Richardson's Randoms

A Collage of my Biloxi MS Trip...

2011-07-23T06:46:00.002-05:00

I drove to Biloxi, MS with Jenni Hartzler to see Zachary.

We had a fantastic visit and aren't they just the cutest couple?

How Did I Miss Posting this Sweet Pic???

2011-07-23T06:03:00.001-05:00

The Doan Fam at the Omaha Zoo! Cutest Family Ever!!!

Our Airman...

2011-05-23T16:53:00.000-05:00

I should have posted these back in February.

Midnight and her Little Midgets

2011-05-18T12:11:00.003-05:00

I played a bit with this shot as always in Picnik... love the little chocolate pup. Little cutie pattooties.

Here is a sweet shot of the Oh So Tired... but Extreemly Satisfied... Momma and puppies. Did I mention we had SEVEN?

A Shared Moment...

2011-05-11T10:04:00.002-05:00

Midnight... my son's very pregnant Labrador... decided she needed a dip and a sip (It was close to 90 degrees yesterday...CRAZY!!). It didn't seem to bother the little Goldfish that shared the moment with her. I couldn't resist snapping this picture. When I told my betterhalf about catching Midnight in the pond... he responded... oh, one of your fantails was dead when I checked on them earlier in the day... apparently they are not as hardy as the goldfish... OR Maybe someone who shall remain nameless stepped on it and squished it. POOR, POOR little fantail goldfish... But what are you to do... Can't keep a Labrador out of the water that's for sure.

Where Oh Where Have the Richardsons Been??

2011-05-06T16:00:00.002-05:00

My goodness how the time has slipped away. Sooooo much has happened. A year has come and gone. Doesn't seem possible. But... we are still around and I will attempt over the next few days, weeks, months... to do a better job posting.

Sunshine... at Dawn.

2011-05-06T15:04:00.003-05:00

After numerous days of rain, drizzle, overcast gloom a beautiful glowing ball in the sky appeared. It was timid and shy and hid here and there... the clouds tried to hide it, they pushed and they shoved and tried to obliterate it, but it perservered through it all, stuck around and made me smile.

First Growth of Spring...

2011-05-06T14:35:00.003-05:00

The first green sprouts of spring are popping out in our backyard flower bed... the tulips are spent and dropping their petals and the other blooms have yet to arrive... but none the less it's still a cheerful sight covered in the morning dew or through the morning's merry mist.

Celtic Thunder - “Christmas Day 1915” FREE download

2010-08-02T21:15:00.000-05:00

Celtic Thunder - “Christmas Day 1915” FREE download

More Fun with www.Picnik.com

2010-06-18T08:19:00.001-05:00

Messing with www.Picnik.com’s Photo Editing

2010-06-08T21:11:00.001-05:00

I’ve been playing at www.picnik.com I love this picture of Bj and Kiwi.

Here is one I did with little Miss Ashelyn… so much fun. I loved playing!

I’ll put in a few more later. Anywho… it’s a great photo editing tool… many of the features are free I did pay for the premium upgrade… a whopping $4.95 a month… I’ve saved that in cutting down on the whole Sonic drinks anyway… so this is my reward.

KHS 2010 Graduate!!

2010-05-24T06:43:00.001-05:00

Friday, May 21, 2010, Zachary was officially a Graduate of Kearney High School. We are so proud of you! It was a great night spent with family and friends.

Zach’s Graduation Hug!

Isn’t this the sweetest picture ever?!? I loved it the moment I snapped it.

A Sea of Purple and Gold!

Grandpa Richardson, Zach & Grandma Phyllis!

So thrilled they were here for the festivities.

Alexander, Zachary and Misty… our babies are grown up.

Only Alex left to graduate in two years. CRAZY!!!

Zach and Auntie Lynn (She sure loves all her nephews and nieces). It was too late a night for her daddy, Uncle David, but he made the open house on Saturday.

Some how or other we missed getting Jake, Gideon and Ashelyn in a pic. I’m sure I tried and got vetoed.

Zach and David… bestest buds!

Zach and Tim Foreman… Spent all 13 years at KHS together and remained neighbors and friends through it all.

Beckett, Gage, Jake, Zachary and Richard.

Zachary we are so very proud of you!!

KHS Prom 2010

2010-05-02T17:38:00.001-05:00

The Two Amigos… Aren’t they studdly!?!

Zachary would not take off the sombrero he bought in NYC.

The dress Jenni has on and Zachary’s vest and tie were made by Jenni’s Grandmother. They looked so beautiful together… notice the sombrero.

Silly son with Sombrero and beautiful Jenni.

I made the rose for Jenni’s hair at her request… (Bummer ~ she lost it on the dance floor… I guess I’ll be making another) Zach’s pocket square was an after thought that I whipped up Saturday morning so it would match the vest.

Jenni and her grandmother designed her dress. They put three patterns together to get just what she envisioned. I think they did a spectacular job.

The sombrero just would not come off… well eventually it did, but it took forever… what is even up with that?

The back of Jenni’s dress was amazing!!! This picture showed off just how gorgeous it was and her pretty up do too!

Notice… no sombrero!

Alexander escorted Kat ~ a beauty from the Czech Republic. Kat is a foreign exchange student and a senior this year. She and Alexander are friends from Choir. They made a stunning couple as well.

They had a great time… Alexander even danced… Crazy I know. You can see Alexander was really proud to escort such a lovely girl.

Alex and Kat left after just a few shots to join the group they went to dinner with for pictures at Kat’s friends house. I only managed to snag two decent pictures before they darted off. I’m so glad I was able to get these two shots.

Zach putting on Jenni’s wrist corsage. Too bad I cut their heads off.

Jenni pinning on Zach’s boutonniere.

Jenni’s five year old cousin picked out and bought the earrings she’s wearing. She said she just knew Jenni would LOVE them. How sweet is that? The broach in the center of Jenni’s dress is an antique of her grandmother’s. Love, love, loved it!

This is Zach’s senior prom so I snapped a crazy amount of pictures for him. I’ll try not to bore you with too many more… but I had so much fun and it was such a pretty day for pictures.

ps… the center shot above is a picture of Jenni and her sister, Morgan.

I loved this shot of my two guys… had to add it to our header for now.

That’s all folks.

A Momma's Plea ~ Vote Please!!!

2010-04-30T09:22:00.008-05:00

Kearney Missouri High School Chamber Choir
Vote for best Glee/Choir of Kansas City on KC Fox 4
Please, please, please ~ Vote for our Choir.

On April 17, the Kearney High School Chamber Choir was honored to perform at NYC's Carnegie Hall as part of the Distinguished Concerts Int'l New York series. The next day, the choir gave an impromptu concert in the underground subway tunnels of New York. With the roar of the subway trains behind them, the choir sang "Judgment" to a quickly growing crowd. It was the experience of a lifetime. Kearney's Chamber Choir, under the direction of Mr. Jason Elam, has 30 members and was also featured this year at the Mo. Music Educators Assn. Conference - one of only 5 high school choirs invited to perform at this year's convention.

You have to click on the link within the video below and register before you can cast your vote. We're up against Liberty High School Choir... so vote once a day. Voting ends on May 4th.

Can Anyone Say, “GOOFY!!!”

2010-04-14T21:33:00.001-05:00

I love this Huck Finn look…

Misty took these photos of Zach yesterday… the sun wasn’t quite at the right spot she says… glare and shadow… caused a bit of a problem. I love them anyway.

These last two shots show off Zach’s personality to a “T”. He is so full of it sometimes.

I thought these all looked awesome… I do see what Mist meant about shadows… but they are each such good pics. Not sure what we will do for his Sr. Pictures tho.

