M&M Mommy Craft

No, YOU’RE a grasshead!

June 24, 2008 · No Comments

On Friday my lovely niece, nephew, daughter, and son made Mr. Grassheads! I’m not sure if they’ll work, but it was really fun either way and used up a nice hour of my long day!

We cut hose from about the knee length down

Put grass seed in the toe area

Added potting soil on top

 

Flipped that mamma-jamma, and painted them

Where there could be faces, my kids thought it would be much more fun to simply mix all of the paint and slop it on. Anywho…grass should grow out of the top[ and the kiddies can trim it.  This would be great for smaller pre-schools or city dwellers. 

Or you can just do what my little one did and get in trouble for eating dirt until you finally get let down.

Then today we made some play-doh, which turned out really well.  I found a recipe that is a teacher’s dream, as it yields a ton of it (two batches completely filled an old three pound tub of cookie dough), and is super easy to put together.  I’ll add the recipe for that play-doh lates. 

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Among other things

June 20, 2008 · No Comments

So, among other things, we had the Lemonade stand yesterday, and made a really cute streamer.

As far as the lemonade stand, there was a custom sign:

And homemade lemonade:

And the little girl made about $10.00

But I think I lost $25 somehow.

But I digress.  I had found thislittle idea for the hand-streamer yesterday, and my little girl was way excited about it.  We tweaked the project a little bit though.  First, Ate wrapped the ribbon around a paper towel holder in alternating colors one at a time (she’s very specific you see), and we secured it with tape:

Then, Mommy got to pull out the Dremel again. 

I made holes around the top and the bottom so that I knew the tape and ribbon would have a little bit more of an anchor, and then threaded wire at the bottom, and made loops at the top for the streamers.

This was my favorite part because, well, I got to do it “no, let mommy work on this for a second…this tool is dangerous”.  Makes me sound exciting, and gives me a second to myself.  Nice.  I know, I know, these are all supposed to be projects for the children’s enrichment and blah blah blah, but I need something to keep me busy too (maybe more).  Is this what self validation has become for me?!?!?!

Anywho, we were very pleased with the results:

This was much better than the juice-box wallet we tried to make this morning:

which apparently was too weak for a standard snap (pansy juice box, I almost had another accomplishment today).

 

 

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A nice blend of lemons and aluminum

June 19, 2008 · No Comments

It’s only Wednesday?! Freakin Wednesday?!  The 18th of July right? June?! Crap.  This Summer thing is going slowly but surely.  After graduating, everyone said, “take time to relax.”  I would respond, “yes, I know.  I will” and smile politely.  The I turn around roll my eyes, and give them the mental stink eye-they should stay home with my kids all day.  Anyways, enough complaining.  Since the little one is still too small for me to bring him to all of the fun places my big girl would like to go (and the day is still broken up by a nap-because my sanity depends on it), I am determined to find fun stuff to do around here, like crafts and activities and stuff.  

So my big girl and I have started working on a “Summer Activities” book.  Just a binder with a journal and clear plastic sheets.  I put printed ideas, projects, and supply lists in the protective sheets, and she colors pictures of what she thinks the activities will look like.  Then at the end of the summer we are going to print pictures to put in with the activities, and she can bring it into school (ahh school…) in the Fall. 

So today we started on our lemonade stand, which I think will open shop after the husband gets home (”where did mom go? she said she was running to the house to get more lemonade four hours ago”).  Here is my little girl working on her shop sign. 

Then, I found a great link on the Crafty Crow, which is a must-stalk for anyone with kids, or crafters who love simple or kid crafts.  We decided on Mexican Metal Tooling from Pepper Paints. 

Which turned out great! And the kids thought mom was the coolest for pulling out the Dremel

(Jen, I still have your Dremel by the way.  Now that I have posted it here, I’m not required to remind you.  So if you never get it back it’s your negligence :)  )

Maybe it’s because I had so much fun with the kiddies during this craft, or maybe it’s because the little boy is about to nap, but I’m starting to think this staying home gig might not be so bad.   

Oh! I almost forgot…

CONGRATS ON THE ENGAGEMENT JENN-O…I ALWAYS KNEW PAT WOULD MAKE AN HONEST GIRL OUT OF YA!

→ No CommentsCategories: altered art · fam-jam

Summertime…and the living is easy ?

