Snow Day Project

Snow and I have a love/hate relationship.  I think it is absolutely beautiful, but I do not like feeling confined to my home!!  The 2nd snow this year happened while we slept, and we awoke to a gorgeous white blanket over the world around us.  The kids have a pretty solid routine, and this kind of through a wrench into that whole plan.  Schools were closed again, so I spent the day at home with my kiddos.
I didn't really have any "projects" planned, but I never need a plan to find something that I can create!
I had purchased 2 placemats from Target, and I knew that I wanted to turn them into pillow, but I didn't want just plain & boring pillows... so I started thinking!!!  I searched Pinterest, and found nothing I loved, so I started searching Etsy.  I found something that gave me an idea, and I started to work at my own little version of it!  North Carolina is the state both, my husband and I were born and raised in.  We met there, we were married there, and we started our family there!  We were relocated to Virginia when our daughter was 1, and we continued to grow our family here!  Virginia is our long term home now, but both states are home for us!!  So...

This is what I came up with!!

It was a relatively easy project, so I thought I would walk you through it, just in case you like them so much that you want them in your home!!  Keep in mind that you can do this with ANY state, and a cute quote!

I started with 2 Threshold brand placemats from Target @ $3.99 each.

You don't have to use this brand, but you need to make sure that any placemat you use has 2 sides and 2 pieces of fabric.  This project is so simple because this is really an unstuffed presewn pillow!!

Next, you will need to go to your computer, open WORD, and GOOGLE.  Google the state you will be using, and the word "outline".  Click the IMAGES option, and choose an image, and copy & paste it into WORD.  Drag the size boxes until it is the size you wish, and print it out.

Cut each state out of the paper, as close to the lines as you can.

I taped the images to the backside of a piece of iron on transfer paper.  The transfer paper was white, and didn't require the image to be flipped when printed.  

I cut each image out, and removed the backing, so that they were ready to iron on!!

I ironed both states to the pillows, and let them cool completely!

I used the Cantoni font to type in the quotes in WORD, and printed them out, 

cutting them into smaller pieces.

My original plan was to use a permanent marker to trace over these printed letters, so it would bleed through onto the paper, but that didn't work!  So, I ended up freehanding the words onto the pillows, but I used these pieces for placement, and size reference.

The finished images on the pillows...

The final step is using a seam ripper to bust out the stitching on the bottom of the placemat so it can be stuffed with PolyFil.  I need to purchase matching thread, so I can stitch the bottoms of the pillows shut, but I think the finished pillows are sooooo cute!

Here is Virginia...

And here is North Carolina...

I think these are so cute!!

Hope you enjoy your pillows as much as I am enjoying mine!!

Personal Bubble

My kids are exactly like me!  I know this isn't a shocking revelation, but it is the truth!  They are just like me, and they crave their personal space, just like I do.  They need to be loved and disciplined.  They need to feel special, and they need the occasional reality check.  They need to have one on one time with both me and my husband, and they need time to themselves.
I have noticed in the past few weeks, that my kids both REALLY love spending time in their rooms, playing by themselves.  They play well with others, but they enjoy their personal play time.  I have many friends with kids the same age as my own, and I hear more often than not that their kids do not enjoy playing alone in their room.  For a while, I felt like maybe it was bad that my kids were so "different" and that maybe this would lead to social skill issues.  BUT, if you have met my kids... you know this just isn't the case!  Both of my children are very social.  So, I was a little stumped.  Why do they like all of the alone time?!?!
I went into their rooms to do a little evaluation...

Abbie's room is very pretty.  I enjoyed making it fun and frilly for her, because she is our little princess.  She loves all things Barbie, My Little Pony, and Disney Princess!  Here is a panoramic picture of her room.

She recently asked me to sell a few of her toys that she no longer plays with, and buy her a Barbie house!  I was happy to oblige her request, and purchased this KidKraft Barbie Mansion.  Unfortunately, it arrived at our house, un-assembled!!!  It took me over 4 hours, and I wanted to throw the whole thing out the window a few times, but I managed to get it build!
She LOVES this house, and what little girl wouldn't?!?! The house is so tall, that she needs a stool to reach the top level.  She really likes that it came with lots of cute furniture, and lots of places that her Barbie's can host parties for their friends!
Abbie was given a lot of the Barbie dolls, clothes, and furniture that I had as a kid.  I am noticing that because fashion trends have come and gone a few times since the 90's, that she isn't very into the stuff from my past. She has used money to purchase new clothes, and has been gifted with lots of fun Barbie stuff.  So, I put away all of the things that I didn't want to get messed up. Cleaning out a lot of the mess, has also given her more excitement for playing with them!  She can see the things that she likes, and there is less mess to cleanup in the end!  I really enjoy listening to her use her imagination and express her sweet creativity when she plays Barbies!!

