Latest Crafts

I know I've been absent for the last week or so, but I've had good cause! I've been crafting like crazy because I've been stuck in the house since last Saturday...Paige has had strep throat and bronchitis. I think we're finally on the mend, but it's been a rough 6 days or so. On the upside, though, crafting has been my sanity!

I've seen tons of clipboard makeovers all over blogland, so I finally decided to make my own. I had all the supplies on hand except for the ribbon, which was $1.97 for the entire roll at WalMart. This will be so much fun in my classroom!

My dining room has completely changed decor in the last 2 weeks. This small cabinet is in the corner of the room and houses most of my cookbooks. I've never really been happy with the decor on top, but I'm pleased with it for the moment. I made this "B" tray during our Ice Day off from school this week. I had the scrapbook paper on hand, so I had to buy the tray, the "B', and the gold paint. You could use spray paint, but because it was icy outside, I went with craft paint. I think they whole project cost less than $8 with supplies from WalMart. It would have been even cheaper if I could have gotten to Hobby Lobby.

I had 3 canvas orders to work on this week...can you believe this is my first pink and brown combo? I. LOVE. IT. It's just so cute and girly!

This is only the 2nd boy canvas that I've done...this being the first as an order. The very first one I did was for a gift from me. I really really really like the blue and brown combination! The stripes take a lot longer than polka dots, but I love the outcome.

I failed.

This posting a picture everyday thing is way harder than I thought it would be. So, to let myself off of the hook, I probably won't post a picture everyday. I love posting more than I did last year, so I hope to post at least every other day or every 3 days. A picture everyday is just too much pressure for me!

Plate Project and Candy Hearts

Since we were taking Paige bowling today, I talked Stephen into going to Hobby Lobby and The Goodwill for some project necessities. I've been wanting to do something with the back of our kitchen cabinets that are part of our dining room. I finally got some inspiration and wanted to decorate with plates! I didn't take any before pictures, but here's my final product...I'm really pleased with how it turned out.

I'm irritated with my camera because I had a better picture of it, but it wouldn't transfer to my computer! I wrote "Love, Joy, Peace, and Patience" on the plates with a dry erase marker. I can erase and write new words or sayings all the time...it might become a new addiction.

Here's the price breakdown of my project:

Welcome sign in the middle...$3 on clearance at Hobby Lobby

Plate hangers at Hobby Lobby...$1.99 each

Plates at Goodwill...50 cents each

Ribbon at Hobby Lobby...$4 on 50% off

Total....$17!!!!

While we were at Goodwill, I spotted these glass milk jars for 30 cents each! I wasn't sure what I was going to do with them, but I had to have them for 30 cents each. I knew I could come up with something. As I thought about what to do with them, I decided that for Valentine's Day they should hold some Conversation Hearts candies...Paige really loves those!

For the time being, they are perched on either end of the mantle in the living room. They may move if I find a better home for them. However, their home...wherever it is...has to be out of Paige's reach or she'll have a whole bottle of them eaten! I think I'll find some thin ribbon to tie around the beck of the bottles to dress them up a bit more.

Price Breakdown:

Glass Milk Jars...30 cents each

Candy Hearts...$1/bag (I bought 3)

Total...$3.30!!!!

MLK Day Bowling! (Day 19)

We've had the best time today as a family! We knew we wanted to get out and do something to take advantage of this sunny Monday off, so we decided to drive 30 miles down the road, hit Hobby Lobby, eat Taco John's, and take Paige bowling for the first time...we had an absolute blast!

Paige and Daddy pushing the bowling ball down the lane for the first time...she did so good!

She was so excited about going bowling that she could hardly contain herself!

She was "keeping score" for us!

Stephen in mid-stride...

Me in mid-stride...Stephen took this picture and was super impressed with his photography skills. He was really proud that he caught the ball mid-way down the lane!

We put some money in the jukebox and Paige started shaking her booty! She really got going!

The final scores-Let me help you see them...Paige-54 Maranda-154 Stephen-100. Not that I'm gloating or anything...nope, not me!

