Craft room chaos - is no more!

Well I finally got it done. The room that has been my 'dream' to have (other than the baby-room that it will one day be)! I had been telling my sweet husband all summer that I would get to it. He finally looked at me one day and said something along the lines of... "you know we have a month left in summer... and you are busy at least 3 of those weeks!" I gave him a list of excuses such as: 

• I took a week off to recover from the last month chaos of school and prepare for the bike trip. 
• A little thing called Riding my bike 200 miles along Historic Route 66 for 10 days!
• Recovering from the 200 miles. 
• Doing SOOOOOOOOOOOO much laundry
• Getting an infection on my belly. (blog to come)
• Lunches with the girls.
• Catching up on Facebook
• Going to the doctor in Tulsa every day for a week. 
• Preparing and decorating the guest room. 
• Cleaning the house a couple times. 
• Preparing for a family trip to Branson to celebrate my Grandparent's 50th Anniversary. (blog to come)
• Shutting the door to the craft room every time I walked by. (If I can't see it; it doesn't exist!)
• Learning how to use Picasa
• Resting from trip to Branson.
• Preparing for Camp Cousin Heather. 
• Preparing for the possibility and hope that I'll be teaching next year... 
• Reading my Kindle
• Sticking more stuff in the future 'craft room'
• Getting my beauty sleep... 
• Planning crafts to do once the room was done... 

I'm sure there were more. But ... He gave me the 'look'! I knew that if I didn't do something about that room that he would go in there and turn it into a shrine to his precious golf clubs. His only request was that it also have an 'office' space so we can store our bills, computer and do some work at. 

My friend Jamie recently tore the tendons in her foot. This has left her fairly limited on the things she can get out and do with her three kids. I mentioned to her that I needed to clean this room out and she offered to come over and help. She is a natural organizer. It comes easy to her. MAKES ME JEALOUSLY SICK! I so wish organizing came natural or easy to me. 

She came over and brought her sweet daughter and they were amazing! Jamie sat a lot and that helped cause I could just show her something and she would say "toss it" or "keep it". And I LISTENED. By lunch time we had about 10 piles in the hallway, everything from Andrew's stuff, garage sale, teacher things, holiday stuff, wrapping paper... so many piles. Jamies daughter was our 'runner'. She did great putting things in places so we didn't have to climb over the junk. By the time we were finished here is what we had accomplished... please feel free to be HUGELY impressed! 

This was the BEFORE picture... see all that JUNK! 

We found so many Colored Pencils, Sharpies and Pens! 

We also came across many other random things in multipuls such as:

• 42 unopened rolls of ribbon
• 79 open rolls of ribbon
• 3 hot glue guns
• 3 open bags of glue sticks
• 4 bags of rubber-bands
• 1 box of diapers
• 4 boxes of pins
• 5 pairs of scissors 
• 3 bottles of sliver glitter
• 8 bottles of glue/glue sticks
• 12 baskets
• 52 pictures (in the first bunch I found... I found 3 more shoe boxes full and then another picture box from hobby lobby full later that I didn't bother to count!) 
• 4 rulers
• 2 small scrap-booking paper cutters
• 239 crayons 
• 42 note pads
• 398 pieces of scrap book paper
• 1,987,387 sharpies 
• 289,345 pens
• 1,890,334,236 colored pencils
• 368 sponge brushes 

Quantities might vary + or - in either direction. You can come count them if you NEED to know.

Apparently when I was young, stupid, rich and single (the good old days hehe) when I couldn't find something in my naturally unorganized life... I just replaced it. Thus the multiple things. So in theory... this organizing day has saved my husband money! Ding-Dang-Dong I should get a raise!! 

This is my crafty organization. I have cense fixed the "SCHUMACHER" sign,
picked up the flipy-flop and put away the vacuum. 

The top of the buffet cabinet. I made the "Schumacher" about a year ago but I hot-glued the letters on... (besides modge podge... hot-glue is my next favorite thing to use!!) However, when it got stored on the back porch during the rooms renovation ... many of the letters popped off with all the heat... ugh. I have now discovered this liquid cement stuff and the sign is now fixed! 

This is the bottom of the buffet cabinet.
Look at the organization. I LOVE it! 

Ahhhh how relaxing is that?? A place for everything and everything in its place. Ahhhhhhh...

I found this buffet cabinet when I was moving into my last single apartment. A friend and I were out and stopped by an Estate Sale and she managed to bargain them down to just $100 for it. It is beautiful and has so much character. I hope I can always use it somewhere in my house. I would hate to get rid of it.

These are my 'teacher' things that will be back in my classroom as
soon as I get the promise that I will indeed be teaching next year.

These shelves were a discount buy at Target a few years ago.
They have been through the ringer. So many knocks, bumps and bruises.
However, with a fresh coat of spray paint and some fun detailing
... they will be fabulous! 

