I need to post more.

Tessa, rising 1st grader... had an amazing Kindergarten year and loves school! She's terrific!

Seth, rising 6th grader and middle schooler... wow, time flies! Had a great academic career at Jones Elementary - very proud of him!

So, I'm spending a lot of time with these 2 cute kids for the next 2 & a half months. School's out! It's been a week now and it's been filled with friend playdates, a few cleaning projects, Tessa's first swim lesson and quite a few reminders to get off the computer or turn off the TV. Next week we have VBS at church. The rest of the summer we have basketball camps, Lego and Farm camps at the Nature Science Center, Safety Town, more swim lessons, visits to Hendersonville and Mississippi, lots of summer reading program activities and other fun things yet to be planned. So far, it's been quite hot. We're all really excited about seeing Toy Story 3 soon. Tessa's embraced 1 and 2 (finally) and spent some of her savings on Jessie and Bullseye toys ( and small Woody, Buzz, Rex and Slinky). I'd forgotten how much we ♥ Toy Story. Seth was Buzz Lightyear one Halloween... he watched 1 and 2 over and over again. Good times...

I have been crafty (mostly in the "arts and crafts" sense)... but I have not remembered to take photos of the things I have made. Most were for year-end teacher gifts (tote bags, earrings, flower pins, etc.) Perhaps soon I will make something and remember to take a photo. In the meantime, catch a few fireflies, run in the sprinkler, have an icy pop and enjoy the summer - I will!

Addicted to making fabric flowers!

First, I was making fabric flower pins (see this post) and I still am. After seeing Lisa Andrew's blog post about making flower clips (which she learned from Rhonna Farrar's video), I am loving these torn fabric flowers. I haven't decided how I will use them all yet (hair clips, necklaces, purse embellishments... so many possibilities!) but I know I can't wait to make more!
I haven't scrapped a layout in a few weeks, but I did create a new blog header this week (it even has a few sheer fabric flowers in it!) So if I can get my fingers out of the fabric and glue, maybe I'll scrap or make some cards soon! Of course, with all the end-of-school activities coming up and soccer in full swing, I should have lots of photos and memories to record!

Appreciation...

This week has been about appreciation. Mainly, teacher (and staff) appreciation at my kids' school. I'm the PTA chair for Staff Appreciation, so "Teacher Appreciation Week" looms large in my life. I ♥ showing the hard-working school staff how much we ♥ them; they work so hard and do so much for our kids. Thought I'd share a couple of pics from the week (didn't take any at the Breakfast or Luncheon). The Strawberries & Chocolate Snack is a big hit (local farm berries picked that morning) and the mailbox treats were fun (made 85 felt butterfly pins).

I ♥ crocheted doilies... and a source!

I am loving crocheted doilies and have found some beautiful ones on etsy.com lately. One of my "favorites" has started a new blog and she has other lovely vintage supplies and handmade embellishments available as well. Check it out:

Fresh Vintage Crafts (Blog)

Fresh Vintage Crafts Etsy store

She has a contest running through April 28 where you can become a follower and blog about it, or make a purchase in her shop and be entered to win a fun prize!

Now I'm off to think about projects using lovely crocheted doilies...

Spring Layout Tag

I did this layout a few weeks ago but couldn't share it yet... had to wait until everyone finished their layouts. It was fun playing "layout tag" with the designers and scrappers from Noel Mignon. If you'd like to see the whole slide show in the order we created our layouts, go here:

http://www.slide.com/r/oJ25Ndl3qz8CdwteXYj61SFJRUSduVW1

Baby Shower Decorations

Tessa's teacher is having a baby girl in May! All the kids (and parents) are so excited for her and couldn't wait to have her "classroom baby shower." I was in charge of decorations and thought I'd show you a few (most ideas came from other blogs).

In the top photo you can see the decorations in progress. I made paper pinwheels by accordion folding 12x12 sheets (3 for each one), folding them in half like a fan and adhering them together. The tissue paper blooms were from a Martha Stewart kit but you can easily make them with about 12 sheets of tissue paper, again accordion folded, tied in the middle with some tulle or ribbon, then pull apart all the layers to make the bloom. The baby shoes are sewn on a felt scallop circle with a pin back for a corsage (socks are just stuck in the shoes and there is a ribbon sewn on as well). And the banner was made with stamps and crepe paper (it says Welcome Baby in spanish).


The most fun items were the "faux cupcakes" where I rolled up baby washcloths and burp cloths, put them inside a nice stack of coffee filters and tied a ribbon. One of them is a baby outfit rolled up so the ruffles looked like fluffy icing. The other booboo bunny is a washcloth with a little freezable packet inside. We also asked the kids what they would name the baby and for any advice they had about being a mommy (these tidbits were shared on the poster you can barely see in the banner photo... they each wrote their name, their suggested name and I typed up their advice). They all painted thumbprints on a onsie and we tie-dyed some cloth diapers to be used as burp cloths.

Now I'm moving on to Teacher Appreciation Week, so there will be a few more crafty ideas coming in another week or two!

Because He lives...

we celebrate Easter! Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving us. Thank you, Father God, for sending your son to earth. Really, this holiday is too big for words. I am so thankful and amazed at the depth of God's love for us.

We celebrated with a visit from the Easter Bunny (much to Tessa's delight... she also had a nice surprise from her special next-door neighbor friends), a wonderful morning of celebration and worship at church, an egg hunt with eggs from Grandma (Papa helped hide the eggs and contributed a few of his own), and dinner on the grill with Papa. What a gorgeous day to celebrate our Savior's resurrection!