NatSprat

The Challenge: Pintrest Inspired Copycat {WEEK 1}

2012-02-15T08:40:00.000-08:00

Ah, the wonderful yet addicting world of Pintrest. I don't know about you, but for me it's like being a kid in a candy store {without a creepy Willy Wonka breathing down your neck}...eye candy everywhere you look! You can throw everything in your basket guilt free by pinning it and then forget about it two seconds later when you see something else you love. In my Pintrest I have a page called "Gotta Do This". I finally made a goal that I would actually start DOING the things on my Gotta Do This List. And, I am proud to say I have 2 of them accomplished now! Only like a hundred left to go. My goal is to make at least one thing a week from Pintrest. Want to join me? If you do, let me know!

First on my list, a quilt. We got Kate and Whitney bunk beds a few months ago, and I've been wanting to get them matching quilts. I looked and looked at online stores and didn't find anything I was madly in love with. And then I saw this on Pintrest: Be still my heart...it was love at first sight. It was colorful, it was shabby, it was perfect!

So, I clicked on the link. Hello, etsy! *GASP* $300 for the quilt. Oh so sad. Then I went to fabric.com and bought all of the fabrics for about $50 (that's for 2 quilts!).

I also liked the stripes of this one. So, I put the two ideas together...

and I got to work. Now I know why it costs $300 for a quilt. Holy crud...they take forrrrrrrever to make! It took me 3 days to make this baby.

And a close up...

I am madly in love with it. I also made matching throw pillows...so fun!

Now, I have to bring myself to start on the other quilt for the top bunk. I can't decide whether to make them the same or different. What do you think???

And, for my next week's Pintrest Copycat:

I love these bathroom printables from J. and A. and Co. blog!

I think I'll come up with some of my own to match our kids' bathroom! So...stay tuned and I'll have some free printables for you next week! *can't wait!*

Stephen Update: I HATE CANCER. tears

2012-02-13T21:35:00.000-08:00

Tears are streaming down my face right now. I just got the latest update on little Stephen. He is back at St. Jude Hospital now. I know there are lots of you who are following his battle with AT/RT brain cancer, and I know you'll want to know this. I am seriously just...I don't even know what I am. The only thing I can think of to say is sick to my stomach. My heart is just aching for them.

They drove back to St. Jude last week. Here's the first update after getting there:

* * *

After our morning MRI and spinal tap, we sat down with our two doctors and went over the results.

They found what UNM-H missed.

There is a mass growing rapidly behind Stephen's tail bone. It was not there in a scan dated December 8th of the same area. The new tumor is almost 5cm by 7cm already, about the size of an egg. It is causing the sciatic pain and pressing on his bladder causing the urination problems as well.

AT/RT is known to grow in the abdomen as well as in the brain. The placement and rate of growth lead the doctors to strongly suspect that it is AT/RT. They also have said that complete surgical resection of it in this area would be very difficult. We will talk to surgeons from LeBonheur tomorrow or Wednesday for more on that. They can also radiate it in order to try to shrink it.

The MRI today also covered his brain. There they found a section in the back of his left ventricle "lighting up". There is some kind of "nodule" there that is causing inflammation of the surrounding brain matter. This "nodule" could either be more tumor that was somehow resistant to radiation or evidence of an infection - possibly the fungus. They can't tell which and there is equal probability. Either one is bad news.

Tomorrow Stephen is scheduled for a CT scan of his body from his chest down to his bottom. This will give us a more detailed look at the mass by his bladder and will show any other smaller tumors that the MRI can't see. It will also give us more information on whether it can be removed.

What does this all mean? That is still to be decided completely. Certainly, he will not be starting chemotherapy. IF the small mass in his brain is infection, chemotherapy would render him unable to fight it. If it's new tumor, then he is beyond the help chemo offers. That goes for the mass below too.

Symptom-wise, Stephen is still in pain but we are controlling it pretty well. He has started to hurt now in the front of his belly on the corresponding side. He is growing more unsteady on his feet and has almost fallen a number of times today as he limps along. We have managed to catch him each time.

He also continues to have problems peeing. St. Jude is very concerned about the huge size of his bladder. We may have to start catheterizing him if he can not go 4 times a day. He is currently managing 2-3 times a day after much trial and error.

Now that we know about it we can actually feel a large bump through his right buttock. I can't believe how we could've missed it. I guess we don't really go around feeling our children's bottoms much for consistency.

Probably the hardest part of the day has been telling our kids this news over Skype and not being there to comfort them in person. That alone is just killing us.

It's still raining in Memphis. Now it's apparently raining in Albuquerque too."

* * *

UGH. This little guy is such a fighter. His whole family is. Let's keep those prayers coming, guys. Send every little bit of faith, hope, and strength that you can.

Also, if you want to send him anything, here is their address at St. Jude.

Stephen Peterson
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
262 Danny Thomas Place
Memphis, TN 38105

Update on Stephen: MRI Results

2012-02-09T14:12:00.001-08:00

Good news, they didn't find a tumor growing in Stephen's spine! However, they are still baffled at what could be causing his pain and his difficulties not being able to urinate. They wonder if maybe the cancer cells are attacking the lining of the spinal column, which could explain the nerve problems. I'll let you know if I hear anything else. Thank you for your prayers! Everyone is just so relieved that there was no tumor! They made friends with two other little boys and their families at St. Jude while they were there. Today, they got news that those two little boys lost their battle with AT/RT cancer. Please, keep the families of Ayden and Talon in your prayers. Cancer is such a horrible, HORRIBLE thing. :(

Update on Stephen: More Prayers {Please}

2012-02-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! I have an update on Stephen for you today. He is in need of your prayers again. Things had been going so well! The radiation seemed to be working great and he even got to go back home to Albuquerque for a while. Make A Wish granted he and his family on a trip to Disney World (it was his wish to go to the Jedi training and watch Darth Maul put on his makeup!) He went through the whole Disney World trip just fine until the last day. He was in a lot of pain, and it sounded like sciatic nerve pain. But why would a 7 year old have sciatic nerve pain??? They found that the pain could be from swelling in his spinal column from radiation, or it could be a new tumor growing in his spine. Since then, his pain is getting harder and harder to manage and it has been pretty rough. They are still waiting on answers. They are still in Albuquerque and debating on how to get back to St. Jude since he is in too much pain to travel and there is no way he could survive an 8 hour flight of sitting up. They are pretty terrified. If it's pain from swelling and irritation they will prepare to start chemo. If it is another tumor growing in his spinal column that will be a different story.

