Blogs I Love...

My BESTIE Jamie has a wonderful blog over at One Step at a Time...  I'm so inspired by her running and just her entire outlook on life.  Not only do I love this girl - her little man LJ is amazing and you can read alot about him on her blog too <3


There's Flamingo Toes -- SOOO many ideas on this blog and I LOVE their Think Pink Sundays!


Of course there's Little Miss Momma as well!  I love her clothes, house, ideas - and basically EVERYTHING about her blog!  She also has a pretty AWESOME Etsy shop!


For EVERYTHING couponing - I go to Must Love Coupons.  My girlfriend from high school, Brandi, runs this site.  She is how I got started into my semi-extreme couponing that I do.  It's a great feeling to know that I'm getting a great deal on SO many things that I used to spend full price on!  Alot of the things that I get are even FREE or a MONEYMAKER!  Check her out!


Hugs!

Those are just a few...  I'll be back and link up to a few other blogs that I love in the near future.  For now - ENJOY!!!

Upgrading the runner - (Just a little over a week later...)

So I decided that I wasn't really completely happy with my original table runner that I made... 

I was inspired by THIS and wanted to make another one!

So off I went!

Here's the supplies that you'll need

• Burlap
• White muslin material
• Natural muslin material
• Black ribbon
• Fall (or any other season if you prefer) decor - flowers, leaves, etc
• Alligator clips

 I cut the natural colored muslin fabric in about 6 inch strips and the white muslin in about 4 inch strips.  Runners can be made as thin or as wide as you'd like them to be depending on your table size.  I usually make mine about 10-12 inches from each edge of the table on either side.  After cutting it was time to SEW!

I have my Memaw's sewing machine on loan because the presser foot on my great grandma's is moving when I try to sew and I need to get it fixed...



You'll want to pin the pieces of material to make the ruffles on either end of the runner. 

Stitch the edge of the muslin material and then pin the ribbon on the opposite edge of the muslin material and stitch on.

Attach the natural colored muslin material to the burlap and then do the same with the white muslin on top of the natural colored material.

 

Then VOILA!  You have a sweet little runner...

 I attached some plain ribbon to the alligator clips just to hide the silver clip.  Then made a small bouquet of leaves and berries, attached them to the clips and added them to the runner to give it  a "Fall touch". 

I can definitely say that I think it will look adorable in the Spring as well with some bright daisies or other flowers maybe?

What do you think!?  I'm always open to feedback!

Hugs!

Sickness...

Monday = Sniffles ALL day which I equated to just allergies.

Tuesday = Sore chest and a cough...  NOT just allergies...

I did have some crafting time tonight which I'm VERY excited about but unfortunately am about to pass out...

So onto a cup of hot tea before bed and then snuggling up to my Handsome :-)

Happy Tuesday!!!

Runner-ing Into Fall

Hello followers!!!

The temperatures around here have been getting cooler and it's wonderful!  I cut my air conditioner off over a week ago and it's fabulous! 

So I've been picking out a few ideas to revamp my house for Fall!  Last week I made a pumpkin centerpiece for my kitchen table :-)  I've hung my beautiful Fall wreath on my front door and we're looking for pumpkin patches and apple orchards to visit with the kids!  YAY for Fall!

I have been looking for a country/modern style table runner for my kitchen table and have found a few but just couldn't find one that I liked enough to pay the price that was being asked for it.  So - as I've said before - if I can make it and not have to buy it - I'M IN!  Everything I have seen is at least $25 for a table runner and there is always something I'd change about it.  (Now, that's not to say that what I made is perfect but it's a little closer to what I was looking for and I'm overall happy with it.)

I went to JoAnn Fabrics yesterday because they're having their "Coupon Commotion" sales this week and I had a coupon for every single thing I bought there!

Here's what I used:

: Burlap - A piece about 10-12 inches longer than your table.

: 2 pieces of muslin material

: Leaves (or whatever you'd like to decorate your runner with)

: Hot glue gun

 

I frayed the edges by pulling a couple strands of burlap out on each side.  Then put the pieces of muslin on each end and laid out the leaves!  It really didn't take long at all!

Finished product?  Right here!  But pardon the tablecloth that definitely needs to be ironed!

What do you think?!

Next up on the blog - an adorable twist on a placemat!

Hugs!

--

Turning Into Fall

Lately, I've been looking around at some designs and options for decorating my house for Fall. 

Normally I'd just do a few things, but I've decided that I will definitely now be the person who changes things for EVERY season.  Why?  I like change.  Also - it gives me a chance to continually be creative :-)  Plus, Mike's family is coming into town this weekend and I always like the house to be in prime condition!

Sunday, Michael's was having an extra 15% off sale and I went and picked up a few things.  I got a SUPER cute pumpkin basket and decided on the hydrangeas because I really liked their color (I'm thinking I'll be able to find a good Spring basket too and possibly be able to reuse them?).  I didn't want just flowers in the basket so when I found the berries - they were perfect!  A few pieces of reed stems and voila!

Next post - a runner for the table too!!!

Ella June the next Mia Hamm?!

That's my littlest princess - Ella June...

For the past 2 years, Kate has been playing soccer (future superstar - SERIOUSLY).  Ella has been patiently watching from the sidelines and playing with Kate at home while she practices.  She would occasionally ask when she could play soccer and say "I can't wait until I'm 5, so I can play soccer like Katey!"  Well much to our surprise, the soccer association started a new group this season called "Kiddie Kickers".  As soon as we found out about it, we signed her up!

