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crazy owls

May 27, 2014

so summer is here.
the kids are home with no routine.
how does it creep up on me every single year?!!
we need that summer list made.
we need a plan and a bit of a schedule.
more reading and drawing.
less tv.
more crafting and baking.
less screen time.
more swimming. more sunshine.
less basement darkness with video games.

on friday… i started this project and it didn’t go too well… at first.
there was crying and door slamming and drama.
it had nothing to do with the project but everything to do with moods, feelings, sleep deprivation and new routine.
but i stuck with it.
i knew my mood needed adjusting too so i stayed right at that table with my owl i drew and kept on coloring… for like an hour!
coloring makes you feel better – it’s a fact.
and then one kid came back, saw the nearly finished project and said “WHOOOOA! Can i make that too?!”
🙂

and even after that… “WHOOOAA!!! annie did YOU draw that? I want to make one too! how did you do that?!”
i got to listen to her teach it from the other room.
pretty rad.

what i say in the video (in case you don’t feel like watching) is that this is Continuous Line Drawing.
(or continual line? i don’t know)
it’s where you draw but don’t lift up your pen when drawing… everything is connected.
it’s very flowy and swirly.
not many straight lines… just letting the pen move freely.
then filling in each spot with color.

i made a super amazing video on how we made these owls!
just kidding.
i made a very average video of me drawing an owl for over 3 minutes.
but it may help you overcome your fears if you watch it so that you can make this project with your kids… i hope.

annie is a very professional videographer… 🙂

owl2
these were a few different designs we drew.
and then you can see this one side by side of the drawing and the colored in drawing. owl1
each section… each time a line intersects with another we changed colors.
almost.
these take a long time to color but totally worth it.

you could use crayon… colored pencil… oil pastel… or markers like we did of course. owl3 owl4 owl5

now get going.
continuous line drawing is calling you.
and of course you could draw anything… it doesn’t have to be an owl!

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Ashley - Thank you so much for sharing this awesome activity! We did this as part of our homeschool activities today and my kids LOVED it!! It was so much fun!

Jeanine - What a blessed life you lead. I was seriously born into the wrong family lol. I just caught up on your summer 2015 pictures AMAZING, GOD is GOOD!! Anyway, thank you for sharing this video! I TOTALLY love this project doing it now!!!!

Craft Monday - […] today we had nothing on the docket so I decided to steal another craft idea. I was terrible at drawing the owl. TERRIBLE. Violet actually drew both herself and her […]

Emily thompson - I am a avid owl fan and would love to possibly purchase a completed piece of artwork. These are truly amazing.

Continual Line Drawing | tinyartroom - […] I am so loving these continual line drawings of owls that my 3rd graders are working on. It is so hard for some of them to let go of perfection. They look at me like I am absolutely nuts when I tell them they can’t pick up their marker until they are completely finished with the drawing. Luckily, there is a great, short video on the original site for this project. It can be found here: megduerksen.com […]

Love the Little Things | ss_site_title - […] girls have had friends over almost every day so it’s all been a bit crazy! I did however read this post over on Meg Duerksen’s blog and watched her video tutorial which inspired me to get […]

Karen - You are an artist Mom who is serving The Lord with all your might! Your children are so blessed to have you!
What a great project! Thank you for sharing!

Laura Reichert - It is great to try this idea using other animals: turtle, zebra, butterfly, dragonfly, hippo. Lots of fun and variety.

Su - Just wanted to let you know that my daughter and I did these with a group of girls at a craft camp we run. Since they take such a long time to color, this is what they worked on if they arrived a little early or finished a project before everyone else or were waiting for their mom to pick them up. Thanks for the inspiration. I linked to this post so my readers could make their own Crazy and Colorful Owls. Here is my post if you want to check out the owls we created: http://www.susoutter.com/2014/07/crazy-colorful-owls.html

Kid Doodles: Drawing Outside The Box - Sunshine and Hurricanes - […] week, we discovered continuous line drawing after reading Meg’s post and spent a few days making all sorts of pictures with this concept. My sister and her 3 boys were […]

heather - what a wonderful idea! thanks for sharing

Hello Summer! | Leah's Thoughts - […] Drawings – I got this idea from Meg at Whatever. I’m not super artsy, but I’m willing to give this a […]

For Your Weekend | It's the Summer Slow Down - […] you to Meg at Whatever for this amazing easy and fun craft […]

Flower Patch Farmgirl - We’re on it!!

Vanessa - Thank you Meg! There are random owl drawing sightings popping up in different colors all over the house! My girl is in love with that art idea!

Jenny Logan - Hey there! I love how you advocate for wells and fresh water in Africa. I saw this on YouTube and immediately thought of you. :0) it’s people in Africa reading tweets from people in the US that are first world “problems” it really hits home to the ridiculousness of what some people are problems. Just thought I’d share with you. :0) here is the link: http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=kp&v=fxyhfiCO_XQ

Valerie - I love this idea – I love doing crafts with the kids. Mine are still young (2 1/2 and 5), but we might try it anyway. These are great! Thanks for the inspiration!

Alisha - Thank you so much for this ! It was great fun !

Kristen - We have gotten 11 inches of rain today, and I just want to say that your continuous owls have saved my patootie today. Bought me a few minutes of precious quiet time. Thanks ever so much!

