tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26242766268921200182024-03-04T21:36:28.640-07:00Evening BirdsongThis blog will contain projects that help make a house a home. Craft projects, DIY projects, great ideas, easy recipes and printable freebies will help anyone feather their nest.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger36125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-16227424969791283122014-02-11T16:35:00.000-07:002014-02-11T16:35:34.959-07:00Dealing with Digital Images Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgqQMVJcsOErxILBXszCK2V5zNh8IdKvSIDas-ypBoZHZHvj8OmerzC9EgHuU1kvSORor4BIGuPrHYxAoRUpslMG91-hDFOesLem2ttBFClRakbFBMO8RUNSzHhphF0xYRR6L5s0DwCAN/s1600/Digital+Images+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIgqQMVJcsOErxILBXszCK2V5zNh8IdKvSIDas-ypBoZHZHvj8OmerzC9EgHuU1kvSORor4BIGuPrHYxAoRUpslMG91-hDFOesLem2ttBFClRakbFBMO8RUNSzHhphF0xYRR6L5s0DwCAN/s1600/Digital+Images+3.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I have at least 30 boxes of old photos in my house. Most of them are jumbled in no particular order as they were collected when moving older relatives. I feel a great responsibility in being the caretaker of this family history. If you are familiar with older photos, you know that some are yellow looking, some seem to be cracking or peeling, and others are so brittle that they are falling apart. These conditions are all due to the chemicals used in the development process and in the paper. There is no way to reverse these processes, so the best way to save the image is to scan it and make it into a digital image. There are many ways to accomplish this:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Many people (including me) have a 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 printer that has a scanning bed. Make sure that the glass is clean to avoid spots and then scan the photo. If you are given a choice about quality, always choose the highest. Image quality is described as "dots per inch" or DPI. You want at least a 300 DPI. 600 DPI is my choice if I have the option.</li>
<li>You can hire someone who owns a high speed scanner or rent the scanner. If you are interested in this option, I recommend looking for an <a href="http://www.heritagemakers.com/" target="_blank">Heritage Makers consultant </a>in your area. Many own these high speed scanners. There is usually a per image charge of about $.29. I had the opportunity to rent a scanner a few years ago and scanned over a thousand photos for just $50.00. I wish I had done a lot more!</li>
<li>There are companies everywhere that will scan photos. <a href="http://www.scancafe.com/services/photo-scanning" target="_blank"> ScanCafe</a> is one such business where you can mail them your photos and they will digitize them. Although they have better pricing if you are scanning large quantities, you have to balance the risk of putting your photos in the mail. Look in your area for a local scanning company before you ship your photos away.</li>
<li>For large photos you may have good success with making a photograph of it. You will have to adjust your camera's settings until you get a usable image. </li>
</ul>
<div>
Once you have your photos digitized, you need to organize them in a similar manner to your digital photos. This is much more difficult with older photos that were scanned in no particular order, but you can set up folders by decades and drag and drop the photos one at a time into the folders. It may help to also label the family name such as "Foster 1950s". You may choose to label the photos by name such as "Gram Collins ". If you have a lot of time you could rename the files to indicate who is in the photo. Future generations will know even less than you do, so save what you know. Labeling is important!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Once your photos are organized, you need to DO something with them. The simplest thing is to print the photos and display them in frames, but that can turn into clutter in a hurry. Canvases have become very popular of late and that is a great way to preserve a really special photo.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
You may choose to make scrapbooks- either using traditional paper methods or digital scrapbooking methods. One of my favorite techniques is to drop the photos into a pre-made book template. Shutterfly and Costco make books at great prices, although I have heard complaints about the quality of the books. I use Heritage Makers. There are thousands of templates so that each book can have its own "feel." I have made books about trips, individual people, family recipes, and year in review retrospectives. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since digital files are so easy to share, make sure that you share with your family. Since there may only be one photo of great-great grandpa, make sure that everyone has a copy! You can use CDs to share photos, but caution family members to back them up in safer methods.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-38946488103048739642014-02-11T15:49:00.000-07:002014-02-11T15:49:44.513-07:00Dealing with Digital Images Part 2<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl9ThOEm4rKfo22chbDvwAg-FCKx_EuGe0KkrlhiEp03ULSBVgo-8UJ58T31DgOCBj1fyeYIw5RynqbfSXB_SnrgeoI456401Mu_bfgokWIZF04KTBM0xthRkJqsWh7V3HzwfCtDtAMui/s1600/Digital+Images+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMl9ThOEm4rKfo22chbDvwAg-FCKx_EuGe0KkrlhiEp03ULSBVgo-8UJ58T31DgOCBj1fyeYIw5RynqbfSXB_SnrgeoI456401Mu_bfgokWIZF04KTBM0xthRkJqsWh7V3HzwfCtDtAMui/s1600/Digital+Images+2.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is a really important topic and there are lots of good
ways to deal with your photos, but in my experience most people don't do any of them. My
opinion is that my photos are priceless, so it is worth it to me to invest in
the products and services that will protect them. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Burning your photos to a CD is NOT RECOMMENDED! CDs deteriorate over time and can be
completely worthless in as little as five years. If they get scratched or damaged, your data
is GONE. Do not use CDs except to share
photos. They are not a storage device.<o:p></o:p></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u><br /></u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you have downloaded your photos, they are saved on your
hard drive. Although a hard drive is a
great thing, they do break down and that can be catastrophic if you don’t have
a back up. You need to have at least one
method of back up and I would suggest two or three. Here are some ideas for
back ups:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Add another drive to your computer.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I have two drives in mine and I save my
current photos on both.</span><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeg1hkw-HejYoffF2OvQk7H0hdySsUUMl0dNd0iO844Q5lQyEUQAtovTlPwNpX5uL1bQZxg5SKtVUzVvASgU4qNX9T3nHg9u2kK5W7eiDQIHOHR6nroy7pSmEnO_GzdYmbB18z-bQchqnj/s1600/iomega.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeg1hkw-HejYoffF2OvQk7H0hdySsUUMl0dNd0iO844Q5lQyEUQAtovTlPwNpX5uL1bQZxg5SKtVUzVvASgU4qNX9T3nHg9u2kK5W7eiDQIHOHR6nroy7pSmEnO_GzdYmbB18z-bQchqnj/s1600/iomega.jpg" /></a></div>
</span></span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Use an external hard drive.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">These usually look like a small black box and
all they do is serve as memory.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You can
get a Terrabyte of memory for under $100 on Amazon.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">For most people this will save several years
of photos.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You can set up your computer
to automatically update your external hard drive or you can manually save to it
on a regular basis.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">(Note: These new
viruses and malware that have been going around recently don’t only attack your
computer- they attack anything attached to it, so that could put your EHD at
risk.)</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">I have no problems with thumb
drives- as long as you have a safe place to keep them.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">It might be a great idea to keep a set of
thumb drives or EHD off site in case of a fire or flood.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you are a “mad photographer” like I am,
the thumb drives would cost a LOT more than a good EHD.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Subscribe to an automatic online back-up service
such as <a href="http://mozy.com/#slide-5" target="_blank">Mozy</a> or<a href="http://www.carbonite.com/" target="_blank"> Carbonite</a>. These
companies can make automatic back-ups of your computer on a regular basis
(nightly, weekly). Although these
services can be expensive, they are also wonderful when your computer crashes
because it is very easy to download the missing files from the company and they
work on a schedule so you don’t have to remember to do anything. Mozy has been a lifesaver for me in the past
and one of my friends swears by Carbonite.
There are some new providers in this category but I have no experience
with them.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Use an
online photo service to organize and save your photos. <a href="https://www.flickr.com/" target="_blank"> Flickr</a>, <a href="https://support.google.com/picasa/answer/157000?hl=en" target="_blank">Picasa</a>, and <a href="http://www.shutterfly.com/nav/signedOutMyPics.sfly" target="_blank">Shutterfly</a> are popular
sites. As long as you upload your photos
to the cloud right away, you will have a safe back up that you can also set up
to be shared with those people you choose. </span><u style="text-indent: -0.25in;">You need to make sure that you can download
full-resolution images from the site if you are using it as a back up. </u><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> I upload my “commercial” photos to
<a href="http://www.smugmug.com/" target="_blank">SmugMug</a>. It is a little more difficult
to navigate than the others, but it also gives me greater control for a
reasonable price.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Symbol; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you don’t care about having “Photo” type
options and you just need to save the files, you might want to look into sites
like <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">Dropbox</a>, <a href="https://drive.google.com/#my-drive" target="_blank">GoogleDrive</a>, or <a href="https://login.live.com/login.srf?wa=wsignin1.0&rpsnv=12&ct=1392158588&rver=6.2.6289.0&wp=MBI_SSL_SHARED&wreply=https:%2F%2Fskydrive.live.com%2F%3Fmkt%3Den-US&lc=1033&id=250206&cbcxt=sky&mkt=en-US&cbcxt=sky" target="_blank">SkyDrive</a>. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My recommendations:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you are lazy or forgetful and you are pretty
sure that you won’t remember to back up, you should use an automatic on-line
back up service. At least once a year
you should copy all your photos to an external hard drive. </span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you are pretty organized, schedule one day a
month to upload photos to an online site and transfer them to your EHD. Do NOT delete the photos off your photo card
until they are backed up and do NOT keep your EHD attached to the computer.</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If you are a maven of organization, do it all at
the same time. Download photos to your
hard drive, copy them to an EHD (that does not stay plugged in), and upload
them to a cloud storage site. Once they
are asved in three places, you are probably safe.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I tend to be in the middle category because I have to edit
my photos, so I make sure that I have back ups of the originals during the
editing process. Last summer I lost the
originals of a wedding. Once burned,
twice shy.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NOTE: When you are
transferring photos, make sure that you COPY them to the new location. Do NOT use a CUT and PASTE technique. You can go back and delete them later if you
want to- AFTER you make sure that they are where they are supposed to be! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Tomorrow I'll cover how to deal with old photos and give you some ideas about how to get your photos off the computer and into your life!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-81358330543717098682014-02-11T15:26:00.000-07:002014-02-11T15:27:36.803-07:00Dealing with Digital Images Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WufENcC8BKS3ojio1sLvcVrNBCJRHkrf0FZCY5Wn6S6_EGHx0n8Tmt7rNz2QX374aP_L9AX8CvkqjVIesJC1TpMNGiScheS0XTZGD3VLxth4DeJIvaBDeap4Ul_LY4sT6hDncfhQ-sl_/s1600/Digital+Images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WufENcC8BKS3ojio1sLvcVrNBCJRHkrf0FZCY5Wn6S6_EGHx0n8Tmt7rNz2QX374aP_L9AX8CvkqjVIesJC1TpMNGiScheS0XTZGD3VLxth4DeJIvaBDeap4Ul_LY4sT6hDncfhQ-sl_/s1600/Digital+Images.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A good friend of mine had a glitch the other day while
moving around some digital photos and lost them. That is just about the worst feeling in the
world! These days we are all using
digital cameras. We have photos on our
phones. But apparently not everyone
knows what to do next. I keep hearing about people just keep buying more memory
cards because they are afraid to download their photos! Pictures are no fun when they are on a memory
card. They need to be displayed and
seen! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am pretty passionate about photography and memory
keeping. I come from families that took
LOTS of photos. Now that I am the
guardian of all the family photos I have a whole room in my basement filled
with boxes of loose photos and photo albums.
Although these are a treasure trove of memories, they take up a lot of
space, they are hard to enjoy, and they are hard to share. Now we have all gone digital. I take a couple thousand photos a month with
my Canon 7D. I also have a Canon Power
Shot that I carry when I need to just grab a couple of snapshots. And then there is the phone. Sometimes my iPhone is the only camera
available to take a photo of a really important moment. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So. . . how do we deal with all these photos? What is the best way to preserve our
memories?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This three part series will cover Downloading and Organizing
Your Digital Photos, Storing and Backing Up Your Digital Photos, and Preserving
Old Family Photos/Using your Photos. For
the sake of this tutorial I will assume that you are using a Windows based
computer and that you are just taking regular old photos (not RAW).<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>The Download <o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Your computer may have a slot where you can insert your memory card and download the photos to your hard drive.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26QuvIpHp_YUVRQo_b3OUzWDauXMdYtrYxHlO0W3XMsx0k5PPUNIcT5SYbAZMUo9Zb8r6WX0AtZl1rVwvL5KK5aIu6-o2h0Y_mK6lcBZjq5iEJ2vQR5depirA8UlsWI5DaPJZIpwCkpPT/s1600/IMG_3446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh26QuvIpHp_YUVRQo_b3OUzWDauXMdYtrYxHlO0W3XMsx0k5PPUNIcT5SYbAZMUo9Zb8r6WX0AtZl1rVwvL5KK5aIu6-o2h0Y_mK6lcBZjq5iEJ2vQR5depirA8UlsWI5DaPJZIpwCkpPT/s1600/IMG_3446.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If not, you need to purchase a card
reader. The photo below is the one I
use. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgyQtx4FEPxTolnOxlI4I945NkBwTllQNGSEPQXc-gqtbfVW60xdym1xpsDVqQ3npxl_6Nlb3hsr5yC0H9KTOjkfy4WpeEfrNrj0rHfGNe2wTjvUFzYP4KEfqp78H0HP-eoH032wz9k6C/s1600/IMG_3448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgyQtx4FEPxTolnOxlI4I945NkBwTllQNGSEPQXc-gqtbfVW60xdym1xpsDVqQ3npxl_6Nlb3hsr5yC0H9KTOjkfy4WpeEfrNrj0rHfGNe2wTjvUFzYP4KEfqp78H0HP-eoH032wz9k6C/s1600/IMG_3448.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
I need to read CF cards and SD cards
so this one is perfect for me. They are inexpensive
(under $20) and they use a USB port to attach to your computer. As soon as you attach to the computer you
will probably have a box pop up asking what you want to do. If not, you can click on the Start Button
(the circle in the lower left hand corner), then on Computer, and then find the
drive that you are using. Mine show up
under hard drives or removable storage.