I was putting these canvases and my Owl themed scrapbook paper up at the same time when an idea HIT me! Use them to decorate my craft room! I LOVE LOVE LOVE them. It was fun to be crafty in an organized setting... knowing right where everything was and where it went when I was done. Ahhhhhh... 

These are the framed Owl Papers after they are dry and laying on the
table they will hang above. I want to paint the table more of the
green or orange color and do some type of detailing on it
... but I'm still thinking on it.  

On Pinterest I came across the idea to cover empty (clean) cans with scrapbook paper and using them to store things. So... I got my crafty on again and made it happen! I LOVE LOVE LOVE how they turned out! 

Here is a can up-close! Isn't it precious! I just love the owls
and wish I had jumped on the Owl bandwagon
last year to decorate my classroom... oh well. 

This is our "precious things" chest.
We have all the things that are special to us in there.
There are pictures, memories, notes, wedding plans
... all sorts of fun things. 

On top of our specail things chest is a basket of ribbon... 79 total rolls of ribbon!
And yet I still had to buy some more to use on a diaper cake... go figure ! Also included on the tray are a few pictures that are special and I want to always be able to see!
Besides that is a small tub with all my bags, tissue paper and ribbon for wrapping gifts. 

A collage of the finished room! Well kinda finished room...
I did more the next week to finish it off a little more
and I still need to add some paint detailing! 

I am slowly learning that ... you are never fully saticfied with your house. There will ALWAYS be something that I want to change or re-do. This is just part of home-ownership. I guess that is something I can learn to enjoy and use my love for 'planning' to work with.
If you ever need a glue gun, glue stick or pair of scissors ... please give me a call. I have a few laying around. :)

Camp Cousin Heather: Saturday and Sunday

This is a special week! This week Andrew and I get to hang out with 2 of my little cousins. I was 18 when Emma was born and 20 when the Ben came around. Because of the age difference, I have always been more like an aunt to them than a cousin. Luckily we only lived a few hours away and it was fairly convenient for us to make many trips back and forth to visit. 

Around 5 or 6 years ago the kids started going to Midland to spend about a week with my parents every summer. This special week is called "Camp Auntie Jean" and is highly anticipated by everyone, Auntie Jean, the kids, me, their mom! 

Well when Andrew and I got married I joked with my aunt, Ettie, that the kids needed to come stay with us some. The first summer was out of the question. We were newlyweds and well... yeah... even though I dearly LOVE these pumpkins I didn't want to be in the same room with children! The next summer (last summer) we bought a house and it was such a crazy summer that there was no way we could make it work. Besides that I had a full year job and had to work through the sumer for the first summer of my adult life. This summer, due to my open schedule and their summer plans we were able to make a week work. 

This week is "Camp Cousin Heather"!! 

Ettie and my uncle came up here on Friday July 19 and stayed the night. (I STILL get so nervous to have other adults stay at my house!! Will this ever go away??) They left around noon on Saturday and our fun began! 

Right after we were freed from their parents watchful eyes!!
Let the fun begin. Nothing but junk food, late nights and ...
ice cream for breakfast... right Andrew?? 

Lets go see a movie!! 

Our original plan for Saturday was to take the kids to the Caney Zoo and Safari Park, however it was H-O-T outside. We broke a sweat just walking to the car. Andrew came up with the next best idea: MOVIES! I was thrilled... it meant pop-corn and AC! We all quickly agreed upon watching Ice Age 3: Continental Drift!! It was a blast and between Ben and I we ate at least 3/4 of the pop-corn before the movie had even started. This was NOT a proud moment for the Husband. 

Emma all dressed up for church! 

 Sunday morning we woke up and got ready for church. Most of you know that my sweet husband and I struggle with timeliness! 3 of us were up by 7. When I went to take a shower at 8 I woke the last one up. I figured ... NO problem!! We got this!! Church starts at 9:15 we will leave by 9:10 and be early!!! Well... one thing lead to another and we didn't leave the house till 9:17. Luckily we live 2 minutes at most away from our church ... so we made it by the time they were done shaking hands. 

Many people stopped us and make jokes about "wow!! We didn't know yall had been hiding kids all these years!!" "Ummmm do yall have something to tell us??" and at least 4 people told us today that "They could pass for our kids!" What a complement kinda... Great because these kids are stunningly gorgeous and so well mannered, frustrating because I do NOT want to look like I could have a 10 year old!! SERIOUSLY!!?? Oh well... 

Sunday lunch: Foil Dinners!! They were a HIT! 

