Merry Christmas From Our Family

30 Days of Gratitude: Day 23 & 24

Day 23: It might be weird to be thankful for something Christmas related in November, but I am. Sincerity seems more important than seasonal appropriateness during this undertaking. I digress, Christmas Cards! I'm thankful for Christmas cards. What a wonderful tradition. I love making them, so fun! Every year we have fun topping the card from the year before. Last year's "Happy Smallidays" got a great reception. We just finished this year's and I'm so excited!

I love sending them out and imagining the reactions when people see them for the first time. I love that we're adding a little color to some mantles. I like that we're part of the non-stressful holiday mail. I like reaching out in a tactile way once a year to loved ones near and far. It's nice to keep in touch just to wish people a happy holiday. I love getting Christmas cards for most of the same reasons too.

Day 24: Naps!

Father's Day Crafts & Cards Recap

We did a really simple craft for the kids' gifts to Mike. Duct tape frames, which are exactly what they sound like. They gave the kids simple wooden frames and a pile of decorative duct tape to choose from.

Those were the crafts and these are the cards:

Click the images to enlarge. The front says: "First Class Dad" and he drew a plane. My favorite it the one that says: "Dad doesn't like" to which Isaac wrote "Being yelled at by Mom." Nice! It's no Sci-Fi haiku, but he definitely spent some time on it.

Here's Riley's card it had a few pages. The front matched my father's day banner. There was a photo page and a foot print/poem page and then some original artwork.

Good Work, Kiddos!

Wedding Card Album

Now for a change of pace, more crafts! This time it's a wedding related one. I've been wanting to make an album of all the lovely cards we received from the wedding. Here's my inspiration: Card Album Tutorial at Something Turquoise. I'm not going to do my own step by step on this one so definitly click the link if you want to make one. Instead, I'll show you how it turned out and give you some tips.

First things first, the album ring. I searched Joann's and Micheal's stores and websites for that silly thing. Every employee and crafter swore they carried them, but alas no longer seemed to. They only had album kits containing an album ring, card board, scrapbooking paper, plastic sheets and embellishments. It seems some of the companies that make these have gone out of business. At any rate I obtained a pack of 3 from Amazon in the end. I wanted a couple so I can do Christmas card albums later.

Other than finding the ring most of the project was pretty straight forward. I think my ring was 1.5" and I wish I gotten a slightly bigger one. I used less ribbon than she did because it was my last piece of ribbon from the wedding. I would have put grommets in the covers, in hindsight. Don't you love my little vine on the inside cover? The whole thing took me three nap times so in the neighborhood of 6hrs.

I'm completely thrilled at the end result! It's totally worth the time it takes.

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Card Photography by Lara Jackson

Christmas Eve?!? Wow. Well here it is folks, I wish you all a pleasant 48hrs. I leave you with Roo and I in our Christmas dresses. Happy Holidays!

Go Dogs, Go!

So, as it happens there was so much cuteness yesterday it required two posts. Despite living walking distance from the mall, we rarely make it. I decided for our trip yesterday that's where we'd go. We left our get well cards for Grandma to dry and headed out.

They each got a new oufit (there was a good sale at Old Navy), had lunch and played in the play area before we went home. After nap it was off to deliver our get well cards.

Grandma was pleased with her cards and seemed to be doing pretty well. I kept looking at Riley's new shoes and wishing they came in my size!

After everything had wound down (dinner, bath and jammies were done) Daddy helpped Riley take some pictures. Here's one of the best ones:

It was a clear indication of how much better things are that I got the kids, myself and the wheelchair loaded, unloaded and manuvered on not one, but two outtings. On a side note I think I'm already over this hair cut. I'm gonna start growing it out. I'm glad the kids had fun today, but I really need a trip to the mall without them. Besides some giftcards burning a hole in my pocket I really need to get some work clothes. I have about three business appropriate outfits at this point. Maybe next week while Isaac's at summer camp.

DIY Scratch & Sniff Watercolors

Today was doubly artsy. We made get well cards for Grandma because she had dental surgery yesterday. Riley wore fairy wings for card decorating, of course. I decided she was a big enough girl for real glitter.

Riley's card came out spectacular. Isaac is sitting at the computer in the background writing book summaries for the two reading list book he finished this week. He joined the card making later. My mom was very pleased with their efforts.

While cards were drying we did our "Go Dog Go!" day thing and went. After nap though, we finally got to the scratch and sniff watercolors I'd been dying to try. They were super duper simple and reasonably easy to clean-up.

Materials

• An Assortment of powder drink mix
• Warm water
• Small Bowls or Muffin tins
• Spoon

The grocery store had a limited number of Kool Aid flavors so Mike got some more from a different store once we were underway. I mistaking thought the blue package was blue, but alas it was another red. At least there'll be a variety of fruity aromas if not a rainbow's worth of hues. Bare in mind it's the color of the tiny pitcher on the front of the package not the color of the package itself. Also, grape Kool Aid paint looks black (shrug).

Next you add two packages of Kool Aid (1 Tbsp) and 1 Tbsp of warm water to a container and mix. Although, I just happen to have acidently grabbed three packages of orange and that one came out super vivid. Either use separate spoons to mix each color or wipe your spoon in between so you don't contaminate the lighter colors. Our yellow was tainted right off the bat.

Then it's ready, set...paint! I put a hug stack of scrap paper on the table and we painted every single piece. Riley wore an apron, but throughly coated her hands and managed to get some in hair. It all washed off in a prompt bath. It smells pretty good while your painting but you don't get the scratch and sniff effect until it's dry.

We have quite the fruit scented art collection now. I painted that Minnie Mouse with the grape color, see what I mean? Maybe it'll dry more purple. I'm going to hang them all up tomorrow. We're going to have our own gallery for the week. Fun and so simple. This one is an A+ for sure.

Mother's Day Recap

I know it's been a while, but I got a beautiful card from Riley that she made at school a few days after Mother's Day and then visited Stuff Kids Write which inspired me to dig out my scanner. So here is her beautiful card:

The Front

Her hand prints. Of course the finger nails are painted, my little girly girl.

The message it was raining that day so it got a little smeared. It says:

HANDS DOWN!
5 Reasons I Love Mommy...
She dooz kisses!
Mommy plays house!
She pushes me on swings!
Mommy make my hair wook pretty!
She gives food on the table!

Just imagine a Mother's Day card that doesn't have any mention of video games. If only her brother had been guided through his Mother's Day card process by a preschool teacher...

I described his card in my Mother's Day Post and here it is in its full glory. He poses the question "Does being good at video games count?" Count for what? We never do find out, but maybe it's a more existential query than I'm giving a 9yr old credit for.

Yes, Happy Mother's Day and I love you Mom BUT did you know how they layer the backgrounds of video games in a specific way to give them dimension? Whoa! Right? Now you'll NEVER forget because I wrote in in your card. My research is pretty reliable, it may even be half true. So, you're welcome for the quasi enlighting "fact" and the rushed sentiment.

If deep thinking and made up video game facts weren't enough, a portrait. Thanks kid, that one is a real confidence booster. I didn't recognize myself with the hair cut. I may give hime permission to stop making non-stick figure renderings of me from now on. On top of my lovely self he drew what he tells me is his dad falling in the background (the speck over my shoulder there). I guess you only get parachutes on Father's Day.

All joking aside, weird cards are what memories are made of. Also in his defense "The Euro of Women will rise" was a tough act to follow.