3Tabors

Life's too short

2011-07-15T00:07:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time. So much has happened over the past year. (Most of which will be shared later...probably much later.) Time goes too quickly and in light of what some friends of mine are going thru...the loss of one of their children last night, I am vowing to enjoy the time I have with my children more. We are away from each other all day thru daycare or work - our homes away from home. It seems everything is done in such a rush. Between doing errands, housework, cooking, caring for the family and work, do you really get to enjoy your family? Or are we just going throught the motions to get things done. I want to enjoy my children. I want to enjoy life.

Flip Flops

2011-07-12T20:19:00.003-05:00

If you like these flip flops...all you have to do to make your own is get a bag of water balloons and start tying them (double knot) around the flip flop straps in a random color pattern. CAUTION: it may take a while and your fingers may get sore from all of the tying but your daughters will love wearing them!

Dude Looks Like a Lady

2010-05-29T20:20:00.002-05:00

So we are sitting at dinner and decide to play a game of Telephone while we wait for our orders to arrive. If you decide to get in the mood along with the 80s music the restaurant is playing and whisper "the Dude looks like a Lady" to your 9 year old daughter that doesn't know it is a song....you may want to rethink it. Especially when you realize that her sugar high just kicked in and manners flew out the window when she doesn't realize you are still playing the game and she blurts out loud "what dude looks like a lady?" "That dude is picking his nose." Then when she finally calms down (and you aren't laughing anymore...sorry, I couldn't help it...it was funny) Ok, it calmed down, then of course a guy would have to come in that you hoped she didn't notice looked kinda girly. Yep, you guessed it...she noticed and the giggling began all over again

Dude Looks Like a Lady

2010-05-24T20:54:00.001-05:00

Jamie O'Neal - Somebody's Hero

2010-05-16T09:20:00.002-05:00

Lord, Please let me live in a way that my kids can say that I am a hero.

Francesca Battistelli - Beautiful, Beautiful (Video)

2010-05-15T13:44:00.000-05:00

Beautiful, Beautiful

2010-05-15T13:27:00.005-05:00

Wow is this really my first post for 2010? A lot has been going on...really...I'm not hiding. Guess I have been hanging out more on Facebook and with the kiddos.
This song Beautiful, Beautiful by Francesca Battistelli is awesome! While we may be going through alot of things right now...moving in with family, working outside of the home now after being home with the kids for 6 years, Father-In-Law passed away, Mother-In-Law dealing with cancer, separation/divorce...things are still good. God is still in control. Sissy is doing well with her cardiology appts being changed to only every 2 years now and Little Man is growing ever so tall and keeping us hopping! We have a new nephew/cousin to hang out with (along with a new Aunt and girl cousin)! (We also get to hang out with some other favorite family members daily!) While I am glad that we don't see into the future because I really think the past few months would have scared me...I am thankful that God gives us the strength to get through and gives us the reason for hope. God is making my life Beautiful, Beautiful.

***tried to put the Beautiful, Beautiful video here...will try again...**** Sorry :(

Snowman Jars

2009-12-06T19:43:00.005-06:00

Some exciting news...Sissy has some snowmen on Etsy that she made and the website Fave Crafts found them and asked us if they could post them. Here is the link. I think she did a wonderful job.

