craft-a-saurus rex.

so lately i have been on a craft kick. i stalk er i mean, read craft blogs daily. and i don't mean, occasionally, i mean, i should be doing work at work, and yet i am glued to what new thing i can make and can't wait to go to michaels!!!

lately i've been busy trying to make some "springy" things and update my house. the first thing i did, was make a picture for my bedroom...

i saw a similar painting like this on etsy and thought "self, you can totally make that!" that little heart is ventura county... yeah, we rock.

next up is a painting for my mantle. I saw a picture that said "when standing on the edge of a cliff, jump to fly, not fall" that has sordof become the quote about my life.

here is my painting (coincidentally, i have this tattooed on my side)



the next picture is a silly little chocolate bunny I made out of felt. i think its awfully cute, don't you agree???

one of the last things i bit created (come on, imitation is the most sincerest form of flattery) was a wreath that I had originally seen on kiki creates. i adore this blog. almost everything on there I am going to TRY to create!!! anywho, here is her wreath...

(source)

and here is my take on it....

the cool thing? it cost $3 to make!!! i used an old t-shirt to wrap the wreath... and scraps of t-shirt, material and felt for the flowers and leaves. i love this wreath. its soooo cheery.

well, that's just a few of my craft adventures... stay tuned because i plan on making a lot more!!!!



things you should know if you want to be my bff.

i saw this on Little Miss Momma a while ago and lurved it. i wanted to do my own list, but i was 'in between blogs' and not quite sure it would be all that entertaining for the 4 people who read my blog... after all, they all know everything about me anyways!!! so, here are some random facts about me, in case you ever wanna buy me a "be fri" charm, or "est ends".... i'm cool with which ever you chose!!!

the first song i ever learned to sing was "The Gambler" by Kenny Rogers



i hate brown m&m's. i refuse to eat them. i think they taste like dark chocolate

i own 39 pairs of jeans

i put all the cash i have in my wallet into the first salvation army bucket i see at christmas

i hated coffee until i was 31 years old. and now, im addicted to coffee

every day of the week, i am burning a candle in my house. my favorite candle smells are banana nut bread, creme brulee, and twilight woods

i have owned 12 cars and have had my drivers license for 17 years

my favorite job was working at the local christmas tree farm as a kid. nothing like coming home smelling like a pine tree and sticking to everything from all the sap that is on your hands

i had braces AND glasses in 7th and 8th grade. i was a walking "kick me" sign

my 15 minutes of fame was being part of a choir that sang on stage with Michael Jackson at the Super Bowl

i am obsessed with baking. when i grow up, i want to own a bakery

i am terrified of freddy krueger. but only freddy krueger from the 1st nightmare on elm street. the other ones are hysterical to me

much to my mama's dismay, i have 10 tattoos

i am hopelessly addicted to twilight. edward cullen is "my type of heroin" (and really, doesn't edward cullen make every blog post better???) SWOON

hershey's syrup makes all ice cream better

for the longest time, i thought "a quarter after" was 25 minutes after the hour. i blame the public school system

well, that seems like enough of my quirkiness to make public. what do i need to know about you???

who says you're not beautiful.

i remember picture day vividly in 6th grade. i had a "palate buster" in my mouth, in preparation for braces. we had cranked that thing every night until i had tears in my eyes. i must have been extremely ornery the night before pictures because my mom cranked that thing like she had never cranked before. i woke up screaming. i looked like roger rabbit. you could fit 1 quarter and 2 nickles in between my two front teeth. add that beautiful gap to a tony hawk hair cut, coke bottle glasses, and freckles and well, you have one hot mess. i was never what anyone would say was "beautiful". i never felt beautiful. i have always struggled with my weight. yo-yo dieting since i was probably 13. my self image, well, lets just cut to the chase, it sucks....

but now? i have two little girls. two little girls that are beautiful. their souls shine brighter than the sun. they have these personalities that amaze me. i don't ever want my girls to ever grow up and base their day on whether they like what the scale says or what their hair looks like. i want them to go out and rock this world, whether their hair is straight and fine or rockin' the fro. i want them to have all the self esteem that their mama is lacking. i know "punk" and "bam" will rule the world one day...

i saw this video today want to play this song every day for my girls (and it might just help me too)

yup. we are those parents.

today we are taking our girls out to breakfast before "school".... little do they know that instead of going to school, we are heading to DISNEYLAND!!!! my youngest monster's birthday was the 9th, so this is her birthday gift from her bebe & papa (aren't grandparents the bestest???) anywho, hope all you guys have fun at work today, i will be chillin with mickey!!!!

and just because i want to share, here is a pic of my 4 year old dare devil on her birthday this year...

new year...new dreams...

well, this post is a bit late. 13 days late to be exact. i had wanted to start off the new year, blogging my <3 out... obviously, there was a hiccup in the road. actually, there was a whole big suitcase full of hiccups. but, now i'm getting back on track!!!

so this post is my "new years resolutions" post, however, my yoga instructor Jill said that we are destined to break "resolutions" so this is my "to do list"

i am going to come back to this list, throughout the year and check off when i actually accomplish it!!!

1. redo aubrey's room (i am soooo sick of the pepto bismal walls)

2. get new window treatments for ava's room (the shabby chic ones that matched her crib ensemble, no longer go with my elvis lovin' kids personality)

3. finish up my "craft cabinet" (finished, but already need to reorganize!!!)

4. craft more

5. take pictures of every day life... not strive for the "perfect picture"

6. jump to fly. not fall.

7. laugh more, yell less

8. redo the girls hallway (paint chalkboard walls, hang new pictures, paint the top part of the walls a fun color)

9. find one thing about myself i actually like.

10. make others feel good about themselves.

11. make more cuppycakes.

12. get more active. get the girls more active.

13. eat better.

14. go to the dentist. yeah, wehoo. need a root canal.

15. go to the eye doctor and get new goggles. i have actually ventured back into the world of contacts!

16. de-clutter my kitchen.

17. learn how to make biscuits and gravy.

18. have more slumber parties with my girls.

19. sing more.

20. enjoy the giggles.

ok... some are actual "to do" list things.... and some are more "reminders". sometimes i need to be reminded to see the beauty and the wonder and the magic and the joy in the world... to see this all through my girls' eyes... so, here is to a rad 2011. i am going to kick *butt and take names!!! (*word changed in case my mama reads this)