Let’s Go Fly A Kite…

2010-04-09T19:59:00.001-05:00

OH, OH, OH, LET’S GO FLY A KITEUp to the highest height…

Let’s go fly a Kite and send it soaring…

Up through the atmosphere…

Up where the air is clear…Oh, let’s go fly a Kite!!!

When you send it flying up there…

All at once, you’re lighter than air…

You can dance on the breeze…

Over ‘ouses and trees…

With your fist ‘olding tight…

To the string of your kite!

Crazy Kite Flying Fun!!!

Easter Storm…

2010-04-08T20:19:00.001-05:00

Sunday dawned a beautiful sunny gorgeous day… as Easter Sunday should. In fact, it was one of the prettiest Easters in a long time. Late in the afternoon the clouds began to roll in… what came next was one of the loudest thunderstorms in some time. It brought crazy winds and many areas enjoyed golf ball sized hail also… we lucked out on Sunday’s storm, but not so much on Tuesday Evening’s (BUMMER).

Here is a picture I captured right as the rain stopped. Isn’t it just beautiful. It makes me think of Christ ascending in to Heaven.

This is the Rainbow I captured when I looked out the other direction… How cool is that?

Another shot of the Son… I mean Sun peaking through the clouds. I loved it!

And this is the picture of the guy who wanted to meet Jesus. He was up there flying in the middle of the Thunderstorm… Brent says he was trying to fly above the storm… CRAZY!!!

Simple Easter Pleasures…

2010-04-04T16:53:00.001-05:00

An Easter Egg Hunt, followed by Family & Food.

May everyone have a Happy Easter full of simple pleasures.

Maxi Dress Repurposed to Fab Shirt

2010-04-01T21:32:00.001-05:00

Before….

Cute… but could use a little something special.

After…

Pretty, pretty ruffled shirt.

What I did…

Cut off excess length at hem of dress.

From piece you remove… cut 1 1/2” strips

Set sewing machine on loosest straight stitch setting…

Sew strips down the center… I just eyeball it…

Gather strip by pulling top thread only…

Pin in place and stitch down the center of the gather…

WaLa… Now you have a fab new Shirt…

I made a little hairpin with some of the leftover ruffle… likey, likey!

Hmmmmm…. What do you think?

2010-03-29T20:03:00.001-05:00

Misty or Ashelyn???

My girls look a bit a like.

The Beginning of Our Fun Filled Weekend…

2010-03-26T21:37:00.001-05:00

Day One… tumble on Gramma’s bed watching a quiet movie while sissy is napping. Lots of Lego lovin’. A trip to Mickey D’s for some Ckn nuggets and a little tunnel fun. Home for a play in the tub… jammies and watching “Monsters Vs. Aliens” with Grampa. Doesn’t get much better than that.

Misty and Jake made this for Ashe and Gid

2010-03-26T21:12:00.003-05:00

I forgot to mention that we're watching our sweet wee ones while mommy and daddy are playing in NYC over their anniversary. They made this for the little ones. So sweet!

What do you do with old zippers???

2010-03-17T18:58:00.001-05:00

Sew… what do you do with an antique tin full of old zippers? Some have never been used and some obviously were stripped from garments to be used again.

This is what I’m doing:

I saw this idea in blogland and remembered this tin of zippers… sew Miss Ashelyn is going to be sporting some pretty new rosettes in her little piggy tails. Yay, yay, yay! These are about the size of a quarter btw. Me likey!

Live in the Moment!

2010-03-14T08:02:00.001-05:00

I saw this wonderful saying and idea HERE! Just knew I had to do the same thing too! Some times we get caught up in what was, and what will be, and forget about what is.

I love, love, love it!

We Rocked the ZUMBA!!!

2010-03-13T12:42:00.002-06:00

Misty and I rocked the ZUMBA at ZUMBA class today! It was awesome... I am so excited to have a class to attend again. I soooo need to get back in shape and it was so stinkin' fun! If you've never tried it... you should.

Finally…

2010-03-09T18:25:00.001-06:00

You know how when you paint something, you really can’t remember what it looked like before… maybe that’s just me… anywho… I looked and looked and tried to find a before picture of my mantle. We have a new computer and of course all of my old pictures did not get loaded on it. Then being a little slower than the average Joe, I remembered… Hey Dingy, I’m pretty sure you’ve blogged a picture or two… So without further ado… HERE it is.

Before (dressed for Christmas)

I always liked it before, but I love it now!

After

It seems like it was meant to be painted this luscious Swiss Coffee color. (oh, and what is up with that? Since when is Coffee a white color? Do the Swiss drink milk with a sprinkle of coffee added?)

I played around with a few accessories. There is probably too much, but I like it, so it works for me for now.

Score!!!

2010-03-07T19:32:00.001-06:00

Brent and I went looking for a rug for our living room… still didn’t find one we both loved… might have to order one online… but check this out.

My Brent is amazing… he made this hangy thing that fits in the air vent and sticks out and away from the wall… it allows airflow behind the picture frame. How cool is that for a camouflage job?

The picture below… is a close up of the frame. I LOVE IT!! Bj saw it at Gordmen’s at one of our many stops on our outing to find an accent rug. Well, at least we didn’t go away empty handed. I like how the pictures are all wonky… so I went with silly pictures too for most of the shots! Misty is going to help me make a scrolly thingy for above it (well, at least I hope she does, she might change her mind when she sees this)… Don’t you think a pretty scrolly thingy will complete the look. Yay, Yay, YAY!!!

Misty’s picture is my fav… silly girl! I call it twinkle toes.

Speaking of toes… how cute are these?

This is how my babies were sitting when I got to Misty’s on Friday to make my word blurb. I thought it was a photo moment if ever there was one. They were watching Blue’s Clues and not paying attention to Gramma at all… except for a quick, “Hi Gramma!!” when I first walked in the door. They were lovin’ them some Blue’s Clues, you can see they were totally engrossed. I’m pretty sure they were singing when I snapped this photo. Ahhh, memories. My little ones loved Blue’s clues too!

Zach’s Big Day…

2010-03-07T00:03:00.003-06:00

Zach was sworn in to the Air National Guard today at 10:00 this morning. It was amazing… Colonel Mike McEnulty, the 139th Air Lift Wing Commander, did the swearing in. Before the swearing in he talked to Zach about what an elite group he was joining… The United State Military… has a 90% approval rating… compared to our President… that’s quite a difference. He told Zach that less the 1% of the population of the United States are members of the elite group… and that they are a noble tenacious group.

This is a picture of the Colonel congratulating Zach after the swearing in.

This is picture of Zach with his immediate commanders in the 241st Air Traffic Control Squadron. This is where Zach will be working after boot camp and tech school… the 241st Air Traffic Control Squadron. It is a fairly new structure, with very up to date technology. We were given a guided tour of the base by the Colonel… it was awesome!

Here’s the whole family with Zach right after the swearing in… I’m pretty sure I still had a tear in my eye. I was so very proud of him. (somehow we missed getting Jacob in a picture… we failed)

Zach’s sweetie, Jenni, attended the ceremony with us… She was just as teary eyed as me. It was awesome to see how proud she was too.

Grandpa and Auntie Lynn attended the ceremony also… poor sweet Phyllis was sick, sick all the night before and was unable to attend. I’m so sorry she was not able to be there… I know she was looking forward to it and we so wanted her to be there. I am sure that Zach’s grandparents that have passed on were very proud of him and were there with us watching on as he took this step towards his future. It was a great day for Zach and we were so happy to be a part of it.

Pretty Much Amazing!!!

2010-03-05T18:34:00.001-06:00

I’m in LOVE!!!

