loonie tunes

 SOM-FING UP DAR... I GONNA GET IT!!!

 My dog Luna is just the funniest thing. She makes me laugh every day.

Several days ago she was barking and bouncing around this tree as though she was on a pogo stick.

 I started wondering if the possum she was after a few days prior was back for more.

(that was an event in and of itself and I only wish I had photos of it)

 GIT DOWN HERE - I GONNA BOP YOU ON DA HED!

 Well it went on for about half an hour, her whining and boinging...

Finally I decided to see what in tarnation was going on anyway...

!!!

 I should have known

 Well, you know what they say... cats rule and dogs drool :/

Hehehe :D

arise and shine forth!

the 2012 theme for our LDS young women :)

This is a super cute, easy little craft tutorial you can use for gifts... or whatever!

I made these to use as our birthday gifts for all our young women this year -

they seem to really like them... so read on if you'd like to learn how to make them!

 First I used a 4x4 stretched canvas...

used Tulip dimensional slick paint to "write" the word SHINE!...

and glued a small wooden sun to the canvas (you could easily freehand a sun also)

*note: I tried using puffy paint also, and the slick version was much easier

 After doing the same thing to multiple canvases,

I chose several pastel colors and painted over each canvas.

(and yes, we eat a lot of garbanzo and black beans, thank you very much)

 I used two coats of paint on each canvas and let dry fully...

Then I painted each canvas with a coat of glossy Mod Podge.

*Note: glossy acrylic spray instead of Mod Podge would also work

"Arise and Shine Forth!"

Our Young Women's Birthday Basket :)

You girls do indeed SHINE! And we love you :)

dude knows his colors

~ the Mixed-Up Chameleon by Eric Carle ~

(beloved by all - including me!)

Now seriously, I've always been fascinated by chameleons. Are they just about the funkiest little prehistoric-looking guys ever or WHAT. They move so slooowly... they have the coolest little grippers for hands... and those eyes - spinning all over the place in every direction. WILD! Not to mention what they're most famous for... changing color according to their surroundings and mood.

WELL! My friend Joanne posted this YouTube video on FB and it just BLEW. MY. MIND. 

This is one talented little dude! He's just changing his colors as if he were a bag of Skittles!

And he's so chill. I love this guy! He makes me happy happy happy :)

ENJOY! (and thank you Joanne!)   

And because I adore Eric Carle... here's his official website, which is *wonderful*

* Eric Carle *

mixed (up) media

I have never done anything "mixed media" before because, frankly, it boggles my mind. I so admire artists - including friends like Cristi - whom are so talented with mixed media! I love photography, I enjoy goofing around with paint, and I thrill over neat little items like letter tiles, and glass objects, and colorful paper, and beads, and fabric... you know - the unique things that are the creative heart of mixed media pieces! But though I love each element by itself I can't quite grasp how to put them together...

my pointed little head has had a rough time wrapping itself around that concept!

That's where my dear friend Lauren comes in :) Lauren and I celebrated our 50th birthdays last November.

We've known each other since we were 13, so I figured she'd still love me no matter what! She has meant so much to me over all these years, even though the majority of those years we've lived on opposite coasts. When she moved back to California after nearly 30 years, and we found ourselves turning 50, I decided to try and create a mixed media piece for her that incorporated a few of our special memories. I'm happy with how it turned out because it actually looks like I had envisioned it! And bless Lauren's heart, she really loved it :) I know it's really elementary but hey - at least I tried something new, right?!  

 Laur and I at 14, a nod to the Beach Boys, and a scanned and miniaturized copy of a letter I had written to her when we graduated from junior high and I knew I'd soon be moving away. She kept it all these years and sent me a copy several months ago :)

The ladybugs are because both Lauren and I ended up with red New Beetles, and the photo is us with dear friends (many of whom we're still in contact with... right, Liz & Renee?!) on our way to a 50's dance :)

The photo is a close up of one of the many pillows Lauren has made me - she's an expert seamstress and even made quilts for my babies :) The buttons signify her many sewing skills, and I added the HOPE bottle cap to represent that no matter what we've been through, we've always had hope in our lives. The hand-made clay "forever" tiles are of course part of my "forever friends" that runs across the bottom :)

Love you Laur - xoxo

I believe I can fly

 After a year without a trampoline, we finally have one again - yay!

The boys REALLY missed having a trampoline in the back yard...

and I missed watching them and all their ridiculously crazy shenanigans.

(okay, okay... I missed taking an occasional afternoon nap on it too...)

It has been a lot of fun having one again, especially with all 3 boys HOME!

In these pics, Matthew and Daniel are trying it out after assembling it -

Holy cow... wait till Davy gets on there too! :-0

we are family

 Oh Davy, how I love you!

Davy found these "FAMILY" blocks on Etsy - 

he got them for me for Christmas and I LOVE THEM!

 He said he took one look at them and thought they were totally ME :)

That touched me so much... so, so much. Thank you my Davy :)

Sometimes I goof around with them a little...

tee hee hee :)

good riddance 2011... welcome 2012

That's right my friends!

Ringin in the new year with sparkly pink toes!

Yippeeeee!

 Happy New Year Everyone!

May the year 2012 be everything we all wish for and work for!

From pink sparkly toes to MIRACLES... and everything in between!

Hippy Hippy New Year ~ with love from me to you :)