Touches of Love

I normally dread when January rolls around because it means that all our beautiful Christmas decorations get taken down and the house looks so bare.  While I still think our house looks pretty bare, this was the first year I was ready to get the decorations down and get all of Taylor’s new toys organized.  So all month I’ve been watching other blogs for ideas on how to make our house festive for February and other spring months to come.  I couldn’t resist picking up a few pieces of felt at Joann’s the other day to attempt this project and LOVE how it turned out.  Chris picked up Glee season one(I got him hooked on the soundtrack) and started cutting out random sized hearts while we watched.  Then I just sewed them all in straight line just like suggested and cut then where needed. 

I used the garland to decorate our TV stand and several of the windows in our living room.  I plan on doing destroying some more felt while watching the Grammys tonight so that I can decorate along the stairs.

I’m sure you already saw my next project in the picture about, but another thing I picked up at Joann’s was a few white letters to spell LOVE.  I had to get past my OCDness and pick out random non matchy-matchy paper for these.  For some reason it just looks better this way.  Boy was I excited when I went to get my Mod-Podge out and found that I had a glitter version!  Maybe I should venture into that crafting drawer a little more often.   Added a little ribbon when they dried and viola!

 

  The next couple of steps were pretty simple.  I updated our wreath with my new magnets.  Thanks Laura!(if you leave in Houston go check out Paper Daisy for these and tons of cute invitations/stationary)  Then I added some magnets to the back of wood cutouts for Taylor to have on her part of the fridge.  As I type this she is bringing them to me to match to the picture and I’m sure the letters aren’t cute like this anymore.  Oh well… Do you know how hard it is to spell more than one word with her alphabet?  On Christmas, all I could come up with was ‘Happy Jesus’.  We only have one P and Y so I couldn’t even spell Happy Birthday Jesus.

 

I have a few more projects in mind and will try to remember to post about them as I decorate.  Hope you enjoyed my touches of pink, red, hearts, and glitter! 

Taylor Tuesday

Just the hint of warm weather and we are outside.  We’ve even ventured out in a slight mist just to get the wiggles out.  Nothing like seeing this face peer down at you.

Valentine’s Day Class

I try to keep this blog about Taylor, our family, and the different whimsical things I’m up to, but I had to show you the items I created for the Stampin’ Up class I have coming up on January 31st.  In the class we will be making the 3 cards and one non-card item shown below.  If you want information about you can come please put your email in the comment section.  Plus I know Melinda loves to see what I’ve been up to in my location for random Christmas items that haven’t found their way to the attic craft room.  I know I’ve said that I’m not allowed to buy any more paper, but how could I resist the Valentine’s-ish paper that is in the new Occasions Mini catalog.

I just love how Catherine Pooler did this card and changed it slightly to fit my needs.

 

This next one was a great way to incorporate several of the papers(did I mentioned they are all two sided and one side has glitter accents?).  Plus I love an excuse to use my white gel pen.  This one was a little bit harder to photograph since the red paper is actually a small strip on the inside of the card.  Bare with me and my photo taking skills!

  

I was inspired by this card and found a way to do a similar card, but using the Sending Love paper.  Isn’t this little owl the cutest?!  He looks like he’s saying ‘Who me?  You love me?’  Taylor loved this card since she has figured out how to say the word owl.  But her ‘owl’ is more drawn out like she’s trying to say ‘owl’ and ‘whoo’ at the same time. 

 

I can’t take credit for this design of this last item either.  I found it here.  There are so many wonderfully creative women out there that I love to follow and attempt to make some of their items my own.  This Valentine’s treat holder was just too cute to not try.  And any reason to have chocolate on my craft table is always a good thing. 

 

I’ve made a few more items with this paper but I will save those for another day.  Can you believe that Valentine’s Day is less than a month away??  Feel like it was just summer the other day.  Guess I better get back to the craft room and work on one for Chris before V-Day gets here!

