Fussy Monkey Business

We Have a Winner!!

2012-02-09T08:24:00.001-08:00

The winner of the My Memories Scrapbooking Software is:

Jessica!!

who said:

"How fun! Maybe I would actually do something with my photos if I had this...."

Congrats to you Jessica! You will be receiving an email from me shortly!!

3-D Valentines Cards and an Apron

2012-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

Well I found out what was wrong with my neck...severe muscle spasms...I have no idea why it happened, but I am ever so thankful for modern medicine!

So now that I am almost back to normal, I was able to get a few crafty things done today.

The kids and I assembled their Valentines Day cards.

A few weeks ago I found

THIS

idea out in blog-land and pinned it.

A few days later, Snapfish ran a deal on prints..99 prints for 99cents total. That's when I knew exactly what the kids' V-day cards would be:o)

I did a little finagling & added the "Be Mine" on Picnik..

so bummed that they are shutting that site down:o(

And this is how E's turned out

The "Be Mine" on S.R.'s somehow was cut off during printing, so I just completely cut the words off..but hers still looks cute:o)

Pretty fantastic & super cheap & easy.

I am also slowly preparing for S.R.'s 4th birthday party(which is in 3 1/2 weeks..ahhh!). We are doing the Wizard of Oz as the theme.

I started making these aprons today..started being the operative word. My machine is being nasty and refusing to function properly.

The lines of the apron were looking a little too masculine, so I added some eyelet trim with a little red satin ribbon through it.

These aprons are really easy to make and will look cute on all of the little girls. Now I just need my machine to play nice, so that everyone can have one:o)

For those of you who haven't entered the My Memories Scrapbooking Digital Software giveaway,

you can enter

HERE.

Today is your last shot at winning some great software!

I will announce the winner tomorrow..have a fab rest of the day!

Menu Board Update

2012-02-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

My menu board is the most "pinned" item on my blog.

I have had several people ask questions about dimensions, paint colors, wood type, and even if I would make another one to sell. I have gotten comments and emails of which I never responded to, and I am SORRY! I am such a loser when it comes to following up. Sad, I know.

So anyway, I decided to do a quick post for all of you out there who were wanting to know how this thing was constructed.

The dimensions of:

This menu board:

40"x40"

The chalkboard squares:

12"x12"

The large vinyl letters:

The small vinyl letters:

Here is a shot of the back of the board. You can see that the frame is made from

1x2's and it's a 1/4" thick plywood board.

And that's it...

I think I covered all of the questions that have been asked as of lately. If you have anymore questions about this menu board, you may not get a quick response...just warning you;o)

Another thing I wanted to show you...

I wanted to share how we are able to stick with our Bible verse memorization.

I made this chalkboard out of a yard sale mirror. I taped the edges and sprayed a few coats of chalkboard paint on it. Easy-peasy.

It's in the living room, so it's constantly catching my eye...reminding me that I need to say it with the kids.

It's a fantastic tool.

I hope you all have a fantastic Tuesday...keep me in your prayers...I have been experiencing a tremendous amount of pain in my neck...no it's not the hubs or the kids;o)

It's real pain, and there is a possibility of a bulging disc...I go to the doc tomorrow, so hopefully I'll have some answers.

So there won't be a whole lot of crafting going on around here, not for a bit, at least.

Words That Really Matter

2012-02-05T05:05:00.000-08:00

Joshua 1:9

This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Giveaway Time...My Memories Digital Scrapbook Software

2012-02-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

Hey everybody! I have a great giveaway for you guys today.
How many of you take thousands of pictures, thinking to yourself,
"I am going to get these in a scrapbook, and it's going to be fabulously fantastic! I just need to run & get a scrapbook, paper, pens, stickers, glue sticks, etc., etc., and then I can put said scrapbook together"....doesn't happen, does it? It's too complicated, and nowadays, we want quick and easy.
I was contacted by a representative from
My Memories about doing a digital scrapbooking giveaway for all of my lovelies...that's you;o)
Anyway, this website has a fantastic assortment of ways to preserve your precious memories...reminds me of a song;o)
Do you remember our digital Christmas card from this past Christmas?
Well, I actually WON the My Memories Suite Package, from another blog...Just Deanna...
ya'll give her a shout out when you get the chance. She just had gall bladder surgery..yuck!
and I used it to create our card.
It is some of the easiest software I have ever used.

You can do all kinds of fun things with this software. You can make calendars, cards, slide shows, and even videos...crazy cool, I know.

So I'm guessing you are wanting to know, "How can I get my hands on this great giveaway??"

You have 3 chances to enter:

1st entry-Be a follower of Fussy Monkey Business..that's easy:o) and leave a comment

2nd Entry-Visit MyMemories.com, and let us know what your favorite digital paper pack is..

3rd Entry-Visit My Memories on Facebook and let them know that Fussy Monkey sent you...leave a comment

My Memories also has a BLOG, so if you are looking for great ideas, make sure to check them out!!

Now if you haven't been that lucky here lately and feel your chances are slim, you can head on over and purchase this fantastic scrapbook software AND you can get $10 off

Use the code:

STMMMS17758

to receive your $10 off at checkout.

Now get crack-a-lackin' and start entering!!

This giveaway ends Thursday, February 9th.

Happy Anniversary!!

2012-02-01T11:39:00.000-08:00

Happy Anniversary to my sweet & wonderful husband of 9 years!

Words That Really Matter

2012-01-29T13:53:00.000-08:00

Romans 5:1-2

¹ Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. ² Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

(NLT)

Revamped Dresser

2012-01-27T06:36:00.000-08:00

Time for the reveal! Here is the "after" shot of the dresser I made over for E's room.

Remember the "before"? A tad different, isn't it?

I found this dresser at the thrift store two weekends ago for $15...yep, that's right! They were having a 50% off sale on all furniture. I almost had a heart attack thinking someone else would try to swipe my pet fur, mouse poo & dust infested dresser before I had the chance...but luckily, no one else was interested:o)

So I started by deconstructing the whole piece. That was the easy part:o)

The tough part was making the MDF box to go in the center of the dresser. This was my first attempt at using a table saw, and let me just say that there was a lot of heavy praying going on while using it. On three different occasions, MDF literally shot off of the table saw..thankfully I wasn't on the receiving end!

Since we currently are no longer in possession of a miter saw, I had to use a miter box to cut the trim pieces, which was A-O.K. with me after the frightening experience with the table saw! I used 1 1/4 inch trim to frame out the box, and base board trim for the base.

I filled in the gaps with some wood putty, and got it ready for paint.

It now resides in E's room with new hardware.

He is extremely excited to have it in his room now....

So much so, that he thought it was a great place to climb on top of and leap to his bed...BAD IDEA!

Mommy worked waaaaay too hard on this for little grubby feet to be climbing on this puppy:o)

So anyway, that's that!

To see where I got my inspiration, check out

THIS LINK

Participating here:

My New Bedding & a Sneak Peak

2012-01-25T12:15:00.000-08:00

I got some new bedding...and I love it!

I feel like I have a completely different room:o)

I decided one day to stop by Pottery Barn to see what they had..not really expecting much in the sale department...and low and behold I found this duvet cover for $31...a steal, I know.

I needed to accessorize this new awesomely cheap bedding...

So I went into Mission-Pillow-Hunt at Stein Mart. They had one pillow sham that matched the duvet perfectly...but only one. Ahhh! Panic mode had set in. I called all of the surrounding Stein Marts including some in Tennessee. I only needed two more people!! Apparently this is a popular pillow because all of the stores except for one (just outside of Nashville) were sold out...and that one had only two. Talk about

luck! Thankfully my mother happened to be in the area the next day and was able to pick them up for me...such a sweet little momma:o)

Aren't they pretty?

Did you happen to notice the ruffly pillow? Wanna know what it was BEFORE it was a pillow? A table runner! I found this table runner at T.J. Maxx for $12.99. They had a few colors to choose from, but this color suited my room the best.

It just so happened that my shabby, well-slept-on king size pillow was the perfect size to slip inside.

So I ripped the seams at one end.

Slid the well-slept-on pillow inside, and stitched it back up.

Fancy:o)

Are you loving it? I know I am:o) Next on the "to buy" list is a new bed skirt. I want a fru-fru bedskirt that is really full and girly:o)

And this is a sneak peak "before shot" of the dresser I am working on for E. I have changed it up a bit and finished painting it today. I'm hoping to share the end results with you all either Thursday or Friday.

You won't believe what I paid for it...any guessers?

Words That Really Matter

2012-01-22T12:10:00.000-08:00

Our memory verse this week...have you guys jumped on board yet?

John 3:16

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

Ideas to Make Life Easier

2012-01-18T07:57:00.000-08:00

Here is an email I received today. Thought I would share this tips with you all!

Enjoy!

Hull strawberries easily using a straw.

Rubbing a walnut over scratches in your furniture

will disguise dings and scrapes. Rubbing a walnut

over scratches in your furniture will disguise dings

and scrapes.

Remove crayon masterpieces from your TV or

computer screen with WD40.

Stop cut apples browning in your child’s lunch box

by securing with a rubber band.

Overhaul your linen cupboard, store bed linen sets

inside one of their own pillowcases and there will

be no more hunting through piles for a match.

Pump up the volume by placing your iPhone & iPod

in a bowl. The concave shape amplifies the music.

Re-use a wet-wipes container to store plastic bags.

Add this item to your beach bag. Baby powder

gets sand off your skin easily, who knew?!

Attach a Velcro strip to the wall to store soft toys.

