What is a RESOLUTION?

res·o·lu·tion/ˌrezəˈlo͞oSHən/

Noun:

1. A firm decision to do or not to do something.

(I know, this a partial definition, but it’s the part that pertains to this post, so I decided it’s the only one I needed).

Hmmmm.  I wonder why I have such a hard time with this.  Every year, I make up this neat and tidy little list of ‘New Year’s Resolutions’, all typed and spell-checked, with cute little artwork printed on cute little paper (meant, of course, to encourage me through the tough times).  And, usually for the first month or two, I’m very diligent about it (usually my list is weight-loss or diet themed), and I appreciate the cute little list and it’s cute little artwork…and then my motivation starts to wane, and by April, I despise the list and deem it’s formerly cute and encouraging artwork to  be evil, mocking me every time I walk by… and so I throw the list away…feeling like a complete failure.  What is different this year?  Maybe me…maybe my fear of failure is subsiding a bit, and I won’t be so hard on myself…maybe this year I’ll make my cute little list printed on cute little paper (with art work, by the way), but I’ll actually keep it up all year, even when my motivation lapses…maybe, just maybe a ‘resolution’ should be an encouragement, a bold statement of what you hope for yourself, and a reminder that you want the best for yourself and your family…maybe it shouldn’t be a tracking device for, and ultimately a reminder of, your failures (which, sadly, is what mine had become).  When I had surgery in September, I lost a gall bladder, but I think I gained something infinitely more priceless:  perspective.  I have had such peace and strength since then, and  a lot of my former perfectionist ideals have fallen away.  I’m learning to accept myself and my life…I’m learning to accept my failures as opportunities to learn and grow (instead of validation that I am not good enough).  This is a strange road for me to be walking on…but, I hope that in the new year, I will continue this path, and see where it goes.  So, I am going to declare some ‘resolutions’ to the world (well, at least to the beautiful people who read this blog!).  Scary?  Yes!  But, again, this will be an opportunity for growth, not an invitation to fail.  I’m excited for the new year, and for my new attitude. So, here I am, taking the first step:

1)  I want to choose healthy foods more often than I choose fatty, sweet and just plain naughty foods.

2)  I want to read my Bible and Devotions more (like EVERY DAY).

3)  I want to go for walks with my kids (not to the park though, that is like punishment to me…I’m not ready for that one yet), and strive to see the world through their sweet, innocent eyes.

4)  I want to have self control over my spending (my love language is ‘gifts’ and I get a little out of control around Birthdays, Christmas, other Holidays, and pretty much anytime I can justify buying something for someone…ok A LOT OUT OF CONTROL!).

5)  I want to live a life of J.O.Y. : Jesus first Others next Yourself last (I saw that saying on the wall of Michelle Duggar’s house and loved it…I just have a hard time living it).

6)  I want to be an example to my husband and children.  A GOOD example.

Well, there are a million more ideas of what kind of wife/mother/friend I’d like to be, but for now, this is my list (and they are in no particular order).  This is my resolution.  I am hopeful for the upcoming year, and thankful for the year that has just passed.

So, how about you?  Do you make resolutions?  How do you feel when you don’t keep up?  Do you want to be a buddy with me and we can encourage each other, and see if that provides more strength and motivation? Let me know!

Thanks for stopping by my blog. I hope you have a wonderful beginning to your New Year!

p.s.  I realize this post is a day early, but it’s on my mind, so I thought, “why not?”.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

Hi everyone.  I hope you are all having a wonderful, peaceful day with your loved ones! 

Merry Christmas.

love,

Kelli

The Nativity I’ve Waited For!

I have seen this Nativity (or some variation of it) floating around blogland for awhile now, and I kept dreaming of the day I’d own a Silhouette, and could make one for myself.  Well, I finally have one, and here is my first project with the Nativity:

and I also bought the Wisemen:

I already had the tiles, so I just applied the vinyl and added Mod Podge to protect it.  Now I need to get one of those cool plate holders or something, so I can actually enjoy them!  Oh well, I got to use my Silhouette and I got to make the Nativity I’ve been drooling over! Yay!

Today is my daughter’s 9th Birthday (pictures to follow), and since Christmas is just a couple of days away, I will be taking a little break from the computer.  I hope you all have a beautiful Christmas and enjoy your friends and family

Thank you for stopping by.

Merry Christmas!

