Project in Process (067/365)

TIME: 12:18 pm

PLACE: Kitchen
SUBJECT: Concrete frog

*~*~*

I've had this frog sitting on my back porch steps for awhile.

I don't remember where I acquired him, but he was all white with red accents.  His red lips looked like he had issues with lipstick.  He had red eyes, and his warts, were red too.  He actually looked very demented and scary.

I am re-painting him.  We'll see how it turns out.

 

Flashback Friday (269/366)

TIME: Sep 25, 2007, 9:06 pm
PLACE: Home
SUBJECT: Sock Monster

*~*~*

I made this sock monster 13 years ago using a pair of my mother's socks.

I gave it to an 8-year-old Monkeyboy...

....he loved it.

About 3 months later, he accidently left it on the living room floor and Miss Oreo chewed it up.

Monday Memories (223/366)

TIME: 10 Aug 2008 - 8:17 pm

PLACE: Garage
SUBJECT: DramaQueen with stepping stone

*~*~*

I remember this day.

It was a Sunday.

I was getting a migraine during this process (not because of the kids, I had several migraines that summer).

This is the only clear photo I have from this day.  All the other photos are blurry, probably because I didn't have the flash on and it was getting dark.

Mr. Martha (017/365)

TIME: 7:35 PM
PLACE: Dad’s basement
SUBJECT: Wreath

Just when I think I know all my Dad’s talents, he throws me a curve ball.

He crafted this wreath using just a hot glue gun, a foam base, pine cones, garland pieces, red berry stems and a battery powered LED light string.

I’m very impressed. - It’s totally Pintrest worthy!

I want one.

Prepare To Be Slimed (043/365)

“Somewhere, behind space and time, Is wetter water, slimier slime”
Rupert Brooke quotes (English Poet, 1887-1915)

TIME:  6:13 PM
PLACE:  School
SUBJECT: Slime making table

It was reading night at StellaDella’s school.
The kids made glow-in-the-dark slime.
Played Cosmic bingo.
Had story time.
And picked out a book to take home.


They took their slime home too.

Jello Mold Toadstools

TIME:  6:30 PM
PLACE: Front porch
SUBJECT:  Toadstools from Jello Molds

Oh Pinterest – you have such cute ideas.

This time?

I actually got off my duff and made what I pinned!

Christmas Craft (345/366)

TIME:  9:54 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  Tonight’s Brownie craft

I took the easy way out this evening for our Brownie meeting.  Instead of working on a badge requirement that would have entailed work on my part, I just had the girls paint wooden trees and snowmen, then decorate them with Perler beads and sequins.  ‘Tis the season!
~*~*~*~
Yes, I am way behind on my daily postings.  I have the photos, but need to do the blogging part.  Or maybe I won’t.  I might just do my catching-up off the blog while putting together my annual book of photos.   Not sure, yet, but I know this right now…I’m going to bed.

Christmas Collar (354/365)

“Relax, Georgie, I'm just making my collar and cuffs match.”

Carole Lombard (American Actress, 1908-1942)

TIME:  7:28 PM
PLACE:  Home
SUBJECT:  Jack’s new collar

StellaDella made this Christmas collar for Jack tonight from scraps of fabric left over from a school art project.  He looks so festive.

How An Accountant Wraps A Present (347/365)

“I bought my brother some gift-wrap for Christmas. I took it to the Gift Wrap department and told them to wrap it, but in a different print so he would know when to stop unwrapping.”

Stephen Wright (American Actor and Writer, b.1955)

TIME:  11:58 PM
PLACE:  Desk
SUBJECT:  Employee gift exchange contribution

Tomorrow is the Christmas luncheon and gift exchange at work.  The gift exchange isn’t mandatory, but I decided to join in this year.  It’s one of those exchanges where you can “steal” gifts from co-workers.  The only stipulations were the gift value ($15) and you had to wrap it pretty.  I bought a $15 Starbucks card and then I went “green” with the wrapping.  I used a cereal box to place the gift in; then made the bow out of a jeweler’s advertising insert and wrapped the box with the stock section of the paper.  I think it’s rather festive myself.

Impressive Wingspan (301/365)

Rex: Mr. Lightyear, now I'm curious... what does a space ranger actually do?
Woody: He's not a space ran-*ger*! He doesn't fight evil or, or... shoot lasers or fly.
Buzz: Excuse me. [Deploys his wings; all exclaim in excitement]
Hamm: Wow. Impressive wingspan. Very good.

Wallace Shawn, Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, & Don Rickles, perf. Toy Story. Dir. John Lasseter. 1995. Pixar Animation Studios.

TIME:  4:59 PM
PLACE:  Front yard
SUBJECT:  StellaDella as a Dragon

Here it is.  My goal was to spend as little as possible on her Halloween costume this year.  Cause in the past I’ve gone way overboard. 

