{ the fabulous farmhouse five }

{ highchair makeover }

2012-01-27T12:49:00.000-08:00

I've been working on a high chair for Jilliann. I recovered this old one I found at a yard sale last summer for $1. It turned out really cute. I see from the picture that I didn't get all the soap rinsed off the steel! That will be next on my list!

I took off the pads and covered them with a vintage fabric and this vinyl. (that way i could wipe it off easily)

I think it's so cute!!!

{ family }

2012-01-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Last month we had a chance to get family photos taken with my Dad and I wanted to share some of them with you. I have to be honest ...every time I look at these photos I cry. I cry because they are beautiful. I cry because I'm sad that these might be the last photos we have of my dad. I cry because I see what a beautiful, blessed family we have. I cry because I can truly say LOOK what GOD can do! He can take our broken pieces and turn them into something beautiful, HE can take our sorrows and turn them into JOY. This is my prayer everyday, that no matter what happens in our family, HE would use us for his glory. I am so grateful that my parents have taught me these kind of lessons everyday. God is my strength, my shield and my song and a VERY present help in times of trouble. I trust in Him for everything, because without HIM I am nothing.

I want to say a VERY BIG Thank You to my friend Jessie at August Light Photography for taking these pictures. She is an amazing artist and captured our family beautifully!!! Thank you Jessie! You can see all her work here: http://www.augustlightphotography.com/index2.php

Cooper, My nephew

My Brother Travis, His Wife Amber and Their little boys, Copper and Conner

Cooper and Conner

My Parents Dave and Val. They will be married 35 years, this year.

My Parents

True LOVE!

My favorite photo of my parents!

My Brother Travis, Me, My Dad, My Sister Baylee, My brother Dustin

Travis, Me, My Mom, My dad, Baylee, Dustin

Travis, Copper, Amber, Conner, Me, Buck, Mayce, Audette, Baylee, Mike, Dave, Val, Dustin

Me, Buck, Audette and Mayce

Audette and Mayce

Me, Buck, Audette and Mayce

{ puppies, 36 wks and my dad }

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-08:00

Our puppies are 2 weeks old today. They are getting cuter everyday. And of course, getting spoiled rotten by our girls. We only have one female left (that's not spoken for.) The girls are going to cry when the puppies go to their real homes. They want one so bad, Buck and I have VERY FIRMLY said NO! You can love them for 6 weeks and then they go away!!!!!! It should work out though. Right about the time we send the puppies home, Jilliann will be here. Then, they will have another baby to spoil rotten.

I am 36 weeks pregnant this week. Which means Jilliann can come any time now and be fine. I'm sure she won't....but, it's crazy to me and to buck that we are having a baby anytime now!

I'm still not very big, compared to my other pregnancies. I've only gained 25 pounds. And little miss jilly has already dropped. My belly is much lower this week than last week. Her room/corner is already for her now.

She is going to be a bright spot in the middle of our sadness right now.

Please keep praying for my dad and my family. Hospice brought in a bed this week, which should help my dad to get a little more comfortable at night and get more sleep. Hospice also doubled all of his pain med's this week, as they weren't working anymore. Please keep praying for peace and comfort. Thank you!

Buck, My dad and My brother Dustin.

In this pic: Buck is bull fighting at my brothers high school rodeo in 05 or 06.

{ gift idea and a funny sign }

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

I though I would share a fun gift idea with you today. I made these as gifts for all the girls in my family this year for Christmas. Pictured below is a lemon sugar hand scrub. This scrub is AWESOME. It take the grime off, but leaves your hand SO SO smooth and soft. I used this scrub a lot during the holiday season when I was crafting. It took off spray paint and glue like a charm. Of course, I'm not digging in the dirt yet, but I think this will be an awesome thing to have on hand during gardening season.

Here's how to make Lemon Sugar Hand Scrub:

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

3 TBSP of lemon juice

5-6 drops of lemon oil (optional)

Mix all ingredients well and store in a jar

One of the other gifts I made this Christmas was a brown sugar face scrub. This is a awesome natural way to exfoliate your face and leave your skin VERY soft. Here's the recipe for Brown Sugar Face Scrub:

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup olive oil

Mix the 2 ingredients together and store in a jar.

I recommend keeping and using this in the shower, it gets a little messy.

And, now to the funny sign. This is a poster hanging out by my parents house, that makes me laugh every time I drive by it. I know it's not fun to loose a pet.....I'm not trying to make fun of this person......but I just can't help wonder if this is for real and laugh.

Even with how sick my Dad is right now, he still has his sense of humor....He thinks we should write on the bottom of the poster "Tastes Like Chicken"

{ Updates }

2012-01-09T13:25:00.000-08:00

I know it's been awhile since I posted. We've had a lot happening around here.

Here's some updates about us.

First of all We had 7 puppies this last week. They are 5 days old today. Our two dogs are the mother and father, so the puppies are 3/4 border collie and 1/4 golden retriever.They all look like boarder collies. If you want one your going to have to speak up fast I think we only have two left already!!! Which, I have to say is a blessing. I didn't want to have to worry about getting rid of puppies when Jilliann comes.

That takes me to update # 2. We are busy making sure we are ready for Jilliann's arrival next month. I'm 35 weeks pregnant now. I'm washing clothes and blankets, buying diapers, etc. We can't wait to meet her and hold her. This sweet little girl is growing every day. I can feel it in her movements. In fact, she took out one of my ribs last week! Oh....the things I will have to hold over her head when she's older!!! (jk)

And 3rd, My awesome dad. He has went down hill at a very rapid pace since thanksgiving. Hospice is now coming in and says they think he only has a matter of weeks left. Please pray for us as we walk through this. My dad is literally struggling for every breath he breaths. The pressure and the fluid build up is more than any one should have to bear. He's on a lot of pain killers to make it through each day. It's the hardest thing I've ever done, watching my dad suffer in pain. Even with all his pain he hasn't complained, not even once. He is the strongest man I know. He is also the most unselfish and generous person, he is still checking in on all of us, making sure we are OK. We are fully trusting in Jesus for all our needs and know he see's the big picture when we don't. We know God loves us and is taking care of us. Please pray for comfort and peace for my family, but mostly for my dad, Dave, the best dad in the whole world.

my dad with our girls at T & A's wedding in 06

{ goodbye old friend }

2011-12-17T07:26:00.000-08:00

Last night was a very sad night at our house. Buck's horse Twister died. Twister was 28 years old. Buck had him from day 1.Buck was only 6 when twister was born. He was a great horse and friend. He and Buck had many great rodeos and times together. He will be missed. Goodbye old friend.

Buck, Jami, Audette, Mayce and Twister September 05

Buck roping on Twister in Hamilton, September 06.

{ christmas decorating #2 }

2011-12-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Here is more fa la la la holiday decor around my house!

I made this festive wreath using extra tree ornaments. I glued the bulbs to a wreath form and filled in the spaces with green moss. I also added this vintage santa image to a gift tag and attached it to the center!

This is the display I have on our kitchen island.

These are little scene jars I made out of old plates and cups.

I super glued clear chess pieces from the dollar store to the tops of drinking glasses. Then, I glued glittered pipe cleaner trees to the bottom of yard sale plates. I added fake snow and a sparkly word ornament from Walmart to the outside of each cup....and you have a holiday display!

This is my cake plate. I filled it with extra ornaments and added the word peace to the outside.

This is the outside of our house.

We hung large fake candy pieces from our plant hooks.

Christmas signs to all the flower pots.

Wreaths to the door and wreath holder.

Marry Christmas banner from the ceiling.

