Making a scrapbook from a wine bag

I was asked to create a going away present for one of our administrators. They wanted a scrapbook, but not an ordinary one, that could hold photos and quotes from all of the principals in our school district.

When they asked me to do this, it was near the Christmas holidays and the stores were already full of holiday stash. I was shopping at Big Lots and came across these awesome bags intended for holding wine bottles...

They're a dark purple with a fabulous metallic prism effect. When folded in half, there are 5 surfaces, front and back, for adding pages and a bonus pouch in the middle for a pullout pocket. I folded each one, cut a piece of coordinated background paper from this pack I got at Michael's.

And they ended up looking like this...

This is one of the pouch pockets.


I cut the rope handles and planned a way to use them in my binding. I gathered all six bags and measured the depth, length, and height to determine how big my scrapbook was going to be. I used foam board to make the outside. I'd give dimensions, but it was based on the bag I purchased, and would only work with that bag. It was simply a matter of stacking the bags on top of each other and measuring them, allowing for the "middles" to be pushed closer together where they are bound.

To bind the bags to the scrapbook, I tied each one by wrapping the cord around the folded bag onto the spine of the scrapbook.

I frayed the ends of the cord just for interest and texture. Each principal provided me with pictures and quotes, so I added them to all of the pages and inside the pouch pockets.

I embellished each page with stickers and the end result was beautiful! I kind of had in my head what it was going to look like, but the actual end result was much better than I imagined. I think the color choices were a big part of the success.

In the end, I decided it needed a box to stay stored in, so I used more foam board to create one. I just measured the finished scrapbook, and came up with the measurements for my box.

I Modpodged more of the same background paper all around the sides and top. Note: Modpodge on foam board creates bubbles, but it isn't horrible. Just not perfect!

The finished box, is embellished with buttons and stickers. I also added some purple satin ribbon along the edges of the box to cover up the score lines in the foam board.
My administrator friend was thrilled with her gift! Tada!

The whole process wasn't all that difficult, but I will admit, it was time consuming. Mostly because I was creating it as I went, but I was very happy with the end results.

Dear Jane

A commercial flashed as I was watching TV and it was a promo for a Queen Latifah’s show. Jane Fonda was a guest and they showed a little flash of a moment of Jane walking out on stage. Holy Shit, she looked amazing! I Googled Jane Fonda Queen Latifah and whoopty do, up popped several still pictures of Ms. Fonda on set. Here she is at 77 freakin years old! SEVENTY SEVEN!

Yes, I know we could all look that good if we had unlimited funds and access to the best plastic surgeons, but before you judge, let me remind you of these faces… who also have big bucks and docs at their beck and call and, well, you know… they look different. That's the nicest thing I can say. I do believe genetics has served Ms. Fonda well.

After Googling her age, because I was curious, I tripped over her quote regarding aging and emotions:

"But I find my emotions are way more accessible than they were when I was younger and I've come to feel it has to do with age. I have become so wonderfully, terribly aware of time, of how little of it I have left; how much of it is behind me, and everything becomes so precious.
"With age, I am able to appreciate the beauty in small things more than when I was younger perhaps because I pay attention more. I feel myself becoming part of everything, as if I bleed into other people's joy and pain. Maybe, without my being conscious of it, there's the reality that in a few decades (if I'm lucky) I will be in the earth, fertilizing some of the very things I look at now and tear up over."

I love that! I too feel more weepy now than I ever have been, and well up at the silliest things. I have also become much more aware of my time left on earth and realize the insignificance of things that I once thought so precious. Like stuff I have collected. I have looked around my house with older eyes and no longer see treasures. I see stuff, that’s only value is to add a little pleasant aesthetics to my every day view. I now yearn for the things money can’t buy like Time; Solitude; Tranquility; Joy.  And maybe, just maybe, I’d like to get rid of the turkey neck I inherited genetically (thanks dad). I want Jane’s neck, and her hair, and that fabulous smile. 

Dear Jane, 
You kind of scared me in the 60’s, but I think you are and always have been a beautiful woman.  Seventy seven, Jane! Dayum! 
OK, you are officially on my fantasy dinner with fantasy friends list. You’re in good company. Who would you like to sit next to? Your choices are…

Bob Keeshan (a gentle hero from my childhood)

Fred Rogers (although it’s hard to picture him without also picturing Eddie Murphy & SNL, he is another gentle hero I admire)

Marilyn Monroe (I want to apologize to her for all of society who ate her up and spit her out)

Jane Goodall (flawless dedication to her cause)

Walter Cronkite (I trusted him as much as I trust God)

Mohammad Ali (charisma at its finest)

And me. 

I promise not to stare too much. Ha! Who am I kidding! I’m going to stare the crap out of you after I hug the crap out of everybody else. Call me.

The Spirit Tree

My maternal grandmother had the ability, like my mother, to make me pee myself a little when she walked in the room. Grandma was cranky, and angry. Those are my perceived memories, anyway. Don’t get me wrong, she loved us, we knew it, and loved her back. She had 11 children and lost her husband when her youngest was 3. She had to be strong and like most of her generation, did what needed to be done without complaining or assistance from the government. Hell, I’d be cranky too.

