1 week ago
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Crafty Friday - Kids Room Artwork
Last weekend George was out playing golf & the kids were with my parents so I had a morning to myself to be all crafty. Everything began as normal until this happened....
Yes, that's my camera lens from my new camera (birthday present from February!). I was so angry at myself!! Luckily I had an old lens from the old film SLR that fits but still... how frustrating is this!
Back to Crafty Friday... I have been on a mission to decorate Hudson & Hallie's room since they moved to big girl/boy beds in February. We've rearranged the furniture a few times since then and finally have settled on a final arrangement. But the walls have been screaming at me for love. I finally had the time and motivation to get working on it.
First, I bought a 30x24 canvas at Hobby Lobby and had a paint color matched to one of the colors in their bedspreads.
Because I am impatient.... waiting for paint to dry to get started on the actual decorating!
My original idea for stenciling didn't work out because I ran out of space so I had repaint the top and planned to start over. You could faintly see the old letters underneath so I had to come up with a Plan B on the fly... here's what I came up with.
After painting the stripes they felt incomplete so I decided I'd put circles on either side of the canvas since their bedding is covered in circles.
I got all technical and used this cup as my circle guide.
Then I decoupaged this verse on top. I had made this verse (and one for Hallie) on the computer and had them printed. I planned to hang it in a frame with a mat, but didn't ... so luckily my Plan B needed it.
It's home above Hudson's bed. Hallie's will look the same - just with a different verse. Once Hobby Lobby puts their canvases on sale again I'll start hers!
Yes, that's my camera lens from my new camera (birthday present from February!). I was so angry at myself!! Luckily I had an old lens from the old film SLR that fits but still... how frustrating is this!Back to Crafty Friday... I have been on a mission to decorate Hudson & Hallie's room since they moved to big girl/boy beds in February. We've rearranged the furniture a few times since then and finally have settled on a final arrangement. But the walls have been screaming at me for love. I finally had the time and motivation to get working on it.
First, I bought a 30x24 canvas at Hobby Lobby and had a paint color matched to one of the colors in their bedspreads.
Because I am impatient.... waiting for paint to dry to get started on the actual decorating!
My original idea for stenciling didn't work out because I ran out of space so I had repaint the top and planned to start over. You could faintly see the old letters underneath so I had to come up with a Plan B on the fly... here's what I came up with.
After painting the stripes they felt incomplete so I decided I'd put circles on either side of the canvas since their bedding is covered in circles.
I got all technical and used this cup as my circle guide.
Then I decoupaged this verse on top. I had made this verse (and one for Hallie) on the computer and had them printed. I planned to hang it in a frame with a mat, but didn't ... so luckily my Plan B needed it.
It's home above Hudson's bed. Hallie's will look the same - just with a different verse. Once Hobby Lobby puts their canvases on sale again I'll start hers!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
George's Guy Trip
George recently took a guys road trip to my parents cabin in Colorado. They left at 5am and drove all day (stopping along the way to pick up the 5th guy) and ended up playing an inpromtu round of golf that night.
The next day they played the regularly scheduled round of golf at Bear Dance (where I might add that I've played before at a work tournament when I worked at DR Horton in Colorado). As you can see by the pictures the course is beautiful!!
The third day they got up and prepared for what would turn out to be the rafting trip of a lifetime. Their guide and one of the guys fell out of the boat on a class 5 rapid (the highest you can commercially raft) and eventually the rapid (or rather the Big Kahuna before the rapid) knocked their boat over and all the guys swam a class 5 rapid. Having the guys tell the story is way better...but I'm the blogger, not George, so you'll have to do with my version. Sorry if I butcher it! Guys went everywhere, two were stuck under the boat! After brief periods (remember this is is a FAST class 5 rapid) of panic all the guys made it out safely and eventually were all reunited after helping pluck rafters from about 5 other boats out of the water. George said it was just mayhem...rafters, boats, oars were everywhere! I'd like to say that it was me (and the Lord) responsible for their safety as on Saturday morning I woke up saying extra prayers for the guys as my instinct was telling me something was going to happen!! :)
As crazy as that was they were crazier and 4 out of 5 of the guys played another round of golf that afternoon. They came back to the cabin, packed up, slept for 2 hours and got on the road to head back home. I was ever grateful that they were going to be home a little earlier than planned. I know George had a great time and wants to do it again next year. I think it's so important for men to get their "guy" time (just it is for the ladies). We are so thankful to have a group of solid Christian friends here to be around. They challenge us to be better parents, spouses and believers and hopefully we live our lives in a way that would do the same.
