House for Sale!

Well our house has been for sale for 3 months now. I'm guessing with the current market that it is gonna be awhile before it sells. But that's ok, because we aren't on a specific timeline and also because God is in control and it will all come together in His timing!
I have two kids, so keeping my house "show ready" isn't very fun. Just before we put the house on the market I decided that our playroom would be WAY TOO STRESSFUL on me to keep show ready. So I converted the playroom into a bedroom. I staged it basically.
Here are some pics of what the playroom looked like before I changed it.....





Here are some pics of what it looks like now as a bedroom....








It's a bit unfinished, but it's a way better look than the playroom for perspective buyers. And I don't have to bug my kids about keeping the playroom clean.....I only have to bug them about their rooms!

We are off to go camping for the weekend! Have a great Labor Day Weekend everybody!

What to do with all those school papers.....

Hey my fellow SITStas! So, this post is almost a year old, but it would be a fun summer project to do before school starts in the fall (as if we even wanna think about that yet!) I'm excited about all the SITSta comment love that is on its way!! If you get a chance don't forget to visit my blog design portfolio at www.eightcrazydesignportfolio.blogspot.com

Oh, and don't forget to enter the giveaway today at Tip Junkie that is featuring an EightCrazy Designs giveaway for a $28 gift card towards a blog design!!



For some of you school has already started, my kids start next week. So it's supply shopping and open houses for now. But when they come home with completed school work, or all the paperwork the school sends home with all the needed info, what's a girl to do with all that paperwork. After all kids like to see their stuff on display and the much needed info from the school needs to be easily accessible, right?
So here is an option for you.....a clip display board. I decorated this one to go with a school theme for all the school papers. But you could decorate it to match your decor, or another theme you have in mind.
It's pretty simple to do....
Supplies:

wooden board (approx 2' long and 4' tall....you'll find them at craft stores and sometimes they are already even painted!)

3 bulldog clips (office supply sections of stores)

E6000 adhesive (craft store or even home depot carries this)

acrylic paint or spray paint

paint brushes (only if you are using acrylic paint)

2 metal picture hanging brackets

hammer

If you want to do the school theme: buy 2 regular wooden rulers

(ok I don't want to confuse you but instead of painting you could use paper and modge podge to cover the board.....just another idea!)

Step 1: Paint the board in the desired colors you have chosen and let it dry. (or modge podge if that's the route you chose)

Step 2: Turn the board over. Use your hammer and attach the hanging brackets to the back of the board about half an inch below the top edge (you may actually be able to find these boards at your craft stores with hanging holes pre-drilled on the back)

Step 3: If you are doing the school theme use the E6000 adhesive and adhere the rulers to the top edge

Step 4: Use the E6000 adhesive to adhere the bulldog clips. Vertically center the clips and then disperse them evenly across the length placing the one in the center first. (measuring this out is helpful) Give the adhesive adequate time to dry.

Step 5: Hang your finished product on the wall and wait for the kiddos to come home! You'll load these clips up pretty quickly.



Some other ideas beyond the school theme.....make one for your child's room. Paint it in colors to match and then use scrapbooking sticker letters to personalize the board with your child's name. Make one that is dedicated to your child's artwork. Try one that's just for phone messages. The ideas are endless! I even made one for my daughter's teacher as a christmas gift one year and peronalized it with the teacher's name for her to display papers in the classroom.
Oh, I almost forgot....You could even use chalkboard spray paint to paint the board! Then you can write on the board itself with chalk!!
Happy Crafting!

Another Wall Art Idea - And it's cheaper too!

Ok, so I had a lot of responses to my post about creating your own wall art (the post is titled: "It's Super Easy". So I decided I would show you another twist on it. Instead of using canvases, use wood as your canvas. The plaques I have pictured (which hang right by my front door in my entryway) were made on mdf that I cut out and routered myself, but you can buy them pre-made at the craft store. They are about 1/2 an inch thick. They come in different shapes too...round, square, oval, I've even seen novelty shapes like a key, etc. These are less expensive than the canvases. You would follow the same instructions as before on the "It's Super Easy" post. The twist is that I embellished the paper this time with words, clip-art, and pictures that I altered in photoshop. I will show you the examples of what the paper originally looked like and then what the final product was.
The paper started off 12 x 12. I cut it down to 8.5 x 11 so that I could run it through my printer. Then I cut it to size to fit the wooden plaque. You will have to add your own picture hanger to the back. Or you could even display your plaque on an easel.







