Neener, Neener! I'm Going to Florida!

To the beach!

Just for one day!

But... the beach... in Florida... where it is supposed to be 83 degrees... and sunny!

My Gram and her friend go for a few weeks every winter.  Her friend fell and broke her wrist pretty badly and they need me to come down to drive them home.  But I get to spend one day at Pompano Beach before we start home.

Making my list now.

Bathing suit (hope it fits), sunscreen, beach hat...... you get the picture.

Bathroom Remix {the list edition}

I know!  Before you say anything, I am fully aware that this may possibly be the most boring bathroom in the history of bland bathrooms.  I have never really liked the decor in here but the thought of repainting the whole thing gives me a twitch.

However.  I had an inspiration.  On a fabby shopping day a whil back, I stumbled across the cutest rug.  I snagged a shower curtain that I kind of thought might be the one to go in the bathroom.  I picked up some felt to go along for the ride. 

Then......

wait for it......

surprise, surprise..........

I made a list!

--shower curtain and rug {check}

--foof up shower curtain rings

--tissue box cover

--container for the floss picks

--artwork

--hide the ugly nails holding up the mirror

--cutify the soap dispenser

--fluff up the medicine cabinet

Off to Google soap dispensers...

My Perpetual Journal

On New Year's Day I was doing a little blog surfing (big Surprise!) and I came across the cutest journal on Design Sponge.  A couple of days later, the same journal was featured on Money Saving Mom.  Obviously Someone was trying to tell me something. 

Now, many times in my life I have had grand ambitions to journal.  I have gone out and prurchased cute blank books and nice new pens.  I wrote one entry and promptly forgot all about it.  I joined an online diary site.  I wrote one entry.  Do you see a pattern here?

But this little journal was inspiring.  It was adorable.  I wanted it!

So, within the week, I had the cutest little journal sitting next to my computer and I have written in it every day.  But here's the thing.  I don't remember to write in it every night before I go to bed, but I do write in it every morning after I do my Bible reading.  And since it is designed to only have a line or two, I have no trouble coming up with the most memorable moment of the previous day to write down.

This is my journal.  Easy Peasy!

Each month divider has some apropriately patterned paper and a cut out for the name of the month. 

The dividers are 7.5 by 4.5 inches so that they stick up nicely above the index cards.  The index cards were 5 by 8 inches and I cut them in half.

I used a date stamper to put the date on each card.  I stamped them on the right hand side so that I could stamp the year off the edge of the card so only the month and day show.  On special days I used a red stamp pad to decorate with a stamp for the holiday.  Birthdays got a little cake stamp.

The box was a really ugly Goodwill 50 cent find. 

I sent the minions outside to spray paint it white.

They had a little too much fun!

I sanded it, distressed it with some black paint, plopped my journal cards in and placed it next to my computer.

I can't wait to add a new line to each entry next year and look back and remember what I did in 2011.

Craftiness is Genetic

Sometime in 2006 I was looking through the photo albums at my Gram's house.  I was tickled to find a picture of my mom wearing a cute Valentine's Day skirt that my Gram had made for her.  Then, a decade or so later in the pictures I found a shot of my sister and myself wearing Valentine's skirts that my mom had made for us. 

Too cute.

Inspiration struck!  I sneaked the pictures out of the album with every intention of making my daughter and niece cutesy Valentine's skirts, taking their picture, and making my Gram a very fabby, super sweet Valentine's Day gift.

In my usual lack of focus way, I got a good start on the plan.  I made the skirts, got them to pose for the picture, saved them on the computer and promptly procrastinated my way into 2008.  It occurred to me sometime in 2009 to look for the picture, but it had gone missing.  Sometime in 2010, I thought about it again but Valentine's Day was still months away.  Then in January of 2011, I started looking in earnest for the picture.  I was sure that I had a print of it somewhere. 

Ha!  Apparently not. 

I looked in every file, on every disc, in every box. 

Nothing.  I got desperate. 

I prayed that God would show me where to look.  He does take care of me and He probably knew a long time ago that I would drop the ball and lose the picture.  One day it occurred to me that I had been using my laptop at the time and the picture was on there.  Of course the laptop had crashed in the intervening years but when I had it fixed to give to my son I had asked the computer guy to save the pics on it if he could. 

 I set my super smart and clever son to the task of finding the picture.  And one day, just a few days before I was going to go see my Gram, he found it!  

Picture printed.  Success! 

My Gram got the vintage and beautiful original prints, but I made copies of them and made myself a page to display also. 

My mom somewhere around 1958, my sister and me in 1972, and Abby and Chloe in 2007.

Three generations of Valentine's Cuties.  Maybe someday Abby will have a daughter.  Maybe Abby will make her a Valentine's skirt.  In a couple decades!

ABCs

Our little buddy James has been having a hard time learning his alphabet. 

Every Friday when we have Homeschool Day with our friends, we try to do a special project with James to help him learn his ABCs.
 
He pretty much knows all of his letters now, but was having a little trouble putting them in order.

I found a set of Jello Jiggler cutters that I probably got for Abby when she was learning her letters. 

They were unopened. 

She is eleven. 

She reads on an 12th grade level. 

Thank God for smart kids. 

I was obviously a slacker.

The girlies made the cookie dough for part of their home ec lesson and they rolled it out for him all nice and pretty.

James had a ball picking out the letters of the alphabet in order and cutting them out.

We practiced listening for beginning sounds and cut out the first letter of everyone's name.  We even made a B for the dog.

James made himself a special cookie with all of the letters in his name.

He iced them up and we all scarfed them down.



Yummmmm!!!!

I {Heart} Cake Stands

We had a fab shopping day this week.  Just us girls. 

I almost missed seeing this fabby cake stand at TJ Maxx.  But my super smart and kind sister sent me down the aisle to peruse the cake stands and candy dishes, 'cause she knows how I loves me a cake stand or three.
 

The $14.99 price tag may not seem like much, but it was the last stop of the day and my wallet was feeling a little pinched.  My good buddies Hannah and Sara caught me gazing adoringly, actually, drooling, all over them and sweet, sweet Hannah offered to buy this one for me.   'Cause I am such a wonderful person, apparently.

I was understandably thrilled with the whole idea and stood there envisioning different decorating options for it until they dragged me off to see other fabulous wonders.

Since Valentine's Day is only a few days away I gave the little guy a make over.  Some sheer red ribbon and a little felt heart that I whipped up gave it a whole new look.

Actually, I think she is a girl.  She seems kinda flirty to me.



How's about a little Kiss?

February??!?

What? 
Where did January go? 
How did I get here? 

Two kids' birthdays.  Snowman decorating that I didn't even take pictures of.  A trip to Cincinatti.  Girl's Day Out for Abby's birthday.  Marshall's 16th Birthday Blast.  Lots of Valentine's Projects.  90% off at Michael's after Christmas shopping.

The whole thing went by in a blur.

Somebody stop the world.

I need a nap!