Se7en's Fabulous Friday Fun #224 - se7en | se7en - […] I think we definitely need to get ourselves some new markers, well any markers… like really: Whatever’s Owls are just stunning!!! […]

Kerry - My soon-to-be 7 yr old made an owl today and did a really good job! I think she did better than her mom ; ) Thanks for the idea! (and my kids love your video…especially when you say “oops! I lifted my pen!”)

Seriously Sassy Mama - How fun. That would certainly keep my three girls busy!

kelly owens - these are amazing! My 7 year old is working on hers right now and loves this idea! She asked if you had other animals or patterns to share? If you guys make more please please post because this was a huge hit! thank you for your awesome video.

Julie C. - My kids and I did this project yesterday and we loved it! Thank you for the video tutorial, it was critical to our success! We’ve done many of your art projects in the past, this was definitely one of our favorites:-) Thank you!!!

Amy - I thank you so much for this!! I am only somewhat crafty and at first this looked difficult, but the video inspired me to try it with my 5-year-old and we sat and colored for a couple hours that morning. She did two of them and wants to do one with her daddy now too! 🙂 I told him that night that it just helped our day get off to a good start by me taking the time to do this. Thank you for the many ideas you list on here! Please keep them coming 🙂

Lisa - My 8 year old daughter and I did these today. I home school her, and it was a fun thing to do to end our last day of school. Thanks for sharing such a cute idea. I’m thinking of using it at a church function that I plan for the kids as well.

meredith - just made one! perfect art therapy!

melissa - love love love!! thank you so much for posting a video! definitely getting on this project asap! 🙂

Seamingly Sarah - Oh, you have drama too? I thought my six year old was the only one bringing it to the table these days. 🙂

I love this idea, I’ll add it to our summer list. Unfortunately “summer” for us doesn’t start until June 24th. Yuck.

Sara - I totally plopped down at the table during the baby’s nap yesterday and followed your video tutorial and started coloring! It was so hard to stop when the baby woke up! It was just the mental vacation I needed. Thanks for posting the video (thanks, Annie! great job!).

At first there was music drowning out your voice and I was wishing that you or Annie hadn’t done a music track because I couldn’t hear you talking us through the owl drawing. Then I realized that my Pandora station had automatically turned on when I opened the laptop. Ha! It was nice to hear your voice after reading your blog for so long (once I turned off the loud music…). 🙂

tara - in love.
can not WAIT to do this with my kiddos.
wonder if i can coax my boys into doing it with me?
lydia and i will BEG.

Kristin - These are so amazing! I need to draw and sit more. Thanks for the inspiration! 🙂

Stephanie - Thank you for lending this completely unartsy mom some inspiration!

Lisa - Love, Love, Love this idea. Thank you for always sharing and inspiring us.

Karina - I love these…I will be referring to your blog this summer when I introduce craft activities…long overdue, but better late than never, right? Our school doesn’t let out until the end of June, so I have lots of time to pin ideas! (I still need to know how you painted your railings, btw…please!)

Routhie - This is a great idea. My kids and I have to be out of our house after I pick them up from school tomorrow, so depending on their moods and the humidity, we could be at the park or sitting in a coffee shop. I’ll definitely bring everything for this in case they want to stay indoors.

Kristen K. - Meg, what a PERFECT project for artsy owl-lovers like us! I really love how yours turned out. THANK YOU! We still have 2+ weeks of school here in Philadelphia, but I’m hoarding ideas for summer like my life depends on it!!! Oh wait, it DOES! Our 4 tend to sleep too much, eat too much, whine nonstop, and beg to swim at Grammie & PopPop’s incessantly. And I just wanna craft! So this is just what we needed…thank you!!! Will be praying for you and yours, and the awesome goals of sun/fun/unplugged summer time!

Kerry - Meg this is SO cool!!! And easy enough for me to try even though I have ZERO drawing skills 🙂 Loved seeing you on Video again too! Kerry x

Julie - These are beautiful, all so individual, love the expressions on all their faces, especially love all that colour. Might be one of my weekend projects, while the hubby and kids are away. HMMMM

Dawn - I love this!! You actually make me feel like maybe I could do this.

Rebekah - I’m totally doing this with my girls this summer. Thank you!

Sami - But owls are in. And fun and cute and did I say fun? I’m SO doing this. Kids or no kids!

Marla - 10 month old in bed…husband at work….Totally just did an owl, turtle and a butterfly. love.

Kimberly - How cute!

Lori - Meg – you inspire me to be creative!!! From the pictures I would have said NO WAY! I can’t do this! But your video made it seem possible. Thank you, Meg! If you were to post a video once a week with either a kid or adult project like this – I would pay tons of money to subscribe! =) A virtual craft house!!

Amy K. - Those are amazing – adding them to the list for Make Something Monday, from a schedule I found here: http://www.somewhatsimple.com/summer-schedule-for-kids/ We have done it here for the last 3? years, and my kids like it so much, we use it for spring break too!

Jenn - Okay, these are awesome! We will be doing these. Thank you!

Kristen - Love this idea! And I’ve totally been stalking your blog waiting for the summer list . . . we made our own list last summer and are going to do it again this year!

Jamie - Thank you for posting this! School is out on Thursday and I cannot wait to try this with my kids!

Lorie - I am absolutely adding this to my girls summer crafts!! I love doing continuous drawing doodles and coloring them in different colors like you mentioned, but never thought of drawing something other than an abstract doodle! I love it!!