Supplies(all Stampin’ Up!):

Paper: Very Vanilla, Kraft, Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Sending Love DSP

Ink: Pretty in Pink, Chocolate Chip, Real Red

Stamps:With All My Heart, Fox & Friends, Whimsical Words

Other: scallop circle punch, 1 3/8” circle punch, Pretty in Pink satin ribbon, oval scallop punch, small oval punch, white gel pen, scallop trim punch, dimensionals, XL fancy flower punch, Real Red grosgrain ribbon

Taylor Tuesday

It always makes me laugh when we have a living room FULL, I mean FULL, of toys and Taylor decides that a box or basket is more fun to play in.  It probably helped that I would pull her around on the tile while she was sitting in the basket.  This also happened to be one of our 'it's cold and raining so let's not leave our pjs' day and for some reason we seem to have lots of fun on those days. 

Hair Raising Fun

Since it has been so cold outside(rare for Texas) Taylor and I have been pulling out all kinds of toys to keep our days exciting. Ya-Ya got her this ball pit and I don’t get it out too often since it tends to take up a lot of room in the living room, but we had lots of fun playing in it yesterday. Taylor has been experiencing a bit of static electricity in her hair due to the cold, dry weather, but the plastic just added to the mess. How can you not love a little girl like this???!

Taylor Tuesday

Did you know that kids REALLY do come with a warning label?

Best Friend

It was August of 1998 and I was eagerly getting ready for my freshman year at Texas Tech. My roommate hadn’t moved into our dorm room yet, so I left my door open hoping to meet some people before classes started the next week. Next thing I know a strange girl walked in my room to see if I liked her outfit for her sorority rush party. Little did I know this conversation would start an amazing friendship. This strange girl that walked through my into my dorm room was Natalie. Natalie lived directly across the hall and we were one of the few rooms on the hall who’s doors lined up with each other. It’s like God meant for us to be connect from the start but understood that we would kill each other if we were roommates. Natalie was my complete opposite and we became great friends right away. I don’t know if it was the fact that we were surviving our first year at college together(away from home) that made us such great friends, but we had so much fun together. We ended up becoming sorority sisters, shared a big sister in the sorority(mine adopted her), partied together, visited each other’s homes(she was from Wichita Falls), got into trouble together, and grew to love Texas Tech and Lubbock together. It’s even because of Natalie and her fiancé that I met Chris. Before I finish the story I will take you on a photo journey of some of our fun. I really enjoyed going back through my college photo albums and laughing at all the fun times I had in the dorms with my 4th East girls! Oh how I hope that one day Taylor gets to experience the bond you build with friends in a dorm!

This is from our very first fraternity party. I told Chris that only fraternity boys would think that a stop sign and beer cases make for a backdrop. After this picture my Mom started requesting that I leave the red cups out of pictures. She understood that I drank in college, but didn’t needed to be reminded of it and she wanted a few photos for her desk at work.

I threw this one in there bc this was from that same party but a year before I ever met Chris. It is a picture of some of my sorority sisters and a few random frat guys that jumped in. It took me a year to find out who the guy right below me is. For those of you who don’t recognize him… it’s Chris!

She would kill me for including pictures of her without makeup, but these were typical days with us in the dorm. Both our roommates moved out early so we had our rooms to ourselves, but she did everything but sleep in mine. I would actually leave my door cracked so she could come in and use my computer. In those days it was a big deal to have your own computer. She had a cell phone so I thought she was cool.

I sure did love that purple sweater set and thought I was pretty cool wearing it to frat parties!

I wore the dress from my brother’s wedding to our spring formal and we had the glove picture planned before we even got there. The photographer was awesome and played along with all our fun. I regret not buying the one where I was on the grand piano. She really brought out my fun side and I made sure we didn’t get arrested.

The picture on the left is actually still in a frame on my fridge. On the right is Natalie and my Mom. Natalie came up with the name ‘Momma D’ for my Mom and decided that if my brother ever had kids that she needed to be Nana D. Well, she’s carried that on and is now Nana to my nieces and Taylor.

Typical Nat and Ren(my nickname) pose

I don’t know who took this picture with my camera but it is perfect of us. We always butted headed and were stubborn with each other. It was just part of who we were and how our friendship worked.

Natalie and her fiance(one of Chris’ frat bros) with Chris and I shortly after we started dating; snuggled up in the wee hours of the morning getting ready for SAE Chili Cook-off, yes that is a keg next to us!; at our first Pi Kapp formal together, we were so excited to be dating frat bros and go to these together. These pictures were all from our last semester together.

