I want to make

one of these - or at least something similar to it. I'm thinking little skulls or pumpkins instead of fans...

Materials:
15"–17" grapevine wreath
Dry twigs
Wired candy corn, spiders, skeletons, fans of orange paper
Spool of fishing line
Artificial web
Small skeleton
Instructions:
Insert dry twigs in a vine wreath.
Tie on wired candy corn, spiders, skeletons, fans of orange paper, etc. with fishing line.
Drape artificial web over wreath.
Tie on skeleton at bottom of wreath.

Merry merry

Here's my project I'm teaching for Super Saturday in October. Cost will be no more than $15 (still looking for my best tin option)  Size is 12" wide by 9" tall. Let me know if you want one!

Something else I want to make.

This time, for my girls, not for me! I love the pleats, and the elastic in the back, and the big bow in the front. Hey, I could probably even make this in tan or navy and have them wear it to school!

http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/08/paper-bag-skirtand-hidden-mistake.html

Next Project.

http://www.howdoesshe.com/inbox-tutorial-kind-of

I have almost zero wall space in my kitchen, but I DO have a tall skinny strip of wall where this would be super cute. I would want it a tiny bit taller and add a couple of hooks at the bottom for keys. Is anyone else interested in making one of these??

Revisiting an Old Idea...

My girls would LOVE to have their own rooms, but it ain't happening in this house. A thought of this great idea a few days ago to build a platform to put her bed and bookshelf on... so I sighed a great sigh and then I drew her up the plan that's been in my head for two years, to make HER bed into a loft-style, and stick M's bed underneath. Of course, the girls love the idea. I absolutely adore the beds they have now, though, and don't have the $1000++ it would take to buy a new loft bed contraption brand new. (Contraption? Sheesh. How old am I?) SO- - I want to take what we have and re-build it into what we want.

This is what we have. I have two identical head & footboards thanks to my MARVELOUS dad. See the distressed paint and cute routed detail on the headboard and footboard? See the awesome turning on all the legs? SIGH. What I need is THIS (above) style, that we already have, in THIS (below) type of functionality, at just the right height so A won't get decapitated by the ceiling fan. Here's the type of 4x4 ugliness to be found online:

Any ideas? Any assistants willing to sign up to help me with this project? I'm thinking I want to use the same headboard, but I just need new POSTS on all four corners, but bigger, sturdier - and TURNED like the ones we have, with finials on top - - - fence posts perhaps?? and then duplicate the footboard 3 more times, and stack those into a "ladder" on the end. Of course I'd need to brace the back like they have in this bottom picture too...

Reading List

I was just perusing my "reading history" on the library website. This is most, but not all, of what I've consumed the last four or five months. Holy cow, no wonder why my house is so dirty. MOST of these I would recommend.   : )

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks Item Number: 31730066955910 Format: Book Call Number: Children FICTION Dahl, R. Checked Out: Saturday, April 24, 2010 10:42 AM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record The Absolutely true diary of a part-time Indian by Alexie, Sherman Item Number: 31740088123959 Format: Book Call Number: Teen FICTION Alexie, S. Checked Out: Saturday, April 24, 2010 10:42 AM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Confessions of a shopaholic by Kinsella, Sophie. - - This whole Shopaholic series is so fun, I giggled all the way through it. Item Number: 31730057682598 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Saturday, April 24, 2010 10:42 AM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record

Shopaholic takes Manhattan by Kinsella, Sophie. Item Number: 31730080459402 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Thursday, April 29, 2010 12:20 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record

Shopaholic ties the knot by Kinsella, Sophie. Item Number: 31730063314400 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Thursday, April 29, 2010 12:19 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Shopaholic & sister by Kinsella, Sophie. Item Number: 31730070104117 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Friday, May 14, 2010 4:22 PM Checked Out From: Ocotillo Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record

Shopaholic & Baby by Kinsella, Sophie

Fantastic Mr. Fox by Dahl, Roald- - Books that have been made into movies always pique my interest, but after reading this we did NOT see the movie.  Item Number: 31730066351995 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Friday, May 14, 2010 4:22 PM Checked Out From: Ocotillo Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record

The undomestic goddess by Kinsella, Sophie. - Not the best of hers.

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks - This was my favorite book of his.

Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks Can you keep a secret? by Kinsella, Sophie. - Again, not her best. Item Number: 31740091090633 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Monday, May 17, 2010 10:55 AM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Heat wave by Richard Castle - AWESOME. Can't wait til there's more from whoever the heck wrote this! Wayside School gets a little stranger by Sachar, Louis Item Number: 31730063283209 Format: Book Call Number: Children FICTION Sachar, L. Checked Out: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 4:43 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Legally blonde by Brown, Amanda. The goose girl by Hale, Shannon. - Took quite a while for me to get into this one, but once I did I was hooked. Like where it ended up. Hunger Games by Collins, Suzanne - - double wow Item Number: 31730063109123 Format: Book Call Number: MYSTERY Grafton, S. Checked Out: Wednesday, June 09, 2010 4:43 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Catching Fire by Collins, Suzanne - -  wow - oh man, these are the most intense, gripping books I've read in a long time. I'm awaiting the release of "Mockingjay" in a couple of weeks with bated breath... Item Number: 31740090791843 Format: Book Call Number: Teen FICTION Riordan, R. Checked Out: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 2:51 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record The Lightning Thief by Riordan, Rick. - LOVE LOVE this series. So much fun to read. My 8-year-old is OBSESSED with greek mythology now after reading these Percy Jackson books. She read a couple of them twice!  Item Number: 31740090313457 Format: Book Call Number: Teen FICTION Riordan, R. Checked Out: Tuesday, June 29, 2010 2:51 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record The sea of monsters by Riordan, Rick. The Titan's curse by Riordan, Rick. Item Number: 31730061878729 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Brown, A. Checked Out: Wednesday, June 16, 2010 2:51 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record The battle of the Labyrinth by Riordan, Rick. Item Number: 31740086974536 Format: Book Call Number: Teen FICTION Riordan, R. Checked Out: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 2:11 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record The last Olympian by Riordan, Rick. Item Number: 31740090116884 Format: Book Call Number: Children FICTION Riordan, R. Checked Out: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 2:11 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Twenties girl : a novel by Kinsella, Sophie. - awesome, awesome. If you've read Sophie Kinsella you know she likes to sprinkle the "F" bomb in a little too often, but I think this book is probably her best. I have just started "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett - not sure about that one yet The rest of these are in queue to be read after "The Help" is over. Please, somebody stop me. This is where I leave you by Tropper, Jonathan Charlie St. Cloud, Ben Sherwood The Devil in the white city : murder, magic, and madness at the fair that changed America  The Secret Short Life of Bree Tanner, Stephanie Meyer   Item Number: 31740093049538 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Tropper, J. Checked Out: Wednesday, August 04, 2010 4:57 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Item Number: 31740092919772 Format: Book Call Number: FICTION Kinsella, S. Checked Out: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 2:11 PM Checked Out From: Cesar Chavez Library Full Record Detail:  Preview Record

I get it.

Why a LOT of people want to move out of our slightly ghetto-ish area. But why they want to move away from me, I'm not sure exactly, because really, I am delightful. Just ask me. I just wish they would have all moved to the same flippin' AREA, at least. Check this out, off the top of my head (I'm sure there are more I'm forgetting) :

Rockwoods - Gilbert (yes, I know it's been a while but I'm still bitter about not having a carpool buddy)
Lisonbees - Laveen
Reissners - where did they go again?
Goodmans - North Carolina, but they missed me, so they moved back to Laveen.
Stephens - Chandler
Parmenters - Colorado
Evans - Gilbert
Tryons - Queen Creek
Millers - San Diego
Eagars - central Phoenix
Robinsons - Northeast Mesa
Harlows - Washington
Hatches - Avondale
Shermans - Ahwatukee
Fullmers - Chandler (hey, at least they can hang with the Stephens)
Bruces - leaving us soon for Paradise Valley
and I swear, if the Austins move to three different places I just might break down and cry.

SERIOUSLY, PEOPLE??? These are all my friends (or at least people I thought were amazing to be around) that I used to see on a weekly basis, if not more often! Why, oh why couldn't they all have coordinated and at least have moved to the same TOWN??

Heath & Cheri

Remember the wedding invites I designed like a month ago? The deed is done, they're married and on their honeymoon now. HOW CUTE ARE THEY, HUH? Check out the one of Shane and his brand new nephew, Trenton. Both he and Lindsey are slightly more than smitten with him. You could say they are in "deep smit" I guess.

Stuff going on.

Computer is no longer sick. (yeah!) Turned out to be the hard drive. Under warranty (yeah!) Data recovery? Not backed up and NOT covered under warranty. (boo.)

I think I finally got all my programs re-installed (yeah!) but I still don't have 90% of my contacts, since my email database was corrupted. (boo) I'm trying not to think about everything that was in my email that I lost. Please email me if you ever want to hear from me again.

School has started. (yeah!) M got the teacher we wanted. (yeah!) A did NOT (boo) but I'm hoping it turns out better than it seemed on the first day of school...

J has a MIND OF HIS OWN and wants to DO EVERYTHING HIMSELF. Except go potty. He's perfectly content in a diaper. (boo) SIGH. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO POTTY TRAIN MY KID. AND YES, I KNOW HE'S MY THIRD AND I SHOULD GET THIS BY NOW, BUT I DON'T, OKAY??? He woke up dry this morning so I sat him on the potty, which he screamed about, put him in big boy underwear, which he wasn't thrilled about, asked him 10 times to sit on the big potty, and the little potty, but he wouldn't, and approximately 2.1 minutes later I was cleaning carpet. (boo)

I need someone to come clean my house. It's so dirty I don't even know where to start. (boo)

This is fruit week in our Fitness Challenge, and altogether enjoyable. (yeah) Not looking forward AT ALL to push-up week next week though, since I have not been preparing myself. (boo)

J starts preschool in three weeks. (yeah!)

Went to Finny's birthday party today at the Tempe splash park, or whatever they call it. Can I just say I LIKE MY FRIENDS??? Losing 25 pounds this year makes it a little easier to stand next to them, too, since they're all total skinny-minis.

We then headed over to the Children's Museum for an hour and a half this afternoon. I was ready to fall asleep driving on the way home, but still, J did not take a nap. (boo)

School starting has brought with it again the "We must be playing every single second with our friends down the street" syndrome. Dinner is cold on the table, it's now time to get in the bath, homework is not done, but all three of my kiddos are gone. Signing off now so I can go round them up...

Went through all my pictures from my nephew's wedding over the weekend. Sigh, they're just so flippin' cute! (The couple, not the pictures...)

A got in trouble at school today not once, not twice, but THREE times for talking, enough that the teacher had to call me to tell me what was going on. Oh goodness, I hope this is not the start of an unpleasant relationship, and year, with A's teacher.