{DIY} Easy Fire Starters

With Hubby and I doing more outdoor activities with the boys, I have been doing more research into things that will help during these adventures.  Hubby also leans more towards the survival part of our outings but that's just the Marine in him (Oorah!).

What to Gather:

Unscented Candle (any color)
100% Cotton Cosmetic Pads
Wax Paper
Tongs
Sauce Pan
Container for Wax (not pictured but it's just a screw top plastic container)

Step 1:  Once you have your items together, count out how many pads you want to do in this batch so you have enough room.  I did 12 count batches.

Step 2:  Put the candle in the sauce pan and turn the heat to LOW and wait.

Step 3: (okay, so I wasn't too good at waiting for ALL the wax to melt but you get the point...)

Drop your pad in the wax.

Step 4:  Let the whole thing turn color or show that it is covered in wax.

(This is why colored wax is a good idea)

Step 5:  Use your tongs and fish it out of the wax.

Let the excess drip off a little and then...

Step 6:  Put on the wax paper.  They take about 10 minutes to set up.

Put in a container or plastic bag til you need them.

Grab a few of those silica packs that come in just about any pair of shoes you buy and toss them in with the Starters.  It will keep the moisture out and prevent them from sticking too badly to each other.

Hubby lit one for me but I forgot the camera inside.  This was taken after about two minutes.

It burned for about 6 minutes.





{DIY} Liquid Hand Soap from Bar Soap

First, I will give credit where is is due!  I found the tutorial I used through Pinterest and it sent me HERE.  Several great ideas on her blog and I plan to make use of them in the future.  I figured I would showcase this DIY because it is such a money saver and we all can use a little of savings!

What to Gather:

A cheese/box grater
1 Gallon - DISTILLED water (KEEP THE JUG!)
2 TBSP - Liquid Glycerin
1- 8 oz Bar of Soap (don't use Dove, it won't work)
Pot (I am using my canning pot)
Spoon or Spatula
Cutting Board
Stove top

Step 1:  Pour the DISTILLED water and 2 TBSP of Glycerin in to your pot and stir. 

Step 2:  Grate your soap.  (I had to use two bars of mine since they were only 4.25oz each)

Step 3:  Add Soap shavings and turn heat on to Medium/High.  Stir til all soap is dissolved (it will take a bit) and remove from heat.

(You are going to end up with cloudy, soapy water...with some bubbles!)

Step 4:  Wait.  10-12 Hours!

(Yes, that means you, Little Miss 6-year-old in a grown up body!  NO TOUCHY!)

...

...

...

Okay!  So, I am home from work (it's about 10pm now) and I just finished up the batch of liquid soap!

Step 5:  Grab a funnel and the gallon jug the water came in.  Grab your hubby or strong friend to help.  Mix the soap with a whisk or mixer so that you get everything the consistency of snot (Gross, I know.  But seriously...snot!).  Pour CAREFULLY and SLOWLY through the funnel into the jug.  Label it and be happy!

So, this was my first ever tutorial so, be gentle!  Hope you are able to follow it!

Good luck with your own Inspirations!

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Updates!

*Try using a hand held blender after you dump the soap shavings into the water.  It blends it all, of course, and takes about 15-20 minutes off your time waiting for the soap to dissolve.  Heat it up after its all combined, then remove from the heat sourse and wait!

A Birthday Party

My middle BIL's girlfriend had her birthday yesterday so we celebrated with a party today at my MIL's house. A few days go DH calls me from work. He and his brothers had cooked up the idea to have a surprise party for their mother (whose birthday is on Tuesday) at the same time as middle BIL's girlfriend. So, I was asked to make the cake.

Now, if you read my post about my youngest's birthday party, you remember that my MIL showed me how to make icing roses. So, I told DH that I would like to try and make her cake a little more than a 9x13 still in the pan with icing slathered on. He was game so I went to the store.

Wilton makes these $12 starter kits with several tips/bags/mini colors/couplings and instructions (I suggest YouTube or Wilton website videos!), so I picked up one. I figured I could at least try. If I was completely inept then I could always call my mom to rescue me. I grew up watching mom decorate the most fantastic cakes (we never had plain, boring cakes until we became teens and were too complicated and moody...lol). So, I figured I had a head start.