Jesus, Bring the Rain by Mercy Me

2009-11-25T06:42:00.007-06:00

I may have a lot of things that I need to work on in my life and not be the best wife, mom, friend, daughter or sister...but thank you God that you forgive me and are here to help me. My family is going through a tough time right now. This song captures what I know needs to be for now. God has a purpose for each and every one of us and we can't get there without going through trials. He loves all of us and wants none of us to be separated from Him...that means in my understanding...HE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO LIVE SEPARATE FROM HIM FOR ETERNITY...HE DOESN'T WANT ANYONE TO GO TO HELL FOR ETERNITY...(just read the book, "Twenty-Three Minutes in Hell "by Bill Wiese, it really isn't a picnic! Being torn from limb to limb only to be put back together again and repeated...that is just only one of the horrors... And we don't have to go there because Jesus did it for us. God, I thank you that you have come into my life because I asked you to, that Jesus lives in my heart and that you have forgiven me of my sins because I asked you to. Thank you for being the Lord of my life because I choose to make you the Lord of my life. Thank you for this time of rain and help me to get stronger in You everyday because of it! There are people out there that didn't know me when I was in High School or College and was living more of a Christian life...I fell off the bandwagon big time and it took a long time for me to get back on. For those of you that I was "living it up with" and wondering what happened to me and why have you changed so much? This is the reason...this life is not about me. It is about living out the purpose God has given me. He has entrusted children and people that I come in contact with everyday, to live a life of purpose. Am I going to live perfectly? No. Am I going to mess up? Yes. Are you going to like these changes in me? Obviously not. Will I still love you? Yes. God says that one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord (my version of Phillipians 2:9-11) . We all will have to give an account to Him when we stand before Him and He looks to see if we are in His Book of Life...I choose to do it before it is too late! (There is my soapbox for now.) I love you!
(if you click on the song title...you can hear it. It is a really awesome song!)

JESUS BRING THE RAIN, BY MERCY ME

I can count a million times
People asking me how I
Can praise You with all that
I've gone through
The question just amazes me
Can circumstances possibly
Change who I forever am in You

Maybe since my life was changed
Long before these rainy days
It's never really ever crossed my mind
To turn my back on you, oh Lord
My only shelter from the storm
But instead I draw closer through these times
So I pray

Bring me joy, bring me peace
Bring the chance to be free
Bring me anything that brings
You glory And I know there'll
be days When this life brings me pain
But if that's what it takes to
praise You Jesus, bring the rain

I am yours regardless of the clouds that may
loom above because you are much greater than
my pain you who made a way for me suffering
your destiny so tell me whats a little rain

[1st Chorus]

Holy, holy, holy
Holy, holy, holy
is the lord God almighty
is the lord God almighty
I'm forever singing

[2nd Chorus 2x]

everybody singing
Holy holy holy
you are holy
you are holy

[2nd Chorus 2x]

How to Make a Tshirt Rug

2009-10-10T17:11:00.008-05:00

I had seen a really neat t-shirt rug in the store and thought that I could figure out how to make one. (So you have probably noticed that I am having underlining issues again. Oh, well.) So here is my version of a totally green t-shirt rug. I used old t-shirts, plastic bags - yep- you will see how in a minute and a non-slip matt.

I used strips that were about 5" x 1" and found out after I cut them and attached them to the matt that I evidently cut them the wrong way. If you want to get the stretch and rolled look, I believe you have to cut them with the longest horizontally. Sorry I didn't write it down. I am using my pictures to remember how I accomplished this project. Alot of my crafting is just "winging it".

Here is where the plastic bags com in to play. I made the famous plastic bag yarn and crocheted a base for my t-shirt strips to be tied to. I chained for about 25 inches with a "K" hook and double crocheted the rows until it measured about 15 inches. To tie the strips onto the base I used my crochet hook to pull the strip around a post (sorry forgot to get a picture of that) and then pulled both ends up and tied them in a double knot. You can also do this like you would a latch hook. Which ever you prefer.
Here is the almost finished version. The last thing I did was to sew a piece of non-slip shelf matt to the bottom of the rug with embroidery thread and a whipstitch. It feels nice and soft when you get out of the shower!

2009-10-03T08:58:00.002-05:00

Can you see what is missing in this picture? There it is on the bottom row of teeth...a cute little space from where he lost his first tooth. He didn't want to take a picture but I convinced him we would want one later.

Busy Day

2009-09-27T10:14:00.005-05:00

We had a lot of fun yesterday. We:

Went Little Man's best friend's soccer game
Went to the Library
Eat lunch with Grandma
Went to the neighbors to see the mole they captured
Went to the Plaza Art Fair
Stopped by the grocery store
Stopped by my sisters
Finally made it home to hit the hay

And to top it all off...we were featured on OnePrettyThing.com yesterday! Ciara's doll bed is featured on there! YAY! Pretty eventful day. Lots and lots of fun. We also detoured from the artist's booths to see the Zoom Store. It is fabulous. Fun for kids (of all ages). Sissy wants to go back there today and get the little aquarium of with the two tiny frogs in it. Seems since I don't want to take care of a dog, she thinks we might be able to handle some fish or frogs. (Walking a dog at all hours and weather along with scooping poo just doesn't appeal to her either.)

