life in general

chicks & doilies

Living in an apartment with all of your possessions in storage has it's pros and cons

pro: living with less stuff is actually liberating.  Less stuff to clean, organize, and worry about.

con: when you need something it is buried 15 feet deep in a storage unit.  Like, Easter decorations.

But really, I am embracing this new-found life of simplicity and just forgetting about all that other stuff.  Out of sight, out of mind.  If it's not in the apartment already I don't need it!

And to maintain our simple lifestyle I have made a commitment to refrain from purchasing new stuff -- decor, knick knacks, etc.  We are comfortable with what we have, the basics, and I really really do not want to bring anything else into our space.

So back to the Easter decorations.  And every other holiday going forward.

My plan is to go homemade, on the cheap, disposable.  Perfect.

I pinned a few Easter craft ideas and chose this one to do with the kids -- Spring Chicks

A bath sponge for painting the body

Markers for beak & legs

And googly eyes for . . . eyes.

Conner got a little creative with his chicks.

This is "Robin Egg".  He steals eggs from the rich chickens to give to the poor chickens.

The second chick he made is holding a stick of dynamite.

Later I punched holes to the cards and strung them on yarn, stapled a few doilies, and wah-la!

A spring chick banner to adorn our dining area for Easter weekend.

The tablecloth came here with us.  Do you recognize it from here?  I trimmed the fabric and hemmed it (the sewing machine is not in storage) so it would fit our 40" square table.  I think the remnants will be turned into a pennant banner.

I think it turned out pretty cute.  And the kids loved seeing their artwork displayed this way.

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I had my heart set on picking up some yellow daffodils at the grocery store for our Easter table.  This time of year I can usually get 3 bunches for $5 at our local Safeway back in Oregon.

But sadly, there are no daffodils at the grocery store here.

The mums and daisies worked out beautifully (and cost a pretty penny)

But they just aren't daffodils.  {sigh}  

I guess we traded color on the ground (tulips, daffodils, peonies, hydrangeas, roses, rhododendrons, giant hanging flower baskets) . . . . for color in the sky (blue!).

sharing a piece of christmas

I know everyone has taken down the tree, packed up the decorations, and said goodbye to another Christmas season . . . but wait!  I have one more thing I want to share before I forget.

Several months ago we discussed plans for my in-laws to join us for Christmas after the move.  But the move never happened ;) so we've post-poned our Christmas gathering for a year.  In lieu of being together for Christmas I decided that I would share a piece of our Christmas with them each day.

It begins with 25 cards and 25 envelopes

At the end of each day in December I printed a photo, wrote a little note (or recruited one of the kids to write a note) about something that happened that day, and mailed it off.  Simple and, I think, very meaningful.  

I know they looked forward to checking the mailbox each day for a new card.  Maybe even competing to be the first one to find it?  ;)

I also put together this gift of letters for my parents 2 years ago . . . the first year that they were empty-nesters (4 kids married and one on a mission).  I know that Christmas is extra magical when there are small children involved.  By sharing pieces of our Christmas all month long (sitting on santa's lap, christmas piano recitals, cub scout service projects, etc.) I hope that they got a taste of that kind of magic as well.

(I promise there were 25 envelopes to begin with . . . I just took this picture 10 days into the project.)

To do the project . . . . 

• Gather 25 envelopes and 25 note-cards
• Stamp the numbers 1-25 on the note-card AND the outside of the envelope.  This is important because sometimes a few cards might show up in the mail at once (after a weekend) so they need to know which card to open first.

I stamped my numbers with red paint and while it was still wet I sprinkled glitter over the top.  This is definitely an assembly line kind of project.  And it is so helpful to just take an hour and prep the cards ahead of time so they are ready to grab when you need them.  Once my cards were done I placed them in a picture frame stand and set it on my kitchen counter.  It was good to have them sitting out as a visual reminder each day.

I always enjoy this project -- it is something meaningful, thoughtful, and from the heart.  Plus, who doesn't love receiving something in the mail?

