Creative Thursday...Err....Friday!

Always a day late and a dollar short.

That's me!

So this week as been all about wedding prep. I need to do a formal post on the hellishness that has been wedding-land but for now, here are some of the crafts from this week. Sadly my camera cord is missing so phone pictures it is!

I believe this was the only non-wedding related thing we did this week.

Butterfly stepping stones. 

They were all about the mixing and pouring of the goop. When it came time to touch it there was some serious pleading on my part. I also learned that plaster of paris dries rather quickly. 

Now on to wedding-land.

I made a sign!

For a last minute, free project to a themeless wedding-PURE PERFECTION! I wanted to distress the boards before I painted on the letters but time is of the essence.

I keep telling myself this isn't my wedding, I'm just a helper.

Cupcake stand without the ribbon edging. 

I would have never picked this shade of yellow. But I had to work with what was given to me. 

She has chosen blue and yellow as her colors and these are the ribbons I need to work with. It's like clown make up for cupcakes!

She didn't like my beloved brown craft paper. How can you not love it's simple pureness?! It's perfection!!

There is soooo much more to share. I can't wait to show you all next week!

Craft Night

Heading into craft night tonight I can say the follow has been accomplished and I feel wonderful, although slightly frazzled. Italicized is my goal for tonight's craft night. Our last craft night was everyone sitting watching me do things, horribly aggravating but I'm not sure why I expected more. 

• Write out a detailed wedding schedule
• Finish programs (80% done!)
• Make card box
• Make cake stand Half way there
• Make wedding sign
• Check on boutonnieres I checked, she has done nothing!
• HEM WEDDING DRESS-dreading this
• Make the cupcakes and wedding cake (Saturday)
• Fluff a zillion paper pom-poms (with a team!) (Saturday)
• Create an altar from two trees (bless you pinterest!!)
• Make a unity candle set
• Create a head table setting
• Buy table clothes
• Buy a million candles 
• Buy more bowls
• Buy water beads
• Buy fishing line
• Set up the reception pavilion and ceremony spots
• Make a card book
• Print out signs
• Make a giant M monogram [Altar]
• Make sure I have time to dress myself so I can play photographer...

Wish me luck...

Elevate the Pom-Poms

So with Elevate the Ordinary, I'm suppose to elevate the ordinary. 

I have to admit that thus far I haven't been into it as much as superhero. 

My reason: I have to think and be creative.

Crazy!

So here was my ah-ha moment last night.

I just elevated the pom-poms, on my bed, and I like it!

A little saturation, and the way the light came from the window, makes it look almost rainbow-ish.

And now I can think ahead to elevating the pictures for this wedding, and remember what a pain it is going to be to fluff all these pom-poms!!

Happy Sunday!

A Good Friend

That's exactly what I'm going to consider myself this week as I bust my arse to get everything ready for the wedding this week. Shoestring weddings = DIY. So what all is on my plate before Sunday's nuptials?

• Write out a detailed wedding schedule
• Finish programs (80% done!)
• Make card box
• Make cake stand
• Make wedding sign
• Check on boutonnieres 
• HEM WEDDING DRESS
• Make the cupcakes and wedding cake
• Fluff a zillion paper pom-poms (with a team!)
• Create an altar from two trees (bless you pinterest!!)
• Make a unity candle set
• Create a head table setting
• Buy table clothes
• Buy a million candles 
• Buy more bowls
• Buy water beads
• Buy fishing line
• Set up the reception pavilion and ceremony spots
• Make a card book
• Print out signs
• Make a giant M monogram [Altar]
• Make sure I have time to dress myself so I can play photographer...

Welcome to hell week... I need to see a beach yesterday!

Stay tuned...

And yes Marcia, this is what I consider being a good friend!! And no, I'm not exactly sure they would return the favor to the same extreme. I just like the challenge and she surely deserves it.

Rocking the Kiddie Pool

Both the solstice and the first full day of summer have proven that this summer will be H-O-T!

With an expected temperature of 100 with heat indexes around melt-your-brain, we broke out the kiddie pool for the first part of the morning. You know, before the brain melting. 

Holding the hose is the ultimate prize of toddlerhood.

Getting serious with the sunscreen. This pout deserves no burn.

I have no clue who they could be mimicking here... :)

There was evening a tiny big foot siting!

After lunch we needed to cool down...

...way down.

Miss Claire T. Bear continued until every piece of ice was in the pool. 

They yard has to be picked up!

My water bug!

For a girl who hates water in her face, she doesn't seem to mind.

Impending splash.

Then out came the buckets!

I love the forced sipping face. Such a diva.

SPLASH!

I wait all morning, had to clean the stairs of the grass, and delay the start of nap time (GASP!) to get her to slide.

Luckily she loved it!

How is summer in your neck of the woods?

