Red, White & Blue

If you were to visit my house this week you would see a lot of Red, White & Blue.  We are getting ready for a Big 4th of July!  I hope you are getting ready, too.  None of my decorations are breath-taking or designer style but they are just what we like at our house and most of what you would see has been done by me.  So enjoy the humble tour of my patriotic decorations.

How does your family celebrate the 4th of July?

Happy Tuesday!

XOXO,

Karen



I'm Home

 I arrived home from Atlanta yesterday afternoon and I had a wonderful flight home.  The skies were sunny and no rain in sight.  Atlanta weather was absolutely gorgeous while I was there.  After the cool front moved in it was low humidity and temps were in the low 80's.  Just right for enjoying a short vacation with family.  We always spend a lot of time just visiting and catching up on family news.  We swam every day, shopped a little, cooked out, watched the entire Season 5 of Mad Men and oohed and aahed over my great-niece, Ella.

This morning I made a snack for our Bible Study Luncheon tomorrow.  It is July 4th Bark.  You can find the recipe Here.

Before I left, we finished this little project.  I saw it on Pinterest and just had to have one just like it.  I have a good bit of brick left over from building our house 25 years ago. 

We used some of that brick and placed it in the ground on its side.  Then filled the center with river rock.  The hardest part is getting a perfect circle.  I googled how to get a large perfect circle in order to find the best method.  I used a piece of string with a golf tee tied to each end.  If you want a 5 foot circle make your string 2.5 feet long. I put one tee in the middle and stretched the string out to find where each brick should be placed.  Yes, it took some time but I wanted it perfectly round (as nearly as possible).  I really want another one like this in my yard with pink begonias in the center.  How pretty would that look?

I told you I would share pictures of Atlanta but I didn't want to carry my camera with me so no pics of Atlanta.  However, I can share pictures of the great deals I found there.  I had been searching for garden stakes just like this one.  I found them on ebay for $25 each and almost ordered one.  I'm sure glad I didn't because I found the same one at Tuesday Morning for $9.99.  What a deal!

I found this one also.  I love fleur de lis.  It was $7.99

I don't think I'll ever pay full price for anything.  I'm going for the bargains :)

My sister-in-law loves Home Goods and so do I.  If I'd been in a car it would have been full of pretty things.  But when you fly you can't buy much extra.  This rode home in my lap.  Simple white serving pieces are so versatile.  I'm thinking salad dressing, maybe orange juice in this little pitcher.

We went to another Tuesday Morning near Buckhead Saturday.  I found these adorable polka dot pillow cases.  I will monogram some little girl's name on these.

And last but not least, I stocked up on more burlap.  I have several more things I want to make out of burlap.  There are 3 different colors...natural, cream and white.  At least I have a choice of colors now.

It's good to be home again!

Have a great Monday!

Karen

Grayson's Coming to Bella's!

Grayson is coming to spend the week with Bella & Papa Asa.  We are so excited! Grayson is old enough to attend Vacation Bible School this year so he and I will go every evening.  He is going to have such a great time at VBS because his teachers are the most wonderful ladies who love working with little folks.  Of course we will not spoil him one bit, but if he happens to want to eat while watching TV I personalized a bright red lap tray for him :)  He can color or eat on his tray.  I used polka dots and "Girls Are Weird" font for his name.

In the mornings before VBS, Gray will be learning to swim.  A good friend has a pool and her daughter will be teaching him basic swimming techniques.  I can't wait to see that little guy in the water.  It seems like yesterday that I took his mom and uncle Clint to swim lessons.  He has to be a champion swimmer because Bella and Papa Asa met each other while working as lifeguards.  We worked every summer during our college years as lifeguards so it's in his bloodline to swim.  (Hehe) 

I also made Little GrayMan a personalized tote for all of his cars, books, Legos or whatever he wants to put in there.  Once again I used "Girls Are Weird" font and added stars.  I used my Cricut and vinyl to personalize these things.

I saw this adorable activity chair on Pinterest and then found it online at WalMart. I had it delivered to our store....so easy to do.  Thank you WalMart for making it so easy to order online. (However, it took me over an hour to put it together) Won't he be soooo cute sitting in it and drawing a picture or coloring?  Ok, ok enough of being a typical grandmother....sorry.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

XOXO,

Karen

Good Friday

We are getting ready for everyone to come in to spend the weekend with us.  So I had to get my kitchen table set.  I saw these napkins folded like bunnies on Pinterest.  When I followed the link it was Martha Stewart's website.  The directions were too difficult to follow so I went to UTube.  I searched for "bunny folded napkins".  The first video that came up was excellent so I started folding my bunnies.  I like mine turned this way best but I think actually they are suppose to be turned the other way.  Whatever you like best goes....right?

