tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-347640642012-01-28T18:54:35.531-08:00<b>"Some people worry that artificial intelligence will make us feel inferior, but then, anybody in his right mind should have an inferiority complex every time he looks at a flower. "— Alan C. Kay</b>Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.comBlogger10041100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-6305732101299868202012-01-28T06:34:00.000-08:002012-01-28T06:34:11.234-08:00

On my last morning in Mexico, I got up early and took more photos (we had to leave the resort at 11:45). I took another shot of those fun frogs and then headed for the beach to see the sunrise. Along the way, I saw these guys who apparently were not on the clock yet. This guy seemed to be out of place adjusting the deck chairs in his waiting attire. I have not looked these birds up but

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-45890802225706196342012-01-27T13:45:00.000-08:002012-01-28T06:10:37.094-08:00

The next day, I got up early so that I could take morning photography - my experiences in Mexico have taught me that early morning is great for three reasons - the light is stupendous, the staff are busy at fascinating tasks, and the animals are more active or visible. Isn't this cool - seeds are awesome and I love seeing sprouts. It is the first time I've seen a coconut sprout. One of the

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-88547384574374646392012-01-26T14:27:00.000-08:002012-01-26T14:27:12.896-08:00

My husband has worked for his current employer since Valentine's Day 1994. Over the years, his boss has organized team building seminars in Mexico. The spouses are invited as well. It has been a treat to do something we would not ordinarily do. It has been a double treat since we've had the girls as we never vacation without them. This is the second time we've been to the Riviera Maya with

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-14102192818920851192012-01-16T14:59:00.000-08:002012-01-17T04:59:06.869-08:00

The winner -- of my little drawing to win the embroidery kit that will allow the winner to create something similar to this: -- is Michele Pacey. I had two people enter and so I had C designate which person was heads, she designated Michele from Michele Made Me and Michele won the coin toss. Michelle - please email me your address and I will try to get the prize in the mail next week. I am

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-1542513522619980152012-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:002012-01-13T14:32:14.091-08:00

I am trying hard to avoid buying craft materials this year. I want to use what I have. I will, obviously, buy things that enable me to finish my work like adhesive and thread but I want my 'canvases' so to speak be what I have in my ginormous stash. My eye-glass holder were made entirely from materials at hand. Here are some more projects. I needed/wanted a container to hold some math

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-36668117881467378382012-01-10T05:26:00.000-08:002012-01-10T05:29:20.296-08:00

Many, many years ago (I am pretty sure I was still working). I had bought an eyeglass holder similar to these. I was very good at putting my glasses away and always finding them. However, there was one draw back. The fabric always seemed to smudge my glasses. A couple (maybe three or four) of years ago, I got fed up and got rid of it. I intended to buy another one or make one. But I never did.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-31213018100908517332012-01-07T09:23:00.000-08:002012-01-07T09:23:21.816-08:00

Some of you may remember my 100 snowmen project. I wanted to give my Mom all the snowman illustrations that the girls did. I had originally intended to put them in an album but some are rather bulky. So I decided to decorate a shoe box and had the girls illustrate it instead. While we were at my Mom's we made these simple nativities from terra cotta pots. mine Mom's K's C's Believe it

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-77835554469172747352012-01-07T09:15:00.000-08:002012-01-07T09:15:54.084-08:00

I started this blog on September 20, 2006. When I started this blog C was only five-years-old and in preschool which would have made K three. An amazing number of posts were bits of my poetry (wow - that seems weird). An even more amazing number of posts were about embroidery. I've been a thrift store addict for longer than I realized too!! On October 4, Anonymous responded to my blog to say

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-31951732075762133322012-01-04T06:00:00.000-08:002012-01-04T06:00:05.311-08:00

On Monday, my niece came over to make apple crisp and gingerbread cookies with the girls and my Mom and Dad. After some discussion, she spent the night too. They played very, very hard. Interesting note, the couch you see is over sixty years old. My Dad's parents bought it with their wedding money. My Grandfather was a pastor and him and Grandma had seven kids. When my aunt stopped by we

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-9976664165062401912012-01-01T14:43:00.000-08:002012-01-01T14:43:37.670-08:00

On Christmas Eve, we drove down to my parent's. We attended the church service at their church on Christmas Day and then went to my brother D's house for Christmas dinner and a chance for the cousins (who were there) to open gifts. Of course, if your family is like mine, food must come first and it is always an eternity before the food is ready (at least it seems that way to restless children).