Here is Brent's journal entry from today. I'm posting the whole thing so you can get the full picture of what's going on. It's a story I can't paraphrase. I get goosebumps when I read it...it's amazing to see how God works in people's lives. He is very involved in this family's lives:

Where to start?

...Sunday.

Stephen's Super bowl Sunday had it's extreme ups and downs. We were trying to control his pain with the Dilaudid every 4 hours. The nerve pain, Gabapentin, has done a number on his laid back, easy-going demeanor. He is frequently moody and even outright angry with it in his system. Still, his good nature shines through from time to time when he's not hurting.

We spent all of Sunday morning chasing his pain after another long night of the same. We finally got him pain free and down for a nap before noon. We had hopes that we could all go to church as a family at 12:30pm, but it could not happen and Amber stayed home with him.

Later in the day, about 5:30pm, his elementary school teacher came to see him. He had been looking very forward to it, and during her visit it was almost like nothing in the world was wrong. Although he still walked with a limp and had his droopy eyes, he had a great time telling her all about his trip to Disney World and how he saw (and became) Darth Maul. It really seemed like a miracle. He was himself again.

After the visit, we had also planned to go to his cousins’ house to see most of Amber's family for somewhat of a farewell like with my family the day before. He had some pain on the drive over, but lay down and played with his cousins for a couple hours. He seemed to hold up okay if he was laying down.

The 15 minute drive back home was horrific. Stephen screamed at the top of his lungs almost the whole way home and was frequently crying, "Are we almost there yet?"

It was then that we realized there was no way this kid could make an 8 hour trip (flight, layover, flight) to Memphis having to sit all the way.

Once home Sunday night, we continued fighting the pain. We had also noticed that his stomach was distended and was hurting him. He hadn't had a bowel movement since Monday or Tuesday. It wasn't for lack of trying either. We had already given him a couple doses of Miralax throughout the week and had tried a full kid's dose of Milk of Magnesia the night before. He was in so much pain with that on top of his sciatic that we had to do something. We gave him more Miralax, Milk of Magnesia and tried a suppository before having any success late in the night. (Sorry for the descriptions here)

He felt so much better after that and slept well, minus a few trips to the bathroom during the night. This morning he felt well for a while.

By this time, I had already cancelled my plans for driving to Memphis over Monday and Tuesday. It was just too risky for me to get that far ahead if something were to happen here. Afte the good morning we thought, maybe, just maybe he would be able to get on a plane after all. If so, I would drop them off at the airport Tuesday morning and drive the whole way there with a backup plan to stop and sleep somewhere if I needed to. (We've really felt like we need a car out there - hence the drive and not flying with them)

But then Stephen went downhill again. We were confused and unsure of any of our plans once again.

At this point a desperate plan was hatched. Maybe we could drive him to Memphis. It would be a longer trip for him, but we could make him a bed in the back seat and he could lie down and at least be more comfortable. We would control the pain as best we could and be the next day. Not ideal, but it could work.

We decided to run it past our doctors at St. Jude and have them cancel the flight that St. Jude was providing. They told us they could not endorse the drive and recommended we take him into the local hospital. We hung up somewhat frustrated, but recognizing they were just protecting themselves from liability.

We had already considered going to our local hospital several times during the last few days, but it always felt like it was an unnecessary in-between. UNM-H was reluctant to do an MRI because they felt they couldn't compare it to previous scans done by St Jude. It would require us to catch them up with all that had happened. If surgery or other treatments were necessary, we would want to be at St. Jude, not here. St. Jude had even told us that they would want Stephen back even if we went to UNM-H first. It’s just always seemed like if St. Jude was the last stop, why not get there first if we could.

After a brief discussion and some reasoning, we decided we would make the drive with Stephen against our doctor’s recommendations. After all, they were only protecting themselves – and that was expected and even acceptable. But we could make our own decisions for our child based on what we thought was good. It made sense that if he could exist at home, then why not laying in a car and hopefully sleep most of the way. We would even up his dose of Dilaudid one more step to the maximum safe level for the trip. Now that his bowel problems were over, it could happen. It made sense.

We began to pack quickly. Then I stopped. Everything felt so rushed. There was still some uncertainty. Right then I decided this was too big a decision to make on my own and I went out and sat in my car to get away from the hustle of packing. I don't know why I hadn't done it before then. I prayed. I asked for some kind of answer. All I wanted was a confirmation of some kind that what we had chosen would work.

What I got was just the opposite. It came to me very clearly – unmistakable. We were not supposed to drive to Memphis. There was danger in it. I could feel it. Instead, we were to take him into UNM-H immediately. As I pondered the new direction my chest filled with warmth. It was just like how many people have described the Spirit of the Lord to feel. I've felt that many times before and I've never been lead the wrong way when it happens.

I did want to involve Amber, so I brought her out to the car and we prayed together. When we had finished, she was still unsure and cloudy. I told her what I felt. She said it made her feel “relieved”. There we had it. Our answer. Our plans had changed once again in the course of a few minutes. This time, however, with divine guidance. How wonderful is that?!

Amber’s parents came over to care for the kids who were arriving home and we left with Stephen to the ER. We had been in communication with our local neurosurgeon’s nurse practitioner and she had set everything up. She felt if we checked in through the ER, we could get an MRI tonight. It turned out that once there, they told us that they didn’t have an anesthesiologist available to sedate Stephen for the MRI. We will have to wait until tomorrow anyway.

Stephen is now on the pediatric floor. He is not in good spirits. He’s still in pain and VERY grumpy. Amber is there with him and I have come home to stay the night with the other kids and get them off to school in the morning.

But we now know why this was to be our path.

My faith has absolutely been confirmed. Soon after we got into the ER, Stephen was required to give a urine sample. He said he had to go, but just couldn’t. We didn’t collect even one drop. That was okay. We would just try later.

They proceeded to give him a full IV bag as we waited to go upstairs into a room. We waited a long time. That IV bag was half emptied when he began to really have to pee. He tried and he tried, but nothing would flow. They finally had to insert a catheter to his great dismay. He screamed and that Gabapentin rage came out, but they had to do it. It will likely have to happen again if he does not get control back.