I can see myself doing it again in the future.  The same idea would work for a missionary, cousins, long-distance friend, college student, etc . . . . whoever you are missing at Christmastime and might appreciate some extra holiday cheer. 

on the 3rd day of christmas break

day one - clean the house day

day two - drive mom to the brink so she decides to take you swimming to get your energy out day

day three - project day

day four - chillin' day and pick up dad day

and here we are on day five - sugar cookie day.  I need to get started on those.

Just wanted to share a few quick pictures from day three - project day.

Some candy cane reindeer that turned out a little freaky.  That's how my kids roll.

Felt christmas trees.  The stand didn't work out, but we were okay with that.

The boys attended to a few science experiments that involved luminol, copper sulfate, hydrogen peroxide, baking soda . . . you know, all those harmless household chemicals and solvents.

I was the cutter and Anna was the painter . . . 

so that we could create these jingle bell flowers.

And I played with all this . . . 

so I could create this . . . 

Note to self: Clean your windows.  And do not look directly into the sun.  I nearly burned out my retinas trying to get a photo from this angle.

I quite like the pom-poms.  They are attached to the bottom of the blinds so they go up and down as sun protection is needed in the kitchen.  

Okay, now I really need to get to the sugar cookies.  Have a great day!

jewelry organizer

For the longest time the art of accessorizing has alluded me.  I always like the look on other people, but couldn't figure out how to do it on me.  Slowly I've figured out what I like and in the process I've amassed a large (for me) collection of jewelry.  But in that process I have not figured out a way to organize or store it all!  For a while my dresser has looked like this . . . 

and that's just scratching the surface of what resides in various boxes here and there.

Using inspiration from online I decided to make a wall organizer for some of my necklaces.  I bought the basic materials months ago, and last week I decided to finally make it happen.

Nothing fancy, but it works.

Here's how I did it.  And believe me, there is really nothing fancy going on here with the assembly.  Duct tape was involved.  Lots of it.

I couldn't find hooks in silver, so I was stuck with brass.  I used some spray primer and metallic paint that I already had in the garage to pretty them up.  (I only used the primer because the metallic paint was running super low and I wasn't sure how much coverage I was going to get out of it.)

I envisioned using a piece of plywood or MDF as the backing for this project.  But I had neither.  What I did have was a foam core poster-board.  So with my trusty xacto knife I cut it down to 12x16.  This was after using the poster-board as my painting surface.

Then I laid it down on a piece of burlap, snipped the corners, and proceeded to affix the burlap with duct tape.

The burlap-covered foam board fit perfectly inside the picture frame.  But there was no way I was getting the frame backing to pop back in.  Enter more duct tape.

And thanks to my beautiful prop assistant.  As you can see, the foam board is help in entirely by duct tape.  I considered gluing it in there, but I didn't want it to be so permanent.

Next comes hook placement,

Now that I see it on the wall, with necklaces, I wish that I had put my top row up a little higher.  There's just a smidge too much white space.  But I can deal with it.

I knew the hooks would screw easily into the foam board, but I wasn't sure if they would hold over time with the weight of the jewelry.  Only time will tell.  To give me some insurance I added a few drops of E-6000 glue (the best, strongest, all-purpose glue ever) around the screw before installing it.

Everything is lining up well . . . 

And now it's time to hang it on the wall!  But wait, the thickness of the foam board wouldn't allow me to get the frame backing (with hardware) to pop back into place.  How will we hang it on the wall?  Don't worry, I have a little secret.

BEHOLD!! . . . 3M Velcro picture hanging strips!

They are awesome.

And now I have a pretty jewelry organizer hanging in my bathroom!

I really like it.  And I especially like that I have enough necklaces to display that coordinate with my bathroom color scheme.  Coincidence?  :)  Silver and aqua/turquoise are my favorite colors for accessorizing.

from a little spark

Beauty.  Inspiration.  Creativity.  Friendship.  Shared passion.  Art.  Warm smiles.  Open minds.  Spark.

