Welcomed Back With Open Arms

There are a few reasons why this picture brings a smile to my face.

1. Crocs come out of hiding, at our house, when the weather is warmer. I am most definitely a warm weather person.

2. Independence. Even if it is something as small as my children being able to put on their own shoes. With ZERO help from me.

3. Ainsley's cute, knobby, scrapped knees.

4. Isaac insisting on red crocs, because red is his favorite color after all.

Blood, Sweat and Tears

Okay there really hasn't been any blood involved. (unless you count A running through a prickle plant with her bare feet yesterday, but really that has nothing to do with anything. So it doesn't count).

Sweat. Oh yeah. There has been lots of it. The sun is so nice and toasty, and we plan on soaking it all in before (Texas) mother nature decides it should be cold again (which I heard on the news we will hit freezing again this weekend).

Tears yes. There are always tears shed when my kids are trying to work together. Sharing is rough stuff!

We have been working on revamping an old dresser this week.

He took off the old hardware, and lovely gold trim for me.

She helped me sand.

Today we primed.

Tomorrow we paint.

I enjoy projects like this, but they really are like running on my treadmill for me. Brutal, painful, and tiring. . . but oh how I love the end results!

Step By Step

As promised, here are the Instructions for the super EASY CUTE shirts. (aka freezer paper stenciling)


1. You will need a shirt* (wash it beforehand), craft knife, and fabric paint**.

2. You will also need freezer paper***.

3. Find the image you want to use (there are tons of free stencils online, or even coloring pages. . .), and print onto a plain piece of paper.

4. Cut two pieces of freezer paper (same size). Place one of the pieces (freezer paper) on top of the image you just printed.

5. Using your knife trace over your picture. (make sure you have a cutting board, or mat to work on!)

6. Carefully remove the cutout.

7. Place your new stencil onto your shirt (SHINY side DOWN). Place your second piece of freezer paper INSIDE of the shirt (SHINY side UP). This is so your paint won't bleed through to the back of the shirt.

8. Using your hot iron go over your freezer paper until it has adhered to the shirt.

9. Using fabric paint and a brush, paint on a thin layer of paint (you can do a second layer if you want the color darker, but you don't use too much paint.)

10. Let the paint dry for 24 hours (Read paint instructions for exact time), and then peel off the Freezer paper.

11. Iron over the dry paint, to set in the image (again read your bottle of paint for exact instructions).


And there you have it. super EASY CUTE shirts.

Can't wait to see what everyone creates!

* I bought my shirts at walmart. $3.50 a shirt.

** I got my fabric paint from Joanne's (super cheap if you use your 40% off coupons!)

*** Find freezer paper at your grocery store

Ready To Go

We now have a little princess on our hands.

I actually had to wait today for her to get ready to go grocery shopping. . .

Having a girly girl is all so new to me, and I am LOVING it!

Out with the Old

This is what will be going on for the next few weeks around here. I am spring cleaning.

Cleaning out junk drawers.

Touch up painting the walls.

Organizing cupboards, and closets.

Refurbishing a dresser for the guest room (can't wait for the finished product).

Washing the blinds.

Scrubbing the baseboards.

Spot cleaning carpets.

(and my least favorite) Cleaning under the Refrigerator, and oven.

The list goes on and on. I actually enjoy doing these things. It's the everyday cleaning I don't enjoy.

Basically my blog will most likely be neglected for these next few weeks. When I am back though, there will be much to tell. Two kiddo's b-days. My sis and new niece coming to visit. The rest of the fam coming for a short stay. A quick trip to AZ. Gaining a new SIL and new niece (at the same time). Hopefully spending time with old friends (and of course family. . . Dusty!) in AZ, who let me practice my photog skills (hint hint!). Yes we will be busy, but we will be having a blast!

I'm a Little Acorn Round

My little man is a nut. A determined, independent, goofy nut.

me: "Ike Do you know your pants are on backward?"
I.: "yup. . . Wanna see?"
me: "Okay, just checking"
I. " That's the way I like them"
me: "You really are a nut."
I. "yup" (then he takes off like a maniac running through the house).

That's my nut!

Chosen by a Cutie

Little Miss chose the winners:

YEAH!!!

You three winners (chelsea, mckenna, marci) please e-mail me sizes, if you have a specific design/color in mind, and your address. I want to have them shipped out to you by the end of next week!

For everyone else, I will be posting instructions early next week. Can't wait to share, how fun and easy these shirts are to make!!

Then the Skies Opened

We got home yesterday, from our photo shoot, minutes before the first rain started. We like the rain. Correction we LOVE the rain. It means we get to put on our rain boots (or in some cases, big brother's crocs) and play in the puddles!

Not a Working Combination

I am sick. Fever. Sore throat. Runny nose. Cloudy brain.

There is a thunderstorm rolling in.

The cloudy skies make for a perfect photographic opportunity.

Perfect time for a mini valentine shoot of the kiddos.

Today I learned amateur photography with a sick photographer DO NOT MIX.

Came home and uploaded my pictures.

Awe dang, I never checked the exposure on my camera. . . not once.

Not quite what I had envisioned.

But thanks to photo editing programs, our photo session wasn't a total loss!

Any Takers

Quite a few months ago, my cousin Fawn, sent me the cutest little brag book ever, for playing the game Pay It Forward. I am sure most of you have heard of it. . .

If not here's the quick version. You get a crafty/homemade gift from a person, and then in return you send THREE people a gift that you have made. Pay it forward.

Well I finally found something I want to make and send to my blogging peeps.

Our family had fun making these shirts last night. Really SO MUCH fun! Can't wait to make some itty bitty's (onsies) for my new niece Kerrigan! I will post on another day, how we made them.


Anyway it's time for me to pay it forward. So if you want a fun custom shirt, then leave a comment. If only three people want one, then those three will get shirts. If more than three sign up, then I will randomly pick three. In your comment, you need to tell me what size (child or adult and the size) and girl or boy.

I know all of my friends are crafty and have sweet skilz. So if you want to pay it forward. . . DO! It's fun. But if you can't or don't want to, that's fine with me too. Leave a comment anyway.

semi-Ladybugs

I was looking for a fun valentine treat to make with the kiddos. I found these:

I was sold, but didn't want to wait to get all of the right ingredients, so we used what we had.

We didn't have mini oreo's for the heads, and I could only make pink frosting, but ours still looked like lady bugs to us (we have good imaginations around here)!

Here's to having lots of messy fun. . .

. . . and to taking a few yummy tastes along the way!

New Smile

Life gets hard sometimes.

It is during the struggles I have to try hard to remain positive and remember to count my blessings.

One I am particularly grateful for right now is our good health.

Yes we get sick :

But nothing we can't smile our way through.

My family hasn't had to go to the doctor (minus vaccination visits) in TWO YEARS! AMAZING! Yes indeed I am counting my blessings.


The kids had their dentist appointments the other day.

Miss A. got a clean bill of health. She has this one spot that worries me, but it's just a defect in her enamel.
You better believe. . . I am counting my blessings.


Mr. I. . . well you know the story with his teeth.(it all started when he was a little guy, before he was even walking)

He didn't get off free and clear, but he doesn't have any "official" cavities yet.

Just spots that are turning into cavities.

Which means no fillings this time, but there will likely be some next time. . . sigh.

That gives us six months to save up the money! And how amazing to live in this day in age where they can even fix his teeth, with little to no pain in the process!

I am definitely counting my blessings!