Button Shamrock

I've been sorting through my files and going through stacks of old magazines and I came across a really cute idea by C.D. Muckosky in Creating Keepsakes. She took a large chipboard star and covered it with sewn on buttons in different shades of green and framed it. SO DANG cute. We're needing a few new St. Patrick's Day decorations, so I used the same idea. I went through my button stash, pulled out all my green buttons, lightly traced a shamrock shape onto a piece or corrugated cardstock, sewed the buttons on and then attached the cardstock to a painted and sanded block.

Top 'o the mornin' to ya!

Lent, 2009 Style

For those of you who are newish to our family blog, you might want to read this post about the journey of "Lenting" that my sister and I take each year. No, we're not Catholic. But the idea of self-mastery is really cool. And last year, my friend Courtney, who IS ACTUALLY Catholic, shared with me that Lent is also a time to ADD something meaningful to your life. I thought this was a wonderful addition to my "Lenting" this year. So, without further ado, this year I am "Lenting" chocolate again. It was either chocolate or Dr. Pepper. There is a crazy amount of stress in my life right now. I think I need my Dr. Pepper. So chocolate it is. In addition to NOT eating chocolate during the 40 days between Ash Wednesday and Easter, I am going to make a card and sent it to some unsuspecting friend or loved one each week. At least one. Maybe more.

What are YOU "Lenting?"

Win a Beanie & Giveaway Joy

My fabulous sister April is having a giveaway on her blog to win this darling beanie. You want it? Head over here, post a comment and good luck!!

Have you decided what you're Lenting yet?...

And, heck, if I want something cool from Miss Tonia, I have to post this NOW!! I've seen quite a few of these out there in blogland, but if you'd like to get a treat from ME, I've cleared the comments and the first five to comment and follow the directions will be getting a giveaway from me. Here's the fineprint...


The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you. This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:

1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It will be done this year.
4- You will have no clue what it's going to be. It may be a story. It may be photography or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may sew or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange.

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must post this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who follow the directions. Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!}

Ahoy, Little Boy!

Just a quick share tonight...my friend Marisa asked me to make baby announcements for her newest little miracle, Grant Michael. And the only input she gave was that she would like the cards to have stripes or dots. I've made a version of these cards before, but I tweaked these a bit and am so happy with the way they turned out!! Hopefully, Marisa will be, too.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Our "Hoosier" Overhaul

Just before Christmas, my friend Kristi and I met in tiny Louisville (which is about halfway between her home and mine) to exchange Christmas gifts. We had a few minutes after lunch so we went into a little antique shop on the main street. In the back room, was this atrocious piece of furniture...but the price was pretty. All that said, I still walked on by. When we got to the car, I told Kristi that I was going to go back and buy it. The antique dealer told me it was a Hoosier hutch...a hutch that was built in Indiana in the mid-20th century and this one still had it's original grinder in the top left compartment. He'd had it awhile, and was finally retiring so he was letting it go for a song. After Christmas, I drove back and picked it up. I was giddy. Tony was mortified. We'd been looking for an art center for the kids, but I don't think this is exactly what he had in mind...




But with a little elbow grease, hours of sanding, priming, painting, some cork board, and some new hardware, this is the kids' new art center.




And the price you ask??

Remembering Our Word

Did you ever pick your word for 2009?? My friend Holly liked the idea so much she challenged each of her sisters and her mom to come up with their own word as well. She's meeting them in Seattle for some girl's time this weekend and wanted to make a block for each of them with their word on it to display in their home. She had the general idea what she wanted them to look like and we purchased the wood and vinyl, Jen cut the wood for us, and we finished them up today. As a thank you, Holly made me one as well. We loved the way they turned out!

As for me, I'm hoping this sign will help me to remember to simplify because, well, haven't been doing so well on that one lately. Sheesh.