2009-09-25T09:45:00.004-05:00

The job search is over. I found a great job thanks to a friend from church. I will get to work part-time to start and be able to get the kids off to school and home from school. God does work in wonderful ways and in His timing. Just have to remember that it is all about His timing and what He has in store for us.

So things will be a little different around here for a while until I get used to being out in the "working away from home world" but change is good. It's how you act or react to at that is what is important. So on this last day home during the week how am I going to celebrate? Laundry...lots and lots of laundry. So hope you all have a wonderful day and weekend with your loved ones.

Make Your Own Doll Bed

2009-09-19T19:15:00.024-05:00

Here is the doll bed we made today. Believe it or not it is made from all recycled materials.

We started out with a cereal box, an old telephone book and some packing tape.

Start out by taping one end of the box. We left the flaps open and taped it so that the tape was our end of the box to hold the crumpled up paper in.

We stacked the boxes so that the the bed would have some extra support. This bottom box will work as a drawer for storing the doll clothes in.

We used some old plastic tent poles from a toy tent that broke. (You never know when broken pieces might come in handy for a project.) We used a lot of packing tape to hold things in place.

We used glue sticks to help hold down the scrap paper to cover the images on the cereal box. Then we covered it with white school glue to add our tissue paper on the surface. This will give the bed a fun look when it doesn't have the handmade sheet on it. This will also help it to wear better with all of the use it is going to get.
Here we are using a glue stick to cover the bottom support drawer with tissue paper. Helps to save this from those pretty presents you get. The crumples don't matter now do they?

We used hot glue to hold the poles together and then tied them off with ribbon for extra support.

We used a piece of scrap fabric to make a special sheet for the bed.
We sewed the hems and used fray check on the edges that will be by the poles.

It's coming along nicely. Here are the beads we used to jazz it up. We used hot glue to attach the beads to another bead around the pole so that they can slide along the pole.

Here are the cut pieces of material for the canopy. These used to be a curtain.

Since I am trying to show that this can be made out of things we already have. I improvised and made do with the scrap batting I had to make it work for the doll quilt. I zigzag stitched the pieces together so it would be large enough. (Normally, I would not do this but since it is a small size, this will work.)

Here is the quilt sandwich with right sides pinned together. We are ready to sew up the the quilt leaving one short end open. Oh, I did pin the batting on to the wrong side of the quilt (from the right side) so that when the quilt is turned, it will be laying inside nicely.

Clipping the corner so that the corners will turn nicely. Yes, I mark my scissors so they don't get picked up by hands that don't know these are not to be used on paper!
The quilt has been turned and pinned and now the open end is being stitched shut with a topstitch. I topstitched the rest of the quilt.

Here is the finished doll quilt. I did a free form stitch between the decorative embroidery to add hold the batting in place. I added some embellishments on the bottom to help hold the batting. I had some cute little flower buttons and a little button that says princess.

Here is the finish product with a happy little girl. I think it turned out pretty nice. Hard to believe it is made out of a cereal box.

Quick Sketches

2009-09-14T11:21:00.005-05:00

I am trying my hand at drawing faces again for the first time in about 12 years. Overall I am fairly pleased with how they turned out considering I only spent about half on hour on each of them. Curious to see how they look when I work on them some more. (Oh, yeah...finally found the camera and forgot to update the date on it again. )

KaLeiDoSCopE

2009-09-14T10:44:00.024-05:00

Ok, so I am having some technical difficulties today. Can't quite figure out why everything is being underlined. Pictures are not wanting to upload and I am going through caffeine withdrawl. All good things to have happen on a Monday! Well, even with these problems, I hope you enjoy our pics from our trip to Kaleidoscope. We had a lot of fun.

