Just-Right Finger Puppet Theaters!

I love Pinterest. In case you didn't know.  :)  I love getting inspired, especially when I am searching for something specific.

Not too long ago, a friend of mine mentioned a SWEET deal on some finger puppets.  So, of course, I bought 3 sets.  :)  One for my niece, one for my nephew, and one for ME.  :)  But I didn't want to just hand them a plastic bag with finger puppets in them...'cause I'm me. 

So it was Pinterest to the rescue.  I saw a few different amazing ideas, some more compact than others, some that included storage, etc...but then for some reason THIS caught my eye.  And even though I didn't actually look at the DIY tutorial that they put together, I took my trusty glue gun and some GoodWill frames, gold paint, and some cheap fabric and trim from Walmart and set out to make my own. 

Best part is, there's really not much to this.  Paint your frame and let it dry.  Pull out any metal prongs on the back with pliers--just give 'em a wiggle and they'll pop right out.  :)  Measure your fabric and cut.  Sew or hot glue (whichever you prefer) your "curtains" on the back.  Glue your trim and you're good to go.  :)  Once I actually got around to it, it took me about an hour to put three together.  WIN!

I will say a few things.  5x7, I think is the PERFECT size for little hands.  I thought maybe the 3x5 would be cute, and it is, but it only fits like 1.7 finger puppets in it really.  No room to grow with kids' imagination.  Also, my original idea (that I ignored after all) was to get a few really WIDE frames so I could put some elastic on the back and then it could double as storage.  But I went with "there are some cheap frames today and I don't want to keep looking so I'll take 'em" instead.  :) 

I love them.

Project 366--October 8-December 9 :)

Let's do this.  :)

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*Whew!* Only 3 more weeks (and one night) to go until we are DONE with this sucker!  Can't wait!  :)

Putting the CHRIST back in Christmas...

So, I know *I* personally struggle with the holiday season.  For lots of reasons.  I'm almost always sick (though never as bad as I have been this year), and the seasonal depression kicks in (some years worse than others, this year is a doozy), and it brings up a lot of sad memories, and I am always worried about finding/making the "perfect" presents for others (on almost no money, of course) and decorating and making an appearance to all sorts of parties and trying to somehow recreate the perfect moments of childhood Christmases...while simultaneously knowing IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.  I don't know what I'm expecting, but it just never quite lives up to it.  And the story of CHRIST, the whole reason for celebrating, admittedly gets lost in the shuffle.  Or, when it's dusted off and brought out to unwrap again, it just doesn't touch me like it should because I'm already way over Christmas in my own heart (like 2 days after we decorate) and moving on to greener pastures...like 2013.  Or my birthday.  (Yes, I have over 3 months 'til my birthday but it is ALWAYS ON MY MIND this time of year.)  Or even the ever-increasing to-do list and the mundane.

I've seen (from more creative and spiritual minds than my own) some great ideas on how to really enjoy the holiday season and put the focus back on this miraculous story of the birth of our Savior, even if you're sans children like us (because, really, isn't Christmas most fun for the children?):

1. Get the shopping and decorating done BEFORE December 1st.  A few friends do this and they say it makes the holidays much more bearable, as you can focus on the fun stuff.  I am hoping to be on top of things enough next year to try it out for myself.  :)

2. When you do your decorating/Christmas countdowns/family traditions, focus on the Nativity and the very TRUE story of Christ.  Have the 12 or 25 days of Christmas be about scriptures and ornaments rather than candy or superficial/commercialized Christmas traditions (although those have their place in families for sure!).  Start a nativity collection, or at least make a nice display of the one(s) you have so that they are the focus.  Keep your Christmas CD songs about the gift of the Savior and the things surrounding His life and ministry, and less about reindeer and Santa Clause and presents and snow.  (Although some of those are the most fun and kids especially need those too!)

3. Serve, serve, serve others.  Nothing brings families closer than coming together to meet the needs of another family.  When we focus on the gifts we can give the Savior, or our fellow men in His name, we will feel the Spirit more and enjoy sweet moments that will fill us more than candy in our stockings ever could.