Here is the breakdown:
Cardboard box – free from grocery store
Duct Tape/Spray Paint/felt – on hand
Google eyes – $1.00
Flashlight – $1.00
Cellophane paper – $3.00
Belt for tail – free from thrift store
Umbrella for wings – on hand (it was broken)
Elastic & bias tape for wings – $3.76
Black turtleneck & leggings – $7.00
Total – $15.76

I succeeded.  And I think it turned out pretty awesome-sauce.
(Oh, and way to go Cards - 2011 World Series Champs!)

Paperoni (280/365)

“He’s a little bit bunny.
A little bit teddy.
And a whole lotta ZOMBIE!”

Bolger, Kevin. Zombiekins. ed. New York: Pengiun Group, 2010.

TIME:  8:13 PM
PLACE:  Kitchen
SUBJECT:  StellaDella’s Paperoni project

The grade school is holding its annual rummage sale tomorrow.  I was in the gym from 10am until 6:30 this evening helping unload, price and arrange the many donations.  Since the kids were off school, they were up there too.  MonkeyBoy left at 3 to get ready for his Boy Scout campout at a local airport (he gets to fly in a plane tomorrow-pretty cool!) and DramaQueen left about 4:30 so she could get ready to go to our town’s Chili Cook-off this evening with friends.  That left SD with me until the end.  For her help she was able to choose something to take home with her.  She chose a craft kit – Paperoni – something she’s always wanted.  Here, she’s free-forming the Zombie-teddy/bunny from her book “Zombiekins.”  Of course it is.

I, Robot (237/365)

“I'm completely operational and all my circuits are functioning normally—“

Hal 9000 (2001, A Space Odyssey)

TIME:  10:48 PM
PLACE:  My desk
SUBJECT:  A robot made by StellaDella

I took photos of an ice sculpture that was at a fundraiser I attended earlier this evening, but none of them were in focus…that’s what I get for not using a flash.  Anyhow, I was panicking about what I would have to post today.  Like this is the most important thing in the world…yeah, right.  So I turned to my desk and seized upon the “robot” that SD made the other night.  He looks a little forlorn and sad standing there in the desk light.  SD needs to make him a friend to play with.

Written In Stone (202/365)

“The block of granite which was an obstacle in the pathway of the weak becomes a stepping-stone in the pathway of the strong”

Thomas Carlyle (Scottish Historian and Essayist, leading figure in the Victorian era. 1795-1881)

TIME:  7:19 PM
PLACE:  Dining room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella’s garden sign

SD tearfully told me last night that “This was the worst summer ever!”  All because “…you broke your arm…last year we had a pool and now we don’t…I miss my friends from school…It’s a horrible summer!”  She actually cried herself to sleep.  Before she did that, I promised her that we would do something today.  This morning, I poked around in the basement and unearthed this garden sign kit that I had bought at a thrift shop earlier this year for only 50 cents.  Score!  She helped mix the mortar, and she designed the happy face with the rocks and gems.  At first she was going to make a handprint, but then decided that she would just make indentations for cheeks instead.  I did the lettering for her.  It should be cured and ready to be unmolded in two days.  I think (and hope) this made her a little happier with her summer vacation.   

My Favorite Son And My Chair (147/365)

Me: “MonkeyBoy, always remember that you are my favorite son.”
MB: “I’m your ONLY son.”
Me:  “There you go.”

Conversation MB and I often have..

TIME:  2:16 PM
PLACE:  School
SUBJECT:  MonkeyBoy

MB’s last full day of grade school was capped off with a ceremony honoring the 6th grade students who are moving on to junior high in the fall.  Certificates were given to students who best represented the district’s different monthly life skills for character words.  MB was recognized for exemplifying Self-Discipline - “..thinking about your words and actions and then making choices that are right for you and others”.  Yes, I teared up during the ceremony.  That’s what mom’s do.
~*~*~
And, because I am excited about it….here is the freshly painted metal chair and an old pillow with a newly sewn cover I whipped up this evening.  That’s one summer project off my ever expanding list – now I need to start on the glider.

Scissors And Glue (140/365)

Homer: This is Thanksgiving, so glue friendly or else I'll take away the glue and then nobody will have any glue to glue with!
Lisa: Dad, this isn't about glue, it's about territoriality. He only wants the glue because I'm using it.
Bart: Oh yeah, prove it (she hands him the glue) Hey man, I don't want your stupid glue.

"Bart vs. Thanksgiving". The Simpsons. Episode no: 20. Prod. code: 7F07. Orig. airdate: November 22, 1990

TIME:  6:45 PM
PLACE:  School gym
SUBJECT:  Craft supplies

StellaDella’s Girl Scout Troop had a “End Of The Year Party” this evening for all the levels of the girls: Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors.  We had nachos and burritos for supper, did some crafts, face painting, manicures and had a sundae bar for dessert.  Unlike last year when we had an overnight in the gym, this was just for the evening…thank goodness.  I’m still wiped out from Monday and Thursday.
~*~*~
And a big “Happy Birthday!” and “I love you!” to my dad – 69 years old this year!