Nephew 2...(now the underlining comes off, better late than never) coloring with melted crayons in the blacklight room. They get to make eyeglasses.

Too bad my camera didn't cooperate and let you get the full effect of the blacklight.
Nephew 1 making a puzzle of Spongebob. Great artist don't you think?
Little man trying his hand a designing a puzzle.
Sissy says that we went to France in her puzzle.

Making some stationery.

Just a really cool painting on the wall in Kaleidoscope. It is a really fun place to go and it is FREE!

3 Tabors: Mickey Mouse sings the Dukes

2009-09-13T07:12:00.002-05:00

I just had to repost this. It is still one of my favorite moments. If you haven't seen the kids singing their version of the Dukes of Hazzard theme song, it's pretty cute.

3 Tabors: Mickey Mouse sings the Dukes

Kids Are Funny

2009-09-12T20:40:00.002-05:00

Ok, so I haven't dusted the the tv in the bedroom for quite a while..."someone" with an A in their name just pointed it out. Hmmmm wonder who that could be? He told me, "Mom, look there's an A on the tv." He tried to tell me it could have been someone who's name ends in A that wrote it. Or get this...he said it could have been the Lorax.

2009-09-11T14:03:00.003-05:00

I was going to add some new pictures today but unfortunately I can't find my camera. Why is it that when one tries to get organized and catch up on projects, it usually turns out that you end up with a bigger mess? I like the fact that I have had some long over due quiet time with school being back in session. It's actually been about 6 years since I have had more than one day at a time to run errands at leisure. I went on a Mom's retreat about 4 years ago with some really great friends and was only responsible for getting myself ready for 2 whole days. Don't get me wrong, I love my family but, a mom does need to have some time to unwind, too. I have been busy filling out applications for jobs so that I can contribute in some monetary way to the household. We will have to see how that all pans out but, for right now, I think that I will go and do a little more creating in the craft room until the kiddos get home from school. Now, where did I put that camera.

Mural for Little Man

2009-08-28T12:34:00.013-05:00

Little Man wanted something to do with Tony Hawk. I found some neat skyline pictures with skater silhouettes when I searched online for ideas. Here is what we came up with...
He liked one of the skaters and a different skyline...so I asked him about having the Kansas City skyline...he liked that idea!

Shutterstock images...

So sketched it out as best I could and projected it onto the wall.

More Murals

2009-08-28T12:09:00.014-05:00

So, these pics are a little behind the times but, I have them for you to see. About the only creative, crafty adventure the kids and I seemed to do this summer break was to paint a couple of murals in their rooms. Sissy wanted to have an American Girl Doll room. Well, the first thing I thought was that could be expensive. When running the idea by my sister and sister-in-law, the idea of trying to make the box somewhere in her room seemed to be something we could play around with. Thought about painting her door as the box...may still do that, not sure that Dad would like that idea though. Then the other idea was to make her bed look like the box and Sissy would be the doll. Well, Sissy and I went surfing the web because I didn't save the box her doll came in. OOPS! We actually found one on ebay to look at. Wow, did we luck out because her wall are already lilac like the box so we needed to find some red paint in our stash to make the banner.

We had a lot of fun painting on the wall!
We cut out posters from the catalogue and glued them to posterboard.

We are recycling...pictures from the catalogues glued onto pizza boxes = mini books.
Can you see some of the posters we made? On top of the green shelf is her pink locker that she decorated inside for her American Girl doll. It has pictures of her friends from the catalogues and the "mini books" on the shelf inside.

We added the doodles that are on the sides of the American Girl Doll box. She just loves her room!

Getting Creative Again

2009-08-28T11:22:00.017-05:00

So the kids are back to school now and I have been surfing the web, updating pictures on Etsy, trying to "clean-up" the computer, completing mending jobs, trying to dig out my desk from all of the piles of endless towers of paper...so I can create again. So far there is enough space for my sketch book and the book I am reading, "Drawing With Children", by Mona Brookes. It is a wonderful book. I bought it quite a while ago so that I could brush up on my drawing skills and be more confident in drawing my own originals. I find that I feel more confident right now when I have something to look at to try to replicate. I want to be able to be confident in my own skills and talent. So I am reading and doodling. In the process, a thought came to mind that I should take the kids to the Nelson Atkins Art Museum and over to Kaleidoscope. When I went to look up their hours I ran across a few neat websites having to do with kaleidoscopes... Kaleidescope Painter, Zefrank, and PBS parents.

