whatever

Blog

Category Archives: crafts & art

we heart ART.

September 6, 2012

we have a new favorite….kiwi crate.
have you heard of it?

it's a box of craft projects that comes in the mail once a month….it's awesome!

i surprised my girls with it and they were crazy thrilled.

the boxes have everything…a paint brush…a pencil…small scissors!!
they are full service.

IMG_4828-4
(mcdonalds not included…ha ha ha)

all the instructions are easy to read…kid friendly with pictures.
on this day i was busy with craft weekend projects so i was able to let them go crazy with the box and not need me to walk them through every step.
that was cool!
i love to do crafts with them too but sometimes independence is good too.

and these are Cuuuuute crafts!

seriously adorable right?? a firefly that hangs from the ceiling with a glowstick inside it!

so much fun.

the other project in this box was using stamps to make a bug painting.
it was messy but super fun.

we have had several boxes from kiwi crate now and i LOVE them.
it won't replace our regular everyday art but it's a fun extra!
and they seem to always arrive on the perfect day when we need something to do.

what a great gift it would make!
if someone had sent this to my kids i would have hugged them forever.

they have a referal program too.
so if you decide to sign up YOU GET $10 off and i get $10 OFF.
🙂

i like that.

so….click HERE if you want some KIWI CRATE for yourself!

your kids will LOVE it.

(not a paid advertisement..i just really love it)

show hide 27 comments

add a comment

Wanda Phillips - Bring those art materials in and we are ready to have the fun that nobody can forget! I love the idea of the project box. Maybe I can avail also of it.

Mining Recruitment - Nice photos! This is really a very cool post. I love it so much! Really amazing.

Becki Smythe - So disappointing! I had every intention of using this for Christmas gifts and they don’t ship to Canada. I thought all my problems were solved. Bummer!

elizabeth beesley - Signed up under your name! xo

Julia - I heard about kiwi crate earlier this year and have Been wondering if it’s as awesome as it sounded on their site.thanks for the first-hand review.

Sunny Haynes - Thanks Meg! Signed up yesterday and added the sibiling add on! This will be great for myself and the little ones to do this winter when we are forced to stay inside! Waiting on my box coming later this month!

Rebecca Torzewski - Cute kit! My child would love this. However, I have the same questions as all the others. What age range did you get for your girls? Or is there just one age range. Thanks!

Carrie - Thanks for your blog, Megan. I love to see another Christian mom just living life and raising her family. Keep up the good work. 🙂

Kelly Henderson - You make art messes look absolutely beautiful… fun stuff!

Kimberlee Jost - “I do. I do like …”
crafts.
Julia never said that, but I can heard you being Meryl being Julia in this post.
😉

Susannah - Wow, that looks so neat! Such a great find!! 🙂

Rebecca Coolidge - I signed up, my daughter will love it 🙂

Amy@littleforalittlewhile - Meg! How fun! Just signed up 🙂 Man, you’re gonna get some good credit by sharing this, lucky gal!

jen - Meg, thanks so much for positing this!!!! Another $10 headed your way-such a fun way to spice things up in the creative department! Can’t wait!!

Lindy - Such a great link Meg, thanks! Doubly good: mail + art = kid heaven!

Flower Patch Farmgirl - You make me want to get my craft on.

Shannon - OMG!! How exciting, I love this. I’m gonna have to cancel my birchbox subscription because this is way better 😉

Tiffany - The price is actually not terrible! That was honestly the biggest surprise for me. I seriously was anticipating it to be more..

Holly Lesenko - Too bad they don’t ship to Canada 🙁 Does anyone know of a company that will??

Michelle Whitlow - That was my question, too! I noticed the age range on the website but it seemed like both of your younger daughters enjoyed it. My oldest is 10 but I think she would still like it.

Carrie - $10 coming your way!! My Charley will LOVE THIS! Thanks for sharing Meg! Hope all is well!

Laine - Quick question…is one crate enough for several kids to do a project or do you do the sibling add on kit? Also, is it just one craft for them to do or several with the same theme?

Christina - This looks wonderful!! And using the cupcakes cups for paint? Such a great idea!!

Ashley Jones - I just ordered one as a gift! Love this!!!

Jocelyn Pascall - WOW!!! I would have LOOOOOVED this as a child. Just such a perfect idea, and your kids look like they had a lot of fun.

Karlye - On their website it says ages 3-7…is that the kit that you received or is there one for older kids? Your kit looks like it’s crafty enough for my older kids to enjoy. How fun!!

Amanda Angert - This was just the push I needed to sign up 🙂 Thanks Meg!

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

pretty.

August 22, 2012

i was working on some projects over at the craft house yesterday.
i love being in my sunny craft room.

i have been hoarding embroidery hoops.

that is my favorite photo of craig.
when i make him laugh that is the face i see.
i love that face.

a rainbow gift from craft weekenders.

you've got mail…again.
because why not?
sometimes its better than music.

thift store birds spray painted yellow.
i need to find a place to hang them up.

i love my glass star from Piggie&Dirt. i want to buy them all and hang them all over the ceiling!

hello new fabric i ordered from Hawthorne Threads.
please tell me you smiled really big with that combo like i did!

my grandma's flower frogs.

hankies.

more hoarding.

mr. duerksen….i love your shirt.

ummm….yeah.
this is… by far… the best fabric ever to exist in all of time…past….present….future.
the farm will get curtains with BIG rainbow chevron.
and if i could i would just wrap up everything around me in the other.
my furniture, my kids, my dog..all wrapped up in rainbow chevron.

it's by riley blake and i ordered it from hawthorne threads also.

a lot of it. :)

doiles.

sparkles.

happy maps from elizabeth st.

wire rack from the barn….i love rust.

i need to start decorating my gloves!
ha.

and whatever i can't drape with rainbow chevron….i will cover in vintage quilts.

vintage sparkles.

here is the other fabric i ordered….

i am determined to create more now that the kids are in school all day.
i NEED to be using my hands.
i need to work my mind that way much more often than i am.
it's calming and helps me think clearly.
so i am making a schedule and at least one day i AM creating.
no matter what.

do you make time for something like that in your life?
what is that important part of you that you don't want to miss out on?

show hide 55 comments

add a comment

Karen - I know that lamp well and am glad you enjoy it 🙂 love, love, love the chevron fabric….just made the Hello Sunshine from the kit that was a weekend craft and the painted peacocks….love all your ideas…thanks for sharing your gift of crafting…

Natalie - While ths post made me happy it also made me so so jealous 🙂 gorgeous fabric. Where do you find all those fantastic quilts
I swear I have the worst luck in that department, yours are fab.

teresa - I love all your colorful piles….
Happy day! Love the name of your blog ;}

Julie Tiu - Oh my gosh. Just found your blog through Pinterest… so lovely “meeting” crafty, artful people… so much happiness here. Thank you for sharing!

Doris - I don’t know if you read comments you get here, but I wonder if you ever see my blog? Since year and few months ago I’m checking your blog and loving it 🙂
“You’ve got mail” is one of my all time favorites. 🙂
and I can’t live without being creative, it’s always something about pictures, or editing music videos, making stuff for family, making photo albums/scrapbooks… and-making music (I’m a singer-songwriter, engineer.)

Lisa Perry - Love when you post your creative stuff! I am aching to find the time to create, I have been so busy the past couple months, I’ve barely had time and my hands are itching for it too…hoping next weekend I will find the time! My soul needs it!

Lauren - I feel exactly the same. Posted something similar just the other day! The artist in me is sad to see summer go…but I gotta keep creating. LOVE the hankies by the way…and that children’s book. *gulp* What a lovely studio…enjoy it!

lola - hi eg! love your blog so much, your positivity is sometimes just what i need! also, I just wanted to let you know, if you didn’t know already, that I linked to your blog for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award, check it out at, http://www.bearandlionmama.com/2012/08/its-honour-just-to-be-nominated.html

Sarah Russell - This post is the epitome of eye candy. I love your blog so much and look forward to seeing the lastest scoop in my inbox each morning. God bless ya sistah!

