ART

I think I am getting my artist mojo back...special thanks to Pinterest.com for that. I have been using my creative spirit for the past 6 years...except it has been more kid driven than me driven. Today, on a whim, I decided to work on two ideas that I had seen on Pinterest. (shown below)

The first is made by melting crayons with a blow dryer...it's easy and looks pretty cool when done.

The second is done with watercolor crayons (payons) that have been shaved onto a canvas and sprayed with water. 

Here are my results:

These two pieces of artwork are going to look pretty great framed and hung in Rumor's Rainbow Room!

I have been doing a lot more "artwork" lately...everything from sewing, to painting, to cooking more creative food. Is it a phase? A new surge of energy? Did my time get freer? 

None of the above. I simple remembered that I should be using the talents that God has given me.

I think Erma said it best! With the hum-drum of everyday life, I forgot to simply just use what God gave me. I don't need to wish for this or hope for that. I have all I need right here.

Lastly, a bit of nature reminded me of this exact lesson I had been learning. Rumor called me to our mailbox yesterday to look at the spider that was "blocking her way." WOW! indeed blocking...he was big and he would be scary except he was so interesting to look at...and even his web...his home...had a bit of flair to it. Mr. Spider was just doing what spiders do...weaving a web to catch their prey, to eat, to keep itself strong and moving. Mr. Spider was just simply using his talent. Very cool Mr. Spider.

I went back to look at the spider and the web today but he/it was gone. I am hoping someone didn't just destroy it and that he got a fly and has moved on...making yet another groovy web on some other mailbox. Well, onward ho! 

I have more things to see, pin, do and blog!

Lunch (is) Served!

I worked in the kitchen most of the day today...which is why we had Pizza Hut pizza for dinner tonight. Twice a year I go through all of my cabinets and drawers and straighten them up and clean them out. It always takes place on a whim and looks so pretty after it is done.
We have an apartment sized kitchen so it has to stay neat...in fact, it typically has tons of stuff piled up on the counters...not like HOARDERS but stuff we use and eat because there is just no space. I am still trying to figure out how to keep the counters clear...but in the meantime, what I did today looks pretty good.

The BAKING drawer...shoeboxes are my saving grace

for keeping this drawer decently organized.

The junk drawer...set your timer...let's see how long

this stays beautiful.

The BAKING cabinet...one would think I bake

but I actually rarely do...but just in case someday I

am feeling like June Cleaver.

Here is a great link to some kitchen organization ideas:

http://penniesandblessings.com/2011/04/10-quick-organizing-tips-for-the-kitchen/

Well, all that tidying up in the kitchen made me HUNGRY to use some creative juices. Creating is so much more fun than cleaning! Anyway, I used some of these juices to make my first BENTO box for Reese and Rumor's fishing trip with their Daddy tomorrow. I have become somewhat obsessed with the Bento Box lunch ideas that I see on Pinterst...such as this one:

And so here is my first attempt at BENTO lunch...we shall call this one...

REELING IN THE BIG PB&J

Pepperidige Farms makes "Goldfish" shaped bread--whole wheat...LOVE!

Of course I also used pretzel fish and the new cookie fish. Grapes are here also...for no other reason than they needed a fruit...we shall call them Wapsi Caviar (after our river in town The Wapsipinicon)

Nemo Gummies are hidden under the sandwich and my favorite touch...a gummi worm tied to a string cheese...to look like a fishing pole!

I already showed Reese and Rumor...they said, "Cool Mom! Thanks!"

That's why I do these things...it's the MADNESS to my METHOD :)

Taste Palette

 So, did I have success with scoring some palettes? I did indeed! I asked my friend, Tom, if he knew of where I could get some old, distressed palettes and he pointed me in a great direction...thanks Tom! (That is me thanking you...not Dustin...who still thinks I am nuts!)

I may raise the palette up a bit onto some blocks or something...just to give it a bit more height...The wall is still pretty bland and boring but it will have to do for now...I gotta keep on moving to the next idea!