She came to visit us once when she was 65 years old. She was crippled with arthritis in her knees, and had gray permed haired. She wore the typical housedress that women of her era wore, and had old-school nylon stockings. She wore them everyday, and she would start her day with them rolled down to her ankles until she went out and about. Then, they got rolled up and secured to her girdle/garter belt.
They were not pantyhose, those weren’t even invented yet, but Stockings… the kind you bought at a Stocking Counter in the department stores, and the sales clerk usually put them folded nicely in tissue, inside a special long, flat “stocking box”. And they were shaped like a curvy leg, not like the big wad you get nowadays in a package of pantyhose.

On that visit, she was cooking supper and I was assigned to help her. Being the good military child that I was, I never volunteered for a chore. I didn’t need to… they were assigned to us on a daily basis. She was not happy with the way I was peeling the potatoes and yelled at me for peeling them with a knife instead of a potato peeler. “YOU’’RE WASTING HALF OF THE POTATO!” Yes, in caps because it was loud and angry. When my eyes welled up, she said something like “go on tell your mama, big baby”. If I felt like doing the math, I could tell you what year that was and how old I was, but since math makes my butt hurt, we’ll let that go. I can tell you I was old enough for that to make a lifelong impression.

What I took from that moment was I didn’t ever want to live to be 65. In my mind, she was old and miserable and just had to be near death. I prayed in my best Catholic prayers for God to let me die before I turned 65. I prayed that for a LOT of years. Well, I am now 62, and not anything like my grandma. My hair is gray, but you’d never know it. My hairdresser makes sure of that.  I watch What Not To Wear faithfully and apply those rules to my wardrobe. Stacy and Clinton are my best friends. I’m healthy and happy, and although I have my cranky moments, I mostly bury those so deep no one knows about them.

My Grandma lived another 30 plus years, and got a little softer with time. A little.

Life is hard and should be so much easier when you reach your 90’s. It isn’t. It is confusing, and sad, and depressing… for the seniors and their families getting them through it. I bless my siblings every single day for tenderly caring for mom. We have learned first hand that a retirement home is a somewhat safe place but without constant supervision from a loved one, it is a scary place. It has been an eye opening experience for all of us.

I don’t think I’m ready to go yet, but my prayers are different. I don’t know what’s in my fate as far as a death scenario goes, and glad I don’t. If I could choose, it would be a peaceful moment. Let me just not wake up one day. Don’t we all wish for that? Just let me go way before the Assisted Living Years. No Depends, no mush at the dinner table. No wheelchair gatherings around a TV in a communal lobby. Dear Lord, no. Please.

I have a lot of hopes in my life, but my biggest hope is that my children and grandchildren have fond, loving, warm-fuzzy memories about their mama/grandma. I found this awesome link on the big www.com that meets my wants for my after life. Take a look here. It may sound crazy to some, but it is totally up my alley.

http://www.thespiritree.com/

It is, in a nutshell, an urn of sorts that you mix human ashes (from a cremation) with a tree seedling, and the tree absorbs the calcium rich ash, and grows to be a big tree in memory of the loved one. I love that idea. Really, go to the link. It’s awesome. If my children are reading this, bookmark the link, please. That’s my living wish. Seriously. Find a nice place where my grandchildren and great grandchildren can come visit the tree, and plop me down. Gigi’s tree! A nice deciduous elm would be nice. Yeah, that’s what I want…Yellow and red leaves in the fall, and beautiful bright green leaves in the spring.  Hang a swing from one of my strong branches, so I can cradle my babies, and their babies… A sweet Spirit Tree.

Christmas Treasures

This post is a little late since it is more than a month since Christmas, but I, like the rest of the world got caught up in all the hustle bustle business of “December” which bled over into “January”. My grandchildren are the center of my universe and every ounce of the joy they bring me lights up my dark places and keeps me centered and humble. Please forgive the tardiness, but read on.

This year my boys are 5 and 6 and full of pure rambunctious energy. I know no one on earth more loud than these two boys except maybe their dad, and when they are out in public, you know it.  Inside voices?... fuhgettaboutit. Baby K is almost 2, and the sweetest angel on earth. I started a tradition two years ago when the boys were very young, and I hope it’s one we can continue as long as I am around.  Since they are from a split family, they have a long list of people in their lives who love them as much as I do, but this tradition is for their mama’s side of the family. Hi Ho Hi Ho it’s Off to Dollar Tree We Go with a list in hand of their loved ones so they can each pick out a gift to them for Christmas. I wish I could capture a picture of the entire experience, but believe me, handling a toddler and two wild boys by myself is an adventure of its own and the distraction of a camera would be just enough to send me over the edge.

This trip, baby sis got to ride in the cart and “helped” pick out candy and cookies for herself, which consisted of pointing and grunting through that binky - Maggie Simpson style - but the biggest entertainment of the day for me was watching my boys so very thoughtfully and very carefully pick out each gift for everyone on their lists. First on the list was Mom… she got a new makeup brush from one and some eye shadow from the other. Next up was mom’s beau. 

