Two Repurposes in a Day: Fingerless Gloves and Yogurt Pops

Fingerless Gloves and Yogurt Pops

First, Buy yogurt and itty bitty paper cups.
Next, scoop yogurt into itty bitty cups.
Then put your popsicle handles or just plain popsicle sticks into the yogurt. Freeze.
While you wait for those yummies to freeze, grab an outgrown or outdated sweater. I bought this one for 25 cents at a yard sale. Turns out it's too big for The Artist, but too small for me. Soooo, I'm turning it into fingerless gloves and a pillow. The full tutorial for the gloves is on A Foothill Home Companion. Make a paper template of your hand (full or partial... this is to show you where and how to cut & sew the sleeve for your thumb. Cut off sleeves, and turn inside out. Using your template as a guide, sew, and then cut out the little middle triangle area. View the tutorial link for better pictures! ;-)Turn right-side-out and wear! You can roll the cuff, knit around the top, or embellish with buttons, which is my plan.

(The pictures are in black and white because the gloves so did NOT match my clothes,
and I didn't want to change. I'm all for setting style trends,
but this just wasn't going to cut it.)

See? Cute!!

Cozy!! I left my sleeves long. For the love of fashion.
(My dear sisters, you can bet you'll be getting fingerless gloves in your stockings this year!)

And, now that you're all cozy, go grab a yogurt pop.
Mmmm... yummy, healthy, cold.

Remember to share with the little people.

We spent the weekend in Springfield and Branson, MO, and then Huntsville, AR... pictures coming soon. :-)

Sewing Tutus

Gueeeessss what I found? Amazing patterns for 5 cents each at my neighbor's sale. Can't beat that!!

Don't those guys, above, look like they should be in the old Dukes of Hazzard show or something? And do you see the Holly Hobbie Fashion patterns?? Oh my!
I've been gone a lot lately, and playing games with the kids when I have been home...

but then they go to sleep...
and I sew.

I'm into pretend play right now. Dash got a new cape and then I started whippin' out TUTUs!
Fairy Princess here designed one for herself before I made any to sell.
These poor guinea-pig-kids have to try all my stuff out.

Check out the ones for sale, at Nest in the Sun! Happy end-of-summer-crafting to you!

Mistreating the walls...and windows...and furniture!

Well, my sister Amy bought me a gorgeous print a couple weeks ago. I'd been pining for it, as it is to be the inspiration for my living room makeover. The darling gal set me afloat. How wonderful it is to have interior design-y people in the family. Today I had a scheduled consultation with her, to pick out paint colors, curtains, and a color for my furniture. Yes, I plan to sail into uncharted territory and recover my sofa and love seat by myself. Of course, it does help that my husband builds furniture for a living.

Where was I? Ah, yes. We picked "Spring Glow" for the walls, "Garden Sprout" for the accent, and a bright reddish orange "Paprika" for the furniture color. Curtains are also "spring glow" with yellow sheers behind them. This. Makes. Me. Happy. COLOR. My phrase for the room is "Simply Cheerful." Not too far-fetched a dream, eh?

I did just redo my living room (in fact, ALL the rooms) when I was pregnant, but that was more of a nesting thing, in my defense. And it was springtime. So I thought that dark, deep, intense shades would be great. You know sophisticated or something. It turns out that deep and dark, although gorgeous, is rather depressing to me during the cold wintry months when I 'm stuck in a small house with four small children.

Neither of my sisters have ever designed a room that didn't turn out stunning, so I have total confidence in them. Me? Well, I'm crafty and all, but I just don't know how to put colors together. Hence my signature "squiggly eye" handmade cards.

I love Nester's philosophy. It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful. Why get your panties in a bunch, when something might look just as phenomenal with a quick color coat? I'm hoping that my couches look fabulous, but I'm not gonna sweat it if there are some crinkles or wrinkles. I'll just pretend that I intended it to look that way. Just hoping for no stray nails poking out! I may sleep on them before I invite any of y'all over again. Unless you think it's worth the risk. You could always just sit on the floor. Did I mention that I'm going to save for a rug, too? Oh yeah, baby!

