Thursday, December 29, 2011

Happy Birthday to my daughter!

Born in a small Concord, Ma hospital on a wintery, snowy night.  You were not due for 5 more weeks, but you were healthy and beautiful in every way!

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{I tried to make that “29”}

 

Everyone was so excited the day you were born! It seemed like the whole world was celebrating when we brought you home that New Years Day! 

I never knew how a Mother’s heart could grow that big and be filled with soooo much love!

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The thing I remember the most about that day, was how your Grandfather {Grampy Brown} stood at the end of the hospital bed {long} after you were born and just…smiled!  Grinned from ear to ear.  Didn’t say too much.  His gigantic grin said it all! 

 

He couldn’t take his eyes off of you!  {neither could I!!!}

 

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Now, 37 years later he is still smiling down on you!  If he were here right now he would hug you and call you “Grampy’s girl!”

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Christa, Nathan, Seth and Jarred and SO{my daughter, Christa and “my three sons”}

 

Happy Birthday sweetheart!  I love you and miss you so very VERY much!  I hope you had a great day.

 

love you forever,

Mom  Me and the kids (see my smile and eyes live on in my children)

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Happy Happy…Joy…Joy…Joy!

Yes…I know

it’s three days…actually ONLY TWO days

until Christmas (it’s after midnight here).

But..I actually had some last minute

project(s) that I had been working on

AND…(thought I’d probably finish AFTER Christmas)

BUT…!

I finished them!!! 

All of them.  I’m pretty sure this is a first folks!     

The Christmas Photo album (kit by Heidi Swapp)

It’s for my Mom.

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I officially put the finishing touches on today.    

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DSC_0041The circle cut outs compliment the opposite page circle pop up.

{I did mention that my brother is OLDER…much older than me? didn’t I?}  {ahh…I luv ya Bro!}

DSC_0040I love how easy it was to just down load this whole kit; print it out and she gives a step by step directions to put it all together!  The cover to the book was made with an (empty) Ritz cracker box!! Plus the kit itself was like, 60% off! (another reason I’m a bit late with this project.)

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The very back cover.   Cute huh?

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My little “Christmas Elf”

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Silly kitten, you know you need your glasses to see!

Otherwise you wouldn’t have to get so close to read. (ha) DSC_0065

About a week ago, I  finished another of the Pink Paislee, Heidi Swapp album.

It comes with 2 plain wooden covers that I used glimmer mist over a screen, stamped with ink (using the fabulous stamps that come with the “Nantucket” kit) 

I just sent this up to my cousin on Cape Cod.  I had so much fun putting this one together.

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This album is all about our visit this past summer.  I even glimmer mist the ribbon I found  in my Mother’s old sewing chest.  I think it was one that was used for my ponytail when I was little.  The glimmer mist made it look almost brand new!

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I did make a few Christmas cards.  My inspiration was from

Keisha at “A Bit East- Coast”

and I used the paper from the Jenni Bolin Christmas line.

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A pillow that I LOVED

and PINNED on

Pinterest got me inspired to make one of my own!

(and…for a lot less $)

Today…I was able to put together my pillow.  (with a little help from my personal Santa Elf!)

After I found some light weight blanket material (mostly b/c it was the right color (light linen).  I had picked up some felt at JoAnne’s in a darker wheat color. ( I think they were 4/$1.00) I needed just two.  Next was the metallic thread.  This was the “bulk” of the cost for this project.  $2.49 for each spool.  Everything else I had.  So the total cost for me was about $3.00!

Next, I needed to have a circle to place all of the leaves.  I used a pie plate.  Perfect size!

DSC_0031DSC_0033DSC_0026I used the photo from “pinterest” to guide me for the leaf template, the colors and general size.

I traced the leaf shape…after getting the right size (note the cut outs I made on my pinterest photo.  You’ll need about 90 leaves.  Not too bad cutting them all out.  Just make sure you scissors are sharp!

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Next, glue the leaves down to the light color fabric. (I used “Aleene’s original Tacky Glue”)   I measured the pillow size (after) I glued down all of the leaves.  I know…I know it’s a bit backwards but I wasn’t sure how the leaves would make the wreath…look. (does that make sense?)  I did kind of rough it in before I cut the 18” (sort of ) square.  DSC_0080

Next…stitching the leaves down with the pretty metallic thread!

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(Silly Elf!) 

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Now…it was time to sew the plain material to the front. 

 

Stuff the pillow! DSC_0090

DSC_0091I sewed the last seam by hand using the blind stitch.

