B is for benefits

I love the benefits of having the world wide web in my home. The limitless resources. The instant access to information. It is definitely something my family benefits from!

So, I though I would help you benefit from me benefiting.
Makes sense, right?
I am posting a great list I found at the Crafty Crow of FREE Halloween printables!

 

 

 

 

Free Halloween Printables Round-Up!

One Charming Party

Babalisme
  We made these! I so appreciate the boy version too!
Babalisme
I made this and shared it in am earlier post.
The Graphics Fairy

Paper Crave

A Fanciful Twist

Rob Ives
via Paper Forest

Each Penny Pretty

Two Straight Lines


Made By Joel

design.wash.rinse.repeat.

Cheeky Magpie

Urban Debris


We Love To Illustrate

Folding Trees

A Little Hut

The Idea Room

Creative Mamma

The Decorated Cookie


Blue Yonder


Chica And Jo

Living Locurto

The Idea Room

design.wash.rinse.repeat.

Cheeky Magpie

Paper Glitter
  Remember how I found this earlier and almost choked? Yep ,still love it!
Craftily Ever After


Creative Kismet

Paper Glitter

Paper Glitter

Fun With Mama

  These last two are the direst link. Just click and print!

I linked here!

B week

B is for belonging.


What do you belong to...
Who do you belong to...
What belongs to you....
Who belongs to you...

I belong to them.

I  also belong here.

And I belong to this great country.

A is for Autumn

When we lived back east/ish in Ohio, something magical would happen every Fall. The leaves on the trees would go from green to a kaleidoscope of beautiful colors.
The vibrancy of those colors is what was so amazing.

What I realize now is how little you actually appreciate things like Fall leaves when you live in places with trees and seasons! People would hire landscapers to do Fall Clean-ups, where they basically come in and strip the trees of all the dying leaves and pile them up and haul it all away! The tragedy of it all still boggles my mind. I mean don't the leaves fall for the soul purpose of allowing us to rake them up into great big piles and then stand backwards and put your arms out, close your eyes, and fall backwards into the pile?


Living here in the desert of Arizona, you miss out on Autumn leaves.
But fortunately, we have places like Hobby Lobby to help us all pretend that we have an actual Autumn. We can go there and buy all the fake leaves we want.
Sad, I know.
It's like all the people we see with fake snowmen in their yards and icicle lights at Christmas time around here. You just sort drive by with a sad expression of pity for all the lack snow.
Because it is A week for my Illustrations of Life Project: A is for Autumn.
So, without further ado. My version of an Autumn Wreath.

It is so easy to make I feel like it is redundant to even tell you how to make one!
Oh well, here goes.

I found 3 of these metal stars at a garage sale for .25 apiece. ( I hate when I read that people find things at garage sales and fix them up. All that means is that the rest of us can't go buy on too!)I just spray painted it with some spray paint from another project.

Then I went to Hobby Lobby while they were having a 50% off Fall sale. Grabbed a few of these lovelies.
x 2 of each except the white pumpkin
I originally was going to buy a couple packages of the loose leaves that come with I think 10 or so to a pack. But then I saw the display for the garlands and they were so much fuller and this one even had pinecones on it too! ( no before pic )
the wreath was .25 at a garage sale.
I gathered my supplies. Wrapped the garland in a big circle and attached it to the wreath with white twist ties that you can totally see and that bother me to no end. I am OCD so a normal person would tell you to randomly stick the accent pieces into the wreath, but I'm not normal. There is no rhyme or reason to the way I did it ( other than to me) so, randomly put your picks anywhere you please.
 
 
I hung it from my door with one of those great removable hooks that you just pull the sticky tab and it comes off. Not sure if it is supposed to be permanent, but I am pretending, and have used it all year. and yes my door is dirty. It's dusty here ok. And we just had a major dust storm not too long ago. Yep, we are lucky enough to get dust storms. So all you people that are snuggled up to your cozy little fireplaces when it snow, think of all that your missing out on.
Like dust. On your front door.
And Cactusmen instead of snowmen..

Here!

I linked this!

Here!

Here

here

here

here

here

here!