Use wire to make a space to store gift wrap rolls

against the ceiling, rather than cluttering up the

floor.

Find tiny lost items like earrings by putting a

stocking over the vacuum hose.

Make an instant cupcake carrier by cutting

crosses into a box lid.

For those who can’t stand the scrunching and

bunching: how to perfectly fold a fitted sheet.

Forever losing your bathroom essentials? Use

magnetic strips to store bobby pins, tweezers

and clippers, behind a vanity door

Store shoes inside shower caps to stop dirty

soles rubbing on your clothes. And you can

find them in just about every hotel.

A muffin pan becomes a craft caddy. Magnets

hold the plastic cups down to make them

tip-resistant.

Bread tags make the perfect cord labels.

Bake cupcakes directly in ice-cream cones, so

much more fun and easier for kids to eat.

Microwave your own popcorn in a plain brown paper

bag. Much healthier and cheaper than the packet

stuff.

Install a tension rod to hang your spray bottles.

Turn your muffin pan upside down, bake cookie-dough

over the top and voila, you have cookie bowls for fruit

or ice-cream.

Freeze Aloe Vera in ice-cube trays for soothing

sunburn relief.

Create a window-box veggie patch using guttering.

Use egg cartons to separate and store your

Christmas decorations.

Pretty cool, huh?

"Inspired" Printable Art

2012-01-17T05:01:00.000-08:00

I was asked by a reader the other day how I decided which verses we wanted to memorize for our memory work. My response to her was that I jot down verses I hear during sermons that stick out to me. I have a little journal I take to church with me to write down notes from the sermons. If the verse strikes a chord, then I write down the entire verse.

1 Thessalonians 5:14-18 is a passage that I have been turning to regularly here lately, and I wanted to share it with you all as well.

This passage is taken from the New Living Translation:

¹⁴ Brothers and sisters, we urge you to warn those who are lazy. Encourage those who are timid. Take tender care of those who are weak. Be patient with everyone.

¹⁵ See that no one pays back evil for evil, but always try to do good to each other and to all people.

¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Last year, I made some Subway Art using the "Fruits of the Spirit". My little ole blog at the time got about 150 hits a day...the day I posted that subway art, I had over 1,000 hits. Doesn't that say something about the power of a few "inspired" words?

Today I am sharing another printable using the key words taken from the passage in 1 Thessalonians.

The words aren't exactly in the order they are in the verses, but the meaning is unchanged. I wanted them to be in the shape of a cross, hence the old switcheroo.

I changed the colors around as well, so hopefully you can find one that will match your decor. Just click on the words below the pictures, and download.

Enjoy!

GREEN PINK

BLUE RED

Little Dusters

2012-01-16T09:36:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I stayed home from services because S.R. was sick with a cold. We had our own little Bible class and discussed this week's memory verse. I printed out one of the coloring sheets that I linked back to, and then I decided we also needed a craft.

I read her the story of Dorcas, found in Acts 9. We talked about how Dorcas was a helper and what it means for us to be helpers.

For our "helper" craft, I made these little dusting mitts out of felt, and let her decorate them with googly eyes and yarn.

I had her lay her hand on a folded sheet of felt. I used her hand as the template and just traced around it. I cut around the lines, and then stitched the two pieces together, leaving the hole at the bottom. We made one for E as well, so he wouldn't feel left out:o)

E decided he wanted to be a helper this morning, and dusted a little for me. Isn't he a sweetie?

This was a super simple and fast craft for the kids and they have really enjoyed using their dusting mitts...and I have enjoyed them as well...makes for a cleaner house;o)

If you would like to make these, and don't have a sewing machine, using tacky glue or fabric glue should do the trick as well.

Words That Really Matter

2012-01-15T06:50:00.000-08:00

"But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices, God is well pleased." Heb. 13:16

We are doing weekly Bible memory verses with the kids. I can't tell you how sweet it is to hear them recite God's own words. Last week we worked on Matt. 6:33. By Tuesday, they had it memorized. S.R. would recite it and leave out the "Matthew" part and just finish with "Six-Furty-Free." So precious.

I hope this week's verse will help get your week started out right.
Here are a few links to some coloring pages if you want to share this verse with your little ones:
Little Girls Sharing a Bear
Little Boy & Girl Sharing a Shake
Two Mice Sharing a Piece of Cheese

Happy Lord's Day!

Easy T-Shirt Headband

2012-01-14T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have been scanning Pinterest these past few days just because I can't seem to do anything else. It is beyond addicting..I need help!

While perusing the pins, I came across THIS post where Mandy from Sugar Bee Crafts shares a T-shirt headband she made....obviously I had to make one for myself...hers looks a lot better then mine because my t-shirt was LAME-O and isn't 100% real t-shirt material....but it did the trick.

You can find the link to the full tutorial on her blog.

I will definitely be making more of these...the hubs may end up loosing a few tees in the very near future;o)

This Just PInned

2012-01-11T15:56:00.000-08:00

Source: mcquote.blogspot.com via Taylor on Pinterest

Little of This, and a Little of That

2012-01-10T14:18:00.000-08:00

I am finally back to normal again...well normal for me, that is:o) What a doozy that virus was! Phew!

Anyway, with this new found energy, I have been Mrs. Domesticate for the past few days. I have been cleaning, organizing, meal planning and party planning. The hubs has walked out of the house with a warm meal in his belly and a packed lunch for the past two mornings..oh yeah, he's getting spoiled...I better quit while I am ahead;o) Juust kidding:o)

I have been in the mood to redecorate something, anything really. However, we are still working on the backyard, so I am having to channel all of my DIY energy into the Wizard of Oz party I am planning for S.R.

By the way, she calls it the "Lizard of Oz"...LOVE IT!

For this party, I have been instructed that I will stick to a budget...a much smaller sum than what I have spent on previous parties...OUCH!

I fully intend to stick to this budget, and I will possibly even share what that budget is and a break down of what I spent with you all..

I am having to get extra creative when it comes to decorations and party favors since we had the "party-budget talk."

I wanted to share a few things that I have picked up within the last few days.

You can't even imagine how excited I was to find these little ballet slippers at Walmart in the After-Christmas discount toy section. I had to go to 4 different Walmarts to get the 6 pairs I needed.

These favors have been the most expensive purchase so far at $4 a pair...not bad, huh...actually I got one pair for $3...I am not exactly sure why, but hey, I'll take it:o)

One of the real surprises about these shoes is that they have a little opening in the back, so hopefully everyone will be able to fit their little piggies inside:o)

These little pups are the stand-ins for Toto. I can't seem to find a cute little black dog anywhere that is affordable, so these will do just fine. I found these little cuties at the Dollar Tree. I had to dig to find 6, but I only had to hit up one Dollar Tree store for these:o)

The blue and white gingham fabric was a Walmart purchase. It is $2.72/yard at the one I frequent the most. I purchased 3 1/2 yards, and I am going to be making all of the girls aprons. I found a child's apron on sale at Kohl's the other day for $3, and I am going to use it as my template.

I hope to have a full tutorial on that when they are completed.

I have a few other things, but they aren't anything to get worked up about...yet;o)

I hope you all are having a great start to the week.

I need to get off of here, so I can continue my duties as Mrs. Domesticate, and clean up the mess I made making peanut butter chocolate cupcakes before the hubs gets home:o)

Words That Really Matter

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite songs.

Have a joyous Lord's Day!

Wizard of Oz Party Inspiration

2012-01-04T14:19:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful New Year. I am still trying to recover from it...literally. The hubs and I had a horrendous stomach bug, and I am still not the same...anyway, enough about those unpleasant thoughts.

Here is what I have been filling my down time with..planning S.R.'s birthday party (which will be in March). For all the links to these pictures, you can go to my Pinterest Board for that info.

Our Christmas Card to You

2011-12-21T06:20:00.000-08:00

I didn't get around to sending out Christmas cards this year...I just let time get away from me...& pure laziness settled in:o)

So this year, I sent out an electronic Christmas card version.

A few weeks ago I won My Memories digital scrap-booking software. I have been playing around with it and I have really enjoyed it. There are some really great templates to choose from.

This is the one I chose for our card.

The original version had our names where the tree is. I just swung over to Picnik and added the tree...for privacy purpose, ya know:o)

So anyway, we hope that you all have a wonderful Christmas! Hoping to see you all back here next week after the BIG day, and I will share some of the gifts I made.

Dining Table Set Up

2011-12-19T11:57:00.000-08:00

Saturday's Holiday Walk was a success. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves, and they were very kind in their remarks on our house.

Since we had so many coming through the house, I finally mustered up enough motivation to set the dining table. This is what I came up with.

We have a fun week ahead of us. Lots of gift and cookie making going on here. I won't be sharing any of the gifts until after Christmas though:o)

Have a great Monday!

2011-12-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

I decided to take a break from the crazy cleaning frenzy that I am in the middle of. We are on the Holiday house tour for our neighborhood tomorrow...YIKES!...and the house still needs lots of work.

I really wanted to share what I made yesterday with all of you.

I made these cookies to give as gifts. They are melted snowman cookies & they WERE delicious..."were" meaning there are NONE left:o)

The hubs took some to work and said they were a big hit.

For instructions and recipes, visit Crazy Domestic for all the details.

Fun Video for Kids

2011-12-14T12:13:00.000-08:00

For the past 3 years, my children have received a special email message from Santa.

It's a personalized video that directly addresses your child.

If you follow the link below the picture, you will be taken to the site where you can personalize your message.

Portable North Pole.
The message is the same for everyone, so I let each of my children watch it by themselves, so as not to spoil "the good news" for the other.

