Birthday Shirts

Here's an easy shirt to create for any upcoming birthday!

Supplies:  One plain t-shirt (or onesie) of your choice; fabric, a stencil of the number and heat bond.

Pin the stencil to the fabric and cut.  To make my stencil - I choose a block style font and blew it up as big as I could, than printed it.  It worked perfectly.

Than, iron the fabric to the heat bond.  I cut out a square slightly larger than the number and ironed it on first which made it easier to cut out. 

Iron the number onto the Shirt.

I than used a zig-zag stitch to secure and take care of any rough edges.  I will say, sewing a two is not the easiest number!  Lots of twists ans turns but it worked well!

This was so much less expensive than buying a birthday shirt - the T-shirt only cost $3.50 and, if you have scrap fabric and heat bond, that would be the full cost.  Otherwise, those two items might cost you another couple of dollars. 

My Favorite Things

The High Heeled Housewife is hosting a weekly blog challenge on our Favorite Things.  In this time of the year, it is easy to focus on the negative and forget to see the positive in things.  So these "are a few of my favorite things!!" 

The first challenge is: My Favorite Things about Being a Wife.  I think I'll make this in a list format - since I am a list maker.

1.  Not having to drive everywhere - my husband is the best driver in the world so it sure is nice to have him there to drive us 90% of the time.  I like to watch out the window :-)
2. Having someone to always sit with at weddings, banquets, and get togethers.  When I was single, I always "arranged" who I would sit with before these events to make sure I wasn't left standing, looking for a place to sit with someone I knew.  Now, I always have someone!  I H A T E it when my husband has another commitment and can't go with me - I feel so lost!
3. Knowing that someone always has your back.  No matter what happens, there is someone always on my side and that is a great feeling.
4. Not being alone during power outages or storms.  It is so much more fun to have to sit in the dark with him, than by myself, that's for sure!!
5. The joy of having someone love you unconditionally - even on the bad hair days.  My husband is awesome and always makes me feel good.

I'm fortunate enough to be married to a wonderful guy - I know that not everyone gets as blessed as me :-)  He's funny, caring, kind, and good looking :-)

Holiday Journal - Part 3

Hopefully, your home is being decorated and you have made notes about traditions and menus so that your holiday planning can run smoothly this year!  Now it is time to think about buying gifts and traveling.  I will admit that this portion of my journal is slim right now so please check out the Flylady website to see her actual Holiday Contorl Journal (about half way down the home page now is a green box that has all the holiday stuff in it!)  They also provide Holiday Missions to help you prepare for the holidays too!

Section 1 - Gift giving.  Have you ever over bought?  Or worse, under bought gifts!!  It's bad enough when you start wrapping gifts only to discover that you bought one too many shirts or an extra candle but if you are wrapping things only to discover that you forgot to buy for someone, it is worse - especially on Christmas Eve!  To help solve that problem, take time to make a list of everyone you have to buy for, how much you plan to spend, ideas, and than a column to mark when it has been purchased, what it is, and how much it is.  You can also include a zippered pouch for reciepts too.  I'm still working on this; for all of my list making, I tend to make idea lists but not lists for purchasing/pricing.  I need to in order to make better plans the following year!

Section 2 - Traveling.  Flylady has some info in her journal on traveling.  Questions from purchasing tickets and renting a car to packing.  If you travel a lot on the holidays, this would be graet for you.  We travel to my parents generally so it is a normal trip, I don't take the time to fill out all of this paperwork.  If we had to travel cross country, it would be differant!!

This past week, my holiday plans were to decorate the kitchen and work on my holiday menus.  The Menu for all of our special days are about done.  This next week I'll be working on getting the recipes together and making a master grocery list so I can spread the love over several weeks :-)  And below are pictures from my kitchen!

I happened to have these Christmas Napkins and decied to make a valance for the kitchen. 

Another lightbulb moment - I used ornaments to create a window treatment in this window.  The letters are D, J, J, and N (Darryl, Jackie, Josh and Nate!!)

Just a few things on top of the fridge!!

I love the garland - simple and fun :-)

And, of course, kitchen towels.

30 Days of Thankfulness

November 14, 2010

Today, I am thankful for my church.  We had a great church service this morning, lots of people, a good message, and wonderful music.  We don't always get to our church as much as we like due to Alive Concerts and other commitments but it is always nice to get back into the groove once again!

My Faith Box

At the end of October, I wrote a post about a give-away that I won which was for something called "My Faith Box"  I received it in the mail the other day and wanted to share it!

Everything arrives in this great box.  It is perfect to keep those special keepsakes in.  There is place to write your child's name on the side of the box as well.

A three ring binder is included and a full packet to use to write your child's Faith Journey.

There are several sections in the book to fill out.

I will be purchasing another one of these so I can have one for each of my boys.  Someday, I think it will mean a lot to them to see this written out.  I would encourage you to go to Lake Pointe Church to purchase one for each of your children as well.