Braydon (here) said, after picking up a box of cookies, “momma bought some of these once and he LOVED them so, so much, so I want to get these for him”.  He bought a spinner toy for beau’s son “I’ll teach him how to use it”.

Mason (here, with baby K) said “Papa is always out of batteries, so I’m getting these for him”. He also picked out some play money for beau’s son “he’ll like this, I think there’s about $350 dollars in there!” and he found some beef jerky for his carnivorous uncle. “Mmmm, yummy, I like this beef stuff too.” He slipped a box of cookies behind his back and into the cart so baby sis couldn’t see her gift. She didn’t even notice as she had already picked out a box of Lifesaver Gummies for herself. She calls them “nummies” and for the entire ride in her cart, she held them up to me and said “Open. Nummies.” over and over again. The explanation of having to pay for them first went on deaf ears, but she didn’t fuss and eventually I gave in to her sweet baby face and opened them for her. Not the first time I've done that, I'll admit that here.

Let me share that I had old ladies smiling and cupping their mouths with delight and complimenting me on the manners of my boys as they kept saying excuse me to get by people in the narrow aisles and the yes ma’ams were flowing like melted buttah.  “Oh my, these are the most polite children!” “You can tell they’ve been raised right, you must be very proud!” (If they could only see the thought bubble over my head at that moment, the same one I had when I first heard words of praise from my daughter’s Kindergarten teacher. This thought… “Wait, my child? Are you sure there isn’t another child with the same name in your class?”) If the People of Dollar Tree only knew how wild these boys can be or how many times they’d been taken out of stores by a frustrated and exhausted mama… but not today. Today they were incredible and good as gold. And I said thank you very much to every fellow shopper.

I’m not sure what happened, a little Christmas magic perhaps, but whatever it was I’ll take it. They’re learning an important message about giving from the heart. Even a simple $1 gift, given with love is what the whole idea of gift giving is all about. Choosing the wrapping paper and writing the names on the tags was important to them too.

My gift from them was the pleasure of witnessing selfless acts of love for the people who mean the most to them. Thank you for the Merriest Christmas ever, my sweet grandtots, I couldn’t have asked for anything better. I love you more than you’ll ever know.

Snowflakes!

I recently went to search for decorations at The Dollar Tree for our office Christmas cookie exchange party and stumbled on the wall of snowflakes they have to offer. I bought a handful of different shapes and sizes, some having multiple in a package, some only one.

I laid them all out on my workspace into a wreath shape then began hot gluing the places where the tips touched. And as simple as that, I have a beautiful snowflake wreath and glittery ribbon that cost all of $5. With it hung on a mirror, it makes it look twice as pretty and twice as glittery. Love it!!

Quirky is as Quirky does

I’m a sucker for a lot of things… mostly things that I’d like to think all people are suckers for, like crying babies, or injured animals, or a sweet old couple still walking hand in hand after 60 something years of marriage, the kind of things that tug at your heart and make you weak in the knees. The kind of things that make you put your guard down for a minute or two and step out of that cozy comfort zone to offer a hand for someone in need.

But I’m also a sucker for a few weird things, things that might define me as quirky. I don’t mind being called quirky. Really, we all have some degree of quirkiness, that’s what makes us fun and interesting. The quirkiless (I just made that a word) people are the boring ones. I wouldn’t want to be friends with a quirkiless person.

• I’m a sucker for Christmas music. I’m listening to it now, and have been since last week. All day every day, and all the way up to Christmas day. Then I’m done until next year. My son would hate that, being the Scrooge that he is. (Where did he get that from?!) But I have my Pandora station loaded with awesome artists and songs. In general, I can't stand Celine Dionne, but I will listen the heck out of her Christmas albums. Isn’t there something so soothing about hearing a Christmas song? It brings calm to my otherwise hectic November and December.

• I’m a sucker for my grandchildren. I was a pretty hardass mom, kept ‘em in line and all that, but now I seem to have that mellow grandma thing going on and will do just about anything they want that makes them happy or smile for a minute.  We get silly and play, and have Happy Meals, and watch Sponge Bob Squarepants together. “Gigi, can I have a Fruit Rollup?” Yes you can. “Can I have another Fruit Rollup, Gigi?” Yes, yes you can.

• I’m a sucker for my children, both adults now, and they mean the world to me. My heart hurts when they are in pain, and I am filled with true joy when they are happy. I would sacrifice everything I have for them. I feel the same way about my siblings and my handful of good friends. How lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life.

• I’m a sucker for sparkle. OK, that’s a little weird, but my head will spin for a sparkly bracelet or some other piece of chachke jewelry. I don’t need diamonds anymore. I’ve had my fair share of good expensive jewelry that brought me pleasure at one time. I am gaga over simple rhinestones and glitter. Right now I have on a Christmas charm bracelet I made (loaded with crystal charms), and a rhinestone bangle bracelet that I paid $5 for at Walmart, and my Fossil watch with a crystal bezel. And there is a jingly, sparkly necklace around my neck.