The Fleur de Lis I just printed on paper that had a crackled effect look to it. The fleur de lis was a black and white clip art. I typed the words up top and added the embellishment to the bottom. Then I used acrylic paints to distress the look of the paper and to fill in the fleur de lis. This one hangs in my guest bathroom.



Don't be intimated by the fact that I used photoshop. You could use Word. Just insert the clip art and type the words. It's still super easy! Give it a try!
By the way...If you tried the wall art please send me pics so I can post them for others to see! My sister-in-law Michele tried it. To send me pics, just leave me a comment with your email and I'll email you back.

Back from 4 Wheelin

So what do you think of my new look?.........


Well we went out 4 wheelin' and had a great time! Both the kids did great. They each had their moments of learning "what not to do again"! Everybody stayed safe and we look forward to going again! Here are some videos of Todd and the kids....(Haven't posted videos before, so I hope this works and it's not to big of a headache for you to view them)

4 wheelin'

We are heading out for the weekend to go 4 wheelin' We have our new fifth wheel too. We were just sitting around today trying to figure out what to do tonight and my hubby said, "let's go camping!" So we are being spontaneous! It's our first trip out with the 4 wheelers so it should be lots of fun!
I'll blog about our adventure when I get back!

By the way, I added a site meter to my blog to let me know how many visits I get in a day...I had over 60 just today! Who are all you people? If I know you let me know you are checking out my blog by leaving comments! And if I don't know you...leave comments too so I can check out your blog!
Later Blogger Buds!

Parade of Homes

My hubby and I went to the parade of homes a couple of nights ago. I wanted to share some of the pics with you. The very last house on the tour was right up my alley! LOVED IT!

I love this door style! Wanted it for my current house but couldn't find it! I like when there are more panels too!


ok, this was a kids playroom. It was the most adorable thing EVER! Look at the scale of the couches compared to the window bench! They were beautiful couches but they were child size. Then on each side wall of the playroom they had the desks and cubbie bookcase. I was drooling!



This was the den....I TRIPLE LOVE this color!


This glass tile wall in the master bath was so beautiful.


Family Room


I just loved the feel of this house. The color scheme....I'm totally stealing it. I've got a printed list from the designer! Walking through that house just made me happy!

MEME

I got tagged. So I have to do this thing called MEME
1. I have to post these rules before I give you the facts.
2. Each player starts with eight random facts/stories about themselves.
3. People who are tagged need to write their own blog (about their eight things) and post these rules.
4. At the end of your blog, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
5. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog

#1 When I was a kid, I had encephalytis due to a high temp during the chicken pox. I took meds for 3 years and then one day I went to my mom with the bottle of pills and gave them to her and said, "I don't need these anymore, because God healed me." Tests afterwards confirmed that I no longer needed the medication.

#2 The first time I ever kissed a boy was on a Wednesday night after youth group behind the building....so don't think that just because your kids at youth group that they can't be doing something you wouldn't want them to! (that's not very comforting is it!?)

#3 My middle name is Patricia, and in the 4th grade for about 2 weeks I wanted to change my name and have people call me Patty....so I wouldn't answer to Shannon, only Patty.....like I said, it only lasted for 2 weeks.

#4 Just about everytime I go to the bathroom, I spit in the toilet afterwards. My hubby thinks it is the weirdest thing. But for some reason saliva just accumulates in my mouth at that moment.

#5 I completely SUCK at small talk. Especially with strangers. I sit there thinking, "what could I say?".....the result is that I make bad first impressions, and most people think I don't like them at first......I'm really just conversationally challenged...just ask my hubby!

#6 I do a good job at not keeping sweets in my house, so that I don't eat them...but if I'm desperate I've been known to make a 1/4 batch of cookie dough (at night after my hubby is in bed)....eat a few bites.....be disgusted with myself......and then promptly throw the rest down the drain!!! Then I think..."Am I that pathetic that I can't even keep flour and sugar in my house?" What is it about sweets and will power?

