Feelin like the holidays

Yesterday was a Tuesday that felt like a friday. It was awesome. er ser Cort and Pip came over and played for most of the day. Pipsta made herself her own awesome pine cone tree in silver that I didn't get a picture of but I did get some pics of her fabulous new hair. She and I had fun playing with hair dye. Good girly times.

Gorgeous isn't she?

Oh what a week

What a crazy week this is turning out to be. Thanks to the encouragement, insistance and love from my Husband I am flying down to CA just after Thanksgiving to be with my family for my Grandpa's funeral. I am so looking forward to the comfort that being with my wonderfully large family will bring.

This means school this week is really going to be a struggle and that things are just going to go unfinished, but thats ok. Today Jones was snowed in and unable to go to work, it is nice having him around and making pot roast, walking to the grocery store in the snow, watching C jump and stomp all the way there.

There are so many things I am thankful for this week but most of all I am thankful for my Family and so blessed to have them.

My sister posted this on her blog.had this picture on her Blog,
The I'm thankful tree.

 I think it is a wonderful idea. All you need is a tree branch and a vase. Cut out some leaves on paper, tie some string and let your guests write what they are thankful for. It is a sweet and beautiful decoration for Thanksgiving.

I love you Grandpa

 It started snowing yesterday and just hasn't stopped. It is really beautiful outside my home right now.

My Grandpa died last night.

He went very peacefully and with lots of family with him.

When I recieved the news, news I had been preparing to get for a while, I was suprised by how deeply it hit me.

As I look at my life, and everything that I have I know that  my Grandparents are huge part of who I am.

They have always been the ultimate example of what matters most in life, Family.

I am so grateful for My Family. All my wonderful Aunts and Uncles, and my cousins who have always been there on Holidays and at weddings, Just being there, and loving each other as my Grandpa always did.

I love my Grandpa very much, and I am grateful for the man that he was, and for his legacy.

{me and all of my brothers and sisters}



Pine Cone Christmas Tree

I know I know it is a little early to be setting up for christmas but when you are sick like me there is no time to waste!  A couple of weeks ago I went on a scavenger hunt for pine cones in my neighborhood because I wanted to make a pine cone wreath. I couldn't find any! But last weekend there was an insane wind storm that left the ground covered in these beauties.

So I put on a hood and dressed my kids up real warm and went to go pick hundreds of baby pine cones. The cold air and being outdoors felt so good, I forget how much nature heals me.

My goal this time however was not to make a wreath. Instead I found myelf in love with the many various pine cone christmas trees you can find at Target. I knew I could make my own and it would be a fun/cheap project to start off the holiday decorating.

I had to bake my pine cones in the oven for a while so they were dry because the poor things were soaked threw.

I just set my oven at the lowest setting and kept checking on them to make sure they didn't burn. It made the house smell so good.

Next I grabbed an old cereal box cut off the tabs on the top and bottom and curled it up to make a cone shape. I had to cut off the bottom to make it flat .

A little bit of masking tape to hold it together and voila! I have my base. The next step was a monotonous one but well worth the work. I took a hot glue gun and starting from the bottom working my way all around layer after layer glued eah individual pinecone on.

I layed the pine cones on flat so that as much surface area as possible made contact with glue. I pointed them all down and slightly ovelapped each layer.

This is the result!

Now comes the fun part. You could just leave it like this it is very pretty afterall, but since my Christmas Decor is silver and gold I decided to take it a step further.

Taking some metallic spray paint and a little bit of glitter...

I originally intended to use laquer but never did.

 

I took it outside and using my favorite spray paint box gave it a good 3 layers. After letting it dry I layed it on its side and spayed the undersides of the pine cones. Right after the last layer, before it was dry I sprinkled the glittler on top giving it this affect.

And there you have it, even including the price of spray paint and glitter which I already had my total would come to about 3.50, plus I get the satisfaction of knowing I made it!!

Next a trip to Good will to grab some candlesticks. I have also been eyeballing these beauties at Target but can't/wont afford their price tag of 12.99-16.99 ea. So I found these for 1.99 ea and gave them the same vintage spray paint treatment.

One silver and one Champaigne gold! I love them. All I need now is a deer and my mantel will be complete!

 * Other ideas for a pine cone christmas trees
Red berry and rafia tree
pearls
lightly spray white spray paint to give it a snow affect
Really the possiblities are endless.
Also if you are looking for a craft you can do with multiple people at a church event or house party you can pick up party hats for pretty cheap and use pinecones or dried leaves. Layer, paint and decorate! it is a great gift for the holidays!!

Today my body is fightig harder than ever to make me throw up, something I have vowed never ever to do again! Ladies and Gents the battle has begun, We shall see who will be victorious.

Happy Birthday Diaper Bag

A friend of mine who just had a birthday is also pregnant with her first baby, due exactly a month before mine! I love to celebrate babies but especially someone's first. I decided I would make her a diaper bag.
I used the same beautiful wool felt that I used on my pillows, She had told me that she wanted her baby stuff to be Brown and Green so it worked out perfectly. I still feel a little weird giving gifts I made, but I really do love this so hopefully She will too.