I can’t imagine being out on the road tonight somewhere in Texas or Oklahoma – far away from home… and St. Jude with that complication showing up. It would’ve been disastrous and we would have been stuck at an ER somewhere in-between. We would not have made it to St. Jude. We would not be near family and support in Albuquerque.

By the way, that, as well as the constipation are just more symptoms pointing towards a compression of his spinal cord caused by tumor growth. We are very nervous about what the MRI will show tomorrow, if anything. But at least we listened to our promptings and are where we are supposed to be… for now.

******

Please continue to keep them in your prayers. I'll keep you updated as soon as they find out whether it is just swelling or a new tumor. *fingers crossed* for good news....

I've Been Tagged!

2012-01-22T18:30:00.000-08:00

So, I got a lovely comment from a sweet new follower named DeAnne from The S.I.P. Project. She tagged me and asked me 11 questions to get to know a little more about me. I have to admit, I love stuff like this. When we see someone's blog all we see are the "successes" and we get this crazy image of this perfect gorgeous person who does everything right and is probably wearing heels, an apron, a glue gun in one hand and a mop in the other. What they don't see is the REAL chick sitting at the computer in sweats and a T-shirt with a messy ponytail, a lovely white glob of Clearasil on her pimple and peanut butter smeared on her arm from her two year old who is eating lunch and giving her a quick break to check her email. :) So, sometimes it's nice to get to meet the REAL person behind the blog. The not so perfect one, who if you met on the street you probably wouldn't give them a second glance. But if you did, chances are you'd start to chat and soon you'd be great friends. Okay...so here we go.

1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?

That's a good one. I've lived so many nice places, it's hard to pick one! We lived in Golden, CO for about 4 years while my husband went to school and we loved it there. It's a quiet little town in the foothills of the Rockies, yet close enough to the city that anything you need is a short drive away. Sometimes I think it would be fun to move back to the Denver area. But moving away from family would be hard.

2. What keeps you going back to a blog time and time again?

I love blogs that are REAL. I love blogs that make me laugh. I love blogs where when you're reading a post you feel like you're reading about your best friend who you've known forever. I love blogs where the crafts are cute, fast and easy. I love blogs that inspire me to be a better person. (Like the S.I.P. Blog....which stands for Service Is Painless. How awesome is that!) There are just so many great blogs out there!

3. What are your top 3 favorite places to shop?

Ooooh...that one is really hard, too! Hahaha! I'm going to have to say Target, Hobby Lobby, and JCPenney (gotta give a shout out to my Daddy who manages the local store here in Alamosa! Go Dad!) I also love Kohls, Maurices, Bath and Body Works and Old Navy. I know...so original, huh!

4. What gadget are you drooling over right now?

Um...does a paint roller count as a gadget? I'm dying to get rid of the creamy yellow that takes over most of our house right now. I'm thinking something like Benjamin Moore Copley Grey...*drool*

5. What do you hate about blogging, if anything?

Probably the only thing I don't like is when I hit a creative slump. I don't know how all these bloggers come up with some genius post EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. It amazes me! Some days I have a hard enough time spelling my name right! :)

6. Which tech skill do you wish you were better at?

Um...I wish I had any tech skill at all! Hahah! Today at church I was sitting next to a friend and she was reading the scripture from the lesson on her spiffy iphone, and she let me play with it. I literally squealed in the middle of the lesson when I turned the phone and the words turned with the phone. It was the coolest thing EVER.

7. What makes your heart smile?

So many things! Early morning snuggles with Kate, the smell of clean kids after their baths, when my kids make good choices without my making them, my husband telling me he loves me and I'm beautiful, when I read my scriptures and I find a verse that I swear was written just for me, fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, hugs, laughter (it doesn't matter who it is...it just makes me happy!) snow cones, bubble baths, cooing babies, dates with my husband, Christmas Eve at my parent's house, chick flicks, good music, and my friends. :) I know there are hundreds more, but that would take all night!

8. What is your dream job?

Right now it's getting to be a stay at home mom. But, some day I'd love to get back into nursing. I would LOVE to be a labor and delivery nurse. I absolutely love making miserable people happy. I love to bring that smile when it's the last thing someone wants to do. I would love to be able to witness a miracle EVERY.SINGLE.DAY at work! I know what a difference having a good nurse makes...and I want to help someone else get that experience!

9. What is your biggest pet peeve?

Awww, just one? Hahah! Okay...I hate, and I mean HATE walking through other people's farts (is that a bad word???) There. I said it. I swear, it happens to me ALL the time!!! I'm walking down the isle of a store and suddenly, that whiff hits you and you just want to vomit everywhere...I have to try my hardest to not remember that that was someone else's gas...*shudder* If you HAVE to toot, and you can't make it to a bathroom, PLLLLEASE, at least go to an isle without other people behind you! That is all.

10. What is the post on your blog you are proudest of?

Honestly, my Stephen posts. The nest necklace one particularly, it was INCREDIBLE to see the outpouring of love and support for that little guy! It made me feel so special to be a part of something so wonderful. I made so many new friends...it is definitely something that makes me feel like I did something that really made a difference. It reminded me that THIS is what life is about. Life is about love. :)

11. Your best piece of advice for new bloggers?

BE YOURSELF! :) And don't get discouraged. It's hard in the beginning, you wonder if anyone is really reading or paying attention. You go to these blogs that have thousands of followers and wonder "How on earth are they doing it!?!" The answer? One person at a time. Don't necessarily write to get followers, write to make friends. I still look at my 515 followers and get so excited! I mean...it's not thousands or anything, but if I were to fill a room with the 515 people who read my blog I would seriously start to cry happy tears and give every single one of you a hug and tell you thank you. Blogland is an incredible place!

I'm Alive, I Swear!

2012-01-21T15:49:00.000-08:00

Holy cow, it's been a month since I posted last. I am SOOOO sorry! I'm alive, I swear. There's been a lot of drama lately and I've basically just dropped off of the face of the planet and have been soaked up in my own little world! I have good excuses, I promise. Good excuses...but no pictures. Lame, I know...to be honest, I'm not even sure where my camera is right now! Hahah!