Tracy - Where did you find the glass star? Is Piggie&Dirt on Etsy?

Lindsey - I saw the squirrel fabric on Hawthorne also! LOVE IT! Everything in this post is wonderful! Can’t wait to see what you made!!!!

Sharilyn - Your photos make me smile so BIG! I love the happiness that oozes from them. 🙂

Randi-Dukes and Duchesses - Love all those photos! This summer I set aside some creative time – an hour a week to sew, an hour a week to scrapbook, and an hour a week to knit. Sometimes I did more but it’s amazing what you can do in one hour. I even scheduled it in my planner. I’m definitely keeping it up during the school year.

Su@TheIntentionalHome - oh what fun inspiration. I pinned the embroidery hoop art from the Craft Weekend post and now love to see more in this post. . that will be a fun craft for me to do with my girls. I love the Chevron rainbow fabric. . love that they skipped out on purple (my least favorite color). . .all the others make me happy but not purple for some reason. I have all the colors in my house. . but purple. Happy Post. . love it. . .such inspirataion. And yes, one day a week. . I make time to read, blog, create, shop fun stores. . rest and inspire my soul. . but I tell you 9am-2pm goes very quickly.

Allison - Love your blog!
What is the title of the children’s book with the beautiful illustrations?
Thanks!

Bernice - Thank you for this post! I am so jealous of all your fabric purchases!! Man I’d love to be able to sit and make stuff all day. But for now an active toddler occupies my days. Enjoy your time!!

Amy @littleforalittlewhile - Fabric makes me happy. How will I ever choose at craft weekend?!

Mandy Draper - your post made me smile today 🙂 will you be making more pillows for your etsy shop again this year? i missed it last yr, and was super bummed.

Donna R - Love all the happy fabric, but especially the rainbow chevron. B U tiful! Now to come up with a project so I can order some.
Totally relate to needing to make time for creative projects. I have a million projects pinned and don’t nearly take the time I need to have fun with them!

Jenna@CallHerHappy - I love this post. It is really what I have been feeling lately. I have been in such a rut and I need to create! It is easier for me to create when I am with people I love. That is what makes living far away from home so hard 🙁 One day, I will have lots of time, but my baby will be grown by then. So I am enjoying her now!

Carolyn - That is FABULOUS fabric! And yes- I’ve been thinking that I MUST set aside time to be creative. I love to make things but I’m also a musician and did some acting in high school and I MISS performing. That creative outlet has been pretty dead for me since college. I signed up for an adult tap class for this year and I’m pretty excited about it! Now to find time to play my instruments…:)

Tracey - I need help!! I have been hoarding vintage napkins and hankies with embroidery that I want to make something with but I am struggling with what to make. I was thinking about a valance/curtain for the window above my kitchen sink but I am skeered to do anything to them until I have a plan. What have you made out of your vintage hankies in the past?

Brittany McKenna - Meg- I was at a thrift store in Colorado just yesterday and I saw the EXACT SAME thrift store birds (just one though) and thought about what they would look like spray painted! I had never seen anything like it until yesterday! I didn’t end up getting it, but I love how yours looks! I also love flower frogs! This whole post also made me happy!!

shannon - Your posts are always so bright and happy!
School started for us as well and I was really looking forward to crafting up a storm but instead I’ve been fighting ants daily 🙁
Hoping next week I have more time to craft and create!!!

Ashley E - Firstly, let me tell you what I would GIVE for that pile of doilies….I am so envious! 🙂 I’m on a mission to find all of Tulsa’s doilies for a project. I always try to make time for reading or crafting, which is probably once every two weeks due to being a working mama of two! Whew! LOOOOOVE your craft room and want to have Scotty “Beam me up!” to it!

Angela Atkins - I love your craft room and those stacks of fabric. I’ve been making my own Fall List, now that my big part time job is almost over and I’ll have two whole days to work on stuff while the kids are in school. I make time to do quilts now and will also add in some updating around the house–some furniture painting, new lampshades, that kind of stuff. And just some inspiration trips that I couldn’t do this summer with my kids.

Katie - how cute is tha b/w pic of your kiddos!!!

rachel - i think we could be twinsies….my craft closet very closely resembles your craft room, i adore your yellow owl, i, too, seem to hoard embroidery hoops and i drool over vintage fabrics and quilts. 🙂 if i don’t have a project to work on i get anxious. happy crafting! 🙂

Jodi - Antique shopping, You’ve Got Mail, painted yellow birds, lovely fabric, antique quilts, thread spools, and the hankie collection…..we love so many of the same things! I’ve read your blog for the past 3 years, but never really commented. But today I felt like you were reading my mind. I can just imagine how you feel when you walk into your craft/sewing room…pure happiness.

Jenny B. - I saw those too! I have boys, so they wouldn’t go for it. I briefly considered getting one for myself. 🙂

Jenny B. - Oh, such a happy post! That rainbow chevron makes me giddy! Giddy, I tell you! 🙂 I see ball fringe… are you planning to make more pillows? The one I bought last year is the star of my sofa, and I’m thinking he needs a friend. Hint, hint. 🙂 Also – LOVE the rainbow button lamp shade. I think I might need to do that. So many ideas… so little time… 🙂 Thanks for brightening my day!

Chrissie Grace - Yummy. Makes me want to create

Lisa B - I LOVE that rainbow chevron! I think my son needs that for curtains in his new room when we move.

Jennifer wood - My boys are ages 11, 7, and 4, so I kind of feel like I have recently stepped out of a fog of diapers, potty training, etc. Because of that (and because I’ve been intentional about creating time for it), I’ve been creating more for our home…making something out of nothing, making fun things out of ordinary things. My oldest son recently said, “I love how you decorate our house with things most people give away to the Food and Clothing Bank (our town’s “goodwill”)” This was such a compliment to me! haha!! 😉 LOVE your blog…it inspires me.

melissa lorenz - Completely inspiring post today Meg! BTW – Lands End has rainbow chevron backpacks for kids this year!

Gina - Love all your beautiful photos! Especially the quilts…hope I can score some one day. I love to make things, too, whether it is a paper craft or sewing. Have a great week!

Jacci in Ohio - I just LOVED all these pictures from your craft room. Craft Weekend pics are fun, but I love these even more. More personal, maybe? Happy fun.
Time in the Word. And in prayer. My five kids are home all day, everyday… that time has to be protected like mad. Or it slips away. And it’s not something I can just give up on.

beth - You are absolutely right about creating and I have decided to follow in your footsteps and create while the kids are in school–yea for school! ha!
How do you clean your vintage quilts? I have a beautiful old quilt I just got from my mom that my grandma made and I’m not sure how to go about getting it clean. It’s not stained, but just that old musty smell from being in my parents basement. Any ideas?
Happy school days to you, Meg!
Beth

Darcie L. - Kindred spirits. We were doing premarital counseling with some younger friends of ours. Hubby asked the guy, “What are your fiancee’s needs? Like, for my wife, she NEEDS to be creative. She NEEDS to make things.” He was totally right. 🙂

Ami - This happy post is exactly why you are the first blog I check everyday! Love, love, love all that color!

Jen Brandt - I so love your pictures. What an awesome rainbow button lamp shade. So happy! I need time to exercise and thank God I have a husband who understands that. 🙂

Jolene (Homespun Heritage) - I miss quilting, to be honest. My sewing machine (dumb Brother) finally gave up the ghost and it will be months before I can replace it and months before my life settles down enough to even consider crafting/sewing. We’re going from 4 to 7 children and that’s going to be a bit chaotic around here.