More Beautiful You

2009-07-23T07:25:00.012-05:00

Ok, so I haven't posted anything in quite a while. I have been trying to enjoy the summer with my kids. They will both be in school full time in the fall and unsure what future job I will have other than being their Mom. Looking into substitute teaching and have not heard back from the state yet. Other options...my arts and crafts, Wal-mart, McDonalds, Cosco???????? Want to be able to be home with the kiddos and not worry about daycare. Here is a new favorite song of mine. More Beautiful You by Johnny Diaz. I have been looking for something to write on a mirror for Ciara that I have taking from trash to treasure for her. It has been in the making for about 3 years (wanting to make it just right for her.) Have been toying with the "mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the fairest of them all", or lyrics from Go Fish's Your My Little Girl but, I am thinking of using some of these lyrics now. (Will post pics when it is finished.) Here is a video and lyrics for it. Hope you like it.

1. More Beautiful You

Little girl fourteen flipping through a magazine
Says she wants to look that way
But her hair isn’t straight her body isn’t fake
And she’s always felt overweight

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could see
That beauty is within your heart
And you were made with such care your skin your body and your hair
Are perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful you
Don’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump through
You were made to fill a purpose that only you could do
So there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already done
Anything to get ahead
And you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another plan
Only wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would come
You starve yourself to play the part
But I can promise you there’s a man whose love is true
And he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

So turn around you’re not too far
To back away be who you are
To change your path go another way
It’s not too late you can be saved
If you feel depressed with past regrets
The shameful nights hope to forget
Can disappear they can all be washed away
By the one who’s strong can right your wrongs
Can rid your fears dry all your tears
And change the way you look at this big world
He will take your dark distorted view
And with His light He will show you truth
And again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl

2009-05-16T11:49:00.004-05:00

The redbuds don't last long but at least I got some pictures! They are so beautiful.

Four wheels is so boring, Mom.

2009-04-22T15:22:00.010-05:00

Dad took off the training wheels and Little Man is doing great.
With Dad close, Little Man switched to a bigger bike.

Sissy decides to get into the action.
My friend helps Sissy so I can take pictures. Little Man says, "four wheels is so boring, Mom."

North Dakota for spring break

2009-04-22T15:13:00.009-05:00

I have been behind on blogging and am catching up today with so many posts. We have been sidetracked with our family and friends going through the flood in North Dakota. We visited them the week before it all hit Fargo and got to see a lot of snow then. (Second week of March) They received a couple more feet after we saw them, during the sandbagging and trying to hold the flood back. Many of our family and friends had to evacuate. We received good news today though, businesses in Valley City could open again!

Little Man is 6

2009-04-22T15:08:00.005-05:00

This post is a little late. Little Man, I can't believe you are six now. You and I had fun making your cake for the family birthday party. I like how you decorated your dinosaur. It sure tasted good didn't it?

Mural

2009-04-22T15:01:00.010-05:00

I have been painting a mural at a house in Shawnee during this past week. Here are the pictures of the progress so far... It is for a tween that wanted a funky tree, Hawaiian flowers and her initials. Here is a link to the hibiscus that the family liked...hibiscusby Lorie La Plant and the link for the inspiration behind the tree.

2009-04-22T14:53:00.003-05:00

Great project for Earth Day! Take a plastic grocery bag and make a parachute guy. We just found a small toy that you could wrap a pipe cleaner around and twist to the plastic grocery bag handles and had some fun. We used a small lego guy, an action figure and a hotwheels car. The lego guy sailed the best.

I want to be an '80s girl.

