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

Tick Tock Tick Tock

This was Princess the other day. Sometimes you've gotta do whatcha gotta do to get things moving.

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.

Randoms

My Monkey being...a monkey. This is why I love this kid. Earlier this summer he asked me why does he always end up hurt in some way (scratches, bruises, etc.). Um kid.....THIS would be why (and Ms R...he friend/girlfriend).


The Princess started gymnastics again (along with Monkey). THIS is why. She's taking after her brother and is not afraid to do ANYTHING. I've got pictures of her trying to flip on the bars as well...you know...those bars that are twice as tall as her...yeah. (Yes, that is her...in the middle doing the splits that make my legs ache)

Today was Middle School Orientation for Little Man. It's not fair. Mom is NOT happy about this. I mean why should I be...first this, then dances, then girls calling (oh wait - they already do)...next thing I'll know he'll be in HIGH SCHOOL. *sob* We took him on a tour to find his classes...there are THREE buildings he will have to find he way to in one short day.

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.