Life on the Ball

Makin' Soap

2010-09-09T23:03:00.001-04:00

We'll I'm not really "making" soap, but I am saving money. I recently made a whole jug of refill soap for my empty foam pump from Bath and Body Works. I do love the foam pump soap from there, but even with it on sale it still costs more than what I did.

I just took an empty water jug (nice and clean of course) and filled it with a few bottles of Dial Antibacterial Hand Soap and some water. After emptying each 9.375 oz. bottle into the water jug I would then fill up the empty Dial bottle with water and pour it in also. I did this twice with each bottle of soap. So it's 1 part soap and 2 parts water. I think I paid around $0.55 for each bottle or they may even have been free. I've seen it go on sale at Publix for $1 a couple of times now. I'll be buying more when that happens again.

(The size of the bottle I used isn't important. I'm just telling you what I used. I can't remember if the water jug I used was able to fit three bottles of soap with water or 4, but I have great confidence that you can figure that one out yourself.)

You do have to buy an initial bottle of foam pump soap for the bottle and the nifty little mechanism that makes it foam up. I just waited until Bath and Body Works had a sale and while I used that soap it was a special treat. I love all the B&BW yummy scents, but I do like the White Tea & Vitamin E that I used from Dial. It's not too flowery for my husband and it doesn't leave an overpowering scent on your hands either. You may eventually have to replace your foam pump bottle with a new one. I'm interested to see how long it will hold out.

I'm keeping the jug of soap under the bathroom sink. The soap I used was clear so I used permanent marker to mark ALL OVER the bottle. My kids are old enough now that I don't have to worry about them drinking it, but if yours are young you might want to keep it up higher. (I wouldn't put it past my kids to have bubble-making experiments with it though).

Do you have any money saving tips to share?

I'm Back........I Think........I Hope!

2010-05-06T00:02:00.001-04:00

Wow, it's been a whole month. What happened?

I'm glad you asked.

Turns out 12 year old daughters and computers don't always mix well.

First she picked up 26 or so viruses (even those kiddie sites can be hiding some wickedness). Once our wonderful computer genius friend waded through all of that mess and fixed it I squeezed in the April 6th post here and then the following happened...

*My Photoshop Elements ceased to work. Groan.
*Above mentioned daughter decided to use computer to download photos while parents were out on a date (after being grounded from the computer for the aforementioned viruses - Hey, she had been warned countless times not to click on anything that would take her off the site that we had approved of) and of course tried to access Photoshop Elements to do so.
*At this point in time the Operating System said, "NO MORE!!!" and crashed giving us what we would soon come to know as The Blue Screen of Death.
*Long-suffering, kind, computer genius is called again in desperate frustration. He makes 15 discs of info. on mother board then wipes the whole thing clean starting us up again with a totally clean slate. Now I have my lovely computer back like a fresh spankin' new baby (without the wonderful baby smell, but I'm not complaining).

Oh, did I mention that when the lovely daughter whom I decided not to ground for life, but close to it, tried to access Photoshop Elements she panicked and TOOK OUT HER MEMORY CARD WHILE THE CUTE LITTLE CAMERA SHAPED LIGHT WAS FLASHING ON THE PRINTER?

No? Well, she did (insert groan, sigh, weeping and gnashing of teeth here).
The manual that comes with the printer states at least half a dozen times that this will cause a large crater to form sucking up the perpetrator.

Oh, if only my daughter had been so lucky.

So, once my computer was back up and working I discovered my printer was no...longer...working.

At all.

That is why there are no photos on this post. Actually, what photo could I post even if I wanted to?
A photo of me crying?
A photo of my daughter crying?
A photo of my computer wizard friend crying?

Anyway, today I took the 191 dollar steps (can I weep again?) that it will take to replace my printer in 5 to 7 business days.

I hope anyone who reads this hasn't totally abandoned me. I really have missed my blog and those of you who have so kindly decided to follow me. I'm sorry I've had nothing for you to follow lately. I promise to come back with a vengeance once my shiny new printer gets here and I figure it out.

By the way, do you have any suggestions for jobs for my daughter could do to pay me back for the printer?

The more disgusting the better...

but it can't take place anywhere near the computer.

I've Missed My Little Blog

2010-04-06T23:08:00.002-04:00

I haven't been able to get onto my computer since mid-week last week because of a HUGE computer mess that made it impossible. It has taken many days and an amazing computer wizard friend to get me back here.

I've missed you.

Really.

A lot.

I mean it.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter. Ours was awesome.

I LOVE our church!!! It has to be the most amazing place I have ever been. Being there on Easter in our new building was extra special.

I also love the family that I spent time with. Easter just wouldn't be the same without them.

I know that Easter was two days ago (almost three now), but I couldn't post this earlier because of the above mentioned problem.

I made this with items I bought from the Dollar Store when I was doing Lindsay's challenge.

(Okay, I just spent 3+ hours trying to figure out why my Photoshop Elements wasn't working to no avail. Aargh!!! Oh well, HP Photosmart to the rescue...)

Just a card, two frames and some green flowers from the Dollar Store.

I tried to find a card that would work well with my idea and this one was the best fit. I would have loved to have found an angel, an empty tomb and a cross or dove, but I didn't see any. I like the way this turned out though. I don't have many Easter decorations so it will be fun to get this one out each year.

I ended up switching frames from the ones in the previous photo after a failed attempt at something fancy.

Always learning something new even with failures.

It's hard to see, but I took out the glazing points that hold in the glass. I wouldn't need them later because I would be gluing the glass in. They are usually used to hold the back of the stand and the photo in the frame, but I wouldn't need them for that either. Oooooh, are you curious yet?

Next a good coat of primer because I was afraid the shiny fronts (you're actually seeing the backs in this photo) wouldn't take well to being painted with my acrylic paint without it.

On the left is one coat of Folk Art Vintage White and then two coats on the right. I ended up deciding on three. Some of the gray primer still shows through, but that was fine with me. It gave it a somewhat aged look.