• I’m a sucker for mindless TV. And don’t we have a boatload of options out there! I sadly still watch all the Housewives. They’re rude and shallow, and mean divas, and maybe that makes me feel soooooo good about myself, I don’t know. Why can’t I turn my head when they are on? It’s like a train wreck right before my eyes. Kudos to Bravo TV... laughing all the way to the bank. Ah, Andy Cohen, you genius, you.

• I’m a sucker for shoes. Love, love, love them and could shop all day trying on every single pair just for the fun of it. I even notice other people’s shoes and have many times made comments to total strangers “love your shoes!” Yeah, I’m that person, the weirdo in the mall looking at your shoes.

• I like laughing and I’m a sucker for a good comic strip.  Right now, I love Pickles, it’s my favorite. My all time fave was Calvin and Hobbes. Man, do I miss that one! Belly laughs galore. For the life of me I don’t understand why some of the old weird ones are still around like Beetle Baily and Mary Worth and Blondie. I can honestly say I have never once read Mary Worth. The comics are the only part of the paper I read. My 6^th grade civics teacher would not be happy about that. He once made me do an oral report every day for a week about current events, because I shared that I did not read the paper. So, booya! Mr. WhateverYourNameWas, still not reading. Current events are still sucky, and I don’t have to know about them to get through my day. Actually, I feel like I’m better off not knowing the creepy things that they deem fit to print.

So call me a sucker or quirky. If you’re my friend, you’re not learning anything new here. I wear my quirkiness proudly on my sleeve and offer no apologies. Booya!

Halloween shadow box

I found these little Zen Garden thingies at the Dollar Tree. I’m a sucker for a wooden shadow box, so for a buck, I got a perfect, already black, wooden shadow box to make something for Halloween.

I must say it wasn’t all that hard to toss out everything that came with the box. The little bag of sand and rocks went into my garden, (HA! – I say “garden” like I have one of those. Let’s be honest and call it the "back yard") the tiny rake was worthless and went into the recycle bin and I was left with a nice black box.

I have the mother load of Halloween stickers in my stash and ribbon too, so this was truly a $1 project. OK, $1.06 with tax. Uncle Sam needs his share. If you had to buy all of it, it would still be under $8.

First, I measured around the perimeter of the box and applied some red-double-sided sticky tape to secure my ribbon. You could just use glue if you don’t have that tape. But you should have that tape, it’s that awesome with ribbon.

I found the music page on-line for the background , printed it out, and applied it with ModPodge. I have a bat punch and used some black cardstock scrap to punch them out. I creased their wings to give some dimension. I cut a piece of spooky cloth from my stash (also from the Dollar Tree) and place it at the bottom to anchor the collage. It looks like a spider web - bonus!

A few minutes later, after playing around with placement and gluing everything down… project done and cute as a button. I have it propped in my kitchen window in front of one of my K's I collect.

Cackle, cackle, screamy screamy! Happy, happy Halloweenie!

Up, Up, and Away!

My favorite age to do just about anything with a child is around 4 years old. They’re out of that baby stage, have no inhibitions, think the world revolves around their little lives, are full of a genuine lust for learning, and can make you smile out loud with their words, thoughts and actions. After that, the snark quickly sets in and the questioning of authority, and you start saying things like “because I said so”.

This is my little man at about 4. Everything this boy touched transmogrified (thank you, Calvin & Hobbes for that awesome word) into a Super Hero accessory. This “sword” was, in its earlier life, his little sister’s glitter baton which had been tied with a ribbon found in my craft supplies so he could wear it “ninja style” around his neck. His “mask” was of course, a swim goggle worn upside down so it fit more like a mask and less like a goggle, but when he donned both of those accessories he became a certified super hero limited only by his imagination. And he had plenty of that.

He was an 80’s baby, so his heroes were aplenty. Superman was at the top of the list, but he also loved He-Man, Thundercats, Batman, all the Ninja Turtles and every DC comic book character there was. Every single one. He knew their background story, their powers, their weaknesses, and their arch enemies. He had super hero underwear, super hero pj's, a super hero toothbrush, and super hero sheets.

He knew that Jor-El and Lor-El were Superman’s birth parents from the planet Krypton, and that John and Martha Kent were his Earth parents. The first movie he ever went to see was not a kiddy Disney movie, but Superman IV, the Quest for Peace. He went with his dad, and I (lucky me) got to sit through The Chipmunk Adventure with his little sister in an adjoining theater. It was definitely the short stick draw for me, but was the absolute highlight of my little man's day.

He could, and did, sing the theme song to all of the cartoons on TV. He-Man was one of his favorites to watch. He stood to sing the He-Man song, holding his imaginary sword in the air. That magical sword harnessed the power of the mysterious Castle Greyskull and transformed Prince Adam into He-Man. For that moment, he was He-Man, with his neck veins protruding from saying “I HAVE THE POWER!” with all his little might.

On most days, my little SH had some sort of cape attached to his neck by a clothespin, and I’m sure it made him run faster and have big muscles. Usually it was fashioned from a kitchen towel, but he had a plethora of capes from Halloween costumes to choose from. Most had been tied so many times the strings were all broken, so that clothespin came in handy. We had many excursions out in the “real” world fully costumed. He walked tall and proud and totally “in-character”. I got a lot of looks at the grocery store and post office, but they were sweet looks and not the “OMG, you poor thing” looks. He had the Superman stance perfected with his fisted hands on his hips, feet spread and his head looking to one side.