My kids absolutely love it, and they don't really remember seeing it from the year before. They do change things up from year to year, though. If you are into this sort of thing, definitely try it out. You will be amazed at how your child's face will light up.

This Just Pinned

2011-12-13T08:33:00.001-08:00

Source: picsauce.com via Marina on Pinterest

Ballard Knock Off-Corday Accordian Drying Rack

2011-12-12T06:46:00.000-08:00

Happy Monday morning to you all! I trust that you all have almost wrapped things up with your Christmas shopping, and are completely relaxed and ready for the big holiday approaching...HA! Funny, right?:o)

Anyway, as promised, I am sharing my Ballard Designs knock off that has been hanging on my wall for months.

There is NO tutorial on this. Sorry girls.

I found this drying rack at a yard sale last summer for $5...not in it's current state, mind you.

And I apologize that I do not have a before picture.

It is made of pine and at one time was probably part of a home filled with country blues and pinks that we all loved so dearly....20 years ago.

When I saw the Accordian Drying rack from Ballard, I kept trying to figure out how in the world I could get the hubs to construct it for less. It just seemed like too much work, but I knew that I wouldn't be forking over the $199-$269 that they cost.

So I just resigned myself to the fact that I would never have one.

Photo Credit

You can only imagine my excitement when I came across the drying rack for 5 bucks! We already had bead board and hooks on hand.

I took the shelf apart and the hubs used his jig saw and cut bead board to fit the back of the shelf. I spray painted the whole thing, and then he added the hooks.

I am so glad that I found this piece and it has been perfect for air drying the kids clothes and a few of mine.

So for now, the laundry room is finished. Someday we plan to put up bead board on the walls...another project for another year:o)

Thanks for stopping by today!

Participating in:

My Home for the Holidays-Home Tour

2011-12-10T13:32:00.000-08:00

I hope that you all are having a great day. I have finally gotten around to taking pictures of my Christmas decorations. About time, right?:o)

I have added a few new things, but most of the decorations are the same as last year.

Here is our mantle.

The headboard above our mantle and the sheet music wreath are two of my favorite items in the whole house. Me loves them!;o)

The "Merry" pennant banner was made from painters canvas, twine, stencils & black fabric paint. I have two more hanging in the house as well.

I added a few more paper wreath ornaments to the tree this year. They were left over from my craft booth. I was actually kind of glad I had so many left over. I love how they look on my tree.

I finally got our family pictures in some frames. I still have 6 more that need to be framed..ahh!

This picture is awful, but there is no natural light in this area during the winter months. Anyway, you get the general idea:o)

I got E a new tree this year. I noticed last year that none of his black ornaments could be seen on the dark green tree, so this year I opted for white, and I think it's perfect for his "Star Wars" themed tree.

"Come to the Dark Side"

He LOVES his tree, and it's helping us to slowly transition into a Star Wars bedroom. I have a few ideas for his room, but those will have to wait until after the new year.

We put a bigger tree in S.R.'s room this year. The ornaments are the same, so there isn't much to report about this one...other than it's super girly and has little Barbies all over, which she had a fit over:o)

Did you notice Cinderella on the wall? I don't think I showed you all the "after" when I had her framed. She was an early Christmas present...I couldn't wait to get it on the wall.

Our dining room...I decided to have less fuss in here...more because I am just lazy now:o) Our neighborhood Holiday walk is next week, so the table will more than likely get a sprucing up before then.

I don't think I have shared this new piece with you all..or maybe I have..who knows! Anyway, this hall tree sits at the entrance of the office. It was given to me and I LOVE it. Accept when I smash my knee into it in the middle of the night..OUCH! The hubs has "run" into the same problem;o)

I hung the kids special stockings on here. These particular stockings hold their letters to Santa...then Santa's elf comes to get the letters and hand delivers them to Santa.

The kids love this little tradition.

And last but not least, the master bedroom tree.

I found this tree on a Facebook yardsale page a few weeks back..9 feet and pre-lit for $80. The seller actually turned out to be one of my clients..ha!

I have one more tree upstairs, but it's nothing to write home about.

I hope that you all have enjoyed a glimpse into my home for the holidays. Maybe you found a little inspiration for your own home.

Have a great weekend!

I will have a Ballard Designs Knock Off to share with you all on Monday. See you then!

Participating in:

A Christmas Tree Party

My Home for the Holidays-Cute Hand Towel

2011-12-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. We(mostly the hubs) have been busy out in the yard moving dirt, bushes and mulch. It is looking so good in our backyard. I can't wait to show you how it looks:o)

I found a really cute hand towel a few weeks ago made by Mud Pie. The price was really good, but I knew it was something that I could make. I couldn't find their version online, but mine is pretty similar.

The towel was made from an old shower curtain I found at a thrift store back during the summer. I also had the ribbon on hand. I didn't have enough to alternate the colors evenly, but I think it still turned out pretty cute:o)

I just cut 28 strips of ribbon at 3" long. (I think the width of the ribbon is 3/4".) I started at the bottom row with seven strips of ribbon folded in half and stitched them to the towel..the next row 6..and so on.

Just a little side note...if you plan to make this towel, make sure you put your ribbon on at an angle to make the tree form...I made the mistake of putting it on straight up and down and it was totally wrong:o)

A quick and easy...and very festive hand towel for our half bath.

Participating Here

My Home for the Holidays-Santa Hat Tree Topper Tutorial

2011-11-30T09:41:00.000-08:00

One more day until December! Then the festivities will begin in this household! I am having a girls night in tomorrow night where we will be doing two different crafts and just hanging out. I can't wait!

I have been trying to put a few finishing touches on the house before tomorrow. I thought I would put a houndstooth hat on top of the hub's tree in the office, but being the cheap-o that I am, I decided to make a topper.The hubs suggested I make a Santa hat. Such a smarty he is:o)

So that's what I did.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to make your own Santa hat.

Start out with your choice of fabric for the body, fuzzy fabric for the pouf at the end and for the trim around the rim of the hat, and a Styrofoam ball.

I had to add these pics in here...Scosche was spazzing while I was cutting the fabric...do you think he got weirded out over the fuzzy fabric:o)

Isn't he such a sweetie?

Back to business:o)

I folded the fabric in half and cut at an angle. The base of my hat is 20".

The length is 16.25". There was no rhyme or reason for those measurements...that's just how I ended up cutting it...just a side note. I didn't cut the top into a point. I cut it with a blunt edge. There needs to be room at the top to slide the fabric covering the ball into.

Next lay your foam ball in the center of the fluffy fabric.

Wrap fabric around ball, like so...and cut, making sure to leave enough fabric to hold onto.

For the hat, put right sides of fabric together and stitch a 1/2" seam. Leave the end open so that the fluffy fabric with the ball inside will have a place to go.

Tie the fabric off really tight that is holding the ball and slide it through the top of the hat. Using a really tough upholstery needle, stitch the pouf(fluffy ball) to the top of the hat.

There will be excess fabric, so trim that off.

Like this.

This particular fabric doesn't fray, which is fantastic because there is no need for hemming! For the brim of the hat, I cut a 3" wide strip of fluffy fabric.. You will need to measure the brim of your hat to make sure of the exact length...making sure to add enough for a seam allowance.

Stitch the ends of the fluffy strip together.

Then stitch the band around the edge of the hat making sure that right sides are together.

And voila..you have your very own Santa hat tree topper.

Easy peasy:o)

I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday.

I look forward to sharing all the fun things we are doing for the month of December, so stay tuned!!!

Participating Here:

Christmas Count Down

2011-11-28T11:08:00.000-08:00

Here is a cute printable I found via Pinterest.

To print this cutie, go to Inviting Printables, and follow the link.

I am having Costco print mine out. I can't wait to get it. The kids are really going to enjoy adding "puffs" to Santa's beard!

Letters to Santa

2011-11-28T07:06:00.000-08:00

I am getting geared up for Christmas, are you? I have all the decorations up...except for one tree. That one will go up today, hopefully. I will be sharing my trees with you very soon.

I have been scouring the internet for fun ideas to celebrate with the kids. They keep talking about their Christmas lists, and what they want Santa to bring them. I googled Letter to Santa Template, and found some really cute printable letters to Santa. Here are just a few that I found.

To print these cute Santa letter, click the link below.

Free Printables

Have a great Cyber Monday...have you found any great deals?

Our Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T18:53:00.000-08:00

I hope you all are having a great Thanksgiving weekend. We just got back from our trip to Fall Creek Falls with my family. We had a fantastic time! Here are a few pictures from our adventures.

This particular waterfall is called Piney Falls. This was the first time that we had ventured out to this waterfall...and we took the kids with us...crazy, I know:o)

Beautiful, isn't it?

Here is the view from across the gorge.

A certain little man was trying to talk his daddy into letting him go down the water fall in a boat...but a soft boat because that would make it more safe:o)

Here, his daddy(the hubs) is trying to explain how gravity and force work together when water is involved.

Daddy isn't impressed with this 5 year old's logic...don't you love how his hands are behind his back? Such a little man:o)

In this particular picture the 5 year old...E...says"Well, what about the fish?" The hubs' response,"The fish are smart enough to stay away from the edge."

Here E is pouting because he can't take a soft boat over the edge of a 100 FOOT WATERFALL!!

Just so pitiful, isn't it? Mean ole daddy:o)

S.R...a.k.a. Little Miss Stinker Pants, is trying to sneak up to daddy to take a peak over the edge. I thought my brother and the hubs were going to have a heart attack..do you see the the stink in those eyes?:o)

I love this picture. Two peas in a pod!

