{Projects}

Well, I'm currently working on a few things. I'm painting 2 canvases now that will say "It Is Well With My Soul" is my newest...I saw it on Pinterest :) I'm just changing the colors so as soon as I'm done I'll post pics. I'm also working on organization and decluttering. That's an ongoing process that seems to never end. My next place to tackle in the house is my shoes. I'm trying to get what I can out and help others with what I don't need. Someone once told me that we don't need to hold onto stuff we aren't using b/c they are someone else's blessings that we are holding in bondage. I try to clean out what I can so that I can bless others with it...whether it be people I know or our local Salvation Army. Anyways, I have about 3 boxes as of now and I'm about to have a bag of shoes very soon! :) Anyways, I better get to sorting...Until next time...

Yeah for the new year! It's 2012. I still remember 1999 and the scary thought of it becoming 2000 if the world didn't end first! Anyways, we safely made it into 2012 and I'm excited about the year ahead. We hope to move to a house with more space, Rylie Kate will turn 1 and Baleigh will turn 3! (Although she has been saying I'm not 2.5, I'm 2! And I don't want to be "free" I want to be 2!) So, we'll see if she might be 2 and holding. Anyways, being the beginning of January and people asking the same question of everyone...over and over...(what is your new year's resolution?)....I've decided on 2. Please know that my #1 criteria was attainability (if that's a word!). I chose 2 things that I want to make a part of my year ahead....#1 to really help others...meaning help when I can or find help when I can not. If I know a person is in need I want to help them find the help they need or help them myself if I'm able. (Sounds simple, but sometimes we can lose that focus if we don't start making it a habit). #2 is to organize and de-clutter my home! (Or home-to-be I hope). I want my house to be a place that I love coming home to and that I can share with others at a moments notice. So, there they are! My goals for 2012. I have other little things and goals for our family and my 2 girls....such as potty training and manners, but those are more of a given. Wish me luck and I'll keep working to attain these goals. Until next time...

{No Sew Tree Skirt}

Picture #1: 6 in. ruffle

Picture #2: First I did 3 rows of 6 in. ruffles
Picture #3: Then I did 3 in. rows to the center of it.
Picture #4: Here it is under our tree...I love it! :)

ok, I'm just not a sewer (if that's a word)...but I saw this on Pinterest and decided to take a go at it. I can't even begin to tell you how easy it was! Here are the instructions and a few pictures to help guide you.

Materials Needed:

1 Painters canvas drop cloth (4.5 x 4.5 if you can find it) from Home Depot, Lowes, etc. (I think mine cost 7.99)

4 yards of material you want to use (the original instructions said linen material, but I wanted to just use cotton material and with little ones I decided on a darker color)

Scissors

Hot Glue Gun & lots of glue sticks

I got my instructions here: http://mycrazylife-lauren.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-pinned-it-i-did-it-ruffled-tree-skirt.html and she plus the Pinterest pin led me back to http://www.hgtv.com/handmade/how-to-make-a-no-sew-ruffled-christmas-tree-skirt/index.html

Steps that I did:

1. Make sure canvas is a square and lay your square out

2. Fold the fabric into quarters and then a triangle

3. Cut both ends of the triangle...just a little on the top of it and a curve on the bottom (this is something I forgot to take pics of as I did it, but if you go to the first link I posted above you can see her pics to know how to do this)

4. The original instructions said to cut the material into 2-3 in. strips, but here is a tip I learned...that works if you use a light colored material, but with my dark material, those strips show the light colored drop cloth so I cut mine about 6 in. each and that worked much better at hiding the drop cloth. So, depending on what material use use decide how big to cut the strips.

5. Once you have cut all of the material you can start gluing. Just glue the strips around your drop cloth and bunch together as you go to create the ruffles.

PS- one thing I didn't do was the last step in the original instructions....When the ruffles are done, take the ribbon and hot glue it to the slit in the canvas so that once it's around the tree, you can tie the skirt shut. Make sure you leave enough room to tie it into pretty bows!

{Christmas}

Here are the Christmas projects I did over the holiday break:

{Merry decor}

{No Mantel Stocking holder}
Our family fingerprints}
{No sew tree skirt}

{Family}

Here are some pictures of us :)

Thanksgiving 2011: {Our family of 4}

Thanksgiving 2011: {Sisters}

Halloween 2011: {Winnie-the-Pooh & Piglet}

Fall 2011: {My Baleigh Bug}

October 2011: {We <3 Auburn}

{Blogher}

ok, so I'm new to this blogging thing, but already I'm really enjoying it. I'm hoping to keep this pretty up-to-date with all the fun stuff this little family of 4 does plus lots of useful stuff for those interested in my mindless crafts and decorating tips and tricks! **I can't take credit though....usually the things I make come from others or, of course, Pinterest! :)

Something about our family is that we live in a small townhouse far in the north end of the town we live in. My parents, our church, Target, and other necessity venues are located in the central or Southern part of town so our house has been for sale now since March 2010 (well listed with a realtor anyways). The major reason we need to move though is because we have simply outgrown it! It's 2/2 and we are now a family of 4...as of this past summer. I'm just excited to have more space eventually. One of my new year's resolutions is to declutter my house! So, I'm hoping that we move within the next 6 months and I can do that as we move. I've been working on that over the holiday break (I'm a teacher) and so far I've cleared out about an inch or two of space. We just have too much stuff! I made my daughter, Baleigh choose 20 toys that could be given to our local donation center before I would put any of her new Christmas presents in her room. You'd be surprised too...she gave more than 20! I was so proud of her :)

So, that' s kind of where we are right now. I love my husband and my 2 girls more than anything on this earth so the tight quarters are ok for us for now, but we all need our space and I want a place to blog/craft/etc. and there just isn't room right now. So, prayers for our house to sell and the moving process to begin. We love this house and will miss it dearly--I already warned my husband that I will cry the day we leave it--but it's time to move on and find a place in a location we really like and with enough room for all 4 of us. I can't wait for the next chapter of our lives. God is good and He has a plan so we will see what that plan is soon I hope! Until next time....

