Moments: Dealing with Doughnuts

This is going to look like a Christmas post.

That's because it was supposed to be posted at Christmastime.  

Still, it's a moment that made me smile, so bring on the Christmas-ness.

Sparkles, our Elf on the Shelf, brought us pumpkin Krispie Kremes for breakfast.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....

Yummy.

The girls were pretty thrilled.  They don't get doughnuts very often.

L, in fact, is still figuring out how to say it.

Me: Say "doughnut."

L: Pancake

Me: Doughnut

L: Pancake

Me: Dough...never mind.

L: Pancake!

Someday she'll get it.

She might also figure out that this may not be the best way to eat a doughnut.

Then again, maybe it is.

Shaffer Sisters Guest Post

Hi friends!

I'm so excited today to be guest posting with the Shaffer Sisters.  These girls are amazing.  

Seriously.

I hope you'll come see me and stick around and get to know them as well.

Snowflake Glitter Art, My Turn

So...

I was really excited about the snowflake art my girls did.  It was fun.  I mean, who doesn't like to play with glitter, right?

I decided to make my own.

This time, I found the masking tape.  It worked waaaaaaaaay better.

First I drew the shape of the snowflake on the canvas.

Don't do that.  It's too hard to cover up and really not necessary.  The shape is pretty basic.

Then I picked out and mixed the color I wanted...

(while playing a little footsie with the Mister...)

And painted over the entire canvas, taped snowflake and all.  Then I waited.

A long time.

Well, it wasn't so bad.  I just went to bed.

The next day, I peeled off the tape. 

ooooo-oooooo!

  (See those stupid pencil marks....they don't come off.  Bad idea.)

I decided to try and cover up the pencil with white paint. Don't do this either.  It's unnecessary.

Especially if you are like me and have an ongoing war with straight lines.

Or if you do this.

Interesting thought:  I was told once that there is a tribe in some far away place that will intentionally add flaws to the crafts they create.  The idea is that only the gods can do perfect and they don't want to offend the gods by creating something perfect, so they purposefully add an imperfection.  

So, there you go...that's my imperfection.

 Now it gets fun.

Ok, it was already fun.  Not it gets more fun.

I got some Mod Podge.  I got some super fine glitter.  We had a party. 

Looking back, I kind of wish I had maybe added even more glitter and maybe even experimented with a little paint.  I'm not sure how that would have worked out, though.)

It took some time, but I globbed that happy mixture on top of the snowflake. 

 I laid it on thick.

And I giggled with glee as I watched it dry.

It is so sparkly!

Then I let it dry and... 

TaDa!!!!!!!!

I have to say, I like it...but I'm not really in love with it.  If I did it again, I wouldn't make the background color so dark and I would try to find a way to make it look more glittery.

But still... 

It's pretty.

And I got to play with glitter.

Everything is better with glitter.

And chocolate.

Moments: Playtime Envy

 I'm not sure what they were playing.

It involved a large floor pillow, a bean bag, and a lot of laughter.

It is hard sometimes to be small.

He wants to play with them, but he can't figure out how to get in there.  

So, he watches and he laughs and he loves his sisters.

Snowflake Art Unpinned: The Kids' Version

I found this idea here at Ten kids and a Dog. Head on over there for her tutorial and stay awhile at her cute blog.  It's got some great ideas!

We love to paint here in this house.  This is basically a tape resist on canvas.  

I couldn't find my masking tape, so I used some clear tape that I found floating around.  I don't know what it is designed for, but tape is tape, right?  

We'll see...

So, I got some cheap little canvasses.  I have a ton of them, because I love them.  You never know when the mood to paint something will strike. 

I taped off the shape of some snowflakes.

Can you see it?  Instead of one big one, I gave the girls a bunch of little ones.

Then I told them to paint away.

And they did!

L didn't want me to take pictures of hers, but she got a really nice blend of yellow and white (she chose the colors...yeah, it was basically just light yellow).

