Dare to DIY Week Four

Dare to . . . give homemade gifts!
Nothing is more special than a gift made by you. Try out something new to give this year - ideas include bath and body items, kitchen gifts, hand-sewn clothing or home decor.

Confession - I have yet to make any Christmas gifts this year.

I KNOW! Since I made nearly every gift last year, this is just craziness. But I do have plans to make two gifts and I am waiting on the supplies to arrive this week. The gifts I am planning to make are similar to these:

(Source).
Mine will be different, but the concept is the same. I am only waiting on the photos themselves to arrive.

The only thing I did make so far this year was a new card organizer, based off something I pinned on Pinterest:

(Source)
It's a neat version of a card holder, using only ribbon, glue, and an old frame. I went ahead and made a simple version of one for myself:

I like it, but I do think it looks a little TOO simple. I may decide to embellish it sometime before Christmas is over, but for now - here it is, holding our one and only Christmas card that we have received so far this early in the season. And it will do for now - until I can learn to make my dream Christmas card holder. Someday, someday . . . :)

Until next time . . .

Some of our Christmas Decor

I had to occupy myself Friday while my husband and daughter went to Thanksgiving without me. Even though I felt better, I was likely still contagious. So, when my fever broke and I got my energy back, I went ahead and started putting up Christmas decor (WAYYYYY before I usually do!) I got everything done but the tree - which I cannot haul up the stairs alone - while "watching" football, drinking lots of water, and trying to decide what I could eat besides toast (and then settling on toast!) It helped me to not focus on how sulky I was feeling that I couldn't go to Thanksgiving. Nothing like a little holiday cheer to brighten my sulky, sorry mood!








I haven't made anything new this year, and I don't think I will - I have plenty of stuff!! I didn't even use it all. But . . . if I do feel the creative bug bite me, I have two different projects in mind that could still be completed. :)

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Week Three

Dare to . . . eat cookies!
As we begin to attend holiday parties, share your favorite cookie recipe for all to enjoy. It’s like a digital cookie swap. Share the recipe and a review of the cookie. If you can, add a picture. And don't worry about the extra calories. At Christmas, cookies are calorie-free.

First of all, every one of you have got to go check out Kim's "cookie". Oh. My. Goodness. That looks so amazing!

Second of all, I had a horrible, painful stomach flu this past week. In fact, I am STILL a little bit nauseated here and there. I got officially "sick" at 3:30 a.m. Thanksgiving morning, and it snowballed to me crying in bed Thursday afternoon. So instead of attending three Thanksgivings this year, I attended a belated one on Saturday - and I didn't eat much!!

Third of all, since I was sick I did not make my DIY cookies this week. I just can't stomach the idea of making anything like that just yet. (I had to make pasta tonight because it's a "tame" smell.) BUT! - Here is what I was going to try. Don't they look SOOOO YUMMY? I haven't ruled out making them for my birthday yet.

However, I did not fail, DIY friends! Before I got sick, I made these lame-o cookies for the kids I sit for, just as a fun treat:

They are those bake-an-image-cookies that are REALLY not very good on their own, so we jazzed them up with icing and sprinkles. :) Muuuuuuuuuuuuuuch better. We do treats right in this house! :)

Until next time . . .

Guest Post at Gluesticks

I am over at Gluesticks today!. Please stop by and say hi! Thanks!

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Week Two

Dare to . . . entertain!
Show us your table. This could be for Thanksgiving, everyday, the holidays or something else entirely. Bring out your table settings, display it in a new way or make something completely new (a table runner, centerpiece, etc.). I promise that having a set table will make you smile. And, everyone can use a smile.

If you remember how last year went, you will know that tables are not my thing. I don't own a lot of sets of fancy dishes, cloth napkins, chargers, or anything of the sort. Plus, I strive to make my home kid-friendly and practical at all times, so those things don't always fit into the equation.

Having said that, my table was pretty simple:



I used the turkey napkin rings from last week (of which I only made two of, so use your imaginations):

And also made these pumpkin spice cupcakes I have been DYING to try for years. I made them in these darling little paper wrappers that I knew were going to go on my table from the moment that I saw them:

And, of course, the practicality part! All the extra paper napkins, salt, pepper, kids silverware, and yes - even the hair fixing supplies, gotta keep hair out of the food! - are all hidden away in the Harvest basket.





