Merry Christmas!

A Little Incentive

Several days ago I put these pictures up on our refrigerator:

to encourage the girls to get ready for General Conference and to refresh their memories about who would be speaking to us.  I printed doubles of the cards as photos from Costco, and I got them from this link.

I used them at church to teach the Primary age children, and we did an activity where the older group raced to match names to faces, so I covered the names with white paper.

Then I challenged ALL of our girls (including Kensington and Emery) to learn ALL of their names.  I know they can do this because Raleigh knew all of the presidents of the church when she was a year and a half!  I promised to make them this dessert when they have ALL learned them.  

Raleigh and Madeline pretty much already knew them to begin with, but now they are experts!  Kensington and Emery can say the middle initial plus the last name if we tell them the first name, and they both have learned five on their own.  It's been pretty fun. 

When we listened to Conference over the weekend, Emery had her little stack of cards and matched the face on the screen with the people in her pile.  It was awesome.  And whenever another speaker came up who was not in the stack, Kensington pulled out the Conference edition of the Ensign six months ago to match faces.

I think we have a new tradition on our hands . . . 

And I love these girls.

Points North Press for Hensley Shoes

We were excited to be approached by Points North magazine a few weeks ago about this pair of Paris Script ballet flats:

They will feature these shoes from Hensley in their Children's Holiday Guide for 2013.  Dallas dropped off the sample pair over the weekend, and the feedback was wonderful.  Can't wait to read the upcoming issue!

Nevermore 2013

It's October 1st, and we've had our little Halloween vignette up for two weeks.

I just couldn't wait!  I love to keep it simple and tasteful: no blood and guts and gore.  The past couple of years I've done an Edgar Allan Poe theme "Nevermore"  using The Graphics Fairy's "Old Crow" image.

After spray-painting an old frame black, I mounted the picture (which I printed as a photo at Costco) onto the back of a mat I made out of cardboard and linen.  If you look closely, you can see that the crow is wearing a black veil fashioned out of tulle and orange silk.  I hung the picture by a nail from the windowpane and let the silk ribbon fall behind it.  Hung like a banner behind the framed "raven" art are two kinds of cream lace from Hobby Lobby.

I found these two branches in the backyard and stuffed them into an oatmeal container spray-painted black and filled with dry beans to keep it steady.  The Spanish moss and birds are from The Dollar Tree.  The "Nevermore" banner was so super easy.  It is made out of twine, linen triangles stamped with Martha Stewart typography stamps, and affixed to the twine with hot glue.  Hot glue is my best friend.

You know those old light-up-ghosts-holding-a-pumpkin that every family owned in the 90's?  I inherited my mom's, but unfortunately, the pumpkin broke.  I kept the ghost and put a raven on top with the Spanish moss.  Don't worry, it hasn't been plugged in since I put the moss on top!  

The candles were another hand-me-down from Grammy, which I spray-painted black.  The pumpkins on top of the candlesticks are also from The Dollar Tree, and I spray painted them a cream color.  In order to lay one on top of the other, I had to take the stem off of the bottom pumpkin.  It just comes right off.  Underneath is a linen table runner with a Fall floral print and "Creepy Cloth" from The Dollar Tree lain on top.

It's difficult to see in this picture, but this is the mother (of pearl) of all spiders.  It's made of buttons as a base, pearls strung on wires, and lots and lots of hot glue.  I'm still trying to decide how much I like it, mostly because I don't like spiders!  This is another old frame spray painted black with a bow hot-glued to the top (did I say hot glue is my best friend?) made out of two shades of linen.  The best part (don't read this, Mom) is the vintage tatting I put over the mat.  It was made by one of my grandmothers!  And it looks spider-webbish to me.  But I didn't adhere it permanently . . . we've got to keep those heirlooms special!

This "Witches Ball" printout is also from The Graphics Fairy.  I printed it on craft paper sized to fit our printer and then cut down to size to fit the frame.  And the frame is an oldie from Pier 1 Imports.

And that's it!  Whew!

Around the House

Here are some pictures from our low-key week:

Raleigh curling Madeline's hair while they both wear my old pointe shoes  :)

The best way to keep a 3-year-old entertained and stimulated: a shape drawn on paper, colored squares, and a little dish of glue with a Q-Tip

Homework togetherness

Kensington thinks she's clever . . . 

 . . . taking initiative . . . 

 . . . to make her own "popsicle" out of ice.

Kensington's "Tankie" is falling apart!

Dallas, Kenny, and Norm moving a massive tree trunk

That's all for now, folks!

Cleaning Gloves for the Bride

I had way too much fun making these "cleaning gloves" for Shayla for her bridal shower.  

