Wednesday, February 15, 2012
I don't know about you,
but I don't have much in the way of
St. Patrick's Day holiday decor.
And I wanted some.
So, this is what I came up with.
Introducing: The Lucky Wreath
All you need is:
foam pipe insulation {found at Lowes here}
duct tape {found in my husbands tool box}
a hot glue gun {if you don't have one, buy one!}
six assorted colors of felt fabric {found at Joann or any fabric store}
sewing machine {best purchase of my life!}
ribbon, felt shamrocks & foam letters {also found at Joann}
Using scissors, cut the foam pipe insulation
to the size of your liking {mine was about a yard}
and then tape the ends together to form a large circle.
{so much less expensive than a wreath form found at the craft store!}
Cut eight 2 x 6 inch strips of each color felt fabric.
Using your sewing machine, sew the strips in half along the long side
{the entire strip will need to wrap around the wreath form}
and set aside.
Using your glue gun, start with your first color of fabric
and wrap it around the wreath form, adhering it with glue in the back.
You will find that if you allow the fabric
to bend with the shape of the wreath form,
the ends will come together at the back at an angle - this is okay
just make sure they all are angled the same way
as you put your wreath together.
Repeat until all of your fabric strips are used
and your wreath is fully covered
{obviously, if you want a bigger wreath
you will need to accommodate with more fabric
and possibly bigger pieces, but that's entirely up to you}
Now, cut a piece of ribbon the width of your wreath
at it's widest point making sure to add enough length
so you can glue the ends of the ribbon to the back of the wreath, out of sight
Peel and stick your foam letters onto your felt shamrock shapes
and then glue completed shamrocks to the ribbon across your wreath.
Tie another piece of ribbon to the top to allow for hanging and you're done!
This one does take a bit longer and
you'll have to adjust your fabric strips a little as you go
{using these measurements they should match up just about right to go all the way around},
but the finished product is certainly worth the effort!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
photo challenge: day 2
"words"
to be totally honest,
i don't read near as much as i'd like to these days.
between maintaining a household,
running kids around everywhere,
and tending for a newborn baby
i have very little time for me.
and when i do have time, precious as it is,
i usually try and shower a couple of times a week.
so, for now, the best i can do for 'words'
{with the exception of the kids reading for school that we do}
are the few words i glanced at today - the list for this challenge.
book report to follow.
photo challenge: day 3
"hands"
i won't lie, this one is a cheat.
i didn't take this picture today, but i love it
and this is my blog
so i'll make the rules, okay?
sawyer is still {even though he's a month old}
very newborn to me.
he smells divine {minus poopy diaper, of course}
he smiles in his sleep,
he loves to snuggle,
and he has the sweetest little hands.
they can often be held holding onto one of my fingers
while i sit and feed him a bottle.
he'll grow way too fast.
photo challenge: day 4
"stranger"
this was supposed to be a photo challenge, i know
but when i went to snap this picture of a stranger {sneaky}
i found that my phone was on video mode still
{thanks tatum and hayden}
but there are two reasons i'm posting this for today's challenge
1) obviously a stranger
2) obviously strange
who the crap
walks around smith's
with a sword
tucked into the neck of your shirt?
this guy.
photo challenge: day 5
"10 am"
simple explanation:
this is my view at almost any given time of the day
and i wouldn't give it up for anything,
no matter how tired i am.
dreamy baby.
photo challenge: day 6
"dinner"
"dinner"
there are few meals that i can make in our home
that adults and kids alike will eat.
orange chicken is always a crowd pleaser.
thank you, costco.
Wednesday, February 01, 2012
photo challenge: day 1
"your view today"
obviously, this changes by the minute
but currently my view involves
a few unfinished photoshop projects.
baby announcement {check} &
kids valentines {need to take their updated pictures}.
really, since the baby is sleeping, i should be, too...right?
yeah right.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
i have a goal
{along with most everyone else i know}
to be a better blogger
{among other things}
and i'm thinking this will be a great kick start.
so, if you want to play along...lets.
list/inspiration found @ the house of smiths
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
it's official:
i'm now a mother of four.
four!
that's so insane to me,
but really awesome, too.
and although he came into this world
a little differently than i'd had planned
{a c-section for my smallest baby},
i wouldn't change a thing because
he is perfect.
if you don't believe me,
keep scrolling down for pictures
sawyer beau
born 12.30.11
7lbs 7oz, 21 inches
a baby has never been loved more,
promise.
Monday, November 14, 2011
If you haven't already, now is the time
to schedule those family pictures!
to schedule those family pictures!
I'll be accepting appointments for three more weeks (pre-baby)
and will resume shooting in mid-January (post-baby).
and will resume shooting in mid-January (post-baby).
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Hayden's first day of kindergarten.
She's most excited to make new friends
and meet Tatum after school to walk to the car.
I DID cry.
But only after she didn't.
Brave little child.
Way to go Hayden!!!
We love you.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Tatum's first day of 1st grade.
She's most excited to see Taylor (BFF) every day
and to eat lunch at school.
I didn't cry.
She certainly didn't cry.
And I've only looked at the clock 10 times so far (it's 10am).
Man, she's growing up too fast.
We love you Tatum!!!
Monday, April 25, 2011
Sunday morning pictures
{making mom late for church, or course}
Finding hidden baskets
{thanks easter bunny!}
Egg hunt w/ the Lundes
Coloring easter eggs
'Nuff pictures for ya?