Shower Time

This time last week we were not-so-patiently awaiting the arrival of SIL.

I had been slowly prepping.

The cake had been made.

The favors stuffed.

The decorations fluffed.

Gifts made.

And wish cards made, printed, cut, and in their basket.

We were all set up and waiting. 

All my pictures are horrible because I didn't count on the light coming from the garage and the basement ridiculous dark, and blue, to begin with. 

She walked in and walked back out. Then came the crazy, hormonal tears. I never noticed before how dramatic her expressions are!

I'm really not one for baby showers but it turned out rather nice. Everyone worked well together, despite the inviting of an unwanted crazy. I think I just enjoyed spending time with family best. I'm sure DH could have easily list 47 million other place he would have rather been, but he survived. The girls loved playing with all their cousins. I love when we are with family and they don't want to leave. 

Now on to wedding time...

Work Update

I should be starting my farewell tour.

I should be readying the bonfire for my supplies.

I should have handed in my letter of resignation last week.

Yet here it sits.
As decided as I was, and still am, about quitting, there's just something about doing it.
This all sounds ridiculous, and I'm tired of dragging it out. But there are just things in the way. We are currently short handed, and in the midst of trying to hire people to fill at least 5, possibly 7 vacancies. That doesn't include mine, and that doesn't include the only other person who does my job! Bossman is trying to rid himself of the lead and although none of this is technically my problem, I feel bad leaving him in this position. Bossman is a friend, and although he supports me going he hates to see me leave.

His suggestion was to drop to limited and only work 2 days a week. As if my 3 days wasn't pathetic enough! So I think I will stay the month of July as limited and then resign. It will give me an extra day to futz around the house. I can get things done and go to the beach. I won't feel so horrible about leaving at such a bad time, and I still retain my seniority! HA!

That place is for the birds!

Ladybugs

Sometimes you're browsing the internet and one click leads to another, leads to a package on your door step with a protect from heat label. 

Last week this mean Cousin ordering ladybugs. 

1500 of them. 

Did I mention I don't do bugs? Yeah, no. One cute, little, ladybug is good luck. Two is a bit much. 1500 is time to run for the hills because I'm pretty sure that's considered a swarm of locust and the end times are upon us. 

I did much better than I anticipated. But that's all thanks to St. Mary, the neighbor lady, who I caught leaving to walk the dogs with her little girl. She really is a Saint because I surely wouldn't have held up!

I very carefully opened this box thinking 1500 pissed off ladybugs were going to attack me. Luckily they were bagged. We didn't heed the directions of putting them in the refrigerator to calm them down, because who the hell puts bugs in their refrigerator, and opted to skip the part about spraying them with soda to glue their wings shut for a while so they'd stick around longer. Seriously? I'm pretty sure that's cruelty-says the woman who dumped a spider down the drain last night. 

Totally Saint-like, just letting them crawl on her. 

I get icky just looking at these.

This is cute.

**Squish**

Cute baby feet and a lady bug!

Needless to say the ladies were all about the festivities.

Some of our friends didn't survive the journey.

But he escaped the pile!

Over all, great experience. Next time I think I'd give them a food source so they'd stay but I'm not sure it's worth the effort. I'm a little giddy about the prospect of baby praying mantis', but again, I'd want them to stay in the garden-and away from me. 

And yes, all this childhood playing and experience stuff is purely for photo ops! 

So thank you Amazon and Cousin, we had a great afternoon!

Friday Night

The last of the school year.

I was out shower prepping, and I feel bad that it wasn't more celebratory, but today marked DH's last day of school. We did do dinner out, one of our last for the summer. And I did pre-order him a book that came last week. But what this really means:

 he'll be home ALL SUMMER! 

As will I. This mean, for the first time ever, we will spend super-significant amounts of time together. Like teenagers in love, only without the googley eyes and fluttering hearts, and subbing toddlers bath and bed for late nights on the town.

Do you know what this means? Do you know what it could mean? This is like a trial run for retirement!! Which he loves to remind me that he is eligible for. Just as I can't imagine meeting someone I already know, I can't quite fathom what it will be like to be home with him all the time. Sure he's never worked in the summer, but I have never been home. I see some serious "old married couple" bickering in our future... thankfully I'm still searching for activities to keep us busy, and out of each other's hair!

This summer promises to be different to say the least!

Pray for us.

Planning

There is sooo much going on in the next 6-ish weeks. Plan, plan, plan-and pray it all works out!

• Congratulations you quit party
• Anniversary
• Friend's Wedding
• 4th of July
• Family Vacation
• Ladies' Birthday
• Charlotte Trip

Doesn't seem like much just listed, but ugh the headache it is getting me. The first four things are happening in the span of a week. Our anniversary and the wedding fall on 4th of July weekend which means my house is no place to be around! We have named it 'redneck 4th' and it will increased car traffic, roudy cookouts, and personal fireworks-at all hours. I never minded too much, in fact I enjoyed watching the neighbors garage burn down a few years ago. The firemen wouldn't go near it because it was filled with exploding fireworks! Tards... But the late night parties, clanging horseshoes, and karaoke is wearing me down.

