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Friday, November 30, 2012

Bobcat Badge Ceremony {or my lil man growing up to be a young man}


Morning!

Just a super quick post before I jet off to Buckeroo's school to help with their annual ornaments. Last night my lil man got his Bobcat Badge from Boy Scouts. He was so proud [as were momma and dada - but I bet you could never guess that with the smiles on our faces;)]. And he should be - he is just growing up so fast sometimes I sit back and wonder if it will ever slow down. So without further adeu {cuz i'm running late at usual} here are a ton of pix and i'll try to upload the actual ceremony video later.










I'm so proud of all of our boys - it takes alot of work, dedication, and focus to achieve all that they have achieved and are working on!!

Much Luv!
Michelle

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Thanksgiving Tablecloth {or proof of how forgetful I am}


I recently became aware of the fact that I never did a Thanksgiving Tablecloth post (thanks Amy @ While Wearing Heels). By the way y'all totally need to check her blog and her Etsy shop they are Ah-MAY-ZING! I want her United States quilt so bad!! Well one year I wanted a tangible way to remember the memories and all the things that we were thankful for. So I thought about a Thanksgiving tablecloth. The first year I did leaf shapes cut out of felt. Well have you ever tried to write on felt before? It’s not too pretty or easy, although I told everyone to suck it up and make it work! I know so nice on Thanksgiving huh? But that’s how I roll sometimes, lol! No, seriously I was way nicer and begged people to trace over and over on their words and they begrudgedly graciously obliged me. That was in 2010 and I didn’t get around to sewing them until this year along with the table cloth (because that IS how I roll). So I got one yard of fabric (umm one piece of advice – make sure you actually measure your table to make sure it covers said table) hemmed it on all four sides. I then sewed the leaves on from 2010 (we weren’t here for 2011 we were in OK for hubster’s family), yea umm, not so easy so I decided that this year would be “Thankful blocks” simply square shaped fabric that they write on and then sewed together and on the table cloth to try and get some extra footage to make the table cloth actually big enough to cover a table :0. It really was an easy easy craft to do, yet one that everyone loved and talked about so much and still do. This year people really liked the blocks as it was just quilter grade fabric and the fabric markers worked much more easily.


 
What do you think? I really enjoyed doing this and reflecting on how things changed and how they stayed the same, how many more things we have to be thankful for. I will continue to do this tradition. We like it so much that we decided to do a Christmas Tablecloth. This will be with an angel made out of felt and her wings will be quilter grade fabric and the wings will be made up of lots of small pieces and this is where they will write what they are thankful for.

 
See how these wings are made up of individual little feather type pieces – each family will have a feather piece and I will attach these and continue on to build up her wings. What do you think? I welcome any comments and or suggestions as I always like and easier way to do things!

Much Luv!
Michelle

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Traditions {New & Old}

 Good Morning Friends!

How is everyone doing? Wonderful I hope! How was your Thanksgiving? Ours was nice, not as many people at the family gathering as used to be and that was a bit of a bummer, but still great! We made way too much food and ATE way too much food. Everyone totally got into football (I've got a great video of my lil guy doing a victory dance on my Facebook page). 

We continued on with our Thanksgiving tablecloth except this year we did fabric blocks the leaf shapes were a BLEEP to sew on and I didn't like the raw edges regular fabric allowed so blocks it was! What are some of your family traditions that you do for Thanksgiving?

Now on to Christmas (did you really think I WOULDN'T with this post title??), what are your traditions? What are their origins? Have you started any new traditions since becoming a family unit? Which ones have you carried on from your childhood? I would love to hear yours either post a link to your post in the comments and comment them in the comments; here are some of ours.

1) Ornaments - every year littles get an ornament that represents their life or a significant event in their life that year. For example this year Buckeroo joined Boy Scouts and L-U-V-S it so when we were at the boy scout store they had a 3D ornament that we got for him. One year it was a John Deere tractor, another it was Lightning McQueen from Cars (the original - nothings better than the original). The thought behind this is that when they get out on their own and they want the ornaments for a tree of their own they will have a start with ornaments.

We take a day in December to go have breakfast at an old iconic diner from the 50's here, called the 59 Diner (again only the original - are you sensing a trend here with me?! lol!), and spend the day shopping for our yearly family ornament. They used to have those old photo booths that have the curtains and Buckeroo would take a ton of shots by himself in it and just have a blast and we would use that as our Christmas picture card. But alas, the last few times we've gone they haven't had it, I've been wanting to find one and we can just add that stop to our outing.We usually end it with a Starbucks trip.

This is similiar to the ornament Buckeroo will receive just not with an eagle and it has three sides. I'm wanting to get one of those ornament hangers that turns for it.
 

2) Christmas Lights - We try to decor the outside with lights every year but last year it just didn't happen and that's ok. We decided to make the tradition about going and seeing lights around the neighborhood with homemade hot cocoa in special thermoses that we only use at Christmas time. That way if for some reason we can't decorate the outdoors we don't have to throw out our traditions or make ourselves crazy with trying to do it all. Buckeroo goes in his jammies and I bring blankets just to be cozy.