So, anyway, I am VERY excited! Especially because I found so many great deals. You know me, I'm all about saving money!-- you know, since I have none. :-)

In other news, my Dad and hubby headed to the Naturals game tonight. Fred caught a ball. It would have hit my Dad in the face. (Way to pay attention, Dad.) Fred is totally psyched! He wrote the game info on the ball and then announced that it's going "in the bathroom." Yeah, poor guy just gets a bathroom. Hey, I think it's a pretty great arrangement. I decorate the whole house, and he just worries about one measly bathroom. He can do whatever he wants to that room (within reason, I mean, come on!) There are football figures, Chicago Bears colors, old action heroes, and now a famous baseball. No wonder he spends so much time in there. ;-)

Now, must get to bed. I won't be able to paint again until the kids go to bed tomorrow night.

So tomorrow we will dance and sing and jump around in our new half-way painted living room. And the kids can help me make more plans. Maybe we'll play Twister again while we discuss it.

Been Busy!! Take a look-see...

Okay, so I've been neglecting my bloggin' buddies. In my defense, my computer was sick. I had completely filled up my hard-drive, to the point of not even being able to download my camera. UGH. So I had to backup files today, and get back into the swing of things!!

Here are the nursery curtains. I moved the white curtain rod shelf back in, put up the striped curtains, and used thread to lace the starfish up over the edge. I need to take a picture of the other shells, hung over the dresser. I'm still working on that dresser, too. Sherrill told me to post a picture of my kitchen light. Ignore the dust and focus on the wrapped flowers. ;-) And, yes, I realize that I'm also missing a valance in the background! Heh. I only have 20 or so projects going right now. Fred teases me about starting one, without finishing the others...but, hey, that keeps life fun! I can work on whatever I feel like! And, luckily, my sweet hubby really doesn't mind. He just grins and bears it. ;-)
The sewing machine. It's actually my Mom's, because my sister still has mine. Ah, sewing. I tried to make a lovey for Oliver. It did not turn out well. I will not subject you to a picture! But I have not given up hope yet!! My Mimi is an amazing seamstress, and my Mom is incredibly creative with her ideas and sewing projects as well...it has to be in my blood, right?!

I also got the easel back out! YEA! It's actually broken, and I had to use twisties just to hold it together. That works for now, though! I did some sketches of people...hopefully the nude won't offend anyone. I also did some rather strange paintings of birds, that look like they may have come from the hand of a 5-year old. I'm out of practice. I miss my art instructors.
This is going to be part of a game table for the kids. I made this side into a tic-tac-toe board. On the other side I will paint a checker board. My kids love checkers! I'll get some really neat, heavy buttons for the pieces. These circle and star pieces are wood.
And don't forget about the playground, which I've also been doing in my "spare time." Fred has been helping me a lot! YEA! We have two climbing walls up now, the rope, monkey bars, little tower, and slide. Next is the attached swing set. We're getting close to being done, but I need some warmer weather to finish it. Yesterday was fantastic...but today was just too chilly for me.
So there you have it. Today was Mothering Matters day, so we only worry about the schoolwork that they get done in their class. Fred got off work early, too. We decided to put all projects aside and just "hang out" with the kids, reading books, playing Nintendo (the old Mario Cart is all we have), and slurping root beer floats. I also squeezed in some card-making right after I got the kids in bed.
Okay, okay, I also have to tell you my exciting news: my sink is clean!! I know, this seems like such a little thing. But I've been in a bad habit of leaving dishes in the sink to pursue "greater goals." Haha. My darling friends have inspired me with their Home Keeping Binders. I want to get my tush in gear with the house. I'm good at some routines, but I let the house slide when it comes to regular care. I'm realizing, though, that things are SO much easier when I just do them and get them out of the way.
Yeah, I tell my kids that ALL the time, but it's so much harder to do it.
What would I do without great friends to keep me in line?