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-47358593370051906722011-12-30T19:13:00.000-08:002012-01-04T14:07:00.198-08:00

Several years ago, I picked up an unopened crewel embroidery kit at the thrift store for a whole whopping 79 cents (interestingly the copyright was from 1981). A couple of times I considered redonating it but I never did. I decided that I wanted to complete this one for my Mom who gave me a cross-stitch of one of my favorite 'religious' or 'prayer' proverbs, which says "A Day Hemmed with

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-67369449588391796542011-12-23T11:39:00.000-08:002011-12-23T11:39:20.695-08:00

My mother-in-laws parent's ran a general store when she was young (I think they tried and failed in several locations). In the past, she has sent me lots of ribbon from what they still had. This week (in the box that held the Christmas gifts), she sent me some more stuff from the store including, wooden spools of thread. There are the typical large spools and small spools (none of the green

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-63610677542024532812011-12-22T13:22:00.000-08:002011-12-22T13:22:09.848-08:00

It is fun to let the girls decorate the tree. They are so nostalgic and get so excited calling out "Do you remember when..." My Mom crocheted these angels by the hundreds for craft fairs when I was a child. I have two of the small ones on my tree. This ornament is a golden khokhloma ornament. I wish I had bought more. I can't find this kind anymore. This was the ornament I bought for our

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-92062893497043493752011-12-20T13:45:00.000-08:002011-12-20T13:45:30.459-08:00

Last week, I was sick, which is why I disappeared. I am feeling better now. The girls had an extremely busy weekend. On Saturday morning, they delivered food bags to the unemployed and underemployed in our area. They had been raising money in Kidz Klub and the group was able to distribute 47 bags of food that also included grocery store gift cards in them. In the afternoon, the girls had

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-424451239755432382011-12-11T19:47:00.000-08:002011-12-11T19:47:42.747-08:00

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-10861582123583441642011-12-09T06:01:00.000-08:002011-12-09T06:01:00.353-08:00

I've made more boxes featuring the animated "The Hobbit" movie book. This box is huge. My MIL is forever buying the girls American Girl Doll accessories and something big came in this box. I don't remember what but it was big and it came in a great box. The tunnel to Smaug's cave. A hobbit and his hole. The lonely mountain. Finding the ring. Bonus points to anyone who might guess why I

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-39557950999204162562011-12-07T12:31:00.000-08:002011-12-09T08:36:45.132-08:00

I will start with the most complicated gift because it entails embroidery. This is a box that is the gift - not a gift box. I found a coloring page of Harry Potter I liked and traced it onto the fabric. Then I embroidered the outlines and used filling stitches for his hair, tie, and wand. I pulled the embroidered fabric tight on a bulletin board and pinned it in place. I  used a Sharpie to

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-1744864578652009242011-12-05T13:58:00.001-08:002011-12-06T05:57:39.377-08:00

Without trying to bore anyone, I want to tell you what a wonderful woman you see here. D.E. is older than she looks or acts and we adore her. We came to our new church after a difficult and very precipitous exit from our preceding church. I was lonely and prone towards depression. I joined book club and met many women but it wasn't until when D.E. hugged me one night after I hosted book club

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-12633112836752017832011-12-03T05:55:00.000-08:002011-12-03T05:56:54.660-08:00

Several years ago, I picked up one of those copies of The Hobbit that went with that dreadful animated move. I actually kind of like the frames as illustrations - it is just the movie was terrible. I am finally tearing it up for boxes. Ironically, the book actually has an inscription in it that says "Happy Birthday!! Tim!!" (my hubs name) The graphic on this box came from an old embroidery

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-24734157341359931152011-12-01T15:30:00.000-08:002011-12-06T05:56:40.833-08:00

For those who have followed my blog awhile, you will know that this means it is box making season. Here are three recent creations. Yesterday, while I was sharing nativities, I forgot to share these. This is a magnetic nativity I made a few years back using a cardboard Usborne Nativity Book. Where are the family, worshipers and animals? Waiting to be put on. We put one on every night

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-80703716311761455272011-11-30T13:56:00.000-08:002011-11-30T13:56:09.612-08:00

I love nativities. What I realized today while photographing them for you is that a lot can be learned about a culture or an individual by how they make their nativities, how they portray the natal night, and what elements they choose to include or exclude in their tableau. This is the first nativity I bought after we got married. It is supposed to be 'Celtic' and is based on some figures

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-3334410968871424152011-11-29T12:55:00.000-08:002011-11-29T15:03:15.968-08:00

I got the tree up and the lights on it. As I told the girls yesterday before I started, I really get cranky putting up the tree and hanging lights. I brought out the tin can advent candles I made last year for our home school group. I mentioned to Tim I wanted to remake them sometime so that they were nicer - he wasn't impressed by my fussiness. I made these bottle cap Christmas

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-8459344803334316852011-11-27T19:30:00.000-08:002011-11-27T19:30:10.748-08:00

We had a quiet Thanksgiving Day. It was just the four of us. I prepared a complete meal and we relaxed. We took a walk/bike ride. The girls rode; hubs and I walked. I naturally took yet another shot of the wild cucumber down at the creek. But the highlight of the day was K's Thanksgiving Puppet Show. She had the idea she wanted to do a puppet show on Monday. As I spent almost all my free