So that's my table, simple and practical as always! Thanks Kim for giving me an excuse to clean and polish it. :)

Until next time . . .

Nora's 27-Month "Snapshot Update"

Nowadays, a typical conversation with Nora while riding in the van goes something like this:
"Hey mom."
"Hey Nora?"
"I gotta REALLY REALLY snack." (no typos there at all)
"You do huh?"
. . .
"Hey mom."
"Hey Nora?"
"I SEE A SCHOOL BUS!"
"You do? Where?"
"I see something yellow! Look at all the colors!"
"Yeah! Cool!"
. . .
"Hey mom."
"Hey Nora?"
"Can I listen to my songs?"
"Yep, hold on a sec."
"(sings a few lines then stops and hides her face with her hands) . . . Where is me?? *Giggle* . . . Hey mom."
"Hey Nora?"
. . .
"Hey mom."
"HEY NORA?"
"My goldfish are yellow!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An actual conversation with Nora:
Mommy sits down at the table for breakfast with toast with Nutella.
Nora asks: "Mommy, what you eating?"
"Toast, you want a bite?"
"No . . . it's too muddy."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An example of Nora's prayers before bedtime each night (edited without the time delay that is usually involved at bedtime):
"Alright Nora, let's talk to God."
"I wanna say 'Dear God'."
"OK."
"Deeeeeeeeeear God! . . . "
"What would you like to say to God tonight?"
"Thank you for mommy . . . and daddy . . . and Nora."
"Would you like to ask God for anything?"
"I ask God for a baby brother."
"OK, sounds good to me, although we would take a sister if we got one! Is there anything else you want to say to God?"
"A baby sister . . . I want to say Blake."
"OK then go ahead and ask God to please bless Blake."
"Please bwess Blake!"
"How about we ask God to bless all your family? And your friends too?"
"Where's Baby Stell?" (that is Baby Stella, nicknamed!)
"Nora, let's finish talking to God first. Do you want to tell God that you are sorry for hitting -E- today?"
" . . . No."
"I think you should tell God you are sorry. When you hit -E- it hurt her."
"Ok, sorry God for hit my friends."
"Anything else? (this is usually where the delaying begins, so I wrap it up! lol) . . . No? . . . OK, well then God we thank you for listening to Nora's prayers, In Jesus' name, AAAA-"
"I want to say Amen!"
"OK."
"AAAAAAAA-MEN!"

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -



And that's our little Nora. :)

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Week One

Dare to . . . be thankful!
Take some time making your own DIY Thanksgiving project. It could be a fun Thanksgiving advent calendar, a banner, a way to share your thanks or something completely unique. Post about what you made, how you made it and photos in its new home.

For this week's challenge I made something I don't already own: napkin rings.

I wanted to make some cute ones last year (and I think I did end up making some out of acorns), but I didn't really know what to do. This year I have made a few hair flowers using this design and I thought I may be able to incorporate these flowers into a napkin ring design. I spray painted the flower fabric fall colors, added a turkey head, and TA-DA! Done. Easy.

I actually added a little clip to the backs of these instead of attaching them to a ring. That way I can clip them on wherever next year!

Also, since this week is "dare to be thankful", I thought I would write a little about thankfulness. Sometimes I need a reminder that my life is really AWESOME, because it really, truly is. It's definitely not the kind of life I had ever imagined, but it IS wayyyyyy better. So, without further ado, I am going to go ahead and list "the big things" that I am thankful for - not for you to read necessarily, but for me to remind myself and internalize why I am so blessed!

I get to stay at home every day with my beautiful daughter - who I am thankful that we were able to conceive. She is beautifully and wonderfully made, happy, and healthy. I also have the most amazing husband anyone could ask for - who is an amazing partner. :) Also let's not forget loving, generous, patient, and fun!! I have a great, supportive family and I am thankful for their health and for their lives. I live in a place that I love, with wonderful neighbors who are like a second family. I go to a wonderful church that has given me the gift of helping me come to know my savior Jesus. And then, of course, there's JESUS! :) I am thankful for all that You did and have done for me, now and forever.

Life is good. :) I am thankful for it!

Until next time . . .

Dare to DIY Party

Last year if you remember, I participated in Kim's Dare to DIY Party:



This year I will likely do the same! So look for that coming soon.

Here are last year's posts:
Week One
Week Two
Week Three
Week Four
Week Five
Week Six

Until next time . . .