Rocky Times

Okay so I'm sure many of you have seen the PotteryBarn Chalkboard Rocks (pic below). They are only...ready for this...$16.00 (well $12.00 on sale) for a set of FOUR. Do you see four in their display picture...no, no you do not because seriously four are not gonna cut it.

Here you will see my take on those pesky rocks that we just HAVE to have. I mean how nifty are they for that person who likes to decorate all through out the year.

Now mine are not displayed in a jar or bowl because I haven't yet dragged out my Holiday decorations but really... who says you can't just display them in a tray.


It's really very simple and I'm sure you've already figured out how to do them yourself...or you've seen a similar post out there in crafty blog land. LOL I acquired various flat medium and small rocks with the help of my children and the little littles (preschoolers). After I gave them a good scrub I painted them with chalkboard paint (I would have spray painted them but I was unable to find it...grrr - would have made this SO much easier; not that it wasn't already but let's be real I am lazy) I let the paint dry for 24 hrs and then rubbed the rocks down with chalk. Rinse off and dry then write your message. Here's my 'Let it Snow"


and "Ho Ho Ho"s

I have made a TON of rocks and well SOME lucky friends are receiving their very own; when I get around to giving you gifts...LOL. Aren't you ladies lucky...you get rocks. Now now there will be other goodies...this is only PART of it. This whole project cost me under $10 for the chalkboard paint and foam brushes. My kind of craft!

This is why I love my friends.

So I'm on a diet. I'm at the end of the "hard" part so I feel comfortable telling you. Yes, I'm self conscious and well - it's none of your business. But I have a blog which then makes it...oh well anyways.

So I'm finishing Phase 2 of the HCG diet protcol and tomorrow I enter Phase 3. Which basically means MORE food (healthy though btw) This is the following conversation I just had with my BFF. (LOVE her - she keeps it real...follow along)

Holly: an orange just doesn't freaking cut it
Holly: hehe
Rae: yeah no it doesn't
Rae: its a side
Holly: lol
Holly: I get an egg with CHEESE in the morning
Holly: mmmmmmmmmmm (insert smiling smiley right here)
Holly: can't wait
Rae: ok im sorry but (she had a laughing her ass off smiley right here)
Holly: dork
Holly: it's the simple things
Holly: (winking smiley)
Holly: I'm down 14lbs
Holly: hoping to wake up to ONE more
Holly: for an even 15
Holly: I'll probably only lose .2 now
Rae: well according to dr oz just dropping 10 a year is enough to add 5 years to your life
Rae: so congrats
Rae: another 5 years of fun
Holly: crap no one said I wanted to live longer!!!
Rae: right these are the things you need to think about

Getting my crafty on...

Sort of...LOL I've been spending entirely WAY too much time perusing the below listed blogs. Because I'm so NICE to all of my friends (aka YOU) I'm going to share. So then we can be busy slackers together. Share the love you know! Here are a lot of the new blogs that have caught my eye (new to me anyways).

Keeping It Simple

The Cheap and Choosy

Oopsey Daisy

Opps, I Craft My Pants

Sew Many Ways

You Craft Me Up

320 Sycamore - Spent a LONG time looking through her home decorating ideas.

Homebody - How could I NOT love her - she's a HOLLY!

I'm done with college!

What I really want to say and shout is "I have a F*@^ing DEGREE!!!" Me! Me? ME!

It's just my associates but HELLO!!! You'd of never thought I'd have even start college, let alone finish it.

Now I'm not even sure when the ceremony is because I'm not walking across the stage. I figure I took all of my classes online. I don't know these people. LOL So I have to patiently wait for my degree to come in the mail. Oh you'll be glad to know that YOU won't miss out on that day either. It'll be right here for you to see.

I'd like to take this moment to thank Ms. Karen for encouraging (aka forcing) me to start classes back in 2008. I'd like to thank my hubby and the kids for putting up with me being online all of the time (okay so it's not totally because of school...shhhhhh) and being supportive throughout it all. I'd like to thank Reagan, Sara and Cindy for helping me understand things when I never thought I could.

Did I mention it yet?? I'm DONE!!!!!!!!!! Do NOT speak to me about a BA. Thank you.

Playing with a new toy.

I recently was blessed enough to be able to purchase the Silhouette digital cutting machine. Let me just say "Oh my!" So many ideas running through my head and I've been so busy up til now to even TRY any of them. Now I've dived in (since I finished my last Math Quiz last night, I finally feel like I can play with my graduation present).

