Fall Craft Show 2oo9

I'm finally getting around to posting my new craft items. Even though my show has already been going for a week now. Fortunately it lasts for five more weeks so if you are in the Idaho Falls go to the Mini Bazaar and check out all of the new fall stuff.



I love my harvest cubes but I have such problems with them sticking together, that this may be the last of them.



This one is similar to ones I've done in the past. But I just love my square pumpkins.



Here is a new one that I am excited about. I also am offering just the vinyl personalize with Initials and names to put directly on your wall. I plan on doing one for each of my girls to stick on the wall above their beds, when they get in their new room.



Here is is again just in different color combo. I also did ones that say welcome and Home. Little girl ones that say Sisters and Princess, and boy ones that say Brothers and Remember who you are.

A long post with no pictures, but this is what has been happening, and been on my mind lately:

You might be a redneck if:

After this weekend this joke may apply to my family. No we don't have anyone in our family named Cleatis or Leroy, we don't have a old couch and a broken down washer sitting on our front lawn, and we don't park any broken down vehicles in our driveway (although Shaun's truck is well on its way to qualifying for that one), but we sure did participate in some redneck activities over labor day weekend. On Saturday I went to my first truck and tractor pull ever. I was not excited to go, but it turned out to be better than I thought and I found myself standing up and cheering along with "Jim Bob", (who was wearing his sleeveless t-shirt and holding his autographed poster), whenever the trucks pulled that trailer the whole length of the track. On Monday we went to the state fair. I must be a redneck because I really do love the fair. I like the fair food and the art exhibits and my kids love the animals and the rides. Sydnie couldn't get enough of the petting zoo, she ran around giving hugs to all the goats and even an emu. So if you attend a truck and tractor pull and the state fair in the same weekend.... you might be a redneck.

How to have the worst day ever...

Well, Friday was a pretty bad day for me. Maybe not the worst day I have ever had in my life but pretty close. So if you would like to have a day as bad as mine was on Friday here are the things you need to do:

1. While packing up to go out of town discover your 2 year old has gotten into the toilet (that still has pee in it thanks to her older sister) and splashed the contents along with a roll of toilet paper all over the bathroom and herself. CHECK

2. Sigh relief when you get everything cleaned up, and the car packed and are only a few minutes late. CHECK

3. Spend an hour looking for your keys because you only have one set. CHECK

4. Finally find your keys at the bottom of the garbage can covered in apple sauce (thanks again Sydnie)CHECK

4. On your way to check your older girls from school have your trunk fly open and loose half the contents on the road. CHECK

5. Get stuck in two hours of labor day weekend traffic. CHECK

6. Run your battery out while getting some dinner at Artic Circle and have to ask someone to jump your car. CHECK

7. Almost get run off the road by a semi when you pull over to shut a door that one of your girls did not shut tight enough at the restaurant (we don't want to have a repeat of step number 4). CHECK

8. By some miracle arrive at your destination safe and sound who cares if we got there about three hours later than we planned. CHECK

Time to get Political

Okay, so I have to do something that I was taught never to do as a hairdresser, that is never talk to your patrons about two things: religion and politics. But since most of you are not my patrons I thought I could get away with it here. I have been thinking quite a bit about things that are happening in our nation lately, and thinking about what I could do to make my voice heard. I think that some of us regular people, no matter what side of the political ticket you find yourself on, have been made to feel somewhat ashamed. Ashamed that we don't believe in the same things the movie stars and the people on t.v. believe in. We don't talk about things because we don't want others to think we are weird or some kind of fanatical freak. Well call me a freak but this is what I believe:

The current debate over the national health care system has me worried. I don't like the idea of the government having so much control over my life and decisions. Isn't that what the forefathers fought to free themselves from? Not that I think that the health care system doesn't need fixing. I just think we are going at it the wrong way. We are a nation of smart people, you would think we could come up with a better way to fix things than letting the government take over health care.

My generation needs to wake up, and start to let those in charge of changing our laws and constitution know what we really think. Even if you live in a state who has representation similar to what you believe, I think it is a good reminder for them to remember why we put them in office. I'm afraid if we don't become more active in what we believe, we may wake up a few years down the road and realize the things you believe and cherish most have been taken away from you. So, write your congressmen or representatives, its easy, most of them have websites with e-mail addresses. Just a quick note to remind them why they are in office. I plan to, and I hope you will join me.

School's in Again!!!