One of his plastic Halloween masks from a Superman costume had the traditional Superman haircut – you know, the one with that little swirl in the front.  He once asked me “the next time you cut my hair, could you please cut it like Superman's?”. I knew exactly what he wanted... it was that little swirl in the front. Oh, if only I could have, but alas he was blessed with stick straight hair and no amount of product was going to produce that swirl. It made my life interesting and full of smiles and warmed my heart like only a mother’s heart could be warmed.

He was adorable and an incredibly happy little boy. My little SH is 30 now and still has that warm, happy heart he had at 4. He’s a good man, with the same nerdy panache for super hero trivia, and can still melt my heart. He’s intelligent and loving and considerate, and most important to me, he’s kind. A good human being, plain and simple.

I treasure my memories of you in your carefree moments of imaginary role-playing.  You sure were good at it. I love you, little man. “Up, up, and away!”

from the Countess

Ha! With all the royal baby stuff taking the center stage, having a website to generate your own royal title is the timely thing to do.

Give it a whirl, just for chuckles, or as we say in the UK - sniggers (somehow that seems so inappropriately racist)

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/07/12/royal-name-generator/2512673/

You're welcome!

truly yours,
Countess Magnolia of the Night

Repurposed Baby Shoes

Another Pinterest inspired craft that came to life yesterday. We are always on the lookout for awesome repurposing ideas, especially those that look vintagey (vintagish?) and shabby chic-ish. Yeah, I make up words... cuz I can.

We have been stocking up on old baby shoes we have found at thrift stores and antique malls. This is the box of stash we had to work with. Some are from my granddaughter's discarded, outgrown shoe wardrobe. One pair is from Jan's oldest son when he was a baby, the leather white high top shoes. I call them Zippy shoes, because they look like the kind that circus chimps wore as they rode their bikes around a stage. And there was always one chimp named Zippy. Do you remember those acts? Ed Sullivan would occasionally have them on his show. Yes, I am old as dirt and know who Ed Sullivan was. There is a black pair of shoes in there too that I want to turn in to Halloween sump'n sump'ns.

We gathered up some of our stash of lace and bling and ribbons and went to work to turn these adorable little shoes into adorable little pin cushions. We started by placing fish tank pebbles in the bottom of the shoes for stability. After researching a few how-tos about making the pin cushion part, we went with filling a circle of tight woven material with bird grit. That's the stuff you put in a cup for caged birds to help with digestion, and you can find it in any pet supply store. Draw up the cloth into a ball with a needle and thread, secure tightly and then cover that with a more decorative material like vintage velvet.

Then came the bling part. We added some old lace, old rhinestone jewelry pieces, vintagey tinsel (I'm sticking with that version of my made up word), flowers, pearls, and replaced the shoe laces with satin ribbons. We hot glued all of the components to the shoes.

Every single one is stunning! and very easy to make. We'll be selling them in the fall.

This is one of Kinsley's shoes. Baby pink sneakers that I think she might have worn once. Isn't that the way it goes with newborns? Their little feet grow so fast. It has a beautiful pin made of clay roses attached to a piece of an antique crochet doily. Pearls were glued around the edge of the shoe, and a little bird charm hangs from the doily. The pin cushion is made with pink velvet that has been embossed with stars.

 This one looks similar to a Zippy shoe. It has that incredible aged look and was well worn.

Off white flowers, satin ribbon and a rhinestone piece decorate the front of the shoe, while a tea stained crocheted lace encircles the top of the shoe. It has a white velvet pin cushion.

All the ingredients for a sweet shabby chic pin cushion.

This one is a little Mary Jane shoe, which is hard to tell because the straps have been covered with embellishments. It too has vintage lace, a vintage rhinestone pin, satin ribbon and pearls for decorations.

It was also a well worn shoe. I guess babies wore them longer back in the day. It seems like now, people don't put sweet shoes on tiny babies like they used to. And the trend is more towards something a rock star might wear. Lots of bling, lots of sparkle, or gold lame´ type material. The new shoes aren't very sweet... they're gutsy. And too grown-uppy.

I suppose that makes our repurposed shoes all that more special. Something gone by the wayside like good manners and respect and Ed Sullivan.

Look how cute they are on Jan's chippy shelf. And the antique turquoise Mason jars add to the ambiance.  So cute! 

Gator Chomp, or Nole Chop?

Living in Gainesville, Florida, you'd think there's only one choice of school colors, wouldn't you? Well, guess again. We have a large Seminole following here too. So, today I made 2 bracelets for my daughter's fund raising event benefitting Breast Cancer Research.

We'll see which bracelet brings in more money for her silent auction.