More toys line the shelves by her window for her to use her imagination with!  Her ponies, tea set, mini princess dolls, doll camper set, and the Polly Pockets from my childhood are all toys that she seems to enjoy playing with.  Sometimes she plays with one toy, and sometimes she has them all playing together!  I walked in one day and all of her dolls of every size and toy set were in the floor together.  I asked her what she was playing, and she said "Mom, can't you tell, it's Thanksgiving"!!

Her imagination runs like a race horse in this room, and she thrives on it.  We put her other shelf with toys into her closet, so that she has a bit more floor space to play on.  It was a very good choice, that she doesn't seem to mind a bit!  The toys on this shelf are her favorites, and she has easy access to the others if she gets bored.  Again, this alleviated some of the clutter in her room, and she seems to appreciate the less is more ideal!  Although, who am I kidding, the child doesn't have less of anything!

Her American Girl Bitty Baby is one of her favorite toys!  The purple drawers hold all of her Barbies, and all of their clothes.  Her Bitty Baby sleeps in her crib, and all of the baby doll clothes and toys are in the basket under her nightstand.
She played with baby dolls when she was 2, but she seemed to grow out of them and be over that stage.  A couple of months ago, that phase came back in full force!  Abbie's aunt Gin graciously gifted her with a full baby doll set!  Her stroller stays in the playroom, downstairs, and all of the other goodies stay in her bedroom for easy baby care access!

Her karaoke machine is one of her favorite things to do with friends and visitors!  She isn't exactly going to be the next big pop star, but she enjoys every second of singing and dancing, and really knows how to put on a good show!  The basket under this nightstand holds all of her baby doll goodies, and the drawer is full with her favorite bedtime story books.  Her jewelry box was a Christmas gift from Dawn, my dad's awesome girl friend!  She wanted Abbie to have a real jewelry box, and Abbie absolutely loves it.  She feels so grown up and special.

I made this lamp shade for her nursery, and it has stayed in her room for 5 years.  Her double curtains make me smile.  The bright pink and green make the room so bright and happy.  Abbie also loves having pictures of her friends around her room, and I need to be better about updating them!

 Abbie's bed is so sweet and girly!  I purchased her quilt set off ebay.  It is made by Jillian's Closet, and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for!  Her bed is loaded with stuffed animals, like most children's beds are!  She has her Elsa, Anna, and her ponies close by when she sleeps, and her absolute favorite, is the ladybug that lights up the ceiling with stars!

This bed is from IKEA, and a trundle pulls out from it for friend's to spend the night!  She has 2 IKEA foam mattresses stacked, and when the trundle slides out, one mattress slides off to the side!
Even better, it also includes 3 HUGE drawers underneath.  One is filled with extra bedding and blankets, one with pajamas, and one with dress up clothes!  It is the perfect bed for a little girl!

I found an awesome Disney Princess wall decal set at Costco a little over a year ago.  The castle was so beautiful, and I could immediately picture her wall with her name in glittery letters beside the castle!  I found the letters in the dollar bins at Michael's!! They were all out of the letter I, so I purchased an H, and cut out the center!  I love the way it looks, so regal!!

Her portrait was done from the Belly Pictures I had shot when I was pregnant with Brady.  I loved this picture so much that we decided to have a canvas made for her room!  It won't be long and we will need to do a new canvas.  She has changed so much since this picture was taken 3.5 years ago!!

Abbie was given her very own "Vanister" for Christmas, from her sweet Poppy Scott!  She loves having a place that she can play with make up.  She lays her clothes out for school every morning at her vanity, and gets herself ready for the day!

Her cheer bow collection started growing fast, so I made her a bow holder that hangs above the vanity.  She feels like a "lady" having a place to get ready every day!