So, here we go.This is two 9 inch rounds stacked. I used two boxed chocolate cake mixes and two tubs of chocolate icing. I filled the pans over the halfway mark to let them mound up. When they cooled I cut off the top keeping in line with the top of the pans to create a flat surface.

And here it is. It is far from perfect but God gave me the patience to keep trying. The best part? My MIL loved it!

I am glad I took pictures before we left the house to head over to MIL's because in the midst of DH fixing vegetable beef stew in the dutch ovens outside, the MIL's oil carafe that sat on the back of the stove fell over on the cake and flattened two of the roses! Lol! I had not put it back far enough when I returned it to the kitchen. Hahaha! I had a great time creating this and thank God for the talented women in my life that have taken the time to teach me their craft.

Stitch Markers

These are knitting stitch markers that I have made purely because I hate those little wafer ones you buy in the stores. You can't see them very well if you are working with a bulky yarn, they slip from your fingers so easily, and if you drop one you might as well count it as GONE. So, since I have a ton of beads and findings and wire, I set to making stitch markers.

The top is Rose Quartz with silver-toned findings. It is a set of six and quite heavy. The quartz actually came from a few bracelets that I found on clearance at WalMart. I didn't like the bracelets but loved the quartz so I took them apart and have been waiting for the beads to talk to me and tell me what they wanted to be.

The second is purple glass and is a set of 12. These beads I bought outright because they reminded me of a set of dishes my mom use to have from Viking Glass (that I broke in its entirety when I was young and emptying the dishwasher...I learned not to try and lift an entire stack of plates after that). Again, the beads are paired with silver-toned findings.

I have a few other sets. One in black and white glass, another in autumn-colored "wedding cake" glass beads. I just remembered I hadn't photographed them as I typed. They are in my knitting tote bag and I forgot about them. Maybe later. All my markers are sized on US 15/10mm needles and are real easy to make. As long as I know what beads I am using, it only takes me about 5 minutes per marker since I use wire, not pins, and have to twist them into shape. I am thinking of selling them at the craft show I will be going to with my mom and aunt in November.

Ugh.

A two-day migraine, this time. Three pills in total. I was beginning to wonder if the pills were actual medication or just powder. Eventually, the pain did recede but not before it completely messed up my plans for Friday evening.

For three weeks in a row, I have been unable to attend the "knit nights" at our yarn shop with Mom and Tater (my niece). Hopefully, next week is a different story. I really liked getting together with so many different people and just visiting.

I have finished several baby blankets in the diagonal dishcloth pattern. I try different patterns all the time but rip them out and go back to my dishcloth pattern. It works for me. Mom says that she did the same thing. She would start a pretty pattern and then rip it out and do a basic. After having some time to think on it, the basic pattern blankets are great because the pretty ones don't get used all the time. Those are the "good" blankets. The garter stitch blankets (mine are usually made from cotton) tend to be the ones the babies can grow with and drag behind them all through the house. That works for me.

I am currently working on a new blanket in the dishcloth pattern with Bernat Baby Coordinates yarn in Lemon Custard. One of the girls my two oldest went to school with is getting married and just found out she is expecting (good timing). She is doing the nursery in a John Deere theme (she's a farm girl to the core!!!) so I figure the light yellow will work. I will make another one in a cotton variegated to give her a basic go-to blanket. You can never have too many blankets when you have babies.

Baby Beanie Cap

Well, I spent practically the whole day yesterday in my MIL's pool. It was wonderful! It was so hot and muggy that the pool was just what DH, the younger two boys, and I needed. My MIL had my 7 y/o niece, so she went into the pool with us. MIL can't get in when the sun is on the water because it blinds her, so it was great we were there during the heat of the day to give her a break.

My hands started itching when I got home. I needed to make something! So, out came my crochet hooks and I started surfing the web. YouTube is great for learning new stitches when you don't want to bother your mom! Lol! So, now, I know how to do Half Double Crochet and Triple Crochet. Doesn't sound like much but to a person that is still new and pretty much self-taught, this is fabulous!

