Equation Egg

At our grade school they have the younger grades practice a thing called "Rocket Math". Basicly it is a test of 40 equations that needs to be completed in 1 minute. The tests are labled by the letters of the alphabet, and as the children progress, the equations use larger numbers and are more difficult.

Let me just say that after 4 children, I am really sick of rocket math! But because of all that math practice Delaney had math on her mind last year for Easter egg decorating..

She was working hard writing math facts on her egg...

...thinking.

...and then coloring

Today on the Bella Blvd blog my layout about this equation egg is featured along with some other great spring inspiration. Check it out here.

Hapy V-day

Because "Happy" with two p's doesn't fit well on a cookie.

Hope your day is filled with sweetness and lots of love!

Oh Christmas Tree...

In my after Christmas shopping I have conjured up the idea that we need an artificial tree for our kitchen bay next year. But I can't bring myself to buy one. I don't know if I can do the fake tree thing. They are too symmetrical, they don't smell good, and are they the right color green?

We are a very real tree kind of family. And although this new tree would not be a substitute for the real tree in the living room I just can't decide.

When we moved back to Wisconsin 16 years ago, Ricky and I decided we would take our one child (at the time), and venture out to to cut down old tanenbaum on our own. We loved the experience, and the tradition continues today. It is usually a day (or part of a day) filled with adventure and emotions. I don't think there has ever been a year where one of the kids hasn't cried and I haven't gotten irritated at one point or another.

Probably one moment where things come to a head is during the traditional family photo shoot. Every year I decide the Christmas tree hunt would be the place to try to snap the Christmas card picture.

Side note: If you haven't received a card from me in the past 3 or 4 years, don't feel bad, no one has. For a few years now my family photo has not made it into a card...A flaw of mine that I am working on.

The family photo shoot takes some time.

There is usually too much touching.

mouths open

eyes closed

...did I say too much touching?

And that is where the tears and irritation usually comes into play.

But over all we create some good memories, I get some good pictures, and we ultimately bring a tree home to decorate.

And that night of egg nog and ornaments is a whole other adventure in itself, not without some tears and frustration too.

This year Ricky tried to fix the lights in star that tops the tree.

While he was doing the electrical work, Connor decided to fix it in his own way by taping a utility light to the tree as a topper. Boy did that have a glow!!

But we eventually unstrapped the utility star, and Delaney positioned the unfixed and once again unlit star to the top of the tree where it belongs.

And so there our tree stands. With us all understanding and expecting that it not look perfect because it is a real tree after all, right? I think all its holes and oddities is my attraction to the real tree, and the problem I have with the a-symmetrical artificial tree. Looking at how we do Christmas trees we just don't fit in with perfection, and the real tree is a good excuse for us to be the real, misfit family we are.

12 Days of Christmas

Last month I taught a class at the Scrapbook Store where we took 12 craft boxes, some Bella Blvd paper, and a roll of twine, to make 12 little ornaments for the 12 days of Christmas.

And now I am sharing this with you after Christmas, which is not so inappropriate, because the 12 days of Christmas was originally celebrated on the 12 days after Christmas. That was something I learned from looking up Christmas trivia to create a Christmas quiz for my class.

Now here are some of the questions to test your Christmas knowledge...

Where did the real St Nicholas Live?

1. Turkey
2. Holland
3. The North Pole
4. Germany

Answer A Turkey

What American state was the first to make Christmas an official holiday?

1. Alabama
2. Connecticut
3. North Carolina
4. Alaska

Answer A. Alabama

What was pictured on the first stamp printed for the Christmas season?

1. An Angel
2. Santa Claus
3. A Rose
4. A Star

Answer C. A rose

Electric Christmas tree lights were first used in what year?

1. 1700
2. 1895
3. 2007
4. 1925

Answer B. 1895

What country did poinsettias originally come from

1. Brazil
2. Cuba
3. Mexico
4. USA

Answer C. Mexico

How many sides does a snowflake have

1. 12
2. 6
3. 10
4. 8

Answer B. 6

(And yes there is no snowflake alike but apparently the have the same number of points. Go figure.)

Historians agree that the 12 Days of Christmas song was created as?

1. A memory game for children
2. A catechism to help children study Catholic teachings during a time when Christianity was banned
3. A attempt for retailers to spur holiday spending
4. A love song between a husband and his wif

Answer A. A memory game for children

So that is probably enough Christmas trivia to fill your head right now. Thanks for playing along, now go on and enjoy what is left of your 12 days after Christmas!

Pinterest Project Weekend

So I have recently been introduced to Pinterest (still have troubles saying the word) and it has been a world of fun! I love how all my ideas can stay organized on my boards and the links are right there for me to access when I finally have time to get to the things that capture my attention. It is a much better alternative for me than marking things in my bookmarks bar or dropping them in my very unorganized iphoto.

That being said I am going to make time this weekend to try this little project I found on Pinterest. I have been wanting to make some homemade garland for a while now. I have seen paper ones to sew, things you have to cut out. All seems like work. This one is just stringing little felt balls on a piece of embroidery floss.
Although at the same site I found the project they had instructions to make my own felt balls from wool (again that would be like work) I ordered my own from HandBEHG felts. I liked this shop because the balls came in small quantities where you could choose a single color or a combo bag. I of coarse wanted one of each color but controlled myself and made choices (just like I always tell my kids, lol) I purchased a good mix of colors. Some strategically selected to make a strand to hang in the girls room, and some just for fun.

So it's off to gathering my girls to do some felt ball stringing. Hope it is as easy as it looks and it is the PInterest fun I hope for.