Fist, Whitney got her tonsils out. I really wasn't expecting it to be all that big of a deal. But HOLY COW, I was so wrong! The poor girl woke up in tears at the hospital and the surgeon just kept saying "WOW. Those were BIG tonsils." The nurses said "Keep up with the fluids, keep up with the fluids, MAKE.HER.DRINK.FLUIDS." And I was like, "Psssh. Of course I will!" They weren't kidding, it was HARD to make her drink anything. I know the pain must have been horrible. But then, she started producing this horrible, thick, foamy saliva that she kept choking on. She couldn't swallow it! We tried gum to keep it from forming and to keep her mouth moist, but the gum just fell to pieces in her mouth. We tried popsicles, ice cream, crushed ice, every kind of juice or flavored ANYTHING...everything we could think of. But she just wouldn't swallow. I ended up just bribing the heck out of her and gave her a dime for every gulp of fluid she could get down. She ended up earning almost $10...not too shabby. The other bad part of it was that they took out so much tissue that she has to re-learn to swallow. Whenever she drinks something it also comes out of her nose! I know it's a totally cool trick, but she doesn't think it would make the top finals in the school talent show. We're still working on that. Apparently Sprite really hurts when it comes out of your nose. Just FYI. To make a long story short, she's doing much better now. She lost about 10 pounds total, and I'm pretty sure her breath could have been considered a dangerous weapon of mass destruction or at the least knock out a horse... but it's good to have her sleeping better and not getting strep anymore!

Next matter of business, we noticed that our plumbing was draining really slowly for about two weeks. After running the dishwasher and doing a few loads of laundry it would start to back up into the showers and tubs. We couldn't figure out what the problem was. Mike took off the toilet and ran a snake through the house and couldn't find any blockages anywhere. Then, a few days later, I was flushing some throw up from Aaron who came down with the flu and it wouldn't flush. Then, all of the sudden, sewage started coming out of EVERY.DRAIN. in the house. No joke. It was coming out of the washing machine. It was all over the floors...just....everywhere! So, now our house not only smelled like vomit from Aaron, but sewage as well. To make another long story short, we had to move in with my parents for about a week while the plumbers came to fix it all. It tuns out the culprit was clear over at the city line...a partially frozen pipe. I am SOOOO happy it's all fixed! But it still grosses me out to use the bath or the shower, even though I cleaned it like ten times afterwards. *shudder* And I have been able to catch up on 3 weeks of laundry. UGH. Not so bad washing it, but the whole folding and putting everything away thing just doesn't agree with me. ;)

Then, Mike took me to Boston with him for a 5 day business trip. Our parents were kind enough to take the kids for us while we went. It was really nice to have 5 days of just my husband and I. It was so quiet...nobody came and climbed in bed with us at 2 a.m. and I even got to shower all by myself! It was awesome. However, to be honest I'm having to adjust to being back to this stay at home mom thing. It was nice to get dressed up and go to meetings and talk to people all day...come back to a clean hotel room with a made bed and not having to cook anything! WOW. I had forgotten how hard this whole mom/wife/maid/cook thing is. But I know I'm blessed to be able to get to do it. :)

I'll do an update on Stephen within the next few days. I've had several people ask about him! Which, of course, makes me so happy that people haven't forgotten him! Oh how I love that kid. :)

So, anyway, I apologize for my absence! Thank you for being so patient! I'll be back soon, I promise!

A Entry From Stephen's Dad

2011-12-15T11:47:00.000-08:00

First...let me start with this picture. It seriously makes me tear up every time I see it! If you look closely, each of them are missing a hand. Stephen calls it his "lucky fin" (like in Finding Nemo!). He has a very special nurse there, who also has a lucky fin. He's right handed, she's left handed and they are a perfect pair. :)

I just read the most touching letter from Brent, Stephen's Dad. So many of you donated to the Hope for Stephen fund with the Nest Necklace fundraiser, and I thought you should read this. They truly are a remarkable family...I am so blessed to be a part of them.

Stephen has had quite a few scares while they've been up there at St. Jude's. He started having seizures and even had to be resuscitated. He's had another surgery to put a shunt in his head to drain his "brain juice" as he calls it. There was almost a severe infection from bacteria collecting in the lining of the shunt, but Brent was very prompted by God to know what to do in the situation, and because he followed God's guidance, a horrible catastrophe was avoided and Stephen's life was spared. We have witnessed MIRACLES in this journey and our testimonies of a loving Father in Heaven are continually strengthened. God is GOOD. :)

Anyhewww, here's Brent's entry. He is talking about some of YOU and your kindness. I hope you understand how touched and appreciative and humbled they are. :)

*****

Today Target hosted it's annual winter carnival out in a big tent for St. Jude patients. Stephen and I got done with his radiation treatment about mid-day and walked out to see what it was all about.

They had promised food, live entertainment, crafts and a toy gift to every patient and sibling that came. We ended up waiting in the wind for an hour just to get in because there was not enough room in the tent for everyone. I was glad that I had heated up a bean burrito in the hospital for Stephen.

Standing in line we saw all kinds of kids coming out with big boxes. There were Lego play sets, games, tricycles, and a variety of really nice expensive toys. By the time we finally got in, it had been an hour and we only had two minutes to find a toy and get to his next appointment. No time to do crafts or eat delicious treats. There were only a few "bottom of the barrel" toy choices left so they gave him a $10 gift card instead. We were thrilled and grateful. Truly touched.

When we were in line earlier I happened to see a mother and her son off in the distance. She was trying to push her son up a hill in a wheelchair while desperately trying to hold onto a large toy. She was really struggling. Instantly, a tall man in a hat came out of the crowd to her aid. He pushed the wheelchair up to the top of the hill.

I couldn't help myself. I just started crying. I'm sure someone took notice while I tried to hide my face. They probably thought I had just received some bad news that morning. I've seen more than one parent walking in tears down the busy hallways at St. Jude. The truth is, I was immensely touched. The helping man had reminded me of all the incredible experiences my family and I have had at the hands of others since Stephen was diagnosed.

