Happy Memorial Day!!!

Happy Memorial Day to you!

Thank You to all those who have served, are serving, or have lost loved ones who served, to help keep our country safe.  Your sacrifice and commitment to our country is very much appreciated.

God Bless America!!!!

DYI Wall Art

About 2-3 weeks ago, I somehow got onto a bunch of blogs, where the bloggers were very crafty; making things, re-finishing them, just do things to update their homes for cheap.  I am was thrilled,  I am all about cheap, but still need to have items that have class and look like it's store boughten.  

Well, I came across this blog, and found this really cool art piece 

that she made for her kiddo's playroom and thought I can make that too.  So I went out a few days later, to get the supplies I needed.  I got black spray paint, which is now going to become a staple in my craft room, and a 10x20 canvas.  I had a hard time finding some foam letter stencils, so I searched the web for those and find these.  and the orange paint I dug up from my paint supply in the basement.

 

And then the fun part began, see the art transform...of course it took some patience letting the paint dry in between coats.

my naked canvas

first step:  painting it orange.  Yes I know it's bright, but just wait, it looks better after the next coat.

Second step:  spraying the black paint on. ( Note to self:  next time do it outside, so you don't leave a "you can see me but I'm there" black fume over the entire kitchen floor.  I only noticed in because the kiddos feet were blacker than usual. )  Let paint dry.  

 

Then remember the awful orange, it pops through the black when I lightly sanded it.  

I bet now you're lovin' it. :P

Third step: stenciling.  Before you actually get paint on the stencils, make sure you lay them out on your canvas.  Because of my canvas size and the size of the stencils, you will soon see that my art wall isn't the same as my inspiration, just similar.  Play around with the letters.  Once you figured that out, then it's time to get paint on the stencils.  Do what best for you,  I liked to dip the stencils in some paint on a paper plate, but maybe you would prefer to brush some paint on the stencils with a paintbrush.  

Stenciling, 

and some more stenciling.

Fourth Step:  Admire your work while it dries.  I absolutely love it.  I did distress it a little bit more once the letters dried.  It will be prefect in my boy's growup playroom.

veggie tales growing kit

Last week, my mom and I stopped by the greenhouse with Connor in tow.  He was incredible helpful picking out flowers, telling me which one he thought we needed.  As we were about ready to leave, I quickly skimmed over the clearance, and found this very fade box marked 40 % off.  

I grabbed it thinking that Connor would have a great time planting, over watering the seeds and watching them grow into some flowers.

  

Sure enough, I need seen a kid sooooo excited about throwing a few seeds into a pail.

showing mommy the cool veggie tale pail
   

pouring the dirt in the pail

watering the dirt before putting seed in it.

mixing the dirt and water up with his hands - nothings more fun than playing in some wet dirt, right?

showing mommy the seed he's growing to plant

checking out the seeds

gently dumping the seeds into the pail

it's take lots of concentration.

patting the dirt over the seeds

"mommy, look at my dirty fingers!!!"

Now we wait for the seeds to sprout...I hope that they actually do sprout, between the over watering and draggin' the pail around the yard, only time will time.

sweet red little berries

With May coming to an end, I have many things to look forward to; planting the vegetable garden (more on that later), warm, I mean, warmer weather, the end of the school year, and the my favorite...garden fresh strawberries.

Honestly, no store boughten strawberries compares to home grown strawberries.  I know the berries are usually a lot smaller, but those tiny berries are the sweetest, tastest, red berries around.  I fall in love with them all over every year.

our strawberry patch with a few weeds.

with lots of green berries.

So here's to the first of the red berries in our garden!!!

Wordless Wednesday

Must-Have Mondays

So I know that we all have our own way of keeping our schedules and the schedules of all our kids straight.  It's a school meeting or program one night, it's soccer or baseball games anothernight, it's piano lessons, swiming lessons, or an important night out with friends - really too many things to keep track, I know for me, I have forgotten something a time or two. 

 I don't do good at writing on a calendar and I would tend to keep my calendar in my head and that worked when there was just my schedule and the few things that Mike had going on, but now I need something more, something I could access frequently from anywhere.   I admit I spend a lot of time of the computer(many too much at times), so if I could find something to track our schedules on the computer that would be great. If I could have access on my cellphone, well, that's even better yet.  and guess what...I found something will do all that and it's free...  Yes that's right it's FREE!!!!

It's Cozi.com  I came across this scheduler's dream, while I was uploaded some pictures to Parent Magazine's front cover baby contest.  I knew that my baby was the cutest (of course us moms are always basis towards our own kiddos)  and I just had to upload a picture or two, to see if by any chance Parent Magazine would agree with me.  I guess not, cause I never heard back from them, but that's enough about that.  While I was on there website I saw an ad the Cozi and clicked on it.  It's the best!!!  

I can schedule everyone's things on one calendar and have everything color coded.  Plus you can make out your shopping lists, your to do list and it will email them or text them to you or your honey as a gentle reminder about the honey to do list.  

Each Sunday Mike & I receive an email about the upcoming week's activities, so now hoping I won't be forgetting any important gathering with friends. :)  I can check and update our schedule from my blackberry too, and for those of you who have a iphone...there's a Cozi app.

You need to check it out.  I love it and there's so much more that I haven't even wrote about, it's great!!!

And there you have it, that's my Must Have for this Monday.  

Enjoy your week!!!!  It's going to be a hot one here in Michigan. :)

Lost all sense of creativity + a sneak peek

As I have said before and I am in the middle of redo-ing our playroom (which is actually the formal living and dining rooms in our house).  Since we moved into the house 4 1/2 years ago, I have put up with this "spaceship looking" wall sconces, and now that I am making the room more to my style I can't use them the way they are anymore.  So my question for you is - Is there anything I can do to update these or am I better off getting something new?

and here's a sneak peek of my latest project, more to coming on that later.

My Champions!!!!

Saturday was the last game for the spring AYSO soccer program here in Caledonia.  The boys were all so excited, they actually won both games;  wins did not come easy to either teams this year.  They all have tons of fun and are all enrolled to pay again in the fall.  

Congrats you guys, you are all champs!!!!

OD on Kool-Aid

This is what I pulled out of the garbage can the other morning. Yes, they were all empty. No I didn't make 6 bottles of  Kool-Aid.  With only one kid at home I knew who the corrupt was....Connor

Of course at first he denied he had any involvement, but a mom always know the truth.  I made him go get his water bottle  and he came back in the kitchen with a small 10 oz bottle that was very red.

as I looked farther into the kitchen, I noticed that all the red powdery mix didn't make it into the bottle, and if you have ever made Kool-Aid, you know that it  will stain  your hands quite quickly.  Connors feet had a similar red stains on them...it's that evidence?  Do I have enough to charge him for the crime without a confession (can you tell that I've been watching Law & Order today? )

After getting everything cleaned up - mainly the floor and his feet.  I decided to unscrew the top and take a smell of the sugary goodness that was inside this little water bottle.  WOW~!~  was I taken back, that was some strong stuff.  I would think that this sludge filled bottle would give anyone a high that would last for days.

But of course how could I got mad with a face like this looking up at me, with it's red stained tongue.    

A smile always makes everything better, right?!?!?!