Say hello to her...isn't she pretty. (Don't worry she'll get a table soon enough...I need to find a special place for her.)

So I found this awesome damask design on the Silhouette website that will match my tiny little kitchen decor (that's another post...it's new too!) All I had to do was tell it to cut and it was done.


Here is my pink little beauty that will be receiving the new vinyl damask cut out. She looks so sweet and cute on her own doesn't she? Unfortunately Chef doesn't appreciate her pinkness (after all HE is the Chef around here...LOL)


All cut out and excess removed. (Note to self: When doing something for the first time do NOT pick the hardest image to cut out...are you FLIPPING nuts!)

I used the handy dandy transfer paper that I thought prior to this that there is NO WAY I'd ever need it. Yeah, you hear me laughing at myself don't you. Anyways the transfer paper allows you to keep your detailed massively piecey image together so you're not stuck trying to do a "puzzle" later.


I applied the vinyl to the top of my pink beauty and voila!!! She newly emerges a slick and frisky lady. Chef's reaction? "Oh WOW!" when he walked in to the kitchen. She was of course the first thing he saw...should I be jealous?



While I love doing all things creative I can not always take credit. I am horrible and do not remember where I first saw a vinyl decorated Kitchen Aide but know that I super appreciate that person's creative-ness and for sharing thier ideas on the world wide web for unoriginal saps like me.

Halfway Homemade - Halloween edition

So tomorrow is the Halloween parade and celebration at the kids school and being the over achieving (read insane) mom I am I had to make them some treats to share with their classes. Now I intended to only do these for Princess's K class but being who he is Little Man gave me that "look". All of us mom's know the one I'm talking about.

Now this treat is SUPER simple. Took 20 mins and cost under $10 for get this - 85 treats! Yes, I said 85 and yes, I only have 3 kids. Little Man has a grand total of 35 kids in his class while Monkey and Princess round off at about 25 each.

Now the halfway homemade part....those rice crispy treats? They are store bought. Oh yeah I'm not THAT insane! :-) I grabbed 2 boxes of 12 each from Walmart for a whopping $3 a piece. Cut them into 4th's and there I have nice child size treats. (I'm not one to sugar them up "too much")

I melted and drizzled white chocolate across the MANY rows of treats and sprinkled with Halloween colored sprinkles for a holiday touch.

Did I mention the ROWS of treats? Yeah? Okay - as long as your still with me.

These babies are still hardening in my kitchen (aren't I sweet to share right away) and then I will package them up for the kiddo's to lug in tomorrow. Along with their costumes. Oh what fun! I'm dressing up too!

Easier than it looks...

Everyone has been been raving compliments on me for the Princess's bows but seriously all of you can do them. I have simplified them for myself...LOL.

Start out with ribbon twice the length you want your bows width to be. This one is 6inches long for a 3in bow.


Glue the ends together to form a circle.


Pinch your circle flat and then pinch the center together.


I wrap this part with floral wire but some use string or sew it (too much work for me)

You want to make two of them the same size to form your "bow"


Place them together and wrap with another piece of floral wire.

Here I attached a yellow bow behind the printed one. The yellow bow is a 4 in bow.

You can embellish your bows with anything you like...more ribbion, buttons...etc. For this one I used one figure eight.

I like to wrap the top of my clip in ribbon...I think it helps the glue hold it to the bow better. Be sure to only wrap the top of the clip - if you add ribbon to the bottom you'll have trouble getting it into the hair.


Glue clip onto the back of the bow.

TA DA! (I made two for when she wears pigtails) I forgot an earlier picture of it but I tied and glued the middle black ribbon to the centers of the bows before adding the figure eight to the back (which I just glued to the back of the yellow bow)


So there you have it. I said it was simple. The "bow" is basically two circle's pinched and attached to each other. Those sneaky bow makers hehe.

Eeeeekk!

To start off I wanted to show Chef these bows I made for the Princess yesterday. They were a bribe so she wouldn't be upset about missing her field trip. She's been sick with the flu and running a fever so no school = no field trip.

She loves the Frankenstein on them. (btw How does my 5 yr old know about Frankenstein? LOL)
So Tip Junkie is hosting Talk to me Tuesday where she is having everyone link up to their Halloween crafts and ideas. So head on over there (when you're done here...LOL) for more ideas.