Katie Skiff - Love this. I think I’d have to draw for my 8yo, but then again, she might enjoy trying this. Good idea!! 🙂

Sue Linse - I can’t get the link to the video to work. I like to see you live…like you were still teaching crafts at MOPS 🙂

Deb Meyers - Love those owls! In college we did a self-portrait exercise where you look in a mirror and draw your self continuous(ly?)… don’t lift pencil… WITHOUT looking at the paper. Very fun!

Go gentle on yourself… new house, end of school… lots of replenishing needed. It won’t be long until screen time is not as attractive.

Kristin F. - I am buying supplies for these today!! Thanks for the lovely inspiration.

Lisa - Oh my gosh! I love these! So very cool!

Kimberlee Jost - LOVE IT.
Raining day prepared…to do OWLS!

Amy Woods - Eeeek! You make me wanna have more kiddos! I only have one. My sweet 16 year old boy…Hmmm. I bet he’d do this with me! I’ll bribe him!! Thanks for sharing. You are a precious momma. 🙂

Gina - I love coloring too. I used to always have a coloring book and fresh crayons – even in college. Now I just doodle and color in. I can’t wait to make an owl. : )

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random again.

April 1, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP8RB7UZHKI

have you seen this kid?
oh that mama… she must be so tired every night.
pretty funny little guy.

last week i made this for dinner.

Crockpot Sweet Potato Chicken Chili.
my husband LOVED it. i did too. and two of my kids were brave and tried it.
and they said almost convincingly “i like it.”
i don’t believe them but they tried it and ate it too.
things are coming along… last year there is no way they would have tried it.

i have been listening to sermons again.
i REALLY enjoyed this series by Andy Stanley called Just Ask It.

i love how he can speak to anyone… whether you have been a christian a long time, brand new or if you don’t believe in jesus at all.
he is relatable.
he makes you think.
i think he’s cool.
if you have time driving in your car… out for a run or at the gym.. or just cooking dinner in your kitchen… throw this sermon series on and you will like it. 😉

c97e1d1e34abfae0ba10bc7fd7eb420c
ummm…. how rad is that shower???
i don’t think i would have the guts to do it but i do love it.
it looks fancy.
032b97f97c0586a3797b7517216a8b43
doesn’t this look so crazy good?!!!
i found the picture on pinterest with a dumb tumbler link to no where.
BUT i am going to imagine that there is a waffle truck somewhere in the world that makes stuffed waffle sandwiches.
doesn’t that sound dreamy?
i would love for someone to drive a waffle truck in to my driveway and bring me one.

and lastly….

i would like to sit and make this.
because it looks so relaxing.
i know i probably wouldn’t DO anything with these painted leaves… but creating is sometimes just for the sake of being creative.
not about WHAT you make… or what you will do with it.
it’s sitting down… stopping the busy around you… and creating.
in that moment.
i hope i can sometime soon-ish.

what is going on with you today?
are you making crafty projects? taking a nap? cooking dinner? reading a book?
please share. 🙂

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Grace - Long time reader, first time commenter, but I couldn’t resist. I’m glad you are enjoying Andy’s series. You’ll have to listen to the current one he is doing. Been on staff at North Point for 9 years now, and he still nails it. Every. Time. Anyways, if you are interested in any of the other sermons, mom resources, or small group content, let me know! I’d be happy to send some your way. Thanks for sharing your tidbits of life with us. Encouraged often.

phyllis - You’ve got me on a internet-wide waffle hunt!
I think I found yours at B.Street Waffles in San Francisco:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TplqI76oCk annnd, apparently,
you can have them sent to your door 😀

http://bstreetwaffles.com/product-category/waffles/

Candice McLean - YUM! The stuffed waffles looks delicious. Those painted leaves look dynamite… a great idea for a kiddo (and parent) fun project. Thanks for sharing!

tricia - My girls make the leaf casts every year in art class. i have a whole collection at this point. and no, i never really know where to put them. but i love them so. 🙂

Jane - At 50 I have gone back to college! Never finished and I am so lucky I can now. I have to finish a paper and a book. Learning is amazing..

Will try the recipe!! Thanks for sharing and have a wonderful day!

amy - That little guy’s antics may be cute now, but that mama is unknowingly teaching her kiddo how to argue, bargain and be in control. I wanted to find that little guy a naughty stool – and fast!

April R - i like random 🙂
and waffles
and fancy bathrooms
and crafting for creativities sake
And I listened to Andy Stanley on the way to my Aunt’s house today. Title was “Follow” – specifically “Follow Wear” – really really good. I was planning on listening to his sermon “Nick and Joe Save Easter” again soon – if you haven’t checked that one out it’s really great as well. I’ll have to check out “Ask It”
Thanks for encouraging others to listen to good teaching and to be crafty and find all kinds of random things to enjoy in life

Elizabeth - I made the chili for dinner tonight and my family loved it. Thank you so much for sharing healthy recipes. It’s always good to have new recipes.

Cindy - The boy needs a few pow-pows! He would drive me insane.