Thank you, thank you Misty Sunshine for your expert assistance with the vinyl lettering and beginning picture placement. I think that might have been the toughest part… Just where do you start. You are a wonder to behold… no really, thank you sweet girl. I love you!

I love everything about my picture collage/word blurb wall… well except for the stupid cold air return… I stuck up the scroll looking thing to see if I thought something like this might work to detract from its ugliness but still let it serve the purpose it was created for. I am on a mission to find something similar but larger to do a better job of camouflage.

Misty at The Doan Gang would love to help you with your vinyl lettering needs… you should check in with here sometime.

More Balanced

2010-03-04T21:23:00.001-06:00

I redid the pictures above the mantle to mimic the vaulted ceiling… it’s much more balanced, doncha’ think?

I added Misty’s bridal shots… perfect!

I’m working on a picture wall… here are a few shots I hope to include… I plan to add some of the awesome word blurbs as well between some of the shots for balance… I am going to have to reprint a few of my favorite shots… the sun faded them… bummer.

Maybe… Let’s Try ‘em for a Day!

2010-03-01T20:20:00.001-06:00

I know… not chocolate and blue… but I really didn’t like the chocolate and blue, I tried, honest… but it looked like a funeral home. Certainly not what I was going for. Now… I need to get the pictures up… a couple of sconces for above the mantel… an accent rug or two and a few more accessories… so much to do.

So Many Options… What’s a Girl to Do?

2010-02-26T19:26:00.001-06:00

Here are just a few options… I’m thinking… brown or brown with blue… or… I don’t really have a clue. Click on the pictures and it will open a link to where I found these. Help a girl out… what do you think?

A Living Room Redo…

2010-02-22T18:58:00.001-06:00

Before…

After…

Fabulous!!!

4 new globes and three cans of textured spray paint…in Autumn Brown. Total cost of redo… $38.00! No more shiney brass, dated globes and blaw blades… How cool is that?

Love It!!

I still need to put some pictures on the wall… but I love, love, love the new neutral look… still need to change out the tile on the mantle… but that’s another day. The trim and mantle are painted in a semi-gloss Behr’s “Swiss Coffee” The wall is a satin in Ralph Lauren’s “Greenwich”

Ceiling painted back to a bright white… the coolest paint ever… started out violet and dried to bright white. It was a light green that was supposed to complement the green wall color… it failed big time. I hated it right after we painted it the first time. But… you don’t repaint a ceiling until you’re ready to paint the wall if you live in our home… did I mention all of the wood had to be touched literally 6 times. Whip down with soapy rag… wipe down with deglosser… 2 coats of primer… 2 coats of paint. Notice most of the trim is along the floor… duck walking should be outlawed… after a while you’re kneeling… rug burns hurt… it’s pretty much a painful endeavor no matter how you do it… but I think well worth the effort. Did I mention… I think my hip popped out and my back was SCREAMING the entire time…. but who’s whining? Nope not me… I really do love it and at least I didn’t have to climb the ladder 500 times or look up at the ceiling and have a major crick in my neck. Painting really uses some muscles that should apparently be used more often.

Love ‘em!

2010-02-21T07:38:00.001-06:00

You’re smiling, aren’t you? I know I am.

How could you resist this face?

Just look at these sparkling eyes… Are you mesmerized?

Once again, I know I am.

Gosh I love these two sweet babies to pieces, they bring joy each and every time I see them.

I Fail!

2010-02-20T09:15:00.001-06:00

The day Zach went for his ASVAB test he asked me to make him Chicken Pot Pie. He did such a stellar job and we were so proud of him… I thought I’d write it on top of the pastry. (He thinks I’m Crazy!) He scored high enough on the test to qualify easily for every branch of the military and for any job he desired. He was so pumped. Zach gets sworn in to the Air National Guard on March 6th. We are so proud of him and I’m sorry I failed to write about this sooner. I will be sure to get pictures.

Sweet!

2010-02-19T07:06:00.001-06:00

Is this seriously not the sweetest picture ever?!? Crazy boy… sporting Sissy’s tutu and Uncle Zachy's motorcycle helmet and gloves. Quite the look. Darth Vader in Drag!

Not to be undone… here is Sissy doing her “Sprockets ~ Deiter Dances”

Valentine’s Greetings From Our Home to Yours…

2010-02-14T18:44:00.001-06:00

May your day be filled with love and family!

Simple Joys…

2010-02-07T11:02:00.001-06:00

I love how Ashelyn and Gideon are able to find joy in the simplest things.

Who knew a silly little hamper could be so much fun to play with.

Just look how much fun they created with such a simple thing! So, so sweet! Gideon pulled sissy all the way from the front hall into the living room. Such a strong boy. Then it was his turn to play. We had to break out a second hamper to keep the peace.

After mommy, daddy, and sissy left to run errands, Gideon and I constructed a tent from an ancient quilt and my huge oak rocking chair. He had so much fun, he didn’t want to leave his tent for lunch. Silly, silly man.

A lesson can be learned from these little ones. Find joy in the simple things.

Pretend this is Ashelyn…

2010-02-01T20:57:00.001-06:00

Imagine a cute little girl modeling this.

I wanted you to see from the top and the bottom. I Love this pretty little pansy fabric.

I’ve had it forever… just waiting for a project.

I think this turned out awesome… sure hope it fits.

I got the idea and instructions HERE on One Pretty Thing.

Have I ever mentioned I love, love, LOVE… One Pretty Thing.

Osage Beach Outlet Mall Rocks Big Time!!!

2010-01-30T09:16:00.001-06:00

I failed to mention that the MMEA Conference was held at Tan-Tar-A which just happens to be in Osage Beach… and you can’t go to Osage Beach without stopping in at the uberlicious outlet mall.

The first place we went was The Children’s Place… woot, woot!!!

Ashe and Gid scored big time!

Ashe’s Apparel

Gid’s Goods

I scored some super sweet new gloves from the Van Heusen Store.

Fun Times!!!

MMEA – Kearney Chamber Choir

2010-01-30T08:21:00.001-06:00

We were able to attend Zach’s high school’s Chamber Choir concert, performed at the Missouri Music Educator’s Association Conference (MMEA) on Friday. This is an honor that only a select few choirs get to participate in every year. It was truly amazing. The Choir preformed 3 original pieces, written and arranged especially for this honor along with 4 other works. We attended with Dad and Momma Phyllis… it was so much fun to spend time with them.

Here are the few pictures we were able to snatch. Some are very blurry… poor lighting.

I love the shots of Zach helping out his buddy with his collar while preparing for their performance.

I liked this shot Brent got of Zachy and me.

And… My Favorite!!!

This was a shot of Zach after the performance… much after… as you can see he was preparing to remove his tux… such a stud… well at least he thinks so. WE LOVE YOU ZACHY and are so very proud of you!

New Look for Mrs Frosty

2010-01-17T22:01:00.001-06:00

Well… you can see she’s starting to melt… she’s losing some of her pretty features. So what’s a girl to do… new accessories.

The yarn boa is close to 15 yrs old… made by my momma-in-law and me. I think the scarf brings out the color of her eyes. Of course I had to pick them up off the ground and reset them in her melting face before adding her accessories. She needed a few other minor adjustments as well… she’s a melting fast.

Oh, The hat is from the 60’s and Bj’s Grandmamma made it… isn’t it awesome?

Have pleasant dreams all!

~ Kimberly

Momma’s Easter Hat…

2010-01-16T17:08:00.001-06:00

Momma Loved this Hat!

I couldn’t resist… Bj thinks I’m Crazy!

Ok… really he knows I’m crazy… but I love it too!