This last picture still sits in the frame she gave me. I’ve never changed the picture. The frame says:

A best friend is a gift to cherish forever. It’s a special bond that crosses the boundaries of time and distance. Time pass, but a best friend in constant in a world of change. Like a fine wine or vintage car, our friendship gets better with age. Life may have it’s ups and downs but our shared dreams last a lifetime. I don’t thank you enough. I don’t know where I’d be without my best friend.

Ten years ago today I had to learn what life would be like without my best friend. It was days before we were to leave and go back for the spring semester of our sophomore year of college. We had just celebrated the Y2K and lived to tell about it. We both were with the love of our lives and starting to dream about what our futures would hold. When we would get married, where we would live, how we would raise our kids together and make them love Texas Tech just as much as we did. Then as quickly as she walked into my dorm room that day she was taken from us. I know now that God had a plan for her but it doesn’t mean that I don’t still miss her dearly. I wonder if our kids would be the same age or how our pictures now would look compared to ten/eleven years ago. I wonder how many more wild adventures we would have gotten into. Just wanted to let you know about an amazing friend and someone who helped make me the person I am today. The world missed out on not getting to have you longer but benefited from the short time you were here with us!

I love and miss ya Nat!

No more bon-bons

It’s a running joke around my house that doing something during the day may take away from my time spent with my feet up eating bon-bons.  Well I may not be eating bon-bons all day, but I do love my chocolate whether it’s a bowl of ice cream or my new love of dark chocolate Reese’s peanut butter cups.  After some major motivation from a friend(thanks Molly!) I decided to put the bon-bons down and join Weight Watchers.  I joined the online version and love that I can log all my food while I have my feet up.  The only downfall so far is choosing between eating a meal or my precious peanut butter cups.  I also realized that if I eat a blizzard that’s all I can have for the day.  But you bet it’d be a really good blizzard!  We’ll see how this adventure goes and how long before I beg Chris to had over the chocolate and not report me to the Weight Watchers people.  Plus you may see more crafts on here as I find myself trying to stay busy so that I don’t crave that chocolate fudge ice cream!  And no there won’t be any before and after pictures on here because I don’t care to have pictures of me like this roaming the internet. 

Manger

As I was cleaning after all the Christmas stuff was put away I found this little guy hanging out by the dvd’s. 

There were a few pieces of our nativity that Taylor could reach and I guess this one strayed a little too far from home or else Taylor decided that he needed to catch up on his American Pie movies.  This wouldn’t be the first animal of our manger to go missing.  The poor donkey went missing a few years ago and hasn’t been seen since. 

Alphabet Book

First off, many thanks go out to all those who helped me come up with wonderful words or directed me to great sources for words.  I didn’t feel so bad when it came to X and most sources only had a few words too! 

So the book is done and before the weekend since I got so much help and was motivated while Chris was busy watching football games.  This is a lengthy post due to pictures of each pages but I thought I would share them all with you in case you want to make one too.  I can’t take credit for this book, but it has been so long since I found it on a blog that I can’t remember who’s idea it was.  I am going to do some research to see if I can figure it out for you.  I want to give credit where it’s due.  I made Taylor’s(kicking myself for personalizing it and realizing I will have to make another if we have any more kids) book 8x8 since that seems to be a good size that she can handle and it only required a little bit of cutting down of paper.  The letters for each page were cut out using my Cricut and then I used stickers, photos, stamped images, and printed images(thank you Microsoft Word for an AMAZING variety of clipart) for the pages.  Ever since I saw this idea I started picking up stickers that were on sale to go with her book.  The flat ones are the best.  We have a few that stick out and it made it harder to get the page to stay flat.  My favorite animal stickers would have to be the Doodlebug Design ones that I picked up at Archivers(and spent a little more on) last weekend.  They are great images and had quite a few different animals for her pages that I liked better than clip art version.  Plus they were a good size compared to some other stickers I found.  Enough about the logistics, onto the book.  I present to you, Taylor’s alphabet book(forgive me for forgetting to take pictures before I put the pages in the book):

 

 

 

  

 

    

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

   

I can now cross a BIG to-do off my list with this done.  What’s funny is that after I gave Taylor the book and we looked through it a few times, I came up with several more words.  Plus she pointed out the pumpkins in the picture behind me in my picture and that was another word to add.  The nice thing about the book in this format is that I was able to easily slide the pages out to add the new pictures.  I look forward to many hours spent looking through this book with Taylor!