June 17, 2008 · No Comments

So, it is now day 2 of summer break. I only have one small bald spot thus far.  But my baking and crafting is definitely going to be slighted by kid crafts.  Today I’m surfing around looking for some activities so me and the little ones can have a book filled with ideas at our fingertips.  Here’sa cute site with a top ten activities list that is a little too orderly for my taste, but great ideas nonetheless.  I’ll post any other great ones I find along the way.

Perhaps among the flubber and hand-made icecream instructions I might be able to find a recipe for a prescription narcotic? Just joking! (sort of)

Anywho, here is our fort from today:

fort

…turned triage unit after mommy accidentally hit the little one on the head with a wooden tool-box:

Pssst…A great site with lots of resources is http://wondertime.go.com/create-and-play/ It is great for wee ones or older.

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Are you serious?

June 13, 2008 · No Comments

Has it really been that long since I have posted? I know this is the same lame post every time I hide from the internet, but I really feel bad.  Really.  This is supposed to be the one thing I continue to keep up with-unlike the billions of diaries I whimsically started as a kid and never finished.  I would just look back on them and be totally embarrassed that I was trying so hard to sound interesting.  See, I figure that if I keep up with this, I won’t have to look back because it will be a streamed progression (just humor me, ok?)  :)  Anywho, I have barely been able to do any crafting lately.  Lots of cooking and baking thanks to the lovely lady who owns Honeybee at the ocean front (check it out if you’re ever in Va Bch).  And just breathing after school finished. That’s right, ladies and gents, you heard me correctly-I am officially a graduate (continue applauding, I’m taking these fifteen minutes of fame and praise and milking it for all of the tuition money it’s worth)!  UVa kindly gave me a gigantic diploma and I am now on my way to…uh…working? motherhood?  cleaning?  Crap.  being a student gave me such a more exotic and productive image.  Might have to go back to the bottle then.

In lieu of restarting (again) this blog, I am going to try revamping it a little.  I wonder if there are any new pages.  I’ll check, and report back.

Ta-ta for now, and thanks for hanging around!

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one million

March 28, 2008 · No Comments

one million plastic bags being used/minute=steff neglecting children, home, and school for a few days to make fused plastic bag grocery totes…save the environmentalists

 pictures to come soon!

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So much to say, so much to say

March 25, 2008 · No Comments

I have been compiling pictures and meaning and meaning to post them on here, and alas! have not.  Poo.  But here I am, it’s really expected I’m sure.  BUT because it has been so long, I will be making up for it with lots of pictures.  Because, perhaps you are like me and like the pictures more than the articles (not to slight any of the wonderful blogs I frequent of course).  So, below is the first of the series:

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This is a lovely twofer, because you can see the beginnings of the bibs I have been working on (I have one complete which I hope to post in the next few days), and also the front side of a felty baby blanket for my niece. I was thinking about saving it for Christmas, until I realized that not all children are tiny little things like mine, and I may have made the blanket too small.  That being said, it was my first big sewing venture and I can’t be happier.  You can see the pieces below, which is another twofer, since it also features the new pins I got-they are to cute…why not another collection? I tell  my husband, “at least its not as big as the typewriters or sewing machines” in which he replies “except our son can choke on these and I step on them all over the house”  OK, perhaps he has finally won an argument.  I just keep reminding him that one day I will learn to sew well, and imagine how much money we will save when I can make all of our clothes.  At which point he rolls his eyes.  whatever.  Anywho, I suppose I should have put the picture below first, but you all might as well see the world as discombobulated as I do.  At least while you are here. 

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And these lovelies are the intended Easter gifties for all  of my family babies.  If I love them this much unfinished, I just know they will be super awesome done.  You see, you might have figured that because they were intended as Easter gifts, this photo was taken months ago so that I would be prepared.  If this is the case, please refer to all of the unfinished projects on previous entries (which are too many to link too, so I am sorry but you’d have to do the work if you are really interested).  Because, these were in fact made the day before Easter, and this photo was taken today. 

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And so that has been my crafting ventures as of late.  Tomorrow (uh, I hope) I will be posting the finished bib, and some fam-jam photos.   Right now though, my hubby is looking very tired, and I think it’s sleepy time.  Happy looking, and happy crafting!

→ No CommentsCategories: Crafty Goodness · fam-jam · fiber

New Crafties from New Bookies! And a baby in a pear tree.