Too bad I don’t have something to wear it with…

No really I should say… A good thing I don’t have something to wear it with.

ps… I’ve been trying to grow my hair out… what a bummer!

Takes FOREVER!!!!

Just a Little Something I Whipped Up…

2010-01-16T16:30:00.001-06:00

Hmmmmm ~ What could this be?

I love the little vintage button!

A Candle Snuggy??? Funny… but no!

It’s just the easiest hat ever…

I just whipped it up for Miss Ashelyn.

It is basically a tube of blanket fleece. I doubled over one edge and zig-zagged it in place to make the hem. Then I gathered the top edge with big stitches using industrial thread and wrapped it tight to hold the little rose-et. Then all it needed was the vintage button to finish it off.

Yup… uber simple!

Mrs Frosty Needed Something…

2010-01-16T16:07:00.001-06:00

Isn’t she so sweet? But she needs a little something.

Don’cha think?

Ah… That’s better…

(Sorry the picture is blurred)

All she needed was the right hat and scarf.

I had to build Mrs Frosty all by myself… dang it.

My boys think they’re too old to play in the snow with me.

Are you ever… really to Old to Play in the Snow???

I don’t think so… what’s your take.

Think Spring…

2010-01-16T15:22:00.001-06:00

I decided to dress the kitchen table for Spring… Maybe I’ll get some good Kharma.

Cook Out Anyone???

2010-01-10T08:54:00.001-06:00

Well… I don’t know… what’da you think? It might be interesting at least, if rather cold. I about froze my patootie off when I went out to snap these pictures.

My feet were semi-warm.

I don’t know why… but I love this picture.

You can see the frost sparkling on everything.

This is the drift out our front door.

the color is just from shadows… no retouching.

I thought it looked cool… pun intended.

Drifts out in the backyard… sparkling in the sun.

I love fir trees… wish I had this in my front yard…

Pooh! It’s our neighbor’s across the street.

The view from my front porch.

It is so very pretty… but I’m ready for the deep freeze to warm up.

Repurposing… Come On… It’s Fun!

2010-01-09T00:20:00.001-06:00

So I’ve been havin’ a little fun this week… cleaning out the closet… baby steps… so much left to do, but so many ideas… What’s next on the agenda.

Have I mentioned I LOVE “One Pretty Thing”!!! I have so much fun seeing what other great bloggers have come up with and which things I might attempt. Here are a few I tried out…

Ruffled scarf… from little scraps of left over fleece… Love it… need to make a few minor adjustments.

ok… I saw this somewhere from a repurposed sweater… help me out here! I can’t find it again. I made it from memory… but I wanted to give the bloggy love to the person who originally posted the idea… this is for Miss Ashelyn. Okay… YEAH!!!… I found this idea HERE! Check it out… she gives great directions.

The body of the sweater became the cute little hat for Ashelyn… then the left over sleeves became half gloves for me… I must confess, I got this idea from blogland too! Can I tell you where… nope, can’t find it anymore… bummer… I’m going to have to do a better job of bookmarking all ideas I’m interested in trying.

This last scarf is from a repurposed skirt… I LOVE IT… so warm and toasty for the neck… I decided it needs some pretty black fringe for the edges tho.

Now a question for blogland??? Can a girl have too many scarves??? Hmmmm… It’s really all about accessories… I love, love, love them.

I knit the white and the blue striped fluffy ones… and some how or another have collected the others along the way. I wear them all… I have more… and people add to my stash. Well??? What do you think?

Oh… I have to show you one more stellar find…. These are so warm and toasty too!

With all the snow Missouri has been getting… these are getting a lot of wear. Misty and I found them last week… and ya know what? I’ve managed to wear them way more than I should… I might have to pick up an alternate pair.

I better sign off now… It’s way past my bed time.

Hey, has anyone out there watched “The Guardian” with Kevin Costner and Ashton Kutcher? Did you like it? Can I just say… way longer than it needed to be and dumbest ending EVER!!!

Roxi’s New Sweater ~ Part II

2010-01-03T16:39:00.001-06:00

So… Miss Roxi is looking pretty sassy in her new Hot Pink sweater. She struts around the house like she’s something special… makes me giggle. I tried to ruffle the turtle neck on this one by stretching the collar as I was surging the edges. It gave it just a bit of a lettuce leaf effect. I like the black thread against the hot pink. It works for me.

She doesn’t even look like she needs to be taken out and shot to be put out of her misery. I think she’s beginning to like the attention she gets. I really want to make her a little tutu… but I know she’ll hate it just like Ashelyn did…. oh well, such is life.

Oh, I forgot to mention… we got a ton more snow today! What the heck is up with this? The first batch is still on the ground. I don’t think we can plan on any substantial melting any time soon with the temperatures they’re predicting for the next week or so. You’d think it was Winter or something.

Did I mention… I like a White Christmas for sure, but then it’s supposed to transition right on into Spring.

Can You Believe He’s Three? CRAZY!!!

2009-12-31T10:05:00.001-06:00

Such a Super Sweet Happy Boy!!!

So glad you had a Happy Birthday!

A New Year’s Sweater/Shirt for Roxi

2009-12-31T09:14:00.001-06:00

Roxi needed a New Year’s Sweater… Soooo… I whipped this little number up this morning. I actually made another one first, had to experiment on the pattern. The first one didn’t quite cover enough tummy for the cold, cold weather. You can see she is uber excited... NOT! Does she look just a little spoiled? Maybe just a little rotten? She’s livin’ in the lap of luxury… Ha, ha, ha! Yay right! Yup, she’s rotten… but we love her anyway!

This is why the baby needed a new sweater. Just look at that snow… what’s a little girl with hardly any fur to do? If you look closely at the bottom right picture, you can see she is smaller than the footprint in the snow. She is just so little… but she has a mighty big attitude.

Here is handsome Dueteronomy. He is such a sweetie and loves Roxi and Zoe’. He sure looks after his girls. Zoe’ wouldn’t sit for a picture… she’s a moving target at all times… well, if she’s not curled up snoozin’ somewhere that is.

Had to throw this picture in for good measure… my old chairs by the little garden pond look a little sad right now… but come Spring… oh how happy they’ll be.

More later…

I wanted to wish each of my extended blog family and especially my dear family a Happy and Prosperous New Year! May God keep and watch over you throughout the coming year and beyond.

~Kimberly

I Was Dreaming of a White Christmas…

2009-12-26T07:37:00.001-06:00

And boy, oh boy did it happen.

It looks absolutely beautiful, but let me tell you…

the way we Missourians do it… it’s treacherous!

Ice first… lots of Ice first…. followed by the first blizzard in a long time.

Then lets just blow, blow, blow around to keep things interesting.

It is that for sure… there is no reason to be driving around, unless you’re CRAZY…

The drifts completely cover one lane… Insane!

I LOVE IT! What’s up with that?

We had a beautiful, peaceful, love filled Christmas and hope you did too!

Dressed in Their Christmas Finery…

2009-12-20T16:17:00.001-06:00

Don’t they look beautiful!?! You can see the honeryness showing through with miss thing… but she looked so darn cute anywho.

Here they are again after I played with the photo in PICNIK… fun, fun, fun! I love how you can paint the area you want to have color in the black and white option. Then I added a museum matt twice for the double matted effect. Love it!

I Loved all these pictures of the little ones. Gid is putting a necklace around Sissy in the first pic. Sissy thinks Bubba needs one too! Then sissy is escaping… she was going for the cookies that were on G’ma’s counter. She’d had entirely enough picture taking for one setting. Notice Sissy not touching G’pa’s Christmas Village… darn it is so tempting.