So, I'm not and never will be one of those moms who get all choked up thinking about their kid's first day of school. Kaylee started third grade last week, and Brianne went to her first day of kindergarten today. I wasn't sad about Kaylee starting kindergarten and I wasn't sad today when Brianne put on her huge backpack and headed off to kindergarten. What I get is excited. I know you are all thinking I mean I'm excited because they are gone and I get a quiet house. No, I mean I get excited for them. Excited for all the fun experiences I know they are going to have, and excited because they are excited. When you are a grown up there gets to be less and less things that you get truly excited about. Yes, of course you are excited for your children to be born, and excited to go on vacation, but even that gets less exciting the more trips you take. So it is fun to live a little vicariously through your children and remember how excited you were to start your first day of school.

And boy was Brianne excited! She asked me everyday for a week how many more days till kindergarten, and this morning she kept asking and asking if it was time to leave. Then she insisted on carrying her heavy backpack full of school supplies all the way to her school. I have to brag about my Brianne a little. She is such a little smarty pants. Her kindergarten teacher was surprised at how well she did during kindergarten testing last week. And she is such a good little reader it always amazes me how well she does, and how many words she knows when we practice reading every night. I'm sure she will do great in kindergarten!

Brianne next to her huge backback on her first day of kindergarten.

Kaylee on her first day of Third grade.

Provo Half Marathon

Well I finally did it! I ran in my first official race. I signed up for the half marathon last year, but I couldn't run in the official race because of a health concern. I ended up running it later that year, but somehow it is just not the same when you don't have the number pinned on your chest and the crowds to cheer you on. We had a really great run, the weather was perfect around 75 degrees and my adrenaline was pumping with the excitement of the big crowd. When I got done I called Shaun to tell him I was done, he jokingly asked me if I had won. Of course I didn't even come close to winning, but I felt like a winner! I finished 20 minutes faster than I did last year, and was able to maintain a 10 min mile pace. Slow if you are trying to win, but great for me.

You say, "oh great for her, but I could never run a half marathon." I bet you could! I love to run, but I haven't always been able to say that. Running to me used to be so boring and hard, but I started running with a couple of friends, and I found that running at a pace that you can still carry on a conversation was perfect for me. We started out slow at about 11 or 12 min miles and have worked up to 9 1/2 -10 min miles. I could run faster if I didn't talk while I was running, but what is the fun in that? Besides the runners high is no myth. There is nothing like the feeling you get after a long run.

Thanks to Nicole to being so faithful with running with me in the morning. I've never had a running partner who you can count on being there at 6:30 in the morning every time. And thanks to Audrey. We are a great pair for pushing each other to go a little faster. We are both competitive enough that if one is running a little faster, the other one always tries to keep up no matter how much we are hurting.

My running partners, Me on the left, Audrey, and Nicole. Great job girls!

P.S. Audrey, thanks for the ice cream cone, and yes, I did get sore!!!

Tips to convert yourself into a runner

I used to hate running I thought people who ran marathons and half marathons were crazy. I would occasionally get out and run a couple miles just for a change in my exercising routine but I never really enjoyed it. Now I can say I really love running and I even look forward to some of our longer runs. So what has made the difference?

1. Have a goal. Just running to be running seems pointless when you are tired or sore. But if you sign yourself up for a race you have more motivation to get out there and get it done. The best way to find out about races is to ask your running friends. Not into long races? Then sign up for a 10k or a 5k.

2. Have a running partner or two or three. The more the better then if one can't go with you, hopefully the other one can. Sign up for the same race, then you can be working towards the same goal.

3. Start slow. I love to be able to talk with my friends when I am running. If I run to fast I can't and then I hate it. Here is a good website for easy schedules for preparing for races, its a great site for beginners.www.jeffgalloway.com/training/half_marathon.html This is for half marathon but I think he has schedules for other races as well.

Neighborhood Fun

Some people in our neighborhood started a fun tradition last year and it was so fun that we decided to do it again this year. Classic Skating in Sandy offers a $10 season pass, then after that you just pay 1 dollar for each activity you decide to do. They have lots of fun things to choose from such as bounce houses, a jungle area, laser tag, skating and our favorite swimming and water slides! Most of the time we just come to swim and I feel so great knowing I only had to pay $4 dollars for my whole family to swim for the entire day! Almost every Tuesday this summer we would meet up with several of the neighbors and go swimming the kids had a blast and so did the moms.

Kaylee going down one of the four slides.