 Oh wait, found one!

I found yet another idea on Pinterest this morning that I already implemented into our bedroom too! I love when all of my odds and ends (or as Dustin would say--junk) finds a home and a purpose!
Take a look at theirs...and then mine...

Here are some of my favorite "other" elements in our room...the photos in the frames are of the different places we have traveled...including our honeymoon(s) on the very top. I also house my "mom" books here...as Reese and Rumor call them.

Who would even guess that the water meter is hidden in this cabinet? 

Next, my favorite piece of artwork in our room...my painting of Seattle...L.O.V.E.

And last but not least, our story wall...

The map on the left is a map of the US and more significantly of where I was in the world when I started dating and fell in love with Dustin. The map on the right, a map of the middle east, is where he was when he began to tolerate me! Dustin was in the Navy when we first started dating...in fact, we wrote letters back and forth for more than a year before we even got to go on our first date. The shadow boxes in the middle house the letters to and from each other. Every morning, I wake up and see this wall and get to remember where it all began...

AND SO...that's our room...our safe-haven from Littlest Pet Shops and Coloring Crayons...

ahhh...peace and quiet!

Man Cave with a Mom Corner

My kiddos pretty much have squatters rights on the first floor of our home. It was inevitable considering I believe in it being "OUR" home, meaning "ALL" of us...not just the adults. I am okay with it...as long as it is fairly tidy. The girls take care of their rooms and clean up any toys that may have found their way to our Living Room or Kitchen table...which is their favorite place to play. Who needs a playroom when you have a table!?!
Anyway, once we allowed each child to have their own room, I decided it was time for my husband and I to truly have a space of our own. So, the bottom floor of our home (basement is such a drab word)...is the Man Cave with the Mom Corner. Our room and bath are located on this floor as well as the laundry room and Family room. Since relocating the kiddos, this "bottom" level has become my project. We have some "finishing" to do...we meaning my husband. Our ceiling in the Family Room is my favorite...it's made of wood panels and will continue into the laundry...but for now, it is exposed ceiling. I moved some of my favorite pieces of furniture to the basement last week as there is no longer a guest room in our home...I am working them into the "bottom" level as best I can without killing it's modern appearance.
This week, I will be working on our laundry room/hallway area as well as our bedroom. Here are some ideas that I have pinned on Pinterest:

I know that Dustin dreads this...but I want him to build me a folding counter with shelves for the laundry baskets. We already have a small corner counter and own a matching counter top piece...it's the installation of it that he dreads. Maybe I should get tool savvy?

The headboard of our bed is currently a wall. This bothers me...I want a headboard...but don't want to buy one that belongs to a furniture set as there is absolutely no room in our current room for such a thing. We have the smallest room in our home...with the biggest closet! I like the idea of shelves...very rustic shelves as a headboard...still processing what I will do.

We have a beautiful rug that will go down in the laundry room...this is not it...but reminds me of the one I will be laying down as soon as the floor is mopped!

If I do a headboard out of pallets then what the heck, I will do these shelves as well!

Yesterday, at Hobby Lobby, I purchased the Wall Vinyl to use in my Cricut Machine so that I can make words on my wall...I like this design but I am also tempted to do, "Landry Room: Drop your drawers here!"

Our bedroom has many framed photos of us at different places that we have traveled throughout our 15 years together. I LOVE to travel and would do it all the time AND I LOVE to wake up to all of these photos and happy memories. When I saw this idea, I just knew that I had to make one for our room...my only decision now is what photo to put in the background...hmmm...where should we go next?

Yes, another palette...I am digging these!

So, as always, I will keep you posted after the projects are done. As for now, wish me luck...I have so many ideas rolling around my brain that it will be a wonder if I can even execute one!

Smart Art

I gave up today...but in a good way...
My house is a mess and it is just overwhelming and I could have battled through it but instead I played it smart and just hauled some art supplies outside and had a little break with my kiddos.
Our first project was derived from one of my favorite kind of projects...anything having little finger prints, hand prints or feety prints! LOVE!