O chose blue and red.

It took her a while to understand that we were going to be taking the tape off.  She initially just painted where the tape was and I had to explain a few times that she needed to paint the whole thing because the tape we were putting on the tape was going to be taken off.  She got it in the end, though.

After our paint had dried overnight, we took the tape off.

Then we decided to add glitter.

Everything is better with glitter.

And chocolate.

Anyway...

I gave them a little plastic cup filled with Elmer's glue and they each got their own bowl of glitter.  They were instructed to paint the glue on the snowflakes and then sprinkle the glitter over the glue.

O was very careful about the whole process.

She sprinkled the glitter very carefully and very precisely...but she still managed to get it over the entire painting.  I'm not sure if she did that on purpose or not.

L, on the other hand, was not so dainty.  She globbed the glue on and then dropped the glitter on top in fistfuls.  And look how seriously she took her work.

Here is O's finished project.  

(L didn't want me to take a picture of hers, but it was lovely too, trust me.)

I like it.  I think it turned out very pretty.

Oh, and fair warning...glitter is messy.

Have a vacuum standing by.

-Sarah

A wreath for January

Hi.  This is going to be a short and quick post.

I wanted to let you know I'm still here.  I've been reading a lot, because it is winter and cold and snowy and that always puts me in the mood to cuddle up with a good book.

I have to be quick because all three of my kids are asleep!  I have to take advantage of that: read some, sleep some, craft some...enjoy the silence.

I love wreaths.  I don't know if I've ever told you that, but I do.

I like to make them.  They are so simple and yet so pretty and so versatile! 

I'm trying to make one a month this year.  It's not going to happen, but I'm going to give it a good try.

So, now that January is over, here is the wreath that has been hanging on my door this month.

I used light blue and white yarn together and wrapped around a foam pipe cover.  (For a great little tutorial on how to get that pipe cover to make a nice smooth circle, head over to Gail Made.)

I added some beads that I had leftover from a project I don't even remember.  I thought they were pretty and kind of look like little ice crystals.  They are strung in the middle using fishing line.

Here it is against my bright yellow wall so you can see the beads better.

I'm working on February's today!  Oh boy!

Pumpkin Coffee Cake...in a mug!

I made a wonderful discovery tonight.

I was browsing around my Pinterest boards and found a pin that led me to this fantastic post at Heather Likes Food...Pumpkin Coffee Cake...in 2 minutes!

Genius.

I had to try it.

Ok.  So, mine isn't nearly as pretty as hers.  (Not even close.) 

But it was good.

Really good!

My only regret was it only filled up half of my mug (I used a big mug).  Next time, I'm doubling the recipe.

And I might add some chocolate chips.

Everything is better with chocolate.

I highly recommend this recipe.  Head on over to Heather's post, try it out, and leave a happy, grateful, and loving comment for her.

Spreading out

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

I'm trying this out because I've seen it all over and I want to follow people at bloglovin...I'd love it if you follow me there and help me figure it out!

Thanks! Watch for some more projects tomorrow!

Homemade Butter. I can make that!

I like making things.

I especially get a little thrill when I make a food homemade...a food that I could buy rather than make.

I want to learn to be more self-sufficient and be able to use basic ingredients to create good food, not necessarily because it is, in the long run, healthier but mostly because it is fun.  And also, I think it is a good skill to have and pass on.

Enough said.

This time we decided to take some cream and make it butter.  It was B week so we were making butter for our banana bread...loads of fun!

I poured the cream into some tightly sealable bowls and closed them up.  Then I set the girls running and jumping through the house.

It went well...

Check out L's face in the middle picture!  I caught her just right at the lowest point of her jump!

For about 5 minutes... 

Then they gave up.

I can't say I was surprised, though.  You have to really shake hard for a pretty long time.

After a few minutes it looks frothy and you can hear it shaking around.