Click on that icon and then you will be able to transfer the
photos. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you can plug your phone into your computer, it will
usually prompt you to make a file of your photos. You should do this every few months. Otherwise, you will need to e-mail your
photos to yourself to get them onto your computer so that you can save
them. This will take a lot longer, but
if the photos are good, it is worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Organizing Your
Photos<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It doesn’t really matter HOW you organize your photos as
long as you are consistent. I have
always organized my photos by date. I
make a folder for the year and then a folder for each month. A trick to naming these folders is to use the
number of the month, for example “1 January 2014”, “2 February 2014”. The reason that I do this is that it keeps
the months in order. If you just use the
name of the month, the computer will arrange them alphabetically. Inside those month folders I have event
folders that tell me what the photos are, such as “Colby Graduation” or “Trip
to Maine”. This system has worked very
well for me for many years. Even if
there were two events on the same day, I will generally separate the photos
into different event folders- not just by date.
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
NOTE- If you have a photo editing program such as Adobe’s
Lightroom, you need to make sure that you understand how to use the program to
organize your photos and you should always move photos INSIDE the program so
that you don’t lose links.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My organizational tree would looks something like this:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2013<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
1 January 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
New Year’s Day<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
WrestlingAF<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Lewis and Clark<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Birthday Party<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
2 February 2013<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Tibble Fork<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Valentines</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
Come back tomorrow for Part Two: Storing and Backing Up Your Photos</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<o:p></o:p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-31522807123589379922014-02-10T12:05:00.000-07:002014-02-10T12:06:46.950-07:00Sweet Valentine's Day PrintableI have decided to really tone down my decorating in 2014. We have had a rough run for a few months- including me having a hernia surgery a couple of weeks before Christmas. That experience helped me realize that my family does not really care if the house is decorated- they only care about the decorations that have become a tradition. For us that is a Christmas Tree and lights in the windows for the whole holiday season. So. . . despite the fact that I have a whole tub of valentine decorations in the garage, I'm sticking to one printable that I can slide into my chalkboard display stand. The best part? I can change it out easily for each holiday so that I don't feel like a total Scrooge!<br />
<br />
This printable is sized for a normal piece of paper 8.5" x 11". <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTdV-Cea_oASh6aE3XjfxXdWMfzfJzi0jIqa8KWoXwZcwoEZO_PdJktdDj0QC3yqj8b1C2tk3UPk9iEIcJy9RX2Xptc6NptQXfEzz1PultrVfndTq0tx4JNHLABCmg0i_yyUzh69CcfV7/s1600/sweet+valentine's+day.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSTdV-Cea_oASh6aE3XjfxXdWMfzfJzi0jIqa8KWoXwZcwoEZO_PdJktdDj0QC3yqj8b1C2tk3UPk9iEIcJy9RX2Xptc6NptQXfEzz1PultrVfndTq0tx4JNHLABCmg0i_yyUzh69CcfV7/s1600/sweet+valentine's+day.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://app.box.com/files/0/f/0/1/f_14201566937" target="_blank">Download the free printable pdf at Box.com</a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-63076934747070433392013-10-15T19:31:00.000-06:002013-10-15T19:31:00.448-06:00Cranial Sacral TherapySome people will think I am a total nut, but I have a friend who is a healer. Had she been born in the 1600's and lived in Salem, she probably would have been hung. She is by trade a massage therapist but has branched out into Cranial Sacral Therapy. She is trained and certified.<br />
<br />
A couple of years ago I went to her because I was having headaches. CS Therapy involves a light touch on the body- very non-invasive. As her hands drifted by my ankle she asked if it hurt. I told her it was a little sore since I had twisted it the previous week. She "released" it and said it would find a way to exit my body. It came out my ear. Weirdest thing ever. It hurt like heck for about 10 seconds and then my ear and my ankle were fine.<br />
<br />
The Therapist agreed to come to my house to work on The Boy. He is 17 and had a massive knee surgery. She sat on the couch and held his bad leg while carrying on a conversation with us. She said it was pulsing, but The Boy didn't notice anything. He was relaxing, though. Then she went to his good leg, explaining that the good leg was now doing a lot more work. As soon as her second hand touched his leg, he startled and almost yelled, "Can you feel that?" She smiled and asked him what he was feeling. He said that it felt like his muscles were untwisting. She responded that she was feeling the same thing. After just a couple of minutes he looked over at me and told me that his pain was at a 1. For the first time since the surgery. And that he wanted to sleep. For the first time since the surgery. (Narcotics make The Boy crazy. . . not sleepy.) He drifted off to sleep and she sat and touched his legs until they were calm- whatever that means.<br />
<br />
After that first experience The Boy was a believer and asked me to call her when things got rough. I think it has made all the difference in his healing because it relieved his pain and helped him sleep. He also said that he felt stronger afterwards- which was evident in his movements. <br />
<br />
All I can say is that this therapy is wonderful- as long as you have a healer! Give it a try.<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-43683587779922839752013-10-15T19:12:00.001-06:002013-10-15T19:12:31.306-06:00Essential Oils for Knee Surgery Relief<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-G0besK1BpdxhahqTvVX7nmyA7BmZsumaMFcHmEPgJ4lUgT5FJrnD31x3prDCRhgVUVsSkgvBiWpCzyXpAlZqh6SbVICZN6msOPQ3-A4N_wDySv4fCQZK2RsCl-m7DeS4SqCln4Uz9WC/s1600/IMG_5270.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-G0besK1BpdxhahqTvVX7nmyA7BmZsumaMFcHmEPgJ4lUgT5FJrnD31x3prDCRhgVUVsSkgvBiWpCzyXpAlZqh6SbVICZN6msOPQ3-A4N_wDySv4fCQZK2RsCl-m7DeS4SqCln4Uz9WC/s640/IMG_5270.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My son had knee surgery three weeks ago and it was an
extensive surgery- complete with scraped cartilage, a new tendon made out of
his hamstring, and his tibia broken and screwed together. This boy of mine HATES taking medicine. .
.especially anything that blurs his mind.
Since this is not our first rodeo on the knee surgery front (he had one
last November for a totally different problem) I decided to look for some
alternate therapies.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I have not been a proponent of Essential Oils, but I figured
that it couldn’t hurt. I bought the
following oils from Spark Naturals and made up the recipe after a bit of
research.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
5 drops Cypress (regulates blood flow, calms)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
5 drops Birch (relieves pain in muscles, bones, and joints, promotes
bone repair)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
5 drops White Fir (relaxes muscles, aids natural defenses,
anti-inflammatory)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
3 drops Lemongrass (relieves tension, promotes ligament health)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10 drops Wintergreen (relieves pain and spasms)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (skin healing properties, carrier
oil)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
I mixed these oils together and stored them in a small container. It is pretty easy to make a batch because the
Spark Natural bottles all have a dropper top, so I wasn’t worried about
quantity. At first I could only get to
the boy’s foot, so I put it on both feet (the arch and under the toes) at least
three times a day. As the bandages
shrunk, I got closer and closer to his knee until I was going right around the
steri strips. He said that it really
helped with his pain and would sometimes ask me to put it on. He was off the narcotics on day 5 which
really surprised his doctor (who had prescribed 90 Percocets and 10 Oxicodones)
and off Advil on day 10.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
Now we are at day 21 and he still has some swelling, but not much
pain. He has three large scars and two
smaller ones that I would like to minimize, so now I am trying something new-
an EO balm that he can apply anytime.
Here’s the new recipe:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
10 drops Tea Tree (skin healing properties)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
15 drops Birch(bone growth)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
15 drops Lavender (skin healing properties)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
15 drops White Fir (anti-inflammatory)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
30 drops Wintergreen (pain)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
1 teaspoon (scant) Extra Virgin Coconut Oil (skin healing oils)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
½ teaspoon beeswax (product hardener)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
½ teaspoon cocoa butter (skin softening, product hardener)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
This made enough to fill two chapstick-type containers. The boy can apply it directly to the scars to
promote healing and alleviate itching. It
is easy for him to keep with him and he even likes the smell!<o:p></o:p></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-34484539363011659982013-01-04T12:36:00.000-07:002013-01-04T12:36:08.692-07:00Cupcakes. . . In a hurry!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3BMKIeeGvq8nPKz6J486mops4Mcj2_w7VzQFEqjp021WZp3RCO6oeszcmNpHKHMpHSoBSTyy4O7RvblG0gWkn5RdFnDxW9RCBHE26bmEcirRoU3E-BVFcBVmR9Yp2BMBo-jN_pTLtFj9/s1600/IMG_2114+-+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3BMKIeeGvq8nPKz6J486mops4Mcj2_w7VzQFEqjp021WZp3RCO6oeszcmNpHKHMpHSoBSTyy4O7RvblG0gWkn5RdFnDxW9RCBHE26bmEcirRoU3E-BVFcBVmR9Yp2BMBo-jN_pTLtFj9/s320/IMG_2114+-+WEB.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Yesterday at 3:00pm I got a paniced phone call from my best friend. Our local Costco had a fire and was closed. As far as Di and I are concerned, Costco is the center of the universe, so this was quite a blow. Her daughter's 18th birthday was yesterday and she was planning to just go to Costco to buy the cake, but her plans were dashed. Her plan was that she would go home and make the cupcakes if I would come frost them because she is convinced that she can't do that type of thing. I looked at the clock and knew it was hopeless. Not because of her plan, but because her job is like a black hole with its own gravitational force. (She is the receptionist at my husband's business!) I told her not to worry- we would handle it.<br />
<br />