The back of the car loaded up with 4 sets of clubs and bags.
The guys and their rafting guide (who had only flipped 2 boats in 14 years--theirs being one of them!)
Beautiful Colorado golf 
The next day they played the regularly scheduled round of golf at Bear Dance (where I might add that I've played before at a work tournament when I worked at DR Horton in Colorado). As you can see by the pictures the course is beautiful!!
The third day they got up and prepared for what would turn out to be the rafting trip of a lifetime. Their guide and one of the guys fell out of the boat on a class 5 rapid (the highest you can commercially raft) and eventually the rapid (or rather the Big Kahuna before the rapid) knocked their boat over and all the guys swam a class 5 rapid. Having the guys tell the story is way better...but I'm the blogger, not George, so you'll have to do with my version. Sorry if I butcher it! Guys went everywhere, two were stuck under the boat! After brief periods (remember this is is a FAST class 5 rapid) of panic all the guys made it out safely and eventually were all reunited after helping pluck rafters from about 5 other boats out of the water. George said it was just mayhem...rafters, boats, oars were everywhere! I'd like to say that it was me (and the Lord) responsible for their safety as on Saturday morning I woke up saying extra prayers for the guys as my instinct was telling me something was going to happen!! :)
As crazy as that was they were crazier and 4 out of 5 of the guys played another round of golf that afternoon. They came back to the cabin, packed up, slept for 2 hours and got on the road to head back home. I was ever grateful that they were going to be home a little earlier than planned. I know George had a great time and wants to do it again next year. I think it's so important for men to get their "guy" time (just it is for the ladies). We are so thankful to have a group of solid Christian friends here to be around. They challenge us to be better parents, spouses and believers and hopefully we live our lives in a way that would do the same.
The guys at 5am! Yep I was THAT wife who took a photo...figured I was up anyway and I might as well document the trip.
The back of the car loaded up with 4 sets of clubs and bags.
The guys and their rafting guide (who had only flipped 2 boats in 14 years--theirs being one of them!)
Beautiful Colorado golf 
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Gulf Shores - Part 3
On our last full day in Gulf Shores we ATTEMPTED to take family pictures on the beach. Several factors contributed to this not turning out well at all!! :)
{1} The aforementioned GIGANTIC hoop earrings (see my What I Learned on Vacation post)
{2} Changing the plan on Brooke who thought we were only going to go swimming at the pool that afternoon. Photos in a skirt were not part of her plan.
{3} Forgetting that touch up make up would probably be a good idea. (again see my previous post)
Brooke wanted no part of the picture below.
Finally got the girl to smile through the tears
After leaving sunny (and oil free!) Gulf Shores, AL we were welcomed home to Texas with rain and cloudy skies. No time for us to even forget that it was back to reality!
{1} The aforementioned GIGANTIC hoop earrings (see my What I Learned on Vacation post)
{2} Changing the plan on Brooke who thought we were only going to go swimming at the pool that afternoon. Photos in a skirt were not part of her plan.
{3} Forgetting that touch up make up would probably be a good idea. (again see my previous post)
Brooke wanted no part of the picture below.
Finally got the girl to smile through the tears
After leaving sunny (and oil free!) Gulf Shores, AL we were welcomed home to Texas with rain and cloudy skies. No time for us to even forget that it was back to reality!
Friday, June 11, 2010
Crafty Friday - Topiary Tree
Ever since my trip to Canton a while back I've had this glass dome that I intended to put an ornament stand in with a seasonal ornament....like this.
Unfortunately the dome I bought was too skinny and too short (hasty purchase!). So, it's been sitting empty on my bookshelf ever since. I decided I just wanted a topiary tree to sit inside of it. But have you seen the prices on some of those tiny topiary trees?? And I knew that I'd have to have one that was 'just right' for my dome. What are the odds??? Enter crafty Friday....
I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some materials to help me out with the project. You'll need a boxwood plant, foam floral balls (or shape of your choosing), moss and some sort of container. For the stick...you could buy one - or check your yard for one (which is what I did).
Use floral foam to fill the pot so that your stick has somewhere to 'stick'. I had some of this already on had so no need to buy it again... FREE! :) Push the stick into the ball and you're ready for tedious step #2.
Cut the boxwood plant into tiny sprays like this.
And start sticking them in! Remember this WILL take a while.
Hot glue the moss around the base of your tree and you're finished!
Now the new home for the tree filling up the glass dome just right.
How much did this cost for ONE tree?