Sara - Oh my have you never head waffles and ice cream!?! Our county fair has them every year! So worth the calories just once a year! 🙂

Stephanie C - Love these posts!
I am…..
trying to finish my last classes before earning my bachelor’s degree
finishing up lunch for the kids
looking up homeschooling curriculum for the next school year (we start over again in the summer when it’s too hot in FL to do anything else)
Missing my husband who is away for a month who also caught shingles in MD and cannot fly home even though he can’t work
Trying to figure out how to not go crazy with my seven kids and I in this house indefinitely waiting on dad to come home…someday. So thankful for FL’s early springs so I can see lots of life in the garden already.

Cara Kuester - I have a question about your 21 day fix challenge. I feel like although I don’t know you I can relate completely with your health journey. I have four kids at home-a picky eater husband and I just want to enjoy foods but lose about 15 pounds. I exercise regularly but can’t seem to stay on a health eating plan. Can you give any advice or encouragement. Thanks! I appreciate your honesty and openness to share your story and life with all us strangers.

Krystle - Sitting in my favorite leather chair checking in on your blog, dreaming about renovating my kitchen someday, and avoiding the laundry pile on the floor next to me.

Beth Ann - Megan, you have in part help to inspire me. For about 5 years I have exercised regularly – 3-5 times a week, but decided to get serious about it and the nutrition part. I joined a local ‘9 week challenge’ place to kick it up a few exercise notches and to get nutrition guidance. I am only 1 week in, but it feels good. I thought I would share my favorite snack/meal: http://iowagirleats.com/2012/07/09/no-heat-required-greek-dip-platter/

No fun things planned today, although it is early out for my kids from school. I would like to think of something fun to do with them after I get off work and they get out of school…..

Ari @ Ari's Menu - So glad you enjoyed the chili! Also, you could totally make your own stuffed waffles and then you get to put whatever you want in them like…NUTELLA! 🙂

Tiffany Gardner - OKC has awesome stuffed waffles. Waffle Champion used to be a food truck and now… they have a restaurant! Next time you are in OKC… stop by.. it is awesome!

Michelle from Australia - I’m in Upstate New York today. About to get on a plane to fly to Seattle.

Nicole - Had to comment about the waffles, as they brought back a wonderful memory. Whenever my brother and I would spend the night at my Poppy’s (Grandpa’s) house, he would make us waffle sandwiches as a treat. Two waffles with strawberry ice cream for the filling. YUMMMM… so good!

Rachel - So lets see…. yesterday I re-roofed the back yard awning in preparation for a “rain storm” that lasted all of 1 hour and was in the middle of the night. Today after helping sort 5000 items of clothing for our annual MOMS Club clothing swap benefiting the Mother To Mother Fund charity, I thought it would be a good idea to hang a new gutter where the previous owners of our home had decided never needed a gutter (they were wrong) in preparation for the next rain storm. And now I sit here waiting for this next supposed “storm” and wondering if maybe I should have just played dragons with the kids instead. After all, its LA. It never rains here. Only the ground shakes here.

Sandra - Love your ‘Random’ posts!
I’m on spring break enjoying Florida sunshine with my family. It’s been delightful. 🙂

Kristin S - That kid is going to be a famous attorney someday.

Jfryer - http://www.foodcartsportland.com/2007/10/23/flavour-spot/

Flavour Spot-Check out their menu 🙂

We were just introduced to one of these food carts in Portland, OR. So fun and yummy!

tasha roe - that chili looks divine!
cleaning and organizing after an ikea and target run.
our pastor, robert morris at Gateway http://www.gatewaypeople.com will knock your socks off! Texas has some awesome churches!!

Carrie - Have you tried waffatopia?

http://waffatopia.com

I am not an affiliate for them, we just live in their area and they are yummy waffles.

My two girls go back and forth with trying new foods. My youngest will eat literally all day and then when she sees meat on her plate she just can not take it. She is not super into new items lately which was a problem with my oldest a few months ago, they just can not get on the same page!! Luckily as far as veggie eaters go, I lucked out. They both get giddy over salads, one will eat ANY veggie and the other prefers most veggies raw which is fine.

Our Lent study is Adam Hamilton’s The Way. I like it and my oldest is doing the children’s version in her Sunday School class. It is nice to be doing the same thing.

Linda - we are on spring break! kids are home and i’m painting my bedroom this week!!! Love your random posts!

Julie - Right now I am putting off doing the vacuuming by reading my fave blogs. I have been to the bank and sorted out our mortgage, and I am hoping to play with some fabrics in my sewing room later today.

Enjoy your day.

Lisa - It’s snowing today (I think it’s a big fat April fool’s joke from God! ha!) and I had a ton of errands to do. Hate having to run errands in slushy snow. But I did exercise and am now home so that’s good. Hoping to take a nap this afternoon after school pick ups! Enjoy your day!

laura oyler - oh those waffle sandwiches…..can I have nutella on mine??

kathleen grace - Thank you for the link. I LOVE Andy Stanley, the man is a super genius:>) I’m listening to it right now as I type!

Necole@seriouslysassymama - I have a kid home sick today, so we went shopping, and I bought a pretty necklace. Taco soup is in the crock pot, and I am watching a movie while folding laundry. I started reading Me Before You, and I am already awaiting a gut wrenching ending. I have already cried twice. You should really listen to some pod casts from Matt Chandler at The Village Church here in Texas. He is awesome.