A is for Attitude

Late on night, it was a little after 9, the doorbell rang.

With a sigh of exasperation after battling with the kiddos to get them to bed ,even though they were all not tired- and obviously starving and- Oh yeah, I forgot I really did have homework- and just one more kiss goodnight-and we don't have to listen to you the first time because Dad isn't home.

I dragged my weary self to the door, ready to do battle with whatever hapless solicitor schmuck had the bad fortune to ring my doorbell at this late hour.

All 4 kiddos also felt so inclined to come tumbling down the stairs, ignoring my vehement yell-whisper to stay upstairs, to see who it was.

And I am now even more angry "Because now if it is not a salesman but a serial killer we are all dead instead of just the brave self sacrificing mother".

However when I opened the door, this is what I found.......

A nice big container full of these lovelies.

My attitude was now changed from eye-rolling annoyance, to humility and gratitude.

It might just be cupcakes.

It might not seem like a big deal.

But I am ......

Humbled for the time and effort it took to make these.

Grateful for the laughs and smiles it brought into my home.

So, thank you to whoever took the time to bring joy to a weary mothers home.

Thank you.

Letter a week challenge

As part of my illustrations of life project I am starting a letter a week.

This week is ......

A

For my A week I am going to start of with a picture I have titled : Always.

Even though there is that stupid watermark again,

this lovely photo of my Husband and I at my sis's wedding was taken by the lovely and talented Miss Emily Johnson.

Thank you for capturing this moment for us. Your talent is limitless and we are lucky to know you.

Paris Thomas. This is a beautiful story.

I laugh-cried when I watched this. He is one of the funniest people. But I especially appreciate his testimony.

Our new obsession......pumpkin bread!

 

Today we had the honor of witnessing a baptism of a friend of ours.

We were overwhelmed with feelings of gratefulness for the time that we live in and the blessings of having the Gospel in our lives. We are a family that relies heavily on the power of prayer and daily guidance from our Heavenly Father.

After the baptism we opened our home to all those that wanted to come and congratulate Jennifer and her family and also to enjoy some yummy food.

I made several batches of pumpkin muffins with Cream cheese frosting that I thought were divine. Stephany made a to dye for Strawberry Bundt cake and Jeanette was kind enough to bring a yummy Red Velvet cake.

Food was had by all.

Good times.

 

Pumpkin Bread *Source

Rated:

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour 15 Minutes

Submitted By: Shirley Sober
Cook Time: 1 Hour
Servings: 32

"A friend of mine graciously shared her 'secret recipe' for this bread with me. It's become such a family favorite that I'm not allowed to enter my family's get-togethers without this bread in hand!"

Ingredients:

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

3 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

1 (16 ounce) can solid pack pumpkin

Directions:

1.
In a mixing bowl, dream butter and sugar. Add eggs; mix well. Combine dry ingredients; stir into creamed mixture just until moistened. Stir in pumpkin. Pour into two greased 9-in. x 5-in. x 3-in. loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour or until bread tests done.

 

 

 

And don't forget the icing!

 

 

 

Cream Cheese Frosting II *Source

Rated:

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 10 Minutes

Submitted By: Janni
Servings: 24

"This is a wonderfully creamy frosting that goes well with pumpkin bread, carrot cake, chocolate cake, on cookies or between cookies."

Ingredients:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese,

softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1.
In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.

Finally some one who "gets" my version of motherhood!

source

"I'm going to write a book. I'll call it "How to Raise Children Without Slashing Your Wrists" It won't be over dramatic at all.
Chapter Synopsis
1. Look, maybe you aren't cut out for procreation
2. Too late, Now What?
3. The TV as Babysitter and Sanity Saver
4. Send them to Grandmas, but don't be surprised if they come back entitled and high on sugar
5. Discipline techniques that don't work, but make you feel Angrier, which makes you feel powerful, which makes everyone cry in the end
6. Accepting your role as Wicked Witch of the West
7. Who needs Love when you've got Guilt?
8. Removing the door handles to your children's rooms and other effective time-out strategies
9. Sleep deprivation, Repetition, and other Torture techniques (how to survive when your children use them on you)
10. Cleanliness is next to Craziness


What chapters would you include?"

