Just a Crafting!

I have been so inspired by my friends and the other bloggers out there. There are so many inspirations and ideas that I would love to attempt that I have actually started a spiral that is broken down by categories so I an look up the sites when I am ready to tackle a project. I am horrible at writing tutorials! If you only knew how many attempts I have tried to share an craft idea you would laugh out loud! I just get to focused and excited when I am crafting that I forget to take pictures or my explanation is so horrible I just throw up my hands- Ha! So, I will just show you some things that have been going on in my home.

The above pictures are some purse size calenders I made for birthday gifts and my secret prayer sister at church.

I now have a craft closet thanks to my adorable husband and my Dad. I will share pictures of that at another time. However, here is the lamp shade I made to go on my table. Seriously, just a lamp shade can liven up a place!

Here is my magnetic clipboard and magnets I made for the fridge! I am always looking for a glamorous (Ha! Ha!) way to show off my boys art work and the grocery list- This will do for me now! Such an easy project with a feel good feeling in about an hour!

I have been a busy bee making curtains for the house. It has been almost two years since the move and I am just know working on curtains! However, to me a home is FOREVER a work in progress. Move...shift...reuse...you get the picture!

Here is my embellished sewing box...I love the colors!

Here is a glance at the curtain I made for the craft closet. If you add this curtain with the lamp and then with the sewing box you are able to get the color scheme I am going with!

VERY GIRLY!

Here is my kitchen window homemade treatment!

These curtains are my favorite so far...I completed them in about an hour.

Can you tell that I am all about a project that can be done in an hour!!!!!

I am one of those girls that always feels good when I am decorating the house or crafting. I just feel I always need about three things in the works...I know ALL THREE of my boys should count for this-Hee! Hee! But, decorating and crafting make me feel good about who I am and the abilities God gave me to make my house a HOME.

Oh...no children were starved during these projects. I have been staying up late after the boys are a sleep...

and what is a TV?

What have you been crafting???

When do you craft?

Ch*na Fun!

Just in case it slipped your mind today is the Ch*nese New Year!

I'm always looking for a reason to celebrate and fun ways to teach the boys about this amazing world around us. With that said, today we are learning a bit about Ch*na. We have made fun dragon masks...

I have made a special fortune cookie out of paper and written a special fortune for everybody to read tonight at supper. I just love these take-out boxes!

The table has been set in red with things I already had and a little added punch with the chop sticks and take out boxes.


We made lanterns and hungthem on the chandler.
The boys enjoyed this activity
(anything they can use their scissors with is a plus for them)...very simple!

The K-man and Little Bit both added some special touches to the table...

Grrrr!

AND for the real fun...supper tonight on our festive table!
It is not fancy, but oh..so easy!
More take-out boxes seal the deal for tonight~

I have also printed some fun facts about Ch*na we will talk about tonight along with a couple of games (example: guess what animal month you were born on by characteristics of the animal). I have borrowed a ball globe (none breakable) for the boys to get an idea of where Ch*na is in relation to us.



I love learning stuff with the boys and watching their eyes get big with excitement as light bulbs go off in their heads! It doesn't take anything to make a big impression. An $11 meal with $5 spent on decor for the table (an using things you already have) you can make a night a learning adventure!


It's still early in the day so check out this site and have some simple fun tonight~

Pumpkin Carving Party 2008

We decided to have a pumpkin carving party this year. We carve pumpkins every year and decided we wanted to share the fun with friends! Oh- meet the new additions to our porch! I picked out the tall one-such personality, don't you think?

Here is a close up of the K-Man doing all he could NOT to touch the "yucky stuff"!

Throughout the whole carving process Little Bit kept saying,"EWWWewwwEWWW"!

Here is a quick glance at some of the fun that went on Friday night!


Here are some ideas from our pumpkin party:

I decided to read The Pumpkin Patch Parable at the beginning of the party. I love this book and recommend you read it to your children during this time of year!

I made these little jack-o-lantern guys out of marsh mellows, craft sticks and flavored chocolate!

I thought these party favors turned out too cute!

I stuck the "guys" in a black pot with some moss to make them easier to display.

I also typed out a summary of the parable with various scriptures for the families to take home.

I also made these jack-o-lantern picks. I used store bought stickers, black card stock and toothpicks.

The picks were stuck in these pumpkin shaped sandwiches for the kids. Easy and fun!

Here is my table with a simple menu of Pumpkin...Pumpkin and more Pumpkin!

(We had other hearty foods that remained in the kitchen-not to mess up the pretty table-Ha!)

The party was a blast and I look forward to making it an annual event!

The Crafter in Me!

I don't know what it is about the fall like weather and the whole fall season, but I get pumped up about crafts and decorating! The latest has been these Halloween pillow cases and Pjs I made for the boys.
Here is a closer look at the flying bats- how fun! I loved the material. The K-man did great picking them out!
The boys couldn't wait to wear them and I couldn't wait to see them in them! Too Cute!
Here is my decorating -Ha! HANDS!

I love this idea and it really helped fill in an odd size spare wall!

I will always treasure the small hands on my wall!

What have you been crafting?

Any Simple decorating ideas?

Recipe Binder

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANE!!!

I think my sister-in law, Diane, has received this in the mail for her birthday already so I can post it! This is a recipe binder I made for her to keep her recipes from magazines, newspapers, family/friends...etc. in. It is always hard to keep up with all of those "free floating" recipes that we love but can't seem to keep tabs on. Inside there are sheet protectors (to put the recipes in)and labels (to keep the recipes organized) for soups, breads, side dishes, main dishes, desserts, holiday treats...etc. I hope she enjoys it! (I love mine!)

How do you keep up with your favorite recipes?