Once I had the frames ready I moved on to the card. I attached the card to a comic book backing board with Golden's Regular (Matte) Gel Medium. I'm sure some sturdy cardboard would work, but I knew it would be visible, around the edges, in the next step so I went with something white.

Now, I probably should have waited until it was completely dry to start cutting it out, but I'm a bit impatient (just ask my husband...and my kids).

I broke a small part of the tip off of three X-acto knife cutting blades doing this.

I'm sure it was due to the thickness. This part took awhile and my hands got a little sore, but it was totally worth it.

Now for my favorite part...the leaves.

I used my green flowers to cut out leaf shapes. The bottom two on the left are what I was going for.

Then I strategically glued them to the tree.

I used Beacon's 3-in-1 Advanced Craft Glue for this part.

Now onto assembly.

I didn't take a photo of it, but I attached the glass back into both frames with Duncan's Liquid Fusion Clear Urethane Glue. Awesome stuff! A little of it squeezed onto the glass when I put it together, but once it was dry it came off the glass nicely with a razor blade.

I chose some ribbon I already had on hand and stapled it to the top backside of the first frame. (I'm thinking about decorating a whole wall with all the ribbon I have on hand. Maybe I could add my buttons too. Just kidding...maybe.) I also stapled the tree piece (facedown, toward the glass) because I wasn't sure glue would be enough to give it stability. You'll notice I stapled it to the backside of the frame also. Then I glued two of the larger small pieces to the frame against the glass.

Here's where it gets complicated.

I'm not very good at explaining things sometimes so I hope I make this clear.

On the second frame I glued the last two small pieces against the glass facing toward the back of the frame. You can see where I didn't paint the back of the frame completely. I knew it wouldn't be visible when I sandwiched the two frames together so I didn't waste my time on it.

Sorry, no photo for this oh, so very important part. I used Dries White Gorilla Glue to attach the two frames back to back making the finished frame SEE THROUGH!! Yes, I'm feeling terribly clever. Please don't tell me that you've seen this done a million times before. Let me revel in my delusions of grandeur for just a bit.

Ahhh, that feels good.

Here it is hung in my kitchen window.

I just love the 3 dimensional effect of the whole thing.

A little close-up.

And a bonus silhouette view.

Don't the leaves look so pretty?!

It's so sad that I've already put it away and you are just seeing it for the first time.

I'll have to get something new on here real soon that isn't already outdated.

I'm just glad I can get back on my computer again.

Happy happy blog blog.

One of My Greatest Masterpieces

2010-03-29T12:04:00.001-04:00

In honor of one of my greatest masterpieces, created 6 years ago today, I will not be posting crafty goodness because no craft I could create could be better than this:

March 2004

Oh my...I had forgotten how amazingly wonderful he looked as an newborn.

If I could only go back in time for a few minutes just to smell him.

March 2010

Here he is today. My Little Man. He's still awfully adorable. So snuggly and as funny as can be. Happy Birthday sweetness. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to be your Mommy and to experience life togther with you. You are a magnificent blessing.

_________________________________________

I promise to post a little something I made in the next couple of days. I came up with several other Dollar Store crafts while I was working on Lindsay's challenge. I'm particularly excited about this one that I have to share next. Oh, who am I kidding?! I'm excited about the one after it too.

Have a blessed day. I'm off to make cake.

Spring Candle Centerpiece

2010-03-25T11:22:00.002-04:00

Well, it's time to show what I made for Living with Lindsay's 2nd Annual $5 Dollar Challenge. I was really excited about this when I first heard about it and I was anxious to get to the dollar store and get started. However, once I got there my brain just couldn't think of anything I wanted to make. 'Wanted to make' being the necessary component because whatever I made I wanted to like and keep it. Two more trips to the Dollar Tree and the same problem kept occuring. Finally some acceptable ideas started to germinate and this is what I came up with.

First I bougt a glass bowl and candles in the candle section, some curly ribbon in the giftwrap section and some cards in the...yep, you guessed it, the card section. So all-in-all this project ended up costing only $4.

First I measured everything because I needed to know how big to cut my cards so they would fit and still have space in between each one to let more light shine through.

Buying these in a package of four made this project possible. Otherwise I would have gone over budget if I had had to buy them separately.

Then I cut out the card portions that I wanted.

Then I measured the center point on each side, marked it and punched holes. I used the first one I completed as a template for the others.

Next I cut out the center of the heart with an Xacto knife. I use a glass cutting board because it seems to make the blade cut more smoothly.

Originally I had planned to only cut out the heart, but then I decided it needed a little more so I cut out parts of the top.

Now I was thinking it looked pretty good, but wait. What about the wings?

Love it, love it, love it!

Now that my hands and fingers were worn out from cutting all that out, it was time for tying it all together. I had measured earlier so I knew about how far apart each piece needed to be. In the end I only had to do a little finessing to get the spacing just right.

I used this crazy curly ribbon that I wasn't sure would work out, but I think it fits the final product perfectly.

(I took this photo after I had already cut off my four pieces.)

I just tied a regular bow and let the curls do their thing.

I tied them all together in a row.

Then I tied them onto the bowl.

Then I added candles (I ended up using tea lights) and lit them.

Here's the daytime photo:

(Oooh, I love how the light peeks behind the wings.)

And now my favorite...night time:

Oooh...Aaah...

Seeing the finished product makes me wish I had put it on a little pedestal candle holder and glued them together for added height. Perhaps I will do that later. I also might add a little glitter to the flowers on the wreath. We'll see.

I think this fits well for Spring, but it would also do well for a wedding.

From start to finish it took me about 1 1/2 hours to make. Of course I was figuring everything out and taking photos with my left hand (incredibly difficult) so I'm sure it could be done in less time.

It was fun. Thanks Lindsay. I'll be looking forward to next year.

Also, in all that time of thinking about what to do, between trips to the Dollar Tree, I came up with three other ideas that I'm going to be working on. If you liked this one, maybe you'll check back later to see what they are.