Extra large candy canes in the water pitcher.

Fake trees beside the door.

Real greenery on the table.

My favorite chalk board with a Christmas message.

and...yard sale light up reindeer!

{ toothless grin }

2011-12-11T06:07:00.000-08:00

Audette lost another tooth this week. This is only #3, so it's still a big deal. I'm not sure why...but in our family we all seem to lose our teeth a lot later than everyone else. Most of her friends at school have lost all their baby teeth now. Oh, well. She looks adorable, talks slightly funny and the tooth fairy was good to her!

{ 31 weeks and my DAD }

2011-12-07T09:37:00.000-08:00

This week I am 31 weeks pregnant. Once the sickness wore off...the time has just flown by. I can't believe that in 9weeks or LESS, we will have a sweet baby girl in out arms!!! We are ALL very EXCITED about how close we are to seeing her!!! Our little miss baby is now about 16 in long and weighs about 3 pounds. (the girls love knowing how big she is, we look at the chart A LOT!) Here's some belly pics.

I also want to ask all of my awesome followers and friends to keep my dad and my family in your thoughts and prayers. We found out last week my dad has matastick liver cancer and the Dr's think he has less that 6 months to live. As you can imagine we are all very sad and shocked by this news. We are very grateful that we serve a big and awesome GOD who can do miracles and no matter what has my dad in his hands, but we need all the prayer we can get right now. My dad is a super awesome dad and papa and husband. I can't imagine our lives with out him. Keep us in your prayers. Thank you! -jami

My dad with my nephew copper last December.

{ christmas decorating }

2011-12-05T19:27:00.000-08:00

We've been busy decorating for christmas! I've basically turned into a round elf!!! I LOVE decorating at christmas! Here's a few things I've done so far this year on the cheap, but fabulous side!

Clearance wreaths from Joann's above our "R" shelf, topped off with pipe cleaner trees from wal-mart and a jingle bell garland from the dollar store.

My ever trusty apothecary jars filled with old fashioned hard candy, ornaments and old light bulbs!

More pipe cleaner trees from wal-mart, set inside silver cups. and clearance glitter stars from last year.

I filled the milk glass collection on our tv cabinet with silver ornaments turned up side down, and hung up a bell garland from the dollar store.

These are my music sheet cone trees from last year, with two new ones added to the collection.

I'll show you more next week. Santa's elf has to get back to work!

{ holiday show this weekend }

2011-11-29T13:41:00.000-08:00

I have two holiday show this weekend. I'm so excited about both! If your in the area please stop by. The first show is in stevi at the historic hotel and and the second show is at the Youth for Christ building on brooks in Missoula. Both show are on Saturday. Here's some things I've been working on this week.

Flowers, flowers, flowers! You can put these on anything! Headbands, scarfs, shirts, belts, coats.....

Cork boards with scrabble tacks

clip boards that are also chalk boards

chalk boards with awesome frames

christmas art

domino necklaces

Tray with a beautiful bird

chalk boards, memo boards and magnet boards

old tv trays, turned magnet boards!

pom pom made out of old sewing patterns

old cigar boxes turned jewelry boxes

{ sneak peeks }

2011-11-18T18:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a small smattering, yes ...... smattering of items I will taking to kalispell for the vintage white show this weekend!

Necklaces

lots and lots of fun flowers, 75 to be exact

Vintage Santa image ornaments

Crocheted hats, complete with flowers

{ new name }

2011-11-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

Don't adjust your computer screen.....It's not wrong. This blog has a new name.

The Fabulous Farmhouse 5!

I've been working really hard on opening up an online shop to sell vintage, antiques and handmade items. I'll also be selling at local shows here in MT. We decided the new venture needed a new name. I'll be revealing the new online shop very soon. Right now I'm busy getting ready for a show in kalispell this weekend! I'll give you a sneak peak at some items I'm taking to show...... tomorrow!

{ halloween costumes }

2011-11-08T10:17:00.000-08:00

Here is a couple of photos from Halloween. Audette was a cheerleader for her daddy's favorite football team, The Atlanta Falcons. Mayce was a girl pirate! We went to a local harvest festival at a church here in town and then hit 2 neighborhoods on the way home for tricker treating.

The day before Halloween we went to the girl's school carnival. Audette and Mayce went as cheerleader and girly pirate. I decided to use my baby belly as a beer belly and become Leroy the redneck handyman.

{ the girls }

2011-10-30T20:55:00.000-07:00

GIRLY GIRL Update: We just finished up another soccer season! The girls did great, they always do. Their Daddy is an AWESOME coach! Here is individual photos and team photos. They are the 2011 Lone Rock Wolf Pups! The kids named themselves, if you couldn't tell.

The Girls also did some goose hunting with their daddy in our back yard this month! Buck shot 4 geese, Brian shot 2.

{ am I the only one }

2011-10-24T10:54:00.000-07:00

Am I the only one who thinks this book is, well, you know, perhaps......a.little over the top, out there, far fetched??? I'm curious to know if anyone has bought this book??? If any one who bought this book, used this book??? Am I the only one who laughed out loud hysterically when I read the title of this book??? I know your asking yourself....is this a real book.....yes, yes it is!

{ re-purpose }

2011-10-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

I'm all about reducing, reusing, recycling and re-purposing! Last time I was in Spokane I saw this idea. Turning a feed sack into a reusable shopping bag! We have lots of feed bags, so this was easy!

All I did was cut off the top and bottom of the bag a bit to make it a more reasonable sized shopping bag.

Then with my sewing machine, I sewed the bottom shut. I also sewed the top down and to the inside, so I would have a nice clean edge!

But......The bag wasn't "girly enough! So, I added this burlap ruffle (also sewn) and burlap rose!!!

Here is my reusable shopping bag! Using what I already had!!!

Here's 1 more re-purposed item, I painted these two old serving trays from yard sales with chalk paint and turned them into signage for the coffee cart!

What could you reuse or re-purpose today?

{ best friend }

2011-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

This is my current best friend at 23 weeks of pregnancy!!! I am living on TUMS let me tell you! This is the worst heartburn I have ever had!!! And, it doesn't matter what I eat......this morning I had a banana... heartburn..... yogurt....heartburn......ham sandwich .......heartburn, you get the idea!!!

{ nursery }

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

I 've been brain storming about miss baby cakes nursery. I wasn't sure what theme I wanted to use until I found a few treasures at a yard sales the last couple of weekends! I found some vintage fabric, old nursery rhyme books and old cloth books and decided miss baby cakes nursery will be a vintage nursery rhyme theme!

I'm to use this fabric to cover this old high chair. I found this high chair last year at a yard sale for $2. I'm going to put iron-on vinyl onto the fabric before I recover the chair and then it will be wipe-able! I'll show you when I'm done.

This is a project I just finished for her room. I painted these old gold frames pink and added scrapbook paper, nursery rhyme pages and modge podge to make something very cute!!!

That's what I have so far, I'd love to hear your ideas if you have any!!!

{ addiction }

2011-10-15T13:48:00.000-07:00

My newest addiction.....PINTREST! This is a website where you can look at other peoples ideas or post your own! You can find it here http://pinterest.com/jamir6/. At pintrest you can find thousands of ideas for anything you like to do, crafts, food, decorating.....the list goes on! It's SO addicting! I LOVE it!!! Here's a few of my Favorite "pins" from the last few days!

{ fall decorating #4 and WINNER }

2011-10-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

I've been working on my front porch this week. I LOVE making the entrance to our home warm and inviting. Also I LOVE doing it for almost no money. Here's how you can make your front door/porch look *fallicious* without spending a ton of $$$!