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-62649526099093260952011-11-25T07:05:00.000-08:002011-11-25T07:05:15.925-08:00

On Tuesday, I finished of a rather large homemade gift for my Mother for Christmas. Big sigh. Unfortunately because I've devoted so much time to it recently, I have nothing else to share. Here is something fun for you to look at. We found both of these whimsical things at Dollar Tree. The big eraser tickled my fancy. K loves things like snow globes and music boxes and animated bits and bobs.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-47196885432130615112011-11-22T05:40:00.000-08:002011-11-22T14:51:11.377-08:00

The girls and I started these at the same time that I made the batik pillows and have worked on them periodically since. There are 36 of these whimsical little coasters. They are made of duck cloth, recycled denim, and even one of hub's old shirts. They are backed with fleece. I zig-zagged them because I wanted the whimsical 'framed' look and because all the materials fray and I hope that

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-22751044356116811292011-11-20T21:16:00.000-08:002011-11-21T05:43:46.656-08:00

This week's group shot was of the actual stable scene - this year I tried something different and have Mary and Joseph sitting with everyone gathered around them - rather than have them standing. I am not sure if I like it - they rather get lost in the crowd. The wisemen are wearing crowns I made from plastic canvas and covered with fleece - then I glued 'gems' on them. They are all three

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-37868080317866037272011-11-15T13:51:00.000-08:002011-11-15T13:51:05.980-08:00

Yesterday we went for a walk. We saw plenty of dried wild cucumber seed pods - they fascinate me. K gave herself a nasty cut on her finger while collecting grasses, leaves, and pods for an autumn bouquet. We put her bouquet on the coffee table in the living room next to some of our friends from the pumpkin patch who are still sound in the head. Some of our other friends aren't doing

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-65508347159003186652011-11-14T04:37:00.000-08:002011-11-15T05:03:45.545-08:00

I didn't take many pictures for our nativity this week. I wanted to take some big group shots and those are always more time consuming. The angels come to the shepherds to announce the good news and the shepherds were afraid. The angels praise and worship God, announcing the good news of Christ's birth. The angels' robes are made from the curtains I bought at Goodwill. I basically folded

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-44302663262735624952011-11-10T19:43:00.000-08:002011-11-10T19:43:38.425-08:00

I mentioned earlier this week that I would be creating costumes for our nativity photo shoots at church. Two trips to GW and a trip to Dollar Tree have provided me some raw material. I've combined my shopping with material from my stash - I have some cute costumes put together. Here is a look at some of the raw material. The blanket that you see above (pure wool with the tag still on from

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-21472457293309369422011-11-08T14:05:00.000-08:002011-11-10T19:33:48.988-08:00

We have a huge lazy susan in the middle of our dining room table. Most of the time our two beta live on the island along with a seasonal arrangement. At the moment, there is no seasonal arrangement. Rather there are three ant farms that I made for the girl's science. I don't like the wood on the lazy susan to get scratched or suffer from water. In the past, I've appliqued a couple different

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-70582969706693648922011-11-07T14:14:00.000-08:002011-11-07T14:42:34.546-08:00

Mary's costume consists of a scarf and a safety pin. For at least four years (I honestly can't remember when I started) I've been taking Nativity Photos for the 3's, 4's, and 5's at church. In the past, we've relied heavily on borrowed costumes. We have a small stash of our own stuff but most of what we use, does not belong to us. In the spring I bought a pattern for nativity costumes,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-76559170138618501812011-11-03T14:38:00.001-07:002011-11-03T14:38:48.170-07:00

This was an art project we did yesterday. I found the instructions for it at Dick Blick - they have a treasure trove of art projects with pdf instructions. This is my effort. I wasn't going to make one but C was struggling so much that I decided to make one just to encourage her. This is K's project. She loved this project and wants to do more of it. She put a hanger on her's so that she can

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-10882201356654248772011-11-01T06:12:00.000-07:002011-11-01T08:55:07.368-07:00

C helped with making her costume. She found it on the cover of Family Fun magazine and decided immediately that she wanted it. I found the idea for K's via Pinterest at Real Simple. She doesn't keep her costume on for five minutes after we enter the door of the Pumpkin Patch so I wanted something easy to take off. They both got loads of compliments - C especially. I will sharing at:

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-46559640569252129872011-10-31T05:23:00.000-07:002011-10-31T05:23:51.913-07:00

On Saturday morning, I worked on the photos from the shoot I had on Friday. And in the afternoon, we went out and did yard work. While Tim and I did yard work, the girls emptied out their pumpkins and drew sketches of what they wanted Dad to carve. I think Tim did a great job. C took sewing lessons during the summer but I have not done a good job of recording her work. She has made a pillow

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-74675349315010991072011-10-28T15:37:00.000-07:002011-10-28T15:37:21.702-07:00

