The natural artists!

When I was about 8 months pregnant I looked out my window to see our new neighbors cutting down all 5 of their trees in their yard. 2 oak, 1 elm, 1 hackaberry, and 1 bradford pear. Now, they don’t have a big yard and trees are spares in this area. (I have a small dogwood growing in my front yard and that’s it!)

Anywho, long story short I got them to put the Hackaberry and the Elm in my yard cut up.

I’m not sure what I was thinking because now I needed to cut them up further and I couldn’t exactly do that at 8 months pregnant. Not in our neighborhood. Someone would report me. I got in trouble just mowing my yard. I had to wait until my neighbors went to work to mow the front!

So my dad and husband came to the rescue and cut up the logs for me! YAY!

When I saw the larger cut chunks I told my 3 year old son that we would do some art work on them.

Well, today was the day!

 

 

 

 

Check out this look of concentration!!!

 

So if you have any stumps laying around, this might be a nice in-the-shade project!

Beauty from within!

I saw this video and was very impresses with the whole thing.

Check it out. I think it is something young girls really could use:

 

 If you look at it from the view point of God as this song puts it, well, it just really can open up your eyes! Not just for your kids, but for each of us!

Junk tray birthday surprise!

Recently I found two trays for free at a garage sale. After dealing with my husbands “What-in-the-world-are-these-ugly-things-doing-in-my-house” looks, I told him I had plans for them and to please not throw them away. Well, then we had the baby and he got distracted, so my trays got to stay!

Well, we got invited to a don’t-bring-any-presents birthday party. Well, that gave me an idea for the smaller of the two trays.

I didn’t get a picture before I painted it but here it is after 2 coats of white spray paint and 1 sanding.

I printed off several sizes of the girl’s name (cool spelling huh?)

I chose the medium size and cut then taped it up to our window. I used a pencil and traced the backside of the paper.


Then I taped it correct side up on the tray.

I then went over the printed side with a ball point pen.

The pencil marks on the back rubs off gently onto the tray.



Yeah, after a while I wasn’t so neat!

It worked perfectly!
Then I went over it with a magic marker. I was going to paint it but this seemed easier.

It was still plain so I glued some paper to the tray.
A few bows and buttons later…

I added some magnets and some verses, I will add a picture before we give it to her.

I got the magnets at Michaels. They were $2 for 6 and were cheaper than making them myself, which surprised me…oh wait! They were $1.30 because I asked if they had any coupons and they gave me 40 % off! Always ask!

Linking up to these sites!

Round up!

 

You’ve got to love eBay. Even in the last weeks of pregnancy, and right after I had my baby eBay kept plugging along. I didn’t buy anything new for the last month but it has been a great time to get rid of all the stuff that I needed to price down and sell. My sells weren’t huge but every dollar is nice and every item that leaves my storage space is wonderful!!! Yay!

These JCrew pants I decided to post and if they didn’t sell I would hold them for cooler weather. They are summer color but they are also pants. They sold for full price!

$7-- J Crew classic twill chino size 2R Beach blue slacks

 

Halter tops seem to do well, but I did have to price this down a bit before it sold:

$4--Ann Taylor Size S pale blue halter top shirt cotton

 

I got these slacks and used a free posting to stick them on before stashing them away for winter. They sold the first week! Yay for free postings!

$7--Women's Gap long size 2 khaki slacks

 

Target brand I don’t usually buy but when you can pair too together it was just to tempting. I posted them and a whole week went by before someone notified my that I didn’t have any pictures posted with it! Somehow the pictures didn’t download! Rats! So I posted them again for, I think $4 and they bid up to $10.25! Not bad for a $2 investment on something I wasn’t sure would sell. (Skorts? Really?)

$10.25--Sonoma Life & Style skort set of 2 Plaid size 6

 

I didn’t do as well with these Target shorts, even with the $17 plus price tag stuck to it! But with shipping they still got them for half off so I’m happy for them!