Recycled Treasures

We are the queens of junk yard art. This year we have extended our repertoire to include some Christmas dioramas using vintage clocks for the bases. These are gone-by-the-wayside clocks that have become obsolete with the advances of technology. Hell, even watches are becoming obsolete. Most people younger than us (the rest of the world) don't wear watches. Why would they? They have their cell phones attached to their hips and since they look at their phones about 5000 times a day, they are much more aware of what time it is than us geezers. Ooooo, I feel a soapbox approaching, so let me put myself in check. I'd much rather talk about crafting stuff.

Old clocks aren't nearly as accessible as you would think, but we found some and after gutting them like fishies, we put together some adorable dioramas. We had a ton of stuff already on hand, but scored some more vintage decorations from thrift stores to bling them up.

This one was a white plastic case clock, perfect for a vintage feel with the red and white color scheme. The little chippy angel in the middle is holding her own little tree and is surrounded by a snowy bottom and glittery sides. She has a sparkly snowflake in her background which is a piece of vintage packaging from old Christmas lights.

This one is about 6 inches tall.

This one is made from an old brass Big Ben style clock.

The vintage soldier looks like he is guarding the tree and its treasures below. We kept the glass front intact on this one.

 Really, cute!

This is the rear view. A piece of vintage style background paper was added to cover up the openings in the back, and gold braid was added all around the front and back rims for a little glitzy flair.

So far we have made 30 of these and they are all adorable.

Some are made from crystal clocks and those are awesome too. Very shabby chic, and hopefully well received by our customers.

Liar, liar, pants on fire.

I posted two years ago that Jan and I were through with bottle snowmen. I lied like a rug. We thought we were, then we caught our breath and got inspired to keep going. I don't know how many we have made over the years, but it is at least 600. OMG, six hundred! (thank you Sue Pelletier for your original inspiration) We have this year's batch ready for our fall show in October and are considering a second show in November if we can score a good venue. We honestly have a huge following, and people come looking for our booth at the show we do in October. True validation. And much appreciated.

My house is covered in glitter, and crates of finished snowmen line my guestroom walls. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun we have making them all. Each and every one is a creation of love from the first step of picking out a bottle, to the end step of glittering them all.

Our early techniques were much more crude, and scattered. We made a lot of "themed" snowmen... anything from University colors, to beach themed, nautical, patriotic, and everything in between. They were all very well received, but I think the theme-style wore us out. We've settled into making adorable, sweet faced regular snowmen (and women). Here are some in the "drying" stage. After we have completed assembling each one, they go onto my kitchen shelf unit for about 3 days of drying time. It takes that long for their clay heads to dry. Next will come gluing all the parts in place with a strong adhesive, followed by a blushed cheek, then glitter.

How lucky am I to get to see all these smiling faces pretty much year round! Here are some after getting their glitz on.

 This one is made from a crystal salt shaker and has a top hat made from a VW knob that has been glued to a large black button. He has a neck full of jingle bells and a satin ribbon that catches more sparkle from the glitter.

So cute! We make handmade tags for each one and include their name. Yes, of course... we name each one. I like to use old fashioned names like Walter or Sarah. Sometimes, a customer will pick one up and say "OMG, my grandmother's name was Sarah. I'm getting this one." Makes us smile.

 Here's a partial look at this year's bunch, all gathered up and having a snowman conference on my dining room table.

Here is another group, waiting to be tagged and stored away. Notice the billiard ball bodies on some of them. Jan's idea! She is best at thinking outside the box.



























We've also added some tiny ones that can be used on a Christmas tree like an ornament. They fit in the palm of a hand and are also adorable.

 Here is a grouping of them hanging from one of my display pieces. They are too sweet.

... and a close up view of that face.

Yup, it's Christmas in July at my house. And April, May, June, August, September, October, and November.

Ho Ho Ho!

Middle names

As I sit here waiting for my kitchen floors to dry, I am surfing Pinterest, my favorite on-line obsession. Today I ran across this...

 

Nothing could be truer. Although my blog is named Karol Ann, no one ever calls me that. There was a time when, if I heard that called out loud, I kind of peed a little. The hair would stand on the back of my neck, and I would wait for what seemed an eternity for the proverbial "other shoe" to drop. My siblings and I were experts, I mean real experts, at covering our tracks, and staying under the radar. We knew from a very early age that mama don't play. I'm not saying we were angels, we weren't. Our fights were plentiful and legendary. We name-called and hair-pulled, and could spit in each other's eye like a champ. But when we acted out it was behind her back. And it was quiet. Or should have been. I can remember covering my brother's mouth so he couldn't scream out and blow our cover. I got my hand bit a few times pulling that, and if he couldn't bite, he'd push spit out onto my hand. Ah, the fun memories. If mom heard the commotion, this is what followed:  "Ellen Karolyn, ugh... Jan Annette... shit... KAROL ANN!" She'd have to go through all of our names and finally spit out the one whose butt was fixin to get kicked.

Mom was one tough cookie. She was born in the early twenties and was one of eleven children. She had five brothers close to her age and was, I understand a handful herself as a teen. She rolled with her brothers and didn't take crap from anybody. Ironically, she entered the convent as a teen to continue her education. In the 30's, school was free until the 8th grade. After that, it cost money. My grandparents were not wealthy and an extended education for eleven kids was out of the question. The convent offered a free education. She joined with her best friend Mary Ellen (my oldest sister's namesake). I imagine Clarissa Augusta (mom) and Mary Ellen got in plenty of trouble in the years they were there together. Mary Ellen stayed in the convent and was a nun until her death. Mom didn't. She came home to help out with the younger siblings and eventually joined the Navy. She met and married my dad (a Navy man) and we were raised by strong, disciplined, and loving parents. 

