Balloon Arch, Take 3 and Room Renovations!

So much time has passed..but I've been informed that no one young-ish is reading anymore!  So I can write again, hooray!! : ) haha!

Our latest adventures..

We got ready for a surprise party to say goodbye to our seniors from youth group at church!  I chalked the hallway across from the entrance!  I got super tired and my hand was hurting by the bottom scripture area..so it wasn't too great, haha!

Our baby dog, Gatsby, is super big now!  He's at 32 pounds..and maybe counting?!  This is Mary Claire's room that I redid this spring..I repainted Carter's old room upstairs (her old room), and got her a new matching monogram made by a super talented friend of hers!  Carter is back downstairs, and she's up..moving completed!

This is a room I worked on for a sweet friend, it's the kids' playroom!  We still need to hang a couple of personal items..maybe their last home's door key or some special toys.

I really have been busy as I look back over pictures!  ..I helped Clay's friend, Georgia, to build a balloon arch that we could reuse (so we don't have to keep using expensive helium balloons!).  She went to Lowe's and Wal-Mart to request money and supplies to make an arch for Springdale Youth Activity Council.  Their walk was to gather food for a local food pantry.  We started with two 2'x2' pieces of plywood, and attached flanges in the center to hold 1/2" pipe (24" long) in place.  Then we got three pieces of 8'x3/4" white plumbing pipe with two fittings that would fit over the metal pipe.  I left it assembled in my garage with weights on the wood since the white needed some time to conform to the bent shape!

metal flanges attached with 1/2" screws

Sitting with weights..waiting on balloons!

We got some volunteers to help us!  And Phat Tire Bike Shop next door let us use their air compressor to blow up our balloons!! : )  We made the arch in an unused business space owned by the bank nearby..and there was very little lighting.  But we were thankful to have a big space to use!

Finished product, moved outside the day of the walk, hooray!!

Carter posing with a cutout of C3PO at Wal-Mart before Solo came out!  He looks SO BiG. :O

Easter, after church..everyone is a little crazy by now!  And our dog had recently been trimmed..he looks funny!

A really sweet picture of my parents.  They very rarely let me take pictures..when they are 80, they'll wish they took more, haha!

Baby Carter (not a baby..) lost his first tooth before school one morning!  He was nervous he'd lose it at school or during lunch..so we helped alleviate his fears, haha!

The bulletin board I did for our youth group seniors!  I went outside the box with a turquoise floral..but you can barely see it anyway!  This is a big group of really sweet kids.  We'll miss them!!

Carter graduated from Kindergarten!!  Wow, he's a big kid now.  He had a wonderful year with Mrs. Mueller!

And an even bigger shock-Ethan graduated from elementary school!  He'll be in sixth grade this fall across town.  Mrs. Cain has blessed us by teaching three of our kids..I hope Carter gets her eventually too!!

Gatsby turned ONE!!  His birthday is June 3rd, so he's officially not a pup anymore!  We adore him!!

Tiffany and I rode from the Fayetteville Square to the Bentonville Square, 31.5 miles!  What a fun day, and we needed each other..it got tiring!  (Especially since we hadn't ridden very much this spring!!) 

Wreath for a friend's big front porch!

This spring, I also had another fun project, an office!  It just needed cleaning out, organizing, and rearranging.  We only purchased five new frames, an end table, and a lamp.  It's not always expensive to freshen up and feel organized..just takes some hard work! ; )

It's a large room with lots of beautiful windows, and I already loved the color!

At the tv/fireplace end, using some beautiful art they already had!

The desk suite was just begging to be put back together..and it looks great with books and frames!  We only have a couple boxes for him to go through to identify recycle/keep/trash!

This is one of the only pictures I got of Clay running track this spring!  He doesn't like pictures..and he's always so far away too.  I didn't even get him in his uniform. : O  But lately, he's running every day from 7am to about 8:30am.  He's up to about 7 miles a day training for cross country.  Good grief, those boys are dedicated!!

I'm still not caught up..but I love to have the history for when I lose my pictures. : O  It happens!  

Hope your life is busy with fun, family, and friends!  Happiest of Father's Days to my DAD! to Ches! and to your dads and ALL the people who have guided you in life!  Hugs!!

Chenille Stems.. or just Pipe Cleaners?

One of our sweet babysitters, Maggie, graduated from high school on Saturday!  We attended her party, and I wish I'd gotten pictures of her decor..all white with black stripes, gold polka dots, soo elegant with hot pink flowers, just gorgeous!  Here is a picture of the kids with her:

And Carter!