After my evaluation of her room was complete, I realized exactly why she enjoys being in her so much, it is PERFECT for her!  She loves everything about it, because everything is her favorite!  It was custom built for her, and what little girl wouldn't love playing with all of her super cute and fun toys!?!?  This is her personal space, her comfort zone, her bubble!  I love that she loves the space we created for her!!

It's On Sale!

I have enjoyed doing a little musical number for a few years now, informing everyone I know that the Valentine's chocolate has gone on sale!  This year's video, is my favorite thus far!  PLEASE ENJOY!!

Attack on American Mailboxes

I got a text message from someone I love, and she was shaken.  She was very upset & needed some support and advice.  She had gone to the mail, and was sorting through it when she got to her husband's Sports Illustrated Magazine.  It was this years' Swimsuit Edition, and after seeing how very little the swimsuits are actually being showcased... she was hurt, she felt insecure, and she was praying that her husband wouldn't be upset with her for wanting to throw the magazine in the trash.  She sent me a few images from within the magazine, and I too am completely floored.  The magazine looks more like a Playboy filled with skinny women, with enormous breasts, showing the world everything they have.  I was completely speechless.  This magazine should have had a black protective sleeve on it.  You should have to be 18 years old to purchase it.  And young boys & men shouldn't be able to find this SMUT in their mailboxes.  I couldn't help but be disappointed in a country that allows this type of material to be mailed out in mass. This magazine arrived the week of Valentine's Day.  Men across the country are fantasizing about women, with unattainable body images, and flaunting everything they have for any household in America that subscribes to Sports Illustrated.
I found myself thanking God that my husband doesn't subscribe.
That is when it hit me... THINGS LIKE THIS ARE EVERYTHING THAT IS WRONG IN OUR COUNTRY.  Yes, I said it.
This magazine creates many problems, but I am going to outline 5.

It made your wife feel insecure about her body.
As a mother of 2 children under 5... there isn't much about my body that I am 100% in love with!  Fact is, I don't look anything like I did before I had kids.  I have had 2 additional surgeries since my last c-section, and they left me with 12 visible scars on my stomach, legs, arms, and rib cage.  Even 3 years after the birth of my last child, I am 50lbs heavier than I was when I got pregnant with my first.  I use skin care products to keep my skin looking fresh and young, and makeup to cover the imperfections.  I workout, and eat healthy so that I can attempt to reverse time.  And I rub cream on each scar daily to try and make sure that my husband still thinks I am beautiful.  He would say that he would love me no matter how I look, but I want to look good for him.  I want to be the one that he thinks about, NOT THE WOMEN IN THAT MAGAZINE.  I can't look like them, no matter how hard I try.

It makes young men have unattainable expectations.
I can't imagine being single and turning 20 these days.  What men have been exposed too is so beyond what they had been 10 years ago.  These men have hopes and expectations based on years of seeing women like these.  They don't realize or even care that they are airbrushed, haven't eaten a real meal in years, and are being degraded.  SHE IS HOT, is all they are thinking, and it's what they want.

It makes husbands lust for someone that isn't their wife.
Porn RUINS marriages every day.  Do not be fooled by the title of this magazine... it is PORN.  Almost completely naked women (some are completely naked) mailed out in mass to men across the country, bought off store shelves, and flashed across computer screens.  It is P.O.R.N.  Make no mistake about it, the men looking at those pictures are doing what any man does when he sees a naked chick... thinking about sleeping with her.  Your marriage can not benefit from its husband lusting after a woman that he isn't married too.  PERIOD.

It is not discussing anything related to sports.
The first Swimsuit Issue of Sports Illustrated Magazine was released in 1964.  The purpose of it was to fill a gap in good sports news during a month that there isn't much to discuss.  It has since become one of the issues that men look forward to receiving each year, and one of the only issues some men subscribe for.  The magazine in 1964 had 5 pages inside with a female model in swim wear.  Now the ENTIRE issue is devoted to half naked women wearing (or not wearing) the tiniest form of a bikini.  This is false advertising.  Putting smut into a magazine labeled with a SPORTS title... will only draw more men too it, and help drive up sales. Because everyone in America knows that for some disgusting reason... sex sells.

It is not prohibited for young audience.
This magazine sits on shelves in all of it's glory for anyone to see and flip through.  I read an article that is case and point.  A mother standing at a pharmacy counter with her 11 year old.  He saw the magazine and went crazy. He wanted to keep the magazine, because he could almost see full breasts.  I can't imagine how that mother felt, and I can imagine how upset I would be for my 11 year old to be exposed to that.  THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.  As American's we have freedom, but we aren't being responsible.  It is no wonder so many nations around the world hate everything about Americans.  Look at the kind of smut we allow children to be exposed too.

