Valentine Cards

We've been hard at work today doing a craft. Yay! Finally, I can say we messed the house doing something fun rather than the usual books and bags everywhere. Today it was pretty paper and popcorn and hole punch circles everywhere. The kids have 55 valentines to bring to school- collectively. Yikes! And can anyone attest to the gaudy and gross valentine cards for kids to send out sold at the local big store?

Of course that means we needed to break out the craft supplies and see what we had to work with. S decided to write every one in class a note and decorate them with stamps. She worked furiously until shower time in the evening.

C decided he's help stuff baggies of popcorn and let me write the names of all the kids on paint chips from that big store. I love using paint chip cards for projects. But of course I can't turn this picture around so I can properly show you. They are tied with my coveted baker's twine. They would have been much better if they were red and white stripped paper baggies. But I've got zero time to get those.

S's turned out cute, too. I had to photo booth this shot, which actually turned out much clearer than my camera. Oh. When I get into some money I'm going to have a lovely camera that makes everything look gorgeous.

Total cost of this project: $4.00 . Not bad for 55 valentines. And a couple of sore fingers from hole punching and tying.

Teacher Gifts- Crafty and Frugal

We often have 4-5 teachers to gift for on different occasions. Usually for the main teachers and aides. We've given out chocolates before, coffee, and hand sewn tissue holders by mama. This time I decided to let the kids completely do the gifts on their own- ish. I usually save cans, yogurt cups, jars, etc. for projects for the kids.

The kids gathered several jars and cans. We cut up some scrapbook paper and glued them to the jars and cans. We used a slightly diluted elmers glue. We ran out of decoupage glue, which would have made the vases look nicer. We used a generous amount of glue per paper strip and the kids covered their teachers vases. The cans worked better with the elmers glue.

We let them dry for a day. After dinner today we went out to our yard and picked Rosemary, Lambs Ear, Cat Mint, Oregano, and Lemon Balm and the kids made their arrangements. They turned out pretty sweet. I don't really want to take them off the garden window. I guess we'll have to make some for the house, too! Cheap and crafty- just how I like it!

Crib Rail Protector

It appears my little guy is really coming into his own. He' s a little ball of personality, at least at home. Like most babies he quiets when others are around. I've noticed lately when his feelings get hurt he goes and lays face down on the floor and then belts out this real sad cry. Loudly. He then will flop around like a fish on the floor. Like having a little fit! At almost 13 months! This is too soon, no? What could possibly make him so mad? Well, things like dad taking back his blackberry, only having one toothbrush in hand- not 2. You know stuff that really ticks babies off. And the little "fit" is very short lived. After I have a laugh (to myself) at watching his display I go and comfort him and he's then distracted by something else.

The other day he would not-go-down for a nap. period. Part of the weaning process I guess. But I did EVERYTHING in my power to claim just a wee few minutes to myself. Finally, I let him cry. In the crib. I just need 2 hands to do certain chores around the house, like get firewood from outside. Generally, I can do most things while holding him if I absolutely have to. So, I let him cry in his safe crib for, oh- 5-7 minutes. Not very long at all. (but also something I rarely do)

When I came back. Boy, was he gonna give me a guilt trip! Imagine a 1 year old clutching his blankie, white knuckles on the railing with big tears, pants and socks off! Somehow.

And, these lovely teeth marks on the rail. Oh, and slivers of wood on his cheeks. Gosh. Talk about never doing that again! And, of course he was totally fine after a hug and kiss. But, I started thinking about the slivers of wood and possibility of chipped teeth. Because he's chewed on the railing before. Never this bad though.

I almost went to amazon or etsy and was pretty darn close to shelling out $75 for some cloth crib rail protectors. *this close* when I realized I could sew some up. I mean it's a rectangle with ribbons attached. Granted, theirs is much nicer.

That's pretty gnarly.

So, late that night I measured the railings and cut a piece of cotton outer fabric and a flannel inner fabric.

Attached some ribbon. And sewed away. It wasn't that hard. But, then again it wasn't that easy if you know my cutting abilities and my machine- let's call her butt head Bertha- likes to give me grief.



But, now there is no worry about him hurting himself when he wants to go to town on the railings. Please don't enlarge this photo. Yes, I know that I measured too much. Yes, I know the threads all mangled. Yes, I know the ribbon is all mismatched. People please. Be happy I just saved dinero and did it on my own!