Her cousin, Thomas, was soo wonderful with Carter!  And Carter took to him right away..precious.  Had to save a picture! : )

Right afterward, we saw their neighbors, our good friends!  We had to run give hugs and take Ethan's friend, Gabe, home to swim with us!  Gabe also has diabetes, and we love to snag him when we can!!

Monday night, Clay had a band concert.  It was wonderful!  The last song was EXTREMELY fast, and they pulled it off!  I was nervous for them.  I think it was like 178 beats a minute, but it is actually written for like 220/minute?!  It was FAST! : )  And just beautiful music by all the bands.  They've worked so hard. (Ok..so you've seen these three pictures, but I didn't get to TELL you about them!)

When they were playing music, Carter was pretty good..hypnotized!  When they weren't..it was a noisy situation.

So proud of him!

Ok..so whole other subject now.  (Obviously, I dumped pictures off my phone today, ha!)  I made a wreath!  I'd never tried this new deco mesh before.. (burlap, yes, but this was interesting).  This is how I started:

Chenille stems to begin, I used 18 spread out.  I learned to hot glue them or they slide around the wreath when you hang it up!

This is with the widest deco mesh attached.  Here is the tutorial I kinda used.  They did a great job with pictures!

I was worried at this point that it was too airy-looking.  Code for..you can see through it to the work wreath!!

It got better!!  I added (about 36) 15" pieces of ribbon (and then curled the ends of the chenille stems around an ink pen).

Finished, but not hung up..I have one more to finish! : )

This week in science, Clay and a partner, Carson, (and the rest of the class, ha!) have been working on 2-Liter bottle rockets!  His teacher emailed me today to say theirs went the farthest EVER in bottle rocket history at about 220 meters! (the "fins" on the sides were curved plastic, so maybe that helped?)  He must have talked Carson into letting him keep it, haha!

In January, I ordered a Casa Florentina dresser from Ballard Designs to go in my entryway.  I had a LOT of patience...and it finally arrived today!  I don't know if I believe it, but they custom make them in Italy for you.  (Even if it was a warehouse in Hoboken, I'm happy with it, ha!)

I know.  I paid extra for those layers of chippy paint.  I'm happy, so it's all good!  (Mary Claire is in the background making a HOUSE for Carter out of the big box!  With opening windows and a welcome mat!)

Didn't prepare for it..so I just put on some stuff I already had! : )  Rocks from our trip to Arizona, love!!  Now, I need a lamp. .

I have *w-r-e-a-t-h* all over my bedroom floor.  And I only see sleep in my immediate future.  (I hope we don't crinkle all the ribbons I precut!)  I haven't slept much in the past three days.  I've gotten a lot done, but I'm feeling very run down (after three baseball games, bunko, book group, and a moody-getting-sick-Carter!).  I'm trying to stay upstairs every night to get the big kids to bed, then staying up there hanging out (blogging, obviously!) so they don't play iPad, phone, or go sneak snacks!  My laundry is missing me.  I should send a postcard.  (..Maybe I'm being lazy?  If I stay up there until midnight..I don't have to walk all the way back upstairs to check them!)

Hope you are getting rest!  Please say a prayer for two mommas, Juliet and Erica, they are doing a wonderful job mothering, but could use some extra prayers! : )
Hugs,
 

Decorating for Christmas!

Hey ya'll!  I have been a little sick, but pulling through.  I finally got an antibiotic today (since I was starting to have pain in my sinuses!), so I'm hoping to be all better in a few days.  I've slept a lot (yay!), but still got some stuff done.

I have decorated a little (got at least one room done enough, even though I gave up on ornaments!).  Unboxing and unwrapping each individual ornament got tiring...so I did all the kids' ornaments and easy stuff! : )

Here are some pictures of the hearth room!:

This would be Mama Bear's chair..and Baby Bear's chair!

..and Oh, Oh, Oh!! I got my new ivory slipcovers on!  But..now the windows need drapes. ; )

Oh.  You can't see any Christmas decorations in the dark of the shelves.  haha, oh well! : )

Well, the bottom is heavily decorated..but the top got to be too much for me!  ..And I got a few presents wrapped tonight! ; )

I also got a new tree on Black Friday!  We had given two away last year (one Ches hated putting together-but it was full and gorgeous, and the other was a 12' prelit, but the upper lights didn't work!).  It was an unbelievable deal (7 foot prelit tree for $39 at JoAnn!), and it was crazy how I got it (they were sold out, but it was returned..so Ta-Da!).  But, we got it home, set it up..And.  I knew why they took it back.  It was a Charlie Brown tree.  The small box should have been a huge clue.  Here it is before:

(sorry for the dark..it was just too much with the lights on!) (umm..I mean too Charlie-Brown-see-through-the-branches-like!)

