Creative Sparks

Hooray! It's Friday! :)

I've been away for awhile but today I'm back! ;)  Back to crafting on the web that is....check out my newest show at TVWeekly.com.  I'm teaching a cool papercasting project with some fun cookie molds that are *too beautiful.* 

This project was one of my very favorites - such a fun technique that is very family-friendly and then making a page with so much history.  Here are some project close-ups so you can see.  The papercast Santa Claus was very cool....Benjamin especially loved helping me with this project and since there are no paints involved (just paper pulp) it was so easy to clean up!  He made a ton of mini little molds and then would just mush them back up and we'd blend them all over again.  He had a blast.

Sweet Missa Prissa helped me with this project a lot and (insert disclaimer here)  *please note*....I do  know that these Baby Bumbo seats were just recalled and that you're not supposed to use them on a high surface...well, of course this picture was taken well before all of that information and I'm so thankful she never fell!! Of course I was sitting right beside her.  It still is a handy little chair - love it for feeding time and when she'd like to look around at the world....from a soft padded low surface. (end of disclaimer)

Anyway, in this picture you can see my project coming together!  I have other shots of the inside pages that I can post later - they're big and it's late and I need to get started with my day (haha by 11:00 am??!!)

182.5

That's how many days this beautiful little soul has been in our lives.  Longer than that when I think of the ecstatic anticipation I had during my entire pregnancy.  I can't believe she is 6 months old today!  (On my clock, I've still got 20 minutes until she's 6 months and one day.)

She loves to have people play with her.  She loves to watch.  She is a "tough crowd" with most people - only grinning and laughing if you work at it.  Such a girl.  She is soft and snuggly.   She is patient and non-demanding.  She loves to take her socks off....She has the best most cute little belly button I've ever seen.  She chuckles when she is happy and just this week says "daddadadadadadada"  which makes Russell feel great! ;) She just started eating bananas which she thinks are pretty spectacular!  (although most of her food still just lands on her cute bibs).  She can sit up by herself for a bit until she topples over into a heap.  This usually makes her cry but only from frustation, I think. She is fun to dress-up and always happy when she wakes up.  I take her over to the mirror in her bedroom every morning and we play "look!  there's that cute baby!" and she loves to look at that cute baby in the mirror. The most beautiful girl in the world to me.

She likes to be snuggled but is also happy to have tummy time and play and watch the boys be boys.  She is our little princess and we love her so. 

I could gush a bit more and go on and on and on but now it's 7 minutes til tomorrow and I'd like to have this posted before then. 

Happy 182.5 day birthday my sweet and lovely daughter! :)

Modish...

Jena from Modish featured Little Miss Annie and Olive on her fabulous blog today. :)  Here is the super-sweet and flattering write up.

good sunflower

We had a wonderful time this past weekend visiting R's parents and seeing their beautiful patch of sunflowers.  It was a gorgeous morning - bright blue skies and happy, smiling sunflowers.  A dream.

I had fun playing with my camera while the boys and everyone had fun playing in the dirt and with all the bugs.  Lots of bees, spiders, and GIGANTIC grasshoppers.   We also had to be careful of rattlesnakes...they like to eat the furry field inhabitants who are out enjoying all the yummy seeds and we didn't want to step on any of them!

I love this picture of Colin spreading his arms out as if to say "isn't this the greatest thing in the whole world?  Look at me!!!"  He and Benjamin were cute in the farm gear.  Jeans and western shirts and hats.  Adorable.  Annie wasn't as excited about it - a bit perplexed as to why it was so bright and shiny everywhere....and a bit warm at times.

I was really determined to get pictures of all three of them though but should have done their "photo shoot" first thing.  By the time we got around to it (which was after driving an hour to get to the farm, and then driving around AT the farm and getting out and then letting the boys ride the four-wheeler with Russell) it was a bit too bright and the sun was a bit harsh.  Benjamin didn't want to take off his four-wheeler helmet and everyone was a little grumpy.    I was determined to at least TRY though and so made them sit on the bumper of the four-wheeler and this is how it went

...."take off your helmet.  Colin hold Gillian but DO NOT DROP HER.  Hold her tight around her belly...No don't cover up her face she doesn't like that.  Benjamin SIT down.  Please look cheerful.  Russell will you duck down so I can't see you?  Benjamin stop pouting and look at Mommy!  I'm so silly!! Can you laugh?  Koochie-coochie coo!!! Annie!  Annie?  Annie-boo!! Look at me.  Colin don't cover up her face.  Look at my finger...it's wiggling - smile!!!  Colin LOOK at the camera not at the grasshopper.  Benjamin please stop crying, honey.  We'll put the helmet back on in just a second.  Russell - duck back down!  Now everyone...(Annie!  Annie!  Annie!  Gillian!!) on the count of three!!  Smile and look happy!!" 

And on and on and on like that.  I'm sure everyone can totally relate to this....but the stories are fun and so are the pictures.  I like this picture- Annie is like "what are you doing to me?"

sewitis

Lots of good crafty craftiness flowing about the house this week.  Have I mentioned again how much I <love> this time of year?  The fall colors (well...not too many here in the Texas Panhandle but I can remember my Northeastern home in all its Fall splendor), the pumpkins and leaves, the football games, play-off baseball.  Costumes and pie and baking.  Cooling weather (although yesterday we had record highs here!! Yuck!), getting darker earlier, fall decorations, ghosties and ghoulies and the fall clothing...(love my jackets).

  I have been stitching up a storm this week - making some cute new headbands for myself and some a-dor-able bibs for Annie.  I started her on rice cereal this week.  For the most part, she just looks at me like "what are you doing?" and doesn't even attempt to try and swallow...but I have been offering it to her occasionally just to let her get used to the idea.  She ate maybe a whole spoonful yesterday! lol.  So of course, sewcutebibsbecausesheseatingitis sets in.  And it's a great excuse to go to the craft store.  he, he.

Halloween

My favorite time of year. 

California was great!  So glad to have had gone and so glad to be back with the fam.  Good times.

Isn't Annie cute in her Halloween costume?  She is very indecisive on exactly witch which costume to choose - she could be changing quite often or not at all....it really depends on what her mother feels like. ;)

October...my favorite month!!