If this magazine had arrived at my house, I would have thrown it in the trash, and unsubscribed my husband. I pray that my uncle and his family of 4 young boys who are sports advocates didn't receive it.  I pray that young men across the nation learn that women deserve respect, and we don't deserve to be compared to something that is completely unreasonable and unrealistic.  I pray that they find happiness in their marriages, and not in some trashy magazine.  Sports Illustrated should be ashamed of themselves, and show some responsibility in their future issues.

I am anti-Grey

Every 107 seconds someone in the US is sexually abused.  That is 293,000 American's a year.  44% of these victims are under the age of 18, and 98% of the people who commit these crimes will never spend a single day in jail for their crime.
1 out of every 6 American women, have fallen victim to an act of sexual violence.  Now, stop and think about your main group of friends.  I bet you can count 5.  Do you realize that statistics say that at least 1 of the people you just named, have been sexually assaulted or abused?  If you are one of those women...
I bet there is a good chance that you are in the group of people who wants nothing to do with 50 Shades of Grey.  Unfortunately, I fall into that category, and I have no intention of wasting 2 hours of my life watching a movie in which Hollywood glamorizes sexual sadism.  I haven't read the books, nor do I plan too.  There is nothing about this story line that can benefit my marriage or our sex life.
I don't talk about it much, and I didn't talk about it at all for years.  I had run away from home, and I was staying with someone I thought was a friend.  I had stayed at their house for several days, until the night he drugged me, raped me, and left me for dead.  Once you have lived the horrific experience of a rape, you carry that with you for the rest of your life. It is hard to fully recover from it, and some people never do.
So, what does 50 Shades of Grey mean to someone who has lived through this battle??

There are women all across the country who are actually fantasizing about being with someone who hurts them sexually.  Someone who inflicts pain on others for their own excitement.  There are women dreaming about being controlled and having loveless sex.  This type of fantasy has the ability to ruin your sex life.
If you haven't heard of a man named Robert Bashara, you should look him up.  Read about what a real life Christian Grey did to countless women, whom he called "slaves", and how he eventually killed his wife because she wouldn't participate in this type of sex with him.

Hollywood can make anything feel like a dream you want to live.  They have the ability to make you fall in love with a vampire, root for the hooker who charged a man $3000 for a week of company, willingly watch children slaughter each other for sport, and now... fantasize about violent sex.
I read an article yesterday that I really related too.
It discussed the 5 things that 50 Shades of Grey teaches about sex...
1)  If you are good looking, rich, or successful, you can develop a violent sexual appetite and people will be okay with it.
2)  Sex is completely for pleasure and all love/romance should be removed from the situation.
3)  Girls:  If you hang around long enough and put up with a guy's "issues", eventually he might love you and change.
4)  Guys:  You can do whatever you want to a girl and she'll just take it because... she's a girl.
5)  If you put a lot of highly explicit sexual material into a story, people will make it a best seller and it will even be turned into a big budget Hollywood film.

Please know that I am not condeming anyone that I know for reading these books, or heading to the theaters this weekend.  You are all adults, and are fully capable of making your own decisions.  I am simply stating why I do not wish to participate in this phenomenon.  While I completely agree with #2, #3, & #4 from the statements above, my SOLE REASON for not wanting to be a part of this, is very personal.  What happened to me was devastating, and very hard for me to work past.  I can't relive any of the moments that I survived that day.
TO ANY WOMEN who read this and suffered through any act of sexual violence... I am so sorry.  I am sorry that you weren't treated with respect, that all human beings deserve.  You are beautiful, and the past doesn't have to control your future.  Find someone to talk too, and share your experience.  Do not keep that trauma bottled up.  Know that it is okay to dislike the 50 Shades of Grey wave that has swept our country. Do not feel like you have to go with your girlfriends.  You are not a freak, you are not the only one who won't be watching!!
Enjoy your Valentine's Day weekend doing what the rest of us will be doing... WAITING FOR THE CHOCOLATE TO GO ON SALE!!!!!

PS... in the time it has taken me to write this blog 29 women in the United States have been sexually assaulted, and 12 of them were under 18 years old.