Reversible (056/365)

“The reverse side also has a reverse side.”

~Japanese Proverb

TIME:  10:54 PM
PLACE:  Dining room table
SUBJECT:  Bibs

The mother of DramaQueen’s best friend mother is having her third child (a second girl) next month and DQ has been invited to her baby shower which is tomorrow afternoon.  Tonight, we went to Target and purchased a diaper change organizer from her register and I decided to make some bibs to give her as well.  I followed this tutorial from the SewSheSews blog and fabric I had on hand.  I think they turned out pretty cute.  I just need to attach the fastener at the neck and they will be finished.  That, however, will have to wait for tomorrow morning - I’m done for the day.

Hanging Hearts (045/365)

“Valentine hearts beat more passionately than everyday hearts.”

~Anonymous, winner of February 2011 quotegarden Twitter create your own quote contest

TIME:  8:20 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  Paper hearts

I put these together on Thursday evening, so I would have some decorations up for StellaDella’s family party on Friday night.  I had the paper and eyelets on hand, so it was a very inexpensive endeavor.  We began our Valentine’s day with the annual cooking of the pink heart-shaped pancakes. (I was going to post a picture of them, but that would be two pancake pictures in a row and that would be against my arbitrary rules I have for this project.) The kids only had a half-day of school, but managed to have Valentine parties worked into the condensed day.  HH gave me a box of chocolate covered strawberries and a card with kittens on it.  He also made a tasty dinner <= always a good thing! 

Project Runway (325/365)

“Fashion can be bought.  Style one must possess.”

Edna Woolman Chase (American, editor in chief of Vogue magazine from 1914-1952, 1877-1957)

TIME:  4:34 PM
PLACE:  Living room
SUBJECT:  StellaDella’s fashion design

Late this afternoon, SD decided that she NEEDED to craft something.  So she grabbed a paper grocery bag and asked me to cut off the bottom, cut 2 holes in the sides for her arms and turn it inside out to hide the printing on it.  She then drew a design on the front and cut fringes - or as she calls them “crumbles” - on the bottom.  She then modeled her creation for me.  I think she has a future in the fashion design industry.

The Cell (262/365)

 
“Art is science made clear.”

Jean Cocteau (1889-1963), French author, filmmaker. repr. In Collected Works, vol. 9 (1950). "Le Coq et l'Arlequin," Le Rappel à L'Ordre (1926).

TIME:  6:11 PM
PLACE:  Dining room
SUBJECT:  DQ’s science project

DramaQueen was required to make a model of a cell (animal or plant) for a science project.  The only restriction she had in the materials she was allowed to use was “No Jell-O”!!! <== that makes me wonder what kind of disaster the science teacher had experienced in the past with this assignment.  DQ decided on making an animal cell and asked me for some help with ideas.  I suggested a banner made of felt and other fabrics and notions.  She went with it and her final project came together like this:

1.  Cell Membrane – braided cording
2.  Cytoplasm – yellow felt
3.  Mitochondrion – orange foam with jumbo yellow rick rack
4.  Ribosomes – green tubular beads
5.  Lysosome – teal felt
6.  Golgi Body – red & gold wired ribbon
7.  Nucleus – purple felt
8.  Nucleolus – bottle cap with diamond glittered top.

The cell is attached to a backing of stiff white felt and the banner is hanging by orange yarn attached to a wooden dowel.  She did the majority of the work putting it together – I helped with retrieval of the crafting items and gave some input and directions when she asked me.  I hope I get a good grade!

It’s Curtains For Me! (345/365)

 
Fall the deep curtains,
delicate the weave,
fair the thread.

Hilda Doolittle (1886-1961), U.S. poet. "Archer."

TIME:  8:37 PM
PLACE:  The kitchen
SUBJECT:  Cabinet curtains

I just finished making these.  Last November, I painted my kitchen "Roasted Squash."  If you look to the right in the second picture of the post, you can see where the doors were taken off of the cabinets for painting.  They were never put back on.  I liked having the open shelving (and not getting irritated each time someone left the doors open).  However, I could never arrange the dishes Martha Stewart-y enough to suit me and it just didn’t look very nice.  I found this outdoor fabric at Joann’s about a month and a half ago, and thought it would go nicely with the orange walls.  I had issues deciding how I was going to hang them.  I wanted them inside the opening and knew that tension rods were not going to hold them up.  I finally decided on a wooden dowel and closet pole sockets.  I quit procrastinating, got off my duff and sewed them up tonight after dinner.  There was no ripping involved and minimal cursing during the sewing.  I cut the wooden dowels myself with the power miter saw (HH was already in bed) and I still have all my fingers - a plus!  Now, that’s what I call a successfully completed project.