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kiwi crate valentines

February 7, 2014

Kiwi Crate sent us their Handmade Valentines crate to review!
my girls love crafting! (and i think their mom does too…just a little bit )
Kiwi Crate is such an easy way to help them nurture that.
we have been enjoying our monthly boxes for over a year now!
annie reads her instructions when she starts her kiwi crate projects and then gets busy.
the Valentine Crate was filled with pop up cards!
And she was able to learn how to make her own pop card designs too.

i have posted about Kiwi Crate before.
we enjoy all the creative ideas that arrive on our door step each month!
the kit projects are made specifically for a child’s skill level allowing them to be able to work independently.
i love crafting with my kids but i also love seeing them get creative on their own.
kiwi

annie went out on her own and made jeweled hearts to include in a special valentine with the extra stickers.

You can order a Handmade Valentines Crate today and still have time to make them for V Day at your house.

the Valentine Kit is sold separately from the monthly subscriptions.
on the Kiwi Crate site you can order just about anything to help your kids create masterpieces.
there are extra kits, supplies, and even Party Favors so everyone can make the same fun projects your did!

when you subscribe to Kiwi Crate you receive a box of goodies in the mail each month.
it is a great surprise each time.
we have LOVED receiving these crates of creativity!

the kit include everything needed to complete the projects inside with very clear kid-friendly instructions.
i am always so impressed with what they send!

sometimes there will be paint and mini canvases… sometimes markers and scotch tape… sometimes oil pastels and glue sticks… they even made their own xylophone once!
My kids love getting “their own” glue stick or markers that came in “their kit”.
and i say the more art supplies around our house the better!

i want little artists who are confidently creating whenever the mood strikes.

and i am a busy mom!
i appreciate that the work is done for me!
the idea & the supplies are ready and done and i can sit back and encourage them to CREATE!

Right now you can get $10 OFF A KIWI CRATE SUBSCRIPTION!!! Woo-hoo!!
That is a great deal!

CLICK HERE for Kiwi Crate and receive your discount when you check out.

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Rebecca Torzewski - That looks really fun and I am interested. Does the $10 off apply to just one month of the monthly subscription or is it $10 off each month? Thanks!

brooke - We subscribed to Kiwi some time ago thanks to a review you did on your blog. It has been a HUGE hit with my daughter. She flips when the coveted green box appears on our doorstep, and we have accumulated many, many precious hours of memories working on fun (and quality!) projects. We LOVE the Kiwi Crates!

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peppermint sugar scrub

January 17, 2014

my sister made this for me for christmas and i fell in love.
i had to make more.
and you need to make it too!
i have been using it in the shower almost everyday since christmas.
it smells delicious and is working wonders on my dry winter skin.

megduerksenpeppermint

this is all you need…. baby oil (or light olive oil), coconut oil, peppermint essential oil and sugar.
you need to melt the coconut oil… it took exactly one minute in the microwave.it’s clear when it’s melted.add it all together and mix it up.then i spooned it into wide mouth mason jars.
wide mouth jars because after you have used a lot of it you want to be able to get to the bottom of the container with your hand… so the wide mouth works!
i just grab a scoop and start rubbing it all over till i feel sufficiently covered and smell delightful.

you could use different essential oils for different smells.
but peppermint is always my top choice.

this will be in my bathroom for like… ever now.
it is my favorite.

megduerksenscrubrecipe i made several batches of this.
because all the ingredients are there so why not?
my friends will all be smelling good too.
it’s such a fun gift to surprise someone with.

if you try it let me know.
and definitely if you try other scents i want to hear about it. 🙂

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Andrea @ This Pug Life - This sounds wonderful, and easy! I have been obsessed with peppermint scents lately. Which is weird, since I don’t particularly like to eat it. I bet this would be awesome for the feet using a larger grained sugar!

Ryan - Love this! Just made it and put mine in empty peanut butter jar. It’s big but has a wide mouth and is plastic so it won’t break on tile. Good for us with all the little people that end up in our shower! Thank you for sharing!!

Michelle Ficklin - Love this idea!!
Crazy question from someone who is not crafty…how did you print your labels?

Also, a couple of the questions from above, also….does it leave a slippery coating or film in the shower?

How many small jars does one batch make?

Thanks for sharing!

Crystal - Looks like a wonderful concoction! I’m going to have to try this. Thanks for sharing!!

Sarah B - We made sugar scrubs on a mission trip last summer! We led a moms’ Bible study…the ladies who live in the town we visited are busy moms in a very poor area. They do not know anything about being pampered. We wanted to really make them feel special and loved on so we brought the supplies and taught them how to make scrubs. It was so much fun and they were so tickled! We used orange and lime essential oils since it was summer. They turned out DIVINE.

kara s. - I use (and sell 😉 ) Young Living oils, please anyone who is using citrus to be sure that they know they are photo sensitive. They will burn after using citrus oils.
Also NOW oils are cut, they are less than 10% oil shown and 90% carrier oil. <3

Anita - Where can i buy coconut oil and peppermint essential oil? I don’t remember seeing these anywhere. Thanks! Love Love Love your blog!

Michelle Dixon - I made this but used rosemary and lemongrass essential oils. It turned out amazing!!

Sherry Cartwright - I made peppermint scrub for my sisters for Christmas, too. It is so delightful.

Melissa - Just made this! Can’t wait to use it. Thanks for the recipe. I had “uplifting candy cane” essential oil in my bathroom cabinet so it was perfect!

Cheryl E - Thanks for sharing this! I asked for a sugar scrub for Christmas and it was like $15.00! Now, I can make my own!