Then it gets quieter and starts to look like whipped (or shaken) cream. 

Then it gets quiet to the point that you can't really hear anything and you start to wonder if it is still in there.

It is and it's starting to look more like butter. 

Soon you can hear it kind of thumping around in the bowl.  

It's not done yet.  Almost.

Now is the time to sprint.  Shake even harder and a little more vigorously until you hear liquid splashing around again.

Good.  The butter and milk have separated.  Now it's done.

Drain off the buttermilk.  You should probably use a better colander or strainer than me.

I just dumped it in there and let it sit for a few minutes.

Now pick it up and squeeze it to make sure all that buttermilk is off.  It spoils faster if the buttermilk isn't drained enough.

And, there you go... 

Butter!  Wasn't that fun?!

P.S.  I would totally recommend using a stand mixer if you are going to do this.  We were only shaking it by hand for the experience of it...that was fun too, but a lot more work.

I'll be linking up with the parties listed here!

Unpin Me!

I am a fan of Pinterest.  (Follow me here if you like. Let me know if you would like an invite to play along!) It is perfect for a person like me.  I love to collect ideas and inspiration.  I used to have binders full of clippings and notes and thoughts and pictures and ideas of the woman I hoped to be someday.  Now I can throw all of that away and keep my clutter online!  It's a beautiful thing.

Here's the problem, though...what good are clippings and notes and ideas and pictures and ideas if I don't use them?  How do I create that woman without trying?

So, here is what I have been thinking.  As of today, I have 5,797 pins!

Wow.

I'll probably add some more tonight too.

It's how I unwind.

I think it is time that I spend at least as much time unpinning as I do pinning.

I am going to pick a few pins each month and use the inspiration they give me...and it is going to be fun!  You can play too if you want.  What do you have pinned that you have been meaning to get to but haven't?

Perhaps you want to borrow some of my inspiration? That might be fun.  I can show you what pins have inspired me and we can see how differently we interpret it.  Inspiration--creativity--is a fantastic thing.

Here are a few of my "Pinspirations" for January:

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There you have it.  I'll refine the process as I go along, I'm sure.  And, I haven't shown you all of my goals for January, but I'm sure I'll get to these ones.

Check out my boards if you'd like.  I have a board for each month of the year and I am slowly setting pins aside to unpin eventually.  

Now I feel so much better!  I have a plan and a goal.  It's going to be awesome!

Have a great day!

Sarah

Social Blog Hop

I should be going to bed, but I wanted to quickly let you know about this fun social blog hop I found! I think it is a great idea. Each week, Denyse at Crazy Beautiful Life is hosting a blog hop featuring a different social platform each week.

This week it is a Twitter hop.

Did I tell you I'm on Twitter?  Yeah.  I am.  @Creating_Sarah

I'm still figuring the whole Twitter thing out...I'll get it.  Come follow along if you'd like and help me out.  =)

Also, click this button to join the party, meet some people and make some friends!

Moments: An Unexpected Meeting

Sharing the little moments that make my life beautiful!

I was in my room for 10 minutes, maybe 15.

I might have been taking a nap.

Naps are good for the mommy soul.

When I came out of my room, refreshed and invigorated, this is what greeted me.

Hmm...did I miss something?  An important meeting?  A good show?  

Is this some kind of intervention?

I'm not telling you where I hide the chocolate. 

Did I win something?!

Maybe I should have prepared a speech...

I Am A Daughter of God

 Do you ever have those days?  You know...

Maybe you didn't get all the laundry done.  The house isn't as clean as you would like it to be.  The baby cries whenever you put him down.  You want to just lie down and sleep the day away, but instead you are awake and irritable.

I know.  I have them too.  And I am way too hard on myself during and after one of those days.  Sometimes I feel like a complete failure.  

Life is hard sometimes most of the time.  It's supposed to be.  But, sometimes "those days" turn into weeks and sometimes months and even sometimes "that year."  It can be a struggle during those lows in life to find happiness and find strength to keep trudging on.

