Happy Easter!

From my family to yours!

 

 

-erin-



A Book Review

This is my latest read. I just finished it up. The back reads:

 

Hope Bartolli has avoided Sisters for years - both her hometown of Sisters, Oregon, and her two sisters who live there. But when the 32-year-old corporate lawyer returns home to attend her beloved grandmother's funeral, she's surprised to learn that she has inherited Nona's old house, her little dog Andy, and an unexpected friendship with Nona's attorney, Lewis. If Hope had any plans to bury the hatchet with her sisters, these "gifts" from Nona aren't going to help. As Hope becomes reacquainted with old friends and the charming town she once loved, the thought of returning to her fast-paced city lifestyle grows less appealing. She wants more out of life - but is she willing to take the risks to get it? And can she trust her family to stand by her side?

 

I would give this book an eight out of ten stars (and that's only because I reserve the higher awards for only the best of the best of the best!)

 

This book (by Melody Carlson) was cute, grabbed my attention almost right away and guess what? It was another book with the lesson of letting go/relinquishing your will for God's will. I'm beginning to see a pattern, and no, it is not planned that way.

 I guess I will have to work on it. My ramblings are done for the day. Thanks for reading.

-erin-



Mickey's House

When the boys and I first started planning a trip to Disney World I immediately started making each of them a scrapbook to record their memories. I am making each of the pages the same, leaving spaces for photos and journaling. Then after we get back from the trip each of them will be able to go through all of the pictures taken and choose their favorites to go into their book.

 

Today's page is Mickey's House. These pages are for the pictures taken either in front of or inside of Mickey's house.

 

And isn't this paper cute? I thought it was cute for this project. (And as I live in "Podunk" Illinois, all of my paper comes from JoAnn's unless otherwise noted).

I used my Mickey and Friends cartridge to make this cute house. And there's room for 3 four by six pictures.

It is a fun project. Another way for me to "plan" and "organize" for the trip. It's keeping me excited about it as well. And it's such a unique souvenir for them! They haven't seen the books (at least not most of the pages anyway) and I plan to surprise them with the scrapbooks while on vacation! Stay tuned to see more pages that make it into the Disney scrapbook!

-erin-

A Glimpse into My Bedroom and All of the Hard Work We Did

Remember back when I showed you this? It was February of last year. Anyways I was really bad about showing progress updates and I figured You were long overdue for some updates.

 

 

Today I will show you a little more than 1/3 of that room turned out to be...my bedroom!

 

It still needs a lot of work! The window to the side of my bed is new but the one at the head of my bed still needs replaced. And there still needs to be trim around the windows and doors and baseboard all throughout the room, but it's livable and I am loving this room so much better than the one I had before!

The space I am showing you today is approximately 10 feet by 12 feet. (The chunk of garage that was remodeled in total was approximately 12 feet by 20 feet. Here you can kind of get an idea at how big my book collection is. That far bottom left hand shelf is stacked two deep and two high! LOL!

This wall is kind of boring but I'm still trying to decide what to do here. Do I want a TV in my room? If I decide I do it will affect the picture collage and vinyl saying I want to add to the wall there. I'll update when there is something to update. 

 

And I LOVE THIS! My sister-in-law got it for me for Christmas but I still haven't decided where I want to put it for sure. It is a framed crystal doorknob to be used as a hanging hook type thing. It's super heavy and sturdy too. Check back for updates!

 

-erin-

Disney Progress - Part 4

It's no secret that my boys and I are all Disney fanatics! Seth has been saving any change he finds along with birthday and Christmas money for the last 4 years already! The other boys have added here and there as well but not quite as diligently. Well we have finally set a general time frame (not exact dates but the month and year that we want to go) so I have started adding money to the fund as I can as well!

I am a HUGE planner type person! So once we set the general time frame I sat down and made this binder. There's all kinds of information in here. There are packing lists, and financial papers to keep track of our saving progress and menus to a couple of the restaurants that we hope to eat at while there.

 

Every two weeks I count up how much we are adding to the fund and record it on a sheet in the Disney planning binder. March 26th we were able to add $658.47 into our fund! That puts us $892.12 cents ahead of schedule!!! (Hopefully we can keep up this momentum and wont have any pay periods where we have to not add anything or not add what I planned to add) If we keep it up we might get to go earlier than I had originally planned!

 

WE ARE 1/5 OF THE WAY THERE!!!

Under Disney Progress Tuesdays I wont always be posting about money deposits but I also have plans to make some items to take on our trip and I will be purchasing a few items as well so I will post about them as I am able.

I'm also so OCD in my planning that I will plan out the outfits we will wear and what day we will wear them so I will photograph and post those as well.