Kerri - How many jars – and what size jars – does one batch make? I want to try this but want to know what jars I need. Thanks!

Cassie - I’ve done the peppermint amazing! BUT I have also done coconut lime w/ a splash of lemon great for summer.

April R - a good friend gave me a jar with lemon and olive oil 🙂 wonderful!

Susanne - Sweet! I’ve been feeling like I needed a project!

Ashley - Where is mine? 🙂

Julie - Yum – bet you feel wide awake and invigorated after using that. Will definitely be making some for me. Thanks for the recipe.

Anne - That looks so easy!! I might have to try it.

One question: does it make your shower or tub slippery and/or leave a residue behind?

Brittany - My niece made me a citrus vanilla sugar scrub for Christmas and I love it! It’s definitely an awesome gift to give AND get!! She used a recipe, very similar to yours, from here: http://savedbygraceblog.com/?s=sugar+scrub

Melissa Smith - This looks so wonderful! Can’t wait to try!
Two Questions for you:
What kind of dog is Stanley? He is adorable.
Where did you get polka dot beige and white infinity scarf. I love it!
Melissa
msmith3030@woh.rr.com

Tracy - I’m definitely going to make this ASAP with lavender and/or eucalyptus!!

beth larson - I am going to get what I need to try this today!!! Can’t wait to share some with friends too~

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popsicle stick star garland

January 11, 2014

over christmas break we made a fun craft project.
while my sister and my nieces were visiting we worked all together.
i bought a bag of 100 popsicle sticks one day (in the office supply row at the grocery store of all places).
then we used hot glue to make them into stars.

next we painted all the stars…. stars everybody was painting… even grandma!
stars2
and then we glittered all the painted stars.
glitter is the perfect addition to any and all crafts in case you didn’t know. 🙂
after everything had dried we hot glued them to a long string of baker’s twine & made them into a garland!

you could use them on their own for ornaments or gift toppers too.
or without the glitter they could be gift tags!

i asked annie and her friends to try and help me with a picture of it hanging but they are quite squirrely and this was the best picture we got.
wherever i am…. Stanley is right there at my feet.
all the time.

stars3
then we strung the garland across the dining room.
it is so cute!

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Kim - Oh how I love those two pictures of Stanley under the stars!! He is so adorable!

KWolff - These are fantastic! I have a stash of popsicle sticks just calling out for a fun and easy craft! Thanks for sharing!

Katie - Love this simple garland idea! I may try a similar one in white, wood and mint for our little one’s nursery. Thanks for the inspiration!

Kelly - What a fun idea! And that Stanley! Too cute!

Lisa - I <3 Stanley.

Julie - They look good over the blackboard, and even better with Stanley beside them.

Dawn Gross - LOVE this craft!! Nice that you can gather a gang at the craft house to play! And Stanley – what a sweet pup!

Dawn

Pamela - I just searched your blog and found your story on how you got Stanley. What a great Christmas gift! Loved the video. He is SO cute!! I’m glad Waffle likes him too.

Pamela Gordon - Love this simple project. It’s so colourful. Where did Stanley come from? He’s adorable. I missed a few posts and will go back and see. lol

julie - Wonderful project! Great pictures! Fun post! :+)

Amanda - No freakin’ way!!!! This is the coolest thing!!! LOVE all of it…especially Stanley!! 😉

Grandma R - They turned out so cute! Glad I got to help.

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kind of a big deal.

April 18, 2013

last saturday scott had basketball games all day.
but like all of those tournaments, the games are hours apart.
inbetween the games we ended up at the craft house to relax.
i was working on my pillow front….

which was just me layering things on this piece of quilt and sewing it down.
the girls thought it was so fun and i said "you can make one"
apparently i say no too often because they both GASPED and shouted "WE CAN??!!"

(parent fail)

i said "yes… you can. and i will show you how to sew it all together"

"REALLY?!!! You will teach us how to SEW!?? TODAY?!!"

(hanging my head)

"Yes. I will teach you today."

i gave them each a piece of fabric as their base and told them to use the scraps and layer on anything they wanted to and it will be fun and pretty and you will love it.
and they did.
Sean was not interested and that is no surprise.
he did sit in the room with us and drew pictures of dead cartoon characters… maybe feeling a little out numbered by the women around him so he was making up for it by overcompensating in the boy department?
ha.

annie chose to make a pillow like we made at the first craft weekend. (i miss you first CW girls!!)

talby came up with her own pattern of stripes.

and suddenly…. they were sewing.

it was pretty amazing.

i don't think i was scared to teach them before… just didn't know if i had the patience.
but after a year of craft weekends and seeing that i can help women take away that fear of the machine,
teaching my girls was practically easy.
the craft weekend women are always awesome so there was no reason to feel anxious about my own girls.

that is her face of concentration. :)

beautiful pillows to be proud of for sure!!
they chose the fabrics from scraps and did all the sewing.
i helped annie cut circles. she cut the first 8 & then was the fabric chooser while i became the fabric cutter

i was so proud of my crafty girls.

—————————————

by the way…

i use two of each these machines for craft weekend and what i use myself for all my sewing.

SINGER Heavy Duty Model 4411 SINGER Heavy Duty Model 4423

i just ordered them straight from Amazon and it's free shipping!
as far as i can tell after having used them for two years now, the only difference is the Model 4423has an automatic threader and the Model 4411 does not.

i am not working for Singer.
i just like their machines.
🙂

they are very basic, non-threatening, easy to use machines.

maybe you should ask for one for mother's day???

go big or go home baby.

