Continuing on to February!

 My Mom watches my niece four day's a week for my brother & his wife. Usually that's Monday through Thursday. Sometimes the Monday needs to change to Friday. Well, this happened on a Friday that my Dad already had a medical test scheduled. So I planned to go over to Mom & Dad's and watch Janie for them.

When this happens, Audrey usually goes too and we stay for little awhile. We only live 40 mins. from Granny & Grandpa, but Audrey loves doing this occasionally. 

I took some of my left-over VBS crafts (the foam faces seen below). Me, Granny, Janie & Audrey had a blast making some fun stick people. Well, on another day my sister Mitzi came over and when you get the two of us together we go crazy : P!

We started "feeding: off each other and this is what happens when you give two crazy sisters foam, a pair of scissor, glue and some glitter!

These two are my sister and her husband Mark
(he has on a removable air cast - which he really had at the time)

My sisters four children
(L to R: Britainy 27, Keegan 19, Cassidy 17,
 and Avery 4, who is always dressed as a princess)

This group is some of the others we made that evening
(Prince Charming and a Princess is included in that group of course)

Later in the week my sister called me and said that all of a sudden
Avery blurted our "Oh no, we forgot to make Snow White".
Being the good aunt that I am, I made her one.
Then Audrey asked for Ariel!

 ~♥~

See that whole in the tree?

A squirrel made it! It's his new home!
(Click on the picture to see it better)

~♥~

February 18th we went to Jamfest to see Cassidy's Senior Hip Hop routine! It was fabulous. 

It has already gotten heads to turn around all around the nation. All the other team members and parents were asking when Midwest Cheer Elite's Senior Hip Hop was going to perform. My sister had several parents ask her the same question.

Cassidy and her team will be leaving for world competition at Disneyland next Wednesday, April 25th.

Waiting for Cassidy to arrive!

Still waiting: L to R My Dad, Mitzi with the camera, Mark, my Mom, and Avery in front

FINALLY, CASSIDY!

We all get to see her! 

She's ready to go (front and center)

Still front and center

Cassidy and her boyfriend, Chris

Cassidy & Avery doing their own thing!

With all the hard tumbling in this routine, her feet have taken a beating  

Granny & Grandpa with Cassidy

Britainy (Cassidy "big" sister) and Mat join the picture. 

Aunt & cousin want's a pic too! (Me & Audrey)

Beautiful Cassidy!

They had this in the lobby! "Jammy" for Jamfest!

~♥~


Finish up with some misc. pictures!

One of Janie's "fancy" lunches (as she calls them)

Daisy, Britainy & Mat's little doggie (she's a scottie & a dachshund)

Cute cousins!
(Janie & Avery eating pizza
at Granny & Grandpa's counter)

Look What We Made For Granny!

What kind of Mother's Day gift can you make with scrapbook paper, a hot glue gun, canadian wintergreen mints, a can of chicken broth (ok, just the can), treat bags and a can opener (yep, it's a whale, isn't it cute?!)

A really cute one!

I think the pull tab type cans are really cute, but you can use any can you have available.

Remove the label. Open the can from the bottom. If using a side can opener, leave a portion of the lid connected to the can (it will be easier to glue later). Clean can with warm soapy water, rinse well. Dry thoroughly.

Cut your pretty paper the height of the can. 

Wrap it around the can and attach it with tape or glue.

Add your treats (either sweet or otherwise)! 

Hot glue the bottom back onto the can and your set to go! 

I used a cellophane treat bag for the mints, but you don't have to! 

If using the side can opener, and loose candy you will want to put tissue paper crumpled over the treats before gluing the bottom. 

Think of the possibilities! Little can's of M&M's! Treat's for Teacher's Appreciation!
The possibilities are endless!

A Fabulously Frugal Birthday Gift!

My niece Avery turned 3 on March 27 of this year! For her birthday I made her

a craft kit of her very own!

I got one large plastic container with a handle that clamped closed. Two smaller vertical containers with dividers about 2" deep, and one small horizontal container with dividers about 4" deep.

The containers I found at Big Lots for $2 & $3. I also found the tablet, construction paper, markers & crayons there for $1. 

Everything else I found at the Dollar Tree. Packs of plastic pony beads, regular & foam stickers, and pastel pom-poms!

