Valentines

Just in love with this year's Valentines.


Maya made these same ones last year but they were such a big hit tht she wanted to do them again this year.

Macey's are so stinking cute, they make me smile every time I look at them.

Start with this picture of a cheesy smiling girl.


lamenate the picture and add a yummy lollipop strategically placed... and there you have it! EASY!

oh yeah, you also end up with this lovely mess!
Happy Valentine's Day to all of you out there!!

same old same old

I really don't have anything new or excititng to update here. We are still plugging along, trying to at least come together at the dinner table each evening. Sometimes that means eating dinner at 9pm, like last night. I hate doing that but it happens.

Right now I am taking 'Music for Young Children' as one of my classes. We were supposed to make an instrument and I couldn't decide between a rainstick and sandpaper blocks so I made both. I've got pictrues of the process here but no real final outcome shots. Sorry, brain fart. And I don't really care for how blogger.com works because it adds the pictures in backwards order of what I put them in as, so you have to start from the bottom picture and work your way up.








4. Spray painted, usually a favorite part of any project, but I really had to get in there and around the handles so it was a little tricky. Also, lesson learned... don't use this kind of spray paint without sealing it before you use it. It will make your hands gold. After they were dry, i hot glued on the sandpaper and they were ready to go. My kids (daycare and my own) love these too.
3. screwed on the handle. We went back and countersunk the screws so the sandpaper would be flush with the block.

2. Drilled holes in the center

1. Here is the start of my sandpaper blocks.

3. See the inside is full of nails. Doesn't really look like a preschool toy does it!? this is the last photo I have of the rain stick. Just picture it filled with marbles and dried corn, capped off on the ends, wrapped in colorful wrapping paper, and then covered with contact paper. Kids love it!

2. Strategically placed drill holes with nails in them. Maya drilled almost all of these holes.

1. Rainstick started with a piece of PVC pipe.

That's all for now.

We are going to a wedding today and I can tell you that we did NOT shop off of their registry. I tried to, I usually do, but they wanted $120 rice cookers and $19 pizza cutters and $700 home theater systems.

Not in my budget!

So I went to Target and bought these 3 Pyrex dishes (with 3 lids!!!) for about $16. Then I went to Joann's looking for etching cream (they didn't have any), went to Michaels for the etching cream (they sold me etching MEDIUM... there is a Huge difference). Drove home and tried the etching medium. This is when I found out about that Huge difference thing... it didn't work. I searched my craft supply and low and behold... I own etching cream! Still in the original packaging too, never been opened.

I put some letter stickers on there and taped it off with some painters tape and put the etching cream on. Waited all of 60 seconds (now that is my kind of craft!) and washed it off. Now when they go to a pot luck, they'll never lose their dish!

I am so IN LOVE with the outcome! Don't be surprised if you get some etched glass something-or-other for your next birthday or holiday!

And then to top it off, I used the same stickers to put the happy couple's initials on the bag. Now I just need to get some bubble wrap so they won't break before they get them!

My new favorite site

I'm a bit of a blog-hopper in my 'spare' time. This is usually around 11pm, while I am in bed and just trying to wind down from another crazy day. I love to check out all of the new, cute, crafty ideas other people have.

I was so excited to find http://www.knockoffwood.blogspot.com/

I've looked at those Pottery Barn catalogs with drool and an empty wallet. I think that even if I could afford the furniture in the Pottery Barn catalogs, I wouldn't purchase anything in it.

Like this locker style piece of furniture. I'd really love to have 4 of these in my entryway. I know, first I need an entryway, but those are just details. Normally, this simple piece is $639, but right now it's on sale for $599. Hold on while I do the math... $600 (rounding up) plus 4 equals $2400. Ya, plus shipping, tax and that ever so pesky 'handling', I'm sure I'm looking a lot closer to $3000.

Well, Ana, over at www.knockoffwood.blogspot.com has the complete plans for a ton of furniture products from companies like Pottery Barn. In fact, she has this locker style one too! All plans, all measurements, all for you for FREE! She even suggests you going to Home Depot and having them make ALL of the cuts for you. That's right, no table saw needed!