Christy K - This is, by far, THE happiest blog post I have read in, well… EVER. All of the bright, beautiful colours make my heart SO very happy! Thank you for inspiring me today and happy creating!! : )

stephany - Happy photos.
Creating makes me happy, too!
I have tons of cleaning to do before my in-laws get to town and I have been creating, moving furniture, and changing things around in our house instead.
You’ve Got Mail is one of my favorites, too. Really, anything with Meg Ryan.
And, I have a table full of thrifted embroidery hoops and fabric right at this moment.
I think we would get along well. 🙂

becky - i thought you’d appreciate this – we were doing a cross country road trip with the kids (well, to ohio and back) and i had this big binder with all the things we were going to do at every stop. and on the way home we had an over-nighter in salina and my one and only goal was to go out to the barn and shop and i had it all marked and the address in the gps and everything…AND…the one day we were there – was the day they were closed. sigh. and to think i passed up one amazing antique shop after another with the mantra going through my head, “just make it to kansas…just make it to kansas…” hah! that’ll teach me. hopefully next time i’m in your neck of the woods – i will make it to the barn.
thanks for all the wonderful pics today. it’s funny – i see rainbow things all the time and think of you – which is weird, i know…but funny at the same time. oh, this funny blogging world.

Lennie Jackson - My kids are small 1 yr and almost 3 so it is very hard for me to get any craft-mommy-I need it to keep my sanity time, but I try really hard to do that. It is all a juggle and you seem to do so well. Thanks for the pretty post!!! Someday I’ll get to that craft house!!

Juli - So funny! I just ordered the rainbow chevron from Hawthorne after they sent their e-mail! I told my husband I’m just going to wrap the outside of the house with it :)! I haven’t received mine yet. Do you think its heavy enough for a shower curtain? (there would be a plastic liner too). Love your blog so much. Hoping to meet you in sometime at a craft weekend!
-Julie

Kate - What inspiration this morning! My oldest is just starting preschool this fall, and I am hoping to spend more time in my craft room. I also just signed up on the CW waiting list, so I’m hoping to see your craft room sometime soon, too. 😉 Happy Wednesday!

kelly - I stayed home from work today and was feeling kinda blah… your post lifted my spirits and made me want to create. I have a not so craft room that has been in the making since we built the house 2 years ago–bot as big as yours but I would love for it ot have the same feel of yours… Thanks for the inspiration–I can tell yours has all the things you love…. THanks Meg!!!

Dara - I love the rainbow chevron!

annie - Can I just come and LIVE at the craft house?!?!?!?!!? HOLY COW! I LOVE EVERYTHING!!!!!

Han - You’ve Got Mail is one of my favourites! I adore Nora Ephron films – I watched YGM most recently the day that she passed away – I watched in like memory of her.
I even quoted YGM on my blog today (here)
“Don’t you just love New York in the fall. It makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bunch of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand this not knowing has it’s charms”

Sharla - Rainbow chevron! I am in love

Jen - What a fun place Craft House is!! I love the color, the mix of patterns. It’s all so happy and creative. Mission accomplished.

Verna Lantz - This entire post made me happy. What happy colors and patterns. Now, I believe I need my own craft room to fill it with color and happy. Thanks!!

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

craft thursday!!!!

July 12, 2012

what??

craft thursday?!

🙂

finally.

here’s the scoop on WHERE craft thursday has been…
1. we moved (insert delayed exhaustion here)
2. craft weekend has taken LOTS of time this year
3. our house is much smaller than the other one so in order to make a craft we first have to clean the entire area first…just so we can mess it up again…and i haven’t had the energy to do it.
4. my kids are getting older and think my ideas are not as cool as they used to. (can that BE possible??)

BUT…if everything aligns perfectly…craft thursday happens.

it did and they liked it!

i found this Painted Peacock craft through pinterest (of course) and it linked through to smART Class.
watch the cute peacock video…my kids were amazed.

we started by painting paper first.

i had annie help me with this since her siblings had friends over and she was LOOOOONELY.
it was so relaxing.
after we painted several big sheets of paper we used the end of a paint brush and “drew” in designs on the paint.
we discussed how much Eric Carle must LOVE his job.

then we left all the painted paper to dry.

we did this craft outside and you can see why.

i painted their hand and they stamped it onto a sheet of heavy white paper.
then they painted the arm part on with a brush.
then i made them wash it all off.
i only found a tiny bit of blue paint on the bathroom sink afterwards…. not bad for three hands.

while the hand print was drying we cut “feathers” out of the now dry painted paper that annie and i made.
i made them a pattern to trace onto the painted paper in a feather shape….kind of.

we used school glue and gluesticks…just depended on their preference.
they cut out five “feathers” and then cut out the eyes/circle shapes for the feathers next.

aren’t the colors so rad?!

busy bees.

they glued the eye/circles to the feathers.
they made an eyeball with white paper, the orange painted paper & black. (annie begged me to make hers for her)
they glued it to the center of the handprint.
then cut the handprint out and glued it over the feathers.

ANNIE

and a close-up… glitter paint!! i would have them use a bunch more had i known how pretty it would be!

SEAN
his patience had worn thin by the time we were done.
no fancy details on his peacock face.
but i was grateful he stayed as long as he did.

TALBY

and her close up….

this was a FUN craft.
messy.
i like messy.

you can check out our other Craft Thursday projects right here….
we have made some really cute stuff!!
i love looking back at their projects.

if i had to pick a favorite i would choose….this one.

or maybe this one….

i can’t decide.

there is THIS great one too!

happy crafting to you and your littles.

here’s to hoping for many more craft thursdays!
cheers!!
{clink clink clink}
(toasting our Sonic Cranberry Limeades together in awesomeness!)

show hide 31 comments

add a comment

Bernice - Love Eric Carle books! The peacocks turned out awesome! Now I’m wondering… how did you paint those painted papers? I know this must be such a dumb question but I love how there’s a bunch of colours all mixed in but not completely mixed in, and the brushed look in the pinkish one. Clearly I havent spent enough time playing with paints.

Heidi Jo the Artist - And I meant, how fun!! A little one distracted me! 😉

Heidi Jo the Artist - How fun!? Love that craft Thursday came/is back. 🙂

Rebecca Forcht - That is stinkin’ ADORABLE!!! Love your blog!!

Amy K. - Oh my goodness!! I had entirely forgotten that Craft Thursday was the reason I started following Whatever… thanks for the trip down memory lane!

Mary - these are so wonderful!
my kiddos would LOVE this! 🙂

joyce - these would look fab on a canvas in a kids room! Thanks for the idea

Mindy Harris - that is so “essence of eric carle” love!

mollie's mom - Love it. What a great project!! We did a peacock project (http://madebymolliesmom.blogspot.com/2011/06/pretty-as-peacock.html) last year at art camp and the kids loved all the colors, glitter glue, etc. but I love this project because I love having their little handprints incorporated in their artwork!! Those are definitely keepers:) Marcie

kerry - Wow, they look amazeballs! I love that Sean joined in too – not too big too craft with mom 🙂
Happy Summer guys xx

Jennifer - I have been missing your craft thursday’s. this is a great one! we did your “giant squid” craft today, very fun. my girls loved it! thanks for all the ideas.

Kristin - I love craft thursdays, great project! Just a heads up you might want to check the comments (or trackback) from the rainbow paper plate…one caught my eye that isn’t family friendly. 🙁

Karina - OK, never mind…I searched and found your explanation in March. I guess I haven’t been following your blog faithfully enough! Congratulations on having TWO houses, at least for the time being! As long as you still own that awesome first house, I guess I can get back to my day. lol

KirstenP - I checked the links for your favorite Craft Thursday projects. Of the three I loved the butterfly craft the best. I’m puzzled why Annie couldn’t also have a turquoise background for her butterflies like Talby did. 🙂

Karina - You MOVED?!?! What did I miss??? I hope you’ll fill us in…

Heather - We did it! They LOVED it. 7year old, 5 year old, and even the 2 year old!

