Hmmmm....

We have been discussing feelings with Adam lately. We have been trying to teach him when he does something to someone else that it can make them feel happy or sad. So tonight at dinner when I wouldn't give him a muffin he says, "You are a bad mommy" He then had a time out in his room, and later when we discussed it I told him, "When you said that it made me sad." To which he responds, "Your sad, do you want a muffin?!" You'll be happy to know I regained my "good mommy" status when we spent the evening playing soccer, riding the scooter to the park, and had story time.

5 years of wedded bliss

Today is our five year anniversary! Here's some pictures from then and now.

Recycle Crayons!

Here's a fun project we did today. We made our own race car crayons!

What you need:

Crayola Crayons (The art teacher says don't skimp on cheap crayons)

Candy Mold (We used LorAnn's Sweet Shoppe mold because it said tempered for high heat, available at HobbyLobby)

Plastic Knife

Washable Cutting surface

Cookie Sheet lined with foil

Step 1: Peel Paper off crayons. Use a plastic knife to score the crayon into 5 or 6 segments. Break crayon into small chunks. You used about 4 crayons for the car mold.

Step 2: Place crayons randomly in the mold. Let crayons create a little raised moutain so that when crayons melt it will fill up the space of the mold. Don't worry about the stick portion that is used in candy making. If the crayons melt into that space, you can easily pop it off your crayon when it's done.

Step 3: Put mold onto cookie sheet lined with foil (unless you are okay with picking off melted crayon.) Place cookie sheet & mold into 250 degree oven for 15-20 minutes.

Here's what it looks like halfway through the cooking process!

Here's when it's completely melted.

Avoid mixing in the colors, as it's nice to have the rainbow effect. Let mold sit for a few minutes to begin to harden up. Then move mold to the freezer for 15 minutes. Once chilled, the new crayons should easily pop out of the mold. The extra melted crayon should come off the mold easily as well.

Notes:

* Only use a mold tested for high heat or silicone mold. Other molds, especially of the clear variety will not work in the oven. They will melt. Check the label before you buy. LorAnn's molds are around $2.99, and Wilton Silicone molds are around $9.99 but, probably last longer. All molds are re-usable.

* Other brands of crayons may not work as well. You can stock up on Crayola crayons cheap in July & August at Walmart. I got a motherload of them for 8 cents a box last year! You can always check with your child's teacher at the end of the year, teachers might be throwing out all the broken ones soon!

* You can do all the molds at once. I was testing this so I only did one the first time. I also cut my mold in half, which you should not do, unless you like propping them up in the oven. Again, I was testing this and didn't want to loose all the car molds if my first attempt ended in a melted plastic puddle in my oven.

Beaded Pens

Materials:
Terrifically Tacky sheets (you can use the stuff on the rolls but, that's a lot more work. It comes in sheets now at Michaels!)
Translucent microbeads
Pentel R.S.V.P™ or pen of similar style
Scissors and/or paper trimmer
Bead tray or suitable container
Ruler
Bone folder or other burnishing tool
Embossing heat tool
Colorful scrapbook paper with small, repeating design

I modified instructions I found at splitcoast stampers. Click here.

I am not a stamper, so I used a small piece of scrapbook paper instead of the stamped label. I first created a template from scrap cardstock that measured 3 1/4" x 1 1/2." Cut your paper and your Terrifically tacky sheets and set aside. Fill a shallow container (that will fit the length of the pen) with your clear microbeads. Peel off the protective coating from one side of your cut terrifically tack sheet and place on the back side of your decorative scrapbook paper. Carefully wrap around the pen, and smooth out any bubbles. Edges should overlap. Remove the protective coating from your 2nd piece of terrifically tacky tape and carefully wrap around the front of your paper. Edges should overlap. Place the pen in the beads and roll around until beads stick to the entire pen. Heat set it for about 10 seconds with an embossing heat tool. Cut skinny ribbons and tie in a knot on the pen cap.

Cost: Expensive for one pen but, about a dollar a piece if you want to make at least 6. I can usually do about 20 pens out of one container of microbeads.

The Halloween House!

It's way early to be thinking about Halloween but, I found some pictures of my Halloween House and I am finally ready to post them! These are just as cute in Christmas paper! Ignore the paint lid on the door handle, I forgot to take that out before I took the picture!

Step 1:
Paint House & Roof with black paint. Paint only the edges about 1/2.” Paint knob. Paint sides of cardboard. Set aside for drying.

