Things That Make Me Happy...

Fall Colors
Fearless Boys

Food

{really dessert...but that doesn't start with F}
Francesca Battistelli

What F things make you happy?

Monthly Craft Challenge: Photo Projects

I am participating in Heidi's {@ Blue Eyed Blessings} Monthly Craft Challenge.
This month challenge is Photo Projects.

Apparently I am not very creative when it comes to photos because I only have one project to share this month.

Photo Gift Tags

I made these last Christmas using the boys' Christmas picture.

But you could also use them for any other occasion....birthdays especially.
They are SUPER easy to make.

All you need is a picture, some scrapbook paper, ribbon, a circle cutter, hot glue gun, and a hole punch.

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To make the Photo Gift Tags:

Cut the photo of your choice with the circle cutter

Then cut a circle of scrapbook paper larger than your picture

Hot glue the picture to one side of the scrapbook paper circle

Then write TO: or your message of choice on the other side

Punch a hole in the top and thread some ribbon through the hole

These Photo Gift Tags are SUPER easy to make and SUPER inexpensive too! Plus, everyone loves how personal it makes their gift seem...and at the holidays they can double as a SUPER cute keepsake!

Wordless Wednesday: Eli's New Toy

Just a Little Messier Than I Was Anticipating...But Still SUPER Cute!

This is how our project ended:

Despite the major mess and the {now} dry and scratchy carpet, our Thanksgiving/fall pumpkins turned out SUPER cute!

Just in case you want to make a HUGE mess and some SUPER cute pumpkins...here is the list of supplies and steps we followed to make them.

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Plastic pumpkins {mine were $1 at Walmart}

Scrapbook Paper {8 sheets for $1 at Target}

Mod Podge

Paint Brushes

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Tear scrapbook paper into small pieces

Attach the paper to the pumpkin and continue to coat it with Mod Podge until all the paper is wet and stuck to the pumpkin really well. This is the messy part, because the only way to make the paper stick really well is to work it with your hands! Eli and I worked on some painting while Henry and Grant were finishing up their pumpkins. These SUPER cute and oh so chubby handprints are going to be turkeys and leaves once I get my paintpens after them! Just a little hint....be careful when painting with brown paint, because your kiddo might think it is chocolate and try to lick it off his hand! :)

Then use a foam paintbrush to apply a coat of Mod Podge all over the pumpkins and let them dry. 

Our pumpkins {coated with Mod Podge} drying on the table...picture taken by Henry {because I still had a two inch layer of MP on my hands}!

Our finished Thanksgiving/Fall Pumpkins!

Rainy Monday Afternoon

I am sitting at the computer...listening to it rain. Probably something I'm going to be hearing a lot of for the next day or so thanks to Ida {who is now thankfully only a tropical storm}.

I have been slacking when it comes to the blog lately. Not because of lack of want to...more like lack of inspiration. The last few days have been hectic and tiring, and I haven't had the time {or energy} to do anything fun or inspirational!

Last week, I spent a few days out of town to attend a funeral. And when I got back, I was so exhausted that it has taken me all weekend to recuperate and try to get back into a semi-normal routine.

And now the weather is throwing everything off. Henry's school closed an hour early today, and I'm guessing that they are going to cancel school tomorrow just to be safe. During a normal week, that would be fine....but I had a doctor's appointment today and Grant is going to the dentist to have a procedure done on his tooth tomorrow. Plus, there is no school or preschool on Wednesday for Veteran's Day. That means two more days of sitting inside listening to the rain {that is if I can hear it over my extremely loud children}.

Maybe all this time off {and rain} will give me a chance to get crafty with the boys! I still haven't started working on these:

And I think the boys will really like getting all sticky and messy with me. I just hope I can handle all three of them when they get messy...and keep Eli from eating too much Mod Podge!

Well, I'm off to start laundry...because, you know, it is Monday!

Hopefully I will have some great {and SUPER messy} pictures of our pumpkin project to share with you tomorrow!

Wordless Wednesday: Chalk Art

Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!

Fall weather has made its appearance here in the deep south {again}.

Every time we get a little cool snap, it really puts me in the fall spirit! It makes me want to cook up some Veggie Soup and bake lots of yummy stuff.

It also makes me what to have pumpkins...everywhere!

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On the breakfast table, just for decorations.

In the pantry, waiting to be used in a SUPER yummy dessert.

In the cabinet, waiting to transform cookie dough into beautiful pumpkin shaped cookies.

On the front porch, sadly uncarved....but still holding pumpkin seeds.

In the craft cabinet, waiting to be decoupaged into {possibly} something beautiful.


Pumpkins, Pumpkins Everywhere!
And a ton of baking and crafting to put me even more in the fall spirit!
Now I just need to find the time, energy, and recipes!


What do you love to do in the fall?

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week. ********************************

I did NOT spend Wednesday with Henry

HERE:

{On his school field trip}

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I did NOT spend most of the week working on

THIS:

{Henry's fireman costume for Drug Free Week at school}

THIS:

{Grant's hat for Silly Hat Day at preschool}

THESE:
{Magic Wands aka dipped pretzels}


and THESE:
{the boys' Halloween costumes}

I did NOT work on all of those things while baskets and baskets of laundry sat around my house continuing to wrinkle so much that they are {almost} unwearable. I would NEVER work on fun crafty stuff and leave the laundry to be done another day!

I hope everyone had a SUPER fun and safe Halloween!

Trick or Treat!

Cavemen and a SUPER cute dinosaur!

A Few Years Ago...

2008

SUPERHEROES

2007
PIRATES

2006

DINOSAURS

2005

COWBOY AND INDIAN

2004

SCARECROW

Let Them Eat {Pound} Cake!

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa powder (optional)
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups butter, softened
1/2 cup of milk (more if you add cocoa)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
6 eggs

Combine dry ingredients in mixer bowl.
Add butter...

... milk, vanilla, and almond extract.

Stir to combine and then beat about 2 minutes on medium.

Add eggs one at a time, mixing about 15 seconds after each addition.

Pour batter into greased and floured tube pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Enjoy!