Something Practical

2010-03-22T10:36:00.002-04:00

Today's Just Make Something Monday #10

This...

Was necessitated by THIS:

I can only imagine what it must have looked like from the outside of the house. (My poor neighbors!)

Our home only has six windows. Yeah, six. So, we decided to cut this nice little window in our front door several years ago to give us some more natural light.

This is what I see each morning. Nice.

This is more like the light we see in the late afternoon when we sometimes watch TV.

Not so nice.

The sun either shines right in our eyes as we sit on the sofa or it shines on the TV screen making it difficult to see clearly.

This is where the flannel pajama pants came in. They were a fix by lovely husband.

I knew I had wanted to make a curtain for this area for some time, but the PJ's gave me a huge push to get it done. I must say that I am very pleased with the results.

I found the fabric when I was in Jacksonville with my Mom. It was perfect. You see, I had originally found the clips (they're magnetic since my door is metal) at Walmart and they had almost the same pattern as the bottom fabric.

Here is a close-up. So pretty and yet modern looking.

If you look closely at the PJ photo you can see a little red gingerbread man shaped clip at the top left of the pants. We used to have two of these that we used to hang a kitchen towel over the window. A quick fix that was just a step or two above the pants. I think you will have to agree that this new curtain beats our previous solutions.

The ribbon separating the two fabrics was my most difficult decision. I had wanted to add some red to it with some flowered ribbon, but I decided to play it safe. I think I may make a small bag out of the fabic I have left over. Maybe I'll add the flowered ribbon there.

In an added bit of irony, I also added a flannel liner between the layers to totally block out the sun.

I guess the flannel pants made a permanent mark after all.

The final effect is more like a giant placemat than a curtain, but it works.

I used the same technique I used in this bag I made to adhere the flannel. It worked wonderfully well. It's fun how the things you learn doing one thing get used making others.

________________________________________________________

I'm planning to start posting more often. We'll see how that works. Tomorrow...or maybe the next day...the answers I got concerning my post on March 15th. Yep, looks like there aren't any....or are there?

For My Stationery Swap Partner

2010-03-17T00:04:00.000-04:00

Don't look Kattrina! At least not until you receive your package.

I had a lot of fun making up a package of goodies to send to my stationery swap partner Kattrina.

I hope I didn't go overboard. It was so hard knowing where to stop. Our limit was $15 and I really didn't spend even that much, but I'm sure it's enough for what I sent.

Here's the goods:

These are all cards I made. Three I made especially for Kattrina. One of them says "Hola" because I know she is marrying a young man whose native language is Spanish. I figure she can send this one to one of her new family members in the future. Most are my own ideas, but a couple of them I got from Kristina Werner's blog and one I made with a friend who is a Stampin' Up! demonstrator.

The top two cards on the left I purchased in a group at a school auction. They were made by a talented woman here where I live. She takes lovely photos. The top card on the right was made by my sister-in-law. Hand drawn and embossed. She made a large set of these for me and I think they are beautiful.

The bottom two rows look like photos, but they are actually envelopes. I made them with a pretty calendar that I purchased at the beginning of March when it was way ~~cheap~~ inexpensive. I made more from the rest of the calendar, but I gave Kattrina the best ones. ;)

These are some things I added just in case Kattrina's crafty. Just some bits and pieces of things I've collected or have been given. The labels on the bottom left I made so she could use them on the envelopes I made in the previous photo. I hate the thought of having to cover up any of the beautiful images of nature, but you can't send a card without an address, right!?

The colorful circles I bought on Etsy. I adore Etsy! Much time has been lost in my perusing of Etsy.

These are some cards and postcards I've had hanging around for awhile. I still like them very much, but someone else should enjoy them too. The two postcards in the top right hand corner are from our local museum in Sarasota. I actually bought a print and had it framed of the second one from the right. It's called Roman Courtship. I just love it. In the museum it's enormous. It's beautifully painted. Oh, to have such an amazing talent.

Last, but not least, two pretty pens. I should have included them with another grouping, but I forgot and they so wanted their time in the spotlight.

I can't wait for her to get everything. I hope it all pleases her. I do tend to be kinda flowery in the things I like. I don't know if that is very trendy, but it sure is pretty.

If you're interested, my previous post poses a question for those with a crafty nature. I would appreciate any comments you might have.

Ciao

What's the Use?

2010-03-15T13:28:00.000-04:00

My head hurts!
It seems I've had these thoughts floating around in my head for some time and I'm ready to get them out.
I don't know how much sense I'm going to make, but I will try.

I enjoy making things. I like pretty things. Invariably I end up buying things that have no practical purpose in my home other than the fact that they are pleasing to me.
I can't help but struggle with the desire to make things that have no true lasting value other than the pleasure they bring myself and others. I wonder if my time wouldn't be spent more wisely attending to my family and more practical needs. There seem to be so many more important things to do and yet I love making things. I love looking at things. It's just so enjoyable, but is that what life is all about? If I shouldn't be enjoying making and seeing beautiful things, because I should be using my time to pursue more lasting endeavours, then why do I have the desire to do so? Why did God give me this desire to create? Why did He give me this talent (at least I think I have talent)? Is it really from God or is it just a testing ground to help me die-to-self in order to make a more enlightened choice that may well bring me more satisfaction in the end?
I just can't seem to reconcile the creating and procurement of trifles when there seem to be so many more important things that I should be spending my time on. However, the fact is that I would be saddened to have to put away creating and enjoying lifes beautiful offerings.

I'm not Mother Theresa, but should I be trying to be more like her or the other great people who give all they have for the benefit of others?

I guess it all boils down to wanting to do something important, but not having to give up what I enjoy to do so. The previous statement just makes me think "are my desires more important than what's truly important?"
Has anyone else had these thoughts? Have you come to a satisfactory conclusion? Please share your thoughts. It would be a huge help to me. Sometimes it takes others to point out that which is not obvious to ones self.