Julieschomacker - When I taught elementary school, the district art teacher came about once a month and one time she did this art project with the kids. I think it would be perfect for your kids. I have even done this with 8th graders and they loved it!
Take fabric squares-I bought a white flat sheet and cut it into 12″x12″ squares. Then you take a mixture of equal parts toothpaste (the paste kind, not gel) and hand lotion. I think I used Aim and the cheapest Great Value hand lotion. Mix it together and then have them paint a scene on their fabric. We did underwater scenes and space scenes, or whatever they wanted scenes. It depended on what we were studying. You let that dry for a day.
The next day paint it with two different colors of Tempera paint-in big stripes. Let the paint dry about 30 minutes, then rinse the paint off. You can feel the slick paint coming off along with the toothpaste/hand lotion, but it will be have stained the fabric. The hand lotion/toothpaste acts as a resist-like batik. When the fabric dries then you can make pillows with the fabric. It really is a cool project. I should show you a picture of the finished project.

Kelly - We checked out a book at the library this week that made me think of something you might do for Craft Thursday. It’s called Roly-Poly Egg by Kali Stileman. We’re definitely going to be recreating it soon!

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - Oh Meg — these are SO Beautiful!!
I LOVE making Paste Paper — so very Eric Carle — the peacocks look fabulous and I’ve Pinned it to do with my own girlies.
Haven’t been crafting as much this week here either – we were without power all of last week (ugh!) then the girls have had VBS this week. Getting ready for our dog adoption so I’ve been sewing doggy beds and getting the house puppy proofed. Hoping to do some more crafting in August!
xoxo
Love,
MaryLea

Heather - I might just do this with my kiddos TODAY! Thank you. Those are great!

Eugenia - Can’t wait to try. Looks so amazing.

amy jupin - clever clever.
anna just looked over my shoulder and said “ooooohhh!”
and now she is digging through our paints as i type!

Anna Marie - What is that heavy white paper called? Where do you get it?
I love this craft. Thank you for sharing, lady!

roganne - this is seriously the most adorable craft ever! i can’t wait until my little ones are big enough to do awesome crafts…with MULTIPLE steps! (that last part is key i think 🙂

Nicole Q. - This is a fun one ….
Miss you too !
Did you guys decide to go to the Jost wedding… let me know if you do.
We are making the trip.

Gemma - Wow they look so cool, especially the glittery one! So much fun : )
Still love your blog Meg after so many years!
Gemma xxx
http://musings-of-a-gem.blogspot.co.uk/

Jenna@CallHerHappy - What beautiful art! I was just wondering the other day how Eric Carle does his books. Now I know 🙂

Jenny Joy - LOVE. IT.

Jennifer Dawn - Great craft! I love it! I am glad Craft Thursday happened!

Alicia @ La Famille - these are SOOOO cool! i love them!! what a great project and they DO look just like eric carle’s illustrations 🙂

Jen Brandt - You rock. I don’t know how I’ve found the energy for anything these days. Happy Thursday!

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

mess it up…it’s easy to clean it up.

May 30, 2012

when Clorox^Æ asked me to write about making messes with my kids and cleaning them up
i said, "YES! we are GREAT at making messes and coincidentally . . . Clorox Clean-Up^Æ is my favorite cleaning product!"

they directed me to the Clorox Clean-Up Recipes for Fun–Where Mess Doesn't Matter!
have you been there?
it is FULL of ideas for crafts or cooking or even science experiments to get messy with kids!

i make crafts with my kids quite often and i LOVE to see them get really into their project no matter how messy it gets!
at the Recipe for Fun site i found an idea for using collage and color together to make a color wheel!
we got busy on the mess making.

i got out our stack of old magazines and began ripping out anything that was mostly one color.
we made a big pile of magazine pictures.
i cut a large circle from a piece of poster board and drew lines diving the circle into six equal sections.
i wrote the names of the colors in rainbow order on the wheel to know where to put each scrap.
then we started gluing down our pictures.

i came across rubber cement at the grocery store and wondered if my girls had ever used it.
i knew i had never purchased it, so i got some.
my daughter was very curious!
"WHAT is this?!" she asked in a doubtful tone.
then i showed her how it had a brush INSIDE, and she was excited to use it.

we also used a paint brush dipped in the glue bottle so we could all work at the same time.
it's just like painting but you paint with glue.

layering and layering . . . picture after picture . . . overlapping until there are no white spaces at all.

Rrrrip!

snip! snip! snip!

we almost always make our crafts at this table.
i painted it white almost 10 years ago.
my kids use everything on it!
and it always comes back to white with Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner.

i was out of town recently, and when i came home i noticed my 10 year old had organized this coca-cola crate
with our art supplies by color!
how cute is that?! i love it! we like to do lots of things around here in rainbow order.

it was coming along quite nicely at this point.
there was glue all over our hands and the table!

they finished their color wheel collage but the mess still remained.

well…every Recipe For Fun needs a Recipe For Clean.
Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner combines a cleaner and the disinfecting power of Clorox Bleach letting you spray away messy play. It removes tough stains as well as the germs you can't see, leaving your home sparkling clean and ready for the next recipe.

usually after craft time my kids quickly scatter leaving the mess for me to clean up.
but today my youngest surprised me by helping out!
she loves to use spray bottles and paper towels.

when she saw the marker and glue wipe right off she said, "this is going great!"

with my daughter's help, a trash bag & Clorox Clean-Up Cleaner, the room was cleaner than when we started!

find the perfect activity for you and your kids to live it up, mess it up and then clean it up at Clorox Clean-Up Recipes for Fun ñ Where Mess Doesnít Matter!

do you like getting messy and creative with your kids?

tell me about it in the comments and be entered to win one of ten $100 Visa gift card s!

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post*

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post*

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

Entries from all participating blogs will be pooled for winner selection; only two entries per household. This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

*Entrant is receiving a sweepstakes entry in exchange for the tweet/blog post.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 5/30/2012-6/24/2012.

Clorox^Æ and Clean-Up^Æ are registered trademarks of The Clorox Company.

show hide 16 comments

add a comment

Trae Kendrick - A mess has never deterred my boys and me. The messier the better! They’ve grown up quite a bit, and now our messes come from gutting a deer or breasting out dove. Still tons of fun!

mollie - love the color wheel

katie - Hey Meg! Great post. It makes me want to go clean something. ( I don’t have that feeling too often…)
What r u using for photo editing now that picasa shut down?
I love your blog!!

Jenna@CallHerHappy - My daughter is 10 months old, and we love to make messes. I give her avocados, prunes and sweet potatoes in her high chair and let her paint with them! It mostly goes in her hair 🙂
Jenna
callherhappy.com

Carolyn W - I like to move my kids’ table outside when we do art, so we can get as messy as we want without me worrying that they will drop something on the carpet! And I actually do use Clorox wipes when we’re done to clean off the table. 🙂

Heather D - I don’t have kids, but I like to play and get messy with my nieces and nephews. And I learned from my mama that Clorox Clean-up is the best!

Lindsay - we painted with shaving cream and that was pretty messy…i actually used another type of clorox product to clean it all up (the one that you can spray even on a baby’s highchair and not have to wipe it off with water…). thanks for the chance!

tiffany gardner - Yes! I’m a big fan too! My mom always said…mess was my middle name. I have now passed that on to my children!!!!

Amber - We love this stuff! Thanks for the opportunity Clorox and Meg!

Diane Hutchings - I am a pretty messy crafter myself!

Bethany - It hasn’t been a day if we haven’t made at least one huge mess!

Kimmie - My kiddos love to get messy. We recently painted flower pots and little bird houses at teacher gifts. They loved it!

Kattastik.wordpress.com - I do love messy crafts with my kids! But my kids, all boys, can’t stand to get their hands messy! Makes no sense, but it’s true.