The Painted Owls- A 5 year old craft

S is at an inventive age. An age where an idea comes to mind and it just feels like the end of the world if she can't act on it. She's so talkative- especially to grown ups. That's just how it is when you are the oldest (I know this well.) Larger word and phrases such as, " well perhaps", or "well actually," are the start of sentences. It really is a challenging and awesome age. Things have gone from why -to why and how- and how can I do this- stage.


So early one morning, she decided in the spirit of reduce, reuse, recycle- she would make painted owls and have a "garage sale." I didn't really believe that she would do it, but she did exactly that. This is how our Saturday morning went a few weeks ago.


She got the toilet paper rolls we save when all the tp is gone. She pushed the middles in of one end of the top portion of the "owl" to make ears. Water color went on the owls. She painted many. I think almost 15, which took an hour or so. Set them aside to dry. She then jumped in the bath. Why? Well, that was my question, too. To get cleaned up for her garage sale, Mom. Oh, right. I was really getting a kick out of seeing her be such a big girl. She brushed her own hair, which stopped right at shoulder length and the other 9 inches were left knotted. Brushed teeth, put on clothes, and a baseball cap. Because, Mom- that's what you wear when you sell things.






She then loaded up her apple picking bag with the owls and recruited little brother to hold a sign that said "PAINTED OWLS, 50 CENTS!" Her scooter was loaded up and they went to the bottom of the driveway and...waited. And waited. As you can see our street traffic is about a car an hour. Unless you count Willy the horse and the calf that got out and was roaming the road. So, as not to get discouraged I went inside to get them some snacks and drinks.



Finally! A neighbor came home and bought one. C and I also bought one. We then walked to the mailboxes to try and sell more...but the two stupid (I mean) hurried neighbors wouldn't slow or stop. I was able to convince her to come home and we could sell them anther day. I was proud of her to set her mind to something and follow through with it. I was also pretty surprised in myself for having the patience to go through with sitting out and waiting for customers. I have to say she was pretty adorable, and that was my motivation to help her.
So, family and friends if you are in need of a painted owl to add to your knick knack collection, you know where to come. Only fifty cents please.

Recycled Crayons

What to do with all the broken crayons?

Tear off the wrappers. Place 3-6 pieces, depending on their size in a lined cupcake tin.

And heat oven to *325. Bake until they're all melted and then let cool for a few before unwrapping them.

Ta-da! New crayons that have a pretty result. On a side note- if you're kids pass them out to their friends- please remind them to explain that they are crayons and not candy. Ahem...


And... more of S's pictures. A shot of a princess cartoon of course.

Response

So, in response to my own question on the previous post. My projects have turned in to more weeding, taking care of our growing garden, and saving money at the grocery store. I have become coupon obsessed. I get most of them at coupon mom and a local paper. Also, I have edited the closets a little bit. I've mended lots of kid clothing and sewed many buttons that have fallen off. It's not much, but it's bringing me closer to the sewing projects working in my head.

Discuss Amongst Yourselves- Mike Meyers

What project should come next? I'm sort of in the mood to do something. But what is that something? I could try to make a skirt. A baby for E since S and C already have one. A baby rattle. The baby book probably. Can you tell I'm avoiding doing things I should be doing? Like weeding the back (still), filing papers, washing the dog, the car, or making dinners. My life at the moment revolves around what needs to be done next. My days are filled with what is next on my mental list and some days it's hard to find the beauty in it. I know there are some bloggers out there that can make the mundane or tasks of daily life look pretty- even enticing. And, don't get me wrong, I enjoy what I'm doing. I just would like a couple more hours in the day to do some thing creative or nothing at all. But, I guess that is what I'm doing right now.

Oh, we did finally plant some tomatoes and seeds of radishes, beets, cilantro, and lettuces. It'll be a while to see any progress, but we can't wait.

Please share what you do to relax or when you have a creative moment. I am out of ideas.

And, of no relevance. I hear most ballot measures didn't pass. Good. We don't need more taxes. But, please leave the state fire fighters alone- Arnold. I'm not ready to go back to work.

And, I leave you with this pink coneflower.

Discuss.