I have been away on vacation and haven't made anything for last Monday or this one. Perhaps it was meant to be so I could ruminate more on the above topic. I do have some things in the works so next week will be more than covered. However, it will be interesting to see where this post will take me concerning my future craftiness.
That is, assuming anyone else will read this and feel compelled to offer their thoughts and opinions.

Takin' It Easy

2010-03-08T12:34:00.000-05:00

I don't have a Just Make Something Monday today because I am on vacation. I will have something for next Monday though.
For the whole week I will be hanging out with my Mom, sisters, brother-in-law, niece and nephews.
It's so nice to just get away and be with them.
I'm working on some sketches for something extra special for my stationery swap partner (Hello Kattrina!) and I will be sharing it after she receives her package.

Have a great week.

My Favorite Cup

2010-03-02T12:38:00.002-05:00

I found a beautiful blog. Such amazing photographs. The blog is belle-blanc and it is hosted by the lovely Mira in Germany. She wants to see photos of everyone's favorite cup and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to share the story behind mine.

Isn't it pretty?!

During the last school year my children went off to school. No homeschooling that year. Because of that I was able to participate in a weekly Bible study with some very special women. We would meet right after we had dropped our children off at school. Hot tea was always available along with some yummy breakfast goodie. I grew up in the south so iced tea was a staple in our home, but hot tea was not something I had even tried to acquire a taste for. It wasn't long after we had started meeting that I decided to give it a try. It took awhile, but I began to grow fond of it. Our hostess always had mugs (or maybe it was cups) available for us, but one week in honor of a book we were reading she asked everyone to bring their favorite cup. Alas, my husband has an aversion to dishes. He's a very basic kinda guy when it comes to that kind of thing. So one year I bought him some plain white Corelle dishes and got rid of all our others and he was happy. (Later I did sneak in a few green and red plates for fun.) Anyway, I told everyone that I didn't have a cup to bring, but that I would love seeing theirs. One of the girls said she would bring me a cup from her relative who was having to get rid of some things due to a move. Apparently she had a nice teacup collection. The morning of the teacup sharing she presented me with the one above. It could not have been more perfect. It is so me. The colors are the colors of my home. My favorite colors. This year I decided to homeschool my children again which I love, but I do miss the ladies and the time we spent together. Now my cup has even more meaning to me. When I see it I am reminded of precious friendships, generosity, hospitality, and the attention to detail that was expressed in the choice of teacup for me by a sweet friend. Now a cup of hot tea is more than just a pleasant thing to drink, it is an experience that warms my heart with fond memories.

My New Bag

2010-03-01T01:30:00.002-05:00

Isn't she lovely!
Just Make Something Monday #9

I am loving this bag! I found this tutorial on Elizabeth Hartman's blog Oh, Fransson. I fell in love with the black flowered bag in the photo. I had such a great shape. The fabric was not something I could come satisfactorily close to in the local fabric shop, but I do like what I chose.
Not ever having made a bag before I didn't realize how big this bag would end up. I had thought to use it as a purse, but in the end decided it would work very well for carrying around my portable projects. Right now it houses some of the yarn I plan to use in making some crocheted granny squares (pattern also found on another blog) that will hopefully become a couple of pillows and a throw for my bed. Funny thing is...I don't crochet. The pattern is for advanced beginners, but I am determined. I like doing new things. I do that a lot when we have company over for dinner. Our guests are always guinea pigs for some new dish I'm trying, but I digress (as I often do).
This bag is destined to become my frequent companion. I love the contrasting lining, the pockets and the vintage button I used from my beloved button box. It is so well constructed. I say this not to pat myself on the back, but to give praise to Elizabeth. It is very sturdy and ever so attractive.   True, it took me many hours to make, but it has been awhile since I made anything of substance on my sewing machine. I think my husband felt a little neglected, but he has resigned himself quite nicely to my year long commitment to craft. I promise I made it up to him later. Digressing again (sigh...I'm afraid you'll have to get used to it)...
Needless to say, I enjoyed making this bag very much.   I learned a lot from making Elizabeth's bag. Things I will be able to use in my own future projects. The wheels are turning.

I am making myself a list of all the projects I plan to work on in the months to come. How is it possible that there is always something new being added to this list that I am excited about doing?

Somewhat craft related:
I am participating in a stationery swap. Fun, fun, fun! Who knows how I ended up there, but I signed up to participate in it on Megan's blog Time After Tea. (Oh the joys of blog hopping!)
I am torn between asking my partner what she would like and just totally surprising her. I hope she isn't too disappointed in the fact that I'm in the states. After all the swap host is in Austrailia and from what I've learned from my partner's blog, she likes to travel.   Oh well, Florida is like its own little country.  I'm sure I can come up with something lovely for her. I love the challenge of making the most of a $15 spending limit.

(Oh my goodness. I am a super word nerd and I just discovered I've been spelling stationery incorrectly all my life! I always spelled it stationary!! Thanks Megan for helping me learn something new. Just don't tell my Mom. She's where I inherited my nerdiness. In a good way.)

Busy Blog Hopping

2010-02-25T22:19:00.000-05:00

How difficult it is to write on my own blog when I am so busy looking at all the other wonderful blogs out there.

I think that I shall soon have to make a list of them to share.

But not until after my JMSM project #9 is done. I refuse to be late on it this time.

I hope it's as cute as I think it will be.

Yay, I Did It!!!

2010-02-23T02:16:00.001-05:00

(JMSM #8 - Just look at my lovely new header)

Oh my goodness, that was painful, but I finally did it!!

Several hours of my life used in the relentless pursuit of success!

I like the way it turned out. I'd better.

I think it may be awhile before I try that again. There's got to be a better way.

If you'd like to know how I did it here's the link. It still took me some time to figure out, but I'm just a little challenged like that.

The only thing I'm not totally crazy about is the size of the header and the color of the background.
I can live with both. I tried several different background colors, but white seemed to work the best.