I just had the most unique and wonderful opportunity this weekend to be a part of an event that encompasses all of these things.

Spark No. 3

In a word it was . . . . amazing.  And I’m not using that word lightly.  Every aspect from the decorations, to the classes, to the talented instructors, to the gifts & swag, to the warmth & love & humor from the wonderful event coordinator Margie, to the gorgeous fall sunshine . . . all amazing.

Imagine 200 creative women gathered together for 2 days, learning from each other, challenging themselves, keeping their minds open with new art/craft media placed in front of them and creating space for creativity to come in, sharing the things they love . . . . 

I found myself over and over again tearing up as I thought on all the beauty and inspiration that I got to be a part of. I felt so so blessed and lucky.  It was an amazing thing to be surrounded by creatively minded women who were willing and happy to share their Spark.  The teachers shared their hearts and passion with us -- 

• a cute single woman who tried out a simple idea, people (and celebrities) loved it, and it turned into a successful business
• a beautiful mom from Hurricane, UT who just loves to create and beautify everything around her without a blog / FB / or any type of social media to promote herself
• a mother of 7 who, after the tragic death of her father (major goosebumps just thinking about it), was inspired to get back into art and is seriously rocking it
• an Aussie mother  with dreads (a.k.a. Mother Earth) who shared her soothing style of creativity

Such a diverse group, women from literally all across the country, and even a group that made their way from Japan.  Margie let us know that we were all Spark Sisters now.  And it’s true -- there was definitely a sense of connection and camaraderie there.  It almost felt like girls camp!  (I half expected there to be a testimony meeting on saturday night!)  The love was flowing and it was good.

From the moment we pulled into the parking lot we knew this was going to be something special.

And I say "we" because I was accompanied by my dear friend, Jenn.

You can't tell, but her top sparkles.  She got lots of compliments on that, even getting called out of the crowd by Margie during the morning announcements.

The main hall was chock full of whimsical, vintage, creative awesome-ness.

Those floating orbs?  Paper lanterns covered with sewing pattern tissue paper, and plumbers tubing wrapped in fabric.

Ribbon and yarn and pom poms strung from the rafters, tickets and die cut papers sewn into garlands . . . 

And then the tables - a large jar decopauged with paper doilies & the number 3, tissue paper flowers, a roll of tickets, a small cake stand with a ball of yarn, and a stack of books stamped with "spark."

Waiting at our tables were special journals and memory keepers from Paper Coterie.  Two or 3 times a day we were gifted with products from sponsors and yummy treats (the cake bites from Sweet Tooth Fairy are to die for!).  Talk about spoiled.

It's all the little touches that made this so special.  Like . . . 200 nametags, each one a totally unique handmade collage of flowers, buttons, ticket stubs, and ephemera.  And . . . class supplies packaged in brown paper bags with a paper doily.  Just because.  And little tote bags filled with a few goodies, cute on its own, but they took the time to sew a length of ruffled fabric across the top and embellish with funky ribbons & fibers.  These are my kind of people.

And I haven't even gotten to the classes!  This is where coming with an open mind, willing to go with the flow, and as Donna Downey taught us "keeping forward motion" really pays off toward having a good, stress-free experience.  Come, enjoy, and just soak it all in.

I have to admit I was a little worried about the art classes.  I'm not an art person.  My brain likes structure & rules but I tried to keep myself open.  After a serious mental block for the first chunk of class I finally let go and was able to create this with pan pastels.

One of my favorite classes was a mixed media art project -- I loved the end result that came from this creative mess.

{ she had a creative soul }

I also learned how carve my own stamps (so fun!), I used reverse applique to create a cute spark t-shirt, we embellished and tore apart old books to make a junk journal, I learned how to make felted soap with merino wool, and I made bird nest jewelry.

7 highly creative projects in just 2 days.  That's a winner.

Oh, and I can't forget the concert saturday night by Sarah Sample.  I'm loving listening to her mellow folk music.

