Christmas Bough

Another idea I have been seeing on Pinterest. I have a wall that just feels big and empty but it is in a hallway and is easily bumped. I wanted something there but it needed to not take too much space. 

I Gathered up these items 

 (I actually had a different -Perfect- stick with a little more bend but I couldn't find it. 

I am guessing it will show up next march when the snow melts.)  

Wired the boughs (from Michaels) on the stick 

Add the berries and a Bow. 

I hung it up using Command Strip hooks to see how it was looking. 

Then added a few ornaments. 

I like how it turned out and it doesn't stand out from the wall too far.

I'm done decking my halls. Being ready for Christmas is a bit off, I'm sure we'll get there this week  :-)


Have a wonderful Christmas. 

Plate stands

These are all over pinterest. So I am not bringing you anything new and exciting. It was just something I decided to try and to share. 

I went to the local thrift shop and found groupings of plates that I liked. 

Then I picked out a few glass pieces. cups, wine glasses, candle holders, what ever grabs your eye. 

Make sure to use a nice, strong glue. I am Loving the E-6000 glue lately.  

Then you just layer them largest to smallest. 

A couple of tips. 

                     My Sister-in-law suggested, make sure the edges of your glass piece are smooth, not scalloped. Makes for smoother adhesian. 

I think shorter glass pieces are better. I had found this nifty, blue cocktail glass but realized it was going to be Way too tall. 

My family has an annual Fondu party the Saturday before Christmas. 

We have So many items on platters. 

(Bread, veggies, meatballs, chicken nuggets, Little Smokies,  shrimp and the 3 favorites, Carrots, Apples, Grapes. -I'm not kidding. they rock in cheese)  

I think our family selection of these towers will save space and work nicely. 

One more thing,
I have had nasty, varicose veins since high school. They hurt and are ugly. I avoid bare legs as much as possible all year because of them. On Monday, the big one on my knee got bumped some how and burst. It hurt SO stinkin bad and left a nasty bruise. I've decided it is time I do something about it. I go to a screening tomorrow to have them looked over. I hate thinking about how they fix them and I am nervous to do it. But I am quite excited to have them done. 

I might actually buy a cute pair of shorts this spring.  

(Which I am SO ready for and Winter hasn't even officially started) 

So wish me luck and if you have dealt with ugly leg veins… Well.. I'm not sure I want to hear about it.  Good stories maybe. To encourage and ease the nerves. 

Have a wonderful week.   

A year ago today… The unadvertised post

I don't usually live keeping track of dates. But this week is filled with "A year ago..."

A year ago yesterday (Saturday) my mother contacted us concerned that Dad might die that night.. She didn't want to be alone. She asked if one of us could sleep over. I went straight to her house. Mark came soon after and Matt, then Jill followed by Jeff. We all gathered by our parents to face this sad time together. The only one not able to be there was my brother in Las Vegas. We surrounded my Dads bed. We talked to him, around him and over him. We told stories and shared memories. Laughing and crying. Dad wasn't really aware of us but we all held onto him until he got agitated and shooed us away. We went out of the room to find food. One brother consumed countless bowls of cereal and a few tortillas. It felt like when we were all kids together. We all slept with an ear on Dads breathing.

The next day we once again gathered around Dads bed. We told him it was ok for him to go. "Go where?" He asked. Back to Heaveny Father. "Not yet" he said. Then he looked around at each of us and said "oh, you're all here." Then he had the boys help him out to his chair in the family room. He sat with us for a while. 

My own family was getting ready to leave on a long planned trip. So A year ago today I loaded them up and we drove back to say good bye to their awesome grandpa. He hugged each of us and gave encouraging words to my children. His Bishop stopped by and offered the sacrament to my parents. Because I hadn't been to church that day I was asked to join in too. A year ago today I accompanied my Dad as he participated in his final ordinance. What a blessing that was.