My oldest son was lurking, so I set him loose making the cupcakes. We used regular cake mixes, but my secret is to add an extra egg. I think it makes the cupcakes a little richer AND helps me use the eggs that my chickens so graciously produce! Our chocolate batter was really runny, so we added a 1/4 cup of flour and they came out perfect!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hKTdjSQ-p34I1e8tAl-8PQjXbwn85weV7x5bwUTgiFLDM76La9GtAxRgH8EXWFB-NyGjCajrHKOWlBwxYcZK9GbUnKFSvI9KXS69bMrxOANalvR8idP46_WH1n82kS44Om4hyphenhyphenza-00CJ/s1600/IMG_2111+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9hKTdjSQ-p34I1e8tAl-8PQjXbwn85weV7x5bwUTgiFLDM76La9GtAxRgH8EXWFB-NyGjCajrHKOWlBwxYcZK9GbUnKFSvI9KXS69bMrxOANalvR8idP46_WH1n82kS44Om4hyphenhyphenza-00CJ/s400/IMG_2111+WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I love the pretty cupcake papers that you can find everywhere, but I have become somewhat disillusioned with them over the past year. Some of them turn downright ugly after having a cupcake cooked in them and some just don't hold up very well. I noticed that my local cupcake shop used souffle cups, so I had to have some. I bought mine at Orson Gygi in Salt Lake City.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrEcWzRJc_WDHOpPUVx9lZ2C3l44ttCZcVsBYFYbOHsLcghmSrUO41uLHKnJh-ypRKqiSpIbQOYsJ_dZdZO6HUwyB-oJ1R3V7x5gQG0qzoWzC8rXAl7EbdI1w6wQnJniTNO6Wycb_JnuN/s1600/IMG_2126+WEB+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqrEcWzRJc_WDHOpPUVx9lZ2C3l44ttCZcVsBYFYbOHsLcghmSrUO41uLHKnJh-ypRKqiSpIbQOYsJ_dZdZO6HUwyB-oJ1R3V7x5gQG0qzoWzC8rXAl7EbdI1w6wQnJniTNO6Wycb_JnuN/s400/IMG_2126+WEB+-+Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you need 5000 (Are you nuts or do you have friends that want to share?) you can buy them here for about $.02 a piece.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Solo-550-2050-Pleated-Souffle-Capacity/dp/B0040ZOWAA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1357317105&sr=8-7&keywords=5+oz++paper+souffle+cups"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.amazon.com/Solo-550-2050-Pleated-Souffle-Capacity/dp/B0040ZOWAA/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1357317105&sr=8-7&keywords=5+oz++paper+souffle+cups</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Or you can buy 250 for $7.50 which is only $.03 a piece. Even with shipping and handling these are WAY cheaper than the pretty ones in the grocery store.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Solo-SCC550-Paper-Souffle-Portion/dp/B005HJ08O2/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1357317480&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=soslo+550"><span style="font-size: x-small;">http://www.amazon.com/Solo-SCC550-Paper-Souffle-Portion/dp/B005HJ08O2/ref=sr_1_sc_2?s=industrial&ie=UTF8&qid=1357317480&sr=1-2-spell&keywords=soslo+550</span></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnLVn9GlPBWs_EoCSySsNLXdIpuiXfwrIFAMU3CEEAvX3ic2gtHMSjwl3SwaR_7ppYpu39LE20aFYQHTwcHxuAa6j5dOV5HmNWkhnair2kt6MtyXL8IDWTRt9aWJxQnR22_OQss-A6-lg/s1600/IMG_2127WEB+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnLVn9GlPBWs_EoCSySsNLXdIpuiXfwrIFAMU3CEEAvX3ic2gtHMSjwl3SwaR_7ppYpu39LE20aFYQHTwcHxuAa6j5dOV5HmNWkhnair2kt6MtyXL8IDWTRt9aWJxQnR22_OQss-A6-lg/s400/IMG_2127WEB+-+Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Only fill the cups about 1/3 full- you want some head space when they are cooked. We cooked the little critters for 15 minutes and they were great.<br />
<br />
<br />
I made buttercream frosting. I am one of those dump and pour cooks, so I can't give you my recipe, but I use butter, cream, vanilla, and confectioner's sugar. I tinted it purple with Wilson's gel. I ALWAYS use a frosting bag and tip to frost cupcakes.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JXDhdiRlPzMoMoPy95mfs340JiRr6vSGikj-UxkRU8fsQioTsNl2Cdl5AXlOOY-oyN73BbD0Uf-OmdVvVJcELCdgV2J7BMMLHkvmAaem8bIkexbcb_SuNA7n4sHn1BDOb8ymlmx5o8zZ/s1600/IMG_2131+WEB+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6JXDhdiRlPzMoMoPy95mfs340JiRr6vSGikj-UxkRU8fsQioTsNl2Cdl5AXlOOY-oyN73BbD0Uf-OmdVvVJcELCdgV2J7BMMLHkvmAaem8bIkexbcb_SuNA7n4sHn1BDOb8ymlmx5o8zZ/s400/IMG_2131+WEB+-+Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I think it is easy and it sure looks more professional than slopping on some frosting with a knife. I used a Wilton 1 M tip and a large 16" pastry bag. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSspZ46no2YensvQxGfQhMZDpJxW9szLDQ_bn2OQwxbMK_aPUwMBKsvIYjQ-sANCiopWhnjzOyjvMVt4KOVLUv0weSsqEuGow8CQ3mMZTqr40zgjZ_gjV8wfdC6_ZqKOLMTkOytHY_gqw/s1600/IMG_2133+-WEB+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrSspZ46no2YensvQxGfQhMZDpJxW9szLDQ_bn2OQwxbMK_aPUwMBKsvIYjQ-sANCiopWhnjzOyjvMVt4KOVLUv0weSsqEuGow8CQ3mMZTqr40zgjZ_gjV8wfdC6_ZqKOLMTkOytHY_gqw/s400/IMG_2133+-WEB+-+Copy.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
This bag is too big to drape over a glass, so I use a pitcher. It is like having an assistant. A good squeeze and a circular motion will give you great looking cupcakes.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm11yJBMyFjBk9iA8EBv3QmC-b1jnvOgD5cexSKyod1BMxNqbFBnj2WEWcmFS8JWu2VO4Q6ZKoJ0vB3Ad4hmQdfFESnX0FTzDKSFDvnaK2fJRFspD-DSYxZsQlQRPqaDMyhm8p_SR0VUI/s1600/IMG_2112+-WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxm11yJBMyFjBk9iA8EBv3QmC-b1jnvOgD5cexSKyod1BMxNqbFBnj2WEWcmFS8JWu2VO4Q6ZKoJ0vB3Ad4hmQdfFESnX0FTzDKSFDvnaK2fJRFspD-DSYxZsQlQRPqaDMyhm8p_SR0VUI/s400/IMG_2112+-WEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwM_rCiOxa5zA2X_MTh4NpGKHQFY6_WnjSBHYKF1H7WZ0AnuRfEfdvDRENaso8n-8ovke4D-uwf35I3DVJr2bjbLCYy4zGX8ZUazgX06rHKOFlYscIISLcY-VIejYTQWeICIrFkWzjYo1_/s1600/IMG_2113WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwM_rCiOxa5zA2X_MTh4NpGKHQFY6_WnjSBHYKF1H7WZ0AnuRfEfdvDRENaso8n-8ovke4D-uwf35I3DVJr2bjbLCYy4zGX8ZUazgX06rHKOFlYscIISLcY-VIejYTQWeICIrFkWzjYo1_/s400/IMG_2113WEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
At 4:20 I left my house to deliver the cupcakes. Disaster averted! Now . . . I hope Costco re-opens today.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zgLeuwJvX11u4R9E891loAi8_N5fRDYpnwh2I_Hqo60kztTeR1EArXu_yAZP-41_Uq4ROjivIJBKiwAIzS396M7fOGMv9D1wvb5mBskX2YHbRTAqIhtrI4_jHyKkMQQBL12ooDotVXlL/s1600/IMG_2115+-+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6zgLeuwJvX11u4R9E891loAi8_N5fRDYpnwh2I_Hqo60kztTeR1EArXu_yAZP-41_Uq4ROjivIJBKiwAIzS396M7fOGMv9D1wvb5mBskX2YHbRTAqIhtrI4_jHyKkMQQBL12ooDotVXlL/s400/IMG_2115+-+WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-29512833362136193952013-01-02T22:26:00.000-07:002013-01-02T22:26:37.256-07:00A Little at a TimeDo you ever feel like just throwing in the towel because there is just so much to do? I know that I get overwhelmed sometimes (often) and don't make time to keep things orderly. Then I get stressed because the house is a mess and I can't find anything!<br />
<br />
One day my friend Joan taught me her trick for staying sane and keeping the house "a house of order." It's so easy and yet, so hard!!! But here is the rule:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">One drawer a day.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I bet you thought it was going to be something glamourous, huh? Nope. Just take a few minutes every day to organize one drawer. Or one cabinet. Or one shelf in the cabinet. The real point here is to just do a little. If it takes you longer than 15 minutes, then it's probably too big a job because it will make you want to skip the next day.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The FlyLady wants us to declutter for 15 minutes a day. Once you get truly decluttered then keeping the house clean is supposedly a snap. I struggle with getting rid of things that I might need. . . someday. I live by the mantra "When in doubt, throw it out," but we still have clutter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The clutter I hate the most is my boys' schoolwork. Right now my kitchen table is covered in piles of papers, notebooks, and sundry school supplies. The end of the term is drawing near and the search is on for those assignments the knuckleheads didn't bother to pass in. As soon as the term ends, the important papers (like reading logs, practice cards, etc.) will find a permanent home in our "school drawers" which is a plastic container with three drawers that hold 8.5 x 11 papers. The rest of it will be put in folders in the closet in case we need them to study at the end of the year.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Anyway, one drawer a day. While you are watching Rachel Ray. Or before you call it a day. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Wow, I think I got carried away, but I really can't say. . . so. . .</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Clean one drawer, OK? </span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-63073299834376236832012-10-05T16:57:00.000-06:002012-10-05T17:02:57.948-06:00Halloween Vintage-Looking Feather Wreath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsPsc-JpJOkRLZPfukKlGqrrkOB0c9zSjdZP-VPo2YJjrCDGGn6rKwcu6mXO4FaFqSIFS27VSqiXGkQbOcXCiR_Vhg7D5WDTDEy59rlJAkwCxLGQ_s6VxawX3VZWkZNjGvtYqPhSbYU_X/s1600/HalloweenWreath7WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsPsc-JpJOkRLZPfukKlGqrrkOB0c9zSjdZP-VPo2YJjrCDGGn6rKwcu6mXO4FaFqSIFS27VSqiXGkQbOcXCiR_Vhg7D5WDTDEy59rlJAkwCxLGQ_s6VxawX3VZWkZNjGvtYqPhSbYU_X/s400/HalloweenWreath7WEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I went to Hobby Lobby today and I spent WAY too much. But I sure had fun! <br />
<br />
I decided to make a large feather wreath for my large front door. The door is 42 inches wide, so it takes a large wreath to not be dwarfed by the expanse of wood. This weath frame is 24" across.<br />
<br />
I started with a wire frame and 3 black feather boas. I used a hair clip to attach the boa to the frame. Nothing is permanent on the wreath, so next year I can totally rework it.I went to Hobby Lobby today and I spent WAY too much. But I sure had fun! <br />
<br />
I decided to make a large feather wreath for my large front door. The door is 42 inches wide, so it takes a large wreath to not be dwarfed by the expanse of wood. This weath frame is 24" across.<br />
<br />
I started with a wire frame and 3 black feather boas. I used a hair clip to attach the boa to the frame. Nothing is permanent on the wreath, so next year I can totally rework it.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6zp_lBRUVHlSez3Wv1frHCQ5W-rQdowlG4_4nVP6mqr5aPepvqA96aAALR59JwyACyTtjOAx_eT2V8zQlWXxsyNGcb9lL-_IrooMJq86EnMyCzUEeuUfBqzUvnr-M9HKpV4Bz_W77wWH/s1600/HalloweenWreath1WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk6zp_lBRUVHlSez3Wv1frHCQ5W-rQdowlG4_4nVP6mqr5aPepvqA96aAALR59JwyACyTtjOAx_eT2V8zQlWXxsyNGcb9lL-_IrooMJq86EnMyCzUEeuUfBqzUvnr-M9HKpV4Bz_W77wWH/s400/HalloweenWreath1WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
This next photo shows that I made it about 1/3 of the way around with a boa. Don't wrap too tightly. The feathers fluff out and look great.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Zz3Sci4GnoYPEAalwtCj1Sinxx-bCNcyvClWBQUCterBJ9OUSINYsdp0IPbZf_u0oY-ZaCaVeF-BfPsYvsx3vPveQlky2Ezpokly1qkMnsSqp3jhcDz5YjMPjBUP-uiGKhtngFapzggz/s1600/HalloweenWreath2WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Zz3Sci4GnoYPEAalwtCj1Sinxx-bCNcyvClWBQUCterBJ9OUSINYsdp0IPbZf_u0oY-ZaCaVeF-BfPsYvsx3vPveQlky2Ezpokly1qkMnsSqp3jhcDz5YjMPjBUP-uiGKhtngFapzggz/s400/HalloweenWreath2WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
Here's the fully wrapped wreath.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYw4NGitVD-37e6XMbV0f19J51DQ2YzVnpZDK1yU0KIVtpL_fZ6QHIsv73Sz8MVemyyarizKSUXLx48alx0tsA_te90c5kqJ-lEq6dQEnCEuM2OKUKSzYJ9tZ5pxvhnpuFOqlS1NnSNU9g/s1600/HalloweenWreath3WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYw4NGitVD-37e6XMbV0f19J51DQ2YzVnpZDK1yU0KIVtpL_fZ6QHIsv73Sz8MVemyyarizKSUXLx48alx0tsA_te90c5kqJ-lEq6dQEnCEuM2OKUKSzYJ9tZ5pxvhnpuFOqlS1NnSNU9g/s400/HalloweenWreath3WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I used a pre-designed bouquet of flowers to add some color. I wove the handle down into the frame and then secured it with some green floral wire.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPWiftSnk408uqTFuzHH_ZwKF0XEmoaBV9MW1uU4IFIGXkg96d47QiiTnbeFwqcv_iL8i_55CFhOiRNY6f7i6SFNTfm4Ag3R6PjPdmiCzXuvIxG1GZXf-LxszVdZUWNqllnVenOqEooe5/s1600/HalloweenWreath4WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWPWiftSnk408uqTFuzHH_ZwKF0XEmoaBV9MW1uU4IFIGXkg96d47QiiTnbeFwqcv_iL8i_55CFhOiRNY6f7i6SFNTfm4Ag3R6PjPdmiCzXuvIxG1GZXf-LxszVdZUWNqllnVenOqEooe5/s400/HalloweenWreath4WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I laid out the rest of the elements that I wanted to add to the wreath.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxso5GYgt9LeWUv-m2VBcg9klUQtL08gD2Ytzk3TJfzpbhzsYOQDqCc7XrG3_mRGqiIhwG83TcSaLFGYg4quLxdJkJRjGwewVBgxkvFpYRnuvd2M5llGENFUuFoKqD0s9e0Fa1L8a4q0zl/s1600/halloweenWreath5WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxso5GYgt9LeWUv-m2VBcg9klUQtL08gD2Ytzk3TJfzpbhzsYOQDqCc7XrG3_mRGqiIhwG83TcSaLFGYg4quLxdJkJRjGwewVBgxkvFpYRnuvd2M5llGENFUuFoKqD0s9e0Fa1L8a4q0zl/s400/halloweenWreath5WEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