Hardly a day goes by that Stephen does not receive a care package. Not a single day has passed without a few cards or letters. We are the recipients of mail coming from family, friends, friends of friends, and even people we don't know at all. There are posts with uplifting and caring words written on this website's guestbook every day. There have been families and individuals who have given us money, hotel stays, airline tickets, gift cards. St. Jude bills our insurance, but is not charging us a dime. They, their private donors and corporate partners provide housing and some money for groceries each week we're here. Stephen's elementary school put on a craft fair, bake sale and choir concert in his behalf. Other children have sent self made cards, books, videos and artwork. We've had people do shopping and run errands for us when we could not. They've brought dinners, performed MAJOR yard work, cleaned, transported our kids and cared for them in our absence. Countless prayers have gone up to God for us in multiple languages, in many countries across the world and through many different faiths and denominations. Our wonderful neighbors named the huge tree in their yard that is decorated with lights after Stephen. There are even families that have given up their entire Christmas budgets to us. One of those amazing families has never even met us before and had only heard about Stephen from a family member they work with. I imagine they will have the sweetest Christmas ever this year!

I want you to know that I could continue writing this list all night...

To be honest, I have struggled with all this giving on our behalf. Do we deserve it? I don't know. Do we deserve it more than others. Absolutely not. We have received so much and are more grateful to YOU than words can express. (Those pesky tears have come back again.)

What has this done? For one, it has opened my cynical eyes to a whole new world - a world I didn't believe existed to the extent it actually does. There are good, honest, caring people in the world. There really, really are. You all are a witness to that. I hope I can say that I'm one of them and that I'm teaching it to my children.

A care package we received yesterday had a bunch of candy canes in it (among other gifts). The family who sent it said we should give them to everyone helping Stephen at St. Jude. So that's exactly what we did today. Stephen carried that bag of candy canes with him everywhere he went. He offered it to every nurse and doctor he saw and told them "Merry Christmas." He was adored, praised, and admired for it. More importantly, he felt WONDERFUL.

This afternoon, the long awaited day for Christmas shopping finally came. Stephen bought very thoughtful gifts for his siblings, mother (and even me). They are wrapped and placed under our small apartment tree. As many of you know, we had "the BEST day ever" last Saturday. But as Stephen went to bed tonight he exclaimed to me that today had been "the GREATEST day ever." I don't know if he really understood the great wisdom and truth in the words he spoke, but they rang out to me very clearly.

I hope many of you have had "the GREATEST year ever" because of your loving service to our family. Each of you have been inspirational and even critical to our survival mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually.

Before I close this post there is one last feeling I need to express. I know some who read this blog are not "religious" and I fully respect those beliefs, but I would not be true to my own if I did not say how grateful I am to God.

In a very short time we have gone from roses to thorns. Life as we knew it has turned upside down and seemingly buried us alive. Strangely enough, I have never felt closer to my Savior in all my life. I know this is not a punishment. A blessing? In some very strange way, yes. Through all of the sleepless nights, the hours and days of worry, the unexpected ups and downs of Stephen's health, even his horrible pain - I have know that the Lord is near.

Just this week when all the doctors were thinking and planning for the worst, I only felt peace and knew exactly what to do as if it were the only option in front of me. It felt different, like knowledge that did not belong to me. It was not instinct that came from "within" me. I have indeed been "touched" by God Himself and I know it. It has happened time and time again through this whole ordeal. In that, each of your prayers are being answered, and I hope that you in turn can feel His touch because of it.

*******

I love you all and hope you are having a WONDERFUL Christmas Season!

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

2011-12-02T22:23:00.001-08:00

I hope you all had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! We did...other than the fact that I totally ruined one of my pies. French Silk Pie to be exact. I can tell you one thing, it was NOT silk. It was more like sand. Who knew that bakers sugar was actually just powdered sugar??? I went to every store I could find and could NOT find bakers sugar. So, I used regular sugar. NEVER AGAIN. People were literally trying to not throw up after one piece of that pie. I've got 5 words for you. HU.MIL.I.A.TING. But, hey. It's a new day and I learned something new, right? ;)

*cough* On to Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week!

I don't know about you, but Pintrest is getting extremely dangerous with Christmas coming. Mercy....it's like...a time space continuum thing. You're like, "I'll just check really quick and see if there's anything fun." Three hours later, your kids have aged ten years and your butt is asleep and you're like, "What on earth!?!" Am I right?

SO....without further adieu, here we go.

1. Craft of the Week

This is seriously at the TOP of my to-do list. Why? Because last year the toddler broke a bunch of my Christmas ornaments. So this year I went and bought the shatter proof kind. Which means I have a gazillion Christmas ornaments that need used up! AND, I found a bunch at the thrift store for super cheap. SO EXCITED to do this!

2. Cute Outfit of the Week

OH MY GOSH, look at THIS one!?! Okay...so it's not an outfit. Who cares. Right now all I care about is getting ready for Christmas. Besides, we all know I'm just going to post a picture of some sort of sweater/cardigan, skinny jeans, a scarf and super cute boots. ;)

3. Tip of the Week

Now, what the flip does this have to do with Christmas? Well, I'll tell you. (hold on...let me think for a second.) Ah, yes. Those glass ornaments are sharp when they break! So...the idea is you squirt neosporin into straws, snip them up into sections, melt the ends with a lighter and you're done. Or something like that. How great would these be in your purse for all those skinned knees, ~~slashed fingers from broken glass~~, etc.?

4. Kid Craft of the Week

Graham Cracker Gingerbread Houses? HECK YES! I don't even like gingerbread. And it saves a lot of work! I can't wait to do this with the kids!

5. Good Laugh of the Week

Seriously though. Gets me EVERY time. But, what does it have to do with Christmas??? Why, this of course! You need those scary biscuits to make cinnamon sticky buns!

6. Inspiration of the Week

This quote makes me think of Stephen's parents. They are STRONG. But they have to be. If they were anyone from the outside looking in they would be astounded at their strength. Stephen and his mom have been at St. Jude's for 5 weeks now. He just started radiation therapy this week. Bless their hearts. I hope they can get to go home for a little Christmas break.

7. *DROOL* of the week

Seriously, how CUTE are these!?! And how did they get them so perfectly round???

8. Tutorial of the Week
Because I have ALWAYS wanted to know how to do this!!! Merry Christmas. What's that? You want more bows? Well, your wish is my command! Here's another tutorial on making homemade bows!

9. Hairstyle of the Week

Yes. It's the PERFECT holiday hairstyle for your Christmas card pictures!!! It's SOOOO easy to do. Step 1: Cut all of your hair to about 4 inches long all the way around. Step 2. Get a perm. Step 3: Fluff it with a comb and give it a good dousing of hairspray to keep it poofy! THAT'S IT!!! Don't forget to get matching goggles. I mean...glasses. It's a timeless look, I swear. (It's past midnight...give me a little slack here!)