Guest Room Makeover & Fun Idea #4

It all started very innocently when Tony asked my mom (who is visiting for a week) to help make some window treatments for our catch-all downstairs guest room. And it ended not quite as innocently when we walked into Target to get some last minute Valentine's party things and right into a HUGE 75% off sale. So we picked up 2 queen quilts, a twin quilt, two bone surrounded mirrors, a new set of sheets and a twin set of green sheets. And spent all of $98. Seriously. My mom and I used the twin sheet set in green to make a dust ruffle, another pillowcase, and the valance for the window. We also cut up the twin quilt and made pillow shams and a throw pillow. It was so much fun and with two sets of hands, so easy and quick. So, what do you think??

Before:












After:

And just a fun idea: The little beige book on the nightstand? It is our guest book that we purchased after the room and bathroom were finished in November 2007 and ready to receive guests. We include a picture from each visit and the guest writes a little note. It is fun to look back on the fun visits from friends and loved ones.

Bath Sundaes

How is this for a darling friend gift!! Simply beg, steal, borrow, or buy a plastic cup and dome lid from your local Starbucks. Then fill it about three-quarters of the way full with your choice of bubble bath or bath salts. (There are even several recipes out there for making your own if you'd rather.) Then place a small bath poof in a corresponding color on the top of the bubble bath, attach the dome lid, feed in a straw and top with a red "cherry" bath bead. Who wouldn't love to get one of these?

Thanks to my mom for the great idea...

It started snowing about 9:00 a.m. this morning and hasn't stopped since! The kids are all home from school, the base shut down, and we're all basking in the glorious white stuff. From the warmth of the house, that is.

Apologies

I can't believe it has been a whole week since I posted last. We finally got everybody healthy, but I've been having a very uncomfortable and stressful week. Every day gets a little better...so please stick with me. I see the light at the end of the tunnel. And my mom arrived yesterday so I'll be sharing some fun projects soon. Plus, I'm missing my friends!

Have a wonderful Thursday!

The Verdict

I was able to get Sam into the doctor early today and he has an ear infection AND strep throat. Poor guy. I knew he wasn't feeling well because he never complains. Well, he never complains about anything but his sister. He should be feeling much better in the morning.

I was cleaning an upstairs bathroom and it was really quiet downstairs. Dangerously quiet. So I snuck down to investigate and this is what I found. Watching Toy Story. Together. Being kind to each other. Sorry the lighting is so bad...you really only get one shot at a photo like this one. After I took the shot, I got busted.



I love my children.

The Kids' Valentines

Hi. My name is Amber and I have a SERIOUS addiction to paper crafting supplies. So every chance I get, I try and use my habit to actually SAVE me money. So these are the Valentines that Sam and Anna helped me put together for their class exchange. Notice that Anna's valentines look remarkably like my visiting teaching tags this month...

I have so many things to do and so much going on but I had Sam home from school today (and probably tomorrow...I think he has an ear infection). But a sick kiddo seems to be the way that the Lord is reminding me to slow down.

Take care of what is most important.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

Room to Grow & Visiting Teaching Love

I'm not sure why (hmmm...big move? spring fever? neurosis??) but I got the itch to do a long overdue overhaul on the boys' bedroom today. Since Josh's birth, we have used baskets in his changing table for all his clothes...but have long since quit using the changing table to change his diaper. So I re-purposed some plastic stacking drawers that I wasn't using anymore and moved all Josh's cute little clothes from the baskets to the drawers and stacked them in the closet. It freed up some much needed space in the room...now there is more room to play on the floor. And that big empty space above the dresser? My mom is helping me frame the perfect "something" that will hang there when she comes to visit in just a few weeks. The changing table we used for all three sweet babies will go in the garage sale pile. Sigh.

And for February visiting teaching gifts, I picked up some boxes of Mrs. Fields chocolates at Target (I saw in Utah that they also have some smaller 3-pack boxes in their $1 Spot that would be perfect, too). I made tags with some darling paper I picked up in Utah to make Anna's Valentines and added the scripture John 13:34-35; "A new commandment I give unto you; That ye love one another as I have loved you..."