The wedding is the 1st of July and we started planning LAST WEEK! Craaaaazy!! It's a small affair but the details, jeeze! I think it's because they want to start a family, right now, and feel the need to be married first. They have been together for years, live together, and am pretty sure they qualify as married under the mythical common law marriage. But now is their time, and I agreed to help plan and coordinate for a horribly indecisive bride with no budget. DIY, here I come!

Family vacation is loosely planned. We don't have concrete dates, travel times, or destinations. We know roughly what we'd like to do, and what's available to us though. Nothing is booked. This has me nervous. I know we'll have fun where ever we go and with whatever we do, but I'd like a nice, neat itinerary to hang on the fridge! Husband is unable to field an questions about life till the school year is over so I'm patiently biding my time. Luckily his last day is TODAY!

That brings us to birthday season! AHHH! When did I get 3 year olds?! Where are my babies?? I've decided firmly on a beachy theme. I have an idea of what to do. The issue is where to have it. In theory I'd like to have it at our house, but I hate having people over. HATE IT! Our house is small, our yard is smaller, and it's in various states of improvement. We also have two big dogs who would love to be the life of the party, and who would voice their displeasure with being locked inside. Then there is the issue of the leaky pool . Sigh. Can I fix it in time? As much as I love to do things myself and save the money, the pool is something I'd love to hire out! I could hold it at my parent's house but their house is so junky and their yard unkept. It's really a battle of where would I have the least amount of work.

Immediately after their party I've tentatively planned another trip down to Charlotte to meet up with some dear blog friends IRL! Shocker! I'm totally out of my zone, but I figure it's all part of the evolution?! I need to set up an activity, a dinner, and make some reservations. The idea of meeting someone you know but have never met is just incomprehensible. Can you know someone without having ever met them?

So there it is. Oh shoot... father's day. Ahhhh....

Elevate!

Elevate is here!

I was soo happy I squealed when I opened my first email. I couldn't wait for this course to start! 

I feel like I have a lot going on right now and this is something that is just for me. I'm stoked!!

You should join!!

Our welcome assignment was to choose a line from the poster inclosed in the email.

My choice: Notice the small things

I'm hoping it's a good chance to make use of the filters I bought.

I love the morning dew. I have a new obsession with flowers. 

I blame it on the ladies. There is so much around me that I never noticed till I saw the world from 3ft high. 

My favorite of this batch!!

So hurry! Come join us!!

Last Sunday

Last Sunday is just how I hoped weekends would go. I was super productive on all fronts. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! This is what I keep reflecting on when I worry about quitting.

I took the day to celebrate HAM's second birthday.

Birthday Girl!

I vote cupcakes, all the time, regardless of the occasion.

But especially if there are children involved!

Yes there are a zillion pictures of face. No, I won't torture you with them.

To occupy the girls in the morning before the party we decorated our gift. Magically I have absolutely no wrapping paper. I love brown paper! I'd wrap everything in it, and I do. But husband likes the glitz and glam of lightweight, easily torn, standard issue wrapping paper-UGH. So we compromised. I got one brown, and he used scrapbook paper to wrap the books. 

The ladies were just thrilled to have free use of markers.

We had a wonderful time at the party and quickly came home to put the ladies down for, what turned out to be, a short nap.

Turns out Emma was getting sick, and Claire slept most of the way home. But I had plans

This was going. 

Because of this. Stupid flooding. 

Oh, these holes in the wall are nifty...

But I persevered! I am SUPERMOM!

I love the shadow.

Funny story, I had a total blonde moment with the door. As I'm cutting and saw dust is everywhere, I'm baffled as to why the door smells like pine-sol. Bwhahaha. Me, cutting a PINE DOOR, can't figure out why I'm smelling PINE! 

Ta-Da!

Husband deserves much praise here. Due to the sinking sun, this ended up being a two-day project. Two days where he had to occupy children, one being sickly, make dinners, ready them for bath and bed, and come running when I called. I used him for my heavy lifting. He's such a good man.

I even changed the knob so everything in the house matches again!

Getting all of that done made me feel super productive and I love all the money I saved. The new door brings so much light into the basement and I'm pretty sure I see dollar signs every time I pass it. I can't wait to finish the basement(again) now! 

The girls loved being down there, although I cringed at them playing with "stale toys" that have sat for a year. The were thrilled to see all their old baby toys and quickly made use of them. Claire has rekindled her love of her bumbo. Sadly, she still fits rather comfortably.

Next up, flooring!!