Overlap the two ends and tape or staple together. Tape or staple a scrap of ribbon at the top. Voila!

more owls

cool wedding gift

this would be a cool wedding gift: http://somedaycrafts.blogspot.com/2010/06/quillled-monogram.html

paper lanterns

at the beginning of each school year, i have the kids decorate paper lanterns to express themselves and they hang from the ceiling until the end of the year. typically i order the lanterns from oriental trading, but thanks to Dollar Store Crafts, i think i have a new idea...and cheaper!


http://thesaltypineapple.blogspot.com/2010/06/heather-mann-dollar-store-crafts.html

I think I will give the kids a sheet of white paper to decorate in a way that expresses themselves and then a decorative piece of paper to put in the inside for some extra color.

REALLY excited about this...can't wait to give it a try!

nursery ideas

so, i've been on this owl kick lately and definitely want to put owls in the nursery. here are some of my inspirations.

it's a...

G I R L !!!!!!!!!!!!
Lot's of craftiness in store for the future. This could be very dangerous for our wallets!

polka dotted toes

pool re-vamp

so we got jealous of all of the bulldozers and such next door, so we decided to get a jack-hammer and bob-cat of our own going over on our property. Can't wait to show you the after pictures...looks like it'll be a week or two though.

bats!

i'm not sure how this goes with crafting so much, but i just have to say that we caught and released TWO bats from our house tonight. NOT COOL!

paper clip chandelier--amazing

i don't have the patience to do this, but i thought it was neat.

http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2010/06/make-a-fabulous-paper-clip-chandelier/

playing with hair

mine looked no where near this cute, but i tried something like this today...it was fun

i'd like to try this sometime...

.
check these and other cool styles out at: http://www.whippycake.com/

free font

Katie sent me this link a while ago...http://kevinandamanda.com/fonts/fontsforpeas/pea-kt-doodles/

grasshopper pie

Back in our Biltmore days, on the nights we didn't drink, we ate grasshopper pie, which gave me a great idea for dessert tonight!

here's an idea if you need something quick, cheap, and will please.

ingredients:

chocolate graham pie shell
mint chocolate chip ice cream

Allow ice cream to soften and then spread it into the pie shell. Place in freezer.

That's it! Of course, you can make this a thousand different ways by changing the shell and ice cream flavor...i was thinking a regular graham shell would be good with butter pecan ice cream...haven't had that flavor of ice cream in ages.

Purged a little after dinner tonight in what will be the nursery...maybe my creativity hasn't completely left me...just took a vacation!

no, i didn't fall off the face of the earth

...but my creativity sure has.

Between a rough beginning to this pregnancy and a crazy teaching year, after those lovely few weeks of snow i feel like i have been in a daze.

until today, i couldn't even really bring myself to look at other craft blogs. I had a blast just now looking through them all and realize i have missed an awful lot. i still have another week to work, but hope that i allow myself some time over the summer to create.