#7 I was a cheerleader in HS and after that a cheerleading coach. So I still gage my age by whether or not I can still do the jumps.....I can by the way! After each pregnancy, once I had lost enough weight, I would try a jump just to make sure I could still do it!

#8 I think I have ADD. I will start cooking lunch, remember something I need to do on the computer, run upstairs to grab something, walk into the kitchen hear a simmering sound and think, "What's that?"....only to realize that it is my lunch that I had started cooking.

So here it goes, I'm tagging Dena, Trish, LeeAnn, Eryn, and Julie That's all the bloggers I have to tag...Chele took the rest of them!

Finally......our house plan is COMPLETE!

We did it! Our house plan is complete! Now it is off to the engineer and then another 2 months for permits (gotta love the county!) Of course we still need to sell the house we live in right now. Which looking at the market, probably won't be until next year. But we are ok with that because we know that God is in control and we trust His perfect timing.

So here is a rendering (which I put together) of the front elevation of the house. I had to do this so I could get a visual in my head. These aren't necessarily the doors or colors we will use, but it gives you a basic idea.



Or it could be like this......

What do you think?

This is the floor plan. Yep, we are going one story this time. We are downsizing just a bit (by like 250 sq. ft) compared to the house we live in now. We prioritized and this is what we came up with. I think this is kind of hard to read, but I thought I'd post it anyway. I think if you click on it, it will open up to a bigger size.


I'm just so excited to finally be done making all the plan decisions. It was very stressful and because I suddenly have PMS hormones.....it was emotional. Tonight we are going to the parade of homes to get ideas for the interior! Good times! Speaking of interiors...check out my new link on the left called "Just Beachy" I'm lovin' those interior shots!

Rocky & Bullwinkle

Over the weekend my daughter went on a trip with her grandma. They had a great time together at Jack & Olga's. Since she was gone, my son decided that it was his "special weekend"...... we went along with it. On Friday night we let him choose where to go for dinner. He chose his favorite...Rocky's Pizza. Then on Saturday we took him to Bullwinkle's Family Fun Center. He played putt-putt, rode the go-karts and played some games.
Right when we got there I noticed the bumper boats. Along the outside edge they had water sprayers and you could put a quarter in and spray the people in the boats...so I did! Here is the problem though....they boats have sprayers too! And the boat sprayers tip and tilt....sadly mine did not. So I got soaked and looked like I had peed my pants (note the picture of me at the 8th hole to see the wetness!) We topped the evening off with an ice cream cone! Fun was had by all!





Oh, I almost forgot...we ate dinner at Chili's and they have the cutest new desserts! Had to share them with you because it is just such a clever presentation idea for a party....I can't wait to try it out. Mini desserts in tall shot glasses. I don't have any shot glasses around, but I may have to get some...hmmm....votive candle holders might work! Work with what you got! And by the way "NO" I did not have that dessert AND the ice cream.....just the ice cream. (but i really wanted the desserts!)

Cancer

So much cancer and sickness. It seems like everywhere I turn someone else has been diagnosed.....Breast, prostate, colon, liver, hodgkins, leukemia.....adults, kids, moms, dads, sons and daughters.

This was not what God intended for this world and his children. Sin was chosen...a broken and fallen world is what we live in. I'm not refering to individual sin, but collective sin as a human race. Just look at the list from a few posts ago. How much our society has changed. How far from God we have drifted.

A group of women from my church are running/walking in the "Race for the Cure" in honor of our friend Rosemary. She was just diagnosed with breast cancer. We pray for healing, knowing that God has the power to heal.

I will be out of town, so I cannot actually participate in the "Race", but I've donated to the "Race for the Cure" as a "sleep in" participant. If you would like to join our team, Rosemary's Racers, or start your own, go to the link listed below.

http://race.komenoregon.org/site/TR/Events/General?team_id=24932&pg=team&fr_id=1040&fl=en_US&s_tafId=9004

In the meantime....please pray for:
Rosemary
Scott
Gabe's dad
Tammy
Malachi
Kenny
Tamara's Mom
And the many others that you probably know who have cancer, or any other life threatening illness.