I used the floral wire to attach all the elements. I had to wrap around the cat's ears which I wasn't very happy about, but it doesn't really show. The funny thing is that the cat is so heavy that I had to hang the wreath off-center to make it hang correctly.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uL0zy9QA_23D0oJe7fPLUbIOS2_ZhFKVEpRNIvVyXZh5WW7KQ-BF-SV-rVWyTP5ZcSs55GDGNPDe1A3odQju_sCkPY4RcwVuJQ2hDs6C7btH4QgtIUFJUba1gOYqy2vpkSvKSKy-9isc/s1600/HalloweenWreath6WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8uL0zy9QA_23D0oJe7fPLUbIOS2_ZhFKVEpRNIvVyXZh5WW7KQ-BF-SV-rVWyTP5ZcSs55GDGNPDe1A3odQju_sCkPY4RcwVuJQ2hDs6C7btH4QgtIUFJUba1gOYqy2vpkSvKSKy-9isc/s400/HalloweenWreath6WEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
Kinda cute, huh?Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-55361795921366979082012-09-09T21:05:00.001-06:002012-09-09T21:05:48.217-06:00Homemade Laundry Soap I have been reading about homemade laundry soap all over the place. So. . . I just had to make some. Here's my recipe which is based on Jillee's from <a href="http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com/" target="_blank">OneGoodThingByJillee. </a>She has lots of amazing recipes, so check it out!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1TX64iAb_lcfaJVEs5fbBuvxE6-mCaW9m6fZHQVfxfbNUPMnU8dPc5NuBMKdXIil_e0wFgPH7IsZTnq29pszNCwRRoqq2IQzYnkTxLt8xW4QDdUFeUj26tjYXED2MjP7PuS7Bn82Ggof/s1600/LaundrySoapIngredietsWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1TX64iAb_lcfaJVEs5fbBuvxE6-mCaW9m6fZHQVfxfbNUPMnU8dPc5NuBMKdXIil_e0wFgPH7IsZTnq29pszNCwRRoqq2IQzYnkTxLt8xW4QDdUFeUj26tjYXED2MjP7PuS7Bn82Ggof/s400/LaundrySoapIngredietsWEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I used:<br />
<ul>
<li> one box of Super Washing Soda $2.99</li>
<li> one box of Borax $3.99</li>
<li>2 bars of Fels Naptha soap $ .99 each</li>
<li>2 jars of faux oxi clean $1.00 each</li>
<li>1 bottle of Unstoppables Scent Crystals $6.99</li>
</ul>
So, basically $18 for the works. It made a LOT of soap.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLYVnlfHn6dUljEhYVdzPOJvJmIwHGw0YKnB5Vwqg_xTUxcqDAyPxF0p3_XN5_sXIE7HHDrAyXcjCVGSY0LU7o4B6WqZCQeRX_-cd0zGoHssdsjx6HjV_Ynp4E7fJ5B_KQPPlpDLzNatX/s1600/Ground+soapWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLYVnlfHn6dUljEhYVdzPOJvJmIwHGw0YKnB5Vwqg_xTUxcqDAyPxF0p3_XN5_sXIE7HHDrAyXcjCVGSY0LU7o4B6WqZCQeRX_-cd0zGoHssdsjx6HjV_Ynp4E7fJ5B_KQPPlpDLzNatX/s400/Ground+soapWEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I used the grinder attachment of my food processor to shred the Fels Naptha soap. It looked like shredded cheese! There are a few pieces on the counter next to the bowl. Then I used the chopper attachment to cut it into smaller pieces.<br />
<br />
NOTE- I tried to pulverize the scent crystals into smaller pieces with my food processor, but it didn't work. I wonder if my Magic Bullet would have done better?<br />
<br />
I mixed ALL the ingredients into a garbage bag and swooshed it around until it was well-mixed. Then I cut off one corner so that I could control the flow as I angled it into my containers. There were little scoops with the oxygen cleaner, so I just use it to add one scoop into my washing machine's powder dispenser. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqRLF5e3LzA44VCTXioCNTsKPVRqnKkNQPdQLjzjdNhLlh6zBdNzI3f4AWvqguXQ_VY6Y66e_CAzubusJhyphenhyphenPSLyjRObWifZgWPzYOg4aI7WFDq1tQ1oU1PpF2Bq2k4FvYQzFvpj5YHAAH/s1600/LaundrySoapWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQqRLF5e3LzA44VCTXioCNTsKPVRqnKkNQPdQLjzjdNhLlh6zBdNzI3f4AWvqguXQ_VY6Y66e_CAzubusJhyphenhyphenPSLyjRObWifZgWPzYOg4aI7WFDq1tQ1oU1PpF2Bq2k4FvYQzFvpj5YHAAH/s400/LaundrySoapWEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I do a LOT of laundry and so far (one week) I have been pleased with this recipe. Even the nasty, stinky wrestling clothes seem to be clean. I would like a more highly scented recipe, but those crystals are expensive and I don't love the scent. I wonder if I could used some essential oil or something. Hmmm. . .<br />
<br />
Anyway, give it a try. If nothing else, you will feel like a homemaker extraordinaire!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-43571356303255047772012-08-29T10:41:00.001-06:002012-08-29T10:41:04.476-06:00Cute Chicken Coop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6GlRLUZp1VPTcAbinPjJvpkq1xBnTpYF6T8aHlRbv4vUf-mGPn08FVaipHYXSPSx8WkqLdZdH1FPkpE90KAKRzR66vQxbceiaBnM9mf81ioKh6DZgOeTLC2lIZkp8G0DfVhcY-jFe1yc/s1600/Chickens+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6GlRLUZp1VPTcAbinPjJvpkq1xBnTpYF6T8aHlRbv4vUf-mGPn08FVaipHYXSPSx8WkqLdZdH1FPkpE90KAKRzR66vQxbceiaBnM9mf81ioKh6DZgOeTLC2lIZkp8G0DfVhcY-jFe1yc/s400/Chickens+3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The new coop. . . complete with fake plants. The chickens ate the real flowers!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
I have chickens. I actually should say that Little Papi has chickens. We got them in March when they were tiny and fuzzy. Now they are huge and beautiful. Right now they are laying 4-6 eggs a day, but the best part is just having them around. It makes me feel more grounded and self-reliant. In a true emergency, we'd still have eggs. And a stew if we got truly desperate.<br />
<br />
Chickens are pretty hardy characters and are pretty easy to care for. They need a coop or some shelter with roosts to keep them safe from predators at night. They need laying boxes or they will lay eggs wherever THEY choose. They need food, water, and room to scratch. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQPGuLrvX1E-hg1Or55Jir9LrjCN2uRzV4JmdbapezDLqTclsgmL5NMxUyIbtv0JnQmd8pmMofDvX1TGUOuXdz70p2bjjEyeYF0MKNi3104VabrnSmW55gp9GHOezzZU2V_WVd_Bm4osZ/s1600/Chickens+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQPGuLrvX1E-hg1Or55Jir9LrjCN2uRzV4JmdbapezDLqTclsgmL5NMxUyIbtv0JnQmd8pmMofDvX1TGUOuXdz70p2bjjEyeYF0MKNi3104VabrnSmW55gp9GHOezzZU2V_WVd_Bm4osZ/s400/Chickens+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
This is the coop and the run. We keep food in one can and treats/supplies in the other.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
There was no way that I was going to have some ugly ramshackle coop in my backyard. I buit a smallish coop out of a large cabinet and the girls have lived in that for four months, but they needed something larger for winter. I've looked at plans and made decisions about what I wanted, but I just never got around to building the coop. Last week I bought one! PDog and his buddy, the WingMan brought it home for me and the BandMan helped me paint and shingle it. If you undertake a project like this, I strongly recommend that you own a pneumatic nailer/stapler. It is a life saver!<br />
<br />
A little ornamentation makes all the difference. The wrought iron rooster on the coop was purchased at Hobby Lobby and then I used satin white Valspar paint to give it a happier look. I love how it spruces up the coop and everyone exclaims about how cute it is. The chicken sign on the run started with a piece of sheet metal that had holes in all four corners and the sides rolled over. I bought it at Wooden Connections in American Fork. I used paper to make the circle stencil and used Glossy Red Valspar spray paint to make the circle. I used a chicken image that I found online, enlarged it, printed it in sections, taped it together, and cut it out to make the chicken stencil. That was painted with Glossy Black spray paint by Valspar. I used stainless steel zip ties that I found at WalMart to attach it to the fence becaust the sharp edges of the holes would have cut right through the plastic zip ties. <br />
<br />
All in al I highly recommend keeping chickens. They are hilarious and worthwhile. And my 14 Y.O. has a great sense of accomplishment from taking care of HIS chickens and selling the extra eggs to neighbors.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gh91VjzbcA5VuEow5RGlvhfOyXMsuXpUPGBW9psBAwsFmyVZx9E5Mnw7VzglFcQel_ADTfLWrW6Ms5cbhUpCXGV449nQ3jymF4MVeZjclPsUjeCcg0JTNpwh_ZcB3uknyptkkQ5cJAjN/s1600/EggsWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gh91VjzbcA5VuEow5RGlvhfOyXMsuXpUPGBW9psBAwsFmyVZx9E5Mnw7VzglFcQel_ADTfLWrW6Ms5cbhUpCXGV449nQ3jymF4MVeZjclPsUjeCcg0JTNpwh_ZcB3uknyptkkQ5cJAjN/s400/EggsWEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The eggs. Rinsed and labeled with the day they were laid.</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-65223692684137771442012-08-27T20:48:00.000-06:002012-08-27T20:48:00.539-06:00Easily Separate EggsBelieve it or not, this helpful hint is from Papa C. He saw it on TV, but I had never heard of this trick, so I thought I would share. All you need to separate eggs is a water or 20 oz soda bottle. <br />
<br />
1. Crack the egg into a bowl.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUTTe2Uj4MawsEwd79FNXyPU4hQtPY2WCB7YC1KQAQXtFilzdZEz23NrQDYAYIbaestZ-XW9CupQA1H5KIvTz0SJ_fqDU932rKvb2d_RC7uTTZAxQ1s9paNelhULUItkp_g3GRr2JKIvu/s1600/CrackEggWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUTTe2Uj4MawsEwd79FNXyPU4hQtPY2WCB7YC1KQAQXtFilzdZEz23NrQDYAYIbaestZ-XW9CupQA1H5KIvTz0SJ_fqDU932rKvb2d_RC7uTTZAxQ1s9paNelhULUItkp_g3GRr2JKIvu/s400/CrackEggWEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
2. Hold the bottle upside down and squeeze the air out of it.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYeCYyvsJC_8fSGxU1-1GE3ZycpKY0gYC3BhLhFmfpan2FhBxLRC8xMR9qfErxU8rUqLDOamKB7nUh5uq5x6aQXm3cDYakTyLKjIVXU6IjojAVbTGYLEdni0ZMkuvGda6yKdBLSpJF_jz/s1600/BottleWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfYeCYyvsJC_8fSGxU1-1GE3ZycpKY0gYC3BhLhFmfpan2FhBxLRC8xMR9qfErxU8rUqLDOamKB7nUh5uq5x6aQXm3cDYakTyLKjIVXU6IjojAVbTGYLEdni0ZMkuvGda6yKdBLSpJF_jz/s400/BottleWEB.jpg" width="266" /></a> </div>
<br />
3. Place the bottle opening over the yolk and release the pressure on the bottle. The egg yolk will be sucked up into the bottle.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8fX8N7FFO3WzXxZB4FNw1xRn2Rb1pwxf5-HjtThczjEt4rBKkuvCIWRjiGfCKtSUlI71urTJMUb9J_1uvt3-mOoGahx2wrJzxI0eTV8Oy3uiIcApfMq8MWgu52nswops9uNBtA3a3hqj/s1600/SuckingEggWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie8fX8N7FFO3WzXxZB4FNw1xRn2Rb1pwxf5-HjtThczjEt4rBKkuvCIWRjiGfCKtSUlI71urTJMUb9J_1uvt3-mOoGahx2wrJzxI0eTV8Oy3uiIcApfMq8MWgu52nswops9uNBtA3a3hqj/s400/SuckingEggWEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
4. Taa daa! Let the extra whites run back into the bowl.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwirlpKNrCp4UF1QCTuGViQRioCzEjEADyIkOpBy7nDS8AujUYZdoxJLwBRZkJuKmMyktHQVeIdOxsLJlssmzcrDVWnpjZr6MPheAL6SqJOIWG5oqv442LrhseGVUUT1T8AwuPk_rqnjL/s1600/SeparatedEggWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrwirlpKNrCp4UF1QCTuGViQRioCzEjEADyIkOpBy7nDS8AujUYZdoxJLwBRZkJuKmMyktHQVeIdOxsLJlssmzcrDVWnpjZr6MPheAL6SqJOIWG5oqv442LrhseGVUUT1T8AwuPk_rqnjL/s400/SeparatedEggWEB.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Check out our beautiful eggs! We have some backyard chickens and 14 YO Little Papi takes care of them and gathers the eggs. They are organic and partially free range. He rinses and dates them to ensure freshness. Yum!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsssW6qyDofJ-SHWkAqzg3B5cpASpX-rORDcXIGGTLpSXClNo3MXvyUA5A9l76rjkvqjO2_iCxKnFjccYaPUiEabU6kmccU2peE1emQXLs8rih0gr4psTeJyRBQq5Q67xPUaXUgtAXGjd/s1600/EggsWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWsssW6qyDofJ-SHWkAqzg3B5cpASpX-rORDcXIGGTLpSXClNo3MXvyUA5A9l76rjkvqjO2_iCxKnFjccYaPUiEabU6kmccU2peE1emQXLs8rih0gr4psTeJyRBQq5Q67xPUaXUgtAXGjd/s400/EggsWEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div align="center">