So her first game was Saturday and she did great! 

Truth be told it's more of an instructional session for about 40 minutes and then the last 20 they split up, put their vests on and play games.  I have to say, I really hope that this last Saturday was such a mess because they were short one coach and it was the first session.  Seriously - we pay to much money for things like this to have my daughter running around doing nothing for the last 20 minutes...  Her "coach" even asked one of the parents to step in and do his job so he could go talk to another coach!  UGH!  In the end though, Ella had fun - which is all that matters.  We did have a little bit of an issue and had to explain to her that she wouldn't have the ball all the time and other people had to have a chance to kick it too LOL... 

She definitely knows how to listen to her coaches though and has a great interest in wanting to play.  Truth be told, she's gonna be the one that throws her weight around too.  She'll be the rough and tough one I think lol...

And maybe she won't grow up to be a superstar - or maybe she will, but either way I'll always be her #1 fan :-)

"It will be said of us that we kept the faith, that we took a painful blow and emerged stronger." -- Barack Obama

September 12th Reflections...


Do you remember where you were?  Home?  Work?  School?  What you were doing?  The feelings you had?  Worry?  Hurt?  Anger?

I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing and what I felt immediately...  I was 19 years old, my son was 1 at the time.  I was working in the drive-thru as a teller at F & M Bank in Berryville,VA.  He stayed at my grandma's (Memaw) house while I was at work.  A gentleman came in the bank and he was older, had on glasses and a khaki colored jacket.  He came in and asked if we had the radio on or if we had heard what happened.  At that point in time there was only one plane involved.  By the time we got the radio on, it was about 2 minutes before the second plane crashed.  Then word of the third and the fourth came in.  The first thing I did was call my Mom and make sure she was okay.  I remember watching so many minutes go by and only being able to hear what was going on - not see it - because there were no televisions in the bank at that time.  A few people came in and out, but most I'm guessing were just staying wherever they were.  Each person that came in was offering thoughts and updates and all I could do was watch the clock.

When it was my lunch time, I went immediately to Memaw's house, rushed in the door and scooped up Trenton right out of the highchair.  I remember him having orange all over his face from his lunch.  And where I would normally be quite careful about getting it on me or my clothes, I couldn't have cared less that day.  I hadn't said a word until then, when Memaw asked why I was so upset.  It didn't even occur to me that she hadn't turned on the news.  She didn't watch the news while he was up because it was too violent.  I immediately turned it on and updated her on everything - all while holding Trenton.  I couldn't put him down.  She got caught up on the stories as much as she could, we prayed for everyone, and then I had to go back to work.  I didn't want to leave him.  And if I could have taken him with me I would have.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to have been there...  To have been in either tower...  In any wing on the Pentagon...  Or to have been part of the "Let's Roll" conversation that made history as one of the most heroic acts ever... 

What I do know, is that I am a proud American.  I love my country.  I am so thankful to be so blessed in my life, both then and now.

I watched almost all of the 10 year anniversary coverage, just as I have watched the anniversary coverage every year up until now...  And just as I'll do in the future...  I get goosebumps every single time the explosions happen, the towers collapse...  Every time the bells ring during the anniversary ceremonies... 

I will never forget.

"You so totally rock, Squirt! So gimme some fin..."

Whew!  What a Saturday!

Hubby was working all day so the girls and I took off for a couple adventures!

First it was off to the Mom 2 Mom Consignment Fall sale!  We found a few good deals but the prices at the Fall sale were nowhere near as low as the Summer prices!  I was a little let down by it simply because people had much higher prices on the clothes there!  Either way - the girls ended up getting a couple cute pieces each :-)  AND I also decided that I'm going to work on bulking up my "in stock" pieces and have a goal of being a vendor at the Spring Sale!  **WOOT WOOT!**

After the M2M sale it was time to come home and finish the cupcakes for Elizabeth's baby shower!  I had found a cupcake recipe and emailed it to Elizabeth a few weeks ago and after seeing how excited she got about it I couldn't wait to make them!  I chose a "Lemon Supreme" cake with raspberry preserve filling.  Can you say DIVINE?!

I was a little nervous actually because I had only worked with fondant once before on Ella's first birthday cake (which was 3 years ago!).  But with the help of my good friend April, we cut out and pieced together fondant TURTLES!  We cut them out Wednesday night and then pieced them together on Friday night so that all I would have to do on Saturday was put them on the cupcakes.  So I got home after the sale, drizzled some (amazing might I add) cream cheese frosting on them!  Then it was on to adding the turtles and the sweet little "A"s that I made as well!

The whole time we were putting the turtles together and even when I was putting them on, all I could think of were the turtles in "Finding Nemo", hence the title to this post...  I'm a sap for any Disney movie really, but this is easily one of my faves!

After getting all the cupcakes ready - it was on to the shower!  I was so excited to get there and put my little works of art on display!  I made sure to keep an eye out for when anyone came up to them to check them out.  A couple people even took pictures of them because they liked them so much! :-)  That literally made my day!  More important than anything, Elizabeth was tickled pink!  Or well, blue and green I guess!  And let me tell you what - Little Mr. Aiden is LOVED already!  Everyone had a wonderful time, enjoyed (multiple) cupcakes and showered Elizabeth the way every mother-to-be should be!

Here's a couple snapshots of the little dudes!

Hugs!

-- Kristie