Friends since Birth (Day 18)

Paige and her best buddy, Ty, are watching Veggie Tales in our Sunday School class while snacking on apple juice and Fruit Loops...they're 7 weeks apart. And sweet to each other most of the time!

Hide and Seek (Day 17)

This morning Paige was playing quietly in her playroom while I was in the living room. Suddenly she started yelling "MOMMY, come find me!"...meaning she wanted to play hide and seek. Typically she gets her Disney Princess sleeping bag out and lays under it to play hide and seek, but not this time. I walked into the room fully expecting to see her sleeping bag out, but it was tucked neatly away in its place. I opened the closet door feeling certain that I'd find Paige hiding in there. NO PAIGE. I know she's in the playroom because she's still yelling at me to come find her. I turn around from the closet and notice the lid on this green Rubbermaid storage container moving...I remove the lid and find Paige! I told her to get out, but then quickly said "No, wait! Let me get my camera first!" She had padded the bottom of the container with her pink fleece blanket and was really quite comfortable! Maybe I should actually do something with that container and get it out of the playroom!

Cheering for Hannah (Day 16)

We went to our niece, Hannah's, basketball game last night and Paige insisted on wearing her Panther cheerleading outfit. She had a great time cheering for Hannah and the other girls! Paige is with her Mamaw in this picture and I'm not quite sure what they're making these faces for!

CALLING ALL PRAYER WARRIORS!

I have been reading Kelly's blog for awhile now. Her and her husband, Scott, had many hardships becoming pregnant. By a miracle from God, she did become pregnant and delivered Harper Brown Stamps at around 7pm tonight. Harper is being flown to AR Children's Hospital tonight (UPDATE: Children's was booked, so they took Harper to St. Francis in Tulsa) with very severe heart/breathing problems. Please visit Kelly's blog for updates and please PRAY for Scott, Kelly, and Harper!

UofO Basketball (Day 15)

We went to see one of our former softball players play college basketball last night. We didn't really know what to expect, but we really enjoyed ourselves...Paige included! She kept yelling "Go, Lacey, Go!" and wanted to know where Lacey was at all times. I'm so glad that we build relationships with the athletes that Stephen coaches!

Paige was cheezin' for the camera at the ballgame!

Then Paige decided to play with my scarf...at least she's got cuteness going for her!

Gummy Bears (Day 14)

This week at school we learned about the letter Bb, brown bears, blue birds, and the Bible. Today my class got a special treat-I brought them Gummy Bears! We did add an educational twist by sorting the bears by color then counting each color. My students loved it!

Rash? Wind Chap? (Day 13)

This redness on Paige's face has been coming and going all day. She has exzema on her face quite often, but this is different. It burns her really badly and Vaseline is the only thing that seems to give her relief. I hope it passes quickly...for her sake and mine!

Rockin' Out (Day 12)

Tonight Paige was jammin' with her Barbie guitar that her Mamaw and Papaw JB got her. She was also showing off her dance moves with her "Santa dance" where her hips basically pop out of socket and go in circles! So cute...

Canvas Art (Day 11)

This is what I've been up to yesterday and today...making canvases! I got 3 canvas orders within the last week. These 2 are finished and I have 1 more to complete.

Talking to Aunt Les (Day 10)

While Stephen started his Master's classes today, Paige and I went to Hobby Lobby, Lowe's, and Cracker Barrell with my mom. Paige talked NON-STOP while we were gone and reminded my mom and I very much of my sister, Leslie. Mom called Leslie while we were eating so she could talk to her "daughter"...because she acts so much like Les! Paige promptly used her feminine multi-tasking abilities and propped the phone on her shoulder to talk while she colored and played games at the table. I thought it was so cute!

Paige doing her work (Day 9)

At Dad's Homecoming game last night, Paige did her "work" on one of the computers in the coach's office. She couldn't seem to get it past the Control+Alt+Delete command...thank goodness!