 Sunday for lunch we made Foil Dinners! I made these often when I was in Girl Scouts and I LOVED them. The kids saw them on Pinterest and said they looked/sounded fun! I mixed hamburger and turkey meat then made small patties. I sliced potatoes, onions and carrots. Then we layered all of these with goodies along with cheese on top of a couple leaves of cabbage. We wrapped them in foil and put them in the oven for a while. I was sceptical. Worried the kids wouldn't like the flavor of the meat, or it would be too "weird" for them to like it. However, they LOVED it! It got amazing reviews!! I was shocked! Even Andrew was pleased! Emma only had meat and cheese on hers; Ben had meat, cheese and a few carrots; Andrew and I had the works : Meat, cheese, Carrots, Onions, Potatoes! YUMMMM-O!! I do believe this is one recipe I will want to remember! 

Andrew showing the kids the composting bin. 

A few months ago we (Andrew) started becoming interested in the idea of composting and doing our share in protecting the planet. We will never be totally "green" but we can do a few things here and there to help out. We have been trying out this composting bin for a few months now. Andrew really enjoys working with it. He is always having to remind me that we DON'T throw away anything 'natural'! When we were eating fruit for a snack and we talked to them about throwing their stems away in the composting bucket, they got really curious about the in's and out's of composting. So Andrew gave them a mini science lesson and they both said they want to help with it this week! As soon as the bucket was full after lunch the kids ran to put their play clothes on so they could help Andrew "compost"! It was so cute watching them all interact together. The kids were so curious. When I'm outside of a classroom I forget how their little minds work... they are ALWAYS learning. Always asking questions!! I LOVE it! 

Tonight we also took the kids to a meeting for our church Prayer Team. They did great. We had burgers again... but they were good. I was so impressed with how well behaved they were and how helpful they were with a little 2 year old that was there. 

I guess I better go so I can get some rest before tomorrow. Tomorrow is our Craft Day Extravaganza!! Woop Woop!! (Yes I might have just done a fist pump in the air!!) 

Blueberry Muffins and memories...

Yesterday marked the 18th anniversary of my Grammies death.
When I first thought about it yesterday, I was a little bitter. I let my heart go to that yucky place where I don't sympathize with her, rather I get angry at her for making the choice she made. There is still are part of me that feels like she would be here if she hadn't made the choice she did.
She took her own life July 8, 1994. Some things I remember about her...

• She was beautiful. Her shoes always matched her purse which always matched her outfit. I specifically remember red shoes, gold shoes and this one green outfit. Now I look back and they were probably silly looking... but to this granddaughter ... it was the perfect look.
• There were 5 of us cousins at the time. Me - 10, Micah - 8, Morgan - 7, Brandon - 7 and Taylor - 6. That made me the oldest. (explains so much of my personality...) Before she died we had the opportunity to make several memories together including trips to Sea World and Six Flags and 2 or 3 week long adventures at Grammie and Papa's house. These weeks included things like: midnight snacks (usually around 9) made of banana splits; putting up a tent in the back yard, only to have it destroyed by a horrible storm that blew through; Baptist pallets in the living room floor; Christmas time around a perfectly apple and red bow decorated, tall, flocked tree; the drive from Dallas to Pampa in their cadillac-- 4 of us in the back seat and one in the front-- my favorite part was we made exactly 5 equally spaced stops so we could rotate spots. 
• Her glasses! Oh heavens!! They were huge! But they were part of the look. 
• Her hair! I live for the day when I can go to the beauty shop once a week and get my hair done in a boo-font! She had this beautifully poofed white head of hair.I can still see it... one of the few things I can still clearly picture. 
• She was soft. I never thought of her as over weight, I was only 10 and weight hadn't become an issue for me to notice yet. But I remember snuggling next to her and it was always comfy, cozy and soft. 
• She planned ... and every thing must go accordingly... this isn't what I remember as much as what I've heard. But I believe this is where I get the "my way or the highway" & "I've got this under control" attitudes! 

Those are just a few of the things I remember but most of all ... are blueberry muffins. We both had a love for the sweet, soft yumminess of blueberry muffins. I can remember, from as early as I could sit up, sitting on the counter in her kitchen and helping her make them. We used a box mix, the one with the blueberries in the tin. It was such a fun sweet time for us. I don't know if the other cousins shared this time or if I was the only one. To this day I can't make or eat a blueberry muffin with out thinking of those sweet times and memories. 

Grammie, I still love you dearly and miss you more than I could imagine. There are so many great things that you have missed in person but I know you have been watching from heaven, loving us through it all. I am sad about the way you chose to leave us, but I know it was harder for you to live than for you to leave. I know you are in heaven rejoicing with the King of Kings now, singing Praises to Him forever more. Thank you for giving me the courage to deal with my personal battle with depression. I don't want to get so lost in my own sad overwhelmed thoughts that I forget the reasons I have to live. 

Thank you for all the great memories!