This Week

I stopped biting my nails in mid December. This is so amazingly long for me!
I love looking down at my hands and feeling femmy instead of staring and gnawed stubs!

I finally got a chance to whip up this bow holder for the girls.
Full tutorial on my craft blog here by a Guest Blogger, Jess.
http://www.emiliehandmade.com/2011/01/hairbow-holder-tutorial.html

Homemade Creamy Tortellini Soup and Parmesan Crisps...the day after. 

Little Bianca-Bear and the first meal of the morning.

On this week's Snow Day number three I broke out two new sets of paints, handed each girl a stack of blank paper and let them paint the afternoon away!

Catching snowflakes.

 

After a visit to the doctor this week about my 5 week long cough I was given an inhaler.  My asthma-expert husband is teaching me the ways of the Flovent.  I want to thank the company for making the housing orange...a little bit of happiness in an otherwise un-fun experience.



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The 2011 A to Z Reading Challenge

Read a Book in 2011 for every letter of the alphabet.

(as seen here).

Make a list of 26 books, one for each letter of the alphabet.

Don't count THE and A at the beginnings of the titles. 

The X can have an "x" anywhere in the title....unless you're WAY into X-men comics...then go at it!

And I know what you're thinking...can she do it?! 

she's gunna try!

A -  Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

B - Big Little Felt Universe by Jeanette Lim

C - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

D - Davita's Harp by Chaim Potok

E - Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

F - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

G - A Girl Named Zippy by Haven Kimmel

H - The Handmade Marketplace by Kari Chapin

I  - I Never Saw Another Butterfly by Hana Volavkova

J - The Jumbo Book of Outdoor Art by Irene Luxbacher

K - Kissing Outside the Lines by Diane Farr
L - Lord of the Flies by William Golding

M - Mitten Strings for God by Katrina Kenison

N - Not So Perfect: Stories by Nik Perring

O - Oliver + S: Little Things to Sew by Liesl Gibson

P - Photographing Children by Ginny Felch and Allison Tyler Jones

Q - Queers in History by Keith Stern

R - Reluctant Entertainer by Sandy Coughlin

S - Standing For Something by Gordon B. Hinckley

T - Too Much Love, Too Much Discipline by Ben Boswell

U - Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

V - Very Naughty Things (and How to Do Them) by Peter Sagal 

W - Wee Wonderfuls by Hillary Lang

X - eXcellent Women by Barbara Pym

Y - Young Woman and the Sea by Glenn Stout

Z - Zoo on the Road to Nablus by Amelia Thomas

Are you brave enough to try this with me?

If so, grab a button!  Make your list and start reading!

Who's in?!!

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Sweet Stretch Canvas Deal

Right now Artscow.com is having a sweet deal on stretched canvas prints. On today’s offer you get any stretched canvas up to and including 8” x 10” for a fixed price of just $7.99/each including free worldwide delivery. Choose from six available sizes to suit your pictures.

Link: http://www.artscow.com/photo-gifts/small-stretched-canvases
Coupon Code: 8X10SCNVS
Expires: 2/17/2011

Now, I have never been one for photos on stretched canvas personally, but I do love a good piece of Word Art.

I designed this print in a jiffy. This is a saying my Mother saw once, framed in a home and throughout my childhood it became a mantra in our home. I love it's simple message. Don't wait for something else to come and then be happy. Don't hinge your happiness on more money, more time, more square footage, more anything. Just be happy. Now.

I ordered this on an 8x8" canvas. And you can too!

I just threw this print up in my MOMO PRINTS shop for sale. I am putting it in at a special price....just $5. Choose any color! Then head over to Artscow.com and make a canvas. Viola! A cool piece of Word Art for your home for under $15!

Not feeling my chosen quote? Pick any Word Art from my shop and use the code CANVAS20 to receive 20% off through this Saturday (January 29).

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It might happen, people...

it just might happen.

My amazing, wonderful, smart and sexy better half did our taxes two nights ago. Yes, we may very well be the very first people in all of America to file. And after seeing the return number and calculating how much we would need to catch up on a few financial items, Matt tentatively suggested that we might get a little spending money for each of us.

Yep, I may get my heart's dream fulfilled....a Kindle.

Now, what's a Kindle got that my local Library doesn't? You have to pay for every book, right? Well, it just so happens that if your a former English Lit major like me and 90% of what you read is classic lit, then your nerdy minority has finally paid off. Kindle Classics are FREE.

My mind reels.
My heart expands.
My pulse races.

Pray for a sweet refund to come our way.

What are YOU planning on doing with your refund?
Do you get fun money?