As you can see, everything went together perfectly, and I got a very personalized birthday present for under $20!

As you can see, everything went together perfectly, and I got a very personalized birthday present for under $20!

water4christmas

One of my favorite daily blog stops is Meg's "whatever" blog! Recently she went to a craft retreat with friends to help stock the WATER4CHRISTMAS etsy shop with wonderful homemade items!

It's full of all kinds of fun stuff!

All of the money goes to build wells with CLEAN WATER in liberia.

ALL OF IT.

In the shop you will find...these bracelets are simple and sweet and only $15.00!

It has a little hand made water droplet charm hanging off of it.

They would be great stocking stuffers.

(fyi...Meg heard these are not in the store until thursday? maybe?)

Coffee cozys..

almost everyone likes coffee

or hot chocolate.

Perfect gift for the coffee lover!

Dish towels...

burp cloths...

really cute Africa shirts in lots of sizes and patterns!

This is my favorite, absolutely beautiful!

A water drop christmas ornament (there's also blue ones).

Go check out the etsy shop... there's even more goodies!

here is the write up on their profile page...

"There are two primary choices in life; to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them." (Denis Waitley)

At Water for Christmas, we've allowed the existing conditions to break our hearts and spur us to action.

* We want to join others in solving the world's water crisis, where 1.1 billion people on the planet don't have access to safe, clean drinking water.

* We don't want to accept the conditions where unclean water and the lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of all sickness and disease and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war.

* It doesn't make sense that 4500 children should die every day from the lack of access to clean water.

Water for Christmas is partnering with charity: water (http://www.charitywater.org/) to build wells in Africa. All proceeds from items sold in this shop will go directly to building fresh water wells in Liberia, West Africa. We believe that a small group of people can work together to change the world. Visit us at water4christmas.com.

*If you would like to donate a hand-crafted item to Water for Christmas, to be listed on this site, please send us a message. As with everything else, all proceeds will go directly to building fresh water wells in Liberia.

Ready.... let's go shopping

for them!

Please

feel free to blog this...

promote it...

tell everyone you know!!

Decoupage

I love visiting Sara at Sara's Art* House. Her artwork is inspiring (check out her Etsy shop)! She has taken us on tours of her colorful home through the photo's she shares.

She allowed her blog readers to watch her kitchen go through a magnificent transformation with this post, about a wall getting chalk board paint & decoupage. Then the decoupage spread to this wall too. Since this transformation I have wanted to decoupage something in our house.

Well, since I've only decoupaged a couple small boxes & tins, I thought we should start my journey into "colorizing" our home with something small. So, my daughter and I took this...

an old copper light switch cover from the kitchen and turned it into this...


We love it! Now on to something else :)!

Win Button It Up!

Dollar Store Crafts has a wonderful giveaway! It’s a fantastic collection of 80 button projects, from jewelry to accessories and home decor. This book celebrates the simple beauty of buttons, and Susan has designed so many eye-catching projects.

You can get the book at Dollar Store Crafts giveaway; Amazon.com or an autographed copy at Susan Beal's Etsy store!

More About Plarn!

Yesterday (in this post) I asked the question "...hmmm, I wonder how many things you can make with plarn?!". Well, I'm amazed at how many wonderful & useful things I've seen made with plarn (plastic yarn).

Cindy, aka RecycleCindy, at myrecycledbags.com has a number of wonderful patterns using plarn, bread bags and even cassette tape & video cassette ribbons.

She has an adorable little Easter basket...

Dish clothes with plarn centers for scrubbing those baked on spots...
and even a large plastic market bag...

If you would like to see more, here's a list of the many patterns she has available.

Photos from myrecycledbags.com

Plarn?

Recently I found artist Kate E. Austin’s blog. She has an amazing post on making "plarn"! Plarn you ask! Plarn is yarn made from plastic bags (yes the plastic bags stores give us). I think it's amazing with I see someone come up with inventive ways to recycle.

Here’s her how-to video (which can also be found on her blog):



Isn't that simple! Look at the handbag she made!

Isn't that cute! You would never guess that it was made from plastic bags!

Kate E. Austin also has an Etsy Shop of her artwork and already made plarn!

I'm going to have to try this out, hmmm, I wonder how many things you can make with plarn?!

Photo/video from Kate E. Austin’s blog.