What do you think?

(Yawn...is it really 2 am?)

May I Vent?

2010-02-22T16:12:00.000-05:00

Good grief!!! I have just spent far too many hours trying to create a header for my blog.

I really want this to be a happy place, but right now I am not very happy.

I thought it would be much easier.

I created something that will be satisfactory for awhile, but I CAN NOT figure out how to get it where I want it.

It's just ignorance really. I'm sure there is an easier way to do it, I just don't know what it is.

I so wanted to get this done today. It was my JMSM project. This will be the third week in a row.
Aargh!!!

Well, I'm off to find my happy place.....while I do the bills.

Maybe I'll find a happy place tomorrow.

For the Hubster

2010-02-17T20:27:00.001-05:00

The Official Just Make Something Monday #7 (on Wednesday)

Almost 23 years ago I married my best friend. I love him now more than ever.

At the time we were very young (only 19) with limited money so we honeymooned at the local beach. It was still lots of fun for us because we had only moved to Florida from Texas 7 days earlier. During our honeymoon we collected quite a few shells and we purchased the one in the frame above at a shell shop. I loved how it consisted of two pieces that fit so perfectly together. I thought it was the perfect representation of the commitment that we had just made. And we did, and still do, fit so perfectly together.

So, for almost 23 years this little shell has been sitting in a box waiting for the day when I would finally get around to doing something with it. Over time it has held up very well and only has a few small chips to mar its surface. I'm happy to say that our marriage has also managed to make it to today with only a few tiny rough spots itself. Now our little shell has found a permanent home. A place to be displayed where we can see it often and be reminded of the wonderful beginning of the love we are still living. It makes me happy to see it.

I've wanted to stitch on paper for a while and I thought it would be a nice understated way to add depth to the finished product without taking away from the shell and the quote. I think I was a bit hesitant to add too much and mess it up, but I'm learning. I think it still needs something, but I couldn't decide what. Hopefully, I will stretch a bit more with my next project. I hope you can tell that the shell is supposed to be under water and it's surrounded by seaweed and bubbles.

I was inspired by Rebecca Sower's style and wanted to add lots of dimension and texture. I started with a nice colored piece of scrapbook paper, sewed on it with the sewing machine, and handstitched the beads on.

I hand stamped the quote on a piece of muslin. I wanted to add color to the white fibers I used for seaweed so I used watercolors and dried them with a heat gun. I wasn't sure it would work, but I like it. I added some plain white ones to break up the monotony of the blue. I had wondered how I was going to attach the heart and in the end I just hot glued it on.

The frame was what actually kept me from posting this on Monday. It is a Martha Stewart frame that started its life in black satin fabric. I wanted it to look like driftwood so I painted on two coats of gesso. Once that was dry I painted it with tan paint and followed that with brown that I painted on then wiped off with a paper towel. Voila, driftwood. Or at least something that resembles it close enough for me.

(dark color before completely wiped off on bottom portion)

(after wiping off)

I'm giving it to my love when he gets home late this evening. I know the shell means more to me than it does to him, but I also know that he loves it when I take time to celebrate our love. He'll give me that smile that he has whenever something I do makes him feel special. That smile that makes me feel special too.

Hello Card

2010-02-15T23:42:00.001-05:00

Well, this is not what I intended to post today. For one thing I'm supposed to make something new every week to post on Monday, but alas I cannot today. I'm learning you can't make something for Monday by starting it on Sunday. Who'd-a-thunk! Especially if it involves paint, sewing, stamping and other stuff. I'm trying something new, (Oooh, I do love trying new things) but it won't be done until Wednesday. Barring, of course, any unforseen hurricanes and since I have three children and live in Florida.....one never knows. To make it up to you (that is if there are any of you) I'm going to post a card I made not too long ago. Then I'll post my project on Wednesday and I'll try to do it earlier in the day. I don't like to make people wait. Even if they might just be imaginary people in my head.

I think it's cute. My inspiration was my desire to use some $1 stickers I bought at Target a while back. It's hard to see in the picture, but they have sparkly dots on them. I ~~love~~ like, a whole lot, (had to change that for my father-in-law since he's so fond of reminding us that one can only love people, not things) (Love yah, Dad!) the dollar bins at Target. There's always something fun to play with there.

By-the-way, yesterday's Stuffed French Toast was amazing!!! Everyone loved it. You must try!

Ugh! My photos are so unfabulous. I'm working on it though. I simply can't embarass my amazingly talented photographer sister with these sub-par photos. She deserves better.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T10:18:00.000-05:00

Happy Heart Day Everyone

Looking forward to a lazy day just hanging out with my family.

Anxious to spoil them with Raspberry Cream Cheese Stuffed French Toast, from here, for breakfast,

Spicy Alaskan Cod with asparagus for dinner and

Crock Pot Chocolate Cake, from here, for dessert.

Well, maybe I'm spoiling myself too.

Baby's First Year Album

2010-02-09T20:28:00.005-05:00

Tah-dah! Just Make Something Monday #6

Whew! This was a lot of work. Looking at the finished product I think it looks deceptively simple and easy, but no.

All that really matters is whether or not my neighbor likes it.

As soon as Doris told me she was pregnant I knew I wanted to do something special for her. You see, this baby was a long time in coming. Her husband and I share a birthday month and we are the same age year-wise. I remember very well the year we turned 35. He had previously told me that he didn't want to have any children if they didn't have them by the time he was 35. I disagreed, but kept quiet. I was turning 35 that year too and I knew I didn't want to get pregnant then because the risks increase for women. Doris was younger though and I knew she wanted a baby.

The year we turned 35 Doris' husband bought her a new car. Nice, but not a baby.

I found out that I was going to have a baby in April the following year (a precious gift that we could not imagine being without).