10. Home Inspiration of the Week

Oh, House of Smiths, how I adore thee. Can I please have your house???

Annnnd, that concludes this week's Top Ten Pins of the Week. Okay...so it was more like 12 pins because I'm just that nice. Have a great week! *muah!*

Are you on Pintrest? Let me know, I'd love to follow you, too!

I Am Thankful for YOU! {Hope For Stephen Results}

2011-11-25T09:14:00.000-08:00

First off, just let me say WOW. I have so much to be thankful for this year, and at the top of my list is YOU. Would you like to know the results from the Hope for Stephen nest necklace fundraiser? Get ready....

Yes, that's right! We raised almost $1,000 for Stephen and his family! Can you believe it? I can't! I was completely blown away at how fast the news spread about Stephen and the chance to help him. I made new friends and met some amazing people through it. I was only expecting about $100 in orders...if even! And they kept coming, and coming, and coming...I couldn't believe it!

And, even more amazing than the money is the amount of people who I know are praying for him right now. I know several who have even gotten groups together to make special packages and things for him to send for Christmas....*tearing up* :)

Thank you, THANK YOU for your generosity and your prayers.

And, if you HAVEN'T received your necklace order yet and I haven't contacted you PLEASE let me know! All of the paid orders have been shipped accept for one and I've been in contact with her, so if you ordered and paid with your custom Paypal link on my All Things Natsprat blog they should have reached you by now.

If you want to find your link, click on the image below and look through the blog archives, it will have your name on it.

And, if you are interested in following Stephen's journey battling brain cancer, his parents have set up a Caring Journal blog and they update daily. It is a hard journey they are all facing. The cancer is spreading and is causing him a lot of pain and nausea. Please keep praying for him, his battle has only just begun.

and to end with...here's some GOOD news! :)

(Little Stephen is now famous! :) He was the smiling face that everyone saw on November 18th when they logged into AOL!)

Stephen The Comedian and Pre-Op Artist {so cute}

2011-11-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

For those of you following along with Stephen's story, you'll enjoy this! He was drawing this picture right before his dry run of radiation treatment. I love the part where the anesthesia kicked in! Hahah!

Then, Amber went to stay in a special housing place for the families of patients called the Grizzly House. (Yaaaay, she got to sleep in a REAL bed and have a much needed break!)

Brent came to stay with Stephen and said, "Mommy's gone, now the boys can party!"

Stephen replied, "Now we can fart awlllll the time!" Gave his Dad a hug and added, "And burp." :)

He is SUCH a boy! Man, I love that kid! It's amazing how he can keep his sense of humor through all of this! He's a cute little trooper, that's for sure.

Update on Stephen {Not Good News sniff sniff}

2011-11-12T08:19:00.000-08:00

I was really hoping to do a happy post today, but instead I just can't stop crying. We just got an update on Stephen.

(Stephen and Brent at St. Jude's...he adores his Daddy)

(Movie night at St. Jude's...he LOOOOVED that popcorn! The nurses adore him and even brought him bags of popcorn from home!)

Deep breath...grab some Kleenex.

They did a spinal tap on Stephen a few days ago because in his latest MRI parts of the brain are lighting up that aren't supposed to. Which could mean two things, the cancer is spreading OR there is an infection going on. There is some sort of bacteria growing in the culture from Stephen's spinal tap. The bacteria has taken a long time to grow, so it isn't your normal meningitis. AND they have found that numerous tumor cells have spread, so both of their fears have come true. :(

Because the cancer is spreading, Stephen has now been classified as a high risk patient and will receive the higher doses of radiation and chemotherapy. However, they had wanted to wait to start treatments until AFTER he is feeling a little better and stronger....but with this new mystery bacteria they're not sure what to do.

He still is in a lot of pain where they did the spinal tap and they don't know why. Plus, the IV site in his hand went bad and his hand is all swollen. So, they took out the I.V. and he is now in surgery to put in a central line into his chest for all of the long term blood draws, medicines and other things he will have to endure now until the end of his stay at St. Jude's.

I swear, my heart is just breaking. It's so confusing and frustrating! After the first surgery we were all praising God that it was a miracle. That the tumor just delivered itself to the doctors and all was well. THEN, we find out they didn't get nearly as much of the tumor as they thought, AND that it is spreading. I am trying to not take back all of my praises to God for that miracle, which didn't end up being a miracle at all. :( I can't take them back because we still need Him. We need a miracle...a REAL one.

It breaks my heart that he is in so much pain. He has been so strong and brave through it all, so when he shows he is in pain, he is REALLY in pain. It breaks my heart that there are so many unanswered questions. It breaks my heart to think of his parents, what they must be feeling. They are emotionally and physically exhausted, and sick to death of sleeping on vinyl couches. And it feels as if there is no end in sight. And if there IS an end, it's not a happy ending...ugh. I don't even want to think about it.

As I sit here making each of your nest necklaces for the Hope for Stephen fund, I think of you and these precious children that each of these eggs represent. As my fingers hurt from making them I think of the pain that little Stephen must endure. As I add requested special white pearl eggs or angel wing charms to necklaces for each of the children who have died I cry for the parents who lost their children and thank God that I have 3 healthy, beautiful children here on Earth with me. Then I cry even harder hoping that I don't have to eventually add a white pearl egg or pair of angel wings to Amber's necklace. (UGH, need more Kleenex!) And as I put them in the mail I pray that they will all make it to you safely, just as I pray that Stephen will make it through this journey safely.

And now, I just ask that you continue to pray for little Stephen...pray that the doctors will know how to help him. Pray that he will be comfortable, pray that Brent and Amber will have the strength to keep trudging through this hard journey, pray that we won't lose faith in God and His miracles. Please put him in your prayer circles, or Temple prayer rolls, and as you say your personal prayers, say a special one for him. Heck, even if you don't believe in God, focus your positive energies on him or whatever! ;)

I'll keep you updated as I hear more. Thank you all, if I could find you I would give you each a huge hug!

Felt Monster Plush {tutorial}

2011-11-09T10:07:00.001-08:00

I am SO excited to be doing a craft tutorial again! Thank you for being so patient with my absence! My little fingers have been busy making over 100 or your nest necklaces for the Hope For Stephen fund! I'll do a special post on all of that soon! I am still just in awe at all of your kindness...WOW. You guys ROCK!!!