Now, I only need to pick an easy one to start with and find some more of that spare time I mentioned earlier.

back to reality

I was really ready to come home, even go back to work, but I am so glad today is Friday.

School started back up for me while I was gone so I missed a full week of classes. Not smart. I'm pretty much up to date in one of my classes but the other one, I'm not.

To top it off, yesterday I came down with a pretty nasty cold. It's mostly in my throat and it is painful!

More very bad news: my Flip video camera broke!!! In New York too, so I couldn't take any videos while I was there. Not happy about that one. It's just in the battery compartment. the little part that one end of the battery sits on is missing. I don't even remember it falling or breaking off.

AND.... my printer is broken too!!! I use a printer at least 4 times a week for work and school. It keeps telling me I have a printer jam and I know I don't. That, along with the funny noise its making, means I am in trouble!!

Ok, I'm done with the pity part...

On a much happier note: Jacob started piano lessons last night. He has already taught himself how to play O Christmas Tree, Silent Night and other Christmas songs. (I'd show it to you but my video camera is broken!)

Maya and Jason are busy with basketball. Jason is coaching Maya's team this year again and let me tell you... the difference in ability between 4th graders and 5th graders is amazing. There are a lot of talented girls on this team!

Molly will be starting soccer very soon. The last time she played, she was 3 years old, so this will be a new experience for her. I'm so excited for her to play but not too excited about being out in the cold and rain again!!! I have class every Saturday so I do hope that I will get to her games.

Macey is in between sports right now. Basketball is over and Bethel Rec soccer sign ups are right now so we just have to wait for practices to start.

So we're all pretty busy, but its a good busy. Like I said earlier, I'm happy to be home!

New York/New Jersey: This was the 2nd time Jason had seen Uncle George. The last time was at our wedding in '93!

me and Uncle George. Loved this part of the trip!

One last look at the city at night. This was taken as I walked across the street to get our car.

I loved how this building was decorated. It was a bow of all lights. Looked very cool.

this is the door handle at the NBA store. Everyone seemed to have revolving doors and this was the most clever one we saw.

Made out of legos!

My hand compared to Shaq's hand. Yikes.

I never thought of Jason as a short person!

You had to be there to appreciate this one!

Juicy store.

St. Patrick's at night. Even prettier than during the day.

The Rockefeller tree.

Rockefeller ice skaters at night.

Our pretzel, purchased in Battery Park. It was almost unbearable how cold it was down here by the water. The guy that sold these to us tried to rip us off. The sign on his cart said, 'pretzel $2'. then he tried to charge us $6 for 2. When Jason said something, he said, "Oh, I don't have the $2 pretzels today". BS. We called him on it and he gave us them for the price on his sign.

Ground zero.

Museum

This made us laugh. This is a shot of the drive into the city. Each one of these buildings is owned by Mr. D. Trump. They are all apartment buildings. First one is called Trump, second one is called Trump, third one is called Trump... you get the idea.







Well,that is our trip. I had a FANTASTIC time but was so happy to be home.

NYC
Jason, outside of the new Yankee Stadium. It must have been 19 degrees that day, with freezing winds blowing which made it much colder! The snow was coming down lightly too.

Saint Patrick's cathederal. We came in on a Sunday during mass. It was really weird that the tourists were walking all around the place while mass was going on. Beautiful church! My mom's parents were married here.

It took us awhile to find this skating rink outside of Rockefeller Center. Can you tell how cold we were!

Grand Central Station.

This was the beginning of day 2. It was about 10 degrees colder on this day. FREEZING!!

The Brooklyn Bridge

I thought this daycare center was pretty cool looking.

Jason in Central Park

Jason and I in Central Park.

never saw David Letterman.

This picture was taken on Jan. 1st. The morning after the big New Years Eve party. If you look closely you'll see that someone threw up all over the window of this police car!

This fire station was decorated for Christmas inside, they even had a tree. I love how the flags are hanging above their uniforms.

Madison Square Garden

Jason and I in front of Times Square

Welcome 2010, from Times Square!

Times Square

Times Square