Tis the Season...Officially

My mom tells stories about Christmas Eve when my grandpa would secretly put up their tree at night while her and her sister slept. Growing up my parents put the tree up prior to Christmas, but I was raised not to rush the season. Instead to savor, pray, reflect, and wait during this time between Thanksgiving and December 25th. I think to take the holidays slow, and be patient is even harder to do in todays culture of Christmas music at the beginning of November. But I still try to continue the attitude my parents taught me with my own family.

So today, with the date being December 1st, I slowly start the preparation for Christmas. One of my own traditions is putting out one Christmas decoration a day from the 1st until Christmas Eve. So then, by the time Christmas rolls around, there are 25 items in our home (its a small house) to remind us of the holiday. The decorations vary from year to year, and if you ask my kids, some days are skipped and I have to play catch up...or we have less than 25 decorations on other years (oh well).

I've done this day by day decorating since the kids were little. I think it started, because as a mom of four, I was too tired and overwhelmed to put out everything all at once. The kids enjoy searching out the display, seeing an old school project hanging on the wall, or finding something new I may have purchased or created that year. It has become a kind of Christmas hide and seek.

Every year I start the tradition with the same item. Our old advent calendar. We have owned it for about 15 years now.

I love how it is a nativity scene and advent calendar all in one. Each day we choose a character from a pouch and stick it on the grass above. After all the years and some very worn out velcro I can't believe we still have all 25 pieces. We need to say a little Christmas prayer that they all survive the cloth eating puppy this year.

My favorites are the little cows. That is the character I would choose if I was the lucky one to decorate on day one.

More Thankfulness

Wow it has been busy in my world lately. A couple of things have finally come to fruition so I can take a breath, slow down, and blog.

One of the busy moments was Thanksgiving. We had a great day. Ricky was busy in the kitchen making all sorts of snacks for our Packer party with my parents. And then for our second party in the evening with our good friends.

During our day with my mom and dad everyone filled out a page from the "digital printables" Stephanie created and we all enjoyed reading the responses afterwards. It was so easy to put together (even made two as gifts) and will make a wonderful keepsake!

PS. This is my photo for Nov 24th of the November daily. Love the magic erase tool in Photoshop elements that makes a photo like this possible. I am in the process of printing photos and my little book is starting to come together. I promise it will be ready to view soon!

Pretty Scary Halloween

Happy Halloween!

Here is hoping your day is...

very pretty...

a little scary

And all around wonderful!

Too Cute to Spook

October is one of my favorite months. The cool sunny days, our anniversary, the beautiful colors, Ricky's birthday, and of coarse Halloween.

Lately the girls have been asking to start the traditional Halloween festivities. Like digging in the costume box and going to the pumpkin farm. Those moments of dressing up and heading out to choose a pumpkin are great opportunities for great photos. Last Halloween I got some pretty pictures of Kelly dresses as a witch. And when this Bella line came out I knew I had the perfect theme...
Those stockings on that little witch are just like Kelly's costume. A scrapbookers happy place when things match so well.

Then there was last years pumpkin carving. Delaney was gagging and choking as she scooped out her goo. Then Ricky made it into big orange ball for her and she had even more slimy fun. Really, how often do you get to hold a ball of pumpkin goo? I would say the opportunity only comes once a year.

I decided that was another Halloween moment worth scrapbooking. Can't wait to see what comes up this year. Delaney has been doing the count down...Only 18 days to Halloween! Better dig that costume box out of the basement soon.

Spooky Tray

My most recent class at the Scrapbook store was recreating this altered 7 Gypsies tray that I put together for the Bella Blvd. booth at CHA this past summer.

I love all the little spooky characters the Too Cute to Spook line offers.

Especially these two little monsters. If you would like to see more of the project and find out the thought process behind it go to todays post at the Bella Blvd. blog. You will find a super cute project by Sheri Feyple also. She is the Oprah of paper flags. At least I think so.

Check back tomorrow if you are getting in the Halloween spirit for a couple more Too Cute to Spook projects.

Christmas in July

So we are back from CHA. It is always so much fun to go and see all the great projects that the designers create. It is a bit like Christmas in July with all the goodies. Of coarse Bella Blvd's was the BEST of all the booths. She has such a great team of designers that I am humbled to be a part of it. So today I am going to share a bit of Christmas with you. Here is a look at my little Christmas creations for the booth...

Loving the Chipboard cut outs and the little tags!!!

This is a true story from last Christmas Eve. Poor Delaney, when she grows up she is going to think she was sad all the time. I have so many pictures of her like this. Probably because she is pouting quite often (and so cute when she does). It's tough to be the baby of the family.

Maybe I have so many shots of her pouting because she doesn't seem to mind me behind the camera snapping away when she is moping around. A bit "naughty and nice" all at the same time.

Well good bye for now, I'll have more projects tomorrow. We are gearing up for the state swim meet this weekend so we will have some sports layouts to peek at. Thanks for looking.

What Holiday?

Easter is my favorite religious season of the year. It is my favorite mostly because of the traditional triduum masses at our church. Kelly had a bad cold this year so I missed out on Holy Thursday and Good Friday mass, but the whole family was able to attend the Holy Saturday mass, and it was a wonderful way to celebrate Jesus' rising from the dead!

Besides mass, our family also has some non religious Easter traditions that I look forward to every year. One being the coloring of Easter eggs. Every year it is a new adventure and it is always fun to see what creations emerge.

This year the kids got the sharpies out...

Delaney created an "equation egg". No rest from homework on spring break for her!

Kevin created a Mark Kistler fish egg.

Connor drew up a graffiti "connor egg" with sparkles and all!

And while I am at it, let's talk about Connor for a moment. He is always good for entertainment purposes no matter what we are doing. Even egg decorating can take on a whole new meaning with him around. In fact, this year, for a moment I wasn't sure what holiday we were celebrating.

Was it Easter, with Easter eggs...

Or Halloween?