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-6163998007019423982012-08-23T21:38:00.003-06:002012-08-23T21:39:42.337-06:00Late Summer Printable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkkR3bYqbRRzFPTcPHX80qNuXBsGxNfi5oPgqb4H6X9kgPIycDd8kzNjOtSdOwDhlUo3MtxBk88iAzuq_ZNCsSyJay8PSQe90KL28MKTXhr2nO02JEPuPaaLGtbhIdbE1Af__Vb6NEVhU/s1600/Late+SUmmer+Printable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDkkR3bYqbRRzFPTcPHX80qNuXBsGxNfi5oPgqb4H6X9kgPIycDd8kzNjOtSdOwDhlUo3MtxBk88iAzuq_ZNCsSyJay8PSQe90KL28MKTXhr2nO02JEPuPaaLGtbhIdbE1Af__Vb6NEVhU/s400/Late+SUmmer+Printable.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I am ready to re-decorate, but since there's no holiday looming (I mean. . . how would one decorate for Labor Day?) I wasn't sure how to decorate. I decided to go with a sunflowers look and I needed some subway art that reflected out lives right now. If you enjoy the same aspects of late summer, please feel free to print and frame this subway art. In a few days I will post a photo of my mantle.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.box.com/s/276ebd00ba7d40d1efa6" target="_blank">Late Summer Printable</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-81415494281202447722012-03-14T10:08:00.000-06:002012-03-14T10:08:29.601-06:00Console Table Makeover<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikok9LOeFAqdRTaROnTKb907wy2d97CTxCv4diAE9dSs9YKcXWFC5kjT0czbeFZTDkxDaiBycVm8oevTkZjhwwljM2IPUqQ7J-B38daDhM-899UdelN61h6VCO1QyrLZ5vFGocHu_umwfK/s1600/console+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikok9LOeFAqdRTaROnTKb907wy2d97CTxCv4diAE9dSs9YKcXWFC5kjT0czbeFZTDkxDaiBycVm8oevTkZjhwwljM2IPUqQ7J-B38daDhM-899UdelN61h6VCO1QyrLZ5vFGocHu_umwfK/s400/console+before.jpg" width="266" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rNzHmciWurtmS-ALn-ciXMxKDyM23B2RzdPt1LDPemtZE7oCt6La9TcaMs1Fs3PcFVZvksXhNjUXW0HfEeZukAs-l7NrA3F9C9fU9zj7qj3xnmcli7GDt-iQvJFiIVthYzvMEFqh7JPw/s1600/console+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-rNzHmciWurtmS-ALn-ciXMxKDyM23B2RzdPt1LDPemtZE7oCt6La9TcaMs1Fs3PcFVZvksXhNjUXW0HfEeZukAs-l7NrA3F9C9fU9zj7qj3xnmcli7GDt-iQvJFiIVthYzvMEFqh7JPw/s400/console+after.jpg" width="266" /></a>I love KSL Classifieds. Before there was Pinterest, I spent a lot of time pouring through pages and pages of chairs, tables, and sundry other items. In the fall I spotted this table for $10 and I sent my DS1 to pick it up after his college classes. <br />
<br />
It is a pretty small table but it is perfect for my iHome and a few little decorations. You can never have enough drawers, so even though this one is small, it is handy.<br />
<br />
Last June my kids all changed rooms and we ended up having my youngest son's room left empty. The hubby wanted to bash through the wass and turn it into a closet extension, but I claimed it for an office/studio. I teach music lessons at home, so it is really nice to have a dedicated space. More on the makeover of the room later. . . today, just the table.<br />
<br />
I wanted the table to have a little pop, so I chose orange. I have a great store nearby called <a href="http://www.thepainteddaisyfloral.com/" target="_blank">The Painted Daisy Floral Shop</a> and they carry Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. This is a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLsHd0jfVvU" target="_blank">video</a> of the owner. She is a doll! She was actually painting a table when I arrived at the store and she gave me a lesson right then and there. I was sold and had a little splurge. . .<br />
<br />
Just so you know, this table went from drab to fab in about 2 hours. Here's what I did:<br />
<br />
<ol><li>I washed the table with a lightly soapy solution to be sure that there was no Pledge or other product clinging to the table and allowed it to dry. This is Utah, so the drying time was minimal!</li>
<li>I used a nice paint brush to apply a thin layer of the orange chalk paint over the entire table. You do not have to sand or prime the table. </li>
<li>After about 30 minutes the table was dry, so I gave the table a second coat of paint.</li>
<li>When the table was dry, I used a piece of a t-shirt to apply the Annie Sloan Clear Soft Wax to the entire table.</li>
<li>The I used a sanding block to distress a few edges. I did not want a seriously shabby look- just a happily worn look.</li>
<li>I then used a tiny piece of a T-shirt to apply a bit of the Annie Sloan Dark Soft Wax to add some aging on the edges and aroud the knob hole. If the dark is too dark, you can use some more clear wax as an eraser. But. . . you do need to work fairly quickly.</li>
<li>Let the table sit for 15-20 minutes. Then buff with a clean piece of t-shirt.</li>
<li>Add a cute new knob (I love Hobby Lobby for knobs, and voila! A whole new look! </li>
</ol><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Sorry. I didn't take process photos. It had been a VERY bad day and this project was very cathartic. Taking photos would have ruined the flow of the experience.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-50478987628655606032012-03-13T22:20:00.000-06:002012-03-13T22:20:40.044-06:00Spiffy Irish Dog CollarsI am the proud owner of two Irish Water Spaniels. They are medium-sized dogs who resemble a Standard Poodle but they have long whip tails and webbed feet for swimming. My boys are 4 1/2 years old and they are somewhat ill-behaved in public, but angels at home with us. Since this is "their" week, I thought they needed new collars for St. Patrick's Day. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EMWvL1-Pf4A46_bDanK45xctpzs48yjYMaJF5XkFxlxIfRjyHvjPaQx_aQjmIpleVe8mODYjG16ZGdj1LcoKabmgOE5Pt8c0mkbAoxhJ6EO-m9KAJkYVUQduhCaZfAUli21Jt_9d7uOs/s1600/Lew+and+Clark+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3EMWvL1-Pf4A46_bDanK45xctpzs48yjYMaJF5XkFxlxIfRjyHvjPaQx_aQjmIpleVe8mODYjG16ZGdj1LcoKabmgOE5Pt8c0mkbAoxhJ6EO-m9KAJkYVUQduhCaZfAUli21Jt_9d7uOs/s640/Lew+and+Clark+WEB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Lewis and Clark sporting their new collars. Lewis is on the left in the lime collar and Clark has the kelly green collar. Lewie had to have his ears trimmed after a bad run in with burdocks, but I think he's cute anyway! The intense looks are the result of me holding a few treats!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZIutnHn7_qCMKFmUETH0SJ5qpmzhtpg8OFpVaGe9ud0kOQl-Qoj2uTkVvBbRIAiqos6H6k6A93nCZqEhxJDkvLcMe24IeytQVGiPMd9-qoK9J7dZ0_ZTAcrpXirXgyfVXh49UiY1_kHs/s1600/March+13+111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZIutnHn7_qCMKFmUETH0SJ5qpmzhtpg8OFpVaGe9ud0kOQl-Qoj2uTkVvBbRIAiqos6H6k6A93nCZqEhxJDkvLcMe24IeytQVGiPMd9-qoK9J7dZ0_ZTAcrpXirXgyfVXh49UiY1_kHs/s640/March+13+111.JPG" width="640" /></a>I used:</div><ul><li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4" nylon webbing- about 24 inches (some loss and some doubling) for a 16" collar</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4" ribbon- about 24"</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">3/4" clicking buckle</div></li>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">1 3/4" D ring</div></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKHxkWuZTeAnJAEwULQPHW4zC03c8yBhSGmDu4e-PyRwsHTH5chrjiQGhck0QuqguCCrsCAo0pEFTdtGHcLOndJLXrcbIBRSBmkthU5kqTRZ6vK0POoBkHpI5QCl50tQ_KT11mYxPWZUQ/s1600/March+13+112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKHxkWuZTeAnJAEwULQPHW4zC03c8yBhSGmDu4e-PyRwsHTH5chrjiQGhck0QuqguCCrsCAo0pEFTdtGHcLOndJLXrcbIBRSBmkthU5kqTRZ6vK0POoBkHpI5QCl50tQ_KT11mYxPWZUQ/s640/March+13+112.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Make sure that when you cut the nylon webbing you fise the ends by swiping it through a flame. I just turn on my gas burner and pass it through the flame for a couple of seconds. Fold the end of the ribbon over and prepare to sew.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAxrSky-KXwc8WpdnXixzlBSxM59RVTm3RZD389qWJG-Qx85ftN3T1gtoGPuVuoPiq_iHv5LhsnaPrptWnfdAIxb6SRzdMne2OzRL8GNvrHbVmE3q9glfKGO3tZYnrgQpTMlOS-LCwYqu/s1600/March+13+113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNAxrSky-KXwc8WpdnXixzlBSxM59RVTm3RZD389qWJG-Qx85ftN3T1gtoGPuVuoPiq_iHv5LhsnaPrptWnfdAIxb6SRzdMne2OzRL8GNvrHbVmE3q9glfKGO3tZYnrgQpTMlOS-LCwYqu/s640/March+13+113.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sew along the edge of the ribbon to connect the ribbon to the webbing. When you get to the end, turn it around and sew back down the other side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-dfIP51E2DLbCfZOUj4I-sD5mEWrGsAq1VZLbFsV9J72uh7susRexftVdPVGASBD02g8wQo_7s4jQViG4IZViz9DTenHH2IJuyTskokSOcCbGZPvtUmLYUakaINgD7-CwDj6u54bzQw9/s1600/March+13+114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-dfIP51E2DLbCfZOUj4I-sD5mEWrGsAq1VZLbFsV9J72uh7susRexftVdPVGASBD02g8wQo_7s4jQViG4IZViz9DTenHH2IJuyTskokSOcCbGZPvtUmLYUakaINgD7-CwDj6u54bzQw9/s640/March+13+114.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is how it will look. I used black thread so that it would show up. Plus. . . that's what was in my machine and I was feeling lazy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lsUeZmBmQ8VsadWQfJJVJRwG46IEC9LiC4Dn4GiJzNSEFRcLEH38TvntTJMr6crwndeekjLD7N733HFVEl9AF2ESsIZRoIQyfvuY11WRdtm0aaWkUAIu-drQTgcKTs2YFN7y-dXtGS8M/s1600/March+13+115.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3lsUeZmBmQ8VsadWQfJJVJRwG46IEC9LiC4Dn4GiJzNSEFRcLEH38TvntTJMr6crwndeekjLD7N733HFVEl9AF2ESsIZRoIQyfvuY11WRdtm0aaWkUAIu-drQTgcKTs2YFN7y-dXtGS8M/s640/March+13+115.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thread the ribbon up through one opening. . .</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELSRNhzamu2rJS6zwUpKKhCap9sZi0l3sdmCrhWOE-03p9tHuBvCPhAOqU3cpZMpUgtD9jL4fv_LuMNubAeLe-ZRmfg5T-4Gxg-i2cQvqr6g84JCIPJDt104jt9g940WZ0X-oNJuAegfQ/s1600/March+13+116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELSRNhzamu2rJS6zwUpKKhCap9sZi0l3sdmCrhWOE-03p9tHuBvCPhAOqU3cpZMpUgtD9jL4fv_LuMNubAeLe-ZRmfg5T-4Gxg-i2cQvqr6g84JCIPJDt104jt9g940WZ0X-oNJuAegfQ/s640/March+13+116.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And down through the other opening.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgid7_9572abrXzSC9NNKXv_TtKMNvLYwopp2UDMQ1tRs_-j1qM7vuNPnm4jQh-mT9l7AlH-4JPyw6_yyaCdMHg-CVV-zwl7p7R_LSCKEN755bBTIjOeVGx710d94DDKFlOso-EikiSxhZF/s1600/March+13+117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgid7_9572abrXzSC9NNKXv_TtKMNvLYwopp2UDMQ1tRs_-j1qM7vuNPnm4jQh-mT9l7AlH-4JPyw6_yyaCdMHg-CVV-zwl7p7R_LSCKEN755bBTIjOeVGx710d94DDKFlOso-EikiSxhZF/s640/March+13+117.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">You will want to have an overlap of 3-4 inches.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vtS0VskiIVBWkJqaIYJjxYXvKQ6VoAL9xPcPX7U3ssy8seC_pGDCzmUMJa9nx6h2S6A5u2Dvr8aRezRjf41WWInRZN3M1-_Qk5ofwfnpyk9ln7rRQ-Q_uxSRvMOpFwKknktFhfPMevo0/s1600/March+13+118.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vtS0VskiIVBWkJqaIYJjxYXvKQ6VoAL9xPcPX7U3ssy8seC_pGDCzmUMJa9nx6h2S6A5u2Dvr8aRezRjf41WWInRZN3M1-_Qk5ofwfnpyk9ln7rRQ-Q_uxSRvMOpFwKknktFhfPMevo0/s640/March+13+118.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Sew a straight line across the collar. You may need to hold the buckle down. Use the reverse button and go over the seam 4-5 times.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPk3nG5-B3JwU1ZWL1I8PshztOwWOgbllfU6njGREl8rUKdjHUn-aQjZz7P6H2aI-ZzG3r5GR-Nwy3IwTJT9x2OR-tNbQetVFA1ANwsos4m_MUXQbLdyJisvP_juyHo_30ovNqpPTgPp3/s1600/March+13+119.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibPk3nG5-B3JwU1ZWL1I8PshztOwWOgbllfU6njGREl8rUKdjHUn-aQjZz7P6H2aI-ZzG3r5GR-Nwy3IwTJT9x2OR-tNbQetVFA1ANwsos4m_MUXQbLdyJisvP_juyHo_30ovNqpPTgPp3/s640/March+13+119.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Slide the D ring in between the main collar and the little tab and then sew another straight seam. I like to put an X at the end of the tab to make sure that the D ring will be secure. Lewis and Clark can pull pretty hard.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFNFIkeicSGlv-01y0TcubDX0p1jjqoGSUbeshm_Fy9y8EOHRX1SNzFI6Pz6KXWbJ0CmZ8-s9y_9JjbiJz0CLdpAyGTpoonRfQ2sRLdemeKUHHNEr05UwmNVwvFD1fUCiwYk8dFManBbP/s1600/March+13+120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfFNFIkeicSGlv-01y0TcubDX0p1jjqoGSUbeshm_Fy9y8EOHRX1SNzFI6Pz6KXWbJ0CmZ8-s9y_9JjbiJz0CLdpAyGTpoonRfQ2sRLdemeKUHHNEr05UwmNVwvFD1fUCiwYk8dFManBbP/s640/March+13+120.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This shows the X. I apologize for the crappy sewing. No excuses, just going too fast!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP-fJf3fysRjsMYYwtKmtQQvUyHi0gJKAmd6UGGxqAuLfBBlcSeA87Q3ujxFZMGUQ2SSdAvdNB7FHAuUYgxOJHdKISjY-C1ft-sxWmBLGEiJjqdd4fZ7P4RG9FTIY2ForFP4NBdu-Jqou/s1600/March+13+122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsP-fJf3fysRjsMYYwtKmtQQvUyHi0gJKAmd6UGGxqAuLfBBlcSeA87Q3ujxFZMGUQ2SSdAvdNB7FHAuUYgxOJHdKISjY-C1ft-sxWmBLGEiJjqdd4fZ7P4RG9FTIY2ForFP4NBdu-Jqou/s640/March+13+122.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">On the other end of the collar, slip on the otherpart of the buckle. Make sure that you measure the collar on your pup's neck before you start sewing. It should be loose enough to slip your fingers under it, but not so loose that it could slide off the head. A panic-stricken dog can easily get out of a collar.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4Uf_klWVlmt5hfslBQb3_8GJ9uiTvTSn0jqpiOLEWEy3g7F21GYEbo7zZbnfT1wCn-18IH5KIZhsM5FneXXKe0hA3zJ46dH9kYLgD7DSix-Y81Hgw0WRrCkuWCg4PjUZrSODHg_XJ0i6/s1600/March+13+123.