I recently bought this package of napkins at Target.  I really had a Mexican Fiesta in mind with these colors plus two red ones.  However, the colors work for Easter, too.  So get busy folding your napkins for Easter :)

Yellow Bunny

Hot Pink Bunny

On Wednesday I shared Grayson's apron with you.  At that time I could not decide what I wanted to stitch for Sloan.  Then I remembered these 3-tiered cakes and that was it.  A cake for Sloaney! Her mommy wanted pink and yellow fabric.

No problem...pink and yellow cake it is!

On a more serious note today is Good Friday which is such an important day to Christians.  I hope everyone will reflect on what happened on this day many years ago.  I read Matthew 26-28 this morning to refresh my memory. Celebrating Good Friday means we understand the fact that Jesus Christ chose to die for us.  I hope you and your family have a wonderful day. 

XOXO,

Karen 

Another QR Code

I wanted to share a great looking recipe with you and see if you are able to open my code.  Let me know if you get the recipe.  You need a QR Code Reader App and that is all.  I think I will make this recipe for Easter weekend.  It looks like my family's kind of dessert. 

Have a wonderful weekend!

XOXO,

Karen

QRCodes

This past weekend I attended a teacher's state convention. I was able to select two workshops to attend Saturday morning.  I selected one on healthy eating and the other was called App'L.  It was led by a young high school Biology teacher who is very tech savvy.  She shared apps for the classrooms and apps for fun.  The first app we explored was QRReader.  If you have an Apple device you definitely want to download it.  Once you have it on your IPhone, IPad or IPod it allows you to scan qr codes from any source.  It is amazing how teachers can use qr codes for teaching tech savvy students.  Anyway, I love the codes and they are everywhere.  So I made one tonight for my blog.  I hope to generate more that will be interesting to you but tonight I have just this one.  So if you have that app get busy reading qr codes and seeing the latest way to get information.  What are you favorite apps? 

Have a wonderful Thursday!

XOXO,

Karen

Red Valentine Treats & Blue Dog

A little friend of mine is having a Mickey Mouse birthday party today.  I found a free Mickey svg file and cut it with my Cricut.  I used it to decorate this pail for her to store her "stuff".

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Peyton!

Valentine shirt for another little friend of mine.  I made one of these earlier this week and forgot to take a picture of it before delivering it.

I think the hearts make the design....cute!

I made more soap.  This time I used a silicone mold that has hearts, flowers, roses and butterflies on it.  I am able to make 4 hearts at one time.

The soap dries in about 30 minutes and then you are able to pop it out of the mold and make more.  I melt about 5 ounces of glycerin to make the 4 hearts.  It's easy and fun to make.

{A birthday gift from my daughter and son-in-law} 

 It's not a George Rodrigue but I bet you were fooled :)  When I taught French, I would teach my high school classes about our Louisiana native artist, George Rodrigue and his Blue Dog paintings.  We would learn about the inspiration for Blue Dog and the Cajun influence on Rodrigue's paintings.  After learning all about it each student would draw and color his own Blue Dog.  Several times I took my French Club to the Blue Dog Cafe in Lafayette and we would go to museum exhibits to see Blue Dog paintings.  I guess you could say I love Blue Dog. 

After many requests, my son-in-law painted me my very own Blue Dog.  Yes, he is talented and can paint just about anything.  This is suppose to be my Chihuahua, Yogi with Blue Dog....funny.

I love love it! 

If you would like to see more of Blue Dog, check this site out and take the virtual tour of his New Orleans Art Gallery.

http://www.georgerodrigue.com/rodrigue/prints.htm

The Winner Is.......

Thanks to everyone who entered the Monogrammed Towels Give-Away!  It is nice to meet some of you and get to know a little bit about you.  I hope to have another give away very soon. And the winner is......Pages From The Heart!  I put the 5 names in a basket and had my husband draw the winning name.  Pages From The Heart please email me and let me know what thread color you would like for your towels and also the initial (s) you would like.  You may have 3 which could be yours alone or a combination of yous and your husband or just a single initial. The choices are yours. Also, I will need your address. Thanks again everyone.  Enjoy the rest of the Super Bowl and have a wonderful week!

