Day 30- Playroom Art Gallery

I think I am really going to love this! I did finish most of it, but I didn't have any picture hangers, so I can't hang it up yet. So here are a few pics- the best I can do for now!

Close up of the clothespin- the paper is a fun green color- it actually matches the snake in my Day 29 Playroom Art. What the... how did this pic get in here? Have you ever been uploading photos and wondered this same thing?
I got Ben to hold it up where it will be hung

I think it matches nicely!

Can't wait to see what my creative little artist will hang up!

.

Saw a great tip to make a book of your child's artwork that has pictures of them working on the art piece across from the actual art. Wouldn't this be a neat memento!

Day 29- Playroom ABC Art

I had a lot of fun with this one! It also took me 9 grueling hours bent over a stack of papers, but I am happy with the results! You can't really tell in these pics, but the detail the layers of paper add is awesome!
I'm not a photographer. So sue me. But I had to get lighted closeups of my favs.
I love the vellum clouds!
PS that is purple gluestick still drying :)
Patient much?
Almost look good enough to eat!

I want to hold her!

This totally embraces the theme I wanted for the playroom! Now I will add bits and pieces of decor to match!

Day 28- Hot Corn Dip

This did not let me down! I have been looking forward to it for some time now. I thought it would be the PERFECT football game appetizer.... I was right!

Unfortunately, I forgot to take a picture before we dug in! Here's what was left!

I'll claim that mine looked just like Our Best Bites....

It was close :)

Day 27- Design Playroom ABC Art

Here's a little teaser for you:

This is the frame I'm going to use
It's pretty decently sized
Don't let the price tag fool you... I bought it at Savers on a 99 cent Monday featuring blue tags! Yeah baby!

You'll just have to wait for Monday to see how it turns out :)

Day 26- Pearl Necklace

This necklace was inspired by a Cookie Lee Catalog

I think it turned out beautiful- definitely my style!

See if you can guess where I bought my pearls...

Day 24- Sweatshirt

So, I figured it's about time I get started on this sweatshirt again. I only have like 14 stitches in. So tonight while I'm waiting for Brook to go to sleep since she napped from 5pm until 8pm, I will be watching McLeod's Daughters and cross stitching! Hopefully I will get the whole head finished and get started on the angel's body!

Day 23- Baby Shower Games- UPDATED

The classic "Complete the Nursery Rhyme"

I tried to pick some rhymes that everyone might not know

This is a new favorite that I played at my good friend, Tara's baby shower. It's a phrase matching game- You match a baby-type phrase to a candy

See example below
I used all these candies in the game. Whoever gets the match, gets the candy! It's a lot of fun and the phrases are pretty cute/funny themselves! If anyone is curious what other phrases I used to match to the candy, just leave me a post and I'll make a list.

UPDATE:

I had a request for the list, so here goes:

Butterfingers: What you don't want your dr to have

Snickers: Baby's first laugh

Hugs N Kisses: Baby needs lots of these

Baby Ruth: Girl's Name

Mike N Ike: Boys Names

Goobers: Messy Little Babies

Rocky Road: Long Sleepless Nights

Mounds: What you find in a diaper

Milky Way: Baby's First Diet

Tootsie Rolls: Chubby Little Legs

Take 5: Rests between contractions

100 Grand: Babies are worth more than this

There are others you can do that I didn't use (since I'm doing this for a church shower, I didn't want it to be crude), or you can make a different variation of the ones I did use, such as follows:

Milk Duds: Breasts after nursing

100 Grand: What a baby costs

Skor: How baby got here

Lifesavers: Epidurals (I go natural, so I didn't like this one- maybe you could do Doulas!)

And there are a million more you could do!

Ponderings, Continued

Well, after much personal reflection and a few tips from my close friends, I have come to the decision that I'm just going to finish out as strong as I can and let the things go that I didn't do. I just don't have it in me to finish them all up before March 31st with all that has transpired throughout the month. Plus, Jen said if I would, then she would! So it's a fair trade!

So for the rest of the month, I have updated my sidebar to outline the projects I am going to finish up. I'm actually going to be working a little bit more since.... Heather is having her baby! Yep! She's in the hospital folks! I'll be an aunt once more in the hours to come! I am so excited! Love you Heath! Good luck!

Worthwhile Distraction- Picaboo

Oh My Gosh. I haven't been this excited since Christmas morning 1992! (I have a picture to prove that!) I got my free book from Picaboo in the mail today. Pretty freakin awesome since I actually placed my order Saturday at 10:15 pm.

It

Is

BEAUTIFUL!

I am seriously in love with this! I want to make about 50 books right now! Just to prove how awesome they are, BEN wants to make 50 books right now! We were going to give the book to Brook for her 3rd birthday in September... and we can't wait! We're giving it to her for Easter instead! Just because we want to read it!

So here are a few pics:

And this isn't some dinky size- it's 8.5x11.....gorgeous!