I cut my "rose hips" off my bushes, since it's the end of roses for this year and used them in all my flower pots. ( If you don't have roses try your cities community gardens. At the end of the season they will generally let you cut the flowers or rose hips.)The orange color looks great!!! I also printed these little signs at home and put contact paper on them to protect from the weather. $ free from my yard and house

I used one of our "R's" from inside the house to put on my wreath stand and blue ladder. Also we picked the last of the corn and pulled the corn stalks for decoration.( If you don't have corn stalks, try a near by farm or neighbor. If they won't be using them you could offer to cut them down for them. save then some time and get your free stalks.) I tied them together with a ribbon from my craft stash. $ all free from my house and garden

This "give thanks" banner I printed out from online here. The only cost for that is the obvious paper and ink! After I printed the banner, I sewed it together. You could just as easily tape it together. Also the leaf garland hanging up was from last year. I bought 2 packages of silk leaves from the dollar store and sewed them into a garland. See it here. (I save the "savable" fall decor in a rubbermaid bin downstairs year to year...so I don't have to spend much in the season....same as you would christmas) And, I already showed you the wreath I made this year from dollar store leaves! $ most free from my house, wreath on door $ 6.50

I added the rose hips from my rose bush to my old water can too. $free from my house and garden

I bought two pumpkins from the farmers market last weekend for Audette and Mayce to decorate. $2 each. Here's my "sneaky mom trick" I buy cooking pumpkins, not carving pumpkins. Then I give my girls permanent markers not knives. Then after halloween, I cook the pumpkins down and use then to bake with. It's a 2 for 1. This pumpkin is Audette's. ( If you see the girls, you'll have to tell them how SCARY their pumpkins are. They think they made them REALLY scary.) $ 4

Here is Mayce's pumpkin! There's a monster face in there somewhere!

I also used my easel from in the house and one of my many chalkboards to write happy fall! $ free from my house There you have it. YOU can decorate for fall with out paying A LOT of money.

That was outside, here is a little more of what I did inside. I cut burlap runners for my table and counter top from a large piece of burlap I bought at a yard sale this summer for $.50. I added my glass candy jars from here, filled with candy, my old scale, fresh fruit basket and fake dollar store pumpkin. Have fun using what you have!!!

You can find my last years fall decor ideas at these places...

http://jamirodolph.blogspot.com/2010/09/getting-ready-for-fall.html

http://jamirodolph.blogspot.com/2010/10/fall-decor-for-church.html

http://jamirodolph.blogspot.com/2010/10/check-this-out.html

http://jamirodolph.blogspot.com/2010/10/dollar-store-finds-into-fall-decor.html

And now the winner of the aqua frame.......JESS from Nesting Corral! Congratulations!!!! I'll get this to you this week!!!

{ fall decorating #3 and GIVE-a-WAY }

2011-10-03T09:36:00.000-07:00

* I've changed the give a way drawing to Wednesday.....you better enter, I know you want that cute frame!!! see give a way post from Wednesday...just scroll down.*

Day 3 of fall fun! Here are 2 wreaths I made this year, both VERY INEXPENSIVE and beautiful!

This one is felt flowers on a straw wreath base. Felt is so CHEAP. Each felt sheet was only $.30. I've made 2 of these wreaths so far with the felt I bought and still have enough to do a couple more. My friend Jen from H is for Hillman and I made the first one together.....and then I couldn't stand it any more I HAD to make another one! (Jen, I still think you should over after your move and we'll make another!!!)

Cost:

Wreath form: yard sale $.25

material: yard sale $ .50

felt: $ .90

total: $1.65

Then the second wreath I made, I used a wire wreath form and leaves from the dollar store! These leaves are cut from create paper....so not weather proof. I have this on my front door, but our porch is covered so it's safe. These leaves are also wired so I just wrapped each leaf around the form one at a time and them added this celebrate sign from the Michael's dollar section!

COST:

wreath form: yard sale $.50

leaves: dollar store $5.00

sign: Micheal's $1.00

Total $6.50

GIVE A WAY!!!!!

Don't forget to enter my cute fall frame give-a-way from last week! Scroll down to Wednesday's post to read about it or click here.

And.......baby belly photos! I'm 21 weeks this week. Over half way. This little girl is SO ACTIVE! I'm not very big yet, at least compared to my other pregnancies. I've gained 11 pounds so far. Yeah! I've been very careful to not over eat with my prego card.....I don't want a ton to loose after the baby! I learned that lesson the hard way. I've been feeling the baby move for about 6 weeks now, but finally buck and the girls can feel her too, they love it! And I have to say God is so good to us and totally provides. We have been given so many clothes and most of the baby furniture! It's awesome! We already LOVE this little girl SO MUCH!!!

{ fall decorating #2 and GIVEAWAY }

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Fall Decorating day #2! Today I'm going to show you more cute Fall Frame Magic! This is again a yard sale frame. (don't "fall" over in shock, I buy at least 80% of my home decorating supplies at yard sales!) I spray painted this frame black and added a piece of cardboard behind it to act as my base.

Next, I taped an old piece of sheet music inside to hide the cardboard. Then, I cut out leaves on my cricut using lots of "fall" colored papers. ( this would also be cute with real leaves if you don't have a paper punch or a cricut) I added stick on gems to the centers of the leaves and attached the leaves to the sheet music paper.

This is my new favorite fall decoration....it's changes every time I make something new! It "sings" to me! (Sorry, I'll stop soon with the "corny" fall jokes. I must be in a mood. I'll blame it on pregnancy!)

Don't forget to enter my cute fall frame give-a-way from yesterday! Scroll down to Wednesday's post to read about it or click here.

http://jamirodolph.blogspot.com/2011/09/fall-decorating-1.html

{ fall decorating #1 and GIVE-a-WAY }

2011-09-28T21:10:00.000-07:00

Hello! It's been awhile! I'm back and I have lots of fun for fall. This week is going to be filled with beautiful, fun and inexpensive fall decorating tips and photos! Let the autumn merriment and fall decorating commence!!! I've been excited to decorate for fall since the beginning of August. I'm not a big halloween fan, so I just do "FALL" decorating! My favorite color combo for fall is orange, red, yellow and aqua....so you'll be seeing these colors in almost everything I make this week! This is my first project. Aqua chalkboard frames.

First, I painted 3 frames I picked up at yard sales over the last couple of years with chalk-paint. (*disclaimer...I painted the chalk part a while ago, I've used these for several different events since I first painted them.) I'm sure I didn't pay more than $.50 to $1 for each. That's my rule on frames! Next, I spray painted the frame edges aqua.

Next, I cut out scrapbook paper leaves with my cricut and added buttons and old scrabble letters to spell fall sentiments, like: grateful, blessings and thankful!

I hung these frames above our dining room table with our collection of "R's". I LOVE these frames, they added a perfect fall touch to our dining room!

I had so much making these frames...I decided to make an extra one to give away here on the blog! YEAH!!! So, if you want a chance to win this cute fall frame all you have to do is sign up on the left side of my blog to be a "follower" and then leave me a comment about your favorite part of fall. I'll have my girls draw a name from a hat on Wednesday, winner will be announced on Thursday! ( I can ship anywhere in the us, so you can enter even if you are out of state) Happy entering and crafting!

And in BABY news....... we wanted everyone to know that baby #3 is a healthy GIRL! I had my 20 week ultra sound today and the Dr. said the baby looks great! We are very excited! We would be excited no matter what we were having......I'm just happy to KNOW the sex so I can of course,........................... start DECORATING!