Step 2:
Cut black cardstock into three strips that are 3 ¾” x 12.” Cut one 3 ¾ x 12” strip into two 3 ¾”x 6” sections (sides of house). Cut the 2nd & 3rd strip to be 3 ¾” x 7 ½” (front & back of house) Cut one of the remaining rectangle scraps to be 3 x 4 ½” (door) Any left over paper is scrap.
Cut Spider Web Paper into four strips that are 3” x 12.” Cut one 3” x 12” strip into two 3” x 6” sections. Cut the 2nd & 3rd strip into 3” x 7 ½” sections. There will be one 3” x 12” strip leftover.
Cut 12 diamond shapes out.
Use stencils to cut roof (5” x 9”) on black & white word paper
Trace & Cut paper for bottom of house. Be sure to line the edge of the house with the edge of the paper. Cut edges out for this “grass” area around the house. Save scrap. Use stencils & remaining paper for sides & front of roof.


Step 3:
Glue stick all pieces in place.

Step 4:
Use orange chalk on edges.

Step 5:
Lightly mode podge entire house. Smooth out major air bubbles. Modge podge the roof separate from the house. Modge podge the door.


Step 6:
Cut 2 orange & 1 black section of fun fur to be about 1 – 1 ½ yard. Braid fun fur and tie a knot in both ends.

Step 7:
Use tacky tape (or hot glue) to attach fun fur to middle of house & top of chimney. Start & end your braided fun fur to the area where door will cover.

Step 8:
Pick out buttons & ribbon. Pull ribbon through middle of holes and tie with a knot. Cut ribbon to desired length. Attach buttons using hot glue. Hot glue on door covering fun fur. Hot glue on knob. Hot glue small buttons to door to add color & resemble hinges.

Step 9:
Use black glitter glue on edges of door and on black paper on the roof.

Step 10:
Cut 6 inches of two colors of ribbon for knob. When all the glues are dried, tie ribbon in a knot around black knob.

Supplies:
Large Paper Mache House
Apple Barrel Black Acrylic Paint
Modge Podge Matte Finish
12 “x12” Paper Cutter
Halloween Colored Buttons
Halloween Colored Ribbons
Hot Glue Gun & Hot Glue sticks
Regular Glue Sticks
Orange & Black Fun Fur Yarn
Foam Brushes
Scissors
3 x 4 ½ inch cardboard for door
Scrapbook paper
Terrifically Tacky Tape ¼”
Orange Chalk (or green) (cat's eye style works great!)
Small Wooden jars (doorknob)

Most supplies can be found at Hobby Lobby. These specialty papers were bought at Recollections before they closed. Recollections is part of Michaels, so maybe you'll be able to find some similar papers!

Papers you need: (6 papers - 2 must be cardstock thickness, rest can be regular thickness)

2-3 cardstock papers for front, back, and sides of house (need cardstock because you cover up windows on the paper mache house)

1 paper for roof & door (I used b&w stripes)

1 paper for large parts of roof (I used black with words)

1 contrasting paper for triangle parts of roof on sides & 2 on front

1 small paper for chimney

Tip: Use foil to make templates for your house. Rub a piece of tin foil into a spot, like the triangular shape of the roof line. Use your finger to crease the edges. It will create a template for you. Carefully cut it out, and trace it on your scrapbook paper. Now you don't have to guess what size to cut your paper. If you plan on making more of these, spend a few minutes to trace the foil onto cardstock so you will have templates for later! Makes it easy work!

What happens in Canton, stays in Canton

What a total blast we had at Canton this weekend. Christie, Kari, Summer M., Nicole, Christen and I left around 7:30 am this morning. Luckily, Summer had her van so we were all able to ride together. We ate tons of fried food but, good friends know how to justify unhealthy food by balancing it with the amount of walking we did. We shopped until our husbands wondered where we were. Our steal of the day were the hairbows at .50-$1.00! I am still laughing from everyone's stories, and Summer M. carrying around the Coors Light box all the way back to the car. I'd let you know about them but, what happens in Canton stays in Canton.

Where we left our money (or wish we could):
Designs by Ginney
Spoil't Rott'n
Mei Mei's Designs
Iron Willow
Birdie's Antiques
Missouri Country Living

Hair cut Time!

Adam got a much needed haircut today. The stylist put a little gel to spike it up. Adam thinks he looks like "a cool dude" and is glad to not have "crazy man hair" anymore.

Mommy & Me Time

Adam & I had a mom & me date tonight. Jared is at school, so we went to Rosa's and ate some soft beef tacos -- his with no salad on it. That's what he refers to as all the vegetables on a taco. After we went around to the Home Depot so Adam could sit on the riding lawn mowers, one of his favorite things to do. He's a pretty good boy and it was fun to spend time with him.