30 Days of Thankfulness

November 13, 2010

Today I am thankful for my home.  It may not be the biggest, newest, nicest house on the block but it is mine.  It is my little piece of the pie where my family gets to laugh, live, and love.  And we do a lot of all three! 

Update on Goals

40 I have to say that the month of October put my goals on hold!  I got wrapped up in working on crafts and Josh's birthday party and kinda let everything else slide.  I thought I would update my 40 x40, though, since it has been awhile.

Here's my list with updates:


1. Make a rag quilt (I bought the pattern in 2009 while in Shippshawana . .. .and I really want to make it!)

2. Learn to Belly Dance (yep, you read that right)

3. Take a ballroom dancing class with my husband

4. Be completely current on all scrapbooking projects Still working on this one - I'm trying to finish 2008 by the end of November, which I'm doing traditionally; than I have 2009 done digitally but I won't allow myself to print the pages until I finish 2008!  I will also work on finishing up 2010 while printing 2009.  So I'm on track with this one, I think

5. Finish my first quilt (that I started like 6 years ago)  My plan is to finish this the first week in December.  I just need to pin the binding on it and sew!

6. Eat at the 1913 Room (Grand Rapids only 5 Diamond Restaurant . .. actually I think it is Michigan's only one!!)

7. Learn to make the perfect Cheesecake

8. Reach my goal weight (I thought it would be funny to put this one after the cheesecake!!)

9. Read through the Bible in one year (Never have done this; started it many times though!) Still on track with this one!

10. Plant a vegetable garden

11. Can beets, pickles, tomatoes, salsa and jam Done

12. Re-learn Claire Delune on the Piano (I played it at my high school senior piano recital) I have the music on my piano and have played through the first few pages; need to find more time to practice!

13. Go to a regular season Lions Game (I would really love to go to the Thanksgiving game but any game would be fine)

14. Go to a bra specialist, get professionally fitted and buy two of the very expensive, perfectly fitting bra's (yes, ladies, you all know what I'm talking about!!)

15. Renovate my kitchen completely from top to bottom I will be starting this soon - need to finish a couple small things in the bathroom and than the painting will begin!

16. Put myself on a bone morrow transplant list (one of those things I always think about but never research)

17. Attend a Sandi Patty concert (Yes I've been to a few but want to go again!)

18. Walk on the treadmill 4 days a week for three months (I usually quit after 3 weeks so many three months would make it a habit and MAYBE I would actually enjoy it by than!)

19. Be making $1000.00 a month from home to help our family I am now babysitting for a friend 5 days a week so I am making a small dent in this one.  Wish my Creative Memories Sales would take off -  that would really help!

20. Take a cooking class (nothing major - just a one day cooking class or even a few Saturdays in a row just to learn something new)

21. Take a photography class (I've wanted to do this for years but have struggled to find one for amateurs . . hopefully I can find one!)

22. Learn to make Jewelry and make myself a necklace, bracelet, and a pair of earrings

23. Ride on one of the two Great Lake Boats that go from Muskegon or Ludington to Wisconsin and back.

24. Take a train to Chicago and stay overnight downtown

25. See "Wicked" (I love the song "For Good" and would love to see it performed live)

26. See the Rockettes live

27. Watch the Harlem Globetrotters in person They come to Grand Rapids in January so I'm hoping we can go!

28. Sew an apron (I like aprons but refuse to buy them . . need many for the kitchen, I get so dirty! Plus I would like a craft apron for when the kids and I make crafts)

29. Cook "clean" for one week (been doing research on this one - don't think it would be a lifestyle change but I would like to see what I can change to make our eating better)

30. Attend a concert in the park (Picnic Pops!)

31. Do a sole sensations treatment on my feet (you know, the little fishy's that nibble on your toes!)

32. Join a book club (on-line or in person) and stick to it for 6 months Thought about joining the one at the Library but the club meets on Wednesdays and Darryl has practice; so I'm thinking about starting one as a blog or researching to find one that is more like a blog. 

33. Invite Lisa LaPlante over for dinner, a local reporter from our local fox channel. (It is a long story - if I accomplish it, I will tell you the story, if I don't you will never know!) I have e-mailed her but got no response (she probably thinks I'm a stalker!) I haven't given up yet though.  I figure one more e-mail and than I'm done (because I'm not a stalker!!)

34. Get a German Shepherd

35. Make three specific photo books (can't give any more details - but when they are completed and given away, I will tell you!!)

36. Learn CPR Done

37. Eat at the longest breakfast table in Battle Creek (it's a festival)

38. Win a makeover from one of our local stations - either a home makeover or a personal makeover (I always see the contests, tell myself I should enter and never do; so I'm going to actively apply to all of them . . .every one; and see if I can win!!) I've applied and that's all I can do, right?


39. Potty train both of my children (YES!!)

40. Take my husband to see the Christmas Lights and ride the train at Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad. (he's never been!!) We are planning to do this the day after Thanksgiving!
 
The items underlined are in progress or things I'm hoping to finish by year end. 
 
That's the latest :-)