2009-04-22T14:46:00.004-05:00

Like the leg warmers? She does. She specifically asked me to make her some legwarmers (several months ago.) I have been putting it off thinking that the cold weather was over. I finally got some made and she sported them at school. This is now one of her favorite outfits. She liked it when daddy told her she looked like an '80s girl and then she had fun looking at my yearbooks for proof on what an '80s girl looks like.

Boys and mud

2009-04-22T14:38:00.005-05:00

At our house, there is plenty for a boy to do, especially if they love the mud. Here they are just having fun digging and watching for things coming through the culvert.

Another meaning to the word "mud boots". When there is a boy and mud, he is not too particular on what he is wearing. He just needs to get dirty.

Being a Mom

2009-04-09T09:18:00.013-05:00

My son asked me the other day, "Mom, are you the only grownup that we know that doesn't have a job?" Just got to love him.
Well, no actually, according to him, most of my "just mom" friends are out of a job, too. I think a lot of people see stay-at-home moms this way. We just get up everyday whether we feel like it or not. We try to get ready or have quiet time before everyone else wakes up and needs to know where this or that is (and you usually do even though you were not the one that was using whatever it is they were looking for). So, do any of you really do spring cleaning? Just what exactly does that mean? I find myself with paper clutter everywhere. It never fails, somehow we have paper covering almost every imaginable surface of our house...kitchen table, floor, coffee table, bedside table, shelves. You name it, it's probably there. Back to cleaning...do you find that most days you are picking up something that someone else put in the wrong place and by the time you are done doing that, you are to tired to do what you took out to do and it is sitting there in the wrong place and looks like you are the one making the messes around the house? Does it just seem that if you are a stay-at-home mom you are expected to fit other people's requests for your day in too? I find that most of the time I keep the house picked up just enough for Clean House not to show up. Just when you think you have the dishes done and the kitchen clean and you can move on to something else, someone comes and tells you that they are hungry again. Then there is this mess that seems to always accumulate on the floor under the dining room table after every meal and snack. I don't think it matters how old the children are, crumbs are everywhere. They never make it onto the plate. They hit every surface on the way down from the mouth to the table to their clothes, the chair, and lastly the floor.
I don't have a job but somehow everyone seems to have clean clothes, although they may be wrinkled. I don't have a job but somehow everyone seems to have a full tummy, although we may have the same 5 menus every week. I don't have a job but somehow they get ready and off to school each day and don't miss the bus without spending one minute at daycare somewhere. I don't have a job but somehow they have a lunch to take to school everyday. I don't have a job but somehow they have someone who helps them get their homework done and checked. I don't have a job but somehow they get a bath or shower and to bed each night (ok maybe not a shower or bath every night). I don't have a job but somehow I try to get to their school to volunteer each week. I don't have a job but somehow they get a warm bath in the middle of the night when they are having those wonderful growing pains they can't sleep through. I don't have a job but somehow they make it to the doctor and dentist. I don't have a job but somehow they get to Church, friend's houses to play, birthday parties, the library, the park, carnivals, movies, Grandma's and Grandpa's. I don't have a job but somehow we manage to survive that fun time of the year called back-to-school shopping. You know where we get clothes, school supplies and we can't get it all at one store because they are out of some things at one so we end up going to about 5 by the time everything is found. I don't have a job but somehow their belongings that need fixing get mended. I don't have a job but somehow when someone needs a present (since I know how to bake, crochet, sew, paint...) someone usually makes them a handmade gift.
To make money, I thought I would try Craigslist like my sister and husband have done. Why not, they have had good luck with it, right? I get calls from people saying they will buy my stuff and they never show up. Frustrating. So, it just seems easier to donate to the local shelter or thrift shop.
Don't get me wrong, I do love what I do. I do enjoy the unconditional love of my children, the fact that my husband works so hard so that I can be home with our children, that we have a home, food on the table, clothes and much more. It just gets frustrating that everything good seems to go unnoticed but the messes don't.
(Disclaimer: please forgive me if anything was left out. I do get "mommy brain" sometimes. You know it's what happens to a woman when she becomes a mom...we think about so many other people and things that some things are just forgotten- not on purpose.)