Annie - My 6 year old daughter is always begging to do a messy craft! The messier the better!

Courtne Huffman - We also love to craft and create at our house. And, of course, clean-up usually ends up with just me. 🙂

Holly - We love to create at our house also and I use a ton of the clorox clean up!

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

monday….very farmy.

May 22, 2012

well…my day started with a looong run by myself.
i waited in my car for my friends but realized they were not coming…so i went alone.
and since i was supposed to be going with them i didn't bring my ipod.
so i ran without music….that is crazy talk!!
but i did the 6 miles without stopping and felt great.
interesting.
no music or friends and i still did it.
cool.

i came to the craft house to do some prep work.
and look what came in the mail….

my new favorite shirt. :)
yep.
i bought that.

the bold banana has a bunch of really funny shirts but this was my favorite.

i cut fabric for a couple hours getting ready to make a TON of bunting.
for my shop.
that who-knows-WHEN-it-will-actually-open-but-it-will someday-i-promise.

i had music cranked and all the sunshining in….it was a really nice afternoon alone.

later in the afternoon talby yelled "MOM!!! THAT BIRD JUST HIT THE WINDOW!!"

it was quite stunned.
it just sat there.
i opened our door and we were just looking at each other.

of course waffle was going NUTS over this bird just sitting there.
barking and barking and barking.

i have never seen a bird that close up…like a tiny bird.
i have seen the chickens.
but not a bird like this.

that beak looks too pointy for me.

i told talby "lets leave it alone now and it will probably get its wits and fly off pretty soon."

then i stood up and said "was that a goat?"
and it was.

the neighbors have two goats!

and how is this for a totally weird creepy picture…..

HA HA HA!!

i don't always look through my camera to take pictures so this was a shot taken down by my hip.
quite a surprise when that popped up on the screen.
so funny.
i think his bottom teeth are straighter than mine!

then talby wanted to show me the neighbor's new kitties.
pretty cute.
but not tempting to me at all.

then THIS little lady came bouncing outside….

and i was immediately in love.
completely.

her name is Sue.

i wanted to kiss her.
and take her home.

and i wasn't the only one….

also not pictured…turtles were found and held and played with.
and wild turkeys in the road.

the bird that hit the window did indeed fly away.
probably will never be quite the same but it's alive.

it was just a farmy night.

i like those kind.

ok…i have till thursday at noon to finish up that floor in the gray bedroom.
hmmm.
we will see if i can do it.
then we are on full summer break.
we started a rough draft of the summer list last night….. we don't have the big chalkboard at this house.
we will have to get creative.

show hide 41 comments

add a comment

Crystal - Just a crazy question…do you worry about your speed? I think I could run the 6 miles if I didn’t worry about being too slow. I am so not fast!!!

got2havefaith - I want a goat. My neighbors would FLIP OUT!

Michelle - We started the summer list last year and put it in wordle. It’s not a big centerpiece like your chalkboard was, but I let each kid design their own and they have their own personal one to cross off as we move through the season. Have you tried wordle? You can make it colorful with a fun font, different sizes, etc. so I think you would like it! (www.wordle.net) Give it a shot and see what you think.
BTW, I LOVE our summer list and can’t imagine how we ever summered without it!! 🙂

Carrie - goat teeth are freaky!!! so the move to farm seems like a great decision!! although I love the craft house, the style of it..everything :), the memories you will make at the farm house are amazing!! I’m jealous!! we live in the country kinda..but this just seems awesome!!!

Tracey Husted - Oh my gosh, I’ve gotta stop reading your blog while I’m at work. I saw the picture of the goat’s teeth and burst out laughing really loud. The office was dead silent…Oops! That just made my day!

Michelle Whitlow - ok, that pic of the goat teeth totally had me laughing out loud!!! hehehe!!!

Suzette - Birds, and goats, and puppies, oh my! And kitties too…I want to move on with you! Fun, amazing photos! Check out Lisa Leonard’s canvas summer list-cute and fun!

Jamie - that puppy is to die for…black labs are the CUTEST puppies! But kittens…no temptation, I’m right there with you on that one!

elisa - Oh that goat- so funny!! And you need that pup- LOVE. Take her home and I will send you a polka dot collar 🙂

Heather R. - I laughed at the goat pic…too funny. I like naps, too.

Michelle From Australia - I LOVE the reflection of you in Annie’s glasses
and…The bunting!! My daughter is having a 9th birthday party in June. It is a rainbow party. WONDER WHERE ON EARTH HER MUM GOT THAT INSPIRATION…..whatever 🙂 Anyway, it is a shame that gorgeous bunting won’t be in your etsy shop in time for me to try and buy some and have it wing its way to Australia for the party 🙁
If only we weren’t at the other end of the planet…..

Carla - I really enjoyed this post. I know your blog has taken new exciting direction for you and I’m very happy for you that it has but its lovely to read a chatty/newsy post like that, which is not selling or advertising anything. More of the same please 🙂

Diane - Fun post! I literally laughed outloud at the smiling goat! Priceless.

Saks2Salvation - Such an inspirational post and the pics are amazing! My best picture of a TX longhorn was taken by my hip as well so great shot on that one. Did I miss something…where can I get that “I love naps” shirt??

AliG - Our house likes Sue’s collar!

Erin - Sue is cute! And she looks super in K-State purple!

amy jupin - i agree, that puppers is adorable.
too bad they grow up and get bad breath.
🙂
that goat pic makes me giggle!!!

amanda d - Those pictures are great … but the goat, oh my goodness, made me laugh!

betsy - LOVING the very farmy post … all those animals made me “awwwww” while scrolling down!
That pic you took from your hip of Annie with Sue is FAN-TAS-TIC! I love that you can see yourself in her shades 🙂
Also, how lucky do I feel that I already have some of your bunting! I can’t wait to hang it from my classroom ceiling again in August! Thanks, Meg!

Stephanie - Love the photo of your summer list from last year, can’t wait to see this years! Can you tell me how you made the collage photos you used and where you had them printed? Thanks a bunch!!

Maria Proctor - I have wanted a bunting from you since your first craft weekend post! I know plenty of people sell them on etsy, but no one gets the color combos and prints quite to my liking like you do, so I hope I can nab one when they come available!

April R - inspiring! as ever 🙂 thank u 🙂
we did a summer list for the first time last year (after I saw yours) and we loved it!
started 2012 this week!

Debby - I think that is a baby yellow-billed cuckoo. An adult ran into our window and died. So sad!! They usually are not hard to see as they keep hidden in the woods and brush. I’m so glad yours survived. We have these “leaves” on our windows that are supposed to keep birds from flying into them, but they don’t work real well. Birds hit our windows all the time!

Sara Torbett - This was a very farmy post, indeed. 🙂 Loved your pics! I also saw the idea for writing/painting a Summer List on canvas on Lisa Leonard’s blog you might check out! We will have to get started on ours..we have a one year old this summer so things will be new and fun! 🙂

Suzanne - Haha – those goats are cute and creepy all at the same time! I am dying to see your floor!!!

Jenni - How about window markers or a giant piece of butcher paper creatively hung for your summer list?

julia - Last year I was trying to convince my 5 year old to take a nap. She told me that nobody she knows takes naps and she didn’t want to take one. I then told her “but I take naps”. She was quiet for a few seconds and then she said “but you CHOOSE to take a nap.” So I guess the rule is that naps are okay, as long as you don’t HAVE to take one. (I did tell her, too bad she was going to take one anyway).

Robin - Loved the “I like naps” tshirt. Ordered one for my Dad for Father’s Day. I’m starting my 2012 Summer List today!!!!

Jacci in Ohio - Well… We don’t have a massive green chalkboard, either 😉 And last year our summer list was useful,
But not necessarily as pretty as it could be. This year I’m making a paper garland.
All scrappy looking. And colorful. I have plain teal rectangles for writing our actual items on. I think
I’ll put a clothes pin on top of each item paper and remove it as we do that item. That was we can easily
see what we still have left to do. We’ll just look for clothes pins. Anyway, it’s cute in my brain. Hopefully, it
Will be cute in my kitchen, too!