Jan and I visited mom recently in her assisted living home. She has a much softer look about her, and seems so frail and fragile now. My sibs see her every day, and I thank God for them for being there for her. They are dedicated children and love her dearly as do I. My distance from her home keeps me from seeing her often, but when I do, she smiles when I walk in the room. This trip, she was in the activity room playing Bingo, one of her lifelong pleasures. I sat quietly next to her as she concentrated on her 2 cards, waiting for each number to be called. Most of the time, she is in a state of confusion and isn't sure what she is supposed to be doing. Bingo seems to ground her and for that hour or so, she is rock solid.

 I'm so grateful you still recognize me, and are in a safe and happy place. I think of you often and laugh at some of our childhood shenanigans that we got away with. And cringe at the ones we didn't.

Love you, mom! from Karol Ann.

Tubing the Itchetucknee River

One of my all time favorite Florida things to do is tube the Itchetucknee. I've done it all my adult life, starting probably about the time I got my first car and became mobile. Tomorrow is my husband's 70th birthday - holy crap on a cracker - and I am surprising him with a trip down the river. We live about 45 minutes away, so it is a perfect way to do a watery Florida activity without having to travel to the beaches.  And since we are in central Florida, beaches are 2 hours away in either direction.

This river is spring fed so it remains a constant 72° all year long and is crystal clear. It flows six miles through shaded hammocks and wetlands before it joins the Santa Fe River. The current is strong enough to keep you floating without having to paddle, like the lazy river in Disney World. Only you can see live white-tailed deer, raccoons, wild turkeys, wood ducks and great blue herons from the river. I have even seen otters and an occasional snake. Mostly you see dragonflies. They love to hitch a ride on some part of the boat or the tip of your toes, and float lazily along the river. There are a bazillion rental places around to rent tubes and one man boats, which is what most people do. Some bring canoes or kayaks. Some bring their own gear, but if you have ever traveled with a carload of kids and inflated tubes (we have), you'd know that the cranky factor goes way up before you even reach your destination. 

These people are in inner tubes. Ha! Inner tubes have holes in them which means your butt gets wet and cold. We rent one man boats which is, well, a boat... with no open middles, and that means you don't get wet. Theoretically.

Hubby and I each rent our own boats and this is how we roll... he helps me get in my boat at the beginning of the river, he gets in his, ties our boats together, and then we float together until the end where he helps me out of my boat. I can wear shorts and a t-shirt and don't have to wear a bathing suit, which makes me very, very happy. I carry an umbrella and have it open to protect my skin from the Florida sun. We look just like Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart in African Queen. I even call him Charlie while we are floating. It's his duty to keep us out of the grasses so snakes can't get to me. Yes, I know they could drop out of trees, but I choose to pretend that can't happen. It is truly beautiful scenery, worth any risk of an up and close contact with any critter. Well, not really. If I ever have a snake drop in my boat, I promise you will see me on CNN.

After we get out of the river, a shuttle bus takes us back to our car which is parked in a picnic area, and tomorrow we will be picnicking. It's the perfect plan, and a perfect way to spend your 70th birthday.  Happy Birthday, Pieface.

Happy, Happy, Happy

My blogging mojo has been conspicuous by its absence. To say that I am busy is an understatement to be sure.
I have been working hard with Janice (for one thing) getting ready for our fall craft shows. We love being up to our eyebrows in snowmen and snowmen parts. It's a constant source of entertainment for each of us to always be on the lookout for body parts. I don't believe either one of us goes shopping at thrift stores or antique malls or anywhere else for that matter without looking at "things" with an artistic eye. Occasionally, each of us will message the other with a photo of a potential hat or embellishment, and a message "what do you think of this?" or "can we use that?"
This year we have already made 2 big batches of our vintage bottle snowmen, over 200 already, and we are now working on adding to our repertoire. Jan made a snowman last year for herself, taking the idea from a Pinterest post that is so cute, we decided we could make a batch of them. Here is a sneak peek of our batch...

Oh my! How flippin' cute! We have about 14 of them so far. Lots of sizes and shapes. Some 3 spools tall, some 2.

We'll be testing the waters with these on October, but I'm pretty sure they'll be received well. We'll name them too, just like our other snowmen.



















Pretty self explanatory on what they're made from. We had everything except for the spools of crochet thread, and scored those from Ebay and thrift stores. Crafting is my Happy Place. I don't get to go there often enough, but when I do, it is the most therapeutic thing I do for myself. And to get some sister time in there is a big bonus for both of us. We get together again this weekend for more therapy. See you soon, Jan.

RAOK update

It has been one year since I posted about Random Acts of Kindness. I asked my friends not to give me any gifts or celebrations for my 60th birthday, but to do RAOK's for 60 days instead. I got wonderful input from so many people, all of whom I knew all along would do kind things without me asking.