{Mayce's 6th Birthday Party}

2011-09-03T18:37:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally all got over strep throat and were able to have Miss Mayce's birthday carnival! We all had a great time! She had lots of friends come to play games and eat yummy treats.

Here is some collages of the party. You can click on any of the photos to bring them up bigger.

Here's some party details. We had several homemade games, Bowling, Fishing, Ring toss-large and small, Rock Toss, Bean Bag Toss and face painting. Mayce wanted homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches instead of cake! They were a big hit. SO YUMMY! For dinner we had hot dogs, hamburgers, pasta salad, chips, watermelon and caramel apples!

One other thing we did was take everyone's pictures in this hand-painted clown cutout! I painted clowns on this scrap piece of sheet-rock we had down stairs and buck cut the holes for me! (I'm NOT an artist ...so don't laugh at my hand-painted clowns!!!)

{ Buck's New Saddle }

2011-08-31T07:44:00.000-07:00

Last night was the final night in the roping series Buck was in all summer for a saddle and he won the saddle! He is SO HAPPY! The series took place at Karl Tyler's Arena once a week all summer. Buck won the 1st 3 weeks of the roping which also earned him a buckle, coat and hat! The girls were really excited for their dad too! I'm so proud of MY MAN! Here's some photos from last night!

{ Happy Birthday }

2011-08-29T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy 6th BIRTHDAY to our Little Miss Mayce! Mayce Belle brings so much joy to our lives! We wouldn't trade her for anything!!! We will be doing a little bit of celebrating today, but not to much.......the girls both had strep over the weekend and are still recovering! And now, I think I have strep! What a fun weekend we had. We'll all be better soon and have a party for Little Miss Mayce later this week! Have a great Monday!

{ goodwill find }

2011-08-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is my goodwill find of the month! I bought this cute shirt from Goodwill in the target clearance section for $2.50. This is a maternity shirt of course! It was cute as is.......but you know me, I can't leave it alone. So, I added this black tie and black flower!

{ road trip }

2011-08-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

We are back from our short road trip to Colorado! Here's a few memorable photos!

I am very thankful for happy meals and portable DVD players!!! Those 2 things got us through 13 hours of drive time!

Very into chicken nuggets and Robin hood!

Buck in "get home mode"

Prego lady took A LOT of naps!

The funniest sign on our road trip! I'm still trying to figure this one out! What do you put in a sanitary landfill? I don't think anything you put in a landfill that's sanitary????? Do you? Bleached rags??? Clean dishes????

It's a thinker!

{ weekend yard sale finds }

2011-08-15T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here's my weekend scores!

This metal milk crate. $1. I love using these to organize our closets. I'll show you sometime.

This awesome, almost new jeep jogging stroller, for the baby. $30!

This is an old metal money box. $1. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet, I just liked it!

These 2 nice storage bins for the baby's room! Great color for boy or girl! $1

And this frame. $1. I'm going to turn it into a chalk board!

{ fun road trip idea }

2011-08-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

We are taking a couple of road trips his summer, so I've been trying to come up with some ways to "entertain" the girls while driving. Of course, there is the usual portable DVD player, books, music........

The girls love to play games and do arts and crafts, but some of those are to messy for the car, so this is what I came up with......*disclaimer* I'm sure I'm not the first to come with this, in fact some girls and I were talking about something similar to this at the last scrap-camp, this is just my "cheap and easy" version!

* here's what you'll need:

2 or 4 pre-cut plexi glass sheets, 8.5" x 11"

several games printed off on 8.5" x 11" cardstock

2 or 4 med - large rubberbands

dry earse markers

old rag

First, I went to my very helpful and friendly Ace Hardware store and had them cut me 2 pieces of plexi glass into 8.5 x 11 sheets. This only cost $5.20. Then at home, and on white card-stock I printed off several homemade games in my word program. ex. hang man, tic tac toe, mazes, word play, drawing, letter and number practice sheets, road bingo and road sign alphabet to name a few! * disclaimer #2* I know you could use a magna doodle for some of this...... but my girls at age 6 & 7 have out grown those!

Once your sheets are printed, you slide them between your 2 sheets of plexi glass and rubber band the top and bottom so the sheets stay in. All your sheets are in one place and you don't have to worry about them getting bent or lost. The kids use the dry erase markers to fill out each game or draw. When they are finished they just wipe it off and start over. Easy, fun and cheap!

{ sweet baby }

2011-08-03T17:49:00.000-07:00

The girls and I got to see the baby on ultra sound today! It was so fun to see that sweet little person alive and well! Heart beating and dancing for us!!! Here is He or She at 12 weeks!

{ 11 weeks }

2011-07-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Well, I'll be 11 weeks this week. So far these first few weeks have went by pretty fast. Hopefully, only 1 more week to go before all day morning sickness is over. I'm crossing my fingers. This time around I've been the sickest by far! I told Buck this is the last one for sure. It's going to be a long time before I forget how sick I've been! I know it will all be worth it, it always is. I already can't wait to see that sweet baby face! I have a definite "bump" already , as you can see in the photos below. I can't believe how fast #3 sticks out.
Buck keeps telling me to suck it in.......no luck there, it's out to stay! I've gained 2 pounds so far and my pants are really tight, so I've been wearing belly bands! They are a life saver!!! Not everyone knows this.....but I lost 15 pounds over this last year. So my "gut" was finally gone.....not any more! This belly is the good one though!
I'm lucky if I can get in 1 cup of coffee a day.....which should tell you right there how sick I am!!! Most of the time NOTHING sound good to eat! Which, makes it hard to cook for my family.........

Even after all this..... WE are ALL so EXCITED to have this baby coming!!!! My feeling is that it's a girl! I was right about the first 2 so we'll see! Buck of course says it's a boy! And the girls change their minds almost every day! We LOVE you new baby rodolph!

{ weekend yard sale finds }

2011-07-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

I found a few good things at yard sales this weekend I thought I'd share!

I bought this DK skirt for $1

This cute fall jacket was $1

old suitcase $1, I'm kinda obsessed with old suitcases in stacks, see below!

This stacks sits in my kitchen under the bar.

I bought all 3 of these for $10! I'm so excited! I've been keeping an eye for outdoor furniture for the back patio! I need to make cushions for them next week, I'll show you the finished product a little later!

Old metal file box, $1 again I'm kinda obsessed with old metal boxes. I have several in my scraproom holding my supplies, see below!

These file boxes I painted white, your surprised , I know....... and now they hold all my chipboard letters!

This is a funky outdoor light I picked up for $2. Perfect for the back porch after a coat of paint!

Now on the back porch with the new furniture!

A great weekend for a total of $17!

{ cowgirls }

2011-07-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Our little misses in their daddy's hat! Cutest cowgirls ever!

{ the big 7 }

2011-07-11T17:58:00.000-07:00

Our Little Miss Audette turned 7 yesterday! I can't even believe it's been 7 years since this beautiful, awesome, sweet little girl was born. Her daddy and I were planning for her arrival just days ago it seems...........and now she is 7! Audette is smart and funny, shy and kind. She is a good friend and sister and she LOVES animals! She's our "addy girl".

Here, Audette is holding her cousin Cooper's new puppy. She is in LOVE with her, of course!

For Audette's party she wanted to have a movie theater party, so transformed our basement into a theater, complete with concessions! We watched Horton hears a who with all her friends, while eating popcorn, nachos and candy! We had a great time!

Her "dirt cake" it's looks like dirt but it's really a yummy layered chocolate trifle!

This is what Audette received as a present from Nana and Papa! A very large sandbox. They've been in it since my dad set it up! The first thing they was bury each other.