Dani - I did a summer list for the first time this year! I saw a summer bucket list on pinterest. I did a search on there for summer list and yours was EVERYWHERE! I loved it! I was such a dork… I was like “HEY! I know her! I’ve seen that list!” HA! Ok so I don’t really KNOW you, but I feel like I do….

Beth K. - Heard about a neat idea for “summer bucket list” – we try to do one every summer, but this is a new idea that I like. Get a plastic sand pail and clothes pins – put the ideas on the clothes pins and then have them on the rim of the pail (sticking up). Then when you do something on a pin you take it off of the rim and throw it in the bucket. By the end of the summer your pail should be full. 🙂 Love your pics!

Rachel J - Baby kitties, not tempting to me either. Baby puppys, I’ll take two. 🙂 Loving your new found farmy posts 🙂 Happy Tuesday Megalicious!

Holly - Love it! I was just thinking about the summer list. I also dont always look through my camera when taking photos. You get some of the best shots that way! 😉

Mandy - that first picture of the bird is stunning! Love it!
http://dailiydoseoframblings.blogspot.com

Heather F. - That grey kitten looks exactly like one of my cats (now 5 years old) when he was a kitten. I actually gasped when I saw that photo. Your post brought back such great memories. Thank you. I’m going to show my kids when they get home.

Seriously Sassy Mama - A bird totally hit our back window the other day when I was packing. It scared the crap out of me. Unfortunately, we found the bird later that evening dead on our girls little pool. Poor bird. My husband wants to get a goat for our backyard since it is so huge. Funny man, we live in the burbs.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - I feel like the Green Acres theme song should be playing while I read your blog 🙂 Love your farmy life and that you are turning into a farmy wife…HA. Sorry I couldn’t resist. I didn’t sleep enough last night. Have a great day Meg!

Jill - Oh how I love your days <3 They rejuvenate me.
My youngest and I found a baby bunny yesterday and enjoyed it for a bit. We were keeping it until the older 3 got home and then going to transfer it to the local nature center because our neighbors dog well... he likes them a little too much and being a Jack Russel, he's about as fast as one as well.
Unfortunately she hopped away and unlike the neighbors dog, I am NOT as fast as a baby bunny...
By the way - you are AWESOME at taking pics when not even looking through the lens. Two of those that you posted - they are perfection!

christy - I am sure you read Lisa’s blog yesterday, but I loved her version of the summer to do list, water colors on a canvas! LOVE!
I so enjoy hearing about life on the farm. Brings back memories of my summers in MO. Enjoy!

BriBedell - Love the goat picture…hilarious!! I love all the types of animals you guys get to see now!! GREEN ACRES IS THE PLACE TO BE, FARM LIVING IS THE LIFE FOR MEEEEE! My grandma use to watch that show non stop…lol

Terrie G - I want to take Sue home…especially since she’s a K-State (imagine that bold & in italics!) dog!
She’d fit in just great in our family!!! 🙂

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

it was a crafty day.

March 20, 2012

i forgot about the sleeping in part of spring break!
woo-hoo!
i LOVE sleeping in.
especially on these rainy days.

i ran at the gym….i got there and the tvs were being replaced!!!
running in front of a mirror for an hour?
i almost left.
it sounded AWFUL to me.
then the dude next to me left and he was on the only treadmill that has it's own tv.
i assumed it wasn't working since he wasn't watching.
i took a quick bathroom break at mile 2 and then checked that treadmill….it worked!
so i got to watch old grey's anatomy on lifetime for my last 3 miles.
i am glad i did not leave.

i promised my girls a craft when i got home.
we couldn't agree on one so we did a few different things.

annie and i made winter cardinal art from deepspacesparkle.com.
i was in a painting mood.

annie's cardinal. mommy's cardinal.

talby made a princess and the pea picture and painted the turtle shell!

later that night…i met some of my friends over at the craft house for a little paint party.

girls night out is getting pretty wild!!
look out…we are party animals!

we watched The Help and ate cheesecake and painted chairs.
such good friends.
they are helpful and funny and GREAT painters!

cheesecake…..it makes a great breakfast too!

have you made pam's cheesecake yet??

WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?!

do it already.

DON"T FORGET ABOUT WORLD WATER DAY.
its coming up on thursday.
go get signed up to use your blog or facebook or twitter right HERE.

we need you.

let's do it together.

join us here to be ready on thursday!

show hide 46 comments

add a comment

jenni - I really really want to be your friend! Dang girl, you have a craft house! Why oh why do you live on another continent?

Susan - Love the chairs – what type paint do you use?

Dana - I love when I haven’t been able to read your blog for a few days then I see a pin on pinterest from your blog (the chairs) and I think “ohhh Meg is up to something new…better go check out what I have missed!”

Heidi Jo the Artist - Now, that is a bed Talby! So cool. Love the painted turtle shell too. My kids love to paint rocks. 🙂

Johanna - LOVE those chairs—I have some I need to paint. It looks like you did not prime them? Think it’s necessary? What about sanding? The thought of sanding all the rungs is keeping me from starting i think!!! 🙂

Amy - I would love to borrow your girls and have a craft day. I have one son and he doesn’t like to craft or paint. I could craft all day, every day. Good luck in your new home. I live in the country on a farm and love it. Very peaceful and calm out here.

Kristin S - Meg, I’ve wanted to make this cheesecake but I don’t know what a “small tub” of sour cream is. 4 oz? 8 oz? I buy the ones at Sam’s so do you know the ounces/cups on that one?
Thanks.

Carrie - I have been reading your blog for quite awhile now. When life is busy I skim the title of the other blogs I follow, but read yours through. I just love to read it. I have 5 kids 15-4 and I open enroll them to a school in a neighboring district and drive them to school – the morning bus is too early for us this year. Our pick up is in a church parking lot. Looks a lot like yours. I had to laugh when I saw you drive a white suburban… me too. Also smiled when you talked about your inner homeschool mom. I have that too. I was jealous when you found a house – we’ve been looking for 3 years! I started running last spring… but I was really hung up on keeping on running (not walking) and pace, tried to train for a half marathon and made it to 8 miles but fizzled out by fall. Should have taken it slower. You inspire me to take it up again. Keep keepin’ it real!

andrea - Annie’s cardinal looks just like the one that thinks he is in charge of my bird feeders! He is one fierce little bird.
Love, love, love Talby’s painted turtle shell. Turtles are my favorite animal. Would never have thought to paint it.

Krissy - I LOVE your chairs!! They are so happy!!!

Katie - okay, seriously? those painted chairs are enough to make my heart stop. soooo adorable!
i feel your treadmill pain. i use the one that my in-laws have in their (unfinished) basement, so i’m staring at piles of junk the whole time. makes me want to scream sometimes… but then i’m thankful for the free workout : )

Prairie Jenn - Deep Space Sparkle makes me happy:)
Lots of art inspiration there!
Love the rainbow chairs…I want to do the same in my craft room if we ever get finished remodeling!

Laine - Ooooo….can I come paint in exchange for cheesecake?? =) Love the colors, what are the names? With all my squinting I still couldn’t make them all out, lol!

Jennifer@beautyinbloom - Oh my stars. It would be a dream come true for me to have a chair painting party. You have no idea 🙂

Holly - I need to get some friends over to help me work on my painting projects! hmmmm….:)

Lori Austin - I would totally paint chairs for cheesecake! 😉

Dani - The chairs look amazing! I love all the bright colors. Y’all are so talented! The cardinals were beautiful.