One in particular was incredible! My friend Nancy and her husband kept a journal for an entire year for me of the acts of kindnesses they did in my honor. OMG, I was overwhelmed with joy when she presented it to me this year on my birthday. I read through tear filled eyes some of their posts. Here are some of the wonderful things they did: gave up their "you're next" status at a restaurant to another couple; took in neighbors trash cans; mentored some high school students for an upcoming competition; helped a fellow motorist move his car from the road; picked up trash at the beach; did a surprise carpet cleaning for their son's apartment; mailed a card to a couple listed in the paper who were celebrating their 75th anniversary; made several donations to scouts/students outside of Publix; made a call to the Publix manager about good service by one of his employees (she received a free meal voucher).
The list went on and on, each as sweet and wonderful as the next.

As I said before, I believe strongly in Paying it Forward. One of my favorite quotes is by Leo Buscaglia (remember him?) I loved watching him on PBS when I was younger. Such an incredible man. His quote: Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. 

I wrote this today because another sweet friend, Kimmie, posted on her Facebook page about an act she performed over the weekend in my honor. She mentioned my challenge to her from a year ago. I have such wonderful friends in my life, and love them all dearly. They are all kind, and awesome. 

Thank you, sweet friends for your kindness, and touching others lives on a daily basis.

From the mouths of babes

I am not shy about sharing my not so secret love affair with my grandchildren. The joy they bring is immense and constant. We have begun having sleepovers here on a one-on-one basis. It helps mama at home, and gives me the wonderful opportunity to interact with them without the frazzled confusion that surrounds a "whole family" visit.

I established a Take Turns Rule, so no one is cheated. Last night was Mason's turn...  he's my little pickle. He likes to be in charge of just about everything in his world, and when he cannot, there is usually a lot of drama. He giggled in delight knowing his little brother didn't get to tag along. I saved last Sunday's ads because they were loaded with toys. I knew he would love going through them and picking out some things for his Christmas wish list. Last year he circled every single toy "except for the girl ones, those are for Braydon."
I handed him a blue Sharpie and told him he could only circle one on each page.
Ever the clever child, he circled one, then circled another one next to it, then drew a line connecting the two. He makes me giggle out loud, mainly because I can literally see the wheels turning in his head.

I recently chaperoned a field trip for his Kindergarten class to a local working farm. Here are my guys for the day... little Nicholas on the left was awesome! with his badass mohawk and glasses. Mason is in the middle, then Matthew on the right. Matthew, I'm guessing, is an only child. He was worried about scraping his knee, "because that's what happened there last time." and he had those jazz hands going all day. The bathroom options were a line of about 10 port-a-potties. When it was time, Nicholas and Mason went straight in and did their business. Matthew said "no thank you" after looking inside one. Hilarious.
We had a wonderful day. I was the only grandmother there. I know this is weird, but I honestly don't feel my age, and when I am in a group of people much younger than me, in my head I'm thinking that maybe I'm a few years older. Clearly I am not, these parents are my children's age. One of Mason's classmates asked him if I was his mom, and he replied "no, she's my great great grandmother." I didn't just giggle, I slapped my knee.

Recently his younger brother who is four (the best age ever!) asked me if I was 16. "No" I said, "I'm 60."  60!? Wow, that's a lot Gigi. Is that almost a hundred?"  Yes, Braydon, yes it is.  If I ever want a good laugh, I just hang out with my boys. They keep me rolling. I love you two, and can't wait to start conversing with little miss K.

Bat Girl

Our little Kinsley is 10 months old now, and is turning into a fireball princess. She is growing up with 2 rough and tumble big brothers so she can't help but be a fireball. Her personality is incredible... so sweet and happy with a constant smile on her face. She contorts that little tongue out of the side of her mouth when she smiles and when she's "thinking".

Yesterday I picked her up from daycare for our weekly sleepover. If I'm lucky, I get her more than once a week. She really is an angel, and no trouble at all. Of course, she isn't walking yet, so that has a lot to do with her angelic behavior. I found the cutest costume on Etsy for her of a Bat Girl. It is made of a black tulle tutu and a black mesh top, with a hand cut yellow felt Batman symbol sewn to the chest. And to top it off, there is a black satin ribbon that ties around her neck. I put a pair of black tights underneath for the final effect. Her brothers (super hero officionados) are going to love it.

Papa and I took her to a nearby church pumpkin patch for a photo op. Well, that was our intention. She was not as cooperative as we hoped. Are they ever when a camera is involved?  Her main issue was with Papa. For some odd reason, she was not feeling the Papa moment. We think because he had a hat on, she was confused about who he was. Not only did she not want him to hold her, but she wasn't too thrilled that he was making goofy faces at her to encourage a smile. It only encouraged looks of panic. If there had been a bubble over her head with text in it, it would have said "Gigi, please make that scary man go away, and for God's sake don't let him pick me up". So no smiles from Kinsley in the pumpkin patch.

 

Happy first Halloween, Kinsley!  I promise Papa loves you almost as much as I do.  :)