Anyway, I made that Baby Beanie Cap I was talking about. I added a ruffle on the edge to soften the look and help it match the blanket. I also made a ruffled pansy to attach to it but DH said it was too much "stuff", so I have dropped it in my things for a later use.

Happy Birthday, Daddy. I miss you.

Good morning, All!

It has been raining here off and on for the last few days. We will get moments of pristine skies and beautiful sunshine only to have it quickly fade into storm clouds and pouring rain. This is good, though! We are behind on our needed precipitation for the last few months. This is needed.

Well, my grandfather has been doing so well after his pacemaker surgery. He isn't allowed to drive, yet, so I get to have fun running him and Grandma around on errands they want to get done. We went to Wal-Mart, yesterday. They needed to buy groceries for the house since the last time he stocked up was before his stay in the hospital. It worked out well since I had to pickup milk ($1.99 a gallon!!! Whoohooo!! got three) and peirogies, dry cereal and all the fixin's for Ham and Broccoli Bake. I will post my recipe at the end.

While we were walking around the store we noticed a great many men who walked and held themselves in a similar fashion. After watching them for a few moments, I realized they held themselves like my husband, our boys' friend Tom, my grandfather, my cousin...hmmm...all are some form of military. Why are they--AH! MOCK RIOT at the old Penitentiary!

The Penitentiary hosts international mock riots that bring military and police personnel from all over the world.

So, Mr. Chef's last day of school is coming in a few weeks. He reminds his dad and I every weekday how many he has left. All I think about is how many days I have left until I have to leave him in Pittsburgh...

Mom is still in NY with my brother and his family. His knee is healing nicely from what I learned during a quick phone call to Mom, yesterday. She is losing so much weight and sounds so happy! Being up there has not only been good for them, since she is able to help with the boys, but it has been fabulous for Mom. I wonder if my brother knows how wonderful it is to hear her so happy and relaxed.

Aunt Martha still hasn't completely backed up her computer files and reinstalled her system programs. She told me that she and Uncle have been enjoying the lack of Internet access (thank you, Mr. Virus!) and have been spending a great bit of time just sitting in the living room with the many new kittens (yes, THERE'S MORE!). She, Mom, and myself are trying to build up our handcrafts to take to a craft show at Uncle Sonny's nursing home this fall. So, she has been working on that as well. I have become quite competent at crocheting shopping bags! I have a pattern for a beautiful delicate reticule with a satin lining and seed pearls. Hopefully, I will be able to work on it soon. It's still a bit intimidating when i read the pattern, as I have never really worked from one. It's all been by sight and feel. One day, though, I will get it done.

So, it's time for the recipe!!! This is by no means a secret family recipe. I personally feel that food is food and everyone should be able to cook a basic meal, so NO SECRETS! This is my maternal grandmother's recipe. My mom wrote it in a family cookbook and gave one to me and my two SILs. Mine has stains and creases all over! It has been well-loved! Oh, and this recipe has been doubled for my family, so you are getting those measurements. If, after you make it the first time, just divide everything in half. Although, this does reheat quite well and tastes even better the next day! I am going to try and give conversion temps and measures, too, so Miss Linda!- it should work for you, too!

Ham and Broccoli Bake

Preheat oven: 350 degrees F/180 degrees C

Baking Time: Cast Iron - 50 minutes; Glass - 40 minutes; Metal - 35 minutes. These are all estimations so watch your food!

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16 oz/500 g - cooked chopped or diced ham (size of ham pieces is your choice)

2 cups/500 ml - Instant Rice

1 cup/250 g - Shredded Cheese (I've used cheddar, mozzarella/provolone combo, etc.)

1 cup/250 ml (liquid measure) - Milk

26oz/Family Size can - Cream of Chicken/Cream of Mushroom

1 small to medium - Onion, puree'd

12 oz-16oz/375-500 g - Frozen, chopped Broccoli

1 cup / 250 g - Corn Flake crumbs

3-6 tbsp/60-120 ml - Butter, melted (this all depends on how many crunchies you want on top!)

