Thanksgiving

We had a great Thanksgiving!! It was a bit busy with all the family... and cooking. But we made time to run around outside.

I made the headdresses out of felt. Con and I thought they were great, the other kids didn't really care. *shrug* Oh well...

I Love Plaid

Look what I have created! I get an immense amount of satisfaction after I’ve completed a project. I want to sound the trumpets and have everyone look at my creation.

The fabric was on clearance at the fabric store and the lining was made from a dust ruffle that I got from Goodwill (told you it was a dangerous place) It’s not perfect yet, I have to adjust the sides, but I just love the ruffles!

I thought the dress turned out so well that it would be really cute as a shirt as well. Turns out I was right! I've already worn this out :)

Aren't They Cute?

I went to my sisters, house in Grand Rapids this weekend for a photography party. She had a local professional photographer, Monica Gould (check out her site, she's phenomenal) agree to come by and give us some pointers.

We all brought our camera’s over and wouldn’t you know every one was different. Ha! So she gave us some great tips that are universal for picture taking such as: (these are just how I remembered her tips, not her words)
1. It’s fine to chop off the top of someone’s head *Gasp* Who knew?
2. It’s not fine to chop feet or hands off however
3. Don’t use a flash
4. Green looks crappy when black and white
5. Make a person/face off center to add interest

So there was a lot of trial and error. I fiddled with my camera and got some good shots and lots of horrendous ones. But all in all I learned a ton and I’m not so afraid of my settings now!

Works in Progress

Look at the awesomeness that I found on the side of the road today! Can you believe it?!!! So I snagged one. I've been searching for these on Craigslist for months but if they don't cost an arm and a leg they are too far away to get. I plan to paint and reupholster but we all know how well that turned out last time. *Shudder*

My other project are these cans. These were all eaten by my dad and youngest son. True story. The plan is to paint them, attach them to the wall, and use them as storage in my craft room. We'll see how this goes too...

Veterans Day

Thank You

Top row: 1, 2, 3, 4

Middle row: 1, 2, 3, 4

Bottom row: 1, 2, 3, 4

When you go home

Tell them of us and say

For your tomorrow

We gave our today

— Kohima Epitaph by Major John Etty-Leal

According to Wikipedia: Remembrance Day – also known as Poppy Day, Armistice Day (the event it commemorates) or Veterans Day – is a day to commemorate the sacrifices of members of the armed forces and of civilians in times of war, specifically since the First World War. It is observed on 11 November to recall the end of World War I on that date in 1918 (major hostilities of World War I were formally ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918 with the German signing of the Armistice).

Cage Fighting and Other Things

Saturday night I went with my friend to watch her Fiancé in his first ever cage fight. He won!!! It was a blast! I had no idea that it even went on in my area and he’s the second person that I know to be fighting. This is my new favorite sport.

The boys didn’t have school today. (I have no idea why) It was 68 degrees out! In November! In Michigan!!! Crazy! Needless to say, we were outside most of the day… Trying to rake leaves but mostly succeeding only in scattering them about. Oh well…


This little headband is in honor of Team Jacob. That’s right, I’d rather be imprinted than bitten. I think it’s so cool that Taylor Lautner is from right here in Michigan! Makes me want to take a trip to Grand Rapids. I think it is totally uncool, however, that he’s closer in age to my son than me. Bummer. He’s such a cutie pie!

Totally wouldn't mind being a park of this wolf pack... Im just sayin'

Yadda, yadda, yadda

Have you tried these Hershey kisses that are candy corn flovored? Crazy right!? I still haven't decided if I really like them yet but I can't stop eating them so I guess that's a good sign...

I made this necklace for a friend who is on Team Edward. I'm a HUGE Twilight fan (the books, so far NOT the movies) but I’m a Team Jacob girl. Sure, Edward and Bella are perfect for each other blah, blah, blah but he left and I automatically joined Team Jacob. I have finally completed my flannel dress! Yeah! I was so nervous to use the material and end up with a finished product that I hated. Then I thought to myself, "Self, you can always go buy more, duh!" So I made a pattern from another dress that I had that looked simple (WRONG! I was so confused when I tried to sew the liner to the neck and armholes. There was a lot of seam ripping going on) Eventually, spatial relations clicked in my head and I was able to work it out. The pattern wasn’t perfect and I ended up with some wonky pouching on the sides, so I made these nifty little button on strips and voila! Awesomeness! It’s my new favorite dress and I made it! Gotta love it when a plan comes together :)

I think I'm going through a quarter life crisis. Things just feel off. I do realize that it could be partly because I am unemployed. I’m having a great time hanging out at home with my boys and making stuff but all of a sudden I’ve been hit with a surge of surreal strangeness. It’s hard to put in words. I think maybe I’m ready for a change, or many changes. So to start things off I dyed my hair black. Ha! I’m not kidding… it’s really, really, really black.

Crafty like a fox

It was pretty windy here the other day and most of the apples fell. Which, honestly, is fantastic because there is no way that I was climbing up there to get them. I am, and always will be, an avid tree climber and as such was very certain that those teeny tiny branches were not going to hold me. Plus, they went straight up and I’m no tree frog.

Jamie and I went outside and tired to pick them all up. But since I was a recovering invalid I only got half picked up. We kept the good ones and put the others in a pile for the deer and other wildlife. (How nice are we?) You can totally tell that these apples are home grown. Look at all the imperfections. But they taste just as good and have a little more character, so take that grocery store apples!

I went over to a friend’s house and we made a flock of these adorable owls. This ones name is Gimpy because one of her wings doesn’t work. My sister taught me how to knit last Monday and I made these awesome arm warmers! How cool!!! I'm not gonna lie it took me a while and I had to unravel a few things but all in all I think they turned out great. After being insanely proud of myself for this accomplishment I hopped online and started looking at all the how-to video’s to learn other knitting patterns, I was overwhelmed. I had to take a deep breath and tell myself baby steps, just take baby steps.

Oh, and I made that awesome headband that looks like wood grain. “Why?” You ask. “Why not?” I shrug. It’s cute, that’s why.

I made a monster dude too. Just because.
These babies are my Arc de Triumph. I’ve wanted leg warmers since I found this picture but couldn’t find any that I loved. I found this place. Some of you may already be aware of it and it’s a dangerous place. Like craft store dangerous, only it’s not a craft store… it’s Goodwill. We just got one in our tiny little town and I now have a new addiction. I went there looking for a sweater to cut the sleeves off and make leg warmers with (and found one) and left with a cart full of stuff! A cart full! And it was only $20. Everything I looked at I wanted to alter in some way. After the cart was overflowing I told myself that I had to leave NOW. Phew… But seriously, aren’t these leg warmers adorable?

Halloween craziness

We had a very busy Halloween. Con had his school halloween party Friday and this was the first time I've been able to go. (The upside of unempolyment)

I didn't realize until after looking at the pictures that his costume was a tad small. Looks like someone is waiting for a flood. Oops, sorry hun.

I kept switching my costume between Cowboy and Indian... I thought it was funny

I'm a dork and I know it.

After all the candy and costumes of Halloween I got the flu. Happy, happy, joy, joy. That's why it has been a while since I've posted. I'm feeling way better now so I can show you all the stuff I've been making. Unemployed and crafty ;)