Good ideas.  All of them.  But I am looking for MORE.  More unique, or more specific, more meaningful to ME, or just...MORE.  I know I'm awfully demanding and ungrateful in saying this, but I just want more.  I literally need to marinate myself in these things or it just won't reach me this time of year.  And I know, from conversations I've had with friends and family alike, that I'm not alone.  So what do YOU do--what traditions do you have, or want to have--in your family that help make the holidays more...bearable, at worst, and enjoyable at best?  I really wanna know!

Christmas Card

I'm struggling to find that "perfect" design for my Christmas cards this year. 

Traditional?  Multiphoto?  Details of the year added?  I can't make up my mind.  Here are the ones I've designed so far...

But none of them are "it." I wish I could take elements of all of them and make them all blend together into the perfect card. I also wish I had more time to devote to this problem. :) Unfortunately, there are REAL problems and REAL life yet to tackle and this may end up getting pushed back until New Year's like it has the last few years.  But while I figure it all out, here's a QP 5"x7" that you could use for your Christmas cards if you wanna.  :)

Download this .png 5"x7" QP HERE.  You're welcome.  :)

One more QP and some layouts :)

I forgot about this 9th QP I made...and I wanted to post the pages I'd made with the layouts.  Some I haven't used yet (like the Christmas page), but I WILL.  And I'm excited about it.  Just as a reminder, especially because it's the 1st of the month, find a few favorite designers on Blogger or Facebook (or check out the latest blog train for inspiration) and you will get SO MANY FREE KITS!  At least 3-4 a month, which is plenty for most people anyway.  And sometimes a LOT more than that. 

Anywho, this summery quick page was made using the kit "Summer Lovin'" by Inspired Designs by Crystal:

DOWNLOAD HERE

And here are some pages I've made that inspired the QPs offered a few days ago:

Happy December, and happy scrapping!

Family Pictures!

Our amazingly talented and affordable friend/photographer Vanessa Isenbarger (Pearl Photo & Design) took our family pictures earlier this month.  She was SO patient, as we had to reschedule several times, and, obviously, she can make anyone look good.  :)  While these were not the pictures we had originally envisioned thanks to weather, sick puppies, and the like, they turned out SO MUCH BETTER!  I was worried, because, let's face it, MY FACE?  In photos?  Not my favorite thing.  But even I look all right when you have a kind and talented photographer friend behind the camera. :)

I will point you to her blog post about us once it's...y'know...there.  :)  But I am SO IN LOVE with these pics and I couldn't wait another single minute to share them.  :)  I'm getting excited about designing a Christmas card with them...but I'm having a hard time picking out only a few favorites!  (These are only about 1/3 of the prints we got from her!)

DIGISCRAP QUICKPAGES!

So, I know I've been a slacker.  About many, many things.  I'm working on it.  :)  One thing I tried to get caught up on over Thanksgiving Break (yay for 4-day vacations!) was my Project 366 and other 2012 digiscrapping pages.  I'm almost there...it's hard to find inspiration for multi-photo pages, but Pinterest helped.  :)  Anyway, in the process of trying to wrap up my own scrapping for the year I have created some pretty awesome (she said so humbly) quickpages for you to use--personal use only, as per kit designers' requests.  Again, I found many inspirations via Pinterest, so I can't take much credit for the layouts themselves.  But still, I DID enjoy making them, and I think they turned out lovely.  Much more like what I want my pages to look like.  I have been trying to be better about crediting designers and such, but since I wasn't that concerned about it when I first started a lot of my older kits have no credits.  Let me know if you know how I can remedy that.  Otherwise, take a look, and feel free to download any .png files that strike your fancy.  :)

80s Quickpage 1
Using the kit "Kickin' it Old School" by Colie's Corner
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Birthday Boy
Using bits and pieces of several kits
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Birthday Girl
Using (mostly) the kit "They Say it's Your Birthday" by Christie Dawn at Scrappin' Serenity
DOWNLOAD HERE

Bubbly QP
Using several of the mini kits from The Blog Train Blog's talented "Inspire Me" designers.
DOWNLOAD HERE 

Christmas Tree QP
Using several mini kits from Stuff to Scrap's "Christmas Love" blog train designers.
DOWNLOAD HERE

LEGO-inspired QP
Using "Block Party" (uncredited, sorry)
DOWNLOAD HERE

Ribbon QP
Using "Atomic Cool" by Bella Gypsy (plus a circle stamp from somewhere else, uncredited)
DOWNLOAD HERE