Sometimes we all need a little reminder of who we are and what we can do.

It started with this.

I found it on Pinterest (where I spend far too much of my awake time) and I felt inspired.  Click here for the link to Tales of the Scotts.  She redid this dresser for her daughter's room as a reminder.  It is a beautiful reminder.  

My mom used to sing songs to me before I went to sleep.  The song "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter of God" stands out in memory as one she sung to me frequently.  Click here if you want to hear the song.

It got me thinking that even though I am grown now, I am still a daughter of God and that is important for me to remember every day as well, especially if I want to teach my kids of their worth.  

I am a Daughter of God...But what does that mean?  What makes me a Daughter of God?  It is who I naturally am.

So...the first thing I did was get on Facebook (logical, right?) =)  I have reconnected with so many friends there...some who have known me since I was little.  I asked my friends to describe me in one word.

If you are going to do this, I absolutely recommend asking the people close to you to describe you.  It will boost your self-esteem greatly!  My friends overwhelmed me with kind words.  It was a great day!

Then, I made sure to ask my mom for some words...and also my husband.  Then, I asked myself for words.

This is a very important step.  If you are going to do this, please make sure to collect words that you feel are accurate in describing you and I would recommend using prayer when choosing the words you will use.  Make it as true to you as you can; it is your reminder.

Once I had gathered my words, I got a blank canvas.  I used an 11 x 16 cheapy one from Walmart and it worked perfectly.  

First, paint the whole thing one color.

This will be the color of your words, so I would recommend not using a color you have to mix just in case you need to touch things up later.  It is hard to match a mixed color (the mix doesn't always match!)

Let it dry thoroughly...probably overnight depending on how thick your paint is.

Now, cut out your words.  I used contact paper and my happy Silhouette and I used a different font for each word.  

But I didn't take a picture of it, so...I guess you have to imagine my Silhouette cutting out all those great words!

Once I had all the words cut, I arranged them on my canvas, making sure to leave a little room at the top for "I am" and more room at the bottom for "a daughter of God".

It's kind of hard to see because the contact paper is clear, but, trust me, it's there.

Once they are stuck on, make sure they are stuck on firmly.  You want to try and prevent as much bleeding as you can.  It's still going to happen, but still try.

Now, you can mix that paint.

I used my original color and then added a darker one to it.  (You will, by the way, need a lot more than that.)  Use whatever color you want, though; just make sure it doesn't blend in too much with the original color.  Once you pull the contact paper off, you'll want to be able to see the words.

So...paint over the entire canvas, stickers and all...

and let it dry.

This is where it might get a little hard to wait because it's all coming together and it's going to look awesome!  

But wait...

make sure it is dry.  

You don't want to smear it.

Ok...now that it is dry, peel off those letters.

(The Xacto knife makes all the difference here.)

I told you it would bleed.  But don't worry, it can be fixed.  Just use a fine paintbrush and your original color to touch up the edges.  (This is a nice project to do when you are catching up on Survivor online...or Once Upon A Time!  Have you seen that one?  It's my new favorite.)

For the words that look like this, don't panic!  

I just painted over the entire letter with my original color.  I really liked the effect.

There.  Now let it dry.

Again.

While it is drying, pull out your Silhouette (or Cricut, or Xacto knife and stencil) and cut out the words "I am" and "a daughter of God".  

O comes running whenever I pull the Silhouette out.

I'm starting her young.

Anyway, once the paint is dry, place your vinyl and...

You're done!

Isn't she sweet?

Here's a close up.

And O insisted on taking a picture of me holding it, so...

There you go!

Remember who you are...remember you are important and you are loved.

Remember it every day, not just the bad ones.

And, hey!  If you make one, I'd love to see it.

Have a beautiful day!

--Sarah

I will be linking up to these parties!