We are so proud of her! We love you sweet girl!

{ our 4th of july }

2011-07-05T08:27:00.000-07:00

Our 4th of July was low key this year. Still fun thought! Mostly we did projects around the house. We camped in our front yard and roasted some hot dogs and marshmallows on the fire pit. I haven't been feeling well enough to actually go camping in the woods so we compromised with the girls and pitched the tent in the yard! We also went to Florence and watched the big fireworks show the local fire department puts on! It was beautiful!

{ yard sale finds }

2011-06-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

I found some great things at yard sales this weekend. The first thing is this dress for a dollar. It's strapless, which I don't like my girls to wear, so I cut strips out of an old white t-shirt and sewed tie straps in the dress. I also made this little fringe flower out of the white t-shirt strips! I think it turned out really cute!

Then I found this hounds tooth purse at another yard sale for .25 cents! I LOVE hounds tooth! and I LOVE big purses! This purse was made for me!!!!!! When I got home I made a few flowers out of material scraps to add to the side of the bag! It adds a little pop of color! Can't beat the price! Buck wants to know why I needed another purse??? UMMMMM........I'm a girl ........................I can't have to many purses!!! Am I right, Ladies???? Maybe I should ask Buck why he needs another rope??????

{ how cowgirls swim in montana }

2011-06-28T08:11:00.000-07:00

The girl's wanted their swimsuits on the other day....I assumed it was for the sprinkler.....but when I went outside a few minutes later, I found this! Now, it's their new favorite place to swim. Who needs a swimming pool when you have horse troughs!

{ what i've been up to }

2011-06-18T18:52:00.000-07:00

Finally I've been able to work on some projects again.... we've been so busy with the yard and just everyday work that I've been missing my craft time! Here's a yard sale purse I added flowers to this week. I bought this purse for $2 last weekend and then made the flowers out of material scraps. I've been carrying it the last few days! I LOVE it!

before

after

And...... If you haven't already heard .........we are expecting baby #3! We are VERY EXCITED! The girl's can't wait. They have been putting their hands on my stomach everyday, trying to "feel" the baby! I'm just not feeling so well! This was my second day of ALL DAY morning sickness. I know it's all worth it in the end.

{ baking soda is my friend }

2011-06-09T20:45:00.000-07:00

I LOVE baking soda! It has a million uses. (I've only put 77 here.....) Plus it's SO INEXPENSIVE! You can buy a 13 pound bag of baking soda at Costco for $3.59. And let me tell you , it goes a long way! Big Bang for your buck!!! I found this list online and I wanted to share it with you, I also added a few of my own!

Health Uses

1. Use it as an antacid.

2. Use it as underarm deodorant by applying it with a powder puff.

3. Mix half a teaspoon with peroxide paste and use it as toothpaste.

4. Use it as a face and body scrub.

5. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.

6. Relieve skin itch from insect bites and pain from sunburn.

7. Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.

8. Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.

9. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations.

10. Take a baking soda bath to relieve skin irritations.

11. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.

12. Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water.

13. Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash.

14. Use it to relieve bee stings.

15. Use it to relieve windburns.

16. Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom.

17. Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer.

In the Home

18. Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.

19. Put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood.

20. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

21. Sprinkle it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering.

22. Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor.

23. Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of water and one cup of cornstarch.

24. After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove the odor.

25. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.

26. Improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water.

27. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor.

28. Freshen the air by mixing baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put the mixture in small sachet bags.

29. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and a cup of baking soda.

30. Put it under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants.

31. Scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies.

32. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants.

33. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

34. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

In Cooking

35. Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.

36. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.

37. When boiling a chicken, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white.

38. Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.

39. Remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution.

40. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid.

41. Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge.

42. Make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.

43. Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.

Cleaning Purposes

44. Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

45. Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs

46. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and countertops.

47. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

48. Remove grease from pots and pans.

49. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

50. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes.

51. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

52. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.

53. Clean your shoes with it.

54. Clean garbage cans with it.

55. Use it to wash diapers.

56. Clean the fridge with it.

57. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution.

58. Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers.

59. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.

60. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica countertops with the sponge.

61. Use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.

62. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse.

63. Combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.

64. Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.

65. Scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.

66. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.

67. Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution.

68. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water.

69. Clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water.

70. Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

71. Use it to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp rug, then use the rug to clean the toaster.

72. Use it to clean your retainers and dentures.

73. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel.

74. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.

75. Use it to unclog gas stoves.

76. You can get scratches out of your stainless steal by rubbing baking soda on the scratch with a damp cloth.(only rub in the direction the stainless steel goes)

77. Add 1/2 baking soda to your load of whites in the washer, instead of bleach.

{ back from farm chicks }

2011-06-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'm back from Farm Chicks! We had a fabulous time and found lots of treasures!

Here's a few photos from the show!

I thought this outdoor patio umbrella was SUPER CUTE!

I loved the old tin on the front of this booth.

These are old lamp shades covered in sheet music! Great idea for a cute corner lamp!

Renee and I!

This is a cute mock "cake" made from old tins. I think it's really CUTE!

Me in a light up fun house mirror!

These boxes were adorable!

This booth was SUPER COOL! She makes lamps and Chandeliers out of old fencing

(see next two photos also)

SO girly. Of course I LOVED everything about this booth!

Pretty, pretty pink.

I liked the bright retro colors in this booth.

Right up buck's alley here! She had awesome and unique western decor.

This is one of my favorite things at the show. SO CREATIVE! This guy and his wife turned a huge horse trough upside down and welded 10' stakes to it .......to make a outdoor gazebo. LOVE IT! LOVE IT!

The same couple that made the horse trough gazebo also made this old car into a out door love seat! They are genius! Way to make old stuff cool again!!!

A twist on a fun sign.

yes it is!

This says peaceful and inspiring to me.

I could have bought everything in this booth!

That's it for now! I have to go put all my fun treasures away!!!

{ new additions }

2011-05-26T16:08:00.000-07:00

These cute little guys (and girls) our the newest additions to our family! Our little mama hen has 8 chicks. They are ADORABLE! Our little mama hen teaches the chicks everything. We don't have to keep them on lights or clean their bed.......it's awesome! It's so fun to just watch and let her do all the work. This is the easiest way by far to raise baby chicks. Here they are drinking water. I think it's stinkin' cute!

{ weekend project }

2011-05-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

We have several projects on the list right now, but this was BY FAR the biggest of them all. We layed sod in the back and side yard this weekend. Turns out Buck over estimated how much sod we needed. Over estimating turned into a good thing. We were just going to lay sod in the back yard for now, but ended up having enough to also do the front yard! Instant lawn! After 2 1/2 years of just dirt it's SO NICE to have a lawn!!! Now we have lots of flower beds to work on as soon as the fence is done. MORE WORK! Buck and I feel a little old today. It took us all week to hand rake and haul off rock from out 5000 sq ft of lawn area and then once it was rock free, we scooped up and hauled enough manure to cover the 5000 sq ft before we layed the sod.....then layed the sod! Every muscle in our bodies aches! We agreed though that the aches and pains are well worth it! Now....on to the front yard tonight!!!

{ Maggie pie }

2011-05-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

This is Maggie or mag pie. She has grow A LOT since I last showed you a picture of her in February!She is now 5 months old and weighs a whopping 29 pounds! She's still in her "puppy stage" of chewing on EVERYTHING! WE do love her in spite of the things she has ruined. (She tests that love daily) Marley LOVES having someone to play with! Mag pie is also just as obsessed with fetch as Marley is. Maggie also LOVES to steal the girls shoes when they are on the trampoline! Even though she's pure trouble, she's a keeper!