My batik pillows are being featured by Lauri at Scene of Sublime.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-81888944570966310282011-10-26T19:48:00.000-07:002011-10-27T06:10:23.843-07:00

The girls plan to attend our church's Pumpkin Patch Party next Monday but they were invited to wear costumes to Kid's Club tonight. I didn't think C's costume would hold up to two wearings so this is what we came up with. What I didn't make very apparent in these photos is that Red has the wolf on a leash made of twine. I forgot how good pigtail braids look on C. K is a vicious wolf.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-65873603083334619862011-10-24T20:10:00.000-07:002011-10-27T18:46:24.017-07:00

This is a seriously fun craft. The girls have been batiking too but their projects aren't ready to share yet. These are done using a blue glue batik method. The brilliant Gail at that artist woman has a tutorial for how to use this technique. I actually created the tree batik first and used a clear washable glue - there definite problems with the clear glue but it still turned out quite

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-8501420049874464092011-10-24T05:26:00.000-07:002011-10-24T05:29:03.915-07:00

I've decided that I am seasonally challenged. I don't necessarily craft for the season I am. So here is one for anyone who wants a craft to do on St Patrick's day. I love C's leprechaun. It is adorable, don't you think? This is a mixed media piece that includes melted crayons. This will probably be our last melted crayon piece for awhile. In order to slightly contain the spill of the rainbow,

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-54097025664856458592011-10-24T05:14:00.000-07:002011-10-24T05:14:12.242-07:00

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-4249681236601210772011-10-22T19:33:00.000-07:002011-10-22T19:33:39.932-07:00

This is a crayon piece that all three of us worked on together. We glued the crayons and then heated them. Then we painted the canvas. I would reverse the procedure now - but when we were doing this, I wasn't sure what we were going to do so I wanted to leave our options open. The nice thing about painting over crayon is that it wipes right off. K drew our eagle on a separate piece of paper, I

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-29291679481117605692011-10-20T18:44:00.001-07:002011-10-21T04:57:14.149-07:00

We found this weaving technique at Home Ed Groups via Pinterest.It uses drinking straws for the loom (not sure if that is the correct term or not). C made herself a bracelet. K did not have the patience or attention span to weave today. I made myself a hairband, which K graciously modeled. It is very comfy and I am wearing it right now. I have some ideas about different things we could do

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-53279596969110163832011-10-16T15:37:00.000-07:002011-10-17T05:35:32.479-07:00

I found this project at Lindsey Daniella Did It via Pinterest. Earlier this week, I was sent an invitation to a prayer meeting for Mrs C.'s daughter. Mrs C. was the girls' teacher for two years and is a wonderful teacher and friend. Her daughter K suffers from a severe eating disorder and has been admitted into a treatment facility again. I thought the girls might want to make a little gift

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-46758169543583580782011-10-13T18:42:00.000-07:002011-10-14T13:43:26.224-07:00

Gail, from that artist woman, has a tutorial for these fabulous plaster leaf prints. We had fun making the leaf prints but nothing like the fun we had making her plaster frescoes. The lion is done by C my ten-year-old. The planet Jupiter surrounded by stars of various temperatures is done by K my seven-year-old. I made the simple red flowers. As you can tell, we even cracked and

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-54296432895033414832011-10-05T19:48:00.000-07:002011-10-07T04:33:42.859-07:00

So simple it barely requires explanation - plain switch plate, stickers, triple thick clear coat for durability. I am sharing at:

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-40207020305736944712011-10-02T06:20:00.000-07:002011-10-17T05:38:26.274-07:00

On Friday morning, I fixed the girl's hair up so that they wouldn't ask to stop at a braiding booth. Then we went to the Minnesota Renaissance Festival. We got there just in time to find a booth and get some lunch. I am so glad they had pizza back then!! One of the local fairies admired K's hair. The girls were fascinated by glasswork. K loved watching this man create lampwork

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-43113487869652978482011-09-29T05:32:00.001-07:002011-09-29T05:32:21.676-07:00

Immediately after I took this photo, the girls and I went to Urgent Care so I could get antibiotics for a sinus infection, I look forward to having more energy!!

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-55131469841467175242011-09-26T14:28:00.000-07:002011-09-26T14:28:30.815-07:00

I made the girls skirts out of men's shirts following a tutorial I found at Blue Babe's Create (via Pinterest). I saved the collars for a type of choker or necklace. Dumb or cool?