But after layering tons of berry garlands, feather garlands, and ornaments from the inside to outside..it filled out nicely!  I'll keep it. ; )  Ches really wanted a tree in the front window since we really don't do outside Christmas lights, so this fit the bill.  (This will be the baby room in the future!)

And the last bit of decorating I managed?  A new wreath!  I don't know what I'll do with the old ones-it seems our attic is running out of wreath storage (according to the Facility Manager anyway).  The new thing (well, here anyway) is big wide (almost 2 foot!) ribbon/netting stuff to use as ribbon.  In fact, some wreaths are ALL netted ribbon stuff.  But..I had a new wreath, so I just added to it.  A big sign, some big red jingle bells, balls, red poinsettias, and a red bird finished it off.  Easy peasy.  Here it is now:

I prefer the Happy Holly Days spelling, but I love that it sounds like my name. ; )  I *love* Merry Christmas, but love to hear my name too. : )

Ok, that's as far as I've gotten.  I'll keep working..there are still so many Christmas tubs sitting all around.  I have to finish so we can have our floor space back! ; )

ps-Are you getting ready for Christmas?  Have you shopped?  Don't forget to buy for someone you don't know : )  There are families that need help, and food pantries need to be filled up!  There should be drop off locations at your church, and even at radio or tv stations, grocery stores, and your local schools! ; )

pps-And..don't forget to leave a comment for another chance to win the monogrammed kitchen hand towel giveaway!  I'll announce the winner tomorrow night after 9pm!  : ) I want to give something to YOU! ; ) Hugs!

Beachy Wreath

I'm Late, I'm Late, for a very important date! : ) (I had a contest end last night, and am just now posting)  SORRY!!

It got busy-I made a wreath...finally!  My front door has been wreathless since January (or February..whenever I finally took down Christmas).  So..I made a crafting trip yesterday, and got stocked up.  I have this huge roll of burlap "ribbon" I got in Joplin + starfish + hydrangeas + little flowers = New Beachy Wreath!

The starfish hanging were an afterthought-but they move around in the wind (we have storms and huge wind gusts today!)

I also got some fabric...Mary Claire wants a nightgown for herself and her American Girl doll that match.  I'm attempting to make them today.  (Ha!)  We also got fabric for a new pillowcase dress for them-soo easy for them to make! : )  Do you want to make one with us?  Let's see...get a couple yards of fabric (even 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 if you have a little girl) of thin (not decor) fabric and some matching ribbon (about 8 feet or 2 2/3 yards, at least an inch wide for the ties), and meet me back here Saturday! : )  (if you want a matching hairbow, buy more ribbon, and you should have enough fabric to make a flower for the front!)

Now, CONTEST! : )
According to random.org, the winner is....Meri!!
Meri, you've won the monogrammed and appliqued white kitchen towel! : )  I'll get with you to see what you want on it! : )  (ps-I just added you as a friend on FB...heehee (you were friends with Heidi and Leigh and Reyna and Brian and JDRF Tulsa..are you that close??)  It's a small world! :)

Thanks for playing friends! : )  It's been so fun for me!

Life as we know it

Sorry it's been so long..it's been busy! : )  Mary Claire had a friend spend the night on Thursday since they had no school on Friday!  We got up and had plans to meet some friends at the Fayetteville library for story time, and they were all so excited!  We got around, then went to Fayetteville (where they were having Bikes, Blues, and BBQ-VERY BUSY and noisy!), and then it kinda fell apart.  We went the back way by Wilson Park, and we went over a few speed tables (bumpy), and Ethan had just had half a bottle of water, and right before we got to the library, he threw up water!  Mary Claire thought he had sneezed-his shirt was wet.  But no.  He did it a couple more times-just water-then we pulled over.  He was crying, and so sad.  We dried him, and he wanted to go to the library.  I drove into the parking garage, and got a Premier (right by the elevator!) spot. : )  But, alas, more water coming up.  : (  We had to leave, and Ethan said he was sleepy.  It really worried me, and I thought maybe he had an ear infection, and the bumps messed up his balance.

I called the Pediatric Clinic and made an appointment.  We drove back home, got him fresh clothes (while he slept in his seat with a blanket!), and went to the doctor.  He was all happy when he woke up, the kids all played in the waiting area, then we saw the doctor.  Mary Claire decided she wanted to be checked too, so we checker her in-my kids love the doctor!