1/2 cup/125ml - water

3-quart/3 liter baking dish (the one above is a 3-quart cast iron braiser), Buttered and set aside. Medium sauce pan

Large Mixing bowl

Salt and Pepper

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Cook Broccoli, Cream of Chicken/Mushroom soup and water in medium sauce pan until hot and slightly done. In large mixing bowl, combine ham, instant rice, cheese, milk, and onion puree. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add broccoli and soup mixture to large bowl and mix together. Put mixture in baking dish. Combine corn flake crumbs and melted butter; spoon or sprinkle over top of dish.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake. For final FIVE MINUTES (5 min), remove foil and place back in oven. When done, let rest on counter or stove top for at least 5 minutes.

Hope you like it. I have made my own changes to Grandma's recipe over the years. My husband has to be told every - single - time, NO, you cannot have the whole thing! Anyway, I hope I got the measurements right. I grew up learning to cook by just looking at it and I still eye-ball recipes, so don't be afraid to adjust this one!

A late Christmas gift...

I made this for my MIL (a truly beautiful woman...). I had hoped to give it to her for Christmas but time, kids, and the flu bug were against me. Well, it's DONE!!! YAY, ME!!!

Today is also my niece's 7th birthday and we are gathering for her party this evening. I will be taking this with me to give to my MIL as a belated gift. I know she will be thrilled! How do I know? Well, she watched my kids Friday since I had to travel to Buffalo, NY, where my brother was after he had a horrible accident on his bicycle (yes, I said bicycle). He had surgery to basically rebuild his right knee (a plate and two pins, if I am remembering correctly). So, my MIL was wonderful in coming over to be at my home when the kids got off of school and to stay with them while DH was at a meeting that night. While there, she poked around to see if she could find her blanket to see how much was done! Hahaha! She didn't look under the pile of clean laundry in my bedroom! LOL!

When laying flat, and measuring only the fabric not the ties, it is 2-3/4 yards long and 1-almost 1/4 yard wide. This was made to fit the length of her queen-sized bed on her side. It also runs from the front edge of my entertainment stand to the far edge of my couch! That is 3/4 the length of my living room! I tiptoed around the blanket just to get out of the room!

Happy Birthday!!!

When my grandmother was very young her mother had a little boy who was born with Cerebral Palsy. The doctors were very honest with Great-Grandma and told her that he wasn't strong enough to live very long, probably not more than three years. Tomorrow he turns 76. Yeah, they kind of got that wrong.

Anyway, we had a small party for him at the Care Center he is living in. This morning I called my mom bright and early (she wished I hadn't...really, it was VERY bright and early!) and suggested a blanket for him since he gets chilled easily. She and Grandma loved the idea, so here it is. He is a life-long fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers which made the choice of design very easy. This blanket is only little over 1 yard (that's all the black they had) and with me rushing through it, I made it in just under 4 hours. He loved it! Grandma, Pap, and Mom were thrilled with the results and I had so much fun making it.

Do you see that little girl? That gorgeous little baby? She is cute, isn't she? She is the most beautiful little girl I have ever seen. Only, she's not so little anymore...today, she is 12.

Twelve years ago my older brother's wife blessed our family with an angel. Today, she loves to play soccer, is a dedicated Girl Scout, and can sew better her Aunt Jenny! (although, that is not too hard for anyone to sew better than me...)

Her younger brothers both celebrated birthdays earlier this month but, boys being boys, they tend to run from me when I have my camera so I don't have any decent shots of them...YET! I will get you....one day....hahaha! They both love soccer, too. Both are also dedicated Scouts. I am so proud of them.

Inspiration and an idea...

When my brother and his family came down to visit this past Spring, they brought all the presents they had been saving from Christmas. My gift from them was this no-sew blanket my SIL Dana made. I just loved it! I still do. It reminds me of the Mardi Gras celebrations my brothers and I grew up with in Louisiana. These are the exact colors put on the King Cakes!

So, I decided to give it a try.