3) Christmas Jammies - I always get Buckeroo jammies for Christmas, we don't do the traditional Christmas Eve jammies though. He gets them right before we go and look at lights - those are the jammies he wears that night. This actually happened by accident one year, he needed new pajamas right around Christmas time one year and well everyone has pajamas on sale now so me being me, well it was a present and he LOVED it! Hence a tradition was born.
Lil man LUVS footed pajamas - although I'm hoping our Walmart has the angry birds one, as he already has Phineus and Ferb from last year.


4) Presents - Santa brings three, to represent the three gifts the wise men brought baby Jesus, these are left unwrapped under the tree. Plus Daddy and Momma give him gifts too, usually about three or four.

5) Jesus's Birthday Gift - We have an ornament that is a birthday cake that opens and we always put our yearly charity dollar gift in there and as a family we choose the charity. We talk about why we do this, and how we can be a blessing and why we choose that particular charity.

 
I'm going to have to ttake a pix and load it when we put our tree up, I can't find it anywhere online.

Most of these are new ones we've started, except for the ornaments, although my folks didn't start that one with us until we were grown and married so I put a new twist on it. Although Gma and Papa now also get the grandkids their own ornament each year too.

A new one that I want to start is for extended family also. We have the traditional Christmas Eve party with extended family and I'm going to make a Thankful Christmas Tablecloth this year. It's the same idea as my Thanksgiving Tablecloth, just with a Christmas theme. A big angel with her "wings" as the place people write their thanks for.

What are your Christmas traditions? New, Old? Where are they from? Ones that you are trying out but just not sure of? I love to hear of others traditions and see if they are something we can or would incorporate into our family traditions.

Much Luv!
Michelle

Thursday, November 22, 2012

How to Relax

HOW TO RELAX
Add all the following ingrediants in equal parts, mix and serve.
 
kick feet up
 
+
 do all things outside (w/ sweet t, country music and a breeze)
 
+
 some of my sweetest peeps
 
+
a good teacher and helpers
 
+
cousins 4 wheeling
 
+
one luv of my life
 
+
some crafting to have a new door wreath
 
=
1 totally relaxed and chilled momma!
 
From our Family to yours I hope today has been a wonderful, love-filled, grateful Thanksgiving!
 
 
Much Luv,
Michelle


Monday, November 19, 2012

Being Convicted {by Jesus}

Hey Friends,

I know the title probably caught a few off guard, but He has been doing that alot  LOT lately. It seems that everytime I turn around He is trying to teach me something [with me it sometimes takes alot to get it through to me]. Today I was off on vacation (whoot whoot) and I was thinking as I sat in my nice, big, new comfy minivan in the drive thru line at Sonic waiting on lunch and thinking how glad I was to be off and away from everything. Putting on my third pair of sunglasses this year and lamenting how I needed to buy new ones because these were scratched like crazy, and then out of the corner of my eye I notice a man talking to another man and then start making gestures. As I rolled my window down for the car hop I realized that the man he was talking to was deaf and they were communicating thru gestures, the deaf man had no money and the other guy gave him a dollar. The deaf man was looking around on the ground for change to cover the taxes, I immediately jumped out of the car and gave him $5. I don't tell you this for me to be proud of what I did, actually just the opposite. I was immediately struck by how blessed I am, and how much I could bless others if I just took stock of what I already have and cared for it. I mean seriously, I was just complaining about how scratched my sunglasses were and this was my THIRD pair for the year meaning I was going to buy a FOURTH pair. Peeps, that's $80, could you imagine how many families I could have feed just by being gracious (by caring for what we are blessed with) for the blessings the first time around?

I'm not talking just about a pair of sunglasses but the friendships that He orchastrates, the family we have (wether they are good or bad - God uses everything for good!), the good and bad things that happen to us all.Sometimes I forget to be grateful for the blessings I've got. He convicted my heart right there in the sonic drive thru, and that man keep doing the sign for "Thank you" I shook my head no and signed back to him "Thank you" God used that man to remind me of how blessed I am. I have no idea if he realizes how much he helped me, but I know and I will continue to MAKE myself be mindful of the blessings I have and be grateful for them. I will continue to thank Him for those blessings, and BE a blessing wether through time, effort, money or whatever the person He orchastrates my path to cross with needs.

I hope everyone has a wonderful, safe, blessed and happy Thanksgiving.

Much Luv,
Michelle

I am even grateful for these three sticky men that have been on my ceiling for 6 days now, because it means I have a wonderfully inquisitive 7 yo boy that wanted "to see how many he could get on the ceiling and how long they would stay." Atho Big Daddy finally brought his big ladder home from the office tomorrow will end their hanging around days, BAHAHA/

Monday, November 12, 2012

Gobble Gobble Gobble {or That's Turkey Talk Right There!}

Hello Friends!!

Can you believe how close it is to Thanksgiving? I can't! It seems like just the other week it was July 4th!!! What are you doing for Thanksgiving? We are staying here and having Bubba Hubster's family over to my folks place where my family gathers for Thanksgiving. Last year (or really it could have been a couple years ago) we started doing a Thanksgiving Tablecloth. It's just a piece of fabric big enough to use as a tablecloth (we use it on the dessert table with clear oilcloth over it) with leaf shaped cut outs from a contrasting colored fabric. Everyone writes what they are thankful for that year and I sew them on. This will be the second year we've done it, so it will be awesome to look back this year and see what everyone wrote last year. Just do not use felt, the fabric markers will totally run, *this may or may not have happened to me, ahem*.