Now, onto the next matter of business...

With the holidays fast approaching lots of people are already on the lookout for things to make as Christmas presents. Want to see what I have planned for some of the special little men in my life? Felt monster plushies! *rawr* These are so versatile, you can make it so many different ways! Add horns, a tail, give it eyelashes if it's in girl colors, change the teeth...whatever you want! I've included a basic pattern, but you can change it up however you like!

These take around an hour to make, so they are super fast and easy AND most importantly, super cute. (Yes, that's a lot of super.)

Heeere we go!

Supplies:

Monster Plush Parts page (save, fit to 8x11 page, print! If you want your plush to be bigger, then just scale the image larger)

1 full sheet of felt (main body)
white felt (teeth and eyes)
pink or red felt (tongue)
black felt (mouth)
coordinating embroidery thread
sewing needle
scissors
glue gun (optional)
2 buttons for eyes
stuffing

Step 1: Trace all of the pieces and cut them out. Remember, you'll need 2 of the body and 2 of the eyes.

Now, you'll start stitching on the pieces. Now, if you don't want to sew them on, you can just use your glue gun to glue them on!

Now, stitch on the eyes. Move them around and see how you like them!

Now, you're going to start stitching at the top. Start above the middle of the eye and stitch all the way around. Again, if you don't want to stitch, you can just glue it together with your glue gun! See the felt owl plush tutorial for the directions on how to do that. ;)

Now, stop when you get to the middle of the other eye.

And get some practice for Thanksgiving and stuff it! Make sure to get it down into the legs and arms. Use a marker or something to get it in.

Now, finish stitching the top closed. A little tip: to make sure the end of the string doesn't hang out, after you knot the end, bring the needle through lower on the plush, pull it tight and snip it. The end of the thread will pop back into the plush so you can't see it!

Now, pose him artistically in your kitchen and make him make cute sounds. You're all done! :)

Linked up to

Someday Crafts
Trendy Treehouse
Thrifty Decorating
Tatertots and Jello
Family Ever After
Sew Country Chick
I Heart Naptime
DIY Home Sweet Home
The Girl Creative
Vintage Wanna Bee
Oops I Craft My Pants

{personal} Whitney's Baptism

2011-11-09T08:44:00.000-08:00

My sweet Whitney was baptized last weekend! I can't believe she is already 8...it makes me feel so old! She has been SOOOOO excited to be baptized, literally...she has counted down the days for MONTHS. I swear, she just about dove into the water.

She has a cousin who is just a few weeks apart from her in age. Whitney came late and Jenna came early! So, they were able to be baptized on the same day, which made it extra special. They are the best of buds . :)

The baptism was wonderful! Everything I dreamed it would be...accept for the part where Aaron got his head stuck in the chair. It fit through the hole just fine, but getting it back out was another story for some reason. That made the baptism memorable in more way than one.

Whitney and Jenna even did a special musical number. They sang a song from the Primary Song Book called "When I Am Baptized". It was so pretty, they did a great job!

***
When I am Baptized
I like to look for rainbows
Whenever there is rain
And ponder at the beauty of an Earth made clean again
I want my life to be as clean as Earth right after rain
I want to be the best I can
And live with God again.

I know when I am baptized
My sins are washed away,
And I can be forgiven and improve myself each day
I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain
I want to be the best I can
And live with God again.

***

Such sweet lyrics! :)

I am so proud of her, and so INCREDIBLY blessed to have her as a daughter!

Update on Stephen: {Surgery Round Two}

2011-11-02T11:43:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to update that Stephen's second brain surgery went well! The doctors found that they didn't get as much of the tumor out as originally thought, and they needed to get back in quickly as his cancer seems to be aggressive. It was very nerve-wrecking because the part of the brain that would be operated on is the part that controls his sight, speech, and other fine motor functions of his left side. Since he was born without his right hand and he is right handed, one slip there would be a very bad thing.

He was transferred to St. Jude in Memphis where he is in VERY good hands! They had quite the Halloween party in the hospital, I've never seen anything like it! It was just awesome.

They were able to get more tumor out, about the size of a pool ball! (!?!) How did that all fit in there!?! First there was the part the size of a large orange, and now a pool ball!?! No wonder he felt so miserable. :'( The doctors think they were able to get pretty much all of it out this time. *crossing fingers* And so far there are NO signs of paralysis.

He has been such a little trooper! Yesterday his parents put up a cute video clip of him playing in the toy room at the hospital. They asked him what the doctors were going to do and he said something along the lines of "they are going to open my brain up and take all of the owies out." It was so cute and sad at the same time.

So, thank you for your continued prayers and happy thoughts! I know they are being heard! :)

And don't worry, I haven't forgotten all of my craft friends out there! I've got a felt monster plush tutorial coming soon! :) (If you liked the felt owl plush, you'll LOVE this one, too! )

Another Surgery for Stephen. :(

2011-10-29T18:11:00.000-07:00

Hello from BEAUUUUTIFUL California! I'm here for my little brother's wedding and I've got to tell you, I am just LOOOVING it here! We are in a place called Clements and it is just gorgeous. I'll tell you all about it later and include pictures of our adventures, but right now I've got something else on my mind.

Stephen will be going in for another brain surgery on November 2nd. The surgeon didn't get as much of the brain tumor as originally thought, so they need to go in and try again. They have discovered that the type of cancer he has is very aggressive (ATRT), so there is no time to wait. Unfortunately, when they operate again, they are going to have to operate around the part of the brain that controls speech, sight and motor skills...really important things. He will be flying out to St. Jude in Memphis, where he will be in very good hands. After the surgery, he will have about 10 days to recover, and after that he will start 6 weeks of radiation therapy. *sniff sniff* Please continue to keep him in your prayers!

I have been working like crazy on your necklaces! I will start getting them sent out within the next week or so! :)

Thank you for all of your love, support and prayers! I really do have the best blog BFF's in the WORLD!

Stephen: post surgery update with pictures! :)

2011-10-22T17:01:00.001-07:00

Hi Friends and family! For those of you who are following along with Stephen's journey, I thought you might enjoy these pictures! These are all from the past few days, and they are just so heartwarming! You can really see what a sweet little boy he is!

After they took the tubes out of him, he had one simple request. Ice cream. He is a boy after my own heart. :) He downed the entire thing. I can only imagine how good it must have tasted after being on a clear liquid diet for so long...