This one is for my niece, Paige. I plan on making one for each of the kids on my DH's side for Christmas. If I can, I will make one for each adult. If not, I am DEFINITELY making one for my MIL. She loves these things! Anyway, each of the four girls (ages 1-1/2, 6, 16, 18) will get the tie-dye pattern with their favorite shade on the reverse. Obviously, Paige's color is purple. Pink, orange, and green are next.

Dana, thanks for the inspiration! I still love my blanket! DH says I remind him of Linus from Charlie Brown...LOL!

Key Chains

I meant to post these before I went away for 5 days but that didn't work out. So, here are the key chains that I made for a Blogger Barter with Bobbie. It only took me a few days to complete them and I had a lot of fun creating the designs.

Edit: Dana asked about the sturdiness of the keychains in her comment. Good question! All the keychains are made with a double-length of wire. The wire ends are then fed back through the top beads by 1/4 - 1/2 inch, depending on what the design allows. After I was done with each keychain, I pulled and twisted for everything I was worth, trying to ensure the strength. (Granted, I had to redo one in the process...*giggle*) As a disclaimer, I will say that these are not toys and should NOT be given to children to play with.

Still here...just busy!

So, here's a quick update.

Oldest started classes a week earlier than we thought, the 16-year-old had uniform fittings for band, I have had two migraines that snuck up on me, Saturday involves a Band Car Wash and a military funeral Mom is officiating, I have four jewelry projects that I HAVE to get done...what else?...oh, yeah!...I GOT A CALL BACK FOR A JOB!!!! YAY!!!

As I said, this will be quick! So, the job is for a church here in town, as their Wedding Coordinator. I have been doing this stuff on a volunteer basis for 10 years for my own church and I love it. When I get the chance to return to college, I plan on also taking accredited courses online for Wedding Planning/Coordinating. I don't just want to hang a shingle and say I can do this. I want the experience, yes, but I also want the credentials to go with it. I will say this, life can't be replaced by the classroom, sometimes.

I don't have the job, yet. The pastor (who is also my mom's supervising pastor) wants to meet with me again to go over the separation of responsibilities. That way I know what my job is and what his job is. I already know, but he is worried that I may try to take on his stuff since I worked with older pastors that weren't able to do as much and took on more tasks than traditionally necessary for an in-church coordinator. Hey, each church is different. They run it their own way. With well-established churches, such as this one, they have the weddings down pat. They just need a referee, basically. PICK ME! PICK ME! *insert jumping up and down here*

On a lighter note, I finally got my husband to play with my camera a little bit. He is the one who took the picture of me that is now on my profile. It took him 30 minutes to get that picture! I have all the rest to prove it! The shaking, the blurring, the bad focus...oh my. At last, he just put the camera on a stack of books, set the timer, and went about trying to make me laugh! We had fun. It all started, actually, with me wanting him to take pictures of my hair for my hair journal. I am getting it reshaped next week and wanted pictures just in case something went wrong and I had to get it severely cut!

Hey, this is the longest I have had my hair since I was in Kindergarten and gave myself a haircut! Besides, my younger brother's hair is long, too. Only thing is, his looks shorter but when you pull on those corkscrew curls, boy does it get long!!! Love you bunches, G!

Okay, the quick note has turned into a longer one. Just wanted to let you all know I was still here.

Quick Wedding Tip: To keep the Flower Girl and Ring Bearer in place during the wedding, (i.e. standing in one spot!) tape a Gold Dollar to the floor! Tell them that if they keep their foot on that coin the entire wedding, unless they HAVE to move, they get to keep it! After the ceremony, have the photographer take pictures of them on their hands and knees with the bride and groom getting the coin off the floor. Make sure that each child gets a copy of the picture as a keepsake. I have kids from 5 years ago that still have their dollars and their pictures! They loved the memory it made. The bride and groom loved the personal touch the pictures created.

Crafty Weekend and Messy Monday

This weekend I made the four keychains I am bartering with a fellow blogger. I won't post them until after she receives them. I don't want to spoil any surprises so I will most likely get the pictures up by this weekend or early next week.