{Wreaths}

I love wreaths. I think they add so much to a house. I have one on our front door year round and one in our living room now. (I needed a way to hang stockings and the way I did allowed for a hanging spot for a wreath now in our living room. I love it!) Here is a collection of the wreaths I have created...enjoy!

#1: Auburn ribbon wreath...this was my first wreath I created and we gave it as a wedding present to another Auburn couple. (I just hung it on my door to see how it looked and to get an idea of how long the hanging ribbon needed to be). I have made 3 more Auburn wreaths...one for another wedding gift, one for my MIL, and one for myself. :)

#2: Christmas ribbon wreath...this one just came down this week :( So sad. I actually had a "As Seen on Pinterest" party and had some friends over and ribbon wreaths was one of the projects we created together. I'll post pics of that later and tell you what I did. It was so much fun!
#3: Auburn yarn wreath....this wreath is just covered in yarn...took me awhile! (Runaway Bride was on--love that movie--so I watched that and after about an hour and a half I was finally done!) I bought the letters and painted them then hot glued them and I found the Tiger at the craft store. **Sad to say that I had it on the door and was getting a ribbon to hang it with and our front door was opened to quickly and it fell and the wreath inside broke so it was ruined! I may make it again...we'll see! (Need to find another good movie!)
#4: University of Alabama ribbon wreath...ok, if you know football then you know this is Auburn's biggest rival! I am a good friend though and made this for a friend! I found ribbon that was houndstooth and just wrapped a wreath using straight pins here and there and then I made the felt flowers and I bought the letters and painted them then hot glued them. The lighting wasn't great but the flowers aren't pink and red...they are bright true red and a maroon color. I've actually made 3 of this wreath and sold all 3 of them. I'm a good friend! (Go Auburn!)
**If you would like to have your own wreath, but don't want to make it contact me and I can give you a price and possibly make whatever your heart desires :) My e-mail is csw4au@gmail.com Thanks!

{Tshirt Scarf}

This is my new favorite thing! I made t-shirt scarves for so many people this Christmas holiday. They are fun to make and so easy! (And really cute too!)

Materials Needed: 1 T-shirt (XL or bigger), scissors, paper plate

Step 1: Trace a paper plate as many times as possible.

Step 2: Cut out your circles (Each time you cut, you will cut through the entire shirt so that 1 circle is actually 2)

Step 3: Spiral Cut from the outer edges to the center of the circle. As you do this you will notice that the spiral curls.

Step 4: Cut a 4 in. strip out of the t-shirt scraps that you will use to double knot at the center of the scarf and that will go behind your neck when you wear the scarf.

You're done!! So easy!

{Paper Crafts}

Project #1: This was my first ever Pinterest inspired project....homemade envelopes out of scrapbook paper! they turned out so cute, but I have yet to use them. :( I was making them because my husband and I are doing the Dave Ramsey plan as far as our money and if you know anything about it then you know the envelope system all too well! :) Here is the site where I found the tutorial for the envelopes: http://kelleighratzlaff.com/featured/free-envelope-template-and-a-tutorial/

Project #2: Framed printable for our entryway. I found this pinned on Pinterest and went to the site and printed it for our family. I just love what it says and green and browns are what my main colors of my house are so it matched perfectly and looks so cute in our front hallway. **As soon as I find the site where I got this from I will post it...until then, here is the printable and a then a picture of it in my house :)

{Our family}

Here are a few pictures of the loves of my life! Rylie Kate and Baleigh then Austin and Rylie Kate.

{All About Me}

My name is Callie and I'm a Mom, wife, sister, and daughter. We live in central Florida and I teach high school English and I also sponsor the yearbook for our school, which is a class. My girls are Baleigh and Rylie Kate. My husband is Austin and he plus my girls are the loves of my life. Anyways, at this point we are living in the townhouse we bought when we got married, which is 2/2 and we have outgrown it! We are currently trying to sell it! :) I started this blog because lately I've been obsessed with Pinterest (who isn't?...well, if you're on there). I love all the recipe ideas, craft ideas, school stuff, and Mommy stuff! It's a wonderful site if you haven't been there, but watch out...once you start you may never stop. I have found so many wonderful ideas for our future home and ways of organizing I couldn't have dreamed up if I tried! I can't wait to put them all into place. So far, I have accomplished: (Courtesy of Pinterest)

1. A total of 5 ribbon wreaths (3 were given as gifts)

2. One yarn wreath (sad to say it fell from the front door and broke)

3. A no-sew ruffled tree skirt (I will post the how-to with my pictures)

4. About 7-8 t-shirt scarves with coordinating felt flowers (I think I gave 5 as gifts over the holidays)

5. Adorable pumpkins...one with a W and another with Boo all written in black buttons

6. Christmas decorations & ornaments...so cute!

7. Painted wine glasses

8. Some very yummy foods...too many to list!

9. A catch all box on the fridge (made out of a cereal box)

I have had 2 Pinterest parties over the last couple months where we just got together and I told everyone what to bring and we did 2-3 crafts together. It was so much fun and I have pics of everyone hard at work! Anyways, I'll post new ideas and ask for ideas as well, so thanks for paying an interest in what this Mommy has to say! I'll try to keep things somewhat sparkly for you....Until next time....

{My First Blog}

This is my very first blog entry! I'm so excited to start this new venture. I hope to share lots of great insightful stuff plus lots of fun stuff too! :) Until next time...