I thought this was the sweetest picture ever! I am so bummed it was blurred. It is so tender. Gideon is such a good big brother. The little ones love to give hugs and kisses to each other… and they’ll share some with you too!

Gid's Stair Racer...

2009-12-19T19:04:00.003-06:00

Gid's a crazy little kid.
Uncle Zachary made this for him.
He thinks it's the best thing ever!!!
Fun was had by all!

Misty’s Tutu Slip

2009-12-19T19:00:00.001-06:00

Misty is a silly girl. I made her this little tutu slip to go under her Christmas Skirt I altered for her… It’s pretty much a trash to treasure. I’ll get a picture of her in her Christmas outfit when she has everything to go with it… shirt, sash and pretty party skirt. I love this picture tho!

Christmas Cookie Goodness…

2009-12-19T17:37:00.001-06:00

She HATES It!!!

2009-12-18T06:34:00.001-06:00

Doesn’t she look so cute!

She seriously HATES it!!!!

Oweeee, oweee, OWEEEE!!!'

Get it OFFFFFF!!!

Yup, those were the words that came out of her mouth.

Maybe it will grow on her and she’ll learn to love it.

She did like twirling in it for a minute while dancing with her naked dolly.

It’s All in the Packaging…

2009-12-15T23:22:00.001-06:00

The gifts for the girls are all ready to take!

The salt scrubs look so pretty and festive in their little jars with the Christmassy charm squares for toppers.

It truly is… all in the packaging!

Here are two special jars for my Misty Sunshine.

She wanted the Chocolate Peppermint…

But I just know she’ll adore the Orange Chocolate as well.

Merry HO, HO, HO to you!

Happy Christmas Crafting ~ I’d love to hear & see what you’ve been making.

Your friend in blogland ~ Kimberly

Christmas Tutu… For My Little Angel

2009-12-14T21:31:00.001-06:00

Ok… I might have gotten a little carried away.

Hair Bow… A girls gotta have bling for the hair.

Wa~La!!! I think I’m in love!!!

This will be a full length tutu…

It ties in the front to close and has an elastic waist.

All it needs is a little black onesie!

Take Two…

2009-12-13T22:33:00.001-06:00

A second coat of glue and salt and topped off with ribbon hangers and they look presentable… thank goodness.

Next up… I made some salt scrubs with all kinds of yummy scents. What girl doesn’t love a good salt scrub?

We have here: Chocolate Peppermint, Chocolate (with a little orange undertones), Peppermint, Apple~Jack (apple and cinnamon), and Orange Spearmint!

These are so easy to make… all you need:

Epsom Salt
Olive Oil
Raw Sugar
Essential Oils of Your Choice for Scents
Food Coloring if desired
I used cooking Cocoa for the Chocolate Scrubs… yummy, yummy!

And there you have it. I just dump the Epsom salt in a bowl and start pouring in everything else… it just takes a very small amount of oil… and don’t overdo the scents… less is more.

Ok… Now I’ll show you my failed attempt at Cinnamon Applesauce ornaments… don’t laugh to loud and long… not every thing is a success… that’s for dang sure. They were so pathetically ugly that I painted them with glitter paint… STILL UBER UGLY!!! But they do smell good. They’re misshapen and probably belong on the Isle of Misfit Ornaments. This is the second time I’ve tried this and I’m pretty sure the last.

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow…

2009-12-13T15:43:00.001-06:00

Snow covered candles… aren’t they lovely!?!

Snow covered votive cups… so festive!

Snow covered mini-votives… a beautiful thing!

Soon to be gifts for my girls at work.

Snowball ornaments… FAIL!!!! (supposed to be gifts for the girls at work also) They still need a little help… maybe another coat… bummer! I needed white ornament, but could only find silver… needless to say, the silver is peeking through… I’ll have to let them dry an try again.

But all in all, fun times… and very easy… only needed epson salt and mod-podge. fun, fun, fun!

One more picture… I really loved how these turned out!

I loved my impromptu candle stand… I turned a pretty flower shaped planter over and put my pretty flower shaped plate on top… It’s kinda bulky I know, but I think it works anywho. I’m taking a lesson from some of my bloggin’ buddies.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree… How Lovely are Thy Branches!

2009-12-12T12:27:00.001-06:00

Finally finished the Christmas Tree in the living room… What can I say… I’ve been a little busy.

I’ve joined Thrifty Decor Chick’s Christmas Tree Party. So many rooms… so many options. So many wonderful inspiring creative ideas.

Check it out… It’s amazing!

Christmas Puppy…

2009-12-12T12:09:00.001-06:00

Oh Well, Better Late Than Never…

2009-12-12T08:40:00.001-06:00

This is the whole group that got together for Thanksgiving at Dad & Phyllis’ house. We had such a wonderful time and were so thankful for their warm hospitality. The food and family fun could not have been better. You can see we had quite a crowd. It was AWESOME! It was kinda difficult to get the whole hee haw gang looking at the camera at the same time… this was the best shot.

I loved this shot of Great Grandpa and Ashelyn playing out side with the sun in the background. It was such a beautiful day for November… another thing to be truly thankful for… our weather really has been glorious this year with just a few bad days thrown in to keep it real.

Gideon was so intent on riding the tricycle and Grandpa Bj was having the best time watching. It was so sweet to see the Grandpas out playing with the little ones. I loved it… another thing to be thankful for.

Best shot ever of all four playing!

Good times had by all!

I just had to include this picture.

Uncle David and Lacy!

Aren’t they just the cutest?!!!

It was a wonderful family celebration.

Thank you, thank you Dad and Sweet, Sweet Phyllis for hosting.

The Food was Awesome!!!!

Three Models… and it’s done.

2009-12-08T22:15:00.001-06:00

Ok… you can see it works on my head with hair… (how do you like my self portrait?) However, on Eldest Son… not so much… gonna need to take the band in a bit, Bummer…Big time!?!?

I like it tho, it’s very very warm. I like the little snowman’s picture tho. so cute!

Santa Lucia… Here I Come!

2009-12-08T19:41:00.001-06:00

So I whipped this little gem up for Miss Thang for her Santa Lucia celebration at her Great G’Ma’s house this weekend. Isn’t she just the cutest little thing ever? Family traditions can be so fun. Thank you for letting me help with this Misty. I had such a great time.

Great G’Ma Fish and G’Ma Doan this is for you.

Such a sweet little girl!

Now for an outfit for bubba… nother day tho… I have to make a Renaissance Hat to adorn my eldest son’s head for the feast. Oh well, no rest for the ~~wicked… what the heck… I don’t even think I’m wicked~~… just no rest for a weary girl is all I’m sayin’

The Lord of the Court

2009-12-08T00:24:00.001-06:00

I know… the hairy legs, socks and slippers really set it off to a T. Just need to add black or ivory tights and black shoes or boots… Oh and possibly a hat with fur trim… we’ll see. Wa~La! Ta~Dah! I’m pretty pleased over all. Mr. Man says he’s sure Mr. E would pay me to make some more for another year… Yeah, I don’t think so… I said I didn’t think he’d want to pay what I would want to charge for the bloody fingers… te he he.

Finito!!!

2009-12-07T22:02:00.001-06:00

Finished ~ Over ~ At an End

And I have the tired, sore, somewhat bloody (I know gross) fingers to prove it.

He should look dashing… don’cha think?

I guess next I will be assisting in the making of a Santa Lucia dress for my little princess (Just found out last night and she needs if for Sunday, Dec. 13th. It is simple I have been assured.

Happy 26th Anniversary Sweetheart!!!

2009-12-06T19:12:00.001-06:00

I love you!!!

Why Oh Why Did I Say I’d Do This???