-erin-

Doll Progress - Part 2

Look at this fabric! It's so cute!

 

Anyway, here is my progress so far. I know it doesn't look like much but it is all the pieces I need to make SIX doll dresses and SIX pair of panties! 

In my opinion the dolls I make look ADORABLE in corduroy with cute little patterns. So I can't wait to get these all sewn up!

Once sewn, one will be put on a doll and the other five will be set aside for future projects.

I know this isn't a super fun and interesting update but it's part of the process and it's progress!

 

-erin-

1/365 - Part 4

I was able to get a little more done on Project 1/365 this past week. I sanded and painted Isaac's bed! He loves it!

It doesn't show in the picture  (I can post a picture later) but we switched the light fixture out in the boys room too. There was a ceiling fan above the middle bed and it just didn't feel safe especially since the occupant of that bed wouldn't stop playing with it!

Also each of the beds have a hook on the end for a coat/jacket and a book bag. In the summer it could hold sunglasses and a hat too. Multipurpose! Gotta love that!

 

I love the way the colors pop against the walls and each other! And they all love their new beds! Win-Win all around! There's still plenty to do. A curtain and three special quilts are in the works along with shelving systems for the other two boys as well and the bottom support board on the blue bed needs painted still so stay tuned for more updates!

-erin-

A Book Review

 

This is my latest read. I just finished it up. The back reads:

Native American beauty Sunny Wescott is not one to let her hair down. But her friend Aubrey manages to drag her to Pendleton, Oregon, and the pair arrives just as the hundredth annual Pendleton Round-Up begins. Sunny is surprised by how much she enjoys watching the rodeo, riding horseback, and getting to know Aubrey's family - particularly a handsome cowboy named Cody. Pendleton is also home to the Umatilla reservation where Sunny's ancestors once lived, and the trip gives her the chance to do some digging into her family's history - a topic she knows next to nothing about. But will Sunny like what she finds? And how will secrets from the past compete with the current drama unfolding in Cody's own family?

I would give this book an eight out of ten stars (and that's only because I reserve the higher awards for only the best of the best of the best!)

This book (by Melody Carlson) was cute, grabbed my attention almost right away and guess what? As are true of most every book I read there is a lesson that the main character has to learn and that lesson in this book was of letting go/relinquishing your will for God's will. That's two books with that "lesson" now. Hum... There seems to be a trend.

I guess I will have to work on it. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. Thanks for reading.

-erin-

Meeting The Mouse!

When the boys and I first started planning a trip to Disney World I immediately started making each of them a scrapbook to record their memories. I am making each of the pages the same, leaving spaces for photos and journaling. Then after we get back from the trip each of them will be able to go through all of the pictures taken and choose their favorites to go into their book.

 

 

Today's page is Meeting The Mouse! These pages are for the pictures taken with Mickey Mouse.

 

And isn't this paper cute? I thought it was perfect for this project. Mickey comic book paper and its pale enough colors to not distract from pictures added to the pages later but fun enough to fit in to the book! (And as I live in "Podunk" Illinois, all of my paper comes from JoAnn's unless otherwise noted).

And there's spaces for 3 four by six pictures and 3 smaller or cropped pictures!

It is a fun project. Another way for me to "plan" and "organize" for the trip. It's keeping me excited about it as well. And it's such a unique souvenir for them! They haven't seen the books (at least not most of the pages anyway) and I plan to surprise them with the scrapbooks while on vacation! Stay tuned to see more pages that make it into the Disney scrapbook!

-erin-

Personalized Re-Usable Grocery Bag

This project was crazy easy! I just bought an inexpensive re-usable grocery bag.

 

And then I embellished it a bit! Don't see the difference? Let me zoom in for you a bit!

 

Is that better? I just used my embroidery machine and added my name to it (sorry, I realize now that I should have ironed it before taking the pictures!), but think of the different possibilities. You can use iron on patches and letters, or if you bought a solid color bag and had a bit of an artistic side to you I think it would be super cute to doodle all over a bag with fabric markers!

 

 

Anyways, I hope you have fun with this and if you do any kind of embellishing, link it up and let me know! Thanks for dropping by!

 

-erin-



The Boy's Banks

 

These were so simple to make and yet turned out super cute! Since we are getting closer and closer to the actual Disney trip, I decided to make each of the boys their own bank. When they do chores, go above and beyond or are caught doing a good deed; I give them some change to add to their bank. However, when they fight, make bad choices and break things of others; they have to give back some of the change. I'm hoping that this simple project will not only help with the excitement factor but I'm hoping they will also motivate better behavior and choices! Wish me luck!

 

-erin-

Doll Progress Is Back On!