February 28, 2008 · No Comments

Sooooo much has happened lately I don’t know how to keep up! I have finally figured out how to keep myself on task for school and have had some extra time to craft.  It’s been tough though! It helps that one of my condensed classes is over this Saturday too.  I am working on an Independent Study about teen pregnancy, as well as my exit Capstone project about welfare and the limited opportunities for participants to engage in post-secondary education.  Whew! All of this social stuff gets me in a tizzy but I love it! Even though I’m loving the content though, the thing about independent work is that you never feel done.  It’s like working from home; it’s always right over your shoulders.  But, in the case that you have happened upon this blog through those searches, feel free to leave your e-mail if you need articles regarding either of those topics, I’m up to my ears in flappin’ articles, believe me.

 Anywho, education-schmeducation (as my younger sister would say), on to the really important stuff: crafts. So, I have purchased some amazing books lately, and am so excited to be able to do some cool projects from them (as opposed to looking at them over and over but never making the time to work on anything). 

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First up is this cool scarf made out of cotton fabric.  I am using these jumbo knitting needles (US 50) and am knitting a use peice of fabric cut into one loooooooong strip.  The idea is from this super cool book called The Crafter Culture Handbook, and it’s by Amy Spencer.  I cannot get enough of the ideas in this amazing book.  It’s a lot of recycle/reuse and the stuff ranges from kid projects to tech stuff.  It.is.amazing.

And there is more you bloggy-crafty lovelies. 

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Could those prints be any cuter? (no) Jo-Annes had a sale on their flannel for -and you might want to sit down for this- $2 a yard!!! And I’m not talking the sale, lumberjack flannel, but aaaaaaaall of the flannel.  I was super excited because I am going to make a felt blanket for my new niece.  The project calls for a flannel backing so I just had to get a few.  Just in case.  You know?  The blanket is a project from yet another amazing book I got by the awesome Betz White.  I had been stalking her blog for sometime, and finally found the book in Barnes and Noble (which I was super excited about!).  It’s called Warm Fuzzies, and you get just that looking through all of the adorable felty projects.  They are just my style and speed. 

But the best thing lately is this absolutely, amazingly adorable new niece of mine, Savannah Grace (isn’t that the best name ever?!). 

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Check out those eyes! I couldn’t get over how responsive she was, and so curious! I’ve been sick so I haven’t seen her since, but I can’t wait to get to know her! Here is me and my lovely sister.  Can you believe how beautiful she is-and just after having a baby!  She did so good, and her hubby Mike was wonderful.  Congrats Sister and Breakfast!

(ok, after much prodding, cussing, apologizing, and resentment the picture of me and my sis won’t upload. Egh! I will try again on the next post)

→ No CommentsCategories: Crafty Goodness · fam-jam · school

Search Terms

February 19, 2008 · No Comments

OK, so I have been snickering over search terms that are bringing people to mommycraft for long enough, I’ve decided to start sharing them with you.  Here are a few funny ones from yesterday:

Yesterday

blindfolded eating
pearl jam ten

When did I discuss blindfolded eating, or Pearl Jam’s album Ten? Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

→ No CommentsCategories: Blogroll · Uncategorized

Finding the time

February 13, 2008 · No Comments

So, I am behind on work and school assignments, but I do have crafts to show! I’ve been trying to find a way to make sure I get my stuff done, but I feel like setting daily goals is too confining for me.  So I suppose I’ll just have to keep running myself in circles.  Anywho.  Here is a journal I made for our dear babysitter (which, as some of you know, babysitters are like angels from above):

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She’s a cool kid, so it was fun making something that didn’t confront adolescent ambivalence.

 Just for you viewing pleasure, here is a cool picture of some Obama rallying we did here in little old Virginia Beach:

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It was way fun, and absolutely inspiring.  My brother and I have been following Obama for some time now, and I couldn’t be more hopeful to have a leader so compassionate (not to mention, he is lovely  :)  ).   It was also a proud moment for me as my sister-in-law had wonderfully decorated an outfit-and she didn’t believe me when I told her everyone is crafty…

I also have exciting news in my little craft world-my dear crafty friend Jen and I are starting a little business! I could not be more pleased about it!.  My computer genius brother is going to get us set up with our licence and site, so keep a look-out.  Being that I am obviously fresh, and a terrible business person, if you have any advice to offer, please inform me! Also, if you have seen anything on here that you are interested in, or that you think would be a good sell, let me know.  Thanks for the continued love!

→ No CommentsCategories: Crafty Goodness · fam-jam · school