Materials:

Cleaning gloves

Pink and white striped grosgrain ribbon

Decorative white flower trim by-the-yard

Pearl beads by-the-yard

Jeweled button

Directions:

Sew it all on.  Ha!

I want a pair now.

Happenings

I came across some pictures from this Summer.  Here's proof that we did what we done.

Dallas, Kensington, Emery, Bailee, Peter

Emery, Miss Fancy Pants

How Emery manages to let Mom take a shower

Raleigh, the Family History Buff

Such good grocery-bring-er-in-ers

Mm hm.  That's right.

Dionne and Audra, and tubs and tubs of popcorn and butter . . . just the way we like it!

Date night with Choobies, watching a movie, drinking a milkshake, and testing shoe lasts with Daddy

More date night with Choobies and Dionne

Emery's hairdo after a shower

Dade's birthday with all the gang plus Bailee

Bullfrog Babies

I have a friend who told me about a war she and her sister were having in giving each other's kids the most-annoying-gifts possible: toys with repetitive noises, really boring board games, etc.  I think this is so funny!  

So it was when another friend told me about the tadpoles she was trying to give away that I thought we should FOR SURE take some to give to our cousins, who we'd be seeing in just a few days.  Perfect gift!

I brought some tadpoles home in a cup, and then next day while the older girls were at swim team practice, Emery and I went down to the creek and collected some swamp water to keep the froggies alive!  We even went so far as boiling lettuce for them to eat.  Then we made these fun little water bottles at the last minute before leaving on our drive to Kentucky.

We pampered those babies the whole way.  Then when we got back to the hotel later that night, we got out our presents . . . 

Bullfrog Babies

. . . and ran down to the hall to where Bart and Meridith were staying to drop off our surprise (and run and hide around the corner).  It made a great memory for us.

But we've never heard what happened after they took them home . . . 

Choobies turns Six!

How did this little ball of cuteness . . . 

. . . ever get so big???

Our little Choobies turning six years old is so unfathomable to me.  I mean, six years old is so grown up!  And I'm not joking!  Sniffle.

I've decided that August is a terrible month to have a birthday, and Kensington and Emery will be victims of an unfortunate birthday month for the rest of their lives.  End of summer burnout.  Close family and friends off on vacation.  No fame and glory of being the kid with a birthday at school.  Too hot for a swim party.  

But we pulled it together and celebrated anyway!  We were pretty excited because those presents had been hiding in our secret spots for way too long, and we really wanted to give Choobers her gifts!!

And she was really happy that she finally got to celebrate.  We surprised her by celebrating the night before her real birthday.

Emery, Madeline, Kensington, Dallas, and Raleigh . . . uh, Raleigh?  You're wearing my shirt!

Madeline, Kensington, Dionne, Raleigh, and Emery.  Yes, Raleigh, that IS my shirt you are wearing!  Ha!

Choobers and the stash.  Looks like she's wearing the wreath on her head!

Raleigh's fun note to Kensington

The best part of our birthday parties - the giver and the receiver - I love it!

Madeline watching Kensington open a gift from her.

Another birthday hug - priceless!

Can you tell who is giving this gift?  Look at Raleigh's face . . . it's the best!

Yep, that one was from Raleigh!  It's the people, not the presents, I tell you!

Okay, maybe it is about the presents sometimes!

We love you, Choobs!

The White Wedding

Hands down our favorite thing about this past summer was going to Kentucky for Clay and Shayla's wedding.  What a party!  Here are just a few of our favorite pictures and people.  Shayla was a beautiful bride, and we smiled and smiled so much of our trip - it was wonderful!  Thanks again, Ray and Lisa, for a fabulous gathering!

Shayla and Lisa, the mother-of-the-bride

Shayla's cute friends . . . Megan (right?) and Neesie (sp?)

Grandma Matthews . . . She's just a spring chicken!

Shayla and Grandma Betty . . . we loved it that we got to see them!

Grandma Matthews and Grandma Vivian . . . friends forever . . . and now happy in-laws!

Cute Meridith

Aunt Alicia, Paige, Madeline, and Raleigh

One tired kid with her daddy

Madeline and Shayla

Avery . . . we didn't get to spend enough time with this one.

Madeline

Marie, Bart, Ray, Lisa, Shayla, Clay, Big Dal, Alicia

Dashing Dallas and his Little Sister

Can't remember this Granny's name, but she's got a gun!  Grandma Matthews' sisters

Lisa and Ray, happy parents of the bride

Clayla

Bart and Dallas and Grandma Matthews with her sisters . . . (anyone remember which is which?)

Alicia and Marie

Grandma Matthews with Riley and his cute family

Grandma Betty and Marie

A race for the flowers and a race to the car

They're married!

How did the refreshments end up on the car?

Sweet Raleigh

Clay's cute nieces

Kensington wearing the decorations