REVERSIBLE 2 x 2 WOOD STACKERS

Hi.  MY NAME IS KELLI AND I LOVE WOOD.  There, I said it.  I can’t help it…I go into Home Depot and love to just walk down the 2 x 4 isle and smell (and smell and smell and smell!).  Man, that is good stuff.  I know, to the ‘normal’ person, that probably sounds weird, but what can I say (I never claimed to be normal!).   And, really, is it so different than someone who loves the smell of coffee and enjoys the aroma at Starbucks?  Hmmm, I think not!  (ok, so wood doesn’t taste good, but it does smell oh so good…admit it, you know I’m right!). 

So here I am with another wood craft. This one is also so easy!  I bought a 2 x 2 at (where else) Home Depot, cut it to various lengths, sanded and painted it.  Then I added some words that I think represent the season (or Holiday).   I love to make my crafts versatile when I can, so I made this reversible.  One side I painted Christmas colors:

and the other side has Autumn colors:

I used my Cricut to cut the vinyl, but you could use stickers, rub-on transfers, or stencils to create your words. This is a very versatile, easy and inexpensive craft.  Also, you can personalize it for a special friend, or family member simply by adding words or phrases that fit their personality.  Again, Home Depot will cut your wood if you don’t have a saw, or,  if you’re ready to try it yourself, but don’t have a (big bad beafy electric) miter saw, you can actually buy a brand new hand saw and miter box (at Home Depot) for about $10, and it will work great!  So don’t be intimidated! Go out and make a stack today!!  (You’re probably looking at a $3 investment with a total time of about an hour…what could be easier?).

Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave me a comment so I can visit you back!

I’m linking up at:

House of Hepworths

 

Everything Under the Moon

2x4 CHRISTMAS TREE

I saw these adorable 2 x 4 Christmas trees at    Under My Umbrella    and knew I wanted to make some (have you heard that before?).  This was such an easy project (really, really easy).  I cut my wood to various lengths, using my miter saw (or, have Home Depot cut it for you).  Then sand, paint, and if you want, mod podge some fun paper to one side.  Once the mod podge was dry, I used Gorilla Wood Glue to attach the pieces together (except the star), and clamped them for about an hour. 

I couldn’t stand the back side being blank, so I added a vinyl sentiment.

I really love how it turned out.  It is a very simple tree, not fancy and swirly and all glittery, like I usually would make…but I love it.  And, by the way, (I almost forgot), I found the stars at Goodwill last year, and they’ve just been sitting in my craft room, waiting to be beautiful (they were a really ugly blue), so I sanded them and painted them silver, and of course, I added a bow

This craft is so inexpensive (about $3 for a 2x4 which will make at least 2 trees, & the rest of the supplies I already had on hand), quick and easy (probably 2 – 2/12 hours, start to finish), that you could even make a few different trees out of one 2x4 and paint them to match different rooms in your home (doesn’t everyone have different Christmas rooms?).  I love color, so my daughters’ room has purple and pink Christmas trees and decorations, my main bathroom has a fun and funky green and red décor with elves and my living room has all the traditional red, green, and silver colors.  Maybe next year I’ll make a pink and purple one for the girls…and a blue and black one for the boys…well, maybe not that one!  Also, another fun idea would be to make it a 3 tier tree, and only glue the three tiers (not the base),and on the flip side, paint it the colors of candy corn, so you could use it for fall and winter décor.  I might just have to make myself one like that next year!

I hope you are having a wonderful week, getting ready for Christmas.   Even in difficult times, there is much to be thankful for.  As we get closer to celebrating the birth of our Savior, my heart and mind are finding a peace that has been missing for the last few Christmases, and although circumstances tempt me to be angry and question Him, instead I am trusting Him.  I hope you are having a truly peaceful, joy-filled week!

Thank you for stopping by! I love reading your comments, so please let me know you were here!

I’m linking up at   Gingersnap Crafts

SANTA’S BELLY CANDY HOLDER

ok, so it’s not really his belly…but I bet it’s somewhat like this (full of chocolate!).

This is a repurposed container from paper flowers I bought at Michael’s.  I cleaned it out and just glued my ‘Santa’ ribbon to the top, and added buttons, ribbon for a belt and a puff paint belt buckle.  I think it’s cute.  Simple and cute.

I like to give little gifts to various people who make me smile…like my mailman, the wonderful ladies at my favorite McDonalds, the paper boy, etc.  This little cutie is going to the sweetest lady, Norma, at McDonalds.  Trust me, they have the very best Diet Coke EVER!  I drive an extra 4 miles (bypassing 2 closer ones) just to get the yummy addiction of my life.  They never give me a regular coke (which happens often at the other ones), and they always, always, smile.  I appreciate that.  Last year I took  gifts to the ladies I see the most.  Norma is my favorite, but sadly, I didn’t know she was diabetic, and last year she got a lot of chocolate (oops!).  So this year I bought her a variety of sugar free goodies and put them into this cute Santa belly. I can’t wait to take it to her next week!  If you have people in your life that make you smile, I encourage you to let them know.  It can make such a difference in someone’s day to be acknowledged.  Just like it makes a difference in my day, to see a smile behind the counter (instead of a grumpy face).  Spread some joy this Christmas (and you’ll receive joy in return!).