I was reminded of this fun project via Pinterest...and look, they made butterflies!

Ours are shown below:

Okay, so mommy forgot to do the feety's on opposite sides...but hey, there are no mistakes in art AND these are originals! Each will be hung in the girls rooms along with their other masterpieces.

Our next project was a very intriguing and relaxing...and temporary idea called MILK ART also from Pinterest. You take milk in a shallow pan and drop food coloring on top and then swirl it with a toothpick. It's kind of addictive to look at the patterns. Here are our milk works of art!

I also LOVE this photo of Rumor and I looking into the milk art with our reflection and the clouds reflection in the background. It was a pretty warm day out...so our milk art didn't last long...in fact, it is probably colored cottage cheese by now...but it was still fun!

And it was nice to stop fussing with what my house looks like and instead take a smart art break and enjoy the day with my girls.

Making room(s)...

Well, 6 days later...the girls each have their own rooms and I am slowly getting the living room back under control. There is still one LARGE pile that needs to be put away but all in all much better!
While the rainbow pillows that we created are just squares and not fancy like the picture previously shown, they were made by material we already had in our home...and they are lined up in rainbow order in a special new hideout for Rumor.

I hung a curtain rod up so that she can hide away on the bottom bunk whenever she wants...she and 500 of her closest animal pals...

My favorite project in Rumor's Rainbow room...the rainbow lamp...again an up-cycled item from what we already had in our home. Rumor and I decopouged a rainbow onto a lamp shade using ModPodge...I love this stuff! It hangs just above her bed (top bunk)...so she can read at night. I love that we made it together!

So, Rumor's room is coming together pretty good. We have some art projects to work on this week but for the most part, it's done!

BUT what about Reese? 

No worries, her room is almost done too...it needs a few art projects done here and there and we did decide that Polly Pockets just wasn't happening. I hate those annoying little dolls with rubber dresses...creepy...

ANYWAY, I talked her into bumble bees and pink...since her closet is already done with bumble bees from when it was their nursery. My mom and I had staple-gunned this cute yellow bee fabric to the walls above the built in Dustin made for their changing table. Now, it is a dress up area. I just need to hang their mirror up and I want to make a sign that says: "BEE kind, BEE good, BEE-autiful!" or something like that.

As for pink, well that is easy...everything of Reese's is pink! I am going to add some more pink to the wall mural. I also like these ideas from Pinterest:

...Cool, even a pink bee!

So, that is the latest news from our room redo's...

I think a cupcake recipe is definitely going to happen this week from Pinterest...but which one?

Vote in comments which one I should try:

Boston Cream Cupcakes

Creme Brulee Cupcakes

French Toast Cupcakes

Bubblegum Cupcakes

Hmmmm...decisions...decisions!

Noodles and New Digs!

Three days ago, my twin girls announced to me that they wanted their own rooms. For the past 6 years and in womb, they have shared space...and I imagine they are ready for a place they can call their own...so I agreed. In typical Jill fashion however, I did not think through the entire process or the large amount of work that was heading my way. For 3 LONG days, I have moved furniture, toys, stuffed animals, clothes, artwork and more to and fro. The rest of my house is suffering in a major way...the laundry is piling, the dishes are barely getting done and my living room looks like a bomb went off...the bomb being all of my guest room items which no longer have a home. I am hoping that this whole project will come to a close by Sunday...hoping! My ideas for Rumor's new "rainbow" room:

As for Reese's requested room design of "Polly Pocket"...um, I don't know?

I'll have to brainstorm a bit longer on that...

Tonight for dinner we tried a recipe found on Pinterest!

Crispy Shrimp Noodles

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/recipes/dinner/crispy-shrimp-pasta.html

Mine did not "look" like theirs...however, they were yummy and the girls had a fascinating time eating the long fettuccine noodles...win-win.