I've seen these blocks all over the blogs and DIY threads on message boards and finally I was roaming through Micheal's the other night with the kids and saw the 2" sq blocks for $.99. Not bad. Add some scrape paper and you have a cute little decoration. All in all I spent less than $4.00 on it. Those of you who have scrapes at home would be able to make it for even less. :-)


(Ghost not included...LOL)


I painted each block black. I added two letters to each block (B & E, K and O...) Than I filled in the other squares with scrapbook paper. *edited to add that YES I know it is suppose to be EEK not EKK....sorry - it was brought to my attention and I did fix my actual blocks. WHEW! How embarrassing....LOL.

That simple. Really MUCH more simple than those stinkin bows were....LOL. ;-)

Double, double toil and trouble...

fire burn and cauldron bubble.

My cat has nothing to do with this post but I couldn't resist including the pic I took of her today. That is the top of our fish tank and apparently her new fav spot.

Now for the witchey news. I made this display today for my downstairs guest bathroom. I think there is something missing but I think it is good....for now.


The potions....(sorry it's sideways - forgot to flip one)

Special ingredients for the truly crafty witch. Ground Boars Tooth, Dragon's Blood, Werewolf Fur, Eye of Newt, Dried Maggots and Dried Bats Wings.

A potion of Babbling Beverage (causes drinker to babble nonsense) *I think there are a lot of goblins drinking this one around here.*


Memory (improves access to memory) *I should try more of this myself*

Draught of Peace (calms and soothes) *We can all use some of this from time to time.*


My favorite. Shrinking Solution (a dab will do ya) *so many "short" people around here - I better find that darn cap. *


*need to add this whole display cost about $5.00 using finds from the Goodwill and supplies I had on hand. :-)*

SCORE!

So the Princess stayed home from school today. We took a little trip to the Goodwill to see what we could find. Mommy is on the search for some apothecary jars on the cheaper side. LOL I didn't find those but I did find a bunch of other treats for super cheap.


I want to use those three little jars in front for witches "potions" to be displayed in my bathroom. In the stores they are $4-$6 a piece. No way I'm paying that. The tiny green one is my favorite and will be labeled the "shrinking" potion. LOL


I also found this old spice rack. My sister suggested that they be used as the ingredients for the potions. Good idea!


I can't wait to get started on putting this all together. As it pans out I'll add it for you to see.

*note* any idea's for ingredients or potion names feel free to comment. Thanks!

It's the little things...

Sometimes it takes nothing more than a little jem that you find at Hobby Lobby for $3.00 to make you feel "happy".

I'm baaaaaaaack!

You may not know (sorry about that) but this man, Chef (my hubby), is deployed. Well he is in a relatively cushy location but their internet SUCKS. Like seriously - in today's world you'd think....anyways. Well we've determined (well he did) that he can access this here blog (YEAH!!) a lot better then face book SO he has requested/demanded/asked that I start blogging (someone mark a calendar!) again so he can see updated pictures of the kids and know what the going ons at home are. So here we go my peoples.

I love him! (Picture of us taken on the day he left)

I know you are, but what am I?

So today was like any other school day. Off to the bus stop to send the boys off to have their minds molded into smart young men (or something like that).

We've been having issues at the bus stop with the people who live around there pulling their cars out in front of the bus (that has a stop sign pulled out HELLO!) and backing up with no regard to the children present...who have been present almost everyday since Aug.

So like a "good" bus stop mom today I risked life and limb for the good of all children. The bus happened to already be at the stop, loading up the children, when a lady pulled out of her garage. Seeing the look of determination on her face when she got out to close her garage door I stepped cautiously in the middle of the drive (you know the one the bus is currently blocking) up a bit of the ways to "attempt" to discourage her to not pull any closer to the bus (the one kids are loading on to). I turned to wave to the boys when I heard the car door close, ut oh I thought.

Yes, you guessed it...she tried it. She pulled her car up closer to me then attempted to pull over to the side to go AROUND me....(to get CLOSER then she already was to the loading bus). I, the ever "good" bus stop mom (LOL), stepped IN FRONT of her moving vehicle. (hold the applause please - nothing none of you wouldn't do).

She then rolled down her window. I sweetly said "You should wait a minute." To which she replied "I am, I just getting closer." So I again sweetly said "You need to wait right there, no reason to get closer to the bus." She huffed and rolled up her window.

Seriously, what WAS she going to do? Run me over in front of the school bus, 3 other "good" bus stop mom's and a grandma and my SIX daycare children (who were on the sidewalk mind you with Ms Jenny and Ms Shelly.)

I.DON'T.THINK.SO!

HUMP

Some people amaze me. (Actually they don't....I just surpress the urge to beat the crud out of all of them.

**On another note. E2 DID get run over....she tripped and M walked right over her.** (and yes I laughed...no one was hurt.)