Aunt Kris

Today I honor my Aunt Kris who passed away this morning from a heart attack. She was only in her mid-50's. She is survived by her very loving and devoted husband, Scott, her Daughter Sarah, grandchildren, and her 3 brothers.

My Aunt Kris loved animals, mainly horses and she was an amazing craftsman and artist. She was always up for a good laugh and she herself could make you laugh. I will always remember the times I spent with her on her ranch when I was growing up.


Below is her wedding picture. She did a theme wedding - old western - they even did a pretend shootout scene between the groom and the best man. She sewed all the suits, and dresses herself.


Aunt Kris and her Daughter Sarah


She will be missed.

A project here and there

Several posts ago I mentioned that I was working on some graphic/layout design projects. This is one of the projects that I did. It was a 30th birthday invitation. The hubby wanted it to look like the cover of Triathlete Magazine, because his wife is a triathlete. So this was the final outcome. I couldn't post it sooner because it was a surprise party and I didn't want to ruin it!

Cakes for Kim

Hey my fellow SITStas! I'm excited about all the SITSta comment love that is on its way!! If you get a chance don't forget to visit my blog design portfolio at www.eightcrazydesignportfolio.blogspot.com

Oh, and don't forget to enter the giveaway today at Tip Junkie that is featuring an EightCrazy Designs giveaway for a $28 gift card towards a blog design!!
____________________________________________________

Ok, so my sister Kim was just in town. She left on Sunday. Friday, the 17th is her 36th Birthday. She is complaining that I did not make her a cake while she was here. So I've decided to dedicate this "cake blog" to her. I am rededicating all of these cakes I've made to her for her birthday! And the best part is.....they are calorie free!
Happy Birthday Kimmy!!!

Now & Then

This is taken from a book called, "How to Raise a Modern Day Knight". It is crazy how much our world has changed. Below is a list of the top 7 reported issues, crimes or offenses in schools during the year mentioned. This compares 1940 to 1980.

1940

1. talking out of turn
2. chewing gum
3. making noise
4. running in the halls
5. cutting in line
6. violating dress code
7. littering


40 years later in 1980

1. drug abuse
2. alcohol abuse
3. pregnancy
4. suicide
5. rape
6. robbery
7. assualt

Girls & Pirates

I have a couple events coming up that I've been working on. One is my son's 5th birthday party. This year the theme is Pirates. These are the invites I'll be sending out.





I made a "label" for the water bottle, and then I have a mapstyle invite rolled up and placed inside with some sand on the bottom. We will hand deliver the invites.

The next event is the "Nannual Girls Getaway Weekend" that we do every year with family. This is the 5th year we've done it. "Nannual" is in honor of Nanny, my grandmother, the matriarch of the family. Any female who is 18 or over gets to come. There are usually anywhere from 10-12 of us. It's always a blast. I began the tradition 5 years ago because I wanted to have a "right of passage" and family tradition to pass on to my daughter. This year it is my year to host again, along with my mom and my Aunt Judy. We are headed to Seattle where we will be renting a house for the weekend. These are the invites I've designed and am mailing out.

They are double sided. One side it a panoramic pic of Seattle and the other are pics from the last 4 years.





So many more details to plan out for both events. I'll post pics from the events after we've had them.

Blast from the Past

On Saturday I went down to the ball fields I spent my summers at as a kid. They had an alumni game down there and I decided I would participate. I haven't played AT ALL since those days. My sister happened to be in town so she played too, and it was a family affair. My dad use to be the president of the place, and then he was the regional junior olympic commissioner.
Anyway, 8 people from my old team showed up and I think about 50 players all together. Many of us wore our old uniform tops! They divided us up into groups...under 40 and over 40...(above you see the under 40 group) then we split into teams. Suddenly there I was playing catch, and taking grounders....I think my knees were literally shaking! The game starts. My sis is pitching and I'm in center field. Wouldn't you know it a pop fly comes my way.......I CAUGHT IT!! HOORAY....I didn't totally make a fool of myself! The girl next to me said, "That was scary, I'm glad it went to you and not me!" That was my only field action for the day. I was up to bat twice, struck out once, and grounded out the last time.....when I say last time I really mean it....I was the last out and we lost! Oh the humanity! How will I ever go on? All in all it was a very fun day....even though I was nervous during most of it! I just loved seeing everyone!