2009-12-06T19:07:00.001-06:00

And what was I thinking? Seriously!!!

About to have a major sleeve redo.

The new sleeve… very Renaissance?

At least that is what I was going for… now on to sleeve number two… boo hoo… me no likey.

So I took a break and made these…

Aren’t they just so sweet?!? Little mini stockings for everyone in the family… They will be adorning the Christmas tree and they’ll have a little som’in’ for their corresponding family member.

Oh, and I’ve been dying to try This…

Can I just say… not so fun to make either… don’t think I’ll be whipping up too many of these neither. Nope… it was a major pain in my patootie… yup it was. It was supposed to adorn my front door… that was the whole point. Bj thinks that’s not such a wise idea and I tend to agree. Fraid the wind would knock it to smithereen.

Ps… wish me luck… more sewing to come.

Inspiration… A funny thing

2009-11-20T22:17:00.001-06:00

From Beautiful Ribbon to inspiration… I couldn’t resist at least trying.

I just might be in LOVE!I thought the colors were so beautiful,

Violet and silver… certainly not traditional

Yet lovely for a Victorian theme.

Just a Few More Pretties for My Table…

2009-11-17T21:01:00.001-06:00

A few more fun glass art projects for my table, so very easy, yet I think they turned out pretty.

Just squirt it on and swirl it around. How easy is that? I like to layer the color. Apply one, swirl it around, and then add the other color on top for a detail.

Costumes and Tablescapes…

2009-11-15T21:53:00.001-06:00

KHS High School Musical is almost at a close and it’s on to the next Musical Event. Every year for Christmas the KHS Chamber Choir assisted by the Concert Choir, Women’s Bel~Canto, and the Men’s Testostertones (new this year) put on a beautiful Musical Renaissance Feast. The Chamber Choir dresses to the nines for this event. This will be Zach’s last year to participate and he asked that I make his costume for this year’s festivities. What you see here is a deconstructed suit, fur coat, and blouse (all purchased at Saver’s Thrift Store) soon to be a Renaissance Costume Extraordinaire… at least I hope so. Sure hope Zach likes it… did I mention picky, picky, PICKY boy. This is obviously a very rough start… There is much, much, much sewing yet to be done.

On to the beginnings of a fun Christmas Tablescape…

Certainly not traditional… but, I had so much fun working on it.

The Hurricane in the center of the wreath above was just a plain Jane cheapo hurricane. I purchased Gold and Silver DecoArt Craft Twinkles Writer that is designed to turn glass into stained art. I love, love, LOVE!!! the final results. I also took two burned up trumpet jar candles and did the same thing for each side of the center piece… so much fun… I may have painted a few other glass pieces as well… I can’t stop… I’m thinking early Christmas Gifts maybe.

More pictures of the finished projects to follow. Wish me Luck!

KHS 2009 Production of “The Pajama Game”

2009-11-15T07:59:00.001-06:00

Alex is motion… just look at him go. I wish I had a better picture of him and Mignonne (lower right pic) doing the tango. They rocked it big time! He did an amazing lift… made his momma and dad sooooo proud. He looks pretty studdly all the same and isn’t she just gorgeous!?!

Here are just a few more pictures of my Baby boy acting. If you know Alex at all you know that this was totally out of his comfort zone. He’s always been our quiet child. He’s a sit back and watch kinda child… much like his dad. Well he sure came out of his shell for this production. It was a lot of hard work and we truly are proud of his efforts. The lower right shot is an after production shot of Alex and Keri (his heart-throb). Alex was pretty pumped and acting silly. I loved it!

I couldn’t resist putting this picture all by its lonesome… just look at him holding off this crowd of girls… no really he was holding them all up. Isn’t he strong… and Handsome!!! Oh, his Keri is the pretty blonde in the yellow skirt in the middle of the picture.

Who Knew????

2009-11-09T18:29:00.001-06:00

…a Trick or Treating Pail could be so much fun?

Enters mischievous little girl.

Do you see the twinkle? Do you see the sparkle?

Momma is so patient and loving.

She has the prettiest smile around… even with a pail on her head.

Ashelyn thought she was so cute!

hmmmm…. Who should be next???

Can you see Me? I can see You!!!

Peek a Boo!!! How Do You Do?

I think it’s Bubba’s turn… don’t you?

No really… it won’t hurt at all… just try it!

See isn’t it cool? I sure think so!

Well… I guess I’ll humor sissy!

Yup! She’s right! It is sooooo fun!

Now… Wasn’t that just the funniest night ever?!?

Who Knew???

Best Found Photo Ever…

2009-11-08T09:17:00.001-06:00

So I found this uber awesome photo of Brent’s family from around 1976. Love, love, love the do’s, get ups, and especially dad’s muttonchops. Pretty much it is the best picture ever. I scanned this from a little button… It scanned great, gotta love the Picasa. We think Bj was around 12 in this photo. Wasn’t he just a cutie pie?

New Look for Fall…

2009-11-07T15:19:00.001-06:00

So I was thinking… It’s been over a year since I messed with my hair… That is way too long for me! Time for a new do.

Really, the only thing I changed was the color. I went with Red-Oak… just so you know, the color turned out totally different than the sample looked. Oh well, that’s what you get when you color your hair yourself. Lucky for me, I kinda like it.

I went shopping last weekend and picked up this dress, shirt, skirt thingee I have on in the photo above. The boys told me to wear it as pictured… I thought I better get a picture so I can see how I look before I venture out in to the public. Thank goodness! That is just way too much leg showing for someone with old chubby knees. It would maybe look cute with the right pair of jeans under it, but that is even debatable. I removed the straps and wore it as a skirt with a sweater over the t-shirt… mucho better… what do you think of my photography? I had to use the timer…please pay no attention to the snarl in the second picture… I snarl sometimes, what can I say? I’ll try it again another time. Misty is way better at the self photography… she has that uber long reach and the perfect smile every time… oh well that’s life.

Saturday Morning at GrandMa’s

2009-11-02T17:45:00.001-06:00

I love, love, love these reflection shots of the little ones. Ashelyn came over to visit with Grandma and Grandpa on Saturday morning with Momma, while Daddy and Gideon were working on things for the big Party. I thought she looked so very pretty in her purple and black, I couldn’t resist snapping a few pictures.

Such a sweet little girl. She just wanted to go outside and play with the puppy dogs.

You know she needed a snack before she headed out to Wal-Mart with Mommy and Grandma. What a good little girl she was. Her babies had to come along as well. Good times!

Halloween Goodness…

2009-11-01T18:35:00.001-06:00

Here is our sweet little Lady Bug and our super sweet Bumble Bee. They hit the candy before the little hob-goblins showed up. The whole Doan Gang and extended family that live in the KC area met at Misty’s and Jakes for a little chili goodness and some trick or treating fun.

I love this shot of Ashelyn’s curls. I always wanted Misty to have curls… she did, but we had to perm her hair to get them.

She was so excited to get to trick or treat… she was all about the candy.

Here is the whole hee haw gang. It was hard to get them to stand still for a picture. You can see that the little ones are all looking in different directions. They were all so cute in their costumes. Check out Jason in his Gnome suit. How cute is he?

Bj couldn’t resist an opportunity to dress up and scare a few kiddies as they came for their candy. We’re a bit warped, what can I say.

Ella and Jenna weren’t sure what to think of Gid’s and Ashelyn’s Grandpa. They decided he was okay.

This was the best shot I could get of the little Doan Family the kids just wanted to trick or treat… they certainly did not want to stop for pictures… who even need those anyway?

Anywho… more pictures later. It was a super fun evening. Thank Jacob and Misty for hosting this fun family event.