So..they both had ear infections, got antibiotics, and we asked about the flu shots.  They had them!  The kids were not excited.  Ches came and met me up there (yay!), and so we all got the flu mist, but Clay decided at the last minute to get the shot-he said he preferred it to the mist.  (I think he was being brave for Natalie Grace!) : )

Then we went to Tim's Pizza for a late lunch while we waited on our prescriptions to be ready, picked them up, and headed home.  I was so tired!  They all wanted to go back to the library, but I'd had it.  Whew-four good kids, but tired.

Then Friday night I think Ethan had a reaction to his first Flu Mist-he had a fever!  We gave him medicine, and by Saturday morning it was gone.  He's been fine ever since (except he hates his antibiotic!!).  We have this new medicine trick, which only kinda works.  We give him the tiny amount-only 1 teaspoon! and then he gets a teaspoon of mini chocolate chips:

I'd say it's a good deal for him-especially since the medicine is yummy and tastes like bubble gum-I tried it!), but he whines.  I guess this way, he gets the chocolate!  (does he get this from me?)


So Saturday I got to sleep in!  Yahoo!  Then we had two baseball games, and a DATE! : )  We saw the sneak preview of Life As We Know It (Very good!)-I'd been waiting for it.  I'm so glad we heard about the sneak preview! : )  We went to Rogers to avoid the bike traffic in Fayetteville, but it was Homecoming!  There was a long wait at the restaurant, but it was okay-I had to run home and change Mary Claire's site!  Her blood sugar was in the 300's, and rose to 400, so I made quick trip home while Ches waited for the table.  They were having macaroni and cheese (full of carbs!), so we couldn't wait it out.
I made it just fine, and my hot tea was ready-I always order the Citrus Spice-it's delish!
So... then Today. (it's October, People!!)  We did the usual (church, eat out), and then I had to get Clay new shoes for church.  Last week he wore his too-small shoes, and I pledged to get him new ones.  (and forgot.)  So, today, he wore rolled up khakis, and flip flops!  (yes, it was cold here!), so after church we went to the mall, and got him new shoes, dress socks, and underwear!  (I'm sure he'd love me sharing that!)  Then we went to Sam's to check out new Christmas trees since I gave away two a couple weeks ago.  We no longer have a 12 ft. tree, but we need a new skinny one.  I want another 9ft for the living room-they are so much easier to decorate!  And then-I saw a new wreath-a good deal too!  I just remembered it's still in my trunk..but it's a good wreath.  I have a HUGE one, but I'm realizing it might just be too big.  Every year I just add to it, and it's quite large, and covered in glitter and leaves and pumpkins-and I am downsizing.  (Need an old fall wreath??)  So, next on my list (since it's really FALL Now!) is Fall Decorating.  I will have Ches get down all my stuff this week, and get started.  Beachy summer stuff is going, and fall pumpkins are coming.  I hate to say goodbye to summer, but it's really October now.  (and we have to inform my family-they are still swimming every day!!)
The kids know it too-it's costume time.  At school they are supposed to choose book characters.  Clay has picked Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes, and wants to wear a red shirt, have his hair stick up, and wear a newspaper hat that says, "G.R.O.S.S." (for Calvin's club: Get Rid Of Slimy girlS).  We are looking for a Hobbes-ish tiger online, but here is the closest I can find: tiger on eBay (it'll only show up till Tuesday morning!).  Clay likes it, and it kinda looks like Hobbes when he's *alive*.  I know, I know, it's Tigger, but there's nothing closer.  Can you find one?  ..I read that Bill Watterson "..stated something along the lines that he thought it would "cheapen the purity of his work" to have a stuffed animal created to sell.  (but oh, I wish he would allow it!  My kids *love* Calvin and Hobbes!!)
Mary Claire wants to be Fancy Nancy, so..we looked up costumes.  They are just fancy dresses and accessories, and she wanted a new dog (like Frency!) so..I made a deal.  I'd get her a new dog:

if she would be happy with me making her a costume from a tutu and tons of fancy things she already has-she agreed!  I got her silver glittery shoes this summer to wear for Halloween, and she has tutus, skirts with flowers, etc.  I'll bling her up and add sunglasses-she'll be beautiful!  The dog is ordered, and this may be the funnest costume ever! : )
And then..there's Ethan!  He still wants to be a dragon.  It's Clay's old Halloween costume, but he loves it, and he dresses up in it all the time! (sure makes it easy for me!)