Brianne finally dared to go by herself down the slides the last two times we went. Once she dared to go by herself I didn't see her much for the rest of the time.

All my girls, getting a snack between sliding. Even Sydnie loved going down the water slides with me.

Kaylee and Brianne having lots of fun in the Jungle house.

More Neighborhood fun!

I don't do hair allot anymore. I stay too busy with my craft shows and dance. But every once and awhile I will have a neighborhood haircutting day. When all the neighborhood kids can come and get haircuts. My girls needed back to school haircuts so I decided to block out a morning and invite the girls in the neighborhood to come too.

I should have taken pictures of the cute girls in my neighborhood getting their haircut but I forgot. So here is a picture of the hair I cut off. I ended up cutting off some serious hair. Three girls including one of my own cut their hair from mid back to all the way above their shoulders. I hope I don't have some mad dads when they get home from work tonight.

ta da! Brianne finally decided to cut her hair off without any bribing. I think it turned out really cute, but I am going to have some serious hair to blow dry when I wash it. Her hair is about 4 times as thick as most of the girls in our neighborhood.

A view from the back.

A week of projects

I finally had a chance to get to my to do list. Looking back on these pictures it's amazing how much I got done in just a week, especially considering I had two sick kids (we had the stomach flue going around our neighborhood this week).

Project #1 refinish chairs and stools

This was one of those projects I definitely was not looking forward to. Anyone who has refinished furniture knows what I am talking about. But my stools and chairs were looking pretty sad. So I sanded put a new coat of black paint, sanded some more, put on a coat of polyurethane(clear protective coat), sanded some more and put on the final coat of polyurethane. I hated every minute of it but they look great!

Project #2 frame for our family photo.

I was more excited about this one. Especially the great deal I got on this moulding. I was on my way to home depot to pick out some moulding and Ross just happens to be next door so I decided to stop in, just my luck I found a beautiful mirror with this moulding on it for only $24 about as much as I would have spent at home depot. I took the mirror home and completely took it apart, I was sort of sad it was a beautiful mirror. I had to cut the moulding down some to fit my picture and glue it back together but the bonus was I didn't have to paint it. You will have to click on the picture to see the detail of the moulding it really is pretty.

Project #3 Valance for my bedroom

This one is trickier than it looks. You really can't see it very well it this picture, but I had to make a wooden frame for it. Then staple batting to it, then staple the fabric over that. So it was more like upholstering than sewing. The trickiest part was hanging the whole thing. I measured like three times, and then held my breath as I drilled the holes for the screws. Thanks to my neighbor Tineka for coming over to help me hang the 10 foot long valance.

Project #4 painting

I finally did it! I got to paint a couple rooms in my house. I think they turned out great! Here is the before picture of my kitchen:

And the after:

Before of my extra bathroom:

and after, I think they both turned out great!!!!

And what was Shaun doing?????

This picture will give you a clue.

Our brother in law John invited Shaun to go to Florida with him for lobster season. They spent a few days spear fishing and catching lobster with nets. Shaun had a great time. This is a picture of John and Shaun headed down with the spear gun.


This is the whole group who went Shaun is on the left, John is second to the right.


Here is a sample of their catch.

You might think I want you to feel bad for me, stuck home with sick kids and a million projects, while Shaun was in Florida. No Way!!!! I was more than happy staying home painting my kitchen and bathroom. Shaun deserved a break anyway. So we both got just what we wanted!!!

And the winner is.....

I just finished up my spring cleaning, (technically it counts as spring cleaning if you start in the spring right?) I go through each room in my house and do all the things I usually neglect the rest of the year such as blinds, and baseboards. As I was cleaning I was thinking of the things that I just couldn't do without. Here are my top three:

1. Top on my list is the magic eraser, I use the generic kind, they work just as well. And seriously what did we do before magic erasers? They really are magic as far as I'm concerned. They get smudges, marker, crayon, well just about anything off of walls, baseboards, and tables. I used to scrub for hours then just give up and paint over a mark on the wall.

2. Second on my list is a good old toothbrush. They are perfect for getting into those tight spots that nothing else will get into. (just be careful if you have babies or toddlers) Sydnie loves toothbrushes and I caught her several times trying to brush her teeth with one of my cleaning toothbrushes.

3. And finally a pumice stone is my last pick. I used to scrub for hours with lime away to try and get rid of that yellow hard water ring around my toilet. A pumice stone does it in minutes and does a much better job at it.

I would love to hear your favorites! Anything to make cleaning easier and faster I love to hear about!