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-2018658968242191552011-09-24T08:22:00.000-07:002011-09-24T08:22:44.212-07:00

We've been making lots of tree/leaf crafts. We made these awesome paper bag trees by Amanda of Crafts by Amanda (via Pinterest). We made these thumbprint trees using a template from Style Unveiled (via Pinterest). We made tons of leaf prints like the one above (K thought they were the absolute most fun to make) from Kleas (via Pinterest). We created this little tree using a branch from

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-42938308990582305842011-09-18T19:49:00.000-07:002011-09-18T19:49:26.178-07:00

This weekend I met my parents, my sister, and her family to go apple picking. A and I tried to figure out how long we've been doing this and we think it has been five years. The first couple of years it was just her, the girls, and I. For the past three years my parents have joined us and of course now that A has her adorable son K he comes too. While we waited for the tractor, Mom and the

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-26198071332016499892011-09-16T05:42:00.000-07:002011-09-16T05:42:12.284-07:00

For those who've asked. ;) My camera equipment. Camera 1: Canon EOS 1Ds 8.2 MP Mark II Lens 1: Tokina 24-200mm AT-X 242 AF Camera 2: Canon 300D Rebel 6.3 MP Lens 2: Sigma 105mm f/2.8 EX DG Medium Telephoto Macro Lens My general and business photography is done with the Mark II and its lens. My macro photography is done with my Rebel and its lens. For those who've been

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-86459498929699371012011-09-14T05:31:00.000-07:002011-09-14T05:31:58.351-07:00

Yesterday, the girls noticed this guy sitting on our front screen. He is a quite large moth - about an inch and a half wide. His underside shows a bit of orange, which flashed brightly when he flew. His topside, however... was designed to help him blend in with tree bark (I converted it to black and white because I think the detail is clearer - he was in shades of tan, grey, and charcoal).

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-30401324407813363772011-09-08T19:24:00.000-07:002011-09-08T19:24:42.253-07:00

I've been playing with the girls' hair. Above you see the first attempt at a sort of woven hairstyle on C. Below you see my effort at the same style today. Yesterday was my first attempt at milkmaid braids on K. Below is my attempt from today. The girls really like their hair done in these styles. K's is deceptively easy and takes surprisingly little time. C's isn't difficult but I find

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-76965766358856544932011-09-07T04:54:00.000-07:002011-09-07T05:22:21.042-07:00

We are busy bees here: happy, and engaged. We are blooming. It is just that right now there aren't many crafts to show for it and I won't bore you with homeschool details (if you want those you can try my revived blog).

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-58542714468061149912011-09-01T21:22:00.000-07:002011-09-01T21:22:19.300-07:00

We've been using the same computer with an old CRT monitor for over nine years. We just got a flat screen monitor and last night hubs put in the new vid card which is a digital card to go with the monitor. He hoped that the new monitor would be good for working on my photos. It literally made me nauseous. The resolution is so high I could see the pixel halos around everything as the depth of

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-9124187355381971632011-09-01T04:54:00.000-07:002011-09-01T04:55:14.551-07:00

Last week near the end of my in-laws visit, we went shopping for all sorts of different things. I also cleaned the laundry room which was the last thing on my list of things I wanted to do in the house before school started. I honestly didn't expect to find time to do it but when the washing machine broke down and I was expecting a service call, I did!! (We had to replace the pump in the machine

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-71757642033794346372011-08-24T07:58:00.000-07:002011-08-24T07:58:07.589-07:00

Yesterday, we went to the wave pool again so I didn't bring my camera. On Sunday, after church, we released two monarch butterflies (we've release four monarchs and one swallowtail this year) and we took naps. On Monday we went to MOA it seems that my in-laws cannot visit without going there. We seldom go there. Grammy wanted to take the girls to the American Girl Store Bistro.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-89954749870065357252011-08-22T06:17:00.000-07:002011-08-22T06:17:04.146-07:00

On Saturday, while the guys (my hubs and FIL) went to get the piano I found for the girls, I took every one else to a local historical farm.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-51136654591158682102011-08-19T07:02:00.000-07:002011-08-19T07:02:21.465-07:00

Rachel graciously led A around the rink for about ten minutes. Then Grampy and A waited and watched while the girls rode. In the end, I got to ride too - but I don't have photos of that. Today - our beloved Rachel is moving into college. However, she hopes to be home most weekends since the college she is attending is only about half an hour away.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-59114621736935315322011-08-18T05:25:00.000-07:002011-08-18T05:31:23.150-07:00

Paper Mache Christmas Count-Down Calendar on a Cookie Sheet I was originally going to use a different cookie sheet but when I took the snowflakes off this work tray, I decided I loved the effect and that I would use this tray instead. I have four snowmen left to share. Phew!!

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-30316758418302741352011-08-17T05:50:00.000-07:002011-08-17T05:50:51.453-07:00

On Monday we went to the wave pool. I didn't mention in the last post but the girls' cousin A came with Grampy and Grammy So we went to the wave pool on a hot summer Monday. We all felt like this little guy when the day was done.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-27025389443534415472011-08-16T05:30:00.000-07:002011-08-16T05:30:52.112-07:00

On Saturday, we went to the airport and waited... and waited for our guests to come down the escalator to claim their baggage... a phone call revealed that they came from the opposite direction and were already in the terminal so we took the tram... and found Grampy and Grammy (Hub's parents came in from SoCal for a two week visit).