Mandy - I totally have that sea blue/green color from Walmart sitting on a white antique desk that I bought for a steal on Craigslist! I have yet to paint it!! Would love to see your finished product with that color paint!
http://dailydoseoframblings.blogspot.com

Bernice - Love the colours you chose for the chairs! And your choice of entertainment and dessert
Sounds like it was a fabulous time.

Marianne - Gorgeous chairs! Aww, now I want my own craft house too… 🙂

Leslie @topofthepage - i missed that cardinal one on deep space sparkle. i love that website. i want to do that. love birdies. and that cheesecake is the best ever. made it a few times now. once being in my grandma’s million year old kitchen in rural oklahoma. i’m not sure she even knew what a springform pan was. but it worked fine in a pyrex 9×13, though a bit painful to look at.

Sarah Wolfe - What a great idea! This is going to be such a lovely room. Your paint colors are so great. Wish I could include a little pink in my school room chairs, but I don’t think the boys would appreciate 🙂

Sara Torbett - Love the turtle shell 🙂 and the pretty chairs too. Cheesecake sounds delish with some strong black coffee. Yummy! Glad Grey’s came to the rescue for you today 🙂

AshleyAnn - That sounds like a perfect girl’s night in to me…and I really want some cheesecake!! Have fun at CW. I’ll miss you all!

Julie - I love Talby’s Princess and the Pea picture! And Annie is such a great artist!
And…those CHAIRS! They are gorgeous!!!

ko. s - So fun! I would love to paint chairs and eat cheesecake!

Kelly - Loving the colorful chairs!
And no…. Haven’t tried the recipe yet. Why is it that making cheesecake scares me so?!?
I’ve always just bought it. Hmmmmm…

Karen Estes - Where are you going to use those chairs? I love the colors on them and would love to do that in my kitchen but my husband thinks I’m crazy.

Becki - The chair idea is great! What a fun girl’s night!

whitney f - Oh, and I must not know how to find the winners for things you giveaway??? haha
Was the winner announced for the Girls Night out $100 gift card to Olive garden??

whitney f - Those chairs look amazing!!!!!! I need to do that!!!!

Tanya - I work at a 50+ rec centre with a conditioning room and there are NO T.V.’s!! But the peeps still come cause it’s c-h-e-a-p 😀
We did bingo dauber art today, easy and fun.
I love the cardinal paintings <3

The Frat Pack + Me - Now that is my kind of girls night out…except could I have a cookie instead? I think I am the only person on the planet that doesn’t enjoy cheesecake.

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Yes, girls night out does change as we get older, have hubbies and kiddies, but I wouldn’t change a thing, love that kind of night!

Patty Palmer - The cardinals and the sweet princess look divine! And I love your chairs….hmmm. My chairs are looking quite grey and boring!

tina - that cheesecake looks heavenly…ps peanut butter pie falls in to breakfast food at my house too 🙂

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - ….except the blue ones in my dream were more of a bright turquoise blue!

Pink and Green Mama MaryLea - love the chairs — they look JUST like the ones in my dream from a few nights ago — too funny! : )

Happy girl - Those chairs are gorgeous and those friends are priceless. 🙂

mae - Love this post!!! Thank you for supporting World Water Day and using your voice for the good of others. You rock!

Lasso the Moon - our girls are so inspiring! I love that shot of the painting that only has the blue and red. Looks so graphic and cool!
Now I need to stop reading blogs and go make something with my own kids.
Anna

Seriously Sassy Mama - mmmm cheesecake!

Anita - I sent you an email but wasn’t sure how often you check it and I was trying to get the recipe for the blueberry buckle muffins. Can you post it or sent it to me.
Thanks,
Anita

Kim - I love that you have a craft house! And good friends close by. We moved about a year ago. Still working on the close friend bit. It’s coming, but it takes time. The chairs are looking great!

Jacci - AWESOMENESS 🙂 I’ve soooo missed watercolors and desserts since you’ve moved! ha ha.
I **love** the chairs. I should’ve known you were going to paint them. But, it just seemed like SO many chairs. How great that you have friends that are willing to come paint with you. I’m sure cheesecake bribery helps 🙂
And… you *know* you’re going to get a bazillion commenters asking for the scoop on your paint colors. You might as well add the color names at the bottom of the post! I know I already squinted really close to my monitor trying to read the tiny letters. ha ha.

Sheila P. - Your life just looks way more creative and relaxing than mine. I think I need to go buy some paint and make some friends! Oh, and make a cheesecake too. 🙂

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

fridays are awesome.

March 9, 2012

first off….i really wanted to go back to bed today.
bad.
my running clothes weren't clean.
i was tired.
it was cold.

but i went because my friends were waiting….thank goodness for them.
i would have slept my morning away otherwise.

WE RAN SIX MILES.
with only one quick bathroom break at mcdonalds (thank you body that birthed five babies….)
it was hard.
but we did it!!!!!

31.5 out of 100 miles.
rad.

i went back and finished the baby doll quilt.
there was a commenter that said "she won't ask for a doll quilt for much longer….you can always make pillows."
that was the clencher.

it is so precious.
i looooove it.
and so did annie. :)

i came back to the farm house and there were a bunch of trucks and a huge fire!

i guess today was the perfect day to tear down an old shed that was here at the farm.
it was pretty dangerous the way it was so it's probably good that it's gone.

kind of exciting to get off the bus to a giant fire in your yard!!

yesterday i followed talby over on her second round of feeding the neighbor's chickens.

enjoy!

what are you doing this weekend?

i think we are doing some swimming,,,,some soccer…some volleyball…some basketball….
that sounds relaxing right?

not.

show hide 45 comments

add a comment

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Update: so I DID finish the little one’s doll quilt like I said I would. Check it out here:
http://www.handbagsnpigtails.com/2012/03/last-fall-when-i-made-my-first-quilt-as.html
Thanks for giving me the kick- in- the- pants(by posting what your commenter said) to get it done. She loves it!

christine ishmael - Guess what my 11 year old’s science project was on? What’s a chicken’s favorite color? We put out a set of trays in all the colors of the rainbow and fed the chickens each day at the same time with the trays in the same place…guess what their favorite color was? It was a great science project!

Alicia D - AWESOME job with your running!! Im up to 5.0 miles now. Training for a 10-miler. It will be the first time I’ve ever run that far in my life. Only been running for about 6 months. Its a love-hate 🙂

Kerry - I love hearing about your running. I’m 37 years old and took up running again a year ago, just 6 weeks after giving birth to my 4th baby via c-section. I hope you’re signed up for a race somewhere! Keep the updates coming .. and great job of six miles!!

northern cottage - ohhhh i LOVE the little doll quilt. know what would be cool – AFTER she’s done with the doll quilt – make THIS into a pillow for her or you (it will ALWAYS hold wonderful memories now!) it’s completely gorgeous with the colors and stitching and LOVE built right in!
keep on chugging rocking running mama!
xo – http://www.NorthernCottage.net

Stephanie campbell - Oh I want to raise chickens so badly…..

Helen Wall - Love that you took your banjo to accompanythe chicken feeding! Nice touch!

Lauren - love. that. quilt. sooo yummy! good for you on the run!

Sara Torbett - Six miles is major!
I echo the other ladies-I’m sitting here having a fit over that lovely white chippy paint wood…imagining all kinds of things to do with it. I hope you ran over and salvaged some before it was too late!
Doll quilt-precious. My favorite is the close-up of the square that says “peace always”. 🙂

Dani - Love the quilt! So bright and cheery!

tiffany gardner - Six Miles! I don’t think I could walk six miles! You rock!

Maria - Um, should have proofread first . . .
Instead of “get to the point where you can run for several weeks because of an injury.”
it should read, “. . . where you CAN’T run for several weeks.”
I need coffee! Ha ha. Happy weekend!