I have the most awesomest family!!!

Here is the treacherous terrain we climbed through..at times the kids were riding our backs through this forest.

Oh and here is Flower the duck..E named it...not sure what the gender of the duck is:o) But that doesn't matter when a 5 and 3 year old are involved.

We had a great time this weekend. It was so nice to slow down and just be surrounded by family. I truly enjoyed my family this weekend, and realized yet again, what a blessed girl I am!

I hope you all enjoyed your blessings this weekend as much as I did.

What do you do when you don't have an egg?

2011-11-19T14:37:00.000-08:00

You find a substitute!!

I went to Target today for clothes and food....and for some strange reason, there were absolutely no eggs...strange, I know. Tonight we are having Cheesy Potato soup and I wanted some Jiffy cornbread to go with...but I have no eggs. I did a google search and came across these substitutes. I thought I would share them with you all just in case you ever get caught without an egg:o)

Egg Substitutions:

1 egg = 2 tablespoons liquid + 2 tablespoons flour + ½ tablespoon shortening + ½ teaspoon baking powder (Recipe from Substituting Ingredients by Becky Sue Epstein and Hilary Dole Klein. See my sources. Add one or two drops of yellow food coloring if desired.)

OR egg substitute (Substitute 1/4 cup egg substitute for each egg. Using egg substitute in place of eggs tends to make baked goods rubbery, because egg substitute has no fat. To improve the product's texture, add one teaspoon of canola oil for each egg replaced. Egg substitute can't be whipped and is much more expensive than regular eggs. It doesn't work well in cheesecakes. For more information, visit the Illinois Cooperative Extension Service's Egg Substitutes page; for a recipe, visit its Homemade Egg Substitute page)

OR egg whites (Substitute 2 egg whites for each whole egg. This substitution may make baked goods less tender. To compensate, try adding 1 teaspoon of oil per egg called for in recipe.)

OR flaxmeal (Make flaxmeal by grinding flaxseed in a blender until it has the consistency of cornmeal. Use two tablespoons flaxmeal plus 1/8 teaspoon baking powder plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe.

OR egg yolks (Higher in fat, but increasing the egg yolks in a baked good often makes it moister and more flavorful.)

OR gelatin (To replace each egg: Dissolve 1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin in 1 tablespoon cold water, then add 2 tablespoons boiling water. Beat vigorously until frothy.)

OR cornstarch (Substitute 1 tablespoon cornstarch plus 3 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe.

OR mayonnaise (Substitute 3 tablespoons mayonnaise for each egg called for in recipe.)

OR Ener-G Egg Replacer (Substitute 1 1/2 teaspoons Egg Replacer plus 2 tablespoons water for each egg called for in recipe.)

OR bananas (Substitute 1/2 of a mashed ripe banana plus 1/4 teaspoon baking powder for each egg.)

OR silken tofu (Substitute 1/4 cup tofu for each egg.)

OR fruit-based fat substitutes (Substitute 2 tablespoons fat substitute for each egg in recipe.)

Source(s):

foodsubs.com

Chocolate Frosting Recipe

2011-11-17T12:12:00.002-08:00

I have been in the baked goods mood again:o) But thankfully I didn't have to bake anything this time because I had some cupcakes in the freezer. I decided that I was in desperate need of chocolate on my cupcakes, and thankfully I had the ingredients in my pantry to make some homemade icing.

This recipe came off of the back of my Hershey's Cocoa box. It's called "Perfectly" chocolate frosting...or something like that:o)

1/2 cup butter(1 stick)

2/3 cup cocoa

3 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

This recipe truly is "perfect!"

View That Holy City

2011-11-16T19:19:00.000-08:00

Here is one of my favorite songs from our song book. It makes you wanna hop up out of your seat while singing it:o)

Now this version makes you want to jump out in the aisle and get crazy...this version is the more spirited version...I LIKE it;o)

We have been under the weather this week with a bug, so I haven't really been in the mood for crafting. We are well now, but I am swamped with hair stylist duties..I have a teacher gift in my head and I am looking forward to creating and sharing it with you all. I am hoping to get that done this weekend.
As far as the Christmas tree update...I now have 3 trees up..only 2 of which are decorated...4 more to go..yes, I know...sick;o)

Family Photos

2011-11-11T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share our family photos that we had made. I hope you all have a great weekend! See you next week!

Christmas Card Holder

2011-11-10T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here is a fun craft I did a few weeks ago. I found a large frame at a yard sale for $5. I had no idea what I was going to do with it, but it had previously been a $60 frame from Hobby Lobby, and I couldn't pass on this cheapy:o) I used Krylon's Avocado spray paint to give it a new finish..and then I drew a creative blank. It sat in the garage for several days before I came up with the idea to make it a photo display.

I went to Walmart to get the burlap webbing..it was really inexpensive..I think I paid 60 cents a yard for it.

I used a staple gun to attach the ends to the lip of the inside of the frame, and starting weaving. It was really easy.

The original intent was just to put regular pictures on it, but when I got done, I knew that displaying Christmas cards on this beauty would be the perfect use for it .

The extra large paper clips are also a Walmart purchase. You can find them in the office supplies section.

The office was the right spot for this photo holder because it is one of the few rooms in the house that is decorated in red for Christmas.

I have most of the decorations up in the office. There are a few final touches that I want to add before showing off the finished room. I'm on the hunt for a hounds tooth hat..an inexpensive one, that is:o)

Tomorrow the kids go for their pictures with Santa...they think that they are just having Christmas pictures taken..the photographer wanted them to be surprised, so that she could catch their reaction..I can't wait!! I am also getting our family pictures back tomorrow, so I hope to share them with you all as well!

Participating in these parties:

Craft Room Clean Up and Holiday Decorating

2011-11-09T08:01:00.000-08:00

Are you all getting into the holiday spirit yet? I am trying my very best not to skip over Thanksgiving:o) I started doing some fall crafts with the kids yesterday, and they loved it. Today we are going to work on something involving a turkey..not sure exactly what that will be, though:o)

Anyway, I have been wanting to clean out all of our closets for several weeks. Definitely BEFORE the holiday season arrived, but I haven't had the time to do it. I finally buckled down on Monday and cleaned 5 closets out..including my craft room/closet...

it's original intention was to be a closet, but there was so much space, that I decided to turn it into my craft room

It took me 4 hours to go through all of my crafty stuff. 3 garbage bags full of trash, and 2 garbage bags full of unwanted fabric later, I was finally pleased with what I had accomplished.

Now mind you, this is a small space with A LOT of stuff in it, so it doesn't look nearly as awesome to you as it does to me:o)

Everything is organized and has it's place. It would look a lot prettier if I had matching bins in all of the little cubby holes...that's a project for another day. But I LIKE it! Everything is within arms reach.

The hubs and I put this little shelf together. It was given to me by a friend of the family. In it's previous state, it was pine colored with the back out...there were also some hearts cut out on the top. I removed the plank with the hearts, the hubs cut a piece of beadboard for me and attached it to the back...with a couple of coats of spray paint, I had a great shelf to put my paints on.

I have the shelf tucked away in the corner, to keep it out of sight from my little ones...there was a MAJOR incident involving red paint and the upstairs carpet of which I do not want to discuss as of right now..grr:o{

On to holiday talk..

The homemakers club is having their Holiday Bonanza this weekend. Each club is in charge of providing a center piece for the tables. Because our club is co-hosting the event, we had to provide 2.

I was given the task to create the center pieces for our club.

I wish that I could hold onto these. I really like how they turned out!

It makes me what to start decorating for Christmas:o)

Speaking of holiday decorating...I have one tree up so far...I plan to start decorating it today. I have 7 trees in my house, and it takes forever to get them up... ridiculous, I know. But it's so much fun!!

Have a great Wednesday, ya'll!

Surviving the Craft Fair

2011-11-01T14:59:00.000-07:00

I am sorry for the lack of postings these past few weeks. I was swamped with craft fair happenings, and trying to get a booth together. I am kind of in a lull right now, and it's weird...I feel like I should be doing something, but there isn't anything really to do...so I am trying to take this time and rest a bit:o) Breathe a little..

So anyway, last Saturday our little homemaker group hosted hopefully the first of many craft fairs. I decided I wanted to have a booth. This is what mine looked like....more like an antique booth instead of a craft fair booth...lesson learned:o) I didn't sell a whole lot, which stunk, but I got to see so many people I haven't seen in quite some time, and that was the best part of the entire day.

Here is one of my fellow homemakers...we didn't have the matching blue homemaker shirts, so we were the odd balls with our black on:o)

This is one of the pieces of furniture I painted for the craft fair.

It started out like this...minus the fleur de lis in the center. I found a pattern online, and printed it out on some left over vinyl. I carefully cut it out and applied it to the table. I used Krylon's Avocado.

I really liked how it turned out.

Notice that beautiful stone patio underneath the table? We are one step closer to making the back yard beautimous:o)

The table didn't sell in the craft fair, so if anyone is interested in it, just shoot me an email!!

Hoping to share some more of my recent crafts in the very near future!

Participating in these parties:

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T17:23:00.000-07:00

Wishing you all a Happy Halloween!

Hoping to share a few things with you all very soon. We are still trying to get back to normal after the craft fair:o)

This Just Pinned

2011-10-18T14:15:00.001-07:00

Source: momsbyheart.net via Marina on Pinterest

Afternoon Snack

2011-10-18T14:03:00.000-07:00

I made the kiddos some cookies this afternoon. Huge hit:o)

For some reason I have been in the baking mood. I have made a peach cobbler and chocolate oatmeal cookies in the past week too.