A year ago Thursday, we took our kids to Legoland. It was a cold, rainy day. A rare day that closed the park. We decided to go find food. We were just finishing lunch at PF Changs in Carlsbad California when Mom called to tell me Dad had died. As my Hubbs was driving us back to Anaheim, I asked him to stay close to the ocean for a while. We soon found Laguna Beach.  I recognized it instantly from childhood trips. We walked out to a mound of rocks. And spent an hour exploring tide pools, taking in the cool ocean breeze with tears flowing. It was A beautiful, healing place.

It is 1:50 am. I want to sleep but tonight I am consumed by "A year ago.. I am not sure if last year hurt as much as this year is.  I read a quote from a book that said 

"The only way to remove pain from death is to remove love from life." 

My Dad was a wonderful man that enjoyed family, adventure, good food, getting lost, and being surrounded by family and good friends. I was raised with lots of love. I am thankful to have had a Dad that's worth missing. This week I will keep in mind two songs from his funeral Be Still My Soul and There Is Sunshine In My Soul Today. And I will think of his humor and his kindness. I am blessed that I was his daughter.

Not sure what is happening here. But I love this shot. On a different day My cousin Ben (in yellow) had been wiggling a tooth. Dad grabbed him, yanked it out and set him back on his feet. Ben spent the following 3 years walking out of my Dads reach.

Two more nephews. Dad loved taking the boys out on motorcycles, 4wheelers and jeeps. Or just out for a burger. 

Laguna Beach Dec 13, 2012

Covering a lot with those sunglasses.

Wonder Woman

I put most of this on my Facebook page over the summer so this may be a repeat for some of you. 

My 15 year old daughter is a bit of a geek girl and loves all things "geek". Doctor Who, Sherlock,  Tim Burton, Loki, and Wonder Woman.

(her own drawing)

Her bedroom was in need of some updating. When making a theme room I like to do it in accessories. That way it can adapt easily for growing out of it or moving. We are in a temporary situation so I needed  to think --How do I make her room fit this theme without painting walls?--

Then one night I had a vision/dream/nightmare and came up with the perfect curtains. That got the thought process going.

So while she spent 3 weeks being a "Nanny"for my brothers kiddos I worked on a pretty big surprise.

 Notice the Lasso of Truth

Then a bedskirt idea came, followed by the thought of adding a rug since that's a "quick" way to add a theme

The rug was an Ikea find. a beige on brown rug for about $14. I measured and outlined the design.  I then bought large bottles of craft paint. Using an application tip, I started filling in the space. 

*Major mistake to learn from. I used sharpie because I wasn't seeing my lines. As I was filling in I could see I had miss-marked some. I re-set them, then tried to paint over the bad ones. This just caused chunky paint lines with sharpie shining on through. I decided to try a bleach pen. 

I was so thrilled when it actually worked. 

But the chunky paint lines remain. Staring at me as if to mock my mistake anytime I see it:-]

If I ever make another rug I will remember the bleach pen.
Also, it would have been cheeper to have just bought a small pint can of paint. However the squeeze bottle method still gives an easier, smoother application than a brush.  

The next concern was the white wall spaces. 

I have a Brother-in-law that works at a large sign, print shop. We both searched for a few good shots of Wonder Woman that would be alright. Much of the art out there is amazing, but a little too "busty" for a 15 year olds wall. He came up with these. 

A new to us dresser and bed frame. 

(And Wonder Woman's invisible plane)

After all of this I felt like a themed bed spread would be way too much. I bought some solid blue sheets and a red comforter. I still want to add a pillow but keep forgetting. 

I have been searching for the reaction video. I guess it's gone. Needless to say, she came home thrilled to find this surprise. 

It was a lot of fun to work on. I gained some new skills along the way. 

That's it for this week. Are your decorations up? Are you all done shopping? I am mostly not started but we'll get there. 

 I think I have the comments fixed. I would love to hear from you if you stopped by. 

Have a great week.