This is just a sample of the book... I am in love! The picture print quality is amazing. The paper quality is amazing. The binding quality is amazing. I am just COMPLETELY satisfied with this purchase. Worth all 899 cents it cost me to ship it!

DO THIS RIGHT NOW AND DON'T DELAY!

You only have until the end of this month I believe- it is WORTH IT!

Day 22- Painted Jeweled Onesies

I'm not going to lie. This project felt more intimidating than the mod podge shoes! Paint? On my clothes? Free hand??? I'm feeling nervous about this....

So I picked up a couple tops at Saver's on 99 cent Monday, made a few stencils out of freezer paper (my best friend- for real.) like Samster's Mommy instructed, and jumped in!

The girls really like them!

(the big spot in the middle of the top on Ellie's is drool...)

Now I just want to paint on all my clothes!

Ponderings

I have enjoyed this month so much that I'm pretty sure I want to keep it going from here on out. Probably not as full as March, because let's face it- my house would probably spontaneously combust due to accumulation of filth.

However, I sort of feel like a failure. I completely missed FOUR days this week... and I feel like I cheated on a couple more. What I'm trying to decide now is this: do I try to get the missed projects done by the end of the month by doubling up four days or do I just let them go?

How 'bout a vote... what do You think?

Day 21- Chocolate Sea Salt Truffles

These were really fun. My brother, John, and his family came over so Rachael could help me with the rolling, dipping, and salting of the truffles- it was a lot of fun!

I wouldn't want to do this EVERY day, but it's one of those projects that's definitely fun with good company and no time table :).

We tried some with a little blue sugar,

and a little pink sugar,
but overall, the sea salt was the favorite.
Don't mind my teeth marks- I just wanted to show you the inside....
Mmmmm... fudgy

Day 16,17,19, & 20- What I Did Instead

-Planned activities for a baby shower

-Read a Christian Romance Novel

-Went to the temple with my big sis

-Shopped a 10 cent sale at Munchkins

-Had a game night with some of my sibs

-Ate pizza for dinner three times

-Went visiting teaching with my partner

-Pretended to clean my house

-This:I love my girls!

(Disclaimer: This is possibly the worst photo ever- I am going to try to update it tomorrow with a better one, but just in case I don't, please forgive me! It is incredibly hard to get a good picture of feet with a 2 year old and a 4 month old!)

Day Eighteen- Kitchen Board Saying

What it said:

What it says:

I am happy with it.

Votes on antiquing it?

Day Fourteen through Sixteen- Mush

Well guys, vacations are horrible. You never get done what you plan! However, I did have a most marvelous time with my sisters and mom. I love those women. How did I get so blessed to have them in my family? The only thing that would have made it better would be if the rest of my sisters would have been there too. Missed you guys!

So Sunday and Monday I got a little ways on my cross stitch. The fabric is attached to the sweatshirt and I have part of the face stitched in. That's my progress. Not too great.

Today I'm supposed to be designing my food storage tracking plan. Any great ideas out there? Mostly I want to know what I've got in my pantry and find a good way to track what I use so I know when I need to get more of certain items. I was thinking something with magnets and clipboards and spreadsheets.... of course I want it to be cute as well! I may even make a "coupon pocket" for coupons I find for items I stock in my pantry. I guess we'll see how it evolves. IF (big if) I get anywhere with it today after recovering from my sleepless weekend, I will post a pic tonight!

Day Thirteen- Chocolate Cups

Apparently tomorrow is National Pi Day, so we are baking a pie here at Paul & Heather's so today we decided to make the Chocolate cups and TOMORROW I will work on the sweater! Seriously, have you ever tried to blow up a water balloon?

It ain't a party with the Smith girls unless there is dancing involved. Period.

Had to do something with that leftover chocolate...

Despite how the back left one looks, it is actually peanut butter in there under that cheesecake pudding....

Next time I will make them bite size, fill them with a thick mousse, and top them with fresh fruit (probably strawberries... yum!)

Day Twelve- Crocheted Bow Headband

I will add pics to this post later- I stayed up until 11:30 last night after getting to Rexburg to finish this project. I am committed! Anyway, I used a light pink yarn and made the bow for Ellie. It turned out really fun! I used Prudent Baby's instructions for the headband part, but kind of did my own thing for the bow. Really fast and easy- except you have to count!

Day Eleven- Laundry Closet

So... I never did make it back to the laundry closet. And I'm headed out for Rexburg in two hours, so I don't think it's going to happen. I will have to finish it up on Tuesday... or maybe my darling hubby will finish it while I'm gone....

UPDATE: He did! What a sweetie!

BEFORES:

AFTERS:

This light used to be a drop down light that I nearly broke off several times after we moved it. Duh! Replace it with a can light! Now the tops of my cupboard doors have burn marks in them.... whoops :)

Don't mind my fresh load right on the dryer....

*vinyl is from Uppercase Living- my sister in law Rachael sells it!