{ under 40 }

2011-05-16T16:28:00.000-07:00

I've a few Walmart "incident" stories but this might take the cake.

I was recently shopping at Wally World and bought a bottle of cooking wine. I had several other items in my cart . I put all the items on the check stand and then put the cooking wine on last. The "cashier" who checked me out was a little on the crabby side. She didn't smile at me or say hello. I had questions about a couple items I had bought and she grumbled answers back at me. I could tell she was having a bad day. When the grouchy checker got to the wine she said in a very crabby voice "I need to see your ID". I said back to her in a very cheerful voice "Oh wow, that's a compliment!" She said in her very crabby voice "Well, you do look under 40!" At that point I started gasping for air! I wanted to fly over the check stand and tackle her, I really wanted to lay hands on her in the name of Jesus!!!! Who says that!!!!!!????? She could have just let me think it was a compliment! Really??? Really??? Wow! So much for customer service! Yes, after the initial shock wore off I did PRAY for her. Her day must have been very bad! You can still be nice to people even when your having bad day thought!? Right? Well....Here's to looking under 40!

{ happy mother's day }

2011-05-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I LOVE being a MOM. I wouldn't trade it for anything! My girl's are so amazingly wonderful. They teach me a little about life everyday. I LOVE them more than ANYTHING!!! They are smart, funny and beautiful! They brought me home handmade presents from school yesterday that made me cry, they pick me "weed flowers" and "help" clean the house. They "help" in the Kitchen (even though when they are done I have an even bigger mess to clean up), They give me endless amounts of LOVE, most days...... ..........but,

...... can I just be honest for a minute and say that along with the GOOD days there are also really CRAZY days. Crazy days that make me want to lock myself in the bathroom with a pot of coffee and crafting magazines and NEVER come out! ( I totally, 100%, understand why my mom used to lock herself in the bathroom now!) I've had a few of those days this week, so this picture made me laugh out loud!

And this photo is how I feel on most of the other days!!!

I know I'm not the only MOM who feels this way and yet somehow, miraculously, even after the bad and crazy days I still would'nt trade being Audette and Mayce's MOM for anything!

I would also like to take this opportunity to say thank you to my MOM for putting up with all the good and crazy days we gave her!!! I love you MOM! P.S. ( you can come out of the bathroom now, the coast is clear!)

Happy Mother's Day to all My MOM friends and family!!!

{ red neck moment }

2011-05-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest photo in Buck's Red Neck Moment Series. If you have a squeamish stomach....don't look at the next photo! You were warned! Let's see, Clear tape, bandages and super glue.........what do you think Buck is doing with these????

Buck is having me tape and super glue his head while he holds it together. Yes, he should have had stitches, but since we don't have insurance........Nurse Jami used what he told her to and did what he told her to!

Buck was pounding posts when this happened. I wasn't home at the time, he's lucky he didn't pass out!

I'm happy to give my nurses report........... his head is healing nicely and there's no infection! He will however have a large X shaped scar on top of his head! Adds Character, Right!?

{ easter recap }

2011-05-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Easter recap! We had 2 days of easter festivities, which the girls gladly accepted! We went to an egg hunt with several friends on Saturday and then to my Parents on Sunday! This post is long....just to warn you........mostly pics thought! This first pic is my nephew Conner. These are the sunglasses we bought him for easter. He happily modeled them for us! What a cool DUDE!

Conner is a very happy baby and he loves his papa!

Miss Mayce. This is the egg hunt at my friend Ann's house on Saturday.

Miss Audette at Saturdays egg hunt.

Dying eggs for Sunday! They are quite the artists!

Audette, Mayce and myself. Looking very easterish!

The girls and their Handsome Daddy!

Cheesy!

Half Smile!

Egg hunting at Nana's

Cooper was so funny on Sunday, He wanted to eat every single egg he picked up! God love him.....Every egg went in his mouth, no matter what his parents said!

He was sure the plastic must be yummy too!

No, grass does not taste good with the eggs!

The cutest Cowboy EVER!!!

Mayce ......Hoarding her treasure!

Audette.......counting her loot!

{ planting }

2011-05-02T06:00:00.000-07:00

OK....try this again.....my pictures didn't come up the first time!

Saturday we worked outside spraying weeds and planting our new fruit trees. We have 10 acres and absolutely no trees. So, we went to Costco the other day and made our first investment in trees. We now own 7 fruit trees. 3 apple, 2 cherry and 2 apricot. Buck's back is VERY Tired! Thanks honey!

{ display }

2011-04-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Here is a fun way I've been displaying my girl's art work. I have several old shutters, I've used them for many things over the years. The other day I thought to myself "Self, I wonder if a clothes pin would clip to the old shutter and hold paper?" Me, myself and I tested it and low and behold, it works beautifully. So, now when the girls bring their work home, it gets clipped to the shutter and it's on display for all to see!

{ love you mayce }

2011-04-18T19:37:00.000-07:00

I found what I thought was one of the cutest notes EVER in my shoe hanger this week. It made me SMILE! This is a note Mayce wrote on St. Patrick's day. Obviously I haven't put these white flip flops on in a while....since I just found this note. The note says LOVE YOU LEPRECHAUN.

Mayce learned about "leprechauns" at school and came home telling us that the little green men mess up your shoes and take them away if you don't leave them nice notes. So Miss Mayce, not wanting any of her shoes to get messed up or go missing, decided to write nice notes to the leprechaun. I knew she had done this on her own....she had written notes for herself and her sister on St Pat's day, but I did't know she had also wrote one for me. How sweet of my baby....she knows I LOVE my shoes! And, lucky for us, thanks to Mayce, none of our shoes went missing! LOVE YOU MAYCE!

{ scrap camp projects #3 }

2011-04-03T18:20:00.000-07:00

Here's some layouts from scrapcamp....the pic's are NOT that great, sorry. You get the general idea! I need to find a free scan and stitch program......anyone know of one????

{ scrap camp projects #2 }

2011-04-01T15:51:00.000-07:00

This is a little keepsake box I made for Miss Audette this last weekend at FABULOUS scrapcamp!

I made Mayce one last year. So now both girls have one. This little box holds their birth info, first diaper size and their first shoes. I still need to put their Binky's in.

Audette's: Top View

Audette's and Mayce's: Top view

Mayce's: Top view

Mayce's: Inside

Mayce's: Side view

Audette's : Side view

Audette's : Inside view

{ scrap camp projects #1 }

2011-03-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

I'm back from SCRAPCAMP! It was SO FUN! ( like it's ever not fun!*wink*) I needed a creative weekend really bad. Believe it or not I haven't scraped for myself or my family for a couple months now......which is a LONG time for me!

This is the one and only photo we took at camp.....bad scrapbooker, bad scrapbooker. Actually it's more like............... "what happens at scrapcamp, stays at scrapcamp!"

This is Janet, Trish, Renee and I. We shared a table space.....Erin and Breann also shared our table space, but left before the photo opp! Look closely and you will see the bags under our eyes from VERY, VERY LITTLE sleep. We LOVE scrapping to much to sleep! It also didn't help that we drank WAY TO much coffee.....wait, never mind......I'm not sure what that means .... there is no such thing!

This is the first project I wanted to show you. It's a 7 gypsies collage frame. I filled it with family photos and memorabilia!....... not to mention, glitter, buttons, punches, flowers and words! I hung it up in the living room. It looks great on the old door.

