Burlap and Red Chevron updated Christmas Wreath…

My house is starting to look like Christmas!!  I have had this wreath for my front door for at least 7 years now…and I still like it….but it needed a little something…

  

What doesn’t need a little burlap and chevron—HA!!  This is such an easy way to update an old wreath and let it live a little longer;)

DIY Chalkboard with Hobby Lobby open frame…

I often look in my rear view mirror and see four little faces in the car and think, “I HAVE FOUR KIDS!!”  I am the busiest I have ever been—but I can’t think of anything else I would rather be busy doing!!  That being said, I have so many different places to be during the week that I sometimes feel like I don’t know whether I am coming or going!!  And then I saw it….a beautiful, scalloped open frame at Hobby Lobby.  It hit me that I could get some chalkboard paint, paint the wall in my eat in kitchen and frame it!!  They had chalkboard paint right next to the acrylic paint at Hobby Lobby.   I love the way it turned out!! 

It usually has a scripture of the week across the top, and Monday –Saturday columns with all the million places and appointments I need to remember.  It saves me brain power on trying to remember everything going on in my life.  And if that isn’t enough reason to love this thing—dressing up the board for birthdays and holidays certainly is. 

My other favorite part of this board is that it is right next to the dinner table which makes it easy to focus on where everyone is headed during the week and how we can help each other with our family and personal goals.  We get to catch up on what everyone is doing at dinner time together! 

This school year has been different than any year for us because I don’t have any kids in school!!  Justin is taking a break from school to focus on healing from PANDAS(which is going really well!!), and this is our first year homeschooling Little Miss.  I have to say, I love homeschooling—it has been so rewarding!  I wasn’t going to give up my ceremonial First Day of School pictures—so I got some of all my kiddos.  They turned out so fun using the chalkboard for the background!! Look at this picture of my sweet Justin—see that smile??  Yep, we have been seeing a ton of smiles from him lately—which make me smile more too!!  And he has learned how to pose for pictures!!

I wrote down each of my kids’ names, and grades and listed three of their personality traits that are their strengths and then included a few things they love at their ages.  It reminds me of what sweet kids I have and how all their strengths are needed in our family—I feel so blessed to have these kids making me smile everyday.

Fall Burlap Deco Mesh Monogram Wreath…

I needed something for my front door, and after a few months of stewing came up with this little beauty…

Hobby Lobby is killing me with all their fun burlap stuff!!  The base of the wreath is made from burlap deco mesh and then I found these beautiful burlap flowers the other day there…

Added a few fall berry picks and a mod podged monogram wood initial and voila—fall wreath complete!!

I think it may need a little hot glue to keep everything in place, but other than that—it looks great on my door!!

Fourth of July Wreath…

One of the most important things that my mom taught me was to look forward to something when your were down and keep moving forward one day at a time.  When I miscarried early in my marriage, she took me out shopping—and I kept thinking, “who can think of shopping at a time like this?!?”  She kept pointing out cute holiday stuff at Hobby Lobby and I muttered sadly, “I just don’t care about anything right now.”  And she tenderly said, “I know, but we just have to find something to look forward to.”  And we did.  We forced ourselves to get excited about Memorial Day and the summertime.  Maybe that’s why I look forward to holidays now, it keeps the days passing by—especially when they aren’t going very well!!

So that’s what I am doing today, looking forward to the Fourth of July already!!

I made this wreath with my mom, and it is made out of red and white Deco Mesh.  It is the first time I have ever used it, and it was SO easy!!  I really enjoyed it.  And then I added polka dot and striped ribbon, and some cork-screw pipe cleaners, and metal star.  I love it!!

Lego Man DIY ornament…

This idea has been rolling around in my head for a while now, and I finally got them made yesterday!!  Check out this Lego Man ornament…

I love this little guy!!  Here’s how I made him..

You could use a baby food jar, but I didn’t have any so I bought a glass jar from Hobby Lobby.  Then I painted the jar and lid with acrylic, yellow paint…

I punched a hole in the lid with a nail and hammer and then put some green ribbon through it, and tied the ends in a knot on the inside.  I put hot glue around the knot just to secure it a little more.

Next I used liquid craft glue and twisted the caps back on the lids and then added a red striped knot to the top.

I used the back of a paint brush and dipped it into acrylic, black paint and made two eyes for the Lego man and then painted on a black smile—you could use a sharpie if that sounds easier!!

I gave him a quick spray with acrylic gloss, and VOILA!!!  The cutest Lego man ornament!!!

Merry Christmas!!!

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