XOXO

Karen

Oval Monogram for Sloan & Give Away

I bought this dress back in August and am just now embroidering it.  It was suppose to be a Thanksgiving dress, then Christmas, then Valentines.  Since I'm a bit behind it is an early spring dress :)

It is good thing I ordered the dress in a large size back in August.  I'm all about green and pink right now.  I guess it's a longing for Bunny rabbits, green grass, flowers and longer days.

I used an oval applique and then used the Fancy Font for her initials.

I want to give away a set of white monogrammed towels (bath, hand & wash cloth).  Here's what we'll do... 1 week from now I'll draw for the winner.  You must be a follower of my blog and tell us a bit about yourself.  We can use the following questions as guidelines:

1)  What part of the country are you located in (you don't have to name a town just a general area)?

2) What crafts do you like to do or hope to learn to do?

3) Anything you want to share about your family

4) Anything about yourself you want to share...hobbies, career, children.



Ok that's it.  Pretty simple.  So speak up and let us hear from you.

I'll start.

I live in the south where LSU is our favorite team along with the Saints.  We love purple and gold and black and gold and gumbo! I was a French teacher for 26 years but am now a counselor at an elementary school.  My faith, family, friends, career and embroidery are my life.  I love to embroider, sew a little bit, use my Cricut, cook and bake for my friends and family, shop and peruse Pinterest.  My two children are grown and live close enough I can see them often.  I love my grand babies to the moon and back.  My family loves to vacation in Florida (where my daughter was married) at least once a year.  The simple things in life are the most important to me and that's about it for me.  Your turn.

Have a great Monday!

XOXO,

Karen

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus Day

Tonight we are having Christmas in a town about 20 miles away from us.  We will be with my family, my kids, and all of my grand babies, including Elizabeth and Alex who are my step-grand kids.  There will be 6 little ones there tonight so we are going to celebrate the birthday of Baby Jesus.  I have 2 beautiful nativity sets that I dearly love but I must say this new one is so sweet it may be favorite.  I bought it with my grand babies in mind.  It is wooden and they can arrange it and move it around all they want.

I've been listening to a new CD a good friend got me.  It's Michael Buble's newest Christmas album and I just keep playing it over and over (I'm weird like that :)  I wish each of you could hear it here. Even though I'm so happy today I can't help feeling a little melancholy just because (I'm weird like that :) 

Happy Birthday Baby Jesus!  My daughter told me Grayson loves nativities and every time she picks him up from nursery school he wants to go see Baby Jesus and Mary ( I think it's the Methodist Church that has a big outdoor nativity)

I got the local bakery to make us a cake for tonight!  Did I already say I love Nativity scenes?

I have lots of gifts for all the little folks for tonight.  I can't wait to see then open their gifts from Bella and Papa Asa!

I'm going to read Luke 2 from my new Grandmother's Bible (given to me by a dear friend who is a grandmother, too) before we travel tonight.  I hope to share that story with them before opening gifts and eating cake.

Have a wonderful day and evening!

Santa's Workshop

Are you burning the midnight oil like I am?  Santa's workshop is up and running here at my house :)  So much I still want to do and so little time left.  I'm taking it one day at a time and one project at a time.

Secret Santa gift for Wednesday. 

Do you recognize this from Pinterest?  I loved this the minute I saw it and knew it was something I had to use this Christmas.  It is pinned on one of my boards if you need it.  It is a free printable.  I took mine to the printer and got them printed for a good price.  I had 2 put on one page for gifts. 

I put this one in a red inexpensive frame for my secret Santa friend.

I added a star burst ornament to the package.  And what girl doesn't need/want a little Bath & Body gift?  So I wrapped up a heavenly smelling lotion.  Now Wednesday is taken care of!

Crock Pot Candy

I'm making candy to share at my husband's Christmas dinner for the office.  This is a good candy because it makes sooooo much.  You have plenty to share and give away.  I hope to share the recipe soon with you.

  

A sea of Peppermint Bark :)

This is a friend"s recipe and I think it is my favorite bark recipe.  I have to let it harden a bit more before I break it into smaller pieces. Tomorrow night I will package everything for sharing.

Grayson & Sloan's Christmas table

Isn't it pitiful without their names on their place mats and chair toppers?  I'm still finishing other people's  gifts so I can't finish my own :(  But it will get done before everyone arrives for Christmas. 

Rudolph and Clarice need company!

Hurry to Grandma's house, Alex, Grayson & Sloan.

Happy Wednesday to all the Christmas Elves our there!