a cute canvas tutorial

i have wanted to share this project for a while, but i make everything at the last minute so i usually don't have the patience (or time) to stop and take pictures of each step. this time, i tried to plan ahead, so let's go!

this is what you need to start: canvas (choose size based on design), acrylic paint, foam brush, small brush, scrapbook paper, mod podge, scissors, ribbon, craft glue (i prefer my best friend, aleene's tacky glue) and a paint pen
step 1: paint your canvas. i usually paint it with a foam brush first to make sure it is all covered.
then, i paint it with a small brush making an X pattern to create texture. don't worry if all the paint is smooth or if it is lighter in some areas.

step 2: create & cut out your design. i wanted a pumpkin for this canvas. as you can see, i was making multiples and like to create assembly line style.
step 3: adhere your design to the canvas. i use mod podge for this step.

step 4 (optional): i used distressing ink to ink the edges of my paper before i mod podged it and in between the pieces after i did it.

step 5: place a coat of mod podge over the entire canvas.

(no picture. see, i told you i would not remember to photograph each step!)

step 6: add any words you want using the paint pen.

step 7 (optional): you could add another coat of mod podge depending on if you have enough time for another layer of mod podge to dry before wrapping it. i usually don't!

step 8: glue ribbon around the edge of your canvas for a finished look.

and, ta da!
there are so many different things you can make using this technique. i use this project a lot to create baby gifts to match room decor. i would love to see what you come up with! these will be teacher gifts. i hope they like them!

i'm linking this tutorial up here with lots of other inexpensive crafty ideas! i can't believe there are only 45 days to shop/create before christmas!

pocket pants

this boy . . .

loves pocket pants. he also loves to carry things. that is probably why he loves pocket pants.

i know this about him. and to this point, it has never caused harm. until today . . .
remember berta . . . our enormous workhorse of a washing machine.

last night, i filled her to the top with little socks and underwear, pajamas, t-shirts and more. when i woke up, i went to put it all in the dryer. i knew immediately.

what is that all over berta? you ask.

this is what is left of the chosen toy miller carried in his pocket yesterday. this is what is left of what i unknowingly threw into berta with hundreds of teeny tiny clothing.

i didn't know what to do. so i just put it in the dryer. this dryer is like berta circa 1960. they don't make dryers like this anymore. lots and lots of heat using lots and lots of energy. al gore would be mortified.

i am amazed it didn't melt all these thousands of teeny tiny pieces to the clothing.

now you know what i will be doing today.

lesson learned. (i hope.)

a trip to the pumpkin patch

i love fall. i love pumpkins. i love falling leaves, cooler temperatures and warm sweaters. i love decorating for the holidays. i love beginning traditions and continuing those traditions.

each year, we have gone to the same little pumpkin patch in our area of the city. it is in a church yard and the money goes to the student ministry's mission trip (who doesn't want to support that?)

this year, josh has been so busy that we went on the only night someone didn't have something. somehow, it wasn't raining. josh called me that afternoon and asked if we would be ready. i had totally forgotten. the kids were napping. clothes were dirty. i wanted to say no, but how could i? we had to have pumpkin patch pictures, right?

spencer didn't think so. i sat her on the ground and it broke her heart. i don't know if it was teething or the cold, wet ground, but she was sad.

this picture is our children. carter is in her own world, singing or talking non-stop. miller is being a boy and giving spencer all of his attention. spencer is trying to roll with the punches no matter what is happening to her (teeth, brother, or worse).

so her. i found the leggings this summer and knew they would be perfect for fall. she picked each fabric in the pumpkin applique this year. i love the way her legs are intertwined!

why do we even try to pose our children? they are so used to josh and the camera, it is pointless. so a few puffs for the baby and a little freedom for the others and all was well.

oh, how she loves her momma.

and, oh, how her momma loves her.

then, miller proclaimed this his pumpkin. and he attempted to move it across the yard . . .

slow and steady wins the race. s.l.o.w. and steady.

i wish i had a rabbit in a hat

(do you remember that song? it reminds me of junior high.)

around labor day each year i start asking my children what they want to be for halloween. each year i receive a different answer almost every day. each year they finally choose at the last minute.

this year was no different.

as a mommy who likes to make things, i started early with my creative suggestions of what the 3 of them could be this year. to no avail.

carter had her own ideas. in each scenario she gave, her sister was a dog or something carter was going to carry. um, no.

then, we had to have the talk about age appropriate costumes. "you are 5. you have all the time in the world to be barbie. let's pick something warmer. it will be cold by then." that's code for "uh, no. i don't think so. there is no way you are wearing that. you need to find something with more clothing. or you will not go."

obviously, not everyone had that conversation with their girls because i saw more little girls in tight, short dresses or fishnet stockings or worse. hello, people they are still little girls even if it is halloween.

so, two days before our first halloween event (because this was the longest halloween in history), my mom and i took the kids to costco to see if we could find a costume for the baby. we were short on time and thought her costume would be the hardest to make. we did not find an animal, but we did find a magician/vampire costume for miller. the costume came with everything-top hat, wand, cape, yada yada yada.

so, after a moment of creative thinking, we decided spencer could be his rabbit and carter could be his assistant. what does an assistant wear? isn't that similar to barbie's costume? i don't think so. but, then josh said she could just wear a princess style dress. and as we were leaving costco, they had a new rack of black velvet and satin dresses. carter was headed straight for them when i blurted out, "look at those pretty costumes! that would be a great assistant's dress." of course, the glittery flowers overtook her and she obliged.

