before and after

I know... I don't post for a couple months and now I am a posting machine. I just wanted to show a before and after picture of our house. The last picture is what the house looked like when we bought it 5 years ago. The first and second pictures are what it looks like now... not quite finished but coming along nicely if I must say. I definetly have a very talented handyman for a husband!

a new week

what a blessing kids can be... my dd made chocolate cake for me on my birthday - she is such a nurturer.

Busy with graduations this weekend and now for more moving up and cleaning up ahead for this week. Exciting though!

God's Blessings- K

5 minute chocolate mug cake:

4 tbsp flour

4 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

1 egg

3 tbsp milk

3 tbsp oil

3 tbsp chocolate chips

small splash of vanilla extract

1 large coffee mug

add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly.

Pour in the milk and oil to mix well.

Add the chocolate chips and vanilla extract, and mix again.

Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts.

The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed. Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. Eat! this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous.

You say it's your birthday...

it's my birthday too! :) I am banished to the boys room for a bit while my daughter whips me up something special in the kitchen. Can't wait! She is so thoughtful and such a "mother" it just makes me smile.
Carpet layers are busy laying carpet upstairs for my birthday too. Not really for my birthday but it's a nice thought. The kids' anticipation is building, trust me. I promise to post SOON with pictures of the house.
I have been cleaning, throwing, returning, painting and more this first week out of school and today we went to a fishing clinic, so this afternoon, I am just going to bum around. Going to work was a lot easier than summer vacation!
Here are some pics of some canvases I did... and of course some pics of the first real swim of the year, courtesy of Tyler, mine won't be until the water is a wee bit warmer!
Tyler, my cannonball champion, and look at the smile!


this one is going the wrong way but I love the quote:
"Every once in an ordinary life, love gives us a fairy tale."

(pieces of fabric and a felt heart ...)

"keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadows" - Helen Keller

Happy Saturday everyone! -K
(if your name happens to start with an "N" and end with a "K" a big I love you and lots of hugs and kisses from all of us ;) - we miss you!)

whatcha' been doin'?

oops! Alot of time has gone by but I have been busy watching this:

our two sons wrestling and taking 1st and 2nd at state this past weekend!

painting these:

finally getting some product for upcoming shows!

and enjoying this sweet little one:

we don't see her often enough but we sure love her (you too Megan and Robert ;) )

now to get back to my Bible Study... and some more painting, but this time on the house! I will have to post some of those pics soon.

God Bless! -K

Still kickin' ...

I didn't fall off the face of the earth, nor did I sell all of my crafty things to give it all up for lent. Life as we all know, just gets busy. Most of the time in a good way, because it usually involves family and friends. I have been playing catch up also with Patter's His Holy Name challenge. I was a couple of weeks behind but am happy to say I am right on now. Here were the past attributes we studied: Sovereign, Protector, Righteous and Creator. It is so exciting to be spending time in God's word, learning more about HIM. Too cool! Have a blessed week! - K

TFL! :)

a dream

All of my life I have enjoyed creating, whether it was drawing, scrapping, stamping, painting etc. I still enjoy, now perhaps more than ever. It is an extension of myself, and a gift from God who is the most Awesome creator there is. I see His work daily, in my children, in the sunrise as we go to school in the morning, in nature as I walk and in the sunset every night as God paints a new masterpiece that calms my spirit every evening. I am fortunate to get to share this gift, not jsut with my family but with others too. I have been designing stamps for Unity Stamp Co. and it is such a joy when I see something I created come to "life." I am particularly fond of the most recent stamp set, one where I can use that gift to glorify God.

Blessings from Him stamp set

Rain and Flowers stamp set

I will hoepefully being posting again soon! Sooner than last time anyway :) I have some Bible Study pages done and I am hoping to get a chance to create with these new stamps too!

Until then - Blessings to you and yours - K

the "WOW" girl...

I have the privilege today of getting to be the "WOW" (watch out Wednesday) girl at Unity, and it is a privilege to me to be featured on their blog. I created a couple of projects just for this awesome day.

The first is a fun lo of my dd. She was 3 here, seems like yesterday - yet so long ago at the same time, if that makes any sense (I often don't ). I have been having a blast looking through old photos and scrapping those that just tug at my heart. She was wearing a dance costume that she never performed ... my husband brought her to practice about halfway through the year and after that she never wanted to go again no matter what I promised her, (he thought she might have been embarrassed about falling during practice but we really never figured it out, but the good news is she is over it and just had a dance performance last night :)). We had already bought the costume so she used it plenty of times at home and boy did she look CUTE!

supplies:

Paper: Pink Paislee - Lunch Hour; American Crafts - Moda Bella; KI Memories - Blue Urban Linen

Stamps: Unity Stamps - Love Grows & Our Life Our Stories

Stampin Up! Inks: Brilliant Blue, Pink Passion & YoYo Yellow

My second project I wanted to share is my attempt at organizing all those school papers that my kids bring home and appear about to explode in the current boxes they are residing in. I only have this one done for my youngest and need to do 2 more for the older 2. I like how it turned out. I know they won't hold it all but it should help in getting the "mess/memories" under control and organized. I just used an accordian file folder you can get at Walmart or Target or any office store for that matter. I used the really good red double stick tape to make sure it would last and the paper wouldn't peel off.

Outside of cover

inside, using the files, one for each grade, preschool and Kindergarten in very front.

back of accordian file

Supplies:

Foofala school paper kit

Unity Stamps: School rock Star & Our Life Our Stories

accordian file folder

I wanted to share a couple more LO's I did also for the "So you think you can Scrap" contest over at Scraptivity. Do I really? think I can scrap... well, the contest did give me the little shove I needed to get scrappin so that is a bonus. It is kind of tough since they are doing dance themes and I have two left feet (I know nothing about dancing!)

First lo is "ballet" themed, second is "flameco" ... Unity stamps of course ;)

Well,thanks for sharing "my day" with me and taking time to check it out!

God's blessings - K