On Friday morning we had a creative workshop taught by Mindy Gledhill.  She asked us to answer this question in our journals:  What do you want to get out of this weekend?

I wrote:  rejuvenation.  creative morsels.  see how others create.  test myself.  practice being open to opportunities & experiences.

I think I was able to accomplish just that.  And spend some pre-move de-stressing time with a good friend (but we are not "kiss on the lips kind of friends" -- Margie has one of those).  ;)  I am more than ready to jump back into my creative life and family life fueled with motivation, desire, and purpose.

Thank you Spark.  I hope that we will meet again.

pajama glam party - details

The 6th birthday is a party year for us (we throw parties for ages 6, 9, 12 or 13, and 16) so Anna needed a party!

And I had a lot going on in our lives so I needed help!  Enter One Charming Party and Pinterest!  One Charming Party was perfect for me . . . I purchased their Pajama Glam party guide (a 50 page PDF) and I was good to go.  It includes beautiful photography with ideas, recipes, & instructions for decorations, party games, food, party favors, photo ops, etc.  Everything you would need to put together an awesome party.  And it also included printable invitations, cupcake toppers, thank you cards, place cards, and a cute note/poem for the favor.  I was able to throw together a great party without thinking too hard which is exactly what I needed.

The theme for this party was Pajama Glam.  Basically it's a mock pajama party where you have all the fun of a sleepover (games, pajamas, breakfast, etc.), but everyone goes home for the night.  It was very girly and fun.  I think it would work for almost all ages of girls.  

To get things started on the right foot I made a tissue flower wreath to put on the front door.  I always love hanging something special on the door for parties.  It helps to set the tone.

The table set-up . . . roses picked from my yard, white feathers, and acrylic jewels garnished the table.

The place-setting . . . a white doily placed beneath a glass plate (idea via pinterest) to give the meal a delicate and special feeling.  The name cards came from the OCP (I added the jewel).  See the cup of blueberries on the left -- later we topped those off with whipped cream.  I found these cups in a 6-pack at the the Dollar Tree.  They were so cute!

Cupcake toppers from OCP - again, I added a jewel.  I baked yellow cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting and finally pulled out my Pampered Chef Easy Accent Decorator to make the frosting look pretty.  Both the pink and polka dot cupcake liners came from Bake It Pretty.  Such a fun shop.

I also served mini powdered donut in cupcake liners -- a super cute and simple idea I found on pinterest.

In the family room I made and hung tissue paper pom poms and a balloon garland from the ceiling.  Relatively easy, super cheap, and it gives a great impact.  I got the balloon garland idea from pinterest -- in this pin they threaded a needle with thread through the nubbies of the balloon.  I simply got some twine and tied it around each one, trying to evenly space them out.  It didn't take very long at all.

That's all for now . . . a post on the party festivities coming next!

sew loose

Anna has a loose tooth.  And it is freaking her out.

It's been "loose" for about a month.  Or so she's been telling us.  Today I wiggled it and it is pretty loose, but not quite ready to come out.

She ate some string cheese for lunch and must have bit into it wrong because it sent her into a tizzy.  Freaking out, hysteria, tears, "my tooth is loose!  I want it out now!  Mom, help me!"  I tested it, but told her it wasn't ready yet.  She went crying throughout the house and even asked her brothers to help her.  There were no takers.

Then we were getting ready to go to the pool and she started panicking.  "Mom!  We have to pull out my tooth before we go swimming because it might fall out in the swimming pool!"

Mid-afternoon her fears escalated again and this time I tried to pull it out (with no luck), so she could see that it wasn't going to budge.  She even tried to pull it out herself.

Dinnertime.  "But I can't eat my pizza because my tooth is loose!"

Oh, dear.  This is starting to get really old.

Throughout the day I told her that I would make her a tooth fairy pillow.  A pillow with a little pocket for her tooth.  She liked that idea.  And as long as she knew that her tooth couldn't come out until the pillow was ready, maybe that would help her be a little patient.  For at least a few hours.