Thanks for stopping by!!

DUAL PURPOSE WOOD BLOCKS

Remember the pile of wood I scored from Home Depot a while back (here)?  Well, I’m still using it up…I made these 2 wood blocks from the last of my stash.  The first one is light blue, with “Shepherds Saw” saying on  one side, and the other side has the “friends love” verse.  I love how it turned out with the cute little butterfly!

the other block is tan, with the Christmas tree on one side and the “As for me and my house” verse on the other.

I think these are super cute neighbor, teacher, daycare worker, friend, family (etc, etc, etc) gifts.  They are super cute and easy to make.  I literally found the wood on the floor at Home Depot, already cut into this size.  I sanded them…painted them…distressed them…then added the vinyl sayings.  To finish them off, I put ribbon around them, & tied a bow with some raffia fluff in there for good measure

Thanks for stopping by!

FUN CUPCAKES AND A CUTE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

Zoya turns 4 today, and wanted pink…everything pink.  So, her cake is pink and the cupcake frosting is pink, but inside (NOT SO MUCH!)…I saw these funky, multi-color cupcakes on “A Sweet Cake” (here), and wanted to try them…so I ran to Hobby Lobby and bought the food coloring (soooo worth the money, by the way!), and first thing this morning, I made the cupcakes.  I still didn’t have faith that they would turn out like the inspiration, and couldn’t wait until they were baked and I could cut one open!  Here is how they turned out:

Pretty in Pink (and unassuming)

and then, SHAZAAAM!

Don’t judge a book by it’s cover (or, a cupcake by it’s frosting?).

I love how they turned out!  Zoya got her pretty pink cupcakes, and everyone was shocked to see the crazy insides!  They just make me smile.  I’ll definitely be making these again!

Here’s the birthday girl:

I even made these corker bows, but I forgot to take a close up.  I will definitely be making more (much more affordable to make your own, plus you can match them to her wardrobe!).

I can’t believe she’s 4, it seems like just yesterday…Zoya is a ray of sunshine, always twirling and giggling and giving me hugs.  She is full of joy and sweetness with a bit of mischief thrown in for balance.  Although she is all girly (everything needs to be pink!), she is fearless and has more bumps and bruises than any of the other kids!  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful little girl in my life. 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZOYA!

FROSTY/GOBBLE Blocks

I love this block set…I just wish I had a mantle to put it on!  I made these blocks double sided, so you can use them longer.  The first side has “FROSTY the Snowman”

and the other side has “GOBBLE til ya wobble”.

I first saw that saying on Etsy at Summersscrap’s shop and loved it so much, I had to make one. 

This is a fairly simple project, and unfortunately I didn’t take step by step pictures, but it is pretty self explanatory (if you want to make some and have questions, contact me!). First, I bought a 2x4 at Home Depot and using my miter saw, cut it to various lengths (if you don’t have a miter saw, Home Depot will make the cuts for you…unless you get the chubby grumpy guy at my HD, because he refuses to cut my wood EVERY.STINKING.TIME!  Anyway, after they’re cut, sand them, spray paint them, mod podge some cute decorative paper, and once the mod podge dries,  add vinyl (or stencil and paint, or cardstock letters, whatever you have available).  You can then embellish to your heart’s desire.  For mine, I sprayed the “Frosty” side with glitter spray and added big, pretty gems.  For the “Gobble” side, I just made up little embellishments by raiding my Fall decorations, and hot glued them on.  I love how it turned out. Sadly, (for me) this set is going to the Holiday Bazaar, so I’ll have to make myself one next year.  The possibilities for this project are endless. You can put any combination of words together, to fit your taste, décor, holiday theme, etc.  Truly the hardest part for me was deciding between “Frosty the snowman” or “Silent night, holy night” for the side opposite of Gobble.

Thank you so much for stopping by!  I appreciate your comments and love the chance to visit your blog.

