Stampy Cake!

For Morgan's Birthday 2 years ago, we made a Stampy Longnose Cake!

Lee and his brother, Jay, made a rainbow/tie dye cake and I decorated!

Those guys are adorable working in the kitchen together!

Fairly easy when I thought it out.

I made a grid, used Hershey Bar blocks for the "black" parts, green sprinkles for the eyes, and the rest yellow frosting.

Miss Morgan loved her cake and I passed another year of sliding by another birthday party.

Her last year birthday, we had friends over to the house.

Like 16 friends, it was chaos.

Since her birthday is in December, we filled a bunch of squirt bottles with Kool Aid and had them "paint" the snow. Not thinking, I did mostly red since it's Morgan's fave color.

It looked like a massacre in the backyard! HA!

We had all the children decorate their own cupcakes.

It was chaos.

It looked like a massacre in my dining room!

Live and learn....Not completely sure I'd go down that route again.

Perhaps this year she'll finally agree to have 2 friends over for a sleepover and movie marathon?

I can dream, right?

Still Not Inspired!

Yes, I know it's been a long time

(read: years)

Since I've posted anything here!

I'm not very proud of it.....

But, that isn't to mean I haven't been busy?!!!

I've just been busy not being crafty.

I did, however, get some new ink since I posted last!

And now my new adventure is to delve into the world

of heart healthy recipes.

My blood work came back yesterday showing a rise in

cholesterol and triglycerides 

so I did what I always do when I have to research something new...

I start a Pinterest Board about it!

So far, I've made Energy Ballz and Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad.

You know what?

(what?)

Not that bad!

It's been 9 days since my last Kit Kat.

(sounds like a confessional)

I should find a counter for that....

Food Making is soooooo not my forte. 

(this is probably why my numbers are high)

So, that's about it.

Life is good, my kids are healthy, and I love my job.

I can do this!

Lego Movie Hoopla Triple Threat!

This seemed to be, above all The Summer of Lego around here.

I have to admit, I love Benny.

His joyfulness to make a spaceship is how I feel about a great deal of things.

Maybe too many things.

Maybe I'm overexcitable?

Morgan, of course was all about WyldStyle and Will had a big thing for Emmet. 

After I first stitched up the Benny Hoopla the kids promptly put their orders in.

Below is a montage of close ups and basically me playing around with an intagram app for the first time.

I've been pretty busy lately, and a lot of crazy creatively awesome

things have been going on.

My sincerest apologies for leaving this blog for so long.

But no fear, the creativeness has (for the most part) been

captured for future blog posts!

I also have a serious backlog of Craftster Swap items 

to post for posterity.

(Even if it's for my own enjoyment.)

But, on a fun side note, I looked at my Stats on 

here and my Lalaloopsie crocheted hats have 

been viewed 124 times from France today!

One word to leave you with:

SPACESHIP!

Drawing Challenge Day 4: Fave Place

Day 4: Fave Place

My House!

Not too sure if this goes up to 11 on the cheez-o-Rama scale,

Or if it lends a little harsh to my introverted tendencies...

But honestly,

There's no place like home. 

(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

(Sorry, not sorry.)

I wanted to try and sketch this super fast, not be overly analytical, and keep the simple lines. 

Although, it's not museum worthy....

I'd say Mission Accomplished!

Hiatus Ho!

So the last post I wrote was in May.

May!

I'm sincerely hoping everyone is having a wonderful summer, I know we are. 

Time has just simply had no meaning around here. The kids are able to not need me for every single little thing in the morning so I've been able to sleep in a bit. 

I took the kidz to LegoLand with Melissa and her daughter. 

Here's a link to her blog knitting sandwich on it: Oh my gosh you should check out this blog!

The kidz each had a weeklong camp: Morgan- Girly Glitter Art Camp and Will-YMCA Kindergarten Prep. 

I have not gotten a haircut for months and am in sore need of one!

But, I usually post about my craftiness, right?

Well...I still been crafty to a certain extent, but this is the first summer I'm not quite able to eek out time for the craftiness. 

In a way it's irritating, I've not had much of a creative outlet and sort of feel in a rut...

That's not to say I didn't participate in a craftster swap or two. (Tee Hee)

But, my current fun is going to be completely different. 

I've decided to do a 30 day drawing challenge I stumbled onto via The Pinterest!