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-33497185109519721642011-08-12T04:48:00.000-07:002011-08-12T04:48:36.562-07:00

I have taken photos of a few things this summer that weren't snowmen. For instance, I went down to the library where my sister works and did the critique portion of my photo seminar. On the way home, I took some photos of a few random things that caught my eye. I thought this place looked inviting with the afghans, crab apple tree, and open gate. I don't care for Sponge Bob but loved

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-48962511842522012112011-08-10T16:07:00.000-07:002011-08-13T06:22:15.242-07:00

Bowling Ball on an Aluminum Vase Base Plastic Spiral with Snowflake Buttons on Top of the Spiral ...and bells below (made from the lid of a huge plastic storage container) K's cottonball snowman (actually we save the cotton filler in medicine bottles) C's snowman K's Q-tip Snowman C's Q-tip Snowman - Looks a bit sleety. C's Pasta Snowman K's

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-59212017585096272192011-08-02T14:10:00.000-07:002011-08-04T07:17:37.318-07:00

Tea Cup Snowman Tea Pot Snowman (I am not a great painter but I think he turned out okay). Wine Glass Snowman Moss Snowman Pine Cone Snowman (kind of homely) Pine Cone Snowman Acorn Cap and Wool Roving Ribbon Snowmen (K's on left, C's on right) Topiary with Styrofoam balls and Silk Carnations Wool Roving from a Kit from the Woolie Ewe Craft Stick Snowmen (C's on

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-53972012300501707092011-07-08T04:55:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:39:54.120-07:00

This started out as a completely different idea that flopped but I didn't feel like reworking the original idea yesterday and so this idea was born. It was hard to photograph in early morning light and tacking it up isn't really the way to go but I wanted to get this up early! I really like it and my MIL whose style is predominantly white, lacy, cottagy with a large dose of old woman will

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-13817804586646893082011-07-06T05:01:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.087-07:00

We had a very busy Independence Day weekend - busy and good. Late Friday afternoon, I made my first snowman of the weekend. He was a tall snowman made out of the sleeves of two different types of sweaters. The sleeve of a white sweater made his body and the sleeve and band from a Fair Isle sweater made his hat and scarf. On Saturday morning, I made a bottle cap snowman (the one with sheet

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-91607008754558824032011-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:002011-06-30T13:11:44.071-07:00

The bird I embroidered has become the cover of a box (go figure - I never decorate boxes - sheees!!). On Sunday, I discovered that one of my dearest friends was going to turn seventy today, so I decided that I was going to give her my embroidered piece - I like giving boxes because the recipient can do so much with them. So, here it is...

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-82242979741428926232011-06-29T13:04:00.000-07:002011-08-13T06:20:27.557-07:00

Snowmen in the summer? Yes, indeed!! You may ask why. The reason is simple, I am attempting to overwhelm my MIL with button-nosed snowmen for her birthday in September. As a personal goal, I've decided to try and create a hundred different types of snowmen. These tin can sweeties are number 22.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-49166735991492832752011-06-27T09:44:00.000-07:002011-08-13T06:20:51.620-07:00

I made myself some lounge pants from an old flat sheet. They are your basic drawstring pants and since I don't particularly care for photos of myself and hate to ask hubs to take them anyhow all you are going to get to see is a detail shot of the hem. Rather than hem them, I cut them out so the bottom of the leg came out as the decorative edge of the sheet. The nice thing about old sheets is

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-28354615899302099872011-06-24T11:44:00.000-07:002011-08-13T06:21:12.800-07:00

Like so many, we are having an unusually cold, wet summer. I honestly don't mind, the rain, the clouds, or the cold that much. However, I do mind the headaches that the low pressure systems give me. Yesterday, I had a headache so I watched television and finished this embroidered piece that I started at Christmas. I am pretty happy with it, but I am not sure what to do with it now. I

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-6927940056249945492011-06-21T07:58:00.000-07:002011-06-21T07:58:46.389-07:00

...in our backyard. We found this guy in our backyard on a cool day last week. He wasn't warmed up so he was very sluggish.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-87000033220578241512011-06-17T14:08:00.000-07:002011-06-17T16:20:29.458-07:00

After dropping C and my Mom off at Grandparent's Camp, I headed home with K. When we were south of the cities, K asked to listen to the local Christian radio station. When we were listening, we heard that Peter Furler would be at a bookstore on the west side of the cities. I called hubs and after a few calls back and forth, we decided that I would meet him at the bookstore. We met around 7:30 p.m

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-85117134199020573132011-06-16T06:22:00.000-07:002011-06-16T06:22:26.607-07:00