I’m linking up:

 

at Gail’s fabulous party, over at My Repurposed Life

REINDEER

Wow.  Is that the most creative post title, or what???  Man, I’m good.  I should write a book or something (not)…anyhoo, my sister bought this reindeer years ago

and when I got my scroll saw, she thought I  should make one for the craft show…(really, does she think I’m Bob Ross or something??).  This thing scared me.  Not really the cutting of the wood, or the spray painting or the assembling of the cute little reindeer, but REALLY the painting of his face.  I AM NOT A PAINTER!!!  Trying to paint details scares me.  So he sat in my craft room for about 6 months (I’m a chicken).  Finally, I took him out, made a pattern and went to work.  This is what I came up with:

I think he turned out pretty cute. I really tried to cut out those small Christmas light bulbs, but just couldn’t get them to look good, so I added jingle bells instead…much easier and less stress…and still pretty cute, I think.  I made just two of these for the Craft Show this weekend, and if they are popular, I think I’ll make a lot more for next year.  I guess I should thank my sister, because I got over my fear of painting…I found that taking  it one small detail at a time is not so overwhelming!  By no means am I a ‘painter’, but I am so proud of how this little guy turned out!

I hope you’ll be encouraged to try a craft you never thought you could do (it’s amazing what we can do when we just try!). And, really, when it comes down to it, if we fail, it’s not the end of the world.  We just try again, or move on to a different project!  I’m learning to let go of some of my perfectionist expectations (of myself) and accept what is. 

Thanks for stopping by.   I’d love to see what crafts you’re doing!    Leave me a comment and I’ll visit you back!

Santa Ornaments

I saw these ornaments on Pinterest, and thought they were so cute, I just had to make some. (I altered mine a little bit by changing the way I made his belt, and adding a hat).  I bought plastic ornaments at Michaels (around 80 cents each), black grosgrain ribbon and gold fabric puff paint. ( I already had the felt and white pom poms for the hats and paper for his belly).  This is truly a simple and very quick craft that even the kids will love to do (be sure to help them with the hot glue!).

This is what you need: (Diet Coke not required, but very helpful!)

First, remove the hanger from the ornament, set aside.  Take red paper (I used cardstock that I already had) and cut into strips.  I varied my strips between 1/8” and 1/4” in width and 8” long (I didn’t measure them, just eyeballed it!).  Then I wrapped each strip tightly around a pencil, slid it off and tucked it into the ornament opening. 

Repeat until his belly is full. Replace hanger.  For the belt, I just hot glued the black ribbon around the center.  For the hat, I cut a triangle out of red felt, glued a pom pom on the tip, folded the hat over about midway and glued it there (if you don’t have pom poms and ribbon that will work to embellish the hat, you could always use white puff paint on both of these parts, and it would be really cute.  Just add a fat line of paint on the bottom of the hat and a big glob on the tip!).  The white trim on the bottom of the hat is simply a strip I cut off of another ribbon from my stash, and glued on.

Then I hot glued the hat onto the top of the ornament.  The final step was to use the puff paint to create his gold belt buckle.

this is the wet paint..

The hardest part of this craft was leaving it alone once the puff paint was on, so it could dry (about an hour).  I love the way it turned out, and hope you will try it too!

Thank you for stopping by!  Please leave a comment and let me know you were here!

Linking up at:
 Take-a-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts

House of Hepworths

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a wonderful day with your families, enjoying the many blessings in your life.  I had a fantastic day, relaxing and cooking and of course, eating!  I am so thankful to be feeling better, to have a healthy family and wonderful friends.  And, I’m thankful for my blog readers, and all the amazing blogs that inspire me to create and express myself.  You are all such a blessing to me!  Have a great night!

MICKEY MOUSE NECKLACE AND ACCESSORIES!

Hi…do you remember me??  I’m sorry it has been so long!  I won’t give you all the boring details, I’ll just apologize…again.  I’m sorry!

 

This is one of the crafts I  have had done for a  few months, but haven’t gotten posted…until now!

Several months ago I saw this idea on A CREATIVE PRINCESS,and she gives you a fantastic play by play on how to make them (so I’m not going to reinvent the wheel here, go check her blog out…it’s awesome!).

Since we were planning a trip to Disneyland (which, sadly has to be postponed), I thought I’d make these for my girls’ birthdays. 

