Coming Soon...

Have I mentioned how much I LOVE the ladies over at How Does She?  Their blog has given me LOTS of inspiration for projects.  I am in love with all the 2x4 crafts they create and have been wanting to try some of my own.

I have an idea up my sleeve for an adorable 4th of July decoration, so check back soon!  I am hoping to get a bit of crafting in this afternoon.  I will try to take some pics.  Waiting on vinyl from Expressions Vinyl to arrive so I can do lots of cute projects!

My Hubby - The New Cake Boss!

Nope, this cake did not come from a magazine (ok, well the idea did). It came from my kitchen and my hubby! B has gotten VERY into cake making lately - we TIVO all the cake shows like Ace of Cakes and Cake Boss. It all started with our second born, CJ's, birthday cake. Then he made a cake for our friends 2 & 4 yr olds birthday party. And finally THIS creation, no this masterpiece!!! I am so proud of him and can't wait to see what he does next!!!

End of the Year Gifts

My oldest son just finished his second and final year of preschool. It is both exciting and sad at the same time. Exciting because that mean we are heading into school years and I will be embarking on the roller coaster that is homeschooling. Will it be challenging, yes. But will the rewards outweigh the challenges, definitely. I can do all things in Christ. He has led us to the decision to homeschool our children, and He will equip me (yes, a credentialed teacher needs to be equipped! Teaching YOUR OWN kid is VERY different from teaching a room of 35 sixth graders).

Above is the adorable card I made using my Cricut (have I told you lately how much I LOVE that little machine!). CB (my oldest son) was certainly blessed with TWO #1 teachers this year! What a blessing they were.

For the gift, I had saved this one for just this occasion! As some of you know I have a large list of blogs that I read on a regular basis. When I see an idea that I love I save it in my Delicious list (an online bookmarking list, so your bookmarks are available anywhere that has Internet.) Anyway, a few months ago while I was peeking at Nap Time Crafts I saw this beautiful idea! You can't get much more simple than that: crayons, some Tacky glue, and a shadow box frame.
I cut out each teacher's first initial in a very large font so I would have a guide for where to place the crayons. I backed that paper with black so the letters would stand out. I love the All Mixed Up font cartridge! Such a cute font!!!
They loved them!!! I was so happy with how they turned out and even the wrapping was super cute. I had found bags that were covered in apples in the Dollar Spot at Target a LONG time ago and had put them away for teacher gifts. When I started planning on making these, I thought the bags would be too small since I was going to get 12x12 shadow boxes. However, when I was at Michael's I didn't see any I liked so I grabbed these 8x10 frames. They fit just right in the bags!!! With the addition of a bit of yellow and green tissue paper and a cute bow, they were the perfect way to say thank you for all CB's teachers had done this year!