Sara, here's your Spring....

Sara asked today :"Where is Spring?" I found it ... in my backyard...after the snow stopped. LOL

Grandma's Wise

Grandma over at Grandma's Modern Day Trunk of Treasures wrote a recent blog post about a night with her friends. Reading it reminded me of my good friends and how exactly like this they are.

So to my friends. I love you all and miss those of you who are not here.

Here's the beautiful post.
http://grandmasmoderndaytrunkoftreasures.blogspot.com/2009/03/helping-hands-of-friends.html

Holly

Bringing school to blogging "Beauty"

As we all know (lol well some of us) I am in school online. Each week we have a discussion question that we have to answer and respond on. This is this week's question from my Creative Child class.

Everyone has had some experience with beauty and has a special idea about what is beautiful. It can be a very interesting experience to examine this concept with each of the five senses. Share with us the 3 most beautiful things (living or nonliving) that you have experience with your five senses. Why did you select those three things

Here is my response.

1. The birth of my daughter Abigail, she is our little angel, and when we learned that she would soon leave us. I can't even describe the feelings I had. I was in awe of the support my husband was able to give me, I was grateful for the chance I had to hold her and the pictures I have of our short time with her. I have a memory box that holds her dress and I can still smell her on it. I can taste the tears that rolled down my face as we said goodbye and the taste of my husbands when I kissed him on the cheek. Her birth and death brought us closer together then we've ever been. She is our angel. She is beautiful.

2. The view from in front of my house and anywhere else I am in Colorado Springs. Oh you know what I am talking about. After almost 5 yrs here I can not get over the beauty of the mountain range and Pikes Peak. It just fills me with peace everytime I see it. The colors are always different and it looks so inviting. I am able to remember the feel of the rocks under my feet when we drove to the top of Pikes Peak. The smell of the fresh crisp air as we climbed higher and higher. Oh and the taste of the doughnuts at the top. MMMM reminds me of funnal cake.

3. Oh goodness....I asked my friend Sara to help me with the third one. She jokingly said "Vanilla Bean Cheesecake" and well after thinking about it I couldn't agree more. I love food (as you can tell by my waist line) and lately I have had a hard time finding things that were completely enjoyable to me. They would just taste "alright" and not completley satisify me. Oh but this cheesecake. When they brought it out to me (from the Cheesecake factory) I was hesitant to take a bite. It looked so perfect and I didn't want to ruin it. The first bite was so smooth and creamy. A hint of flavor without being overly sweet. (mmmmm - road trip anyone?) I couldn't help but sigh. From the taste to the cold metal of the fork in my hands to the sighs from my friends as we all enjoyed our cheesecakes, just reminds me of friendship, happiness and togetherness. Who wouldn't find that beautiful.

I've chosen these three things to talk about because they have each brought me peace or reminded me of a time where I felt happiness and wonder.

What about you? What are three things YOU find beautiful and involve all 5 of your senses (or most of them) Respond in the comments if you answer this...you can answer here or in your blog. Just be sure to come let me know to come and take a look. :-)

How to excite a Preschool Teacher and her children.

The UPS man stopped here today and brought Little Heroes Preschool a HUGE box. What could it be???


"I can't see! I can't see!"

E has the right idea.... "CHAIRS!!!!" she exclaims.

"We LOVE our new chairs Ms Holly!"

ahhhhh aren't they beautiful! :-)

10 minute makeover cont....

I was so inspired by Nesters 10 minute makeovers that I am currently on a kick of changing things around the house. First up is the downstairs bathroom. As many know I have a Home Daycare. Well after breakfast we brush our teeth and for the longest I had these cute little suction style cups on my mirror that held their toothbrushes. It was unsightly to say the least. All of the kids are older now and it's time for our environment to reflect that. This is still a home after all. :-)

After going through some of the blogs listed at Nester's 10min makeover party I saw one that sparked an idea in my head. This is what followed.

As you can see the drawers in this bathroom are TINY. Nothing fits. Not to mention since little hands will be in them nothing "keep out of reach of children" (ie anything) can be kept in them. For the longest all I had in them were bibs and Princesses tights (which are now upstairs).


See how tiny. Not much room huh?

I lined it with some of that handy drawer liner.

Chef "built" this cute little tray for me that has five slots for toothbrushes for the daycare kids.

Don't they look cute in there?

With what was left we built a tray for the other drawer for our kids toothbrushes as well.

I would of make a spot for the toothpaste as well but that is one of those "keep out of reach of children" items. LOL