Could it be that I am a stress eater and I am freaked out about this craft fair?

maybe:o)

Anyway, I found a great cookie & icing recipe over at Girl Inspired today. The cookies were really really tasty...yes, were..not are...just kidding. I left a few for the hubs;o) I froze ~~less than~~ half of them for another day:o)

I hope that you all are having a great Tuesday. Mine would be slightly better if the cleaning fairy would show up;o)

This Just Pinned

2011-10-17T06:39:00.001-07:00

Source: allposters.com via Marina on Pinterest

Source: stumbleupon.com via Marina on Pinterest

Source: themodernparent.net via Marina on Pinterest

First Item for Craft Fair Completed

2011-10-14T15:16:00.000-07:00

These pictures are terrible..I should have taken them while the sun was still on this side of the house, but I am too excited about finally completing an item for the craft fair....that's in TWO WEEKS!

The rocking chair was given to me by some dear friends. It was a cherry color before I had my way with it.. The seat cushion is covered in an antique grain sack, and the skirt is a ruffled painter's drop cloth.

This is when I should have taken the pictures...if only the rocking chair had been done then:o)

Isn't this aster bush amazing?

This bush is unbelievable. When I planted this last year, it looked like a dying twig...

see picture below.

Can you believe that is the same plant?!?

Beautiful!!

We have lovingly named it the "Mozzie" Bush. Mozzie was my great grandmother, and one of the sweetest women that graced the earth. This plant started in her garden, and has been passed along to several family members and friends...what a way to remember such a beautiful person!

Happenings....with very little motivation!!

2011-10-11T15:05:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been too much going on in the crafting realm...I have been tending to sick children (they're better now) and nursing a cold. There have been days where we were bored to tears, and days where boredom would have been welcomed.

The hubs has started working on redoing the back yard...it is going to be beautimous! I can't wait to see how it all turns out. He used a sod stripper the other day and pulled out a ton of grass. Here the little ones are helping daddy clean up.

Here is evidence of how I had wished for a boring day:o)

S.R. lopped off half of her hair which caused Mommy dearest to come out:o) I was one UN-happy camper. Thankfully the child was blessed with naturally curly hair, so the 2 inch long hair blends in with the rest. She went from this:

to this:

I had to cut 3 and 1/2 inches off the back of her hair....oh well...thankfully it grows back!! Oh yeah, this was also the same day when E locked the dog in the outdoor toy basket and we thought he was lost in the neighborhood...um, yeah, we were so glad when 8 p.m. rolled around:o)

In other news, our homemakers club is hosting a craft fair. I am going to have a booth. I am really lacking any motivation to get anything done for my booth. I have been focusing mainly on advertising...

I have started on a few things, though.

Hymnal wreaths are in the works.

I also have some signs and chalkboards that I am working on.

Small furniture and some shelving will be added in too...I am kind of making things up as I go along:o)For those of you in the area, we would love for you to show some love and attend...check out the homemakers' blog, HERE, for more information.

Sew Much Fun

2011-10-06T06:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was a short order seamstress. The kids are on fall break right now. So I decided that they could tell me what they wanted me to make them, and I would make it right then and there....they loved it!

E got a pirate hat and pretend watch, and S.R. got a princess cape and mask.

While they were napping, I made S.R. this Halloween shirt.

This time of year is the only time that it is appropriate to wear such ghastly colors all at once:o)

For those of you who are from my hometown...S.R. will be donning her new "Boo" shirt at a certain high school athletic event involving a white ball and net tonight:o) Maybe we will see you there!!

While we are on the subject of shirts...I made this one for S.R. a few weeks back for our family pictures.

The picture taking process was excruciating. There was a melt down, and then funny faces, hands in the mouth, tempers flaring, etc...but we all looked cute:o) The pictures turned out fantastic, and I can't wait to share them with you all.

Anywhoodles, back to the shirt..I really wanted to do a peek-a-boo shirt for her. I think they are so sweet and I had never made anything like this before...

I am really happy with the results.

Yes, I am completely aware that this shirt is in desperate need of an iron, but laziness has overcome me at this point:o)

So what have you been sewing these days?

Have you tried out a new pattern?

New Ottoman

2011-09-28T12:04:00.000-07:00

So I totally fibbed yesterday:o) I said that the creative bug wasn't there. I said that I might pick something up next week....well next week turned into today:o)

This is what I did today.

In the words of my dear grandmother, "itn't that purdy."

Being from the South, most of us say itn't instead of isn't..sad but true:o)

Anyway, this is what the ottoman looked like before:

Yep, that's a coffee table. One that has seen better days. My neighbor is an avid yard saler as well, and I told her that I was on the hunt for a round coffee table to turn into an ottoman. She definitely came through for me. She found this little beaut for $10.

I couldn't find anywhere in town that had foam thick enough and wide enough to cover the entire coffee table, so I bought 4 foam cushions from Hobby Lobby. I used spray adhesive to attach the cushions to one another and then laid the coffee table on top of the foam and traced around the edge of the table. Then the hubs and I used a reciprocating saw and cut the foam.

I didn't take any pictures of the step by step process..sorry. I was so excited about getting a project done, that I just flew through it without a second thought.

The fabric is painter's canvas from Lowes. I did use some piping around the edge just to give it a more finished look.

This ottoman has 5,003 staples in it....well I am not exactly sure how many staples to be exact, but there are several:o) I laid the fabric across the top of the foam and stapled it to the skirt of the coffee table(the wooden skirt that is). I then added the piping..stapling it to the underside of the top of the table. Then I added the ruffled skirt, stapling it to the underside of the top of the table as well.

This project took 1 hour to complete, with very little sewing and a whole lot of stapling.

How successful do you think I will be keeping the kids and the hubs off of it??? My thoughts EXACTLY!

At least we can all look back at these pictures and see what she looked like before being introduced to the rest of the family:o)

I hope you all have a great Wednesday!

Participating in:

Featured at:

A Cookie Recipe You Must Try

2011-09-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine made these cookies the other day.

She found the recipe HERE.

I ate 4 in the span of 30 minutes....yes, they are that good!

These are perfect for fall. I can't wait to make these for my next gathering! Now all we need is for the fall weather to come back...it's hot again, but that's part of the beauty/ugly (depending on how you look at it) of living in the deep South:o)

Speaking of weather, I have a little man who is under the weather right now, so things around here are slow going.

Not much in the crafting arena right now either. I haven't had the energy nor the desire. I am hoping to get the crafting bug after this week. We have so much going on this week that there really isn't time to be creative.

Praying for E to feel better, so he can enjoy the rest of the week with us!

Have a good evening, ya'll.

E's 5 Today!

2011-09-21T07:40:00.000-07:00

Five years ago today, this little bit of joy blessed our lives immensely.

I can't believe how quickly these past 5 years have flown by.

He is the sweetest, kindest little soul.

You can't help but love him.

Little did we know that when God gave us him, He gave us a little peace of heaven.

Happy Birthday E!

Mommy, Daddy & S.R. love you!

Thought this was Great!

2011-09-19T16:58:00.000-07:00

I saw this on Pinterest today and thought it was great! Yes, I jumped on the bandwagon...I may be jumping ship though, b/c I may never get off of the computer!!

Super Hero Birthday Party

2011-09-19T05:53:00.001-07:00

Here it is. The Super Hero Birthday party for E. I'll try to let the pictures do most of the talking:o)

I made the cake...in a hurry. I wasn't as happy with this one as I was with the Barbie cake I made for S.R.'s party.

Table scape for the boys.

Table for the girls.

A shot through the web.

Party favor table

Each of the boys got to take home a lunch box, plate & cup(not pictured) along with a book & Spiderman comic book.

This is what was inside of the lunch box. I found these in the dollar section at Target the other day and they were half off.

Construction of the Bat Cave. The hubs and my daddy did a great job.

Fishing line, tacks and black plastic table cloths made the Bat Cave. The kids got a kick out of it. We had the lights off when they walked through it.

Here were some of the games. To get the posters, visit designergirl007 at Etsy.

Here were some of our villains...Doc Oc

Lex Luthor...for some reason I thought his name was Max Luther and I couldn't find a picture of him:o) Go figure!

and the Joker

A little pre-party fun with my sis.

Here's the arrival of Batman....HUGE hit!

Back to the games....vaporize the villains was the favorite game of the day.

The villains didn't make it:o)

Once the Super Hero Academy was over, Batman signed certificates and handed them out to each of the new Super Heroes.

He also gave everyone a Bat-a-rang.

I'd say this was one happy little man!

Participating in:

Featured:

The Hubs Birthday

2011-09-18T12:42:00.000-07:00

I have a few minutes to kill right now. I have to be at a baby shower in about 30 minutes but I am waiting on some blondies to bake...so I thought I would share the hubs little birthday celebration we had for him on Thursday. He turned 37 this year. He feels so old:o) I thought it would cheer him up to have a little family party with all of his favorite things.

The kids colored this sign for him and I put it on the front door to greet him when he got home.

Here was the goody table. We didn't actually have super that night:o)

Just junk

He really likes spicy things...I added a few snacks that the kids could tolerate:o)

I made the party hats at the last minute. I have a Superman cricut cartridge and it had a party hat design. Super quick. I just drew 37's on all of them.

Here they are eating bacon...who doesn't love bacon??

I love this shot!