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Martha's Interns Strike Again!

Remember this post?

And this one?

So, you know I have a few issues with Martha Stewart's Interns and why the heck Martha is not aware of what is being written on her official Crafts Dept blog?!

Well, this week they did it again.

Behold, the wedding gift you would rather die than give...

click photo to see blog post.

No seriously. Can you imagine Martha attending a wedding reception hosted in a luscious garden in the Hamptons and laying that on a gift table next to a box most likely containing a sterling silver chafing dish?!!

No? Me neither.

Martha, if you're reading this, please click on that second link up at the top of this post and then give me jingle.

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cough! cough! sniffle! wheeze!

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afternoon movie

for a week or so Ella has been begging to see this...

so this afternoon we are.

i love the old school King Kong.

LOVE.

and maybe she will too.

have you seen it?

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Human Awesome-ness

If you know any woman currently undergoing chemotherapy, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - once per month for 4 months while she is in treatment.

All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service.

This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women. It's our job to pass the word and let them know that there are people out there that care!

I just LOVE that organizations are out there that think of such a simple, yet impactful way to help.  I thought this was super-cool so I wanted to post it here.

http://www.cleaningforareason.org/

If you want to make a donation click here.

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Churchy Wurchy or maybe Faithy Waithy?

I had a wonderful comment on my recent post about our Family Home Evenings and I thought I would share it here and my response in case any other readers had the same question.  Since it's still Sunday, I thought I would post this here and you may comment if you want (in a respectful way, of course).

Question:

What does it mean to you to be a Mormon? What does it mean to you to be a Christian?

My Answer:

As a Christian I believe with full conviction that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World. That he died for my sins that I might live again and that only through him may I return to live in the presence of God. He is my perfect example of what I try to be and I strive to follow his teachings and teach them to my children.

My membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (also know as the Mormon church) is the faith through which I worship God and Jesus Christ. We attend weekly, where we learn from the Bible as well as the Book of Mormon, study the life of Christ and seek to teach and uplift each other as a congregation. I love the bible and it's teachings. I also love the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which also testifies of what I believe about Christ, that He is the Son of God and Savior of the World.

*to see more CHURCHY-WURCHY posts click here.

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Project 365 - 2011 | Wk 4

Today was my sweet Hubby's 33rd birthday. I made his favorite dessert in lieu of a traditional cake.
Chocolate, whipped cream, cream cheese filling and hazelnuts = sinfully delicious.

Ella had this day off of school for MLK Jr. day so we trimmed her hair to maintain the shoulder length bob she is known for.

We received our family's personalized calendar in the mail today. I love having the entire extended family member's birthdays in one easy spot so we never forget.

Blogged about this organization tip and gave a freebie to download of my designed Outfit Tags.  These have been a life-saver to me on weekday mornings and on Sunday before church.

We headed to Target yesterday and spotted these Ruby Slippers on clearance for $3.74 - We got this pair for Ella (which she wore today to school with pride) and a matching gold pair for Evangeline.

Every 6 months I ask my kids to draw a family picture, then scan it into the computer to see how their portraits change over time.  Here is Ella's latest creation from today.

A new addition to my organization goals.  Today I whipped up this Headband holder in no time!  Full tutorial on my craft blog this coming Monday!

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mis-type

So, you don't know this about me, but I type with my two index fingers....really quickly. So quickly, in fact, that I have never felt a need to really learn to type properly. Until last week.

This typing with two fingers stuff is speedy, but very likely to produce errors in which key I hit. I have to be looking down at the keyboard and when I don't I am very likely to mis-type a letter or two or three.

I was having a Facebook online chat with a person I don't know too incredibly well (we'll call her Jane) and we were discussing a recent disagreement she had with a friend. Jane said she tried to give her friend advice and the friend got mad. I meant to type "That's too bad. She should be a bigger person." and by accident I hit the wrong key. Which wrong key? The one right next to the B.

Go ahead, glance down at your keyboard.
Then re-read my sentence.

Then realize the horror I felt when realized I had accidentally written the most horrible word on the entire earth. The most horrid word ever. The word that makes the F-bomb seem timid. I hit the return key before I realized.  I literally screamed NOOOOOOOOO!!!! at the screen. Imagine the fury of my fingers, pecking away at the keyboard to try and explain my innocent blunder as I died inside at what Jane must think of me!  It's kinda funny now because it is so so so awful!

And so, tonight I started an online typing course. Seriously, I don't know if I can actually pull this off. Old dog/new tricks and all that. My first 5 typing tests garnered a whopping 9 wpm with 87% accuracy.

Ugh!