Yesterday you saw the photos I took of an old house while on my trip to Iowa. Here is the rest of the trip in another one of my insanely long photo essays. It is a five hour drive to my parents in Iowa. We arrived around one in the afternoon. I was exhausted and took a nap while the girls played with my Mom. When I awoke, we drove out to my brother's house and the girls got a chance to ride on

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-29239759631906361722011-06-15T07:38:00.000-07:002011-06-15T07:38:11.793-07:00

This ole house once knew his childrenThis ole house once knew his wifeThis ole house was home and comfortAs they fought the storms of lifeThis old house once rang with laughterThis old house heard many shoutsNow he trembles in the darknessWhen the lightnin' walks about CHORUS:Ain't a-gonna need this house no longerAin't a-gonna need this house no moreAin't got time to fix the shinglesAin't got

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-347299277591347282011-06-13T11:06:00.000-07:002011-06-13T11:06:18.436-07:00

I am crazy busy but I wanted to share what we saw running errands today. BTW if you wonder why an insanely busy person might leave comments on your blog it is because part of the insanity is working on photos and frankly my eyes need a break from it occasionally. :)

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-10202153841308649222011-06-06T20:22:00.000-07:002011-06-06T20:22:51.628-07:00

Since we returned from our little vacation, I've been busy!! I've had two photo shoot and a nasty sore throat. I've also finished reorganizing in the basement - some dusting and final decisions about staging and I might take some pictures for all of you. I leave on Wednesday to go down to my parents with the girls for a mini-vacation. When I return, I will drop my Mom and my oldest daughter off

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-76913963716301225912011-06-02T06:23:00.000-07:002011-06-02T06:23:23.213-07:00

My parents celebrated their fortieth wedding anniversary in March (guess who turns forty in November). Unfortunately, because my siblings and I are rather far apart and some of them have a hard time getting time from work, we are seldom all four of us together with Mom and Dad. So my sister A decided to put together a trip, after school was out so that we could all celebrate together. During

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-31257046450372316842011-06-01T06:02:00.000-07:002011-06-02T19:15:29.424-07:00

One of the things I did with our co-op this year was listen to the guided reading every week. So on the last day of reading, I gave each of the kids a bookmark with the reminder to keep reading. You can find out how to make these bookmarks at The Answer is Chocolate. This is a sample of the scrap book memory album we made, in which each child wrote a special thank you to the couple who

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-56237441566227679312011-05-31T08:46:00.000-07:002011-05-31T08:46:37.425-07:00

K had her school birthday party way back on the twentieth. We had the party at a local farm. Here are some fun photos from that day.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-57886199100039573672011-05-21T19:48:00.000-07:002011-05-21T19:48:53.361-07:00

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-40012597086383929742011-05-20T20:36:00.000-07:002011-05-20T20:36:31.082-07:00

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-86356407391330097252011-05-13T15:51:00.000-07:002011-05-18T18:59:40.583-07:00

We made these May Baskets with the class at school. The basket is a doily made rigid with ModgePodge and shaped over a bottle. It is fun to see how some kids are grossed out by getting ModgePodge all over the doily and squeezing it out while others think it is  the coolest ever. The flowers are made using paper that I marbleized with the kids (they used the papers from this project for their

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-8550247823214810082011-05-06T14:42:00.000-07:002011-05-06T14:42:39.636-07:00

I've gotten rid of over three-hundred books. I've gotten rid of an old crib mattress, a decrepit bureau, a vintage couch, two side tables from the late sixties-early seventies and endless bits and bobs. I've made three trips to the charity thrift store getting rid of carloads of stuff. I went to the hazardous waste recycling facility with the back of my Toyota Highlander completely weighted

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-16922296963467863182011-04-26T11:33:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.091-07:00

Well...I am back but probably with only once a week posting for awhile. I am totally cleaning and reorganizing my basement and until I have finished with this cleaning project, I need to avoid spending to much time in blogville. Snowman 21 I apologize for not straightening all the tassels but this poor box will get crammed into a shipping box and arrive with the tassels all askew anyhow so...

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-694216054184137932011-04-18T14:05:00.001-07:002011-04-18T14:05:02.151-07:00

I didn't post on Friday because I went to a homeschool convention. I think I am going to continue my media fast and not post anything this week. See you all soon!!