{ Organizing }

2011-03-21T20:17:00.000-07:00

This last month I've been on a spring cleaning kick. I'm not sure what it is about the weather changing, the robins singing, the grass growing and the days getting longer that makes me want to clean and organize my house, but every year it does! I've been concentrating this week on my kitchen drawers. I decided to use kitchen "ware" to organize the drawers....I'll show you......

*I used an old cake pan to hold jar lids.

*A mixing bowl to hold cookie cutters.

*Mini bunt pans to hold things like clothes pins, chalk, candles, tags for jars.

This WAS a junk drawer...now, it very NEATLY holds everything in it's perfect place with silver ware organizers and mini bunt pans! Notice I'm NOT showing you *before* photos.......I'm embarrassed to you show what it looked like before. You just get to see the PRETTY after photos!!!

Yet ANOTHER junk drawer turned to the NEAT side! This is now the battery and all chargers drawer!

3 drawers down......20 more to go!!! Here I go with my spring cleaning enthusiasm!!!

{ spring scene }

2011-03-09T21:31:00.000-08:00

This is the newest use for the dollar store apothecary jars. You can find instructions for the jars here.

I filled these jars with the fabric flowers I've been making and "sparkly" birds from christmas clearance. I added the silver tray again and some mini fake eggs! I think this center piece might actually lure spring in...let's cross our fingers!

{ SUPER YUMMY DINNER }

2011-03-05T19:25:00.000-08:00

I made these Sweet Pork Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw for dinner tonight and they were SO YUMMY! I HIGHLY recommended these to you!!! You will not be disappointed. You can find the full recipe here, on Make it and Love it. I have friends who are not fans of cilantro...don't worry you can just leave that part out! It's still sooooo yummy!

{ fancy }

2011-03-02T08:19:00.000-08:00

YES, I like fancy things! I always have. You show me something plain and I will make it FANCY! Lucky for my husband..... I'm also very thrifty! So, my fanciness doesn't usually cost him a lot of money!

I'd been wanting a new wallet for awhile, my current one is on it's last leg. All the wallets I'd been finding were a little out of my price range. Then, when I was at Goodwill last week I found this plain black wallet, brand new from target.(had the tags on still) It was $2.99! What a steal. So, I snagged it, brought it home and made it *FANCY*.

First I hot glued ruffled lace to the top of the wallet.

Then I made these little black flowers out of old pjs I had in my fabric pile.

I added pearls to the middle of the flowers, you know for fanciness....

Then I hot glued the flowers to the wallet.

And...........drum roll please...........My new FANCY wallet! under $5!

{ mayce as a photographer }

2011-02-26T09:25:00.000-08:00

Here is a small smattering of Mayce's photographic ventures!

Her newest issues of Highlights magazine.

Daddy and Maggie, slightly on the blurry side!!!

This is a page out of her cookbook, she really wants to make these...whatever they are.

Addy, Mayce and Aunt Baylee

Self portrait...I think she was saying OH YEAH...Oh YEAH.....

Her trusty steed.

Another VERY stylish self portrait!

Mayce and her horse.

A very blurry Momma....how i feel at the end of every day!

{ Audette as a photographer }

2011-02-24T18:22:00.000-08:00

Our girls LOVE to take pictures with their cameras! Here is Audette's latest takes!

Miss maggie playing tug-a-war with mayce

Daddy and Ben after goose hunting.

Me and Buck in a very blurry way! It makes me dizzy!

Mr. Cooper! TOO CLOSE!

Mr. Cooper! Being his absolute cutest self!

Audette's pet frog, Aurora. This frog is only 2inches long...don't let the pic fool you!

Audette's self portrait. NICE LIPS! A little Angelina Jolie action.

Audette's zuzu pet family!

Mr. Marley. Who I must say puts up with A LOT from out girls and LOVES them a TON!

Coming up....

Tomorrow, Mayce's pics!

{ lots to do }

2011-02-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

I have A LOT to do today, so this seemed appropriate!

I came to town to kick but and blow bubblegum...

and now, I'm all out of bubble gum!

{ first picnic of the season }

2011-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

Yes, you read that right our first picnic of the season. We had a picnic OUTSIDE on Saturday, February 13th 2011! We've had such weather extremes this winter, it's been up and down. Below 0 one week and sunshine and 40's the next! On Saturday it was 55 degrees. A & M begged me to get out their flip flops and shorts! Of course I said NO, knowing that we still have LOTS of winter to go. A & M played outside all morning in the mud and sun and then begged for a picnic outside on the deck. Flip flops NO, picnic YES! We soaked up the sun while we had it. I'm glad we did, because now today we have 2 inches of snow and ice and it's 20 degrees! Addy had me count on the calender again this morning how many days it was until spring. Little does she know that just because the calender says it's spring, doesn't actually mean it's spring! It comes in it's own time here in Montana!

{ wall art }

2011-02-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun way to make wall art with scrapbook supplies! * DISCLAIMER: these pics are NOT very good. Sorry. I will scan them in when I bring them home. Right now they are on display at The Scrapbook Hide-a-way.*

Gina, at The Scrapbook Hide-a-way is selling these 12x12 plexi glass page frames right now and asked what kind of project I would do with them.....and this is what I came up with. I wanted something I could hang in our living room. I used one of my favorite quotes and some of my current favorite pictures of the girls. It's of course shabby, because that's how I like it, but you could do any kind of wall art with these page frames. These would make great chalk boards or chore charts!

{ fabric flowers }

2011-02-16T07:52:00.000-08:00

I've been working on some fabric flowers again. I LOVE these flowers! The girls and I wear them on everything.....scarves, shirts, belts, hats, in our hair.......here is a great tutorial on fabric flowers if you've never made them before! Also, here's another great blog for flower tutorials.

{ valentines #14 }

2011-02-14T06:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! Tell everyone you LOVE how much they mean to you today! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

{ valentines #13 }

2011-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

This is what Buck got the girls for VALENTINES DAY today! He is just sure this is going to cure my baby fever! Her name is Maggie. She is 6weeks old. She is half border collie and half golden retriever. So far she is very sweet! Not to mention stinkin' cute!

{Valentine #11 change}

2011-02-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

OK....for some reason the link for the pom-pom tutorial didn't show up on the post the first time....it's fixed now! enjoy!

{ valentines #12 }

2011-02-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

The girls and I have been working on cards for family and friends. We did then pretty simple this year. We used scraps of scrapbook paper, cut into small random sizes. Folded them in half to make a card. Then punched hearts out of matching paper scraps. We made the hearts 3d by folding them in half and only gluing them on the fold to the card. Then we glued on small sayings and phrases that I printed off the computer.

{ valentines #11 }

2011-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

I made these this week for A & M's class valentine parties. My girls LOVE them! Score for mom!

VERY Easy to make... these pom-poms are made out of newspaper. Normally though they are made out of tissue paper. ....here is a tutorial on making pom-poms out of tissue paper just swap it for newspaper if you want! I added these sewn together hand-cut hearts at the bottom and a long red polka dot ribbon to the top for hanging. As Mayce would say, "easy peezy nice and chezzy"!

{ valentines # 9 & 10 }

2011-02-09T06:00:00.000-08:00

#9 I found these very ornate frames at a ......yep...you guessed it... a yard sale. They were gold, so I painted them black. Last week when I working in my scraproom I thought to myself... jami, those would be fun with 3D flowers, hearts, jewels, words and...........These are now currently my FAVORITE valentines decoration in my house!!! You could do this with any frame, big or small and any romantic decor you have in your house!

#10 This is an easy, cheap but. super adorable idea to decorate your house or for your kids class party. I cut doilies from the dollar store in half and sewed them together to make a banner and then I strung white, red and pink puff balls also from the dollar store on to red thread with a needle.