The knew pastor for the church called this morning. After talking a bit about different things in the church office and where they would normally go, I decided the easiest thing to do was to go the church myself. For the next 4 hours, Pastor April, my mom, and myself cleaned the church office and pastor's study. It was in a bit of shambles due previous events. I had been itching to get my hands on it anyway. When I was secretary at the church I don't think I ever had my office looking like that. Oh, well. Things happen to all of us and we move on, get over it, and start over. The office looks wonderful, now. The pastor's study is coming together fantastically. There are only a few more things for Pastor April to put away on the shelves and then she can move her things in.

I know some may ask why it wasn't cleaned beforehand but I really couldn't say. I haven't attended church there regularly in a while. I go on occasion (mostly when I can't get out of singing for my Aunt Nancy - choir director) and then also to volunteer for other events such as VBS or dinners that my husband will cook for. So that is why I have no idea why the church offices were not cleaned in preparation for the new pastor. Hey, we got rid of a bunch of unneeded junk, though! Yay!

Once we were done at the church, Mom and I headed to the store. We needed to get bleach for Pap to finish power washing the front porch and to look at beads. Yay! Beads!!! LOL! Anyway, Mom wants my to try and make a bracelet for her to give to each of the ladies in her Red Hatter group. I think I have a good pattern in mind. We found some purple glass beads a few weeks ago and I have been eyeing them ever since. They remind me of a set of dishes Mom had years ago. They are the same color and opaqueness, too. (pardon the spelling) The only bad thing about the dishes...I broke them...ALL of them. It was my turn to empty the dishwasher and the bottom plate in the stack was still a bit damp. They slipped. Dad only yelled at me once and that was to stay put! I was in bare feet amid millions of tiny shards of glass. After I was rescued from the kitchen, I cried. I loved those dishes. Mom never yelled at me. I knew she was sad. Those dishes came from home. They were Viking Glass from New Martinsville, WV. We lived in Louisiana when I broke them. (Mom, Greg broke one first! Remember the hotdog in Bastrop?!) Oh, well. We'll see what I can come up with.

While at Pap's dropping off Mom, she spotted a nest in the tree by the driveway. You know me, camera always close at hand.

Upcoming Projects...

Since VBS has passed, I have been catching up on some stuff at home. My wonderful husband has been a huge help! If I didn't have him helping to catch me up on laundry and dishes...well, we just won't go there...it's not pretty! With all his help (I love him so much!) I should be able to start a few projects soon.

A set of 4 key chains, two Pink Jasper necklaces, and one 'Becca's Bracelet' (can be found in the jewelry slide show) are on the top of my list. I am hoping to get these all finished before the last week of July starts. I am supposed to help chaperon over 200 high school band students at the OVAC Band Camp held at a local college. I get to be on campus with hormonal, hyper teenagers for over 5 days. Pray for me...please...I am begging you!

In parting, here is a shot of a tree growing in my Pap's yard. He loves this tree! I think I may have to frame this picture for him!

Little Pirates and VBS...

Well...the doctor that saw Little Pirate today was not prepared for a 5-year-old with a corneal abrasion. She thought she was getting a 60-year-old with a corneal cyst! Surprise, surprise! So, after doing pretty much the same thing that was done in the ER, I was told to bring him back on Monday to see the main specialist in the office. I should continue with the antibiotic drops that were prescribed by the ER physician and use a cold compress as needed for swelling. Basically, OOPS, come back on Monday! LOL!

I am sure that if Little Pirate had a serious problem with his eye we would not have been leaving the hospital. He did get to feel like Mr. Cool today! They had to dilate his eye, so he go to wear sunglasses EVERYWHERE! Even inside!

Following the interesting outings with the children, I had to go back to church with Aunt Martha and Mom to work on VBS again. We picked up a few more shower curtains and other odds and ends that we needed. I will post pictures once everything is done. It is starting to look so cool!!! So far, we have turned a piano into a rock, a lawnmower box into a boat and a coat rack into an ocean! Confused yet? It's great! You will love it! Just wait til Aunt Martha and I put up pictures...YES! Both of us will most likely be posting pictures of the same VBS. Why not?