Autumn QP
Using "Autumn Thoughts," a favorite kit of mine, from Designs by Megan Turnidge
DOWNLOAD HERE

Happy scrapping!  I'll share my creations with you soon, I promise!  Just another pic yet to take (crucial) and a page or two to go and I'll be all caught up.  But I wanted to share with you NOW so you can get a head start on your holiday scrapping if needs be.  Enjoy!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Day 22 and final: Today, I am thankful for traditions. Our Thanksgiving tacos are something I look forward to almost every year, even though we rarely have them ON Thanksgiving day. And just as honorable are the turkey-potato-cranberry sauce traditions shared around the nation and in my Dad's home each year. I'm thankful to spend today with them! Paul and I are still relatively newlyweds and without children so we are still figuring out all the traditions we want to have in our own home someday...but Pinterest helps. :) Here are some I know I want to have:

1. A visible and cute countdown whereupon we write something we are grateful for each day of November until the BIG day. :)
2. Pumpkin pull-apart bread and the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving movie for breakfast.
3. Someone making cute placemats while I'm busy cooking. And a cute white tablecloth that everyone can sign and write on--the biggest blessing of the year, signed and dated and then embroidered to last a lifetime! Brought out to add into every year for as long as possible!

What are some of YOUR favorite holiday traditions?

Tip of the day: get offline. Go tech-free for as long as possible today and just enjoy the traditions of your family, whatever it looks like. We all have something to be grateful for and we can enjoy those blessings more in real life with the people actually around us than we ever could on the phone/computer/TV/video games. :)

Thankful, Days 20-21

Day 20: I'm thankful for our car!  It's still relatively new to us, and it makes running errands, visiting family, having 3 jobs in our household, and running to church meetings SO MUCH MORE DOABLE!  I love having a reliable, safe mode of transportation.  LOVE IT.  Yay for Punky!  Not that I hate buses or bikes or walking, but when that's your ONLY choice...well...cars are much more convenient and fun.  :)

Day 21: I'm thankful for YOU!  Yes, YOU!  My friends, my "chosen family."  I'm grateful to the many people who CHOOSE to be stuck with me for a spell in this thing we call life!  You shape a part of me, and it's nice to have people who are willing to help you and love you and laugh with you and make sure I'm "growin' up good."  :)  I am so blessed in the close friendships I have, and even the not-so-close one, because we all need a little pick-me-up now and again and my friends are NEVER short on happiness and inspiration and service and love.  I'm thankful!

Two tips of the day: (1) Get some exercise, outdoors if possible.  Endorphins PLUS fresh air PLUS realizing all the good things our bodies CAN do = happiness!  (2) Try out a new mantra for yourself.  Or, if mantras aren't your thing, make a list of good things about YOU today!  Be kind to YOURSELF and realize YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD and YOU ARE AMAZING!  You can do ANYTHING! Anything.

Thankful, Days 17-19

Day 17: I'm thankful that some people still believe in the arts for kids...and they're the passionate ones, so they will always win! :)

Day 18: I'm thankful for modern conveniences like central heat and air, running water (and hot water at that), electricity, and an indoor washer/dryer. So many things we kind of expect to have but that are really just amazing, life-altering, health-promoting conveniences that make everyday living so much easier.

Day 19: I'm thankful for modern medicine, and for the relatively new experience of being insured!
2 hours and 15 minutes in the urgent care waiting room, plus half an hour of actual visits: $50.
2 prescriptions for bronchitis and a sinus infection at CVS: $60
The hope of being able to breathe and sleep well again someday soon: priceless. :)

And here are 3 tips to improving gratitude:
1. Forgive other humans.
2. Don't compare yourself (or your blessings) to other humans.
3. Compliment other humans.  Remember the 8:1 rule...it takes 8 positive interactions to "cancel out" a negative one in a relationship.  Remember that especially with your spouses and your children. 

The wording may seem funny in these..."other humans" instead of "others."  But sometimes that word, "human," reminds us (or at least ME) that that's exactly what we all are.  I know a lot of these are easier said than done, but when you put it into perspective and remember to be as kind to others who are just trying to figure out their way as much as you are, it makes it a little easier.