I know I'm a Slacker big time!

Well I haven't posted one thing this month until now.

I've been substitute teaching a ton, decorating for Christmas, making Christmas cards, shopping, making crafty neighbor gifts (pedestal cake plates), taking kids to tons of music lessons, Orchestra and Piano recitals, making a gingerbread house, school singing programs, Family with stomach flu, helping with my kids school parties, and new 2012 calendars for Xmas gifts. Plus for my mother in law's Christmas present I made her a wall of frames with all the grand kids photos in them along with ribbon and a vinyl lettering saying at the top. Now I'm sewing a few new skirts for my daughter today.

Whew!
Here's a few pics.

Christmas Eve PJ's

and then the cleanup begins.

I just got off the treadmill and need a shower and the kids need to get out of bed and do something productive. So I am alive and kicking just not at the computer very much anymore.

A Happy 2012 to everyone.

Check out the goodies

Here's her blog

Thankful

I'm thankful that I get to let my creative juices flow every week or so.

I made these fun table name place cards for a Thanksgiving dinner. We actually do our Thanksgiving with my side of the family and that includes more than 40 people. So needless to say I won't be making place cards for everyone. I may try cooking the $30 free turkey I got that's in my freezer and make our own family Thanksgiving dinner the week after-If I get REALLY motivated that is.

I used Meredith Cardall new digital kit called "Attitude of Gratitude" to create the flower elements and the family frame. The tutorial is on her BLOG so go check it out.

Then I also made a fun altered tin with another kit called "Brand New Day" from Meredith. And there's another tutorial on her BLOG

some more exciting things coming for Meredith's designs so stay tuned.

Halloween Time-translation-Treats and Fun!

It's that "SPOOKY" day and I've been frantically making things the last few days to make a "good presentation" as I would say. I think I'm addicted to quotation marks. LOL Anyway, I decorated some candy jars. I used the cute new kit called "Treats Only" by Meredith Cardall. Jump over to her blog if you want the instructions for some of these items.

I also used the same kit to make the tags for my boys treat bags for their classroom parties. Why do I torture myself. I was up making their stuff when I could be relaxing. It's what I love to do I think- well sometimes.

Meredith has some super cute bottle wraps but I also found some on Fayette's Designs. I used the Witches Brew ones from Fayette since I needed to bring some soda to my kids classes anyway. I just ripped off the labels and put on my own fun ones. Check out Fayette's blog with some of these freebies.

My other project that I started about a month ago was a Halloween Tree. I knew I wanted to make a tree of some sorts and I saw a big corkscrew willow branch on the ground on the first part of my daily walk. On the last leg of my hour walk I found a peice of plywood just lying in the road. So as soon as I got home I jumped in the car and went and picked up the branch and then the plywood (it was already in the small square perfect for what I needed) Then I got some wood glue and a long wood screw and hooked the branch to the wood. I then used some glossy black spray paint and this is how it turned out.

How I love free things.

I bought some small skeletons to hang on it. I also have a cute Halloween kit by Fayette that I plan on using some of the elements for the ornaments. But since it's Halloween already I'm not sure if I'll have time in between running to the store for last minute candy for classes, helping with kids class parties, getting all dressed up in my witch costume,etc. We will see I guess.

So if you don't have money to buy decorations use your imagination and make some. I have a few other branches I collected and I wanted to paint one bright purple and the other bright green but didn't get to that project this year. Maybe I'll use them at Christmastime and paint them white or something.  

So may your Halloween be crafty!

 I hope it's full of Treats and not so many Tricks.

Girls Get Away

I planned a fun girls weekend with my sisters, mom & friends. I made a bunch of fun digital things using the kit "Hey Girlfriend" by Fayette Designs. I also made personalized cups for everyone. We stayed up late watching fun movies, played games, went shopping, ate out and had way too much junk food. All in all a great way to spend a weekend without hubbies and kids.

I took pictures of everyone and put it them in these fluffy little frames for them all to take home.

Thanks for all the fun ladies!

Real Bushels of Fun

I actually used the cute new kit called "Bushels of Fun" from Meredith Cardall to make these two cards. You can see the tutorial on her blog.

Bushels of Fun-Maybe Not

I got a whole bunch of tomatoes so I could bottle them as I use them for spaghetti sauce, etc. I thought 4 boxes should do the trick. Well they sure did the trick. Eight hours of bottling got me 47 quarts to put down in my food storage pantry. I'm set for another 3 years. And that's about how much time I need to recover from the heat and mess. Good thing I don't need to do peaches this year.

Blast from the Past

Over the weekend I attended my 30th (yes I said 30th) High School Reunion. I have never even been to one until now. It was great seeing friends I hadn't seen for thirty years. So wierd how once you saw their name and looked at their face it all came back to you. No one changed so much that you couldn't tell who they were. I also helped with a fun Flash Mob dance that we had been rehearsing for the last couple of months with a small group of Pirates (that's our mascot- pretty cool, huh?) I dragged my husband along with me and since they had the big rivalry game (BYU/UTAH) the same night they had a TV for those die hard football fans- of which my husband is one. So at least he was intertained watching the game while I danced and talked, etc. Unfortunely the game was a blowout and his team lost. They even raffled off a Y and U football helmet. Fun times!

Here's a few more pics.

girls

more girls

The guys

Keeping the dance floor full.

Cyprus Pirates class of 1981. 

Some more Back to School Digital Crafts

Well I usually make my kids personalized back to school items, like backpack tags, teacher welcome back gifts,and my fun and easy standby Customized Composition Notebooks. This year I made a notebook for my daughter with the cute kit from Meredith Cardall called "Sunshine on a Cloudy Day" and the tutorial is on her blog HERE, I then realized that I told my niece last year when she saw the one I made my daughter that I would make one for her. Well better late than never I guess. Now I need to make some for my sons too.  

Back to School Bunch

My kids went back to school this week. I think they are glad to have more structure in their days and to start using their brains again. Now I just need to get myself back into some structured days without entertaining kids.

I told my boys I was going to walk to school with them like I always do so I can get pictures of them and Josh said "Oh Mom, do you have to walk with us?" He's a sixth grader you know and those kind of things embarrass him. I walked with them and took their pictures anyway.

Nick actually liked me being there. But he soon found his friends and he forgot all about me. And that's the way it should be.