Maria - Hi! I just wanted to say that I love your blog. I stumbled across it a month or so ago, and I think it’s awesome. I love that you love the Lord, spend time with your kids, make awesome crafts, and you take some really great photos, too!
Just one thing I wanted to say about your running (you’re doing awesome, by the way!) — I’m not sure how long you’ve been running, but be careful about adding too many miles too soon! Trust me on this one, you don’t want to keep adding and adding miles until you get to the point where you can run for several weeks because of an injury. Been there, done that and it’s no fun! Blessings!

Kristin S - Love that quilt too! It is “so Annie” (from how she dresses anyway).
Commenter was right. Hey, maybe you can turn that quilt in to a pillow someday.
Coveting your farm life…

Tracie - I Love that you put the banjo music in the chicken video, so cute. Thanks for the running motivation!! I’m going.

Heather - This post came at just the right time. I settled down with my cuppa and had already decided to blow off this morning’s run (still have a little bit of a sinus infection, the house and my boys are so snuggly this morning, I stayed up too late last night, etc…). And there you are – out there when you don’t want to be. You got me out the door. Thank you!!! (and little boys don’t mind snuggling with a stinky sweaty mommy!)
And ko.s – you’ll get used to frosty east coast runs – you’ll even come to miss them in the heat of August!!

happygirl - We are going out to dinner to celebrate my husbands retirement. It’s going to be SO MUCH FUN, but not as healthy as running sex miles. Btw, getting over a horrible cough. I wasn’t so happy for the weak bladder. Just sayin’.

Carla Grace - Chippy painted wood…..I hope you grabbed some of it!! Aaaaack!!

christy - I love that comment & they were so right! The quilt is fantastic. I bet she will cherish it forever.
Okay, how long before you start raising chickens? 🙂 I have two, in suburbia and they are pretty entertaining & the eggs are GREAT! We have more than we need for our fam of 3 w/the 2 chicks we have. Warning though, THEY.EAT.EVERYTHING! I mean everything! My poor plants. The fact that they eat everything also means they poo everywhere. Ours run amuck so that is part of the prob.

Leah - I want chickens! And a farm. And the ability to run 1/4 of a mile.

Amy @ www.littleforalittlewhile.blogspot.com - Those chikens are sure serious about their bread! And that music you put along to it is the perfect touch. I can always count on your for a good smile 🙂

Susan - This was such a funny post b/c guess what?! I went back to bed after getting the kids off to school…I NEVER DO THAT! EVER!!! And I blew off Masters Swimming which i love soooo much and pay money ahead of time to do!!! But I just couldn’t do it and that’s okay. Spent the rest of the day (after the am nap!) making my son’s 12th birthday special. Tomorrow i’ll swim then spin and it will be ALL GOOD! Careful w/ your running…don’t increase your distance too fast or you’ll set yourself up for an injury…just sharing from my own personal experience…Love your blog.

Kim - Love the quilt and the chickens! This weekend? Hmmm…we just came back from our church group, the kids’ have play dates and a birthday party tomorrow, then off to Grandma’s as hubby and I head to a concert – Chris Tomlin – with fab friends, probably a few things on Sunday and then March break! Hooray for a week at home with the kids. So, so, so looking forward to it!

Heather - I am so lost! You have 2 houses check. One to live in and one to craft in? One you own one you rent one? I am so lost!

Terrie G - Oh the things I’d love to have my hubby make from that old wood!
Such a good mom!! Definitely good idea to choose the quilt!
You can always make pillows from the ‘good’ fabric! lol!!
Loved the quilt
My weekend…taxes, watching basketball and more taxes! Yeah…not!

Maria - Love the quilt! Something I hope to accomplish soon…
Our weekend (which started today with no school)…huge rummage sale for the scouts…soccer…bowling with the tiger cubs…sleepover…scout Sunday…an arrow of light cross over…and reception following that will make a happy end to my leader days…now I can just be a scout mom again…and a nap or two in there…I hope.

Darcie L. - Agree with Lanny Lou. That wood makes me want to come over and grab it! My husband now says, “Are you sure you don’t want to save this for crafting?” about almost everything. Even his passport holder. Sheesh…

shannon - Good thing it wasn’t your home!!!
I think that comment about Annie not asking for doll quilts for much longer would have made my mind up real quick too 🙂
Hope you get some time to yourself this weekend.

Robyn Farmer - Talby looks like such a big girl with those jeans 🙁

Marie - That doll quilt is precious. I should make one for my girls before they stop wanting one too. My 10 yr old has been asking for a doll bed for her AG doll. You are totally motivating me to run. It’s been 2 weeks since my last run cause I got sick and now I don’t want to anymore because it’ll be like starting all over again. UGH!!

ko. s - You have completely inspired me to get back into my running routine! We recently moved from San Diego to the East Coast and with that move I lost all motivation to run. The weather is just downright miserable! But you’ve motivated me….Thank you!

lorelei eurto - love the chickens. My mother raises chickens, and they are the best to photograph and video. This was nice to watch, thanks for sharing Meg!

Alisa - i am already at my kitchen table with my sewing machine and piles of fabric….i don’t know what will evolve, but i am looking forward to it! maybe everyone will leave me alone if i ignore them….but probably not. enjoy your weekend!

Valerie @ Chateau A La Mode - Looks like Talby is enoying her new neighbors 😉 and as far as what I will be doing this weekend? My weekends are changing…I used to have 2 baseball players, 2 basketball players, 1 soccer player, 1 trumpet player, 1 Irish Dancer, 1 ballerina and 2 Girl Scouts so I relate to those busy weekends and now that mine aren’t so crazy I gotta say, I kinda miss it! I know, I know, we always want what we don’t have. I want to take a drive to the beach and get lunch tomorrow and believe me there was a time that a free Saturday wasn’t even on my radar. Happy weekend.

Sarah{Handbags*N*Pigtails} - Well you inspired me to finish the doll quilt I mentioned in your last post. I’m doing it this weekend.
Tonight I’m sitting here with my table full of teens. Its youth group night here at the house.
Weekends are always full of laundry and cleaning here since I cant seem to get a handle on it during the work week. And I’m sure we’ll do some relaxing with the girls. We haven’t done much of that since our own fire.
Have a lovely weekend!

Maria - Meg, I think you just came up with the next big thing in your Etsy shop, baby doll quilts! I know a little girl who would love a cople of them…let me know if you’d make and sell me a couple!

Heather S. - I feel ya! I do a boot camp class at 6 am Mon/Wed/Fri and if it weren’t for my friends waiting on me, I’d never make myself get out of bed and endure that torture for an hour. But afterward – I always feel so much stronger! What doesn’t kill ya……right?

Lisa - I love that you have neighbors that are friendly and let your kids come feed their chickens! Good neighbors are a blessing!

seriously sassy mama - Class, work, packing, laundry, and hopefully some time to head to our favorite catfish place for some yummy food!

mim - you can always turn it into a pillow when she is done using it as a blanket!!

Kirsten P - Annie’s doll quilt is beautiful!
I’m going to see Anne of Avonlea, a musical at the high school.
Also heading to the next state for a bridal shower – I bought her some beautiful high quality wooden spoons from http://www.whetstonewoodenware.com
My favorite spoons at the moment are the 13 inch Stir Fry Paddle and the Cookie Dough Paddle-perfect for stirring thick cookie doughs.
Congrats on getting closer to your running goal!

beth davis - Good call on the baby doll quilt. 🙂
Beth

Michelle From Australia - Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful doll quilt. LOVE it! I hope Annie treasures it.

amy jupin - where is the chicken painting? i want to see how it turned out!
and i loved seeing talby’s ginormous sparkly shoes in the video.
and hearing your voice.
made me miss kansas!

Lanny Lou - okay please tell me your going to do something cool with that barn wood/siding ?

Share on Facebook•Tweet this Post•Pin Images to Pinterest•Back to Top

« Newer Posts
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
…
14
Older Posts

search

Search for:
Instagram
Categories

Categories
Archives
Archives

Category Archives: crafts & art

search

Instagram

Categories

Archives