Late last year I saw her in one of those shirts that makes you wonder if someone is pregnant or is it just the shirt. I took a chance and YES she was. My kids and I were so excited. I even called the hub to tell him and he was excited too. We had already planned to have them over if we needed to do our own little shower since we weren't sure they'd include me in any shower guest lists. We've lived next door for almost ten years now, but we haven't socialized much due to the different lifestyle that comes with three kiddos and the constantly messy home that comes with them. I was thrilled to receive an invitation to her shower. I hope my gift is just the right thing to help us beome closer and not let the next ten years be as pleasantly distant as the previous ones have been. Either the gift will bring us closer or the 12 year old daughter I have that is anxious to babysit will.

By the way, Doris' husband, Scott, and I turn 42 this year. God's timing is always perfect. Seven years. Interesting.

Okay...

2010-02-08T23:29:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I'm not done, but I'm so close. I could show the layouts that I've done so far, but I think it would be much nicer to see it all together.

So...tomorrow.

Really.

I mean it.

I started this blog for fun, family, friends and accountability (that's why I mean it above). I decided to make something once a week as a challenge to see if I really do like making stuff or if I just think I would like to. I have a friend who once told me that I just like the idea of scrapbooking more than the actual scrapbooking. That is somewhat true. I love the products available. The stickers, paper and other embellishments are like candy to my eyes. I can't help but collect them whenever something inspires me. With money being tight now it's gotten much easier to resist temptation, but I still see a lot of beautiful things. Fortunately, I like to make a wide variety of things and all my goodies can be used in a variety of crafty endeavors. So... back to my friends comment, I wanted to find out if what she said was true and test myself this year. Do I like making things or do I just like collecting? And I wanted to see if I think I have any talent. Am I good at what I do? Do others like it? Should I have not let Rose's talent deter me from working on my own all these years?

Finally, even if no one else particularly admires what I make, do I still want to create things for my own pleasure?
My first-child, perfectionist tendencies tell me probably not, but that's what Just Make Something Mondays are all about helping me discover.

[Here's a shout-out to the one person whom I know will read this, my sweet sister Kymberly. Thanks, it really means a lot to me.]
I'll have to tell you about her later. She's pretty awesome.

I'm Working on It

2010-02-08T11:16:00.000-05:00

Please come back later to see the Just Make Something Monday project. It really is a project. I have been working for the past several days (because I'm really slow...and I'm a perfectionist...a deadly combination) on a scrapbook as a gift for my neighbor who will be having a baby soon.

Lots and lots of cutting out letters for every page.

I WILL (that's not me yelling, it's me talking to myself with authority) finish and post the whole album today.

I'm just not sure how late it will be because I'm also taking my daughter to an orthopedic specialist to see what's going on with her ACL. It may have a tear and she may also have a fracture of the tibia. Fun.

Hand-Cut Silhouettes

2010-02-01T16:53:00.000-05:00

Just Make Something Monday #5

Whew! I was worried I wouldn't get these finished in time for my JMSM.
When my nieces were here at Christmas time I took profile pictures of them as a part of my plan to make silhouettes for their parents for Valentine's Day. I think they turned out rather good. I tried to do them in Photoshop with a lasso tool, but I didn't have enough time to figure out how to do it that way. I may try again in the future. Instead I re-sized my photos and printed them onto a heavier paper to use as a template. After I cut the girls out I traced the cut-out design onto black paper with a white pencil and cut that out. I haven't gotten frames for them yet so the edges of the silhouettes are a bit fuzzy where they aren't flat on the white paper. I had intended to use 5x7 frames, but I think I may have to go with oval frames since the ponytail on my youngest niece pokes out pretty far. All-in-all I'm happy. It was a quick project with great results.

These are the photos I used for the silhouettes:

I suppose I could have made things easier by having them pose in front of a solid wall, but I was trying to be inconspicuous. Nevertheless, I know my brother and sister-in-law will pleased. Valentine's Day can't get here fast enough.

Heart Pillow (JMSM #4)

2010-01-25T11:11:00.001-05:00

Just Make Something Monday #4

I love hearts. I always have. It just can't be helped.

This is the perfect time of year to indulge myself in making them. After finishing this one I could easily envision a heart for each month, so don't be surprised if they show up on here. The very special thing about this one is that it uses the fabric from a red-checked shirt that both of my boys wore and that they looked so adorable in. I just couldn't part with it. I only had to use a small piece to make this heart so I have a lot left to make several more. I know I won't be using seed beads this time as an embellishment. They weren't terribly easy to use. I had to put them on one...bead...at...a...time. Ugh! I had also mentioned some difficulty I was having getting the heart nicely rounded, but in spite of the challenges I think it turned out very well. I also really like the swiss dot (?) fabric I used for the top. This is actually from a blouse I bought at Goodwill. The ribbon is velvet and the mother-of-pearl buckle is from a favorite local shop, Retro Rosie . I had wanted to use a rhinestone buckle, but alas, I did not have one the right size.

We did several fun things this past week. Since I homeschool I like to do some fun things with my kids that are of an educational nature. This week we made butter and a volcano (not to be used together).

I remember sitting on the kitchen countertop as a little girl and making butter with my Mom. I also remember salting it do death when she left the room. I wanted to relive that memory without the excessive sodium overload. It was super easy. I felt like Laura Ingalls. Actually, I felt like Melissa Gilbert who played Laura Ingalls on the Little House on the Prairie television show because I got to enjoy indoor plumbing, air conditioning and store bought heavy cream while making it. Now this was supposed to be a fun project for the kids and myself; however, after a couple of shakes of the jar of cream the little ones ran off to find more exciting things to do. It tastes good, but once you refrigerate it it is just like regular butter in that it gets totally unspreadable. Makes me want one of those nifty Butter Bell Crocks I've read about before. Maybe one day.

The volcano was made possible by a sweet aunt and uncle this past Christmas. They also homeschool and knew we'd appreciate the gift. Plus what boy wouldn't love making his own lava? And doesn't my little man look too cute in the goggles?