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW4Uf_klWVlmt5hfslBQb3_8GJ9uiTvTSn0jqpiOLEWEy3g7F21GYEbo7zZbnfT1wCn-18IH5KIZhsM5FneXXKe0hA3zJ46dH9kYLgD7DSix-Y81Hgw0WRrCkuWCg4PjUZrSODHg_XJ0i6/s640/March+13+123.JPG" width="426" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's the fruits of 20 minute of work! Big Lew's collar is a little longer than Clark's. Aren't they festive? My teenage boys thought they were a little "gay." I threatened rainbow collars for April and then they thought these were lovely!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-36720461876895692622012-02-27T22:28:00.000-07:002012-02-27T22:28:10.967-07:00Easy Paper FlowersI was shopping the other day at Michael's and I saw these new scissors from Martha Stewart. How does she come up with this stuff? Anyway, I had to have them even though I had no idea what to do with them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3ZYp7DDIw95bdTcNbwK1oIK05W5JIHeqveIsCGhvK38IwbEKjSoBcflHlhJpSky6y1DVZ18-Zcn3VXS4hiku0NUugcCpesWUDrovxJK7BW-lJwDLmJyJKJT6kUYUlZpLSuczTg_Yu5rr/s1600/Fringe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3ZYp7DDIw95bdTcNbwK1oIK05W5JIHeqveIsCGhvK38IwbEKjSoBcflHlhJpSky6y1DVZ18-Zcn3VXS4hiku0NUugcCpesWUDrovxJK7BW-lJwDLmJyJKJT6kUYUlZpLSuczTg_Yu5rr/s1600/Fringe.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Martha's new Fringe Scissors. I feel like Edward Scissorhands using them!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDehDhsyHshNfa4Dm9U_Lj0gTE7AROSfXKL95AgEehZsQ5Qn96s1RpEQnfBOsSj1_9OLizwMMfgts51oMXuTY5gxcSifdDdyk15dMabc8UFqxD-nFkl8_kvDYAx3Zx6sU2jCuerHVXYYg/s1600/PaperFlower2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDehDhsyHshNfa4Dm9U_Lj0gTE7AROSfXKL95AgEehZsQ5Qn96s1RpEQnfBOsSj1_9OLizwMMfgts51oMXuTY5gxcSifdDdyk15dMabc8UFqxD-nFkl8_kvDYAx3Zx6sU2jCuerHVXYYg/s320/PaperFlower2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used a hot glue gun, a straw, the fringe scissors, and regular old tissue paper.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGVjW116F8yKss3K56CVeFZfymwyAXA5p1tKzU_oqtJUdApQRWs2lhAvzAoqgeRNw9IrpboZ-ubnJubvlRbyWR4jXaxnvAv8ThMPaKth9nVPJkrsx5ktcQix6BXXETP_9_m7sD_cTTLW0/s1600/PaperFlower1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBGVjW116F8yKss3K56CVeFZfymwyAXA5p1tKzU_oqtJUdApQRWs2lhAvzAoqgeRNw9IrpboZ-ubnJubvlRbyWR4jXaxnvAv8ThMPaKth9nVPJkrsx5ktcQix6BXXETP_9_m7sD_cTTLW0/s320/PaperFlower1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdAe_c2ITJpRmsBGdenYmyB4uLUC4IAoFp-7VgwCNeH_-Miii5uH-lhBqiZGopZybYuhZDdUmeI8In4nhosZe8pmvCgBZkr_o5oxAcmGJEpxhN-f4Sate5a0UAjPbDjaSs1x7bExIppTR/s1600/PaperFlower10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxdAe_c2ITJpRmsBGdenYmyB4uLUC4IAoFp-7VgwCNeH_-Miii5uH-lhBqiZGopZybYuhZDdUmeI8In4nhosZe8pmvCgBZkr_o5oxAcmGJEpxhN-f4Sate5a0UAjPbDjaSs1x7bExIppTR/s320/PaperFlower10.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">I folded the tissue paper in half about three times until I got a long skinny piece.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGvzZNTZjOZXHrJVcQSaQwhBrA2BxEQcLzXNllBBdlMsQ5feO9XffHLLWRFI_2N4AzkiCPggA0-SB2Uii-keroxBRjwznbYbs1Fb5EAcB0KkJyY3kLgOtAfk9dy1r_yvp77dtC2J1VMwU/s1600/march+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGvzZNTZjOZXHrJVcQSaQwhBrA2BxEQcLzXNllBBdlMsQ5feO9XffHLLWRFI_2N4AzkiCPggA0-SB2Uii-keroxBRjwznbYbs1Fb5EAcB0KkJyY3kLgOtAfk9dy1r_yvp77dtC2J1VMwU/s320/march+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I glued all the loose ends together with a thin line of the hot glue.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nhN9tQYw3zcKSOY9oVaP-kJuQVdhN3UnrnCQbGrejvWzg7J0f2ny3kTIbDzxKb6J3yDOA1l6HNkj_PYWOVbOvWeW-Nvx-5LlWNKFRFqg2ThTG8j4LHXmg0eQh33MUwmRIfrGE4eniIA2/s1600/PaperFlower8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nhN9tQYw3zcKSOY9oVaP-kJuQVdhN3UnrnCQbGrejvWzg7J0f2ny3kTIbDzxKb6J3yDOA1l6HNkj_PYWOVbOvWeW-Nvx-5LlWNKFRFqg2ThTG8j4LHXmg0eQh33MUwmRIfrGE4eniIA2/s320/PaperFlower8.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90gYuxbbOt4enLkuipUSIwbz_qEo4OBhb_OpmvCpNN2bjk8BLggov-axu78d6H9QcOCxyKi1OdLjWNltG8TSd_kkR1kyiwwSzwvS8m6p6mjdQ9PThCx_eBWUkAAhRbR9ORPL49vhoaYc2/s1600/PaperFlower7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh90gYuxbbOt4enLkuipUSIwbz_qEo4OBhb_OpmvCpNN2bjk8BLggov-axu78d6H9QcOCxyKi1OdLjWNltG8TSd_kkR1kyiwwSzwvS8m6p6mjdQ9PThCx_eBWUkAAhRbR9ORPL49vhoaYc2/s320/PaperFlower7.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Then I fringed the non-glued side on the whole strip.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yPG_XkHJO1VgoQskCHB-xniMdGU5LGX53RbrR280SVbxwjt5YB2WZfKRXB0YXnVMIRk2wyfeOJTMIVcFB9EUsajQSl2ukuACDX_Fw2BARXv6rcHdWiR6udmTpshc6yRWrSWeZWqTxKpj/s1600/PaperFlower6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-yPG_XkHJO1VgoQskCHB-xniMdGU5LGX53RbrR280SVbxwjt5YB2WZfKRXB0YXnVMIRk2wyfeOJTMIVcFB9EUsajQSl2ukuACDX_Fw2BARXv6rcHdWiR6udmTpshc6yRWrSWeZWqTxKpj/s320/PaperFlower6.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I used a bead of glue to attach the straw to the end of the tissue paper like shown.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ne28Pe34xs-lFN7HxwbKwjj8_0nhZ2GtZrJ3UX-egAQ-MhR3nuIIGbAvbEzZZGwQAPFt8Si2crwodpKDpb8jU96ZesryLobhadMyMMSE9100-_pvmdRioJbetoyi8XVDvXSLgOYve611/s1600/PaperFlower5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ne28Pe34xs-lFN7HxwbKwjj8_0nhZ2GtZrJ3UX-egAQ-MhR3nuIIGbAvbEzZZGwQAPFt8Si2crwodpKDpb8jU96ZesryLobhadMyMMSE9100-_pvmdRioJbetoyi8XVDvXSLgOYve611/s320/PaperFlower5.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I put down a line of hot glue and then rolled the straw so that the tissue started </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">wrapping around the straw.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-zQQtvg7vvTJrmOzAvTkKZAHtJq7AwhC4QAh0CEon-Xb1vK5vbFnkeLDVqvajlP12kBIoBbrWy2ART1nnVgldblglOlzUwgtFjmlNyD7i2BVAvwRgp6Svd6HQ9XoWAnulOYjqkNMDaGD/s1600/PaperFlower4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9-zQQtvg7vvTJrmOzAvTkKZAHtJq7AwhC4QAh0CEon-Xb1vK5vbFnkeLDVqvajlP12kBIoBbrWy2ART1nnVgldblglOlzUwgtFjmlNyD7i2BVAvwRgp6Svd6HQ9XoWAnulOYjqkNMDaGD/s320/PaperFlower4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">As I got to the end of the strip, I wrapped the piece slightly lower on the straw </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">to give the flower some fullness.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuDPrDLI-rpf6GX1XCrUKppkwIf12pXzjix-z5zLzzwNaKEgIn0r04JdJTNlwbqAvRZ6kXGDMxlbmOeMmHH1RBwn99A-dm-6v_xqB3F2hcOSIS-yXT9O0l4oyy6oogCygT6Pkb3hnEQUl/s1600/PaperFlower3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuDPrDLI-rpf6GX1XCrUKppkwIf12pXzjix-z5zLzzwNaKEgIn0r04JdJTNlwbqAvRZ6kXGDMxlbmOeMmHH1RBwn99A-dm-6v_xqB3F2hcOSIS-yXT9O0l4oyy6oogCygT6Pkb3hnEQUl/s320/PaperFlower3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Trim the straw and fluff the ends a little and *poof!* you have a flower.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ta Da!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-40470234903972484172012-02-26T18:55:00.000-07:002012-02-26T18:55:27.868-07:00St. Patrick's Day Printable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXhRl2jI22CxaGEJ8v73gr_fao81HV4sTbpXNXaHguNn7lac708wBWtPQlr4aV78G8hbTlDtt02bKjbw2ZtbFKyeM83Z8D8qQF_-75e2Z4YcrrG_HWHEpP_O38SHhTqSCtEAxqQuJ-GLx/s1600/LuckoftheirishImage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJXhRl2jI22CxaGEJ8v73gr_fao81HV4sTbpXNXaHguNn7lac708wBWtPQlr4aV78G8hbTlDtt02bKjbw2ZtbFKyeM83Z8D8qQF_-75e2Z4YcrrG_HWHEpP_O38SHhTqSCtEAxqQuJ-GLx/s400/LuckoftheirishImage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sorry about the crappy photo, but I wanted to get the post up!</div><br />
Here's a simple printable for your St. Patrick's Day decor. It's a takeoff on the LOVE sculpture by Robert Indiana. It prints out 8.5" x 11", but is formatted to fit in an 8"x10" frame, so just trim it!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGL4RTZ3QYRlnlF-aV-_AM3x6ztUloJmKp6caidmjolbkQ-MpIWKbygxGegtR3n2RPDIQlAoOOCiAJ3yrqUDm54XeM-qY5ShPaGJxwhVY2nd16HsJWfdRhsA16anPpjejzlkH91WlYss6/s1600/LuckoftheIrishWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTGL4RTZ3QYRlnlF-aV-_AM3x6ztUloJmKp6caidmjolbkQ-MpIWKbygxGegtR3n2RPDIQlAoOOCiAJ3yrqUDm54XeM-qY5ShPaGJxwhVY2nd16HsJWfdRhsA16anPpjejzlkH91WlYss6/s320/LuckoftheIrishWEB.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><a href="http://www.box.com/s/8oy018xzvmmxit3ms52n" target="_blank">Get the Printable!</a> This will take you to box.com where you can get a free membership for safe downloads.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-64542968268297668642012-02-22T17:36:00.000-07:002012-02-22T17:36:52.781-07:00St. Patrick's Day Door Makeover<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DT6SJ1SL8Z1iUV9al3UCSFj_sgG3n5MrzJg1tlC09BqFM3spZiejqQPdqd7qVvjQFUdY2KthHT4_g5lZz4A7sa138vOxZ0f0rz4PCeJA7eKRaqx1E2_nSvPPDBT0gVlleM88Y42v79Wa/s1600/door+makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DT6SJ1SL8Z1iUV9al3UCSFj_sgG3n5MrzJg1tlC09BqFM3spZiejqQPdqd7qVvjQFUdY2KthHT4_g5lZz4A7sa138vOxZ0f0rz4PCeJA7eKRaqx1E2_nSvPPDBT0gVlleM88Y42v79Wa/s400/door+makeover.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />
<br />
With a last name like "Collins" and two Irish Water Spaniels running around, we enjoy St. Patrick's Day! February and March are not my favorite months of the year because everything outside is so drab here in Utah, so I like to brighten up my front door and my home with lots of decorations. A few easy projects can really brighten things up!<br />
<br />
<strong>Banner-</strong> <br />
<br />
This is a simple project whether you can sew or not. If you can, you can stitch the flags into a piece of bias tape. If you can't, glue can be your best friend!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfpGiGIiQuRDhjq1HRE_r8zIRBwMI0qwUCBtwGjmJf6m8lGl0LeJVfPpqJQIU1W4HN9T0WToHGbD9vLOBSqXrXgt4DvkPxPudvzFQUmlgwjsUX-fBo6ZY3MIWUDx8SV_HnX6EMYpM9kyN/s1600/patsday4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYfpGiGIiQuRDhjq1HRE_r8zIRBwMI0qwUCBtwGjmJf6m8lGl0LeJVfPpqJQIU1W4HN9T0WToHGbD9vLOBSqXrXgt4DvkPxPudvzFQUmlgwjsUX-fBo6ZY3MIWUDx8SV_HnX6EMYpM9kyN/s400/patsday4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">To make a pattern, I folded a piece of paper in half the long way and cut a straight line to make a triangle. It ended up being almost the full 8.5" wide at the top and 11"long.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk82dOZyGZYXjIjAvm4ySdb05lHNx-YmX8lNSgP73BKwqI78oXBg32adx5_f7b8zm6yfhQoLNU-ILHyBMHSHSyzWtg1uYRMavwzJNyfMMcEGjh-5qCBi3ZQv0teoSdiceoj_26iGqL0l9/s1600/patsday3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpk82dOZyGZYXjIjAvm4ySdb05lHNx-YmX8lNSgP73BKwqI78oXBg32adx5_f7b8zm6yfhQoLNU-ILHyBMHSHSyzWtg1uYRMavwzJNyfMMcEGjh-5qCBi3ZQv0teoSdiceoj_26iGqL0l9/s400/patsday3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I traced this little foam shamrock with a pencil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisAivFwkys0e4D2MGqDR73KWZvN44MzcH1NSkgjcxr_11TOM97GJg43cc_9lBqUgak9vP_8WmbAcN9RBMzGYND7cdCU0HMjRE2MUZp-VyLU8Qg3Py4XPqiy9kXTHBkjJgwAPtu2-kDXnm/s1600/patsday2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjisAivFwkys0e4D2MGqDR73KWZvN44MzcH1NSkgjcxr_11TOM97GJg43cc_9lBqUgak9vP_8WmbAcN9RBMzGYND7cdCU0HMjRE2MUZp-VyLU8Qg3Py4XPqiy9kXTHBkjJgwAPtu2-kDXnm/s400/patsday2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Then I filled in the traced area with a decent coat of white acrylic paint. Maybe I should have used a darker green. I already had the fabric (which is a cotton canvas) so I was making do.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIosZIyiIdoK8EekqXvHKjoLuZDdSiaMEo3SHpzZZdK9EOGo0NX2hyphenhyphenq1-uhIbTzwOG7DS8ML8kxzWy6Q_kqJ0fXd79eIt1baUABHIBIxu4ItwQPvGyhCueBY3ceHZdqDbj6plUSK4n-uk_/s1600/patsday1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIosZIyiIdoK8EekqXvHKjoLuZDdSiaMEo3SHpzZZdK9EOGo0NX2hyphenhyphenq1-uhIbTzwOG7DS8ML8kxzWy6Q_kqJ0fXd79eIt1baUABHIBIxu4ItwQPvGyhCueBY3ceHZdqDbj6plUSK4n-uk_/s400/patsday1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Stitch the flags into the bias tape. I started at the middle and went one way and then started in the middle again and went the other way. That way my flags are evenly spaced and my glitchy sewing machine is showing the top stitches- not the garbled bottom!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Pillow-</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The directions on how to make a pillow envelope are <a href="http://eveningbirdsong.blogspot.com/2011/09/simple-pillow-cover.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>. For this I used burlap as a nod to a potato sack and then a piece of the same canvas that I used for the banner. I traced another shamrock that I had to cut the shamrock.