This is double fun because it's also my first foray into Copic Markers. 

I invested in some Sepia shades to get me started. 

I'm pumped and just finished Day 1...

But I think I'll post that tomorrow. (wink!)

So...

If anyone is still reading this thanks for sticking with me!!!

Crafty Cave: February...March!

Golly have I been slacking on my New Years Intention of sprucing up the Crafty Cave!

I did, however, get some Calendar Towel Curtains made to hide away the clutter of my fabric stash cabinet.

Not matching up at the bottom, but I'm gonna let that slide for now.

Here's a little peek at the "during".

I went all fancy and installed a curtain rod...all by myself thank you very much!

For attatching, I snapped some Bistro Curtain Clips and called it a day.

Oh yeah, and I used to have all these little fabric scraps in diaper boxes on the bottom shelf.

I picked up some plastic zippy bins and now I can squish them away and store twice as much.

There was also some major organizing of the closet which is still a work in progress. 

I hope to get Will's birthday behind me, then I can concentrate on the Crafty Cave again.

Crafty Cave: January

Here's my monthly accountability update for my Crafty Cave Redeux.

Here's my Best Intentions Post of how it looks "before".

(And hopefully won't look like by the end of the year!)

January kind of flew by on me, but it was mostly about cleaning things...

Like my desk!

Look, it almost sparkles!

This mystery pile of clothes that could be altered...

Before 

After!

On top of my file cabinet...

(Most of the papers were patterns I needed to file away)

Before

After!!!

Beautiful organization!

I put on my brand new colorfulriffic ironing board cover!

(I'm not completly sure, but it might be too busy of a pattern)

There you have it!

I was also going to install a curtain rod for my fabric bookcase,

but Lee loaned the drill out to his dad.

I've gotta get my own darn drill.

A Plan for the Year...

I'm not really one to make resolutions.
When I *do* make them, I have the lack of willpower to keep up.
Sure I need to lose weight, try new things, and take more joy in my life...
But who doesn't?

I am a crafter.
I am creative.
I currently have a Crafty Cave that does not inspire me...

Aspects I love about this space:
1. It exists
2. My Hoopla Wall is abundant with awesomeness
3. I've got a comfy chair (nobody expects the spanish inquisition)

Things I want to improve upon:

1. Better lighting

2. Appear Uncluttered (Storage and Concealment Curtains for said storage)

3. Organized Small Crafty Things

4. Utilize the Closet better

It's to be expected that I LOVE this space. 

Clutter and all.

It's just not the refuge I want it to be, more of a hovel to cower in at the moment. (Gollum, Gollum)

Brainstormy:

1. Yarn Bomb Ottoman and Metal Desk Bits

2. New Ironing Board Cover (already aquired)

3. Pretty up the Armoir without painting, or banging holes in it (because Lee would kill me)

4. Painted Peg Board for Weapons of Choice (scissors, small baskets, rulers, tapes, quarterstaff, magic wand)

This is my Crafty Cave Intention Statement.

I pledge to try and post a progress picture once a month,

motivation is my kryptonite.

So, Happy New Year to all you lovely people!

I hope your next year comes with oodles of niceties!!!

Anyone have any favorite craft supply organization tips?

I would be super psyched to hear them!

PS:

I made a polka dotty change to the look of my blog. 

Polka dots are currently a very uplifting thing for me.

YAY HAPPY DOTS!!!

Shoe-Tyin' Morgan!

So, here's my "1 Clever Idea" for the Summer.

Morgan needs to learn to tie her shoes.

Apparently they test for this in school now, as we've gotten feedback

at Parent/Teacher conferences that she doesn't know how.

This is part of standard testing now?

So, this summer she's been practicing and as an incentive each day she practices

Morgan gets to draw a picture on the shoes with Mommy's Special Sharpies!

I picked up a $5 pair of knock-off Keds from Walmart and some superfun sparkly laces.

This seems to have done the trick.

She's excited to learn, and we have a little personalized momento of this milestone.

We bought her school shoes the other day....

AND THEY HAVE LACES!

No more lazy Velcro for Ducky!!!

Up to....Things

I'm up to...things.

Morgan and I have been brainstorming some projects for the backyard!

I've warned her, this is NOT going to be finished in 1 day.