I was thinking of having something for little hands to do also since it gets dark early now. This was one of my ideas that I just lovethat I found and there's nothing for mom and dad to have to mess with taking home!


 
What are you planning?
 
Much Luv,
Michelle
 


We did it!! {voting that is}

Hey everyone

Just wanted to show you some patriotic-ness for the night!



Sorry for the delay I couldnt get the pix to post!

Much Luv,
Michelle

Monday, November 5, 2012

My Good Will treasures from October {or my attempt to decorate}

hey everyone,

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend, we did. There were some little hiccups we had to take care of at Bubba Hubster's mom's house and my sisters house. Then Sunday was all day at church pretty much, we got to leave for lunch and then back for Christmas choir practice from 2-5. Buckaroo tried out for a solo and drama, he got a drama part. And he agreed to be a wise man for them too.

I've decided to make a monthly post of Goodwill treasures. I luv thrift store shopping, altho I have to say my Goodwill and thrift stores have decided they are boutiques with their pricing.

So here are some pix of what I found:

 I got a lot of great things!
Excuse the mess behind it, it was BSA campout and I always lay everything out on the table before packing it to make sure we have everything.
 
 
The nutcracker is for my stepson, he LUVS nutcrackers - he gets one in some fashion every year for Christmas. This nutcracker is also a tin and his hat comes off and we are going to stuff it with $1 bills this year.
The sheep is for the "baby" room, we are decorating it in unisex with cartoony farm animals, that way it doesn't matter what gender of baby we get or if we get one of each.
The church is a 70's plastic tree ornament, I have a love affair with 70's kitchy Christmas decor, I can't pass one up!
The small square frame has a cross in it with God Gives Grace as a background to it for our cross wall.
The small round frame I'm gonna spray paint white. I always pick up different style/shaped frames when they are cheap ($1).
The small red rectangle is a Christmas music diorama box (I told you I can't pass up 70's Christmas decor) Cor and I will wind them up and listen to them over and over again and this one plays Joy to the World.
The white shadow box was $3 w/ 30% off and while I do not like what's on the inside I can unscrew the backing and use it for other things. I haven't figured out what yet, but an intricate shadow box for less than $3!!
Then the piece de resistance is the picture that I was sure to include an upclose pix. it matches my kitchen colors perfectly and I luv the art print. It was $5 or $6 because the print was all cockeyed and you could see the edges. I just tore the paper backing off, opened the back up and resituated the print, taped it and sealed it back up. I don't know if someone just got tired of it or didn't think to do what I did to fix where it had fallen down or what but I was glad I was there when I was to get it. This will be hung above my kitchen window. Bet you couldn't even tell if I didn't tell you, could ya??
 
 
Ok, well really this wicker sofa and side table is really my piece de resistance! I'd been looking at it for over a week but at $80 I just couldn't bring myself to purchase it. But then the incredulous much awaited for coveted 30% off coupon came around for it and it was still there - I snatched it up like a little kid snatching the last peice of halloween candy! Now I have to make cushions for it, I'm just waiting for Joann's to put their duck cloth on sale. I have wanted a wicker set FOR-EVAAAAA!!!!
 
That's it for my October take aways, now November well let's just say I found a Habitat for Humanity Restore about 25 mins from me and I luv it!! I can't wait to do all my projects from the stuff I bought there this weekend and then I'm totally back there!!
 
Much Luv!
Michelle


Friday, November 2, 2012

New Ways to menu Monday {aka I'm *totally* behind}

Hey friends!!

A little while back (I have no idea how far or close it's been CA-RAY-ZAY lately) I posted a new way we were gonna try to do Menu Mondays. Well, it *sorta* worked out although Buckeroo wanted nothing to do with the die game he wanted a football themed game. So what's a smitten momma to do? Well go back to the drawing board of course! So he thought about plays and we game them names and I attached them to each item that would make up a dinner. He would then make a play and I would then tell him what he had chosen for dinner by that play! He loved it!! It was kinda strange the combonations we came up with but it's going to be fun to see how all the different tastes go togather. I was going to start with dinners tonight but I've decided instead of feeling like I'm running behind, I'm going to flip it and be ahead (I do that ALOT with things, bahahaha) and do this menu for next week.

I can't believe that we are already in November - ONLY two months left of the year - what in the world!?!?!

So here's the menu and I'll let you know how it all went next week!

SUNDAY: Ham, oranges, cauliflower
MONDAY: pizza, plums, refried beans
TUESDAY: fidh, peaches, green beans
WEDNESDAY: corndogs, blackberries, lima beans
THURSDAY: chicken, grapes, carrots
FRIDAY: spegahitti, apples, corn
SATURDAY: sausage, bananas, broccoli

See what I mean kinda strange combinations but that's totally cool!!

Much Luv!
Michelle