A New Addiction

So sue me. I'm addicted to another blog. Can you blame me? I love to read, I love creativity, making things, staying connected to other moms. Not to mention neglecting laundry...yeah, I love that, too.
This site, The Nesting Place, is just soooooo awesome. Why? Because I am also a "lazy perfectionist." I'm willing to work hard, but not necessarily long. I do so much better with short-term goals. Walk every day for a week. aCheck. Eat healthy today. aCheck. Run a 5K in a year. x RRRR- Thumbs down. Can't do the long-term thing. I tend to sabotage myself at the first hint of inadequacy because I fear failure.

Yeah. I know this, yet it's soooo hard to overcome it and have enough faith in myself (really, faith in God, that He will be there when I do fail, and it doesn't matter how inadequate I am...
umm....soooo, on with the post.)

All that to say, this site has awesome crafting/ decorating ideas and they are quick and fairly easy! YEA! You won't have to sew! You won't have to go buy oodles of expensive anything. Just grab something on hand and make something awesome. Voila!

She even has a tutorial on Window Mistreatments. Oh, yeah, that's my kind of decorating.

No, I don't need an intervention yet. I'm still eating..still sleeping (well, as much as can be expected)...yes, still spending most of my time homeschooling and frog-caring. But I'm using these free night hours to read, design, plan, and CRAFT! Because I have several projects going at once and I don't want to discombobulate you, I'm going to post progress pictures on an added link, Wendy*s Art House. A great idea from Sara*s Art House, which I also LOVE. Visit and support these ladies.

Okay, and one more "just about me" thing. ;-)
I'm visual. I need sunshine. Bright colors are a must. That includes lipstick. And, since I'm a girl-y girl, I enjoy wearing vibrant colors & fancy things & having bright hair. :-) Really, color is important to me.

Red is awesome. Flame, passion, excitement, love, vibrance, life, explosion. I love RED. I also love black and white. What would COLOR be without the black and white to contrast? Do you understand why I decorate constantly, paint all the time, scrapbook insatiably, and yard-sale shop for anything interestinge. I'm visual. I feel better when I see pretty things. I feel better physically when I look better. Which is why I never-- and I mean, NEVER wear sweats. I do not own sweats. I. hate. sweats. Not on other people, but definitely on me. And, by gosh, if I'm gonna put on socks, they'd better be cute ones. Striped and polka dot knee-high socks are the best.

Okay, sorry, now I'm just rambling. Strange post, tired mommy at the end of the day. I'm full of ideas, excited to do things...the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak tonight. Thank You, God, for a new day tomorrow, with renewed energy! And tomorrow is Mothering Matters day--YEA! That means my cup will be filled to overflowing, and I can "flow out on" and encourage others. Where else can I be with, pray with so many other godly women? Thanking God for this wonderful ministry.

A Day of Gifts

Today my husband bought me a gorgeous picnic basket set. It has plastic plates, glasses, and silverware for four. It's large enough to pack all of the food and drinks we will need for our family. And, best of all, it was a bargain! :-)
Then I found some absolute steals at a yard sale in a town over. I spent $7 and got an adult Hulk costume, a 3T Spiderman costume, three SpiderMan shirts, Cars pajamas, alligator pj set, Diego 2-piece pajama set, two button up 7/8 shirts, an orange pair of medium boys' shorts, five pairs of socks for me and three for Trevor, two 2T shirts for Oliver, three belts (including an AWESOME V-shaped "Superwoman" one for me!), a wall hanging, angel halo headband, new package of boys' underwear, and a princess tutu outfit!!!-- all for $7!! I was almost hysterical with joy when I made it back to the van. Yes, I'm definitely a financial nerd. And I'm okay with that.
Then I got home, and had a package waiting on my front porch, containing an Easter table cloth and two baby slings that my Mimi made for me! Beautiful, and both of my little boys love them!!

I know I just talked about how gifts are not my love language... but I think that all of the things I received today fall under the "acts" category, too! My husband went out in search of something he knew I wanted. Then he handed me money and waited in the van with four children, playing with them, while I scoured a yard sale for bargains. And, Mimi, I know that your planning, designing, sewing is an act of love! :-) It's these thoughtful and amazing things that people do that just speak volumes to my heart!
Ahhhh, what a nice Saturday!