so, now the rabbit. apparently, white rabbits are more of a springtime costume. i didn't know people typically dressed in costume for easter unless they were the bunny sitting in the chair at the mall. but, whatever. i took a chance at a local children's consignment shop and found ten of varying sizes and cuteness. i took the cutest and we made do with the size. (because every girl knows you will put yourself in any size if the outfit/shoes are cute enough.)

they wore the same costumes to four different events. i was a little sad they weren't homemade, but not for long. last year i was up to 2 am painting wendy's stripes. and, i am still working on miller's wardrobe for fall/winter. so, maybe next year. i actually look forward to the year miller wants to be a washing machine or something crazy that i can't buy off the rack.

even if the rack is super cute . . .

zoo trips & other issues

in early october, the weather here was beautiful when it wasn't raining (i know i keep mentioning that) so we went to the zoo a couple of times.

here is the token picture of spencer in her stroller because it is where she resides in all these escapades. we do let her out sometimes, but then that usually means the person holding the camera is now holding a baby. an adorably sweet baby.
doesn't she look so sweet? i almost hate to mention it because it looks like we may be on the upward swing out of the ugly girl 4 year old phase. if you don't know what that is, then you must be blessed with only boys. it is the i know more than you, you are wrong and no i am not 13 yet phase where you get ugly faces and disobedience and you keep thinking isn't this supposed to come later phase. apparently, it rears its ugly head in the preschool years first and then lies dormant waiting to attack later in the tweens. i am not a fan.

but, this kid, oh this kid. he makes me laugh. out. loud.

when josh and i found out we were expecting our first baby, we joked about how their name would sound with all their speech issues. why, you ask? well, because most of both sides of our family has had speech therapy to learn simple sounds like s and r. so, we expected this to be an issue. if you asked me currently, i would jump on my soapbox about developmentally appropriate and how there is an age at which these things need to be corrected but not until the developmentally appropriate time. just so you know. i am not inept, just sensitive to my children being placed on everyone else's time table. (stepping off box now.)

so, before we left for the zoo, i was feeding spencer and miller sat down on the couch and the following conversation ensued:

miller: mommy, say snee-

me: snee

miller: now say duhs

me: doors (thinking i was interpreting correctly)

miller: snee-

me: snee

miller: duhs

me: doors

miller: snee-

me: snee

miller: duhs

me: doors

miller, throwing he shoes in the floor: sneeduhs!!

me: oh, sneakers!

my little flamingo

and, another miller story. after returning from the zoo, my mom was helping miller in the bathroom. she happened to refer to his underwear as briefs. he proceeded to correct her and said, "they are not briefs, meme. they are underpants."

my mom: well, next time i will try to remember they are underpants.

miller: if you don't, then that is okay, meme. then, you can call them that.

my mom: no, miller, i will keep trying.

miller: okay, meme, that is what i do when i say something wrong, too.

ha! what a mess! it appears that someone has been working with him somewhere. just not here.

in case you are curious, the preschool does a screening for these issues in the 3s and 4s. he was just screened on friday so i should know soon what the speech therapist thinks his current issues are. these are just some funny stories that have evolved from such.

a vintage halloween

i absolutely love to decorate for holidays. if it were up to me, there would always be a holiday approaching just so i can decorate. this year, i seem to prefer a more simple black and white color palette. i have streamlined most of my decorations this year to reflect this change. i bought several of these foam gourds and pumpkins last year at hobby lobby for 90% off (that's $.19 to $.39 each). this year i spray painted them all black or antique white.

once i saw this idea on flickr, i was on the look out for the perfect book.

i just happened upon a taller old book with the top of the pages inked black at an estate sale a few weeks ago for $.50. i love it!

my boo girl!

she makes my heart so happy it is almost silly! i have wanted to create something like this for a while, so when i saw this kit here, i had to have it!! it is amazing the detail that went into creating mixed media piece. so many of these pieces use creepy looking photos, but boo girl is too cute. i love how she fits into my theme. do you think it is too much if i leave her up year round?? maybe they will have a christmas kit. i hope so.

here is another picture that includes the pumpkins and gourds. after i painted them black or white, i striped or dotted them and white washed them and put them in a glass jar.

of course, i have more, but it is not finished and might not be. we will see. our weekend is full of festivals and the like. happy halloween!

(fyi: all photos were taken with film by my incredibly generous husband, who only gets slightly annoyed when i ask him to photograph such things ;)

a day at the garden

you know what makes me sad? when people don't update their blog regularly. oh, you too. good to know.

my excuse: we've been busy. and we were sick. and, honestly, we took an embarrassingly small number of pictures in september and everyone knows that a post without a picture might as well not been posted.

so, the first two weeks of october, the weather here was a.mazing. well, it might have only been mediocre, but when the ark finally docks in your backyard after more than 40 days of constant rainfall, then you feel like taking advantage of it. we had yet to go to the new children's area of our local garden, so we packed up a picnic (went through mcdonald's drive though) and headed for an afternoon exploring.

sweet girl

why is it that carter asks to have her picture taken and then refuses to look at the camera??

meme helps miller hang the laundry

exploring each nook and cranny

and, finally, after hours of play, we strolled out to the car and headed to sonic for happy hour drinks.

here's to hoping i get more pictures of fall fun and crafty projects posted for you soon! at least now you remember what miller looks like when he is not passed out with the sickies.