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Shannon - I sew(so…LOL)want to learn how. That’s a great idea a Mother’s Day gift request it is! I love their pillows!

Whitney - They turned out great- wonderful job girls! I remember when my grandmother taught me to sew basic things on her very old Singer (the old black iron kind in the built in box.) Then my mom took it a step further and has shown me how to do more advanced things on her new machine- they will always remember that day! Now I want to go make a pillow 🙂

megan - Thank you for this. My 5.5 year old id begging for sewing lessons & I keep denying her. I am now motivated to say yes next time she asks!

Linda - Thanks for the sewing machine suggestions. My daughter goes over to her elder sister’s for her quilting project. Between their 2 schedules it is hard ot get them together to finish. Now I know just what is for her next gift!

Leslie - My daughter would LOVE Talby’s pillow case design. Maybe she could do some for your shop – hint * hint * 🙂

Heidi Jo the Artist - That’s awesome they are learning to sew. That is a day they will remember always I’m sure. 🙂 Pretty, pretty, pillows! I just started teaching my daughter, almost age 6, how to hand sew a couple of weeks ago. She loves it! Now, I need to get a sewing machine hooked up and get going on that myself, so I can teach my daughter too. I love handmade stuff!!!

Andrea - Both pillows are lovely. They get their creativity honestly!
That is what I want to do – set up all my machines at a table and teach all three of mine to sew at once. (My boy is only 8 and so still wants to be like his big sisters. Well, to a point!) I have my mom’s old machine that I learned to sew on, my grandma’s old machine that I just got tuned up, and my machine. All Singers!

Kate - Those first craft weekend girls were cute, huh?! 🙂

Valerie @ Chateau a la mode - Your girlies are adorable and looked like they loved sewing and you are an amazing mom!

Juli - I’m curious…when they go back to the Craft House, do they miss living there?

Lori Austin - They did great! Those pillows are super cute.
I really need to learn how to sew. Thanks for the info
on what machines you use. I need to bookmark that for the hubby. 😉

Katie - I was so surprised when I saw on IG that your girls had never sewed! You are so awesome about crafting with them, that I was certain they certainly would have sewed before. Their pillows are gorgeous! My 5 year old loves to see when I am working on a project. I will have to let her try one of these, something real she can make from all my scraps, usually she is just coming up with her own designs–I think she would live something real she could do in her own. Happy sewing!!

Rachel B. - Very cool!

Tiffany - Good for your girls, and good for you! I’m sure this lit a fire under them to learn even more! I’m so glad you showed pics here. After seeing you doing that on ig I was curious to see the finished products. So cute!

Kimberlee Jost - So proud of those girlies!
And you, too, brave mama.
🙂

Seriously Sassy Mama - I need to get my sewing machine out of the closet. It is time to sew.

Nicole - I miss my sewing machine SO much. I messed up the bobbin and have not been able to get it working since. A lady at my local craft store said the tensions could be messed up, but I have no idea how to remedy that. Le sigh 🙁

Laura H - What a fun day!! I am determined to learn how to sew! I love pretty things like this…so MAGICAL. Love what you’re doin!

Gina - So fun!! I was the same as you, not sure if I had the patience to teach my girls sewing but I did and it was fun!! Nothing is more fun than crafting alongside my kids and having them take an interest in something I love!! I sew with a Singer too! 🙂

Marthajd@msn.com - Is there anything sweeter than a child concentrating? My sons both do this tongue thing and it’s so sweet! Thank you for sharing!

Terrie G - I was so excited for you & them when I saw that pic roll across my instagram feed! What a wonderful new world you have opened for them! Just one more way for them to create! You rocked it MOM!!

Jenny B. - That’s awesome! I would proudly display both of those pillows on my couch! Great job, girls!! I got a sewing machine for Christmas two years ago… it’s still in the box. I am so intimidated by that thing (even though came with an instructional DVD). Sigh… fear is so crippling!

Nina Newswanger - Hello-just had to stop by and say I LOVE YOUR BLOG, I am not particularly creative or crafty, but I happened upon your blog a couple weeks ago and have been hooked-like digging through your archives!:) I love your large family, your honesty and your christian spirit. I have 4 boys under 7 so it’s interesting to me to see what life looks life as kids get older, I hope we can do as great as job as you and your husband, (my husband is Craig too:) doing things as a family. Thanks for being real and honest-love it!!! Also, I’ve been making tons of your recipe’s-you have SO many great ones!

JulianneB - An automatic threader…be still heart…. the most frustrating part of sewing to me is threading the machine

Wendy - My girls love to sew and I love to watch them create without all of the perfectionism that resides in my head. They are always so proud too of their creations. My big problem is letting them use my fabric. I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to my stash of pretty fabrics. Why do I do that? Love this and thanks for the tips on the machines!

Jen - Love the pictures of Annie and Talby sewing. I wish I knew how to sew at times because my two girls have shown an interest. In fact my 5-year-old has been designing clothes on paper recently and wants her grandmas to help her. Good on ya, Meg!

Lindsey - Love this! I’ll bet it won’t be the last time your daughters will want to sew! You win the cool mom award for the day!