This was his "cake." Since I knew we were going to be loaded down on cake with E's party, I thought I would get a little creative with this one. Hubs LOVES Krispy Kreme donuts. I bought a dozen of the chocolate glazed...only 10 made it home;o) I stacked them in a pyramid shape. I then added scoops of Moose Tracks ice cream in the center of each donut and then poured magic shell on top of that....3 of his most favorite things to eat:o)

Here he his blowing out 1 candle...I thought I would be sweet and not torture him with an extra 36 candles:o)

The donut cake seemed to be a hit with everyone!

S.R. is known for her crazy looks....

every once and a while we get some cheese:o)

Love these sweet faces!

I'd say this isn't such a bad way to turn 37, do you?

What a Party!

2011-09-17T13:32:00.000-07:00

We had a great time and are so thankful for those who helped us celebrate E's birthday. I can't wait to share it all with you on Monday....have a great weekend!!

What I Can't Wait For....

2011-09-14T05:28:00.000-07:00

I can't wait for...

our first REAL family pictures which will be taken on Friday. I am normally the one taking the family pics. It will be nice to have some one else do the hard work:o)

I can't wait for....

the chance to take a breath, sit down and peruse the pages of these 2 catalogs.

I can't wait for...

the celebration to begin. I am looking forward to watching E and his little buddies have a great time at his party. It's going to be so much fun!

I will be M.I.A. for the rest of the week. Hopefully I will see you back here Monday with some photos of the party!

Getting Ready for E's Super hero party

2011-09-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

I am in the beginning stages of decorating for E's Super Hero Party. Blue, red, black and yellow are slowly creeping into my home decor. E knows that the day is nearing, and he can hardly stand it. Every morning he asks the same question...am I five years old yet? Can you tell he is beyond excited:o)

Things are going to be nuts around here next week. I learned from doing S.R.'s party that decorating a week in advance really takes the pressure off right before the big day. Plus, the kids get to enjoy the awesome birthday decor for longer than a couple of hours.

The poster isn't finished yet. I am trying to decide whether to put an E in the middle with the Super Shield, or do the number 5.

I am thinking about selling it after the party, so that makes me want to lean towards the 5.

Any thoughts?

I am still trying to figure out what to do with these lanterns. I got them from a yard sale a few years back. They are Pottery Barn and they came with a string of lights to go inside each lantern. They may be hanging from the chandy in the kitchen...who knows:o)

Here is the Batman table runner I told you guys about the other day. It was really simple to assemble and I have the pattern for you to download HERE if you are interested.

All you need is 1 yard of 44" fabric.

Cut 2 strips 10.5" x 36" Use the pattern on the ends of the strips.

Download Here

Stitch all the way around using a 1/4" seam allowance and leave an opening. Trim corners and curves, flip right side out, press, and sew a running stitch around the perimeter. Very easy!

You can get 2 runners out of 1 yard.

Alright then....

and this will be the food table.

I have several more decorations to put up including some over sized spider webs. They are actually Halloween decorations, but they fit perfectly since Spiderman is one of the super heroes.

In other news...look what the hubs got me yesterday. Isn't he a sweety?

Oh yeah, I ran 3 miles this morning...wahoo...first time in like 12 years! I have been running with some friends. We(the hubs and I)are too cheap to pay a gym membership:o)

Happy Thursday!!

Quilling Project Finished!

2011-08-31T14:58:00.000-07:00

It's DONE!!! I am so glad to have one of my Cultural Arts entries finished:o) Remember the other day when I gave you a sneak peek and asked you to guess what I was making? One of you smarty-pants, and I'm not naming names;o) said it was a Smurf....well I would have to agree that it is the same color scheme as the Smurfs.....but, um, NO..it's not a Smurf:o)

Would you have ever guessed that this Smurf-looking thing,

would have been this?

Definitely NOT Smurfette;o) On the way home from Orlando I decided that S.R. needed a quilled Cinderella...don't ask why:o)

Anywhoodles, I used this picture of Cinderella as my guide.

Me likey:o) And so does S.R.!!

Now I need to get it framed so that it doesn't come apart. Poor S.R. won't see this again until Christmas morning.

Participating in:

This has been featured at:

Travel Pillow

2011-08-30T13:50:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a great weekend. Things around here are slightly less than crazy but truly bordering insanity;o) I have been busy with projects and being a homemaker:o) My best bud from high school sent me some pics the other day of a quick travel pillow idea she whipped up for her son. They had a long road trip ahead of them, so she needed something to keep her little man busy.

She hot glued a clipboard to a travel pillow.

Super simple!

I love that it opens up. Perfect for storing writing utensils and extra paper.

Nift-o nifty, eh?

She really needs to start her own crafty blog! She always has clever ideas...maybe we can talk her into it;o)

I hope to share a Batman Cape table runner with you guys within the next day or two. I just need to take the time to make pictures:o)

Happy Tuesday...what's left of it;o)

What I am Working on...

2011-08-26T08:37:00.000-07:00

Can you tell what this is?

Or what it will be?

I am trying my hand at quilling. I have been working on my entries for the Homemakers' Cultural Arts Fair scheduled for the end of September. Qulling is one of the categories.

On our way back from FL, I decided I would make S.R. a picture using the art of quilling. It is very time consuming, but it makes beautiful art....let's hope that my first attempt looks like what I want it to;o)

Have a great weekend!!!

Free-To-Me Crafts: Basket Weave Hair Bow Holder

2011-08-24T15:02:00.000-07:00

The other day I saw the cutest tutorial on how to make a hair bow holder using ribbon and a picture frame. I thought that I had bookmarked it, but apparently not. I can't seem to find it anywhere. It was so cute!!

So I definitely cannot take credit for this idea...if any of you know who created it, let me know so I can do a link back, please!

Anyway, we were having an issue with S.R.'s hair bow holder. We were running out of room.

Here is what I made for her to fix the problem.

This project was of no cost to me. I had all of the materials on hand. A friend of mine gave me this picture frame a few months back. I am slowly becoming the person who everyone wants to give their junk to, and I secretly LOVE it!!! Hubs...not so much;o)

Any-whoodles, she was a sad little frame:o(

She needed some love, so I painted her with Krylon's Premium Silver Foil Metallic Spray Paint. It was the only full bottle of spray paint I had:o) I have a ton of ribbon my mother gave me, so I used coordinating ribbons and created a basket weave pattern and hot glued the ends just inside the lip of the frame where the glass usually rests.

This project took me 30 minutes to complete after painting, and was FREE! You really can't beat that:o)

Now we have more room for new hair bows!!

Participating in:

Mommy Chore Chart

2011-08-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

I have some new things to share with you all this week, but no pictures yet, so stay tuned to see what I have going on.

I have a presentation for Homemaker's Club on Tuesday...25 Ways to be a Cheaper Housekeeper. Sounds exciting, huh? Anyway, I like to have a little something to give to everyone to take home. I decided that I would make chore charts as hand outs for the girls. Most of them are grandmothers at this point, but I knew that a lot of you guys were still just mommies, so I made two different versions.

This is just a little way to break up the everyday cleaning that we do as keepers of our home. I know that I usually try to do everything in one day, and then I become crabby from pure exhaustion.

This is a tool to make things a little easier on us all.....who doesn't want that:o)

If you will notice, I gave you "The Lord's Day" off;o)

Click on the links below, to download your chore chart.

Mommy Chore Chart

Chore Chart 2

Hopefully this can ease the frustration of cleaning house!

Coupon Deals at Publix

2011-08-17T08:30:00.000-07:00

I headed out to Publix this morning after dropping my sweets off at school to score some deals.

I have been couponing for about 6 months now, and it has cut my grocery bill in half. It is so much work, but it has really helped out

These are my items I purchased:

2 packs of Chinet Napkins

2 Boxes of Uncle Ben's Rice

2 packs of Knorr Pasta Sides

4 packs of Seattle's Best coffee....this is the hubs favorite!!

1 Box of cake mix...for E's b-day party coming up in 4 weeks!

1 tub of icing

3 containers of Resolve Spray and Wash

And this was my total:

I was pretty stoked:o) I am not an extreme couponer, or the total would have been 63 cents:o) Those people have a sickness!!

Anyway, I attend church with a girl who has her own coupon website. It's called

She is always posting great deals, whether it be grocery stores or online sites. You should definitely swing by her way and check out what deals are going on. You can also sign up for emails which is a great way to stay up to date on sales. If you are a facebooker, show her some love & LIKE The Coupon Centsation Fan Page.

Have a great Wednesday...I am headed to the bonus room to de-clutter and take a bunch of toys to the local thrift store.

Guest Post- Back Pack Buddies

2011-08-16T04:38:00.000-07:00

Today we have guest poster, Deanna, from Just Deanna.

She is a mother of 4, and is always up to something crafty. Deanna is sharing with us how to make some cute backpack buddies.

Take it away Deanna!

Hello! I am Deanna of Just Deanna.

A little blog with sewing and crafting tutorials and lots of other miscellany.

Glad to be here visiting Crystal's great blog. :)

This summer I hosted a little craft club for my kids and their friends.

At our last one, for a fun back to school project, we made these fun backpack buddies with shrinky dink paper.

They are super simple to make and the kids seem to really love them.

You can use them as a key chain as well.

Supplies we used:
frosted shrinky dink paper,
colored pencils,
scissors,
and a hole punch.

For this project I printed up a bunch of fun characters and other shapes for them to use.

They traced around the picture and colored in with colored pencils.

You should color on the rough side of the paper.

You'll want the picture to be about the size of half a sheet of shrinky dink paper.

If little ones struggle with the paper shifting over their picture, just tape it down on the sides.

White pencil will show up once they are baked.

Next, cut around the picture leaving room around the picture.