My only concern is making sure I am ready for Rabbi. I am so nervous! I have never met him, but Mom has. He has agreed to come on Monday and teach the children about Temple. He is going to be our whole lesson. I wanted the children to learn as much as possible, as accurately as possible. Rabbi is apparently tickled pink about this! He has a son or grandson graduating from medical school this weekend, he is leaving for Southeast Asia middle of next week and he is acting like a kid in a candy store about coming to VBS! You know...I think I am going to have a great time with this gentleman.

As a 'Thank You' to Rabbi for taking the time to come and do this, we are going to take up an offering all week that will be donated to a charity he works with in his honor. I did not think that he would want something material, and after discussing the matter with my pastor it was agreed that this was a great idea.

Now, to finish a few more things before bed. Then tomorrow I am up early and going again. Picking up Mom and Aunt Martha to go to Lowe's to get Plaster of Paris and vermiculite for a stone-carving craft, going to church to paint backdrops, and then running the 16-year-old to a graduation party for a friend's sister. What a day!?

Key rings

Today I made two new creations. With the success of my Cane Bracelets given to my mom and aunt, I thought I would give it a go. I made two key rings, or key chains, as gifts for a couple girls that graduated with my oldest. Because of the weather, and the fact they forgot about the party, the guys were unable to go but I made the key rings anyway.

I think they are cute. As with my jewelry, I will get better at them the more I make them. As it is, I did get to use a bead out of my Junk/Treasure Drawer! I looooove the pink one! The textures on the blue keyring make me just want to hold it all day!

Bruised family...

My poor family. My mom is wearing a knee brace and has to ice down her knees every night. She also has to walk with a cane. Now, my Aunt Martha, Mom's sister, has been wearing a medical boot for about two months ( I think. Feel free to correct me, Aunt Martha!). She has something wrong with the tendon in her ankle and it hurts her so much. Well, because of the medical boot, she walks funny. Because she walks funny, she isn't able to stay on her feet very long. And because she isn't able to stay on her feet very long...Mom got her a cane. A blue one. Like hers. *sigh*

Luckily, it is only temporary. It has helped her, though. I feel better knowing that her footing is better. She is even able to park a little further from work and not have to deal with parking meters now.

I had planned on making her a Cane Bracelet to coordinate with her cane, too. I even picked out beads and everything. Then I get this really excited email from Aunt Martha telling me that she found the prettiest beads at the store and could I "please, please, please..." use them to make her a Cane Bracelet. OF COURSE! *smile* I am going to call her in the morning and tell her that of course I will make her a bracelet. She is my Aunt Martha! I don't think she knows how much she has influenced my life. Heck, I wouldn't be able to put beads on a string if it wasn't for her and Mom! This is going to be fun!

New Crafting Blog

Recently, I posted pictures of my Aunt Martha's Christmas Spider for everyone to see. She has been avidly reading my and Dana's blogs for a few weeks, now. I am happy to announce...she started her own! It is called Faith, Works and Crafts. She is still building it and fine-tuning the kinks out, but I think you will enjoy it very much. She is so talented!

I am hoping she will post pictures of some of the miniatures she has handcrafted. To do that, though, I think I will get to help her find the boxes since she is still wearing a medical boot for another month. I remember her sitting on Grandma's front porch with all of us teenagers and showing us how to make all these tiny creations. It was wonderful! She would take all of her items to craft shows and people would flock to her tables, having waited just for her. It was an awesome thing to see!

VBS Fundraiser

As co-director of my church's Vacation Bible School, I have been pulling my hair out trying to get things together for this summer's activities. Luckily, my aunt Martha is a crafty person. Literally! She is a crafter! Lots and lots of crafts! Miniatures (ooh, the things I need to take pictures of to show you!), ornaments, ornament hangers, and many other things. She has taken it upon herself, as the VBS craft teacher, to make things for a Rummage/Bake/Craft Sale to help raise money to fund our small VBS.

Now, keep in mind, my whole family is like this! Very talented crafters! They are unbelievable! Look at this! Aunt Martha makes these!