If you are a beginner sewer try wool felt for projects like this it is very easy to use, unlike the corduroy I used on the strap and bottom of the bag, or the flannel I used
for the rosettes it doesn't fray. {yay}

Purses and pillow covers are two projects that are easier than you think and make great christmas gifts!
Also check out NieNie's New Calender for sale, I know I would mind getting something like this for Christmas.

Last night I had the most awful dream. I dreamt that I miscarried this baby. It wasn't short a dream either, but rather long and drawn out with various parts being replayed and changed and gone over again. I remained pretty calm while I slept, but I woke up heart broken. I feel so much for those who have experienced this nightmare in their real lives. I said a prayer for my body that it would be able to keep doing this, and for all the women out there who have lost a child. My heart is with you today.

Good Morning!

Nothing like watching my 2 beautiful babies enjoying our new couch.

It is Sunday morning and Jones is at drill. I am not looking forward to venturing off to church by myself with the kids. They can be pretty exhausting right now and Tober refuses to sit, at all while we are there.

I am excited at the prospect of getting some much needed chores done. I successfully went through my kids clothes and put away the ones they don't fit anymore.

It felt really good to do it even though it was such a small thing.

 am seeing hope that I am going to be able to start being Mom again instead of that sick lady that doesn't do anything.

Now I am going to join my babies on the couch, read them books and save up my energy to chase my daughter around the church.

Hope you all have a nice Sunday.

Throw Pillows

Last year I bought 4 throw pillows from good will for $1 each. I told myself I would make new covers for them and never had until tonight. I have a sinus cold. Yuck. But because I am sick with this I don't feel pregnant sick which is actually really invigorating. So I wen to Joanns and got an assortments of fabrics to play with. You may remember the Anthro bird pillow from a post earlier this week.

                                 I decided I liked it too much not to have it, So I made my own.

                                             I also made a letter H to represent the Family name.

 I took the throw pillow I already had and placed it on my fabric. I traced the shape and cut out 2 {in different fabric. Then I cut a third piece for the back so that I wouldn't have to add a zipper. The third piece is about 1/3 the length of the back. Then I looked at the Anthro pillow and traced the image of the bird onto some floral fabric. I cut out the bird and using a really tight zig zag stitch sewed to to the front piece then I turned my pieces inside out and sewed them together.

I used wool felt, corduroy, and a knit, mixed with some florals. I like the mix, hopefully they will be welcoming a new couch tommorow!!

"Gee ma more birds and letters, gosh don't ya like anything else!"



Quest for a Couch

So as an Anniversary/Christmas Birthday gift I have decided to go couch hunting. One of our current couches is.. well a ten dollar couch. It is missing one of the top cushions and the previous owners just stuffed some throw pillows back there so We just did the same.

There isn't a lot bad I can say about the couch { ok there is but I feel bad doing it because it has been such a blessing just to have it} The fact is I am just ready for a new one. One with a little more style, easier to clean, comfy for my pregnant/ nursing bodies, and in a decent price range. Does such a couch exist?

I have seen enough of these. $2000.00

                    

Not enough of these. no price check out bokja

And some like this 60's ish style couch from World Market.

So far it is leading the pack. It may not look like much from the picture but in person it is pretty smooth.

It converts pretty easily to a day bed and has storage underneath. The only thing it doesn't have is a chase. I guess it can't be perfect.

I think it would be a nice addition to our home. We'll see.

If you are in the market for any new furniture check out World Market. You can print a 25% off coupon that is good on all their furniture until November 25th.

My Grown Up Christmas list

After calling my Sister yesterday and bugging her about their family's Christmas list, I started thinking about my own list. I know what sort of things I want for my kids for Christmas, But what do I want?

I want tinkling lights hanging above us as we eat our traditional Christmas Eve dinner.
I want carolers, badly. {please!}
I want a big bowl of endless oranges on my dining table.
I want hear people wishing each other a Merry Christmas and not just at the cash register.
I want to feel well enough to cook any delicious thing my family desires.
I want to make a popcycle stick Nativity with my son and tell him the story of our Savior being born.

That is what I want for Christmas.

Missing Anthropologie

I have not been to Anthropologie since my birthday this year, which was in Feb. I miss it. Between Jones being gone, me being sick and in school, and the fact that it is over an hour away, I don't think I will be going for a while. At least I have our Christmas Tradition to look forward to. Every year since we have been married, Jones has gotten me a little trinket from the wonderful store. That will just have to do until things change a little.

I am also in the mood for a little change. The kind that is very unlikely to happen, like I want new throw pillows and a rug, something with more color and print. like these:

What is killing me is knowing I could and should make myself some pillows, Insanely easy and no matter how much it would end up costing me it would still be cheaper than the last pillow which is $148. But when will I be able to make these things. I can barely function. :( I need a surrogate seamstress. I will hold on to these wonderful pillow ideas and maybe next year I will make a bunch for Christmas to give to family. What would you make if you could?