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><strong>Door Shamrock-</strong></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This is one of those projects that became a disaster. I am not happy with my results, but it will have to do until I buy more glitter! I made a freehand pattern for the shamrock and used a jig saw to cut it out of some scrap wood that I still had in the garage. (Read- "That Parker hadn't gotten to yet. . ." </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I based painted it and then I was all set to use "Glitter Blast" paint on the front. It did not work at all. And I even followed the directions. I am a very unhappy customer right now. :( So, then I sprayed the whole thing with clear polyurethane (I was outside, by the way. Do NOT do this in your house! Or by your car. . .) and sprinkled three different colors of glitter on it. I ran out of glitter, so it is a little anemic, but I an always add more. And who doesn't want more glitter?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-32846575701925608762012-02-13T10:53:00.002-07:002012-02-13T17:34:24.065-07:00Visiting Teaching Printable- February 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqG3j0NWzqh9Q8wy_zPf8Z4-nUuKAVnkU07bCiNzcjazC-xj4QDIvwJ911oRo5n35as1FPy1X_Vqfh7u07RZt27rhqY_VxKFPt0AAMuk8fGAknNAe8wckEA6liaCYuRaT4mFCJUnJzWaY/s1600/We+Talk+of+Christ+Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDqG3j0NWzqh9Q8wy_zPf8Z4-nUuKAVnkU07bCiNzcjazC-xj4QDIvwJ911oRo5n35as1FPy1X_Vqfh7u07RZt27rhqY_VxKFPt0AAMuk8fGAknNAe8wckEA6liaCYuRaT4mFCJUnJzWaY/s400/We+Talk+of+Christ+Photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I will be the first to admit that I'm not the best visiting teacher, but I do better at making appointments if I have a little something to share. Here's a quick gift that you can print on your home computer printer on cardstock or photo paper, pop into a dollar store 5x7 frame, and share with your sisters. It coordinates with the "Guardians of the Hearth" lesson.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.box.com/s/qtng7hkbimraqfluukkk" target="_blank">Get the Free Printable!</a> (you will be re-directed to box.com where you can get a free membership for safe downloads)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjkYPbPFI9LoCWBPuIarXNSZ8vfXUm_XXLRqtW9h1qTXVzoeFn0xOV5JG_2TjcCett8N-T6g7X5WvwUyfPm6cLsdLHAMCycji1bEjbm6ckJFNIVQT9_HAfd_Tg7dwZ1p7HdKaNpY5Wx3c/s1600/WeTalkDisplay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpjkYPbPFI9LoCWBPuIarXNSZ8vfXUm_XXLRqtW9h1qTXVzoeFn0xOV5JG_2TjcCett8N-T6g7X5WvwUyfPm6cLsdLHAMCycji1bEjbm6ckJFNIVQT9_HAfd_Tg7dwZ1p7HdKaNpY5Wx3c/s400/WeTalkDisplay.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-72755483550126490012011-12-31T13:26:00.000-07:002011-12-31T13:26:34.697-07:00Wash Your Hands PrintableI think I am turning into a germophobe! Every couple of years I get a sinus infection that lasts for months. The best way to beat this disease is to not get sick in the first place. I also have a son who needs to avoid antibiotics, so I am pretty careful about making sure that switchplates and doorknobs are wiped down. All fall I have been putting signs on our doors and on the kitchen counter reminding us to wash our hands. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntn-xxrh1PQGinEwrOMa_f6Cwvhh-QMuSCaxUUS6WRHdCkAuRyHwOCVJXn3JhqxxYirxaos1nKSfmyzpI7bZECyWh8X7oPPTyDJ6bj9kVs5INWHeqir4gPoIZCyJvLUg01XtqoPR0SXkp/s1600/WashHandsWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhntn-xxrh1PQGinEwrOMa_f6Cwvhh-QMuSCaxUUS6WRHdCkAuRyHwOCVJXn3JhqxxYirxaos1nKSfmyzpI7bZECyWh8X7oPPTyDJ6bj9kVs5INWHeqir4gPoIZCyJvLUg01XtqoPR0SXkp/s320/WashHandsWEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
I bought this chalkboard at a great little store called <a href="http://www.rodworks.com/" target="_blank">RodWorks</a>. The best part about it is that not only can I use it as a chalkboard, but I can slide 8.5 x 11.5 sheets of paper down into it! This is a wonderful little device that I have enjoyed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9QrmF3bpOkv9Zn0gc4sSIBogvHKreRgcFu-bmI2FQXRIA5ZR-DNRK7BF6ARMiQBLX2TveGk8adNUOD3h4ee3FNovQeMubF9TEQ4iQGYtOFOXxwnr9agcQ_KK6dfzhTMVRmXMHW9d-N_i/s1600/WashHandsSinkWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA9QrmF3bpOkv9Zn0gc4sSIBogvHKreRgcFu-bmI2FQXRIA5ZR-DNRK7BF6ARMiQBLX2TveGk8adNUOD3h4ee3FNovQeMubF9TEQ4iQGYtOFOXxwnr9agcQ_KK6dfzhTMVRmXMHW9d-N_i/s320/WashHandsSinkWEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI37I3NXRD_DynYI8bG2MpYqRRTkYbvhKHGX8MRMerYq8V6et4T2nCVURybrWxht20S2jkywLeCSJvzcSnWIhHgkWpWtkCe6mHES68hTmqNPzdoWzt7KMfCtm5ou3SGSeOZENyPX83RKBG/s1600/rodworks.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="134" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI37I3NXRD_DynYI8bG2MpYqRRTkYbvhKHGX8MRMerYq8V6et4T2nCVURybrWxht20S2jkywLeCSJvzcSnWIhHgkWpWtkCe6mHES68hTmqNPzdoWzt7KMfCtm5ou3SGSeOZENyPX83RKBG/s320/rodworks.png" width="320" /></a></div>I use Chalk Markers on my board. They write beautifully and wash off easily with a rag and some water. I had no luck finding them in any retail stores, so I <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Liquid-Chalk-Marker-Earthy-Colors/dp/B00251E90O/ref=pd_bxgy_ac_img_b" target="_blank">bought my set from Amazon</a>.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n-I__5GuKA7CVLvqYzjYzs8BFMK4HBV6xuK1zDAXsjQqtNYcUM0KE1ihLxI53QJgjWCohqtqA0jCVZtFHUfAZxguzUy_H5DfFqmVoIyeLqAmYF5Vtn5DlnwXUdveakBtpiY2QfFe460c/s1600/Chalk+Ink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2n-I__5GuKA7CVLvqYzjYzs8BFMK4HBV6xuK1zDAXsjQqtNYcUM0KE1ihLxI53QJgjWCohqtqA0jCVZtFHUfAZxguzUy_H5DfFqmVoIyeLqAmYF5Vtn5DlnwXUdveakBtpiY2QfFe460c/s1600/Chalk+Ink.jpg" /></a></div>Anyway, we all know that once we get used to seeing something, we ignore it. Consequently, I have made new signs every couple of weeks. I wanted something bright and colorful for the beginning of 2012, so I made this Subway Art Printable that reminds us to wash our hands.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjxakboWpevMgse9PqtClZoffRTQq6W_cKvzWZIG9vln3ZP62FYRIe09u-8dLelkktO1xNsOL42Xfb9dl5X7u_j6_QHGJ0_WccnSSjDHfZyKG34E07Rp-YUs-weLLAVV5J-Dk7EpkHn3p/s1600/Wash+Hands+Printable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnjxakboWpevMgse9PqtClZoffRTQq6W_cKvzWZIG9vln3ZP62FYRIe09u-8dLelkktO1xNsOL42Xfb9dl5X7u_j6_QHGJ0_WccnSSjDHfZyKG34E07Rp-YUs-weLLAVV5J-Dk7EpkHn3p/s320/Wash+Hands+Printable.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>You can download your free copy <a href="http://www.box.com/s/uy13xs1prlkrsfb6125q" target="_blank">HERE</a>. I printed some full size for my doors and some half size for the bathroom mirrors. With three teenage boys, reminders are always a good thing.<br />
<br />
And here's a reminder to you:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDmBFaKu5wIJJQeETaig_AezOhZwMWht7kZu_-Y_VK33cntosMIEVsb32PDOBQkJxT3HCRlyiuv2YOEGGrFLb5xTBgsd0BAlQKocjIje_KjQ-5dGGKJAylac_h_j2duWxuPeuH3-bKPeq/s1600/NewYearSignWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglDmBFaKu5wIJJQeETaig_AezOhZwMWht7kZu_-Y_VK33cntosMIEVsb32PDOBQkJxT3HCRlyiuv2YOEGGrFLb5xTBgsd0BAlQKocjIje_KjQ-5dGGKJAylac_h_j2duWxuPeuH3-bKPeq/s320/NewYearSignWEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-7944033429380229522011-12-29T00:09:00.001-07:002011-12-29T00:10:47.980-07:00Make-Your-Own Computer Backgrounds<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UscccBH2ZQiaVPpkKqHgy-7OymRjSNNT697OshGH-6gHOyBJIJOt4fe9llPQYW1hqeBUpz0t5uRfoDn4X6AJJY7ifJsvWGBIxROlXUIc0algiP3SCgcMLMuP1YFUtOGwlXOOMd4z4vo6/s1600/January+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UscccBH2ZQiaVPpkKqHgy-7OymRjSNNT697OshGH-6gHOyBJIJOt4fe9llPQYW1hqeBUpz0t5uRfoDn4X6AJJY7ifJsvWGBIxROlXUIc0algiP3SCgcMLMuP1YFUtOGwlXOOMd4z4vo6/s400/January+2012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is a very simple idea, but one that so many people overlook. I don't know about you, but I spend a LOT of time looking at my computer screen. I have a large monitor that sits on a desk in my kitchen, so it has impact. I like to change up my backgrounds every month. Sometimes I use photos, but lots of time I will just whip something up on Photoshop. Since my New Year's background is only up for a week or so, I don't get too strung out about it.<br />
<br />
It's easy to personalize a background if you have a photo editing program. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7OnNuW_9wXjDFcm_1ct8Xzz9JfThU3sAJMpGJmgGHgCsF6oQ4FYt4fjN5cDSXfP9oZ06Z-CSAY0LcQ8hL-a8eNmHn4ITUEHXAG7sxVgCxfVAdnop6RJakU28wp5VIww6b4hTlVkI7n-d/s1600/New+Years.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy7OnNuW_9wXjDFcm_1ct8Xzz9JfThU3sAJMpGJmgGHgCsF6oQ4FYt4fjN5cDSXfP9oZ06Z-CSAY0LcQ8hL-a8eNmHn4ITUEHXAG7sxVgCxfVAdnop6RJakU28wp5VIww6b4hTlVkI7n-d/s400/New+Years.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>1. Find your monitor size. (Directions for Windows 7)<br />
<ul><li>Click on the Windows button in the lower left hand corner of your screen.</li>
<li>Click on "Devices and Printers"</li>
<li>Double click on the icon for your monitor. It should then show you the resolution of your screen. Mine says: 1920x1080p resolution</li>
</ul>2. In your editing software, set up a blank document in the apropriate size. For my monitor I make the document 1920 pixels wide and 1080 pixels tall. I usually set the resolution at 100dpi (which means dots per inch) for backgrounds, but if you are going to want to print your background for any reason, use 300dpi.<br />
<br />
3. Import pictures, artwork files, and text to make something that will be pleasing to you. I like to include a calendar because I never know what day it is!<br />
<br />
4. I like to save my files to a document folder called "backgrounds." If you always save things there it will be very easy to change out the backgrounds.<br />
<br />
5. To change your background:<br />
<ul><li>Click on the Windows button in the lower left hand corner of the screen</li>
<li>Click on Control Panel</li>
<li>Click the "Change Desktop Background" in the Appearance and Personalization area.</li>
<li>Scroll to the area where you saved your file. The same folder will pop up automaticaly next time, so that's why it's great to save all your backgrounds in one place.</li>
</ul><br />
Not ready to try it yet? Give these simple backgrounds a try!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.box.com/s/lxthj1v62iqqvipq59on" target="_blank">New Years Background</a><br />
<a href="http://www.box.com/s/7rzn2ixpzuxb2y6qro83" target="_blank">January 2012 Background</a> Thanks to The Graphics Fairy for the use of the birds and snowflake.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-47399327941434178652011-12-27T14:22:00.000-07:002011-12-27T14:22:47.354-07:00Party Hats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggd04rBxI1jeJpWYuj1Lh5QfWxR4S8UnqLh3_Gat2SZlJsk-HtKnRDTQVzFuGpEp27Zyxj-GMSipZhAiXJWv8-9_r1p8ZNi7qE2rZGMfQLjGTfprWZVZ3Pk-F6h9l-WGJM-BQ-I1p1f4pS/s1600/Party+HatWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggd04rBxI1jeJpWYuj1Lh5QfWxR4S8UnqLh3_Gat2SZlJsk-HtKnRDTQVzFuGpEp27Zyxj-GMSipZhAiXJWv8-9_r1p8ZNi7qE2rZGMfQLjGTfprWZVZ3Pk-F6h9l-WGJM-BQ-I1p1f4pS/s320/Party+HatWEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
I love party hats. They are so cute and festive. They can help make any event a celebration! When you search online, there are lots of patterns that produce tiny hats for small children. I wanted hats that would fit my teenage children and my adult friends and that could be made out of 12x12 scrapbook paper. Since I don't have a 12x12 printer, I wanted to make a pattern that could be printed with a regular printer and easily reproduced. And since I never want to make this pattern again, here it is.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.box.com/s/f8rtuuksk836qa5hk4t6" target="_blank">Large/ Adult Sized Party Hat Pattern (print 2)</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkogtv2ixjPEYljV5vAp_ZkmUwAZZGO8bkN22w42UW5ki07eZNoDxueBXEk4nzYaDEmo7e4LH3CiNL1sGPIIfED3XdpDDJg4c6NYgWcxSEEJCSV-85wigaCuMyzW-5maJkxGWd0jb0ruP7/s1600/Reed+in+HatWEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkogtv2ixjPEYljV5vAp_ZkmUwAZZGO8bkN22w42UW5ki07eZNoDxueBXEk4nzYaDEmo7e4LH3CiNL1sGPIIfED3XdpDDJg4c6NYgWcxSEEJCSV-85wigaCuMyzW-5maJkxGWd0jb0ruP7/s320/Reed+in+HatWEB.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
These are so easy to make!<br />
1. Print two copies of the pattern and cut them out. You only need the gluing tab on one piece, so you can just trim it off on the second piece and have a straight line.<br />