So she picked out some fabric and I got to work.  While I was cutting the fabric she told me that she wanted to learn how to sew.  Recently I had seen the most adorable vintage sewing party for a 7 year old, so I knew just the project to give her.

A little piece of fabric.  A monogram cut from felt.  And a needle and thread.

At first she was a little nervous about getting poked by the needle.  So I told her just to be careful and keep her eye on the needle.  Halfway through the project she excitedly said, "Mom!  The needle poked my finger but it didn't hurt!"

She was so proud of her finished project.  And she should be, she was a pro!  After smiling for this picture she went rummaging through the junk drawer for scotch tape because she needed to hang it up in her room.  The perfect spot? . . . . her bedroom door.  "That way if people come to my door and they don't know whose room it is they'll just look at the 'a' and know that it is my room!"

And I finished my project too . . . 

  (it was her idea to pretend like she was sleeping in the photo.)

In her bedtime prayers she said, "Please bless that my tooth can fall out and the tooth fairy will come and that I can get a dollar."

Keep wiggling, and you'll get your wish.

a room just for me

When we first moved into this house my scrapbook desk, shelves, and computer shared the guest room.  It worked, but after a year or so I moved stuff into a small empty bedroom upstairs.  Ever since then I have had grand plans of showing off this space on my blog because I just plain love it.  But then I'd start a project and the piles would grow, eventually I'd find the time to organize and get through about half of the clutter, and then it would grow again, and so forth and so forth.

Basically, my visions of getting this room to a state of neatness where I felt I could take pictures to show it off have never materialized.

Then my mom asked me to take a few pictures of my workspaces & decor for an article she was doing on Blissful.  I'm always happy to help.  So to get my room picture ready I employed the following tactic -- Move piles from point A to point B - take a picture of A - return piles to A.  Move piles from point B to point A - take a picture of point B - return piles to B.

So, because I don't see a massive overhaul of this room in the near future (maybe a project for next fall?) I'm sharing the pictures I do have.  Because this is as good as it gets.

You come into the room and on the right wall you see this:

I love this work table from IKEA -- it's a stainless steel kitchen island, the UTBY.  I use it for stand-up work.  Love the open shelves, the industrial look, the sturdiness.  The bucket/rail system and picture frames are from IKEA.  Baskets are from assorted locations.

I love love love this black scroll frame.  In fact, I have 2 of them in my house.  I got the idea for the photo collage from Heidi Swapp's blog yonks ago.  The top wood frame includes several phrases and sentiments from Ali Edwards for encouragement in the creative process:  it is ok // embrace imperfection // simplify // don't make it more complicated than it needs to be // have fun // celebrate the everyday // share yourself. tell your story.

The bottom wood frame includes a quote and a little piece of ric rac:  Every morning is a fresh beginning.  Every day is the world made new.  Today is a new day. Today is my world made new. I have lived all my life up to this moment, to come to this day. This moment - this day - is as good as any moment in all eternity. I shall make of this day - each moment of this day - a heaven on earth. This is my day of opportunity.  -Dan Custer

Then in front of you and to your left I have two desks that come to an L-shape with the printer in the corner.  The right desk (not pictured) holds my computer.  And the left desk has more crafty purposes.

Desks and shelves are from the Container Store.  I tried to keep the room mostly neutral - white, black, cream, grey - and add a few punches of red and pink.  I had plans to make a new cover for the vinyl machine, but I changed my mind.  The blue will stay.

And in case you were wondering . . . . . wall color:  Mascarpone (Pottery Barn) and black chalkboard paint.

Ironically enough, my mom's Blissful article was titled, "How to Organize Home Office Clutter."  I definitely need to take her advice and put it into action.  I especially like this tip

Helpful things to gather before tackling the project --   A friend - that can help you stay on track and to have fun conversation with.  Even the worst jobs seem better with a friend to help.

Love it.  Does someone want to come over and be my de-cluttering friend?  :)

dress to skirt refashion

Months ago I came across the most ingenious sewing project.  It lit a little light bulb in my head as I realized all the possibilities.  This weekend I finally got around to making it happen.