Claire - Love it! What a joy to see the little ones on the machines! Those look like great sewing machines too. I just got my first machine and love it. It is the Brother XL2610 and it is awesome!
http://www.amazon.com/Brother-XL2610-Free-Arm-Built-In-Functions/dp/B000A5CKHG/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&qid=1366298313&sr=8-11&keywords=sewing+machine+brother

angela - That’s a REALLY big deal! Good for YOU and good for your GIRLS!!!!!! Dead animals…lol!

beth - very cool!
: )

Lisa - Love <3

Melissa - Love those pillows! Great job girls. I remember my grandma teaching me how to sew years ago – priceless

jill - I love in life when doing one thing (hosting craft weekend) by accident makes something else much easier to do (teaching your girls to sew). This is why I think trying new things/taking risks is so important, you never know how it will impact your life in unexpected ways.
Feeling philosophical today…

Dawn Gross - That’s pretty cool! They did a great job!
I sewed that awesome ruffle apron at craft weekend and now I’m scared to try something else. Just do it, right?
Dawn

Allison - My 5 (almost 6) year old wants to learn how to sew. I’m afraid of her sewing her fingers on my machine so we might start out with hand-stitching this year. I taught myself how to sew so being able to teach my girls how to do one of my favorite hobbies is exciting for me.

Lynette - So fun! I am determined to teach my girls to sew this summer. This looks like a great beginner project. I think we will start with pillows too. Your girls did a great job, their pillows are great.

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glitter and glue.

January 4, 2013

this is the last craft we did over the school christmas break.
it's kind of christmassy but can just be fun for winter too.

IMG_0540-8

for supplies:
we used photographs, school glue, paint brushes, martha stewart fine glitter, mini pom poms and pre cut wood snowflakes from hobby lobby…they were like $1.50? or something like that.

they came already painted white.

take a photo you like and draw a circle over it with whatever circle shape that fits your sowflake…we used a drinking glass from our kitchen.

cut out your picture.
then cover your entire snowflake (only one side) in glue.
we poured glue into a small bowl and painted it on the snowflake.

after the picture is on you cover everything with glitter.
(the fun part. 🙂

you wouldn't have to use the martha stewart glitter but it IS amazing.
everything looks so good with it.
it's pricey and regular glitter would still work….but the MS stuff is my FAVE.

when the glitter & glue was dry we hot glued the mini pom poms around the photo.

they were very fun to make.
glitter is messy i know but all you need is a hose attachment to your vaccum to clean it up.
and honestly…i like having glitter fall off me everywhere i go around my house. :)

we made some for our friends…

annie made this one for talby.
IMG_0530-5
i think you could just hang these up around your house all winter…it is not strictly christmas that gets the glitter.

creating with glitter makes me happy.

the end.

happy friday to you.

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House Cleaning Chester NY - So love the idea! It seems so easy to make. I’ll be making these for my kids.

Heidi Jo the Artist - Fun!

Kate - Super Cute!

Amy Hartman - This is so pretty! Pinning this

Heather - We’re doing it! So fun.

Liz Botts - Love this. My kids would love doing it. Awesome project idea. Thanks!

Kimberlee Jost - Wow, those two kids hugging it out are so cute.
😉
Very fun craft. Talia would love it.
Too bad her mom hyperventilates at the thought of her with glitter in hand.

Jenn - Love this! Perhaps someday when my boys are bigger… Or perhaps I will have a glitter afternoon all by myself 🙂

Jess - So fun to see my boys on here today. 🙂 I told Levi to come look at what Miss Megan made and he said, “Awwww…that’s cute!”. Ha. Silly Bob.

Kori - What you wrote about having glitter fall off you wherever you go totally made me laugh out loud! 😀

Eva Scott - These are so cute! I’m gonna try and find something for the Spring and do this!

misty - meg- this is random, but isn’t this pic in your house?
http://laurawinslowphotography.com/blog/2011/04/12/wall-art-wednesday-sweet-little-memories-mesa-family-photographer/
maybe I’m wrong, but it looks familiar…
love this craft project 🙂

Tanya - My daughter’s teacher did this for each child to bring home for Christmas.
I still have it hanging on a cupboard handle cause it’s so cute. Definitely worthy of a full season! 😉

Tiffany - Super fun and cute!

donna - those are just about the cutest things i have seen………love them and will for sure put this in my to do file!!!! love it.

Malinda - These would be great to make with Christmas cards that people send out. I never know what to do with them but, never want to throw them away.

Shara - Seriously Meg, you have the best ideas! I’ve bookmarked so many of your crafts. I just don’t have that crafty eye!!!Thanks for sharing your creativity!

Crystalyn - These are fantastic. I love the pom pom detail, and I’m pretty sure everything looks better with glitter all over it. (Yes, even dining room floors.)

Southern Gal - Cute idea.

Cindy - So pretty!

Sarah Wolfe - I want to try these next year, or if I get around to it this year. I love having glitter show up in random parts of my house too:) It’s such a happy thing to have around 🙂

Ashley O. - I would leave them up all winter!
They are not just chritmas-y

Jenny B. - Those are SO adorable! I love them all. 🙂

amanda - I love having glitter falling off of me wherever I go. It’s probably the only craft mess that doesn’t get on my nerves.

Susannah - So cute! I love your fun, easy crafts!

Angela - Awesome!
Angela

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Super cute! I’ll bookmark this to use in my classroom. Thanks for sharing:)