If you cut around skinny parts, they break off easily.

Finally before baking punch a hole in the top.

Bake according to the directions in the package.

Once cooled, we used large jump rings to attach to the hole and then to a key ring.

Then we attached them to a zipper on their backpack.

Thanks for letting me guest on your blog, Crystal! :)

Thanks Deanna, for sharing such a fun back to school craft!

Make sure to show Deanna some love, and check out her great ideas!!

Vacay Pics....

2011-08-15T06:20:00.000-07:00

We have been M.I.A. for a week because we were vacationing in sunny Florida. We decided on a whim that we would drive down at night. That was the QUIETEST trip we have ever taken:o) We arrived around 10 a.m. and hit the beach. The hubs and I were completely zonked, but knew the kids wouldn't be able to wait to see the beach. This was the view from our balcony:

Not too bad, ehh?

Here are my sweets getting their piggies wet.

After 3 days on the beach, we headed to Orlando. We did a character dinner with Cinderella and Prince Charming.

Here is S.R. with one of her favorite princesses.

E was actually very excited about meeting Prince Charming.

S.R.....not so much:o)

Step sister #1

Step Sister #2

There were kids all around us who had these great looking cupcakes. We found out that they were for birthdays....they felt sorry for our little ones and let them have one to share....E's birthday is in a few weeks, so that's how they justified it:o)

We spent a day at Universal Studios. Here are the kids sporting their shirts that I made them. We had several ask if they were twins.

This is after lunch all tuckered out. It was soooooo hot that day. The hubs and I haven't sweat that much since we were college athletes:o) Did you spot the fans that I wrapped around the stroller bars? Dollar Tree....they were great for the kids, and the blades were made of foam.

Now this is funny.....E begged for a magic wand from Harry Potter land. Here he is showing off his new Dumbledore wand.

Here he is asking if it's okay to wave his new magic wand.

Here is the look of utter disappointment when he realizes that magic wands aren't real.

Here is the discussion of how magic is make-believe.

Thankfully he was completely okay after realizing magic is pretend. He loves his wand and has been "zapping" everything in sight. S.R. got a fluffy unicorn and takes it everywhere she goes.

We had a fantastic trip, but I am glad to be home....the kids start preschool tomorrow.

What am I going to do with myself?!?!?

Possibly lay in the fetal position in a corner and cry??? I am sure that I will get over it;o)

Any-whoodles, be on the look out for another guest post.

Have a great Monday!!!

Dr. Seuss' Thing 1 & Thing 2 Shirts

2011-08-04T14:04:00.001-07:00

We are headed to Florida soon for a vacation, and we have decided to visit Universal Studios this year. We have been to Disney the past 2 years, and the hubs and I are kinda wanting to mix things up a bit. The kids have no idea we are going there. They think it's JUST a beach trip...:o)

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I did a whole ensemble for the kids to wear to Disney.

To see those outfits, you can go Here, Here, Here, & Here.

We are planning to go to Universal for only 2 days, so I only need 2 outfits:o)

Here is the first matching outfit:

To make these super easy and super cute shirts, here is a list of supplies you will need:

Red t-shirt

White tee or white stretchy fabric

Light Fabric Transfers(found at any craft store or Walmart)

Heat Bond...I prefer the kind that you can sew on.

scissors

iron

thread

sewing machine

Start out by washing and drying your tees. That is to ensure that your shirts don't shrink, or the transfers do not bleed through the fabric. Cut your white tee in half. I made sure to iron any wrinkles out, so as to have a smooth look with the steam OFF.

After printing the decals out onto your heat transfer paper...using the mirror image function...lay them out on the heat bond to see how much you will need.

Lay the heat bond stick'em side down on the inside of the tee, and iron in place. Let cool.

Lay your decal face down and trace around the edges on the heat bond backing. I turned the decal face down so that I wouldn't accidentally draw on the decal:o) Cut around the edges.

And it should look a little something like this.

Now get your red tee. Pull the backing off of the heat bonded circle.

Center it on the tee with the stick'em side down.

Now lay your decal over the circle making sure that the letters are lined up and not tilted to the side.

Iron for about 45 seconds, making sure to press down hard. The instructions on the transfers say to NOT use an ironing board. I laid some scrap fabric under the tee to give it a little cushion.

Let the shirt sit for 2 minutes and then remove the backing. For added stability, I sewed around the black line.

And there you have it:o) Very easy, and very Universal Studios ready

If you would like to make these cute shirts just click below to download the files!!

Thing 1

and

Thing 2

Dr. Seuss' Thing 1 & Thing 2 Shirts

2011-08-04T14:03:00.000-07:00

If you have been following me for a while, you know that I did a whole ensemble for the kids to wear to Disney.

To see those outfits, you can go Here, Here, Here, & Here.

We are planning to go to Universal for only 2 days, so I only need 2 outfits:o)

Here is the first matching outfit:

To make these super easy and super cute shirts, here is a list of supplies you will need:

Red t-shirt

White tee or white stretchy fabric

Light Fabric Transfers(found at any craft store or Walmart)

Heat Bond...I prefer the kind that you can sew on.

scissors

iron

thread

sewing machine

After printing the decals out onto your heat transfer paper...using the mirror image function...lay them out on the heat bond to see how much you will need.

Lay the heat bond stick'em side down on the inside of the tee, and iron in place. Let cool.

Lay your decal face down and trace around the edges on the heat bond backing. I turned the decal face down so that I wouldn't accidentally draw on the decal:o) Cut around the edges.

And it should look a little something like this.

Now get your red tee. Pull the backing off of the heat bonded circle.

Center it on the tee with the stick'em side down.

Now lay your decal over the circle making sure that the letters are lined up and not tilted to the side.

Iron for about 45 seconds, making sure to press down hard. The instructions on the transfers say to NOT use an ironing board. I laid some scrap fabric under the tee to give it a little cushion.

Let the shirt sit for 2 minutes and then remove the backing. For added stability, I sewed around the black line.

And there you have it:o) Very easy, and very Universal Studios ready

If you would like to make these cute shirts just click below to download the files!!

Thing 1

Thing 2

Kid's Reversible Water Cozy

2011-08-02T04:32:00.000-07:00

Today we have a guest post from Jessica at This Too. She has a great back to school tutorial to share with us....Take it away Jessica!

Thank you Crystal for having me here on Fussy Monkey Business!

Hello, Everyone! I'm Jessica from This Too! - a little place where I try to document my crazy dreamed up projects and ideas while taking care of my husband and my 5 kids. I love to sew, craft and I'm starting to dabble in woodworking, too. Thankfully, my husband is very understanding of my need to create.

When Crystal asked for me to contribute to her blog with a tutorial for 'Back-to-School', I really had trouble coming up with something new to share with y'all. I tried to think of something that would be useful for my own little ones. I must confess, though, my 'back-to-school' consists of buying whatever is on the supply list provided by the school and then send them out the door to meet the bus on the first day. (Sentimental, ain't I?) However, there were several times last year when one or both of the school age kids came home complaining about someone else drinking out of their water bottle. Now, we could all just whip out that Sharpie and write in big black letters all over the bottle, but what fun is that?! Things need to be pretty-fied not simplified. :)

What you need:

Fabric A:

1 piece - 6" x 2"

1 piece - 6" x 2 1/2"

2 pieces - 4 1/2" x 2 1/2"

Fabric B:

1 piece - 6" x 2"

1 piece - 6" x 2 1/2"

Elastic:

1 piece - 1" wide cut 2 1/2" long

Ball Point Sewing Machine Needle (needed later on in the tutorial)

You will also need your usual sewing notions, iron, sewing machine, pins, etc.

Let's get started.

First things first - if you decide to do some machine embroidery to decorate your bottle cosy, you might want to do that prior to cutting your fabric. I think this was the second time I've actually used the embroidery setting on my machine, so I am nowhere good enough to use a small piece of fabric in the hoop. If you are doing the decorating by hand, feel free to add it whenever it is easiest for you.

Here is mine.

Once you have your pieces cut, take the 6"x2" fabric pieces of both fabric A and fabric B and iron down 1/2" on both sides (lengthwise) of both fabrics. (Ignore the stabilizing material you see below.)

Next, pin these pieces down in the middle of your 6" x 2 1/2" pieces of contrasting fabric. (A to B and B to A) Do a top stitch along both lengths right at the edge of your center fabric. If you click on the picture below, you can see mine just at the edges.

Put right sides together and stitch along one length using a 1/4" seam allowance. Then open and press the seam to one side.

Turn your fabric over and press the ends down about 1/4". (This will make your job easier in a couple of steps.)

Now, put right sides together (again) and stitch down the other length and turn right side out. Go ahead and press the seams and edges under really good at this point.

Okay. Now grab those 2 pieces of 4 1/2" x 2 1/2" fabric. Pin them right sides together and stitch down both lengths.

Turn this right side out, press the seams and add a top stitch down the seams for a little decoration and to help it stay looking nice.

Now is the time to change your machine needle to a Ball Point Needle. If you don't, you could end up with some really hairy looking stitching on your bobbin side. Not Pretty!

Take your little piece of elastic and stick it in the middle of the little tube you just created. Line it up with one end and place it in the middle. Stitch this end closed making sure you stitch through the elastic.

Flip it around and do the same thing on the other end. (The fabric will need to be scrunched down.)

Now, slip one end of your fabric covered elastic piece (until the seam is covered) and stitch it in place. This is a lot of fabric to put through the machine, so take your time and work it through.

Once that is done, stitch the other end just like the first. It's a tight fit, so once again, take your time.