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-47284615498082048882011-04-13T15:11:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.093-07:00

I am afraid it is really  hard to see but these tulips are glued onto some marbleized paper that the kids made. The tulips themselves are a symmetry project.  Snowman twenty is a vanity light bulb and a glass light shade spray painted white. Her scarf is tulle and her hat is silver poinsettias that I burned the edges of (it wasn't part of the plan but I do like the way it looks). I think I

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-88058742108555992582011-04-12T15:25:00.000-07:002011-04-12T15:29:12.519-07:00

Saturday, while C was out with her friend. K and I went for a walk. It took a long time and by the end it felt very long. We walked the half a mile to our favorite bridge. K dragged these long branches with her to throw over the bridge. Overboard!! Then we ran to the rapids a short way down to watch the sticks go over them. Then K gets in trouble. Then we throw sticks into a

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-28104776518570188922011-04-11T12:47:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.094-07:00

My oldest daughter's best friend had a birthday party on Saturday. It was just C and her friend Grace hanging out at Mall of America with Grace's dad. When I talked to C about buying something for Grace she said she wanted to draw Grace a picture. So we bought a frame and C drew this picture. She wrote a quote at the bottom about friendship it says "A friend is someone who comes to you and asks

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-3606717849212135522011-04-08T14:30:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.096-07:00

The girls and I made these little Easter Baskets using applesauce cups, cotton balls, and pipe cleaners. C made the bunny, K the chick, and I made the odd looking lamb. Soon I will be rubber-necking whenever I pass the Canada Geese because they will have those adorable balls of fluff following them around. We went to the park with my dear friend and her youngest son. The girls get along

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-77891939850738055912011-04-06T11:18:00.000-07:002011-08-11T05:18:49.751-07:00

My MIL collects many things and her collections are quite large (she has a huge house). Among her collections are snowmen. She likes button nose snowmen not carrot nose snowmen but if you look most snowmen are carrot nose. At Christmas I checked her snowmen, I don't think more than a handful had non-carrot noses. I've decided to remedy the problem for her birthday (in September) so that this

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-66735927129492779832011-04-04T14:15:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.100-07:00

Puff paint snowmen. The neat thing is that the puff paint is home made - I made it with glue and shaving cream. It is the coolest stuff. The girls loved working with it. After we were done making snowmen we marbleized paper with the shaving cream - will share that later. Picket fence snowmen made from craft sticks. Mine is the blue one in the middle. The girls did two a piece with the ones

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-11305735266537331482011-04-01T13:31:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.103-07:00

They all make great snowmen!! This is a fabric mache snowman made from a recycled coffee bean bag. I love his rustic looks and his companion snowy owl. (I just noticed that from this angle the folds of fabric by his face look like dog ears but really, he doesn't look a bit like a dog - I will have to rephotograph him for the tutorial) Since today is the first day of baseball season (I

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-1364421292054938232011-03-30T14:24:00.000-07:002011-03-30T14:24:23.326-07:00

Last week when we were using felt for another project the girls decided to cut out felt to make accessories for their dolls. C made both aprons and K made the hat. I was very proud of C she improved tremendously between the two aprons. Details of K's stitching as the hat progressed her stitches got bigger but still I think she did great for six. my example for the kids I did these

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-90433261015226720472011-03-30T13:55:00.001-07:002011-03-30T13:55:55.958-07:00

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-23279914015617640742011-03-29T14:53:00.000-07:002011-03-29T14:53:01.658-07:00

A little party hosted by Chantel: I needed some illustrative photos. These are posed so I didn't expect much when I went to work them up. I actually got a little emotional even though I knew that I posed the girls.

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-72005923854077951872011-03-28T13:31:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.105-07:00

Don't worry - they won't all be kid's crafts nor will they all be this simplistic. Chalkboard snowmen. These are easy to create. All it takes is white chalk, black card stock, and an art fixative (or the poor man's version (which we used) hairspray). Hand print and foot print snowmen. The absurdly high arch in the pair above belongs to my oldest. She has my face and my hair but her body is

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-2415807702585678812011-03-25T03:58:00.000-07:002011-03-28T05:35:31.517-07:00

boxes... I will be sharing this at: a

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-39714798251872042032011-03-21T19:59:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:37:48.115-07:00

Eggshell snowmen (I am truly obsessed). These were fun. I liked seeing the girls express their unique styles with these. K has been drawing lots of March lions and lambs so I thought we would do these fun hand prints. The fleece is cotton balls and the mane is noodles. I am afraid the tail on C's lion (below) slipped. Because I didn't show these at Thanksgiving and the lion and lamb hand

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-73789250543524573252011-03-21T19:50:00.000-07:002011-03-21T19:50:39.687-07:00

I am participating in a Stash Bust and part of the deal is to share the gory details of my stash. My main storage also knows as Willow's Room (it was where we kept our deceased greyhound's food and kennel). The laundry room which is where i do any crafting that requires painting or gluing. The box directly opposite is my deep freeze so I have to shift stuff whenever I get into it (which is

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34764064.post-90233740836085967382011-03-20T21:06:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:35:26.107-07:00

Do you remember the extra-large pepper mill that I bought at the thrift store that didn't work? He now has a new life with two other pepper mills. They've been recreated into a charming snowman family. I've always liked spindle snowmen like this one on the Plaid website. However, spindles seem expensive to me. These pepper mills were not expensive (perhaps not a dime a dozen at the thrift

Melissahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03418200517338216765noreply@blogger.com11