$3--NWT Mossimo Size six pinstrips shorts

 

These were really cute shorts that I kept higher priced cuz I knew they would sell (yes, $6 is a higher price for me =)

$6--Aeropostale shorts size 1/2 Khaki

 

Skirts seem to always be in season. This got picked off the 2nd week. I posted them full price again just cuz I didn’t have time to change it! Lazy me paid off!

$7--Women's apostrophe Stretch skirt size 8 Black knee-lgth

 

Maternity seems to sell, maybe not for lots of money but it always sells at a profit. I like stuff that I know will sell. These long maternity pants didn’t get snatched up like I was sure they would, but they did get purchased. If I would have waited ‘til winter I might have gotten more out of them. But I’m ok with what I got.

 

$4--TM Style maternity black pants slacks long.

Maternity dresses have been a sure sell for me. Even if I think they are ugly! For example:

$6--Tomorrow's Mother's Maternity Sun Dress Size Small

A girl wanted this skirt shipped to her within 4 days so she could pack it for a trip she was taking. I shipped it off, notifying her when I did and telling her to be sure to let me know if it didn’t make it since it should ship in 2 days.  She left me great feedback saying she wore it to a party and loved it. Yay! Love happy endings!

$10--Women's Gap printed skirt size 8 Cotton Orangish-pink

 

I’m still not sure how linen does. It seems like it is a good item…unless I’m selling it. Then it is just ok.

$5--Old Navy linen shorts size 6 low rise Brown.

Broken Color Crayons

 

 I recently came across a whole bunch of crayola crayons I was thrilled because, as a mother, I quickly learned the $1 store ones just don’t cut it when it comes to drawing! The crayons I got where 2nd hand so I quickly sorted out the broken ones.

That was the easy part. Pulling the paper off for the next step was much harder, as my nails can attest!

I started taling them with me to meeting and would sit there “shucking” crayons. Funny, no one asked me what I was doing it for, but people did offer to help!

Then I melted them down in the microwave with like colors put together.

 

I did it for about 20 seconds at a time. The pyrex measuring cup I had got VERY hot. I had to be careful not to burn myself.

I used a wooden stick to stir it with so I could toss it and not have to clean a spoon. The measuring cup I wiped out with a paper towel each time I switched colors and when I was done.

 

Then I poured it into these molds I had. I’ve used these for jello and ice cubes. They worked great for this too. I think my sister got these at a dollar store. You can also buy metal ones on line for an arm and a leg.

I had several different shapes.

I did batches at a time depending on what colors I had taken the paper off the broken crayons.

My kids love them! They don’t know whether to play with the shapes or draw with them!

They also make great gifts!

My baby is here!

 

 

My 3rd was born last week!

He is the cutest little guy and I’m so excited to have him here!

For several reasons.

1. He is so cute and I finally can hold him!

2. I can now bend over AND breath at the same time. I’ve missed that!

3. It is hot. I have much sympathy every time I see a pregnant woman now!

 

Just had to share!

Update! The finished kid’s bunk beds!

The quilts are done! Yay! My grandmother whipped them out in like a week!
Here is where the bunk beds came into my possession for a mere $15. (I already had the mattress)
And Here is where they made their first debut a few weeks later.
Below is a picture of them with the dresser I got for free on Craigslist and painted leaving myself enough leftover paint to do the beds when I found them a few months later.

And now here it is all done with the quilts.

Yes! Isn’t it awesome! I love the handkerchief! But that isn’t all!

They are reversible! I know! Custom made and reversible! I’m so blessed!

Check out the way she quilted it. With squiggles! So fun!

Someday I might make pillows for the beds but right now I’m done. Also might make a bed skirt too.

Better yet, my Grandma used mostly scraps for the patriotic side! She made a bunch of “flag” quilts a few years back and had scraps from them. I love it!


 

Linking up to:

• Ninth Street Notions
• Craft O Maniac
• Craft
• Mad In Crafts
• Keeping It Simple
• Sumo's Sweet Stuff
• The Girl Creative
• Making The World Cuter