Sorry, I couldn’t resist just a few more… Ashelyn was seriously eating three suckers at once… and momma and daddy let her cuz they said Halloween only happens once a year.

This makes me giggle. What a mess.

She was bound and determined to eat this one… she didn’t care that the paper was still on. Gideon was a moving target the whole evening and refused to let Grandma get a picture… pooh!

The Red Hot Chili Peppers of ACT

2009-10-30T15:07:00.001-05:00

We’re Red Hots or Red Hot Chili Peppers… whatever you want to call us.

You can see some of us were a little more into it than others.

A HUGE THANK YOU goes out to Misty and Jacob for printing our t-shirts with their awesome new vinyl cutter. You all ROCK!

Here’s a picture of the whole ACT crew that participated in this years costume contest. You can see Michael is alive and well at ACT.

Here Michael is with his body guard… kinda scary huh? We have fun.

Before and After…

2009-10-25T21:06:00.001-05:00

BEFORE

Sad… but useable

AFTER

Glam, Glorious, Glitzy and Girly… Hers

Bold and Beautiful… His

Please don’t mind the towels beneath them… still a little tacky… had to protect my new floor.

Mine with a temporary topper.

ps… I tried to paint the lamp shade. When you turn it on it looks yucky… pooh!

Oh well I guess a new shade at least is on the horizon.

Bj’s with his man stuff.

What I used…

White hi-gloss spray paint for the handles… about 20 coats… I’m not even kidding.
Klean-Strip Easy Liquid Sander Deglosser… You wipe down the wood with this. I went over the whole thing twice.
Interior Water-Based Primer. I gave the entire thing two coats.
Dutch Boy Home Interior Premium Latex Wall & Trim Enamel in Semi-Gloss… Swiss Coffee

It took pretty much all day to get both nightstands complete.

I should have sanded in between the primer coats… I’m a bit of a slacker

Yes I am happy with the final outcome.

Bedroom Makeover in Progress…

2009-10-25T13:55:00.001-05:00

I fail at taking a before shot… but, what I did… taped off picture and painted the matt and frame American Accents Heirloom White. I also touched up the shelves to ensure they would match. I took a bargain spray from Home Interiors and added the light blue flowers and the bow… don’t love it, but it will have to do for now.

ps… Pay no attention to what is on the shelves… that too is a work in progress.

Here is a close up of the spray… It will work for now because it ties the quilt and the painting together nicely.

Here is the fountain the kids got me for Christmas last year. I love it! The base was black and for some reason our hard water made the paint bubble up… so I painted it with the indoor/outdoor Heirloom White as well. Then I added the cobalt blue and pearl white glass for a pop of color. I will have to wait to add water for a couple of days yet so that the paint has time to cure. I love how it turned out!

I shouldn’t even put this picture in, but it does show my lovely floor. Is that dust… I think it is… hmmmm…. what can I say, I was working and got excited to take a few pictures… should have dust mopped first. Oh well, please ignore the lamp and ugly night stand also… oh, and the missing switch plate… still need to change all electrical outlets and switches over to white. The lamp is also a work in progress. I painted the brass a gloss white and painted the shade as well to make a nice clear surface for covering. The fabric that is draped over it will soon be a new shade cover and table scarves. We aren’t fast by any means, but it will eventually be complete.

And NOW… my BEFORE

I have two of these little lovelies! Brent and I got these as hand me downs from his mom and pop. I know they were part of their first bedroom set. So… I’m guessing they are going on 35+ years. Certainly dated… but I know they can be improved greatly with a little elbow grease some primer and about a dozen coats of paint. Hey, check out those handles… aren’t they just a scary sight. We’ll see what a coat of paint does for them. Oh, and funny thing. The two night stands have different handles. I wonder what’s up with that. Anywho, stay tuned for the after pictures.

Her Voice Gives Me Chills...

2009-10-17T05:22:00.006-05:00

Absolutely Beautiful!!!
If I could only...

In my dreams I sing like this.

One more for good measure...
The Voice: Hayley Westenra

Ok... So Maybe I'm Warped...

2009-10-17T05:14:00.002-05:00

This Makes Me Giggle!!!

What can I say? I like Ukulele Music.

More From PompLaMoose...

2009-10-15T19:44:00.002-05:00

I love, love, love her voice!

I think they are so very fun and quirky.
I'm really quite jealous.

Can I get a Hallelujah?!!!

2009-10-12T23:22:00.001-05:00

Yes, it’s finally begun. Our new bedroom floor… I am uber excited. Yup… I’m walking on Sunshine… Yeahhhhh!!!! And don’t it feel good… Yup it sure do.

I think this one shows the pretty grain… I love, love, LOVE it!!!! My poor little sweetie has gone to bed and tomorrow is a full day of swim meets and choir concerts so it will have to be ~~Wednesday~~ this weekend before we get to finish and have a bedroom reveal. You may not remember the original post where this project began it was soooooo LONG ago…. but check it out HERE and HERE (~~Yes, I’m a very patient wife to wait this long~~… come on we’re talking March… who even waits this long for floor? Well apparently us. No really when you pay cash sometimes you have to wait forever and then nag, nag, nag and nag some more, then when you’ve given up all hope of ever having a floor in your bedroom, your amazing husband goes out and buys the PERFECT floor all on his own… so yes a little patience does pay off in the end).

Ok… I looked up patience and I pretty much fail… this is what it says…

Patience is the state of endurance under difficult circumstances, which can mean persevering in the face of delay or provocation without becoming annoyed or upset; or exhibiting forbearance when under strain, especially when faced with longer-term difficulties.

Yes… I failed… I persevered because I had to… that doesn’t count apparently… but the rest of those words that means I did a good thing… not so much. What can I say… I was tired of ugly underlayment and cut up bits of carpet. I’m bad!

Isn’t it lovely? Isn’t it beautiful? A picture of the beauty in progress… no I’m really not excited… I was just havin’ ya on before… ya right!

ps… Don’t pay attention to the fact that the wall socket is missing its cover and needs to be changed over to white… and the floor vent needs to be painted a brown to match the flooring… all things in time.

Pomplamoose.... Gotta Love It.

2009-10-11T08:17:00.000-05:00

Baby Girl Lounge Pants

2009-10-10T22:55:00.001-05:00

From unused turtleneck shirt to Lounge Pants for my G’Baby Girl. Gotta love ’em! This is the second pair I whipped up today… The first pair I made from one of my son’s thermal shirts… sew cute… pun intended. They are so easy and there is literally no cost other than the elastic. Can’t beat that. If you would like to find out how to make some for your little one, go HERE.

I do a slight variation on her pattern. I work from the inside out… by matching up the side seams and putting the fold down the center of the front and back of the shirt it allows you to use more of the t-shirt… which makes for longer pants. When your little one has long legs like our little miss Ashelyn you will appreciate this option. The crotch somewhat mirrors where the arm holes were. I think you get the picture. Just flip the pattern and work from the fold. It works like a dream.

Kearney Homecoming 2009

2009-10-08T19:51:00.001-05:00

The gents were looking uber studly and the ladies couldn’t have looked lovelier. I can’t believe this is already Zach’s senior year. Crazy! And Alex a sophomore… how did that even happen?

Bj and I prepared and served dinner to Alex and Miss Kari, while Zach, Jenni and several friends went to dinner at an over-priced restaurant that gave the horrible service.

Our Sweet Baby…

2009-09-26T20:30:00.001-05:00

How could you look in this sweet face and not just fall in love? She is a growing girl, she’s up to 2 1/2 lbs… crazy! Still so tiny. She should top out at 4 to 6 lbs.