Paige's Date with Papa (Day 8)

My Dad called me this morning and asked if he could come get Paige after his basketball practice was over and take her back to the gym for the Jr. High games tonight. Absolutely you can, Daddy! My mom is feeling under the weather today, so after Paige's nap we went over to their house to check on Mom and to meet up with Dad. This picture is of Paige getting VERY excited after she saw her Papa's truck come down the driveway...priceless!

Lazy Wednesday night (Day 7)

We've had a low-key, easy going kind of Wednesday night around here. It's just the kind of night I needed after my day!

She's Armed & Dangerous! (Day 6)

After our niece's basketball game last night, we went to a local pizza place for an after-game meal. Paige quickly found the video games...and the orange rifles! Her papa would be so proud!

Ride 'Em Cowgirls and Back to School-Days 4 and 5

Last night Paige dressed up like a cowgirl and was riding her stickhorse that her GG got her for Christmas...it was really cute!

Today was our first day back at school after our vacation week and 2 weeks off for Christmas break. It was hard to get back into the swing of things, but overall we all had a great first day of the 2nd semester! Paige even slept for 2 hours at naptime today and had no bathroom accidents all day! YAY!

Here's Paige at about 7:40 this morning before we left for school...she's a lot like me in the mornings and typically doesn't want to talk or participate in anything for about 30 minutes after she wakes up...but I took a picture of her anyway!

I worked on decorating my hallway at school ALL DAY today! This is my favorite part...a cute snowman poem and 10 snowmen. We can count all the snowmen and there are 5 matching pairs of snowmen so we can play a matching game.

My Paige-Day 3

Stephen worked with his Dad and brother today, so Paige and I were home alone. After naptime, we jumped on the new trampoline since it was unseasonably warm today...70 degrees!

Wow. I'm blessed!

Visiting Chuck E. Cheese (Day 2)

Our niece, Parker, turned 6 years old on December 1, but with family illness and Christmas to deal with, today was her friend party at Chuck E. Cheese. We left our house around 10:30 and headed to the party. Paige was beside herself excited to go and play! She had actually paid attention to some Chuck E. Cheese commercials on TV lately and knew the fun that was awaiting her! Stephen and I knew she'd have fun, but we were worried about how she would act when it was time to eat or leave...but she did perfectly. We really are blessed with a good child!

Stephen and Paige playing what I like to call the "Kill a Duck" game. Paige has pretty good aim, so she racked up on some tickets here!

Paige and Stephen cheesin' it up! We told her if she'd smile for ONE picture, she could go play again...this is what we got!

If her eyes were open, this would be a pretty good picture of both of us. Can't win 'em all!


No birthday party is complete with yellow Disney Princess icing, right? Paige loves the icing and I really don't care for it, so she got double the fun!

All Paige could talk about doing at Chuck E. Cheese was driving...we think she saw it on those commercials. Cruis'n USA was her driving game of choice and she took out a whole forest of Redwood trees! We'll have to work on her steering abilities before her permit test many, many years from now!

New Year's Day 2009 (Day 1)

I've seen several people around blogland that are participating in a "365 Photos" project...basically you try to take a picture and post it to your blog to remember that day in 2009. I'm going to TRY really hard to participate and keep up!

January 1, 2009

Paige and cousin Gracie cuddling with Papa on New Year's Day.

I'm so glad they like playing with each other!

Paige sporting her Eeyore sunglasses and hat...playing with her Dora ball. Life's good!

Her legs go for miles....

And when we came home, she crashed. But not before she got lovin' from her Daddy!

Family Pictures

In late November we had family pictures made for my parent's Christmas present. I haven't been able to share them before now because my parents read my blog! I think they were pleased with their present and we were definitely pleased with the outcome of the pictures.

I printed this one off for my Dad's office...it completely captures Paige just like she is!

We used this one for our Christmas cards this year...another reason I couldn't post it before now!

The last picture is the one we framed in a 16x20 for our parents. I'm so pleased with the outcome of these pictures!