And there you have it! One bottle cozy to put on your little one's water for snack time or lunch. Now no one will be able to say they don't know who that bottle belongs to!

And don't forget, we made it reversible!

Hope you all have enjoyed this. If you have ANY questions, please feel free to email me.

Once again - Thank you, Crystal, for letting me crash your blog! And to all you readers out there, come on over and have a look around This Too!. I would love to have you!

Summer Canning and Freezing

2011-08-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Last week I headed up to my parents to do some canning and "putting up" vegetables.

I did more "putting up" than canning....my mother is the pro at that!!!

I don't have a garden right now, but next year we will....

I really want to have some chickens to lay eggs too, but I'm not sure if I can get away with it in my neighborhood:o) We have the space to do it though!

When I need to buy in bulk, I go to the Mennonites and purchase their delicious produce.

We pack up and leave early in the morning so that we can be the first ones to buy....it's a first come first serve basis.

This year, I got corn, green beans, squash, cucumbers, and peaches from them.

I was extremely lucky to get the green beans because there hasn't been enough rain in that area for them to grow well.

So here is my "canned" stash. I still have a few more things to add to the stash like pintos....and by the way, yes, we love pickles:o)

Here is some okra that came from my grandmother's garden....still trying to decide whether to pickle it or freeze it.

Earlier in the summer I made this strawberry jam....It is DIVINE:o)

My kids won't touch it for whatever reason, so it's all MINE!!!!!!!

This is the contents of our chest freezer. It's full of corn and squash mostly. There are 12 quarts of peaches in there as well.

Here's how big the freezer is. It's small, but big enough to hold for this family of four.

I had a lot of help from my parents! Shucking, peeling, cooking, canning, and everything that comes with putting up veggies. We had a good time, and now we are exhausted. Every time I do anything like this I am reminded of The Ant and the Grasshopper story:o)

I'm going to share some tricks here soon on canning, but I am not sure when I will get around to it. We have a lot going on these next two weeks. I am going to have some guest posts this week and next week. So make sure to stay tuned!

Thoughts to Think On

2011-07-27T03:58:00.000-07:00

This is an email I received yesterday. I thought it would be nice to share it with you all this morning. What a great way to start the day.

Relax your mind and humble your heart to focus on Christ. Allow God to be the only person on your mind while you read this prayer. If we can take the time to read long jokes, stories, etc., we should give the same respect to this prayer. Friends, who pray together, stay together.

Dear Lord, I thank you for this day. I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you. I ask now for Your forgiveness

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude. Let me make the best of each day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over. Let me continue to see sin through God's eyes and acknowledge it as evil. And when I sin, let me repent, and confess with my mouth my wrongdoing, and receive the forgiveness of God.

And when this world closes in on me, let me remember Jesus' example -- to slip away and find a quiet place to pray. It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits. I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart. Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak.. Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for those who are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those who are misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You intimately. I pray for those who will delete this without sharing it with others. I pray for those who don't believe. But I thank you that I believe.

I believe that God changes people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love, and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight. I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees them and every mouth that confesses them willingly..

This is my prayer.
In Jesus' Name,
Amen.

A Video for Your Viewing Pleasure

2011-07-21T06:36:00.000-07:00

This is what we let the kids watch last night. They loved it! This is when cartoons were good:o)

Have a great Thursday!

Few More Bits of the Laundry Room

2011-07-20T06:38:00.000-07:00

I have been lazy when has come to finishing up the laundry room. I have 2 more shelves to complete...one of which will be majorly awesome when it's done:o) Then there is the accessorization of said shelves. Anyway, I thought I would share a few things that are complete.

I found this bookshelf at a yard sale. It was falling apart and the previous owner had attempted to strip 4 layers of paint off of it. Needless to say, I had my work cut out for me. I used the Chalk Paint that everyone raves about.

Here are my thoughts on Chalk paint.

#1-it's expensive.

#2-if you have a business where you have to bust out refinished furniture on a weekly basis, then buy it. It dries quickly and very easy to work with...if you are a person such as myself who just revamps for fun, skip it. You can get a similar effect with spray paint and it's much cheaper.

#3-you can't roll it on b/c it goes on too thin, and the 2-coat coverage doesn't cut it. The bookshelf needed 4 coats....I realized on the 3rd coat I needed to brush it on.

Anyway, one can covered the bookshelf and the bench.

Speaking of the bench, I made a new bolster pillow for it.

And here the two pieces are in the little corner. One of the shelves I haven't finished working on will go above the bench.

I saw this "reminder" on another blog the other day, and decided I needed one for us as well. Theirs was on the door. I wanted mine to be above the door so it could be bigger. It's a great reminder every time we leave the house.

I found this picture at a thrift store for $3. The shelf was given to me by my mother. I added the glass knobs so that my clients could hang their coats or purses on it...by the way, you do know that I do hair out of my laundry room right? I'll share pics of that spot later on:o)

Here is a "little" treasure I picked up the other day...isn't it so cute?

And another treasure. The frame needs a little work on the top. It's missing some trim, but I thought it was beautiful, so I got it anyway.

I hope to have the rest of the laundry room completed by the end of the week. I have a big gathering at my home next week, so that gives me a deadline to finish:o)

Have a great Wednesday!!!

Facebook Page

2011-07-17T17:01:00.000-07:00

Remember when I got off of Facebook a few months ago? Can I just say how liberating that has been? I have spent a lot less time caring about who just ate at which restaurant, and who just wiped their hind parts...really, people will put ANYTHING on Facebook.

I am back on the social networking bandwagon, but in a slightly different way. I have been on Facebook for a while now, but I am using it strictly for coupons.

I had several people catching up on my post updates through FB and then I disappeared:o)

I have a new page opened up that is for Fussy Monkey Business.

So if you get the urge to "like" me on Facebook, go for it! I like it when people like me:o)

And if you "friend request" me, don't get your feelings hurt when I don't "friend" you...like I said earlier, I am using it just for coupons and now updates for my blog.

Hope you all had a fantastic weekend! I have some new treasures I will be sharing with you all soon!

Play mat for Baby

2011-07-16T05:44:00.001-07:00

First of all I want to start off by saying THANK YOU to everyone for your comments and compliments. You guys are so sweet. You know how to make a girl feel good:o)

I did get an apology, so all is forgotten.

On to other stuff....

This is a play mat that I made for my cousin who is having a baby in September.

I found this pattern on etsy HERE.

Close up of sweet Mrs. Owl...should have moved her over a bit...her eye is a little blendy with the background.

Backside of the mat.

Easy to roll up and pack away in your diaper bag.

To find this pattern, visit The Punky Monkey at etsy. She has so many cute patterns! It was easy to follow, and easy to construct....Thank you Punky Monkey!

Ruffle Bottom Dress

2011-07-13T14:45:00.000-07:00

Another dress for your viewing pleasure...I hope;o)

A bad shot of the hair bow I made to match the dress.

Happy Wednesday to you all!

A Word

2011-07-13T14:43:00.000-07:00

In my last post, I shared with you all an outfit that I made for E and S.R. I thought they were sweet, and so did several others who saw them donning their new apparel last week.

The outfits were made to be a little nerdy, but little ones can pull anything off, right?:o)

I am aware that not everyone has the same taste. I see things online and out in public that I don't like, and I think to myself, "Wow! Really?" But I say them to myself.

The old saying "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me" couldn't be further than the truth.

Yesterday a reader posted a mean comment and it wasn't necessary.

For that reader, I have this to say:

My children were very excited about these outfits. They are always grateful for anything that I make them.

As long as they are happy with what I make them, and keep requesting that I make things for them, I will continue to do so, gladly.

I said a prayer for you last night, dear reader...that the Lord would help you to think before speaking, or in this case, typing. That He would open your heart to others feelings.

I say this so that you will think before insulting someone else.

I offer a comment section so that my readers can communicate with me. I find it sad, that some feel the need to use it as a venue to insult.

To all you other readers, thank you for your kind words of encouragement, and your interest in what I do.

You guys are great!!

This was the first time I have been insulted on my blog. I am sure it won't be the last..however, this will be the last time I acknowledge any insults.

I will continue to keep doing what I love, and making cute things for those I love!

For anyone who has had this "problem" in the past....

pray and move on:o)

Clothing for the Kids

2011-07-12T14:02:00.000-07:00

I am in the midst of making clothes for the kids today. Busy, busy, busy.

This year S.R. gets to go to preschool with E...sniff, sniff...and I wanted my babies to have matching outfits. Here is something I whipped up last week.

We had a little fun with the camera;o) I hope to have lots to show you in the next day or two:o) Have a great rest of the day!!

Participating in:

We Have a Winner!

2011-07-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to

Randi

She said:

New blog follower here. Found ya through Someday Crafts. I was wondering if I could add vinyl to a cup like that, lol. Perfect timing! :)

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway, and a big thanks to Holly from Vinyl Designs!!

Personalized Cup Giveaway & A Linky Party

2011-07-05T06:36:00.000-07:00

I hope you all had a fantastic 4th! We sure did!

To celebrate the fantastic-ness of the long weekend.....

how about a giveaway?

My friend Holly is offering one Fussy Monkey Reader a chance to win a

Personalized Vinyl Cup.

The winner will get to choose their favorite design & have their very own super cute cup.

I have two and I LOVE them...I take them just about every where I go, and am always getting compliments!

I thought these two designs were really cute.

Lovin' the flops:o)

So here's how to enter:

You have the chance to enter 3 times!

1. Be a follower of Fussy Monkey Business...if you aren't, it's reeeeally easy to become one;o)