The idea is to take a perfectly fine little girl's dress that has gotten a little too small . . . . . 

(Anna, May 2009)

and stretch it's life by turning it into a skirt . . . . 

(Anna, today)

Basically, you can take any empire waisted dress that has some gathering, cut off the top (I cut it right at the seam), sew a casing and add elastic.  Wah-la!  It's a new skirt!  This was perfect because I still loved the dress, the colors, and the stripes.  The bodice, though, had gotten a little too tight on this girl.  Now we can enjoy this skirt for quite a while to come.

yarn bowls

Okay, here's how it goes.  It's super easy and just a little bit messy.  ;)

Supplies:  yarn + glue + bowl

Prep:  Cover a bowl with plastic wrap.  Or use a balloon as your form.  (I think these look pretty.)  Cut yarn into long, but manageable, pieces.  Pour glue into a bowl.

Method:  Dip yarn into glue.  Use your fingers to squeeze off the excess glue.  Place the yarn on your bowl however you like.  Let dry overnight.

*Once the bowls were constructed I considered brushing on some liquid starch (just to help stiffen the yarn) but I didn't get around to it.

The kids had a fun time with this project.  Actually, I should back up and give the real account.  At first everyone freaked out over the glue.  Once the initial shock was over Conner got into a rhythm and really enjoyed this project -- he lasted the longest and put a lot of focused effort into it.  

The other two needed help from time to time.  One of them had a freak-out, but returned to finish the bowl the way he wanted it and I tried my best to step back and let it be.  Let it be.  And it turned out just fine.

The other one loved the project, repeatedly complimented everyone's "awesome" bowls, and made a good effort until she ran out of steam and I finished the bowl.  Simply because I couldn't let it be.  And she was more than happy for me to help.

Bottom line . . . it kept them busy for an hour, yes there was lots of hand-washing and wiping but the mess was contained to 1/2 of the dining table (not too bad), and they all ended with a project they were proud of.

and it was all yellow

I have long been in the mood for a party.  

For the decorating, the details, the themes, the food . . . all of it.  Something happy, something to plan for, something to be creative with.

And I think I can account this craving to two things . . . . 

1. This has been a long, cold, rainy winter.  I swear, it feels like the longest winter we have experienced in all our years here.  We finally touched 60 degrees last week.  That set an record for the latest first-60 of the year.  Ever.  And there were 28 days in March with measurable rainfall (also a new record).  You get the picture.
2. I discovered pinterest.

Just in time there was a birthday coming up, she thought a lunch date would be nice, and I said "I'll do it!"  Within an evening I had the whole thing planned out.  Can you tell I was just a little excited?

The theme is yellow . . . 

tablecloth: Target

I love this little ribbon + doily trim.  This piece of yellow grosgrain ribbon came to our house on a birthday gift and I saved it in my stash.  After ironing out the wrinkles I sewed little paper doilies (folded in half) along one edge.  With the help of some double stick tape I adhered it to the lip of my kitchen island.

Cake stand (about to be holding mini yellow cupcakes):  Costco

Hanging above the island . . . . tissue pom poms from party city.  And a ribbon dowel inspired by this party.

Mason jars served as glasses for our delicious Brazilian lemonade with lots of ice.  Yum!  Refreshing, sweet, and just a touch of creamy.  (Thanks to sweetened condensed milk).  Blue striped paper straws - so fun!  

paper straws: Shop Sweet Lulu - I didn't get my straws from here, but I'll definitely be shopping here in the future for party supplies.

Following a lunch of paninis, we enjoyed some cupcake fondue.  Doesn't that sound fun?  Well this post (found via pinterest) looked like a lot of fun, so we decided to try it.  (The frosting fondue isn't meant to be kept warm -- but you can use a fondue pot just for looks.)  Toppings included sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, coconut, and chopped peanuts.

yellow tray: Target

*all pics taken before lunch-goers arrived.