So the answer to your question my son...I may not have a job that is looked at as a job by most but I do get the best pay of all...lots of love, hugs and kisses and don't forget all those dirty dishes.
(Yes, I did write this...typos and all! Lori Tabor)

Greg Hager "Daydream"

2009-04-07T20:06:00.005-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was told by one my friend's moms that one of her sons has an album out. He has written and sung his own music on an album called "Daydream" and it is now for sale. His sister, Laurie, and I were best friends in high school and we went to college together. I have so many fond memories of hanging out at their house. They are a truly awesome family. Greg, good luck with your career. Love the music. Please visit his site at www.greghager.com. You can get to his myspace page and/or purchase his music from there.

Mickey Mouse sings the Dukes

2009-03-23T19:11:00.005-05:00

This is one of my favorite moments at home with the kids. I can't believe this was almost 2 years ago. Enjoy! (I wonder if this is how Mickey Mouse would rock!)

Bleu Tomato Art Show

2009-02-28T18:40:00.016-06:00

We just finished hanging up our drawings, paintings and photographs for a 3 generation art show at the Bleu Tomato in De Soto, KS. All of the art will be displayed for the month of March. Pictured here are canvases that my children and I have done. Here I am with my friends Ryan and Aislynn. My children refused to take a picture.

We just finished hanging up our drawings, paintings and photographs for a 3 generation art show at the Bleu Tomato in De Soto, KS. All of the art will be displayed for the month of March. Pictured here are canvases that my children and I have done.

Here is a batik that I made in college. Along with a picture that a friend of mine had me draw of her sister and niece. This was the first time that her sister had gotten to hold her newborn baby after she had her. They were separated right after her birth when the baby was flown to a nearby hospital to be cared for.

Thanks to my Mom, Lois Horsager, we have our artwork showing here. She is the one who set it all up with the owner, Karen Mitchell. My mom has drawings, paintings and even a couple of bronze sculptures on display.

Down the hallway are the photographs taken by my sister, Tammi Faulds. You have to see these, they are really fun to look at.

Across the hallway from Tammi's photographs are where the children's drawings are on display. Many of them are various art projects from school. These have been completed by Ciara and Austin and my nephews Micah and Caleb.

And last, but not least, a drawing by my younger brother, Jaime Horsager is on display. He completed this one back in junior high. Then the batik hanging next to it is of the plaza lights that I completed in college.

Hanhah Montana Cake

2009-02-25T07:16:00.006-06:00

It's your birthday sweetheart and we can't believe that you are already 8. We love you so much and are proud of our little princess! Hope you have a wonderful day.
Didn't quite get the height from baking the birthday cake that I had hoped for. Had to do some improvising with plastic wrap!
The finished product. Since my family is not big on the sweet frosting types we use cool whip for our frosting and decorate with frosting gels. Cool whip you do wonders!

Free, Can you believe it?

2009-02-19T11:39:00.006-06:00

Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.

~ Acts 16:31, NLT

I just had to share the best free there can ever be! If our wages for sin is death (Hell) and from what I have heard, it really isn't a party. I read a book called 23 minutes in Hell and wow, Jesus went there for all of us and to think that God let His son do this for all of us. How many of us would let our children pay a price of going to jail for someone who committed a crime and they got off scott free because of our child? We get to escape our sentence of hell for eternity by accepting Jesus in our heart, asking for forgiveness of our sins and live our life telling others about this. We inherit a place in heaven. Wow! That is just amazing, isn't it?

The important thing to remember in all of this is that being a Christian doesn't mean you are instantly perfect. It means you are forgiven and saved. You will spend your life with the help of the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus. You will want to live for Him, not "have to live for Him".

Hebrews 2:11 NIV

¹¹Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters.

We join Jesus in His inheritance. Wow!

You used what?