{ valentines # 6, 7, 8 }

2011-02-08T08:49:00.000-08:00

Catch UP time! The last few days flew by with out me posting valentine goodness, so here are 3 ideas in 1 post!!! All of these ideas are free valentine printables!

#6 This Blog has an awesome 1 Corinthians subway art printable FREE. Print it out on your printer and then you can frame it! There are several different color combos to chose from.Thanks Honey Bear Lane! http://www.honeybearlane.com/2011/01/love-is-valentines-printable.html

#7 Here is another FREE subway art LOVE printable that could easily be framed! Several color combos to chose from here too! http://todaysfabulousfinds.blogspot.com/2011/01/valentine-subway-art.html

#8 My friend Renee was just asking me yesterday if I have run across any cute and free printable valentines....and today I found these! SOOO cute! http://fun.kyti.me/index.php/2011/01/valentines-prints/

{ valentines #5 }

2011-02-05T08:00:00.000-08:00

I found the cutest glitter cones at a antique store the other day. The problem was they were WAY out of my price range. So I came home and made my own out of card-stock, glitter, wire and some fun girly accents! A, M and I will fill these up with treats next week to take to their teachers for valentines day! My friend Renee did a version of these at Christmas for friends and teachers. Check hers out here.

{Valentine #4}

2011-02-04T17:52:00.000-08:00

One of my girls' favorite traditions at Valentines is these little mail boxes. I picked these up at the target dollar section a few years ago and personalized them with our names. I usually get them out around February 1st and we all leave each other mail and treats until valentines day! The girls love checking to see if their mail flag is up! It's a nice little way to say " i love you " this month!

{ valentine #3 }

2011-02-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

{ valentine #2 }

2011-02-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

Remember the Apothecary jars I made at Christmas using supplies from the dollar store? Well, here they are again being put to use for valentines. I went to Wal-mart and bought some fun candy to put in them, pink and red candy corn, red hots and conversation hearts. The girls LOVE having these on the table! Easy Access!!! I pulled out Buck's grandma's silver tray to set the jars on. I bought these adorable velvet hearts on sticks at the dollar store and put them in silver vases. The big red glass hearts are Christmas ornaments I bought on clearance for $1 each. An inexpensive center piece for February!

{Valentine #1}

2011-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

I thought for the next 14 days, to celebrate valentines day (since I'm a hopeless romantic) I would post some projects and these adorable vintage valentines! So, here's the first one! Happy LOVE month!!! This one is for my man!

{ red neck moment }

2011-01-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

Everyone probably knows by now that we have chickens. We call them the "divas". They are spoiled chickens really. The person who fought me the most on getting them (buck) spoils them the most! Last month he came in from getting eggs and started yelling at me to get the camera. This is what he wanted me to take a picture of "Monmouth Egg". The egg so BIG it looks like it could be a dinosaur egg! It was double the size of a "large egg". We couldn't even keep it in the carton because the lid wouldn't close.

Addy was eating yogurt when buck brought the egg in and the egg was almost as tall as this 8oz yogurt. SO crazy. I personally feel sorry for the diva that laid this egg! My money was on it being a triple yolker...it was only a double. This is yet another Red Neck Moment brought to you by the "divas" and Buck.

{ conner }

2011-01-27T20:45:00.000-08:00

This is Mr. Conner, my adorable nephew( my mom is holding him)! We don't get to see him much, becauce we live an hour and a half away. He grows so FAST! This was almost 2 weeks ago. He is 6 weeks in this picture. I can't believe the chubs he's getting! He looks more like his very handsome older brother cooper everyday! What a cutie pie! I love you sweet CONNER!

{ chandelier }

2011-01-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

I found this candle chandelier at a yard sale last summer for $5. I originally bought it for the front porch, but I decided the other day to put it in my scraproom/studio. I hung it up for a couple days then decided it needed to be "jamified" as Buck calls it!

I added crystals to the bottom of all the candle cups and I added crystals to swirls at the top. I draped 2 layers of pearl stands all the way around also.

Sorry, these pics are NOT very good. I don't have the best camera and the light downstairs is NOT good. I think you get the general idea though!

and before my grandma yells at me for having lit candles in the candle holders so close to ceiling.......I have to tell you they are electronic candles NOT real ones grandma. I am being safe, I promise!

{ nesting }

2011-01-21T06:30:00.001-08:00

You should check out my friend Jessica's new blog The Nesting Corral. She has some awesome ideas for your home, kitchen and studio! She is an amazing mom of 4 and our pastors wife!!! We love her and her blog! Your doing awesome Jess, keep it up!

{ bar stools }

2011-01-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

Here's a project I've been working on...updating our barstools.

First, I tore apart the old ones. These were barstools I collected at yard sales last year. I paid $10 for all 4. I wanted to take the fabric off and put something on the stools that could be wiped off easily when mess get made, which is every single day!!! So, this is what I came up with. First I stripped the stools down to their particle board face.

sanded the top smooth.

I repainted the legs white and painted the top of the stools black.

Then, I cut out white cardstock circles and black numbers, 1-4.

Then modge podged the cardstock on to the stool. (Modge podge is AWESOME and CHEAP)

Modge podge the numbers on the stools.

Then, I sprayed a clear coat sealer on the tops.

Now, I have cute barstools that can easily be wiped off when my girly girls make messes!

{ Flower Tutorials }

2011-01-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

OK...so I've had some questions on how I make fabric flowers, like the ones I've been adding to the girls clothes and headbands! There are lots of tutorials out there, which is AWESOME! Here are a couple of my favorite links for learning to fabric and paper flowers! HAVE FUN!

this link is paper flowers
http://missfancypants.typepad.com/little_miss_fancy_pants/2010/02/fancy-this-flower-techniques-album.html

this link is over 30 fabric flowers!!!
http://oopsey-daisy.blogspot.com/2010/07/wednesdays-wowzers-3-dozen-plus-four.html

My favorite place to buy flowers (silk) is the dollar store! You have to be a little choosy....but I usually find a few cute bunches that are great for craft projects.
http://www.dollartree.com/floral-decor/floral-arranging/Artificial-Rose-Bushes/202c204c204p44629/index.pro

{ shirt fix-up's }

2011-01-12T10:55:00.001-08:00

I've been working on adding fun embellishments to the girl's plain t-shirts and jackets!

BEFORE:

Crochet and tulle flower

Pin cushion flowers w/ velvet buttons

Felt flowers, brown leather buttons and stitching

Pincushion and t-shirt flower with blue pearl button

Pincushion flowers w/ blue vintage buttons

Fabric scrap flower w/ leather buttons and ricrack

{ coffee filter wreath }

2011-01-08T12:29:00.000-08:00

I made a coffee filter wreath the other day......I know it sounds strange, but take a look and tell me what you think! I think it looks like flowers!!! I picked up the brand new wreath form at the second hand store for $.50. The coffee filters from Costco, $2.99 ( i only used half the package) and these floral picks from Wal-mart $2 (i only used half of the package) SO now i have a beautiful winter wreath for only $3!!!

This wreath would be pretty spray painted too!

{ learning to read and write }

2011-01-04T18:58:00.000-08:00

Audette is in 1st grade now. She has learned to read and write this year. She loves to write things like letters, notes and calendars. This is a note I found in her bedroom last month. The note is about the beads on the paper. It says:

gren (green) 2

red 1

aol (all) of the kulrs (colors) mac (make) 5

I love you. Addy

yelw (yellow) 2

I LOVE LOVE LOVE how she is sounding out the words and spelling to the best of her ability! This is something I will always keep! I love you sweet girl!