Happy Eyes

First of all, it's really hard to take of picture of your own eyes. Second of all...I think I'm going to like our new eye doctor.  While examining my optic nerve, he told me that 'things look fine...you've got happy eyes."

Yup.  I like him.

Pinecones, three ways.

Sherri called me up this morning and said, "I got the eggs!"  It was a bit of a non sequitur (the only eggs on my mind are the two dozen eggs I need to get for Daniel's campout tomorrow)...but we straightened it out.  She got the styrofoam eggs for making the pine cone ornaments.

So...for the last time, here are some more pictures of the pine cones I made - this time showing the tops. Every one I made is a little different, but most share elements.  For instance, I bought one package of assorted sizes of jingle bells - and used whatever size or amount I felt like.  I purchased one or two fake ferns fronds that were covered in gold glitter and cut them apart and hot glued various sized pieces on, ditto artificial pine branches...for the 'hangers' I used ribbon, rick rack and jute string and attached them with a combination of straight pins and hot glue.

Pinecones...take two.

Now I want to make one with plaid paper.  How cute would that be?  I'm nearly out of pins so I can't make another one until I go to the store...aargh.

It's beginning to look a lot like...pinecones?

I'm not as 'crafty' as I used to be...but every once in a while I get the urge.  My go-to place for scoping out new crafts is a site called One Pretty Thing (thank you, Keira).  I happened to take a glance a week or two ago and found the cutest pinecone - the instructions are on a site called The Hybrid Chick. It looked easy enough, and even better, it didn't take a ton of specialized equipment that I would never use again.  I used the pages from a Betty Neels book (The Mistletoe Kiss)...so I used mistletoe on the top.   The only things I had to buy for this craft were styrofoam eggs ($3.99 for a 4 pack at Craft Mart), straight pins ($1.99 at Fred Meyer for 250 - I may have used about half) and a sprig of fake mistletoe (on sale for $1.40 at Craft Mart - I only used half of a sprig on one).  Total time?  About an hour - maybe less.

Step 1. Cover the pointed end with a strip of paper about and inch wide.
Step 2. Fold a one inch square of paper so that it has a pointed end.
Step 3. Repeat step 2 a bunch of times.

Step 4. Pin pointed paper pieces onto the styrofoam egg.  The ones near the bottom should be overlapped some - you can just use one pin in that case.  Work your way up the egg in rows, adjusting your spacing as needed.

Step 5. When you have gotten pretty much to the top, add a ribbon for hanging and any embellishments you want.  I cut apart a sprig of fake mistletoe for mine...I also trimmed the mistletoe leaves down a little - so they weren't quite so long.

Ta Da. 
I'm calling this: "The Mistletoe Kiss.  Chapter One."

Snow Day

It may not be a lot of snow...but it's enough.

Enough to cancel seminary...and school for Alex (the college is closed).

This is one of those days when Danny wishes he went to a 'brick and mortar' school.  There are no snow days at WAVA. He'll be in good company.  Steve will be working 'virtually' today.  Turned out that his van pool van didn't come equipped with snow chains.  After a nearly two hour commute, he ended up parking it about a mile away from our house.  He could drive it in to work today - but since none of his riders will be going, he'll be logging on to work from here.

Hawaii 5-0

We're back.

I can't say that we had a relaxing vacation - but we did have a heck of a lot of fun. 

Now it's time to get back to work and rest.

I should be making a list...

 

Yay! Vacation this week! 

Steve and I are leaving VERY early on Thursday.  Very early. That means we need to be packed by Wednesday night.  Which means that I should be making a list.  Actually, I should already have a list.

• reading material
• swimsuit
• umm....

There.  Anything else is gravy.