Photo Transfer onto Tumbled Travertine Tile

2010-01-18T19:38:00.001-05:00

Just Make Something Monday #3

I’ve wanted to do this technique for a while now. I saw it when I was at a local scrap-booking store in St. Pete. They were doing it right before Christmas a couple of years ago. I went back later and got the directions and now I’m going to share them here.

Overall I really like the way it turned out. My sister-in-law will love it. This is her dog Lady. She passed away and this is the last photo my SIL took. The glow on her head makes her look so angelic. The photo was taken using her cell phone. She’s had difficulty getting a good copy of it so I think this will just make her so happy.

How To:

You’ll need:
· Tumbled travertine tile. - I purchased mine at Home Depot. You can get them in either 4”x4” or 6”x6”. This one is 6”x6”. Find tiles that are as smooth as possible since you will lose pieces of your image in the finishing stages wherever there is pitting. This tile would have been a loss if a pit had ended up in the middle of the eye.
· A copy of your photo cropped to the appropriate size on regular copy paper. - Rounding your corners is advised. **Image must be copied by a laser printer. **If you have access to a program that will flip your photo before you get your copy made you will want to do this because your image will come out as a mirror image if you don’t.
· Golden Regular Gel Medium (Matte)
· Golden Regular Gel Medium (Gloss) – You could probably use the Matte for the top coat if you don’t want a glossy finish
· Brayer

Now to get to it:

· I didn’t bother cleaning my tile, but I suppose it couldn’t hurt to give it a good wipe to dust it off.
· Apply Matte Medium to tile. I used a foam brush, but I don’t think it matters what kind of brush you use. Just make sure the coat stays wet until you adhere your photo.
· Invert and adhere (Photo should be face down on the tile) photo to tile using a brayer to lightly go over the back of it. Don’t go crazy. You don’t want any smearing if you smoosh or wiggle.
· Let dry for 4 hours. OR Bake in oven for 15 minutes at 150 degrees. I couldn’t get my oven to stay that low so I just opted to let it dry overnight since it was too late to finish it after 4 hours.
· Once it has dried (or baked) wet the top of the tile where the photo is until it is translucent. Gently rub paper off until you have removed as much as possible leaving the photo behind. Here’s where it gets scary. Especially when the photo areas over the pits start to come off. I let mine dry for a while in front of a fan and decided to wet it again to get more of the paper pulp off. It kept drying whitish. Eventually I got too worried that if I rubbed off any more I’d lose important parts of the photo so I went ahead and moved on to the next step hoping for the best.
· After it is dry apply the Gloss Medium. I used a nice soft brush for this part. I didn’t thin it, but I would advise thinning it a bit so you don’t see the brush strokes as much as mine shows. That’s something I’ll have to do next time. It actually dried much clearer with the medium on it. Nice and translucent. I think I may apply another coat in the opposite direction, thinning this time, and see if it helps with the lines from the brush.
· Let dry. Mine still shows a little bit of whiteness from where I wasn’t aggressive enough, but I’d rather have it that way than to have lost any more of the photo.

Here’s another view so you can see more of the texture of the tile and the thickness.

Have Fun!

Making Memories and Heart Pillows

2010-01-16T18:14:00.000-05:00

It worked! I finished my Just Make Something Monday project so it is all ready to post in a couple of days (and ready to give to my sister-in-law).

Right now I'm just hanging out with my boys while Dad and big sis are at Winter Jam. I would have loved to have gone with them. They'll be seeing Third Day, Newsboys, New Song, Tenth Avenue North, Fireflight and more. Maybe the three of us will go next year. Someone had to stay with the little monkeys this year though and seeing as how I'm so good at monkey-wrangling I was the natural choice. Actually, my husband is passionate about music (and he's an awesome monkey-wrangler too). It truly feeds his soul and right now we both know he needs that. It's also a great time for a 12 year old girl and her Dad to bond over a common interest. I'll be looking forward to hearing EVERY detail from her when she gets home. Memories. Gotta love 'em.

If I get time later I am going to keep working on some mini heart pillows I'm trying to figure out. I just can't seem to get the tops as round as I would like. The picture in my head is just dying to come out. Any suggestions?

Just Make Something Monday #2

2010-01-11T23:37:00.001-05:00

I'm going to quickly get this photo on here before the clock strikes midnight.

Apparently, making one thing a week isn't as easy as one might think.
At least not one who home schools or one whose husband is going through some major work stress. Not one who downloaded 2,700+ pictures earlier in the week and whose computer is threatening a blow-up if I don't do something about the overuse of space. Not one whose original plan just didn't work out...yet. And so much more. Oh...so...much...more.

Just to keep myself up to date I wanted to make sure I made something, even if it is a bit lame. I loved my high school art class, but I wasn't the best and being the firstborn perfectionist that I am I let it get to me and I stopped drawing. (Rose was the best and I sure hope she has done something with her "better-than-me" talent or all my inner angst has been for naught). I haven't drawn anything in forever. So, with limited time I decided to give it a go. Really it's just a glorified sketch. I think it is a sketch with a lot of potential though. I'd really like to do it as a mixed-media collage. It won't be my next JMSM (Just Make Something Monday) project though. I hope to get my original plan back in motion and use that instead. However, if the collage house works out fabulously it will be in the mix soon.

By the way... I won't be blogging about food for awhile. It's for my own protection really. Our church just started a 3 week fast and my husband and I are on board with only eating vegetables and fruits, with no additives except seasoning and I don't mean with butter. We know it will be worth it, but in the meantime I'm staying away from the Pioneer Woman's food tab on her blog. Today I saw Potatoes Au Gratin and about fainted.

Okay, I'm actually three, four minutes late getting this post in, but I know...I hope you'll forgive me. Alright, now it's five minutes.

My Favorite Meal

2010-01-05T22:09:00.000-05:00

So, last night we had my very favorite meal. I don't know what I would do if I ever lost the recipe. Actually, I've made it so many times I don't think I could forget how to make it. I love it's history too.