This is another list written by the funny Steph on her blog that I thought was soo worth sharing.
Holy cow this girl is hilarious! Go check out her blog Everyone's Excited and Confused
and tell her I said thank you for being able to read my mind about being a mom and then creative enough to write about it!
P.s. I will be the first in line to by her book!

My introduction to Mod Podge

It all innocently started with a little bottle of something called Mod Podge. ( Windows spell check keeps trying to correct the spelling with other options like"podgy" and "poodle")
I was introduced to this lovey about 2 years ago.
I had heard of it quite often,  but was not in the least bit interested in plastering my coffee table with a nice layer of family photos shellacked permanently to the top with this stuff called Mod Podge. Or anything involving collages and decopaging. Blech.
Well, along came Super Saturday and lovely creative girls named Autumn and Aime, and I was shown the many versatile and limitless uses of Mod Podge.
Fast forward to the present and I am still using it every chance I get. If it can't be made with Mod Podge than maybe it doesn't really need to be made.
When I first set out to arrange my plate wall I was very optimistic. I simply needed to go to a few stores, buy plates that I surely knew were there waiting to be plucked up by my eager hands.
So not the case.
A year and numerous stores later, no such luck.

Then I remembered back to two years ago when Autumn showed me how to Mod Podge clear glass plates with Mod Podge! That was it!

So, now that I have finally finished my biggest challenge in decorating yet. And let me tell you. I love it.

They aren't perfect.
Far from it.
But I am way more than satisfied!
It is a fool proof way to get exactly the colors and look you want for very very little money.
I found the glass plates at Savers for $2.99 for 4.
The paper was 10 for $1.00 at Joanne's.
And the Mod Podge I already had but can be purchased at any craft store, which I only ever do with a coupon. So It was around $4.00 and lasts forever. I will be able to pass this stuff down to my grandkids.

I will show you how they all turned out and how I made my very own custom plates in another post. I can't wait!


 I linked this post:

Here!

Here!Here!

Here

And so the plate wall begins....

I have seriously had my eye on so many cute plate wall arrangements.

I finally gathered  enough plates to get started on this long awaited update to my kitchen.

So, first up. Take down all the dustified crap that has been above my cabinets for far too long.

Next.....well. You'll have to wait and see!

On another note. Not feeling to much love for the dog of the house. He seriously needs to have something removed and put in a jar to display. THe next time he runs away, he needs to keep on a runnin'. I'm officially d.o.n.e.

I wish the below option was real. As in a real alligator could do this to him.

Just kidding!

No I'm not.

Thank goodness for Fall Break

This is not my photo. Picasa adds my watermark to anything I upload. 




Thank goodness for Fall Break. We are in much need of this time of relaxation.
It seemed like the kids were just starting to get that cooped- up- in- a- class- room -all -day -itch.
Bubby wasn't showing us his homework. Playing outside was too much of a temptation and the weather is finally nice enough to do so.
Sis was just hitting a brick wall with trying to memorize her math problems.
Drew  is actually doing really well again. He hit that really rough patch last year and we were a little worried. But, alas he made Honor Roll. We are so relieved proud.
Gwen is her own person and if she decides that she is not going to preschool, there is no amount of bribing convincing her otherwise.
I was home-schooled for the last half of my school years.
I didn't realize what a luxury making my own schedule was! We still woke up fairly early and followed a pre-established curriculum ( this was before the internet and all its infinite home-schooling resources were made readily available) , but once we were done, the day was ours. We went on a lot of field trips and participated in lots of hands on learning.
So, because of this whenever my kiddos are off from school I try to jam pack it full of things to and adventures to have.
I usually get voted down with protests of " we just want to stay home and play!".

What can I say, I try.

Comlpiments from my hubby

The other day when I had finished making this sign, my hubby, who was working in the yard, came over to admire my infinite sign hanging talents with me.

He tilted his head to the side, and said, " I dont't like it."

Huh?

There really isn't much to it, what's not to like?

Before I could reply he said," It should say The Wicked, her Frankenstein, and their little Monsters live here."

Thank you for being my Frankenstein. 

Continue in Patience