Notice the little pretty she’s wearing around her neck. The only color collar we could find was blue… that just wouldn’t do for our little girl… so, I cut a strip of fabric two inches wide by twice the length of the collar, surged the edges, flipped it inside out… the hardest part… seriously… I hate that part. Then fed it over that ugly collar and wa’ la’ presto chango a pretty little girl collar. Cheap, cheap… made with scraps. My sister, Renee, and her daughter-in-laws might recognize this fabric as a left over scrap from the g’baby girls’ dresses. Just goes to show that even a tiny scrap of fabric is good for something.

More Fun With Luminaries…

2009-09-26T20:16:00.001-05:00

Here are the three beautiful fall Luminaries Misty and I made for here house. I love how the colors pop. We went with three different sizes for a nice center piece option… just throw in a few fall leaves and a pretty table runner.

On the three I did for our home I went with three small jelly jars (all the same size). I love how they alternate with the pillars for a pretty kick.

Here the candle display is remade over for a nice winter theme. I HEART this one! It didn’t show up very well in the picture, but the two round snowball candles are sooooo uber cute… Love them! When we Mod Podged the center luminary we completely covered the upper lip. It turned out awesome… even earned the Eldest Son’s seal of approval. That takes some doing. I think he was thinking gift idea also.

The kitchen table is currently dressed for fall. It will transition easily over to a Christmas theme with just a few minor changes.

Fun stuff and easy to do. Hope you’re inspired to pick up a jar a Mod Podge and join in the fun. I’d love to see what you do, so be sure to blog and comment.

I {heart} luminaries!

2009-09-25T17:39:00.001-05:00

Beautiful fall colors!

Red, gold, burgundy, and orange…

Makes you just want to jump in a pile of leaves.The cool crisp color of a snowy winter night.

All these little lovelies take is:

a bottle of Mod Podge… we selected glossy
tissue paper cut in little squares or torn to size
a foam brush
jars of any size or little clear votive cups
embellishments of choice… we went with raffia.

Now think how many friends and family might enjoy these for a sweet handmade gift.

Funny Story... Scary Lady...

2009-09-16T17:04:00.011-05:00

So the story goes something like this...

My good friend, Anita, and I decided to kill two birds with one stone over lunch today. We went to the HyVee Grocery Store for both lunch and to order cakes for our sons' birthdays. We proceeded to the deli counter to pay for our awesome lunches from the HyVee Salad Buffet... truly a stellar Salad Buffet... I had to make do with the image above... didn't have a camera handy to take a picture and they would have thought I was crazy if I whipped one out anyway... sorry I digress...

Anywho, Anita went to the buffet first while I staked out claim to our table. Then we swapped places. Now I don't know if you've ever been to a HyVee Salad Buffet... but they are huge and people join the throng from all sides at all times... Peace Lovin' Me walks up to the buffet... I notice a lady at the end... yes, near the plates... but not really looking toward the salad section at all.... but is instead poking around the fruit and dessert section on the end... so I step up to the plates, take one and begin to fill my plate with salad goodness... when all of a sudden I hear and see her... yes the scary lady... go... Well hmmmmffff! So I say, I'm sorry did I cut you off... in all sincereness... I kid you not. And scary lady says... Well I'm from Southern Missouri and We don't treat people like this where I'm from.... then she proceeds to storm off around to the other side of the bar with her plate.

About this time a nice man and his sweet little boy approach the buffet from the other direction to get the little one some Chili and Cheese... nice man says Pardon Me... I step back and say... go right ahead.... And Then.... Yes, that's right... Scary Lady storms back around the buffet with plate in hand... still nothing added to her plate... storms right up to me... Not Exaggerating at All... and says And you have on a peace sign!!!! and I say... Excuse Me? Scary Lady again...You have on a PEACE SIGN!!! (see picture below) and confused and by this time a little frightened me goes... I thought you were getting dessert. At this point she storms over to the Customer Service Counter to complain about MY behavior... I'm not joking!!!

Now I promise you there was no rudeness intended, but scary lady has taken away a horrible impression of we folk from up North.

Now some of you might not know me very well, but if you did and do, you know that I will let almost anyone in front of me... so I feel kinda bad that it went this way... But I'm just sayin' SCARY CRAZY LADY from Southern Missouri... I am SOOOOO Sorry!

Oh, so when I went back to tell my girlfriend about my experience. Anita says... her words not mine... You are one of the nicest politest people I know... Now if it had been me, I maybe would have done it without ever having noticed I'd caused offense. I think your outfit must have set her off. She's judging you because of what you have on. She was kidding of course.
I just want to say...I'm not trying to make a statement with my outfit... I just Loved the Color!

Let me know if you've ever experienced something like this. I wanna hear your horror stories... we can commiserate.

Zinnias, Cosmos, & Goldenrod...

2009-09-13T14:00:00.000-05:00

Beautiful!!!

A study in Focal Black & White...
I looooove this!

I Love this little pitcher wrapped in a Vinca Vine from my little garden. I added a little Cinnamon Fern to the mix for fun. The Goldenrod was picked from our field along with the tiny white wild flowers (they smell like heaven). The bumpy little gourds are the surprise that came up in my garden. Oh, and the red peppers around the large pitcher in the top shot are from my garden... hot, hot, hot! Made a nice color contrast with the Zinnia's and Cosmos I picked from fields and fields of them along the highway... I'm bad.

Havin a Little Fun in the Sun...

2009-09-13T13:55:00.005-05:00

Good Times...

Gid was having some serious fun using Jake's old tires as a jungle gym. I asked him what he was doing??? I'm jumpin' GramMa.

Jake showed Ashelyn how to spin on the swing... Yes, she loves it.

She was having a little difficulty here... but it didn't really phase her, she just crawled off and started over. All in all the kids had a blast.

Our Sweet Little Ashelyn...

2009-09-12T05:57:00.005-05:00

Ashelyn is getting to be such a big girl... so independent and inquisitive... much like her momma and daddy I suspect. I know she takes after her momma. Misty took this beautiful picture... she even downloaded to my computer so that I could use it... How sweet is that? It will shortly be adorning one of the walls in my living room... yea! yea!

Woolen Project...

2009-09-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

Tamra, Lynn Marie, Uncle David and I went to the
Greenwood Antique Show this weekend.
This was my favorite find.... the clipped sheep's wool.
I have a project, that was inspired from a DIY on One Pretty Thing.
If you would like to see the inspiration go HERE.

Here is my take... semi felted woolen soap. (I'm still learning)
How cool is that?
No wash cloth necessary... I thought these would make neat gifts for men.

Doesn't get much better than this...

2009-09-06T20:55:00.004-05:00

Me on a quilt, basking in the sunshine, with all my babies... can't ask for more.
ps... I snatched this picture from Misty here.

How much is too much...

2009-09-06T20:28:00.007-05:00

Misty blogged this query here.
I think the answer is, I obviously don't have a clue.
Is there such a thing as too much?
Well maybe if you were to attempt to wear them all at once.

I'm pretty sure these will all be either Birthday gifts or Christmas Gifts.
The necklaces above and below layer nicely... three options for earrings...
a girl has to have options.

Soft pink, lavender and rose... pretty, pretty.

I heart this one... can I have it???

Cobalt Blue Skies and Lavendar Rose Sunsets...

2009-08-30T19:13:00.008-05:00

The recent glorious weather has inspired me.
If it works in nature, it's inspired right?
Cobalt Blue, Lavender and Rose...
Couldn't be any Lovelier!

Sarah, Natalie, Jenny and Misty...
How's next weekend looking?
Let's Play!

Ladies, if you're in town & you'd like to join in the fun, you're invited too! The more the merrier.