Glued on the cute little pom-poms and…

DONE!

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I think “somebody” is getting a little sleepy!

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It’s hard work for all the little elves this time of year!

 

Merry Christmas.   I think I’ll take my “new” pillow and my sleepy Elf to bed now!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

A little girl’s baby doll…and baby Jesus!

 

 

This sweet and quite  precocious little girl

IS a real baby doll herself!

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Her “big” sister is gorgeous and a sweetheart in every way!

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We had a family Christmas get together today.  The little girl cousins (who had traveled quite a  distance from another state)were in awe of the “big girl” cousin and the even BIGGER boy cousin!   So much so that they called him “Mr.”

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 DSC_0041 DSC_0047“Mr” is a sophomore in H.S.

Ahhhh….Ya!   he plays football!   And is on the wrestling team!

When the “real” baby-doll was asked what her OWN baby doll’s name was her answer was quick and quite matter of fact. “…baby Jesus.” 

Her Dad added…

“Yes and baby Jesus has been through a lot.”

Truer words were never spoken! 

(about the doll…and our Lord Jesus)

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{that’s “baby Jesus” snuggled in a leather chair

with the  animals (Dalmatian and purple monkey)

…lowing in the night}

 

Here are a few shots from the day.

 

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Hope you enjoyed my little photo shoot!

Have a great week!

Friday, December 9, 2011

Up-cycle, Recycle, and Repurpose…Oh my!

Pinterest.  It  got me thinking about one of their post the other day.   About  a clever recycle project for those pretty “Yankee Candle”  jars.   Once you’ve burned your lovely candle

down to its’ last bit of wick,  what do you DO? with the perfectly good glass jar? On Pinterest, they demonstrated a brilliant idea of melting down all the last little bits of wax, then layer them, one after another (providing the first layer has cooled) while keeping a NEW wick straddled on top of the jar!  There were so many “hits” of  “Wow…why didn’t I think of that.” and “Can’t wait to try this one out!” etc. etc.

But I wondered…. although this idea was indeed thrifty, just how labor intensive would this be?  And just how long would it take to save up just the “right wax” colors that could be layered with the “right” scents?  Would it work combining just any old scent

or would you have to keep all the “food” scents together and all the “seasonal and floral scents” among their own layers?

And where do you get plain ol’wicks? Do they cost much?  Probably not.

My idea for the repurposing these sealed glass wonders came out of necessity.  (I guess most ideas do) I needed a VISUAL,

easy to find at a glance…storage “canisters”.

 

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It’s always bothered me.  To just throw out something that is not broken, and  still functions just fine…I mean, really, the dome lid has a pastic SEAL ! on it!    But justifying its’ “potential” worth to  AND storing it for who knows how long….starts to validate the reason to just suck it up and throw it OUT!   

That’s when I had an “AH-HA” moment!

Finally!  It will ACTUALLY prove to be

productive hanging on to those jars!!!

All those empty Yankee Candle jars that I’ve been

saving for (years!)…a good long while.

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Ok…so here are a couple of fall candles that are now finished.  (Angel has to get her nose into these projects).  They look all smoky and dull.  (Eeuuuw)DSCN0948

But wait!               (do I sound like a commercial?)

Put the jars in your sink.

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Fill them up with HOT water.DSCN0950

Very HOT water.

 

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And in a few minutes…

about 15 or so.

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The wax pops up to the top!  ( if your water cools down and the wax is still on the bottom, repeat filling with hot water again.

  Take the wax out.

Throw the wax  away in your kitchen waste basket where

it will gently freshen your trash.

(more noticeable if your trash can is tucked away in a cabinet)

Then simply place the jars in your dishwasher.

They come out all sparkling clean.  Voila!

A cute solution to my craft storage dilemma !

I had a couple of these racks left from my Mother’s house. ( I can remember them from when I was a small girl!)

30 seconds of white spray paint to each of these…wait for them to dry. I Mounted them up on my wall in my office/scrapbooking room;

the jars fit PERFECTLY! (look pretty darn nice too!)

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So you know how we all collect  buttons…gazillions of buttons.  Mine were stuffed in boxes there…zipped in baggies in drawers here,  jammed in cupboards everywhere.  

Now, I have them sorted by colors…in cute little jars (that didn’t cost a thing). 

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I have all my colorful “bling” in one jar…clear bling in another.  Clips and small spools of ribbon stacked in another!

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I have them hanging above my sewing cabinet.   So…my kitten, AngelLea can easily…

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Ahhhhh……Purrrrfect!

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