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Family Home Evening

Family Home Evening is a night (usually Monday) set aside for LDS families (aka Mormons) to spend with family, have a devotional, read from the scriptures, sing and have fun as a family.  I run a Family Home Evening (abbr. FHE) blog where I give lesson plans each week for those families with small children.  I thought it would be fun to share an update here.

The girls' loved the Wk 3 lesson about Ammon (a scripture hero from the Book of Mormon), especially the part about the arms being cut off.  But who doesn't love that part?  I remember distinctly having a serious crush on Ammon when I was a girl.  Oh, those muscles!  Here's the picture just in case you forgot.

<----------------

But, of course, the star of the show in our house was the craft that went with the lesson.  We were making "King Lamoni's Sheep" from the scripture story and we were supposed to take a toilet paper tube, tape on q-tip legs and then dip cotton balls in white glue and adhere them to the tube.

Now, I don't know who wrote the directions to that craft (I found it on the Internet), but they were high when they suggested taping the legs on.  We tried. And reinforced. And re-taped. And I finally busted out the hot glue gun.  Worked like a charm.  Attempt taping at your own risk.

Our sheepies were also MUCH fluffier than the pictures in the tutorial, be we loved it that way!

A few notes: We are members of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS, commonly known as Mormons and abbreviated LDS. We are Christians and seek to come together as families to praise God, learn of His teachings, follow Jesus Christ and be good and kind people.

To learn more visit the following sites...
Request a Book of Mormon - Learn about the LDS Church - Visit a local LDS Temple

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this & that thursday

yesterday my children were fighting and knocked my favorite casserole dish off the counter and it shattered. within seconds of looking at my face they ran from the room, covering their bums with their hands.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I had been seriously considering moving in order to change school districts.

then i went online and saw the available rental properties and remember just how good we have it here.

so, instead I got ready to paint our living room.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

made chicken tikka masala (using this recipe) for matt's birthday dinner. it was very "bombay chic". and delicious.  the homemade naan could use some work. :) 

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

there is a free download on my craft blog for printable outfit tags.

these have saved my butt on weekday and sunday mornings.

 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

it's hitting me just now that i am a "jane of all trades" as i rearrange html code for a client while waiting for quilt fabric to dry and explain to a friend over the phone the fertilization cycle of a chicken (which, by the way, i have explained to a different friend once before). 

how do friends know to call me for their chicken fertilization questions?

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why i won't make my blog into a book

So, I watched the Bachelor online yesterday and this chick from Salt Lake City is full-on insane! Why does she keep talking about fireworks and then making a hand motion above her head like fireworks are creeping out of her skull?

I would be very embarrassed for my progeny to read that.

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Dear Doneagal School District,

Ummm....I tried to drop of my child at her school today and it was deserted. Then I drove her to the Kindergarten Center...deserted. Today was a school day according to the school calendar. But no phone call from you. And no email.

Listen, I'm already not too impressed with your district-wide test scores and the Kindergarten Center thing is kind of ridiculous, but now, you've really bugged me.

- Mad Mommy in Mount Joy

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What happened to all of the Movie Reviews???

Seriously?

It's been a while, but in the meantime we have rocked our Netflix membership, since we have no cable, and it's about time to give you some movie reviews.

Temple Grandin - ★★★★★

This was the best movie I saw in 2010.  It is very well acted (Claire Daines very much deserved the Golden Globe for this...which she got) and it is fascinating.  It really gives you excellent insight into the mind of an individual with Autism.  An excellent film that the entire family can watch!  Rent it people, seriously.

Despicable Me - ★★★★☆

You probably already know that our family loves this film.  Yes, I even liked it more than Toy Story 3....oh, the sacrilege!  So why the 4 stars instead of 5?  Potty humor.  I will never understand a film maker's need to add random and non-story related crude humor to children's films.  This film has a scene or two that really mar the otherwise perfectness of it.  A shame.


Avatar - ★★★★☆
 
I expected to HATE this movie.  Sorry, I'm not really a blue-man sort of gal. Nor am I a Sci-Fi sort of gal, but it wasn't bad at all.  In fact, it was pretty good.  Of course, it's written by James Cameron, the King of Cheese, so expect some pretty schmaltzy lines and contrived scenes.


The A Team - ★☆☆☆☆
 
I agreed to watch this film with Matt for one reason. Bradley Cooper's abs.  Not even Bradley Cooper's sweet torso could save this film.  Now, not to throw him under the bus, but my hubby can watch some pretty awful movies and not mind, but even he was cursing his lost two hours as the credits rolled on this film.

What did YOU think of these films?

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