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

What season are we in? I have a hard time deciding if I need a coat or a sleeveless tee before I leave the house. Make up your mind weather. So, what do I do? I crochet a beanie. Just in case it gets all windy again. This was a super easy beanie that took only a few hours total time. Lots of single stitching. Size of hook? Um, the blue one. Yarn? Cheap-o from Wally World. I know I'm so helpful. It was supposed to be for me but it's too tight. It looks really cute on S, so it's hers. I wish I could make a pair of fingerless gloves to match, but I think that's beyond my crocheting ability. Maybe I'll give it a go someday.

Birthday Present

I failed to mention the first birthday present that S got. Chris made this tire swing in a few hours. It was fairly easy. Can I say that? Since I didn't help at all. He picked up the cleanest used tire he could find, got some parts from Orchard, and a old fire hose and chain that we had.

This is what the parts look like up close. Chris knew what he was doing, but we did read up a little on this site just to see if we have the right parts.

This also was a big hit at the birthday party. The kids enjoyed swinging high enough to touch a branch!

I've Got the Fever!

I've got the craft fever. Finally!!! It's been a while. And now that I am ready to go- I am realizing that I lack time and money. Because crafting can be expensive, I'm sure you all know.

I need some mad money!

Isn't this paper cute. I got it at Michaels and it is the backround for S's birthday invitations. So, project #1 S's birthday party. Many kids are invited so the felt gift bags are out- no feria. I will be making other things if time permits. This is a big bash in my head, but sadly I think I'll only be able to get to half of my master plan. To be continued...

This is one of my fundraising ideas for C's school. I got the template from Vintage Glam blog, I think. (Uh, oh. I forgot.) I cut them to size, hole punched two holes at the top, tied it off with pretty yarn, and hot glued a magnet to the back. A tear off month by month 2009 calendar. You'll like the font. I did it this way instead of in a CD jewel case, because the card stock was too heavy. It kept flipping back.

And finally... the baby's first time in the snow. This is at 26 weeks. And, yes!! We have a bit of snow. The kids can't wait to ski.

Yosemite and The Dolls

While I was on a little break from Blogger we spent a few days in Yosemite with some friends. That was pretty fun. Biking with a burly is the way to travel around the valley with two kids in tow. Here is a shot of Half Dome... a place I hiked up to 10 years ago. It has the most amazing view. And the next one is Yosemite Falls, that was flowing pretty well from all the snow run off.




I was also able to finally finish these two Waldorf dolls for the kiddies. I am so glad they enjoy them so much. As you can see they are very "homemade" with lots of imperfections. They also need clothes. That may wait for a while. I need a break from sewing since I just can't ever get it right. One Crafty Mama has some great posts about Waldorf dolls, including this one.

And today is a lovely rainy day, much needed. We are still in our Jammie's and having green pozole for lunch and papa Jorge and the boys are coming to visit. It's a pretty good way to spend a Saturday.

How's your spring?

Quick and Easy

I think I've posted before about how we (I) use too many paper towels in this house. It takes a lot of effort for me to get going on things at times. But I finally sewed up some (approx.) 8 by 8 napkins. Eventually I'll make more. I had just enough time to do only 4.

Pillow Covers, Finally

I finally did something with the upolstery fabric I bought at Ikea, what, like 7 months ago. I covered my pillows that were looking pretty beat up. I really like how the fabric looks against the sofa and leather recliner, and we needed some color in the living room. It was looking pretty bland. I'm so attracted to earth tones. I really need to broaden my color choices.

I sort of followed the pillow cover pattern from Bend the Rules Sewing. I got confused about the part on overlapping 2 sides, so I just improvised. It's amazing how well things turn out when you use good fabric and...an iron.

Winter Project

We have done so many indoor things since the weather has been so cold. One thing we started were indoor vegetable planting kits. We got these kits from Walmart that come with the pot, soil, seeds, and a label. You just mix the soil with water and plant the seeds. The kids have been watering the plants every other day and we place them in our kitchen garden window. We've planted strawberries, sweet peppers, and mini tomatoes. When they get enough growth we will take them outside and hope the deer don't get to them.

Sew Green

This is about the only thing I could muster up while taking care of 3 sick folk. I actually have been meaning to do this. I always feel so bad about wasting so many produce bags at the store. So I finally sewed some from scrap tulle. They will be pretty handy. The only down fall, I have to pack all my reusable grocery bags, diapers, a snack and a toy already. It's another thing to pack, but well worth it. I was supposed to follow this tutorial, but you all know my sewing capabilities. So it came out that I just doubled the sides of the tulle and top stitched.