Once upon a time there was a young newlywed who was having her in-laws over for dinner for the first time. Having not had a lot of cooking experience that didn't involve cans or boxes as the main portion of the meal, she was uncertain as to what she should do. Never fear. Two precious angels, married, but not so newly, shared a time-tested recipe of their own after hearing about the newlywed's plight. So while the young wife rang up their purchases at the small retail clothing store, the angels wrote down the directions. Later joy rang out in the small apartment dining room where the food was blessed and delight shone from the faces of all present. It was a meal that made the young girl feel like a woman. It was a right-of-passage that would give her a desire to continue to find other meals that would warm the stomachs and feed the memories of her family for many years to come.

This is seriously good. I can't imagine anyone not liking it, but if you don't please refrain from telling me so so I can continue to live in my fairytale food world.

But just look at it. Doesn't it make you hungry?

Blessed Pot Roast

2 1/2 lbs. Beef Round Eye Round Roast - A bigger roast is fine if your crock pot has room.

2 cans french onion soup

2 or 3 T. Worchestershire Sauce
2 or 3 t. Beef bouillon

Garlic powder to taste

Salt & Pepper to taste

Potatoes and Carrots, peeled and cut into large bite-sized chunks - As many a you want and you'll want a lot. They are my favorite part.

Put roast in crock pot with the layer of fat on top. Add soup, Worchestershire, bouillon, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Put in potatoes and carrots. Add enough water to just barely cover everything. Cook in crock pot on low overnight or at least 8 hours.

To serve put meat on a separate platter and cut into 1/2 inch slabs against the grain. I like to have my roast with rice so I always make enough to put a couple of heaping tablespoon-fulls in the bottom of each bowl. On top of rice add potatoes, carrots and meat broken up into bite-sized pieces. Top everything with juice from the pot. So yummy you're almost guaranteed to eat too much. The vegetables are so tender and delicious I could eat them all by themselves. Yum!

Just Make Something Monday and Food

2010-01-04T22:20:00.000-05:00

My first Just Make Something Monday. Yay!!!

I love how my sons birthday card turned out. I actually saw something like this at my, somewhat, local scrapbook store and memorized the gist of it to sketch when I got back to the car. They probably would have let me take a photo, but I wanted it to have more of me to it.

The Shrimp & Corn Chowder last night was a success! Amazingly enough everyone loved it. That's pretty impressive for my bunch. Thank you Dodie! It was super easy to make. We'll definitely be making it again soon.

Ze Recipe:

Shrimp & Corn Chowder

2 (10 3/4 oz.) cans cream of potato soup
1 1/2 cans milk (use soup can for measuring)
1 (3 oz.) cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) can canned corn, drained
2 c. frozen shrimp
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 c. scallions
1 clove garlic

Cook cayenne, scallions and garlic in butter, until tender. Add soup, milk, cream cheese, canned corn and shrimp. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, continue cooking on simmer for 10 minutes. Serves 4 to 6.

Delicious and delicious. Super easy too.

Tonight we had my most favorite Crock Pot Pot Roast. So yummy! I've been making this one for a long time. Pictures and recipe tomorrow.

Oh my goodness! It has taken me forever to figure out how to get these photos in here.
Time for nite-nite.

Happy New Year - Almost

2010-01-03T00:14:00.000-05:00

Well, the new year has begun, but at our house it doesn't really feel like it until school starts back and my hub goes back to work. So we're still being lazy and enjoying one of the few cold times that we'll experience here in Florida each year. Tomorrow I'll be making a nice Shrimp and Corn Chowder from my lovely friend Dodie. Then in the evening I'm going to get my favorite pot roast started in my new crock pot from my in-laws (XOXO). We'll eat that Monday. It'll be the perfect end to our first day back on a schedule.

I'm not making any resolutions this year. It's too disappointing when I get further into the year and realize I've totally forgotten about them. I am planning to do something crafty every week though. I love to make things and I just don't make the time to so I'm going to start my Just Make Something Mondays. I'll work on something either throughout the week on I might just throw something together on Monday if I run out of time, but I'll still make something. I'll post it on Monday to keep myself accountable. I'm already busy, for me, but I really want to do this. It's a part of myself that I've been neglecting for too long. Of course, this means that I need to get the 2,796 photos off of my camera. Yeah, 2,796! A whole years worth. Crazy!

Hello Blog World!

2009-12-19T00:24:00.000-05:00

Is it okay to love the name of your blog?
It is so perfect … for me.
I chose it for several reasons. Would you like to know what they are?

Well, you must have said yes. Here goes …

1. Anyone that knows me knows how not on the ball I am, but I would like to be. Actually, I might have some of my friends and family fooled in this area, but I know better. I have a couple of friends who are so together. They are superwomen. They make lists as long as mine and actually complete them!! They thrive on getting things done and they do so wonderfully. I’m hoping this blog will be a place of accountability for me. I know what needs to be done, but alas, I am a bit lazy. Actually, I’m not lazy, I’m just overwhelmed by all the things I want to do. It makes it so hard to choose sometimes. So hard that I often find myself doing nothing because all that thinking starts to give me a headache. It’s so much easier to just do something that only takes a small amount of brain- power like watching TV, reading other blogs, crafting or reading. All things I love to do, but I think I’d love getting things done more. Then I’d feel free to indulge in those other things because I’d feel like I’d earned them.
*Anyway, main purpose…get on the ball.

2. How totally cool is it that we are floating on a ball in space? The thought always leaves me in awe. It really brings tears to my eyes sometimes. Only one ball with people on it in all the universe. Out of all the potential babies that could have been born to my parents God chose me. How lucky am I?
*Living on a ball!!!

3. The great banner that I plan on making for my blog. In my mind it looks great. I just hope it looks as good in real life. Hopefully, it won’t take me too long to do it and figure out how to get it on here.
*Nifty banner to come.

I’m not real sure how this whole thing will pan out. Only time will tell. At the very least I will have had fun.