<br />
2. Tape the two pieces together to make the pattern.<br />
<br />
3. Use the pattern to cut a hat out of your choice of 12 x 12 paper. <br />
<br />
4. Curve the hat so that the two straight edges meet. Use hot glue or some other quick-drying, substantial glue to hold the hat's seam together.<br />
<br />
5. You may want to add some elastic straps or ribbons to help hold the hats on the head. You can staple, glue, or tie fasteners on. If you punch holes to tie the ribbon or elastic onto the hat, use some reinforcing circles or extra paper on the inside of the hat.<br />
<br />
6. Now decorate the hats for your event. Printed stickers, crepe paper, garland, feathers, and paper embellishments can really dress up party hats. These pictures show a sticker that I made with Photoshop and printed several on a full sheet of labels.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-30514904217435006992011-12-12T08:13:00.000-07:002011-12-12T08:13:36.843-07:0012 Days of Christmas with tags and poems<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz79P0cqrolmBwmeIvDgE5u0u16M-IrXGibyhNmSAZHeRxWGhGlaSxiskVU7dSseAEP48ebdDAX4IpHQ3gWYhd3wEQYkBwm-j4odEYzUotkHe_SfM_A_z1Z26GJWmezgspKBytt0GE33q/s1600/Brown+Paper+Photo+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQz79P0cqrolmBwmeIvDgE5u0u16M-IrXGibyhNmSAZHeRxWGhGlaSxiskVU7dSseAEP48ebdDAX4IpHQ3gWYhd3wEQYkBwm-j4odEYzUotkHe_SfM_A_z1Z26GJWmezgspKBytt0GE33q/s400/Brown+Paper+Photo+WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>(***I know this may seem late for this year, but if you can get to a WalMart and a Dollar Store- you will have no problem putting it together!)<br />
<br />
I love doing the 12 Days of Christmas for special people who benefit from knowing someone is thinking of them everyday. But, I wanted to do something different this year! I didn't want to base it on the song and go the whole pineapple slices for 5 golden rings kind of thing. I know there are a lot of suggestions across the web, but none of them were what I wanted. That is not that unusual for me- I apparently love to re-create the wheel!!! <br />
<br />
This 12 days gift set can be put together for $20 or less. . . or you can add more expensive items. Most of the items are available at a dollar store. The first two items are for the first and last days.<br />
<br />
Here's how to do it:<br />
<br />
1. <strong>Pick your gifts</strong>. You can pick any 12 of the following items. These items already have hokey poems written to go with them, so if you pick other items you may need to adjust the poems. <br />
<ul><li>Pear scented hand lotion </li>
<li>Amaryllis or Paperwhites ($5 at WalMart)</li>
<li>A homemade banner or small decoration for the home ($1 at WalMart)</li>
<li>Small can of nuts</li>
<li>Crossword puzzle or wordfind book</li>
<li>Packet of cocoa</li>
<li>Candy (Orange Sticks or Chocolate Covered Cherries)</li>
<li>Butter Cookies- small can</li>
<li>Note pad (I covered $.68 notebooks with scrapbook paper)</li>
<li>Scarf </li>
<li>Candle or Battery-Run Candle with Timer</li>
<li>Bookmark</li>
<li>Emery Boards</li>
<li>Sugar-Free Candy</li>
<li>Hand lotion (if you can't find pear. . .)</li>
<li>Sewing Kit</li>
<li>Gift cards</li>
</ul>2. <strong>Print the hokey poems*</strong>. I have them in a larger font because I usually do this activity with older people. Cut them out (cut the "This is for a Bookmark" off, too!) and use a small piece of tape to attach them to the item.<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.box.com/s/vznxseqr8tte5cthn9de" target="_blank">Hokey 12 Days Poems</a></li>
</ul><br />
3. <strong>Wrap your presents</strong>. Wrap the poem inside the gift. I love the look of presents wrapped with brown kraft paper (shipping paper) and tied with hemp string or any kind of string, but you can use any kind of paper.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkzRgXY3Ia8a5lizavGkWZrBsCYGfvuUB5mJ_c1g-doe68ae5Cj-nCGawe5aozmFxgxQ4zMOXXcXfz-1KGAd_sRpEWs-xNKYlBQwaOW_yPKhcFI7pKUeoM0UsjdaJxZrc-O7hEBQKxfnV/s1600/Colored+Packages+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidkzRgXY3Ia8a5lizavGkWZrBsCYGfvuUB5mJ_c1g-doe68ae5Cj-nCGawe5aozmFxgxQ4zMOXXcXfz-1KGAd_sRpEWs-xNKYlBQwaOW_yPKhcFI7pKUeoM0UsjdaJxZrc-O7hEBQKxfnV/s400/Colored+Packages+WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
4. <strong> Print the tags*</strong>. You can print them on cardstock and just cut them out or you can print on paper, glue onto cardstock, and add some glitter to dress them up. I love glitter, so that's what I did. Plus. . . my new printer can't handle cardstock. I advise you to punch a hole in the tags and tie them on. Taping them didn't work nearly as well.<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.box.com/s/m9oofae1lamok9eclfrh" target="_blank">Aqua Tags</a> </li>
<li><a href="http://www.box.com/s/lsm3divg6lp019kej28z" target="_blank">Red Tags</a></li>
</ul><br />
5. <strong>Print the introductory poem*</strong>. There is one for "brown paper packages tied up with string" and one for other wrapping paper.<br />
<ul><li><a href="http://www.box.com/s/japuqep9pbs77jqeqcjg" target="_blank">Brown Paper</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.box.com/s/ov2etrpaecrn9h6btkm0" target="_blank">Any Paper</a></li>
</ul><br />
6. <strong>Start delivery</strong> on December 13 and enjoy the fun! Our family does the 24th as a family and we don't run away when we ring the doorbell. Instead, we sing a carol and give hugs to our recipient.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>PLEASE. . . do not re-post these on your website. I am happy to have people use them, but I would like to have them come here to download them. Feel free to share a link!</strong><br />
<br />
*To print these items you will be re-directed to <a href="http://www.box.com/">www.box.com</a>. You will have to create a log-in, but it is a safe company. If you have any problems, please leave a comment. I make mistakes sometimes!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com82tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-37809965874478026882011-11-22T20:28:00.000-07:002011-11-22T20:28:43.226-07:00Give Thanks- A Heartfelt Gratitude Printable<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb2Kt9lx3fLuheZlzxz6XhUS7XhPsLBtHyukCYGMw8N6EKr3u-d3GcLeqvzvghMMa1i2kC0YTFs3vFcVqc9f4nNYXSnTw6_KjJSFmh6-kodmfRDAMe7scG3v_852qQaJD5ZeFx-QH0D8A/s1600/What+if+WEB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxb2Kt9lx3fLuheZlzxz6XhUS7XhPsLBtHyukCYGMw8N6EKr3u-d3GcLeqvzvghMMa1i2kC0YTFs3vFcVqc9f4nNYXSnTw6_KjJSFmh6-kodmfRDAMe7scG3v_852qQaJD5ZeFx-QH0D8A/s400/What+if+WEB.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Ok. I have been really busy doing all sorts of things this month, but I don't get around to taking photos of my doings, so then they don't get posted. So sad.<br />
<br />
At the beginning of November I had an experience that led me to create this first printable. If you are interested in the story, you can check it out at <a href="http://randomtwitterings.blogspot.com/">http://randomtwitterings.blogspot.com</a> . This prints in an 8x8 size and I framed it an put it up to remind us to be more grateful.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.box.com/files#/files/0/f/0/1/f_1183557095" target="_blank">What If Printable</a> (The picture looks blurry, but the print is sharp!)Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2624276626892120018.post-66458363328620394492011-11-07T23:21:00.001-07:002011-11-07T23:24:00.103-07:00Stenciled Burlap Banner<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqrX18C6xVROSt4Ks3H0dDaDxAPpkzOTuCPdrE9o7wXU35NbwPhSmVpnczmdGvqPQbLulHmHwFa310ctsAhAMzt1c_a-IL1WpO46J4Pf5KoP28EHS5G2vJF55gBIoQNqZ-seFEPpqnZu0/s1600/burlapStencilFinal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlqrX18C6xVROSt4Ks3H0dDaDxAPpkzOTuCPdrE9o7wXU35NbwPhSmVpnczmdGvqPQbLulHmHwFa310ctsAhAMzt1c_a-IL1WpO46J4Pf5KoP28EHS5G2vJF55gBIoQNqZ-seFEPpqnZu0/s400/burlapStencilFinal.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This summer I made this burlap banner to be an understated decoration for a bridal shower I was hosting at my home. It is quite large with the top of each "flag" being 11" wide. I think the flags are about 17" long, because I made the pattern from two pieces of paper taped together. It has been hanging up for months, but because it was plain, it was not overwhelming.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For my favorite holiday of Thanksgiving, I wanted a little more pop.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I used my little old Cricut machine (longing for the new Silhouette Cameo the whole time) to cut letters out of cardstock. These letters are 51/2" inches tall because that was the best I could do. Otherwise I would have gone a little bigger. I saved the cut letters, but what I really wanted was the part of the paper that was left over. I cut between the letters and used regular old masking tape to hold the template onto the burlap. For the middle sections of the B and D I used a glue stick to hold the paper to the burlap. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpNgn19eIPXOHlq74TJPsQKv2l-NAEIIzLhj69M-3V233kAqA0fPz5QS8TWDcEKNdjGfzmsvGl1HTSwQrc0rKzXJXdZVu2IDqCW-aajJ4RbmQQE5t2d4ViM1CIh2VlXQGjpP8MNyyF8Nh/s1600/BurlapStencil1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihpNgn19eIPXOHlq74TJPsQKv2l-NAEIIzLhj69M-3V233kAqA0fPz5QS8TWDcEKNdjGfzmsvGl1HTSwQrc0rKzXJXdZVu2IDqCW-aajJ4RbmQQE5t2d4ViM1CIh2VlXQGjpP8MNyyF8Nh/s320/BurlapStencil1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoFYJzUoKV4hw4fZLfOvGv9OP_L27W7C_DXzT1WRp_MKTmYmAyh6NdbBrlkcisyLCBcCCbRZwMwnDGyoauImVJlpnXeBn_UZMBcWY3T9yrtWSfNka_n7KUF-_V-R3rIS0GFAjSb695Q69/s1600/BurlapStencil2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpoFYJzUoKV4hw4fZLfOvGv9OP_L27W7C_DXzT1WRp_MKTmYmAyh6NdbBrlkcisyLCBcCCbRZwMwnDGyoauImVJlpnXeBn_UZMBcWY3T9yrtWSfNka_n7KUF-_V-R3rIS0GFAjSb695Q69/s320/BurlapStencil2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I haven't stenciled for an age, but it is not rocket science. I didn't have a stencil brush, but any large brush with fairly resilient bristles will do. I mixed some orange paint with brown to get this burnt orange color. I used acrylic paint. Goes on easily, is cheap, and dries well.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yfCK2jZQq_n1ohOdSZtbNFtrNm5Fs8PaZSiNfm6XR4eleETuY4fT9VNB-tc8Dp0k40PsqEGu1OSJuX2YmkEmLQQXVuK-aGoPsZJ_pnSMFwVEdm5TQyakhMfbAQAi6afKsVECsWNidaDj/s1600/burlapStencil3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5yfCK2jZQq_n1ohOdSZtbNFtrNm5Fs8PaZSiNfm6XR4eleETuY4fT9VNB-tc8Dp0k40PsqEGu1OSJuX2YmkEmLQQXVuK-aGoPsZJ_pnSMFwVEdm5TQyakhMfbAQAi6afKsVECsWNidaDj/s320/burlapStencil3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I highly recommend holding down the paper as you move around the stencil. Use an up and down dabbing motion to apply the paint. I wanted full coverage, but don't use too much paint. The paintbrush should be fairly dry.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvuU1BYkSD0RBSux16O36zFPdjybNm9AsvoP9HWjzt1lW2Uszc7eFXaW_MWgYXAMCblwGkk7mqC-JtKfFWeg-HHVDPtj7MMLY-D9UTAXFSRoaT0J_WDGXNdghuTDTYyiZXT6b9cmHYRAW/s1600/burlapStencil4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvuU1BYkSD0RBSux16O36zFPdjybNm9AsvoP9HWjzt1lW2Uszc7eFXaW_MWgYXAMCblwGkk7mqC-JtKfFWeg-HHVDPtj7MMLY-D9UTAXFSRoaT0J_WDGXNdghuTDTYyiZXT6b9cmHYRAW/s320/burlapStencil4.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Be aware that the paint will go through the burlap, so make sure that you are working on a safe surface. I have quartz countertops that are virtually indestructable, so I don't bother to put paper down. Once the paint is dry, carefully peel off the tape and the paper. I added these sparkly leaves because I have a glitter addiction! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I left the two end flags blank, but when I take this down on Wednesday to take it for a display at a ladies meeting, I may stencil leaves or something onto those other two flags. Time will tell!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">For such a simple project, it sure makes a big statement in my home. We are so blessed that I wanted to remind myself and my family of that fact everyday. You can use any phrase such as Give Thanks, Gratitude, or Be Grateful to spruce up your home for Thanksgiving. Or this is a great idea for any event that needs some celebration. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0