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Someday {soon, hopefully},
I'll feel up to posting about
all of the not-so-great happenings
of our family in the last month.
It's certainly been a month of trials;
trails of faith, hope, prayer and loss,
surrender and miracles, love
and struggles none of us were prepared for.
But if I've learned anything in the last four weeks,
it's been that if it weren't for my loved ones, I'd be lost.
I've seen family rally together {both near and far}
in ways I'd never imagined possible.
There is such amazing strength found in the simplicity of love.
And we, thanks to so many of you,
are blessed with love in abundance.
are blessed with love in abundance.
There are not adequate words of thanks to give.
The support and love we've felt
from so many of you can never be repaid.
from so many of you can never be repaid.
But know that we
{and I feel safe speaking for our entire family}
are overcome with gratitude.
On days that I feel like I'm being pulled in every direction
{emotionally, physically, spiritually - you name it}
or moments when I can't find the right words
to say to my grieving Beau,
to say to my grieving Beau,
I can always count my three angels to keep me grounded.
The sweetness they possess should be bottled and sold.
Although it might not feel like it every moment
of every day {especially now}, we are all extremely blessed.
And for that, I am exceedingly grateful.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Six years that I've been a mama.
Six years, people, that flew by.
On this very day in 2005,
we welcomed
{after an expired due date
and an unexpectedly intense/long labor & delivery}
our first child.
2.5 hours of pushing and without
the help of much epidural power {that's another story},
the room was silent.
Seriously?
I was panicked - something had to be wrong.
She didn't cry, no one spoke to me, shock filled the room.
Something wrong?
Please say something isn't wrong.
Not now.
And then a cry and laughter
and lots of 'I'm so sorry's from the doctor.
Had he known she was going to be 10 lbs 4 ounces,
he never would have made me push that long.
She was chunky and sweet and beautiful.
We survived and in the end brought home
{on Easter Sunday} a wonderful prize,
our sweet little Tater Tot.
She has been a joy and a blessing in our lives
and continues to surprise us every day.
She is ridiculously smart and funny,
a little on the sassy side {sometimes too much},
kind and tough and eager.
She's got these gorgeous blue eyes
that sparkle when she's happy
and could cut through you if she's mad.
She is a great big sister
{I find her 'teaching' the other kids
what she's learned in kindergarten all the time}.
She loves her dad and I often find her
calling him on my cell phone
that she's found laying around , just to say 'hi'.
I can't tell you how many times a day
she says 'I love you, mom'
without any reason other than just because.
And although we have our trials
{we're very much alike and butt heads often},
I know that as we grow together, we'll only grow closer.
I love you, Tatum,
Happy 6th Birthday!
Let's Party!
Friday, March 18, 2011
***UPDATED***
After a too-late night last night finishing these babies,
I'm really REALLY happy with how they turned out!
As part of our Easter Craft Exchange,
I made a bunch of three for each of the ladies participating.
And they were super easy!
Buy some orange fabric, cut it into a tall skinny triangle
(mine were about 18 inches tall and about 7 inches wide on the flat top of the fabric)
Sew a small casing at the flat top of the fabric
(wide enough for a thin piece of ribbon to close after stuffing)
by folding about 3/4 of an inch of the top
of the fabric over and sewing a straight line across.
This will leave room or a casing
for you to thread your ribbon through
to cinch the top of the carrot later.
Now fold longest part of the fabric in half
from top to bottom (right side in),
sew a straight line down the side
(being careful to leave the top casing open sides open;
start straight seam underneath open casings)
and turn right side out
Now all you have to do is stuff your carrot with pillow filler,
cinch the top with your ribbon,
cut off excess and hot glue in some greenery
(found mine in the floral section at Joann on sale)
You could mix it up with different patterned fabrics,
add embellishments (like my fabric strips),
hang them on your front door,
lay bunches around your house with your Easter decor
...there are so many options!
Monday, March 07, 2011
Three years ago I was given a gift;
a beautiful, chubby, sweet baby boy.
He didn't have a name for the first three days
of his life because Beau and I couldn't agree.
Dad had names & mom had names, but neither would budge.
So after a friendly 'intervention' {thanks Auntie Karnen},
we sat down together and found some common ground.
Layne Ray.
9 lbs 12 ounces and hooked up to machines.
To that date, leaving him at the hospital
while we drove home with an empty car seat
was the hardest thing I'd ever had to do.
But he was a rock star - the biggest baby
{by several pounds and inches}
to grace the NICU in some time.
He had visitors and love and prayers and blessings
and pages and pages colored from his sisters at home.
And we made it through.
He came home, he was healthy and he was ours.
And boy was he smothered by those girls {still is}.
And then, the real hardest thing I ever had to go through.
He was covered in the most severe rashes most of us had ever seen.
We tried every cream, ointment and medication we were asked to.
We went to specialists, dermatologists, hospitals.
We were told that he might die.
Biopsies taken and we waited a long week for results.
Family prayers, fasting, support and
love that I'd never experienced in my entire life
occurred that week.
And a miracle.
Negative results.
It went away.
Completely.
Without medical explanation.
And now, three years later the most beautiful
{really, he is} and special boy is with our family,
enjoying life with his sisters,
Thomas the Train, Toy Story 3 and corn dogs.
A mama's boy who loves to play and pretend
and snuggle and sleep with best friend Emmitt {our dog}.
Right where he belongs.
We love you Layne!
Happy Birthday
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