Well, when I went to pick up my machine I got some bad news. They were unable to fix it because it was one of the computerized parts that needed replaced and "only a Brother dealer can fix it". So I drove less than a mile from that store to a 'Brother dealer' where they gave me more bad news.

 

My machine was too old to get replacement parts : (

 

But they gave me a great deal on a new (to me) machine! I can't wait to get started using this new toy and get back to doll progress!

 

Its still an older machine from 2002 but it will work great for several years. I will start setting aside a few dollars each paycheck so that when this one does decide to die on me too I will be able to replace it with an actual machine. In the meantime I will use it and love it!

 

This picture is from the Internet and is not the actual picture of my machine although it is identical!

 

Hopefully next week I will have an update for ya!

 

-erin-

1/356 - Part 3

So, you remember this bed right?

 

Well, now the next little guy got one too! And he's over the moon excited about it!
 

 

Of course, it's his favorite color blue! It has some slight differences from Ethan's bed but overall the design is the same.

 

 

I LOVE THE COLORS! (And I was right about how they pop with that wall color too!)

 

 

Hum... What's that they're looking at? 

 

He'll never tell! But wait he got distracted so I can give you a peek!

 

 

A new TV! So, now they will not always be bugging me to watch my TV. It's pretty high so they can't reach it to mess it up and they can get the perfect view from their beds. It also has a built in DVD player so that is a big plus!

 

Thanks for tuning in to the third installment of project 1/365! Stay tuned to see the rest of the transformation!

 

-erin-

A Book Review

Have you read this book? I just finished it. The back reads:

Canadian sisters Melanie and Joanne are stunned to hear they've inherited their uncle's beachfront summerhouse in Mexico. With a snap, the trip is planned: They'll travel opulently by cruise ship to Ensenada, zip over to San Felipe, sign a few papers at the bank, and the tropical hideaway will be theirs.

 

What they don't expect is a spa treatment gone loco, snails and cactus on their dinner plates, risky ocean dips, a cross-country dessert drive, a dishy doctor, or a Federale who doesn't speak English! Fortunately, some problems really can be solved with coconut cake and, if necessary, a water fight. The beachfront property - and what it takes to get them there - becomes a gift beyond their wildest wishes as these SISTER CHICKS relinquish themselves to the dreams God has for them...all under the sombrero of his Grace.

I'll be honest. This book was an enjoyable read. I give it seven out of ten stars (and that's only because I reserve the higher awards for only the best of the best of the best!)

Robin Jones Gunn books always have some kind of 'lesson' as well (most books do I guess) and this book was no different. During her time in Mexico, Melanie  spends some time learning lessons. Melanie is the type to plan and make lists and everything has to go off exactly as planned. What she learns on this trip is that sometimes it is OK to relinquish some things to God and that he will give her better than she could ever hope to expect.  

 

God wants us to trust him and relinquish our wills for his and in return he will do more in our lives than we could ever hope for, but if we continue to try to control every aspect, we will be sorely disappointed. I guess that's something I will have to work on. My ramblings are done for the day. Thanks for reading.

-erin-

Cinderella's Castle

When the boys and I first started planning a trip to Disney World I immediately started making each of them a scrapbook to record their memories. I am making each of the pages the same, leaving spaces for photos and journaling. Then after we get back from the trip each of them will be able to go through all of the pictures taken and choose their favorites to go into their book.

 

Today's page is Cinderella's Castle. The title is a little unoriginal but it fit's right in with our group. These pages are for the pictures taken in front of the castle.

 

And isn't this paper cute? I thought it was perfect for this project. Tickets cut in the shape of tickets! (And as I live in "Podunk" Illinois, all of my paper comes from JoAnn's unless otherwise noted).

 

I found these castle and Tinkerbell stickers that fit this page perfectly at JoAnne's as well! What luck!

It is a fun project. Another way for me to "plan" and "organize" for the trip. It's keeping me excited about it as well. And it's such a unique souvenir for them! They haven't seen the books (at least not most of the pages anyway) and I plan to surprise them with the scrapbooks while on vacation! Stay tuned to see more pages that make it into the Disney scrapbook!

-erin-

I've got a tute for you!

OK, this might be a silly tutorial but how many of you have patterns that look like this or worse?

 

 

Well I decided to do something about mine. The first step it to empty the pattern envelope and cut down the sides and across the bottom.

 

 

Take a break for a bite of cupcake...or maybe the whole thing!

 

 

Next you trim the two remaining pieces to the size you want.

 

 

And glue them to a 5x7 Manila envelope.

 

 

Cover the Manila envelope with contact paper and trim to size.

 

 

 

See how nice they look stacked after they have been redone?!

 

 

So, give it a try and show me what you end up with!

 

-erin-