2009-02-12T07:33:00.006-06:00

We have gotten into recycling around our house. We are trying to reduce the waste and create something cute from it. What about all of that junk mail and school papers that you really don't need to save? Do you throw out all of those burnt out light bulbs? Not anymore...how about creating a snowman? Make a paper pulp out of your shredded paper, salt (to retard mold growth) and some white school glue. Here we show our simple steps in of taping the snowman arms in place before we apply the pulp. It will take a few days for your snowman to dry before you are ready to paint him. Give him a scarf if you like and he is ready to bring a smile to someone. For all of those cereal boxes you go through...you can bring them to a recycling center or make these great book marks, clipboards that you can find out how to make by flipflops and applesauce here.

Getting Your Proverbs Mixed

2009-01-27T13:00:00.003-06:00

Ok, I just received a funny email.  I do not know you the author is. These are so cute!

A first grade teacher collected old, well known proverbs. She gave each kid in
her class the first half of a proverb, and had them come up with the rest.
These are great:

As You Shall Make Your Bed So Shall You... Mess It Up.
Better Be Safe Than... Punch A 5th Grader.
Strike While The... Bug Is Close.
It's Always Darkest Before... Daylight Savings Time.
Never Under Estimate The Power Of... Termites.
You Can Lead A Horse To Water But.. How?
Don't Bite The Hand That... Looks Dirty.
No News Is... Impossible.
A Miss Is As Good As A... Mr.
You Can't Teach An Old Dog New... Math.
If You Lie Down With The Dogs, You'll... Stink In The Morning.
Love All, Trust.. Me
The Pen Is Mightier Than The... Pigs.
An Idle Mind Is... The Best Way To Relax.
Where There's Smoke, There's... Pollution.
Happy The Bride Who... Gets All The Presents!
A Penny Saved Is... Not Much.
Two's Company, Three's... The Musketeers.
Don't Put Off Tomorrow What... You Put On To Go To Bed.
Laugh And The Whole World Laughs With You, Cry And... You Have
 To Blow Your
Nose.
Children Should Be Seen And Not... Spanked Or Grounded.
If At First You Don't Succeed... Get New Batteries.
You Get Out Of Something What You... See Pictured On The Box.
When The Blind Leadeth The Blind... Get Out Of The Way.

Cute things made from recycling

2009-01-24T06:33:00.005-06:00

So here a few more projects that can be made from recycling. When our children were young and going through all of the baby food, it seemed like such a waste to be throwing all of the jars away so here is what became of some of them. The kids and I painted these snowmen and penguins and glued hats on them. You can still remove the lid (hat) and put a small surprise inside. These made great presents for all of their teachers this year. We put a truffle inside of them and their teachers received something especially made by them.
Here are some little angels that are made from recycling light bulbs, baby food jars and fabric scraps. They just sit around and look cute all year round.
My last recycling craft for the day...these cute little angel pins. They use small scraps of fabric for their wings and bodies. Fun to make to match outfits or friends favorite things. Fabrics above are jeans, cherries, ladybugs and stars.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Jean Quilt Project

2009-01-21T05:29:00.001-06:00

Here is a quilt that I tackled for my husband and I. I got the idea for this design from Martha Stewart Living. You can find the inspiration here. The pillowcase on the right is my own creation. I used jeans of all types from the whole family. From Grandma's shirts and dresses, both Papa's old work jeans and any kind of outgrown worn out jean item from our closets and my sister's family...they are included here. It was quite and undertaking but proves to be quite warm, useful and a wonderful outcome to recycling!

Quilt I made for my Father-in-Law for Christmas a few years ago. All made from his old work jeans which included a few paint and grease spots along with holes in the knees. Adds character to the hard work he put into making it too. It is a rag style quilt with the flannel backing.

2009-01-20T10:09:00.003-06:00

How do you keep your kids happy on a long weekend out of school? Let them have a sleep over with their cousins and have them help you bake with chocolate! I enlisted their help in making some yummy cookies that my Mom and Grandma made for me as a kid and they were a hit. The kids had fun peeling the wrapper off the chocolate. We used peanut butter and spread it in between 2 ritz crackers and dipped it in our melted chocolate. Yummy! For my "I don't like peanut butter kid" we just simply dipped his cracker in chocolate and he was a happy camper. (I need to update the date on my camera.)