I feel just like Mr. Tyzic: The Head Crusher!!!

Thriftin fun

This weekend I got to do some Thrifting at the Thrift and came home with these lovelies.

A cute little print and....

Well, I'm not sure what it is, but it was cute and maybe someone out there in the interwebs can help me figure it out. 

Both items were a whopping 50 CENTS!

I couldn't pass up this little guy. 

It's now hanging in my bedroom.

Now for my mystery item.

This is how I found it.

I could see the folksy print was on the wrong side of the fabric and I was really intrigued!

So I started investigating (manhandling) it in the shop and found some snaps.

Never to let a snap go unsnapped...I snapped!

A pretty honeycomb was starting to develop.

Now, I'm not sure what this thing could be used for.

I actually found a second one with not nearly as cute motifs, so this wasn't just an experiment in construction.

(tee hee)

Perhaps it needed a bowl for support?

I found it didn't sit too well on its own...

So, I got to get out of the house for a morning and found some little things that brightened my day just as much as the much needed sunshine!

I've gotta say, I am loving my whole dollar expenditure!

And if anyone could help me figure out what my MYSTERY item is, 

you would have my undying gratitude and perhaps a prize!

(yay! a prize!)

Morgan Lego Maze of Madness!

It's was Spring Break and Miss Morgan was out of school.
To say I needed to find fun things for them to do and not have the kids plopped in front of a screen is quite an understatement. I NEED to be better about this!
Thank glob for Pinterest (again).
Morgan and I got to create a marble maze from Legos and I think it really caught her imagination...

Check out her spokesmodel skills!
(Sometimes I really miss Star Search, ya know? )

Forgive me for abruptly ending her fantastic presentation of the Marble Maze...Morgan was about ready to invite the internet to our house by giving out our phone number!
SHEESH!

Will's Fabulous Bedroom Makeover!

Well it's time.
Time to finally get rid of the convertible crib and turn my baby boy's room into a 4 year old big boy room.
4 years he's slept in that crib in one form or another and the poor kid's literally grown out of.
Rolled out of it.
Oh yes, then there was the time he, well the only way I can describe it is he sneezed himself out of it.

Morgan too.
She was the first tenant of the convertible crib.
We moved her to the Big Girl Trundle Day Bed when Sir William was well on his way.

Here are the Stinkers in their crib-lovin glory!

This was when she first learned to roll over and EVEN THEN couldn't pass up admiring herself in a mirror!

The Lady Morgan (so classy with the hair and aaaalmost doing the tripod with her fingers) gazing upon 

wee Sir William whilst his royal nap.

(Yes that is a batman shirt, and yes it did pass down to Will, and NO I'm never getting rid of it!)

For a while now, I've been thinking about what bed to get for the Willster.

His room isn't that big and I thought the Ikea KURA Reversible bed was awesome. I have a few friends who have it for their kids and they all LOVE IT!

Lee, alas, did not.

I tried some The Thrift and didn't really come up with anything that screamed "I NEED TO GO HOME WITH YOU AND MAKE A LITTLE BOY HAPPY!!!".

Then Lee came up with the genius whydidn'twethinkofthissooner idea.

Remember towards the beginning of this post I spoke of a trundle day bed in which we moved Morgan?

There's that stinkin' mattress underneath just sitting there on its own frame.

Just sitting there!

So we moved it into Will's room and the kids were lovin' it!

Really lovin' it!

Look at the air under Will. I swear he has air in his bones!

Had to stop to do a photoshoot.

Back to the crazy!

Quite the undertaking and I'll give room updates as they happen.

Oh, and if I didn't mention it...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL!!!

The Most Clever I'll EVER Be!

You know those cardboard Ikea Magazine Holders that seem like once you buy them they multiply?

(I never knew I bought THAT many!)

Well, on Pinterest...

I saw where they were good for storing tall narrow boxes like Aluminum Foil, Wax Paper, Zippy Bags, and the like.

But we have this little roll of sandwich baggies running around loose.

I use these in lunches and picking up dog poop in the backyard and the roll NEVER stays 

nice and neat.

Until one day, it dawned on me that the hole in the front could act as a feed for the baggies!

 

I really don't think I can top this "EUREKA" moment...

I'm not sure, but there may have been a victory lap.

I think the next step is to make them pretty somehow, now where did those Sharpies go?