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guess what?   . . . . . . . .  The sun is shining today!  And it's going to shine tomorrow!  And saturday!

valentine subway art

So has anyone else noticed the DIY subway art trend pop up in a big way?  I think Tater Tots and Jell-O was the first place I saw it last year.  And she did her project with a Valentine theme.  She gives a great tutorial, but I went with a slightly different and less time consuming method.  Vinyl lettering.  :)

My steps:

1.  Paint 8x10 canvas.

2.  Adhere vinyl lettering.

3.  Apply a thin coat of matte mod podge. (My vinyl lettering wasn't in love with the canvas, so I added a top coat of mod podge to seal everything on.)

I love how it turned out!  Fun Valentine decor, but understated enough to go in my front living room.

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I made 2 additional canvases for the first two ladies on my Facebook "Pay it Forward" list -- Alicia & Nykki.  Watch your mailboxes, because it is on it's way!

a little whimsy

  

Purchased online . . . . a cute dress that is just a little too short.

The task . . . . make cute dress wearable for my modest tastes and add a touch of whimsy.

The solution . . . a homemade slip (that is supposed to peek out) inspired by this one.

Cost for supplies  . . . less than $10.

The final look . . . .

 
{dress and cropped cardigan, Old Navy; shoes, Steve Madden}

It needs one more tier of eyelet lace, so I'll be picking some up tomorrow.

Still playing to find the right combination & balance of accessories:  earrings, necklace, cuff bracelet.  And I probably won't decide until the day of the event.  The dress suggestion is "Garden Girly" and I think I'm just about there.

in the thick of it

some lucky, last place finishing, pinewood derby racing Cub Scout is going to be the proud owner of this Flat Tire Award tonight.  I don't do themed cakes, so I am pretty impressed that I was able to pull this off.

 

78 flags made from white and teal fabric and a bolt of burlap have been sitting on an ironing board in my kitchen for a few days now (er, week).  Waiting for me to finish them into a pendant banners.  Just be patient, your turn will come.

 

Because right now I am in the thick of preparing for Anna's preschool Easter party.  On one hand it's nice that no one came to the planning meeting because I can just do whatever I want.  But on the other hand, some help would have been lovely.

 

What am I saying . . .  I'm sure I still would have taken all this work on myself!

I feel like I've been immersed in the "create" mode lately.  Which is good.  Because creating brings happiness, right?

spring is in the air - winner

It's a little after 8pm, Sunday night as I begin to write this post.  Snickerdoodle cookie at my side and the boys are still chatting away in their bedroom.  It's been a good Sunday.  Got to sleep in until 7:30, wore my new cardigan to church (so fun to see I was twinsies with one of the YW), enjoyed a juicy Omaha Steak hamburger for dinner, and turned & pressed about 70 teal and white pennant flags while the kids played Super Mario Galaxy on the Wii. 

And now it's time to announce a winner.  Thanks for all your spring comments!  Everything you mentioned from tulips, to cadbury mini eggs, to sunshine & fresh air . . . . are among my favorite parts of spring.  It's just a happy season.

Here is the prize.  Something springy, cute, and not too fancy.  :)

 

And thanks to the Random Number Generator here is the winner . . . . comment number 6:

elisha -- I always enjoy reading your blog . . I love Spring it's my favorite time of year.  Everything comes alive and it smells so fresh and clean especially after a nice rain.  It's not too cold and not too hot it's the perfect tie fo the year for fun. . .

Yay!  Congrats Elisha!  E-mail me your address and I will pop this into the mail tomorrow.

You'll be getting one cute bag of Peeps . . . . 

 

I love this adorable idea.  You can download the bag toppers here.  Elisha - let me know your preference:  blue, pink, or yellow.  

You'll also find 3 little vinyl birdies in blue, pink, and black.  Here's what a I did with a couple of them around my house . . . . 

 

And finally a springy card with a photo of my tulips that I took years ago.  (Try to spy Conner writing with sidewalk chalk in the background.)

Enjoy your spring goodies and to everyone, have a happy spring!