crafts and more

once again, the {mom} guilt has been following me around for weeks.

(but isn't it always there?!)  

i haven't blogged.  duh.  i haven't taken enough pictures.  double duh.  is that really possible, for me?!  

(wait, did i just say that?)

my reason is simple and warranted:  i just haven't wanted to.  instead of taking time during the kid's snoozes to sit at my desk and click, click, click away, i've been pinning, ironing and sewing; wrapping and taping; tracing, cutting and gluing; scouring books & the web, preparing for the next craft.

on a side note: this is how i've been feeling about the upcoming holidays

(from a birthday card, thanks to my cousin sammi)

in one word: YAY!

this year, with both kids at an age to put their tiny digits to work, we've created some pretty spectacular art pieces.  and while i'm usually right there, nikon zoomed in on their perfect pores, i've been witnessing my precious ones through my eyes and not a viewfinder.  there has to be balance, and these are the sorts of memories i will have because of my brain and not because of an image in a scrapbook.

 

since i can't show you my finished projects ('cause they're gifts)

 i'll let you have a peek at the pretty fabrics.

over the past few weeks, we've had a number of animals through our yard and in our trees.  we see our neighborhood moose throughout the week and through all seasons.  only now, i'm happy to announce this cow is the proud momma of twins.  below, jack spotted them across the street and then when we looked back again, they were eating my frozen rose bushes.  i stepped onto the front porch, and momma moose really gave me a look (albeit a pretty look - check out her lashes!) obviously, i was a little too close for her comfort.  but my, whatta beauty, huh?

 pretty momma

calf #1 catching up to momma

 momma in the background, calf #2 in foreground

 whenever i see a bald eagle, i get a little teary-eyed.  i'm such a proud american!  the national anthem brings me to tears, as does america the beautiful.  i can't help myself.  seeing this gal's beauty (let's pretend i know it was a female), oh, just takes my breath away.  besides our zoo, i've never seen one this close.  and wow, seeing her fly away... goodness...

so, just as i get distracted when these animals present themselves, i get distracted in the middle of a blog!  back to the projects...

i made jack's birthday pennants and had so much fun with that paper craft that i decided to try another.  like most projects i come across, i fall in love with one element and then turn around and put my own spin on it.  paper garland.  i've seen hearts, circles, stars but when i found a scalloped-edge die, i decided that it would be perfect for my rendition.  time-consuming at most, but fun throughout at best.  i even had the husband punching out paper and folding in half.  (but keep that between you and me...) 

folded in half

glue three together

happily mingled

i choose a variegated green embroidery floss to string them all together.

i hung my two strands over our sliding glass door and our window near the fireplace.  

 i like the mix and match of all the scrapbook paper.

one night before baths, ben and i plopped the kiddos up on the table, smothered their feeties in green paint and stamped them on a piece of card stock.  the green foot prints would become christmas trees!  we let them dry overnight and then decorated them in the morning.  (i've learned my lesson the hard way with projects that need time to dry/cure/cool; no kid understand that concept of time!)  i went through our craft box and pulled out pom pom balls, foam stickers, bug stickers (jack's pick) and markers.  it's so fun to watch them create, seeing the focus on their little faces.      

he's hugging.  

i promise that's not a choke-hold.  

can't you just hear dyl saying cheese?

crafts are even fun for big kids!  last saturday, ben got in on the action, making a turtle of his own.  while i was cutting out limbs, heads and tiny tails, all three of my children scribbled on their turtle bodies (paper bowls).  jack's is on the left, benji's is in the middle, and dylan's is on the right.  i love her coloring job.  i tried to hold the bowl on its side, but she screamed at me objected.  the girl already has very strong opinions.  

in the middle of crafts, dylan came in for an attack a hug...  

she loves her big brother.