Floral foam ball $.80
Terra Cotta pot $.42
Boxwood spray $3.99 (and I have over half left)
Stick: FREE
Moss: FREE (I ended up having some so I can return what I bought)
GRAND TOTAL: $5.21
**to all my local friends. I have 5 balls and 4 pots (one broke!) so if anyone wants to make a tree... let me know.
Unfortunately the dome I bought was too skinny and too short (hasty purchase!). So, it's been sitting empty on my bookshelf ever since. I decided I just wanted a topiary tree to sit inside of it. But have you seen the prices on some of those tiny topiary trees?? And I knew that I'd have to have one that was 'just right' for my dome. What are the odds??? Enter crafty Friday....
I went to Hobby Lobby and bought some materials to help me out with the project. You'll need a boxwood plant, foam floral balls (or shape of your choosing), moss and some sort of container. For the stick...you could buy one - or check your yard for one (which is what I did).
Use floral foam to fill the pot so that your stick has somewhere to 'stick'. I had some of this already on had so no need to buy it again... FREE! :) Push the stick into the ball and you're ready for tedious step #2.
Cut the boxwood plant into tiny sprays like this.
And start sticking them in! Remember this WILL take a while.
Hot glue the moss around the base of your tree and you're finished!
Now the new home for the tree filling up the glass dome just right.
How much did this cost for ONE tree?Floral foam ball $.80
Terra Cotta pot $.42
Boxwood spray $3.99 (and I have over half left)
Stick: FREE
Moss: FREE (I ended up having some so I can return what I bought)
GRAND TOTAL: $5.21
**to all my local friends. I have 5 balls and 4 pots (one broke!) so if anyone wants to make a tree... let me know.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Gulf Shores - Part 2
The last full day we were in Gulf Shores we took the kids to a place called, The Track. We noticed it on our way into town and I thought it would be a good place for the kids and for the adults. They had a great section for little ones like ours and two adult go-cart tracks which we could take the kids on. They had a great time (and I had fun too!). It started to rain just as we were leaving and we had lunch at LuLu's (owned by Jimmy Buffet's sister). It was a fun atmosphere and I would have loved to take pictures there but it rained like crazy once we were seated. I guess the memories will all be in my head!
Hallie really enjoyed herself on this swing -- imagine this pose with tongue out the whole time! :)
Hudson with his new obsession.
My Momo played a little golf too! :)
George & Brooke attacked Uncle Ryan on the bumper boats!
I promise - she had fun eventually...
Hallie really enjoyed herself on this swing -- imagine this pose with tongue out the whole time! :)
Hudson with his new obsession.
My Momo played a little golf too! :)
George & Brooke attacked Uncle Ryan on the bumper boats!
I promise - she had fun eventually...
Thursday, June 3, 2010
HTML is NOT my friend!
Well I have spent a LOT of time today (during naps, kids sleeping and while they watched videos because of all the RAIN and us being stuck inside) learning all the ins and outs of blogs and html code, etc. I wanted to change the font on my blog headers...success. Along the way I created a new blog so I could practice all my html codes that will hopefully be up and running whenever I have a topic to blog about that fits the new theme (won't tell you now in case it NEVER happens! haha).
Let me just say whew...that is a pain in the rear! I still have yet to figure out several things I set out for... namely changing my background without using a template from cutest site on the block and places like that. I have plenty of creativity in me to make my own backgrounds...but the uploading wasn't working so I gave up. You'll notice if you're an avid reader *grin* that my green template is gone... maybe one day something will return. For now enjoy my hard earned fonts and maybe in few days a few other things will appear (like this nifty signature!).
** UPDATE: It clicked and I was able to add a background that I created myself. Phew.
If you ever have spare time and are trying to do the same things here are some links I found really helpful...
Chocolate on my Cranium ~ this is just a blog with a tutorial section
Tips for New Bloggers
Make Money Blogging
stephmodo ~ how to enlarge photos
Let me just say whew...that is a pain in the rear! I still have yet to figure out several things I set out for... namely changing my background without using a template from cutest site on the block and places like that. I have plenty of creativity in me to make my own backgrounds...but the uploading wasn't working so I gave up. You'll notice if you're an avid reader *grin* that my green template is gone... maybe one day something will return. For now enjoy my hard earned fonts and maybe in few days a few other things will appear (like this nifty signature!).
** UPDATE: It clicked and I was able to add a background that I created myself. Phew.
If you ever have spare time and are trying to do the same things here are some links I found really helpful...
Chocolate on my Cranium ~ this is just a blog with a tutorial section
Tips for New Bloggers
Make Money Blogging
stephmodo ~ how to enlarge photos
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