Random Thoughts

- Mamwich, aka sloppy Joe's, is so yummy, especially paired with mac' n' cheese.
-Quick and easy meals are a must when you are sick.
-Someone on another blog, blogged about Freaks and Geeks. I loved that show, it got canceled after only 12 episodes, boo hoo.
-I think I was a borderline geek in school.
-I've been thinking about what my next craft project should be, but I don't like the pre-planning.
-I'm thinking I should really get to those pillow covers I've been putting off forever.
-It's cold out side, but sunny.
-I could use some rain. Watering plants that are scattered around almost 3 acres when your sick is brutal.
- I love my new humidifier.
- One project for sure is to re organize ds's closet. I haven't decided what shelving to use. That might actually be fun.
-I need to get my tax stuff in order...like now.

Birthday and Christmas Round Up

So I had a great birthday and Christmas. It's always good, but I got super spoiled this year. I woke up on my birthday to our traditional birthday breakfast in bed that consisted of a latte, croissant with cream cheese and blackberry jam, and fresh fruit. Then there was a little purple bag on my side. What do you think? Princess cut 1/2 karat diamond earrings! Total surprise! I love them, and the thought that my husband took to know that I would appreciate a gift like that. (The worst picture, sorry.)



We then got ready and my mil watched the kids so Chris and I could go skiing. I was in need of some one on one lessons. It was so much fun to do something active with dh. It seems we haven't had a chance to do something active since wake boarding in the summer. When we got home we got ready for our annual dinner in a small town above us. I had the prime rib with horseradish whip. It really was sooo good. I felt so loved and it was great.

On Christmas morning the kids woke up to a tree filled with presents. They were so patient opening each present and then playing with it. Then half way through we had a hearty and not so healthy breakfast. YUMMY! We are not drinkers but I thought it was appropriate for Mimosas. Those really are tasty. Then back to presents. I really thought we didn't buy much this year, but it seemed like a lot when it's spread all over the house.

These are the finger puppets I made for DS, but he was more interested in his football and helicopter. Dd loved her Tinkerbell toy we got when we were in Disneyland. I got my dh some tools, which he enjoyed. And for my practical side I got a 4 slice stainless steel toaster. It's so pretty.

And because he loves me, 2 Raiders ticket playing the Chargers this Sunday!!!! I am so excited. I've always wanted to go to a football game. He presented it to me with a Raider's hat, and one for himself. He is so good at thinking everything through. We are meeting some friends early for a tailgate party before the game. This should be fun. I don't like beer, but Root beer and barbecue ribs sound good.

After, we got ready to meet family in the valley, which was fun to see everyone. We stayed for a few hours and set off for home. DH had an early morning. And now what? The house is a mess with new toys and we'll be in our pj's all day. There's an aroma of my new apple pie candle. It smells great. We are watching lots of kids TV in between playing because it's freezing and windy out today. It was so cold it snowed for 10 minutes. Winter has arrived at our house! It's a great lazy day! The best part of the holiday's are the traditions we teach our kids and why we celebrate Christmas.

Christmas To Do Day 5

Mass production. I have realized Christmas is right around the corner so I had to get cracking on the handmade gifts. These are little sun glass cases, or checkbook holder, or makeup bag. Whatever the recipient wants to make of it. I made three especially for the December birthday gals this Saturday. There's no tutorial that I followed. All free hand. Obviously. I realized sewing really isn't my cup of tea, so I don't measure, or use a template, basically very little pre -planning. Which really shows in the final product, but maybe with more practice I'll want to put more effort into it. But for now my sewing skills are mediocre at best.

Christmas To Do Day 3

Here is a future seamstress in the making. She's in trouble if she's learning sewing from me!

An apron for my little brother for when we have our tamalada Saturday.

Christmas To Do Day 2

The next thing on my list was to make a table runner and napkins. It took FOREVER, because I am so lame at sewing. It was so sad, really. It made me realize that I may not like sewing all that much. Isn't doing a craft supposed to be somewhat enjoyable? My top thread once again kept unraveling into the bobbin case.

This is at the height of my frustration. I started yelling at the kids, "help mommy!" While they looked at my like this lady's gone crazy!

Here's the end result 2 hours later. I did three runners and 6 napkins. It looks good in the picture.