They are so totally cute and very simple to do!  I used the ‘bottle cap’ style, because it’s so cute and popular, and to be honest, I didn’t completely trust that the gel wouldn’t just run all over the place .  Well, I’m happy to report that I was wrong.  I tried it on the bobby pins, and it totally worked!  I just kept waiting for the goo mess, but it never happened (Yay!).   Unfortunately, I couldn’t find MOD PODGE Dimensional Magic anywhere, so I just used what they had at Hobby Lobby (sorry, I couldn’t find the bottle to get a picture, but if I find it, I’ll add it to the post!).  For the Mickeys, I did just what she did, and used a paint chip from Home Depot.  I also made the matching earrings and bobby pins.  I think they turned out so  cute!  (and, yes, when we go to Disneyland, I am totally making a set for me too!!!).   I also bought bracelets with a  little bezel area at Hobby Lobby, (they were having a huge clearance on jewelry findings at the time), but I haven’t finished that one yet…it’s heart shaped, and I haven’t found the right size heart punch yet…but I’m working on it.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you try this craft…it really is so simple and very quick.  It’d be great for birthday party favors, too. 

I’m linking up to a fun (and always inspiring) party at HOH:

I’m Here (sort of)

Hi everyone!  I just wanted to pop in and let you know what’s going on in my little world…pretty much the entire month of September has been spent battling pain.  Off and on, totally sudden attacks of pain.  Finally (I’m stubborn), I went to the doctor last Tuesday, on Thursday I was diagnosed (gall stones) and on Friday morning I was in surgery to remove my gall bladder.  It was all very quick, which I am thankful for!  Unfortunately, I developed an infection, and was unable to eat anything,  and went back at the doctor Tuesday.  Finally the infection is gone, the soreness in my throat is easing away, and slowly, I am beginning to eat again.  They told me this surgery was a simple one and that recovery would be quick and easy.  Poo on them!  I never want to have surgery again!  I can’t imagine the people that go in for plastic surgery over and over again…no way baby!  Anyway, I’m hoping that by next week, I’ll be feeling somewhat normal again, and I’ll be able to share the fun projects I had done.   This has been the first day I’ve even been to the computer since last Thursday!  I miss crafting, I miss blogging, and I miss you all!!

I hope you are all having a wonderful week and have a great weekend.  Thanks for being patient!!

love ya!

Kelli

Hi!

Hey everyone!!!  Just wanted to let you know that  I have lots of projects to share, but unfortunately, my husband took the camera for his fishing trip, so I am unable to download any pictures.  Sorry! I know it’s been boring around here, but in a few days, I’ll be able to share the fun with you.

Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you’re all having a great weekend.

~Kelli

Wood Candy Corn

I first saw these on Etsy, (cute ones here) and knew I had to make some for myself…they are so cute…and, while I don’t celebrate halloween, I do absolutely LOVE Autumn.  I know, I know, it’s only September 3rd, but I can’t wait for all the warm Autumn colors and the yummy foods.  The weather here is starting to cool and I’m definitely ready for some football…so here we are:

I figured it I was making one set, I might as well make four.   The itty bitty set is only 3 1/4” at it’s highest point.  I made that for my good friend (also my hair stylist), hoping it’d be small enough to fit at her hair (or nail) station, without taking up too much valuable space.  I really love the pop of color in my house!  And, I totally acknowledge that the shapes aren’t the same…I was having blade issues on the scroll saw, and finally gave up.  Enough fighting that darn thing already!  So, they are each ‘unique’…but that’s ok with me!  They make me smile.

Thanks for stopping by!  I love, love, love to get comments…please let me know you were here.

I’m linking up:

While He Was Napping

 

My Repurposed Life

PURSE GIFT CARD HOLDER

I saw these adorable gift card holders last night on SPLITCOASTSTAMPERS and fell in love!  I’ll admit right here and now, I am NOT a stamper.  What they create is beyond amazing!  It boggles my mind how they can do so much with stamps!  I, on the other hand, can barely get a stamp to work without leaving ink marks all over the place (as evidenced by one of my cards, I had to ‘embellish’ a bit to camouflage the unwanted ink marks!). So, I guess  I’m stamp-impared!  To make mine, I did the next best thing (for me anyway) and used printed paper.  The only thing I stamped was the “To/From” part, and honestly, if I had thought ahead, I would have printed that out on the computer before I cut the paper!  Anyway, mine are not in the same league as the ones at Splitcoast, but I am still really happy (really, really happy) with how they turned out.  I’m going to make a bunch more to sell at the craft show in December…I hope everyone else likes them as much as I do!  And, they were super easy to make (super easy my way, that is!).

I’m linking up to some fun parties, go on over and get inspired!

MY REPURPOSED LIFE

WHILE HE WAS NAPPING

HOUSE OF HEPWORTHS

Thanks for stopping by!  Please leave a comment and let me know you were here!

p.s.  There a about  million tutorials out there for making these, but some are complicated.  If you want my super easy directions, just contact me and I’ll put them on here!