Taking a stroll with Mom. You can see how his little face is swollen from the surgery (which is normal).

He is a big Star Wars fan and some VERY special visitors came to see him! CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW AWESOME THIS WOULD BE!?! WOW. Darth Vader couldn't make it...because, as we all know, he was killed in the last movie.

Killing time colorfully...Star Wars style. ;) Oh my gosh, I love this kid! :)

Yup, more ice cream!

His Aunt gave a little background on Stephen for me, I thought it was very fitting to include in this post!

"Sweet Stephen has been through a lot in his 6 years. He was abandoned and left on the doorstep of a Chinese orphanage as a baby. He is missing his right arm, due to an amniotic band in utero. If he'd have stayed in China, he would not have had access to an education, as he has a physical disability. My sister and BIL adopted him and he's been a part of our family for 4.5 wonderful years now. He had to have pretty intensive speech intervention also. He's a special, brave little boy who brings so much happiness to our family. The thought of losing him tore my heart out. Please continue prayers for him and his parents. They've got a long way to go, but we have absolutely witnessed a miracle!"

He is a VERY special little boy. Thank you for all of your continued prayers!

Did You Order a Necklace? Read This. :)

2011-10-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

I've been getting a lot of emails with people wondering how/when to pay for their custom orders with the Hope for Stephen special. I've been doing a lot of thinking and talking to people and I think the easiest and best way to do this is to put up personalized invoices on my All Things Natsprat page. This personalized invoice will include your name, what you ordered, the price of the listing and a "buy now" Paypal button. This way, you can make sure you are getting what you want and you can change the order if you need to. SOOOOO, I will be working on these over the next few days and if you have left your email address with your comment I will email you a link to your order. If this is what you want to finalize, then you can just click on the "buy now" button and purchase it. This way, it will be more organized and there is no chance that I will be confused with any orders.

Another thing to clear up, if you ordered a mini necklace, the only kind of beads I can use with the mini necklace are the mini turquoise "egg" beads...it's a mini necklace because it's smaller because of the beads. (Did that make any sense at all???hahah) And, the mini necklace is also cheaper because it doesn't have the heart or bird charm. However, if you would LIKE it to have a bird charm, let me know and I will add it for $1 extra. ;)

Okay....I think that covers the bases. If you have any questions, let me know! Thanks so much!

Hope for Stephen Update {PLEASE READ!!!}

2011-10-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

*Deeeeep breath*

Hello, my WONDERFUL friends! I know I keep saying how blown away I am at the love and support you have all shown for little Stephen! This necklace promotion has spread like wildfire and right now I am at over 80 necklaces! This is WONDERFUL!!!! However...I am starting to get a little overwhelmed by it all. I wasn't really expecting it to grow so big, and while I am eternally grateful for your kindness, I can't handle all of these orders on my own. It's absolutely humiliating....but I think I need to stop taking orders for now and work on what I have so far. It's costed a lot in out of pocket costs for supplies and right now my reserves for supplies are gone...and that's only after ONE day! So, for all who ordered necklaces yesterday and today, I will still do your orders. But, after today I will have to put a pause on all orders until I can catch up and get my bearings and give my sore fingers a little break! ;) Thank you SO much for your understanding....and I am so sorry! I feel like I'm letting people down....but I just don't know what else to do.

In the meantime, if you would still like to donate to the Hope for Stephen fund, you can click on the link on my right sidebar! I know all donations would be greatly appreciated!

They just found out that the 90% estimate of the brain tumor removal was inaccurate, and he still has about 20-25% of the tumor still in there. I guess the brain had shifted during surgery to fill the hole and it got harder to navigate. They didn't want to go any deeper and risk cutting into the important parts of the brain that control speech, sight and motor functions. So....the hard journey isn't over yet.

I'll be sure to keep you updated, and please continue to keep them in your prayers! Thank you!!!

Want To Help Stephen? Want To Get Something In Return???

2011-10-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

*UPDATE: DUE TO THE OVERWHELMING (-LY AWESOME) AMOUNT OF NECKLACE ORDERS I HAVE RECEIVED, I NEED TO PAUSE ON TAKING ORDERS FOR A LITTLE WHILE...I NEED TO GET CAUGHT UP ON WHAT I HAVE SO FAR! I WILL LET YOU KNOW WHEN I'M UP TAKING MORE ORDERS!!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH!*

Hello my friends! You may have noticed a little addition to my sidebar. :) Many of you have been following along with the news about my cousin's 6 year old son, Stephen, this week. For those of you who are just reading this for the first time, you can click HERE to read the full posts about Stephen and his brain cancer story.

While the doctors were able to get 99% of the tumor, they are not out of the woods yet. He will still have to go through chemotherapy and more testing. I have been feeling so helpless, feeling like there was nothing I could do other than pray. And last night, as I was trying to fall asleep, an impression came to me. There IS more I can do to help! And, this is it.

We all know how fast hospital bills add up! And, with 2 MRI's, brain surgery, chemotherapy, tests, doctor bills, (SUPER AWFUL EXPENSIVE) hospital stay costs, and all of the other expenses they will have to end up paying....I just don't even want to think about having to add it all up. *shudder*

Like the button? The gray ribbon is the ribbon for brain cancer awareness. I put his name in yellow because that is the color of childhood cancer awareness. So sweet...*sniff sniff*

If you would like to donate and get something out of it, I am doing a special thing with my nest necklaces. If you order one from now until October 25th, I will donate ALL proceeds to their account. That way, you can donate AND get something in return!

Now, the meaning of this necklace is very special. Each egg represents each of your precious children, here on earth or in Heaven. (you can have as many eggs as you want on your necklace! I've made a few with 7 eggs even!) The bird represents the parent/parents, there to guard and care for the nest. The heart represents all of your love for them. This is just so fitting...especially for this occasion.

All mini necklaces are made with the mini turquoise, which is half the size of the original turquoise. So, if you want the original turquoise stones you have to order a full size necklace. It also doesn't come with the heart or the bird. But, if you would like a little bird on it, it is $1 extra. Just be sure to let me know. ;)

This is the full size necklace. All I have left in stones are the original turquoise...(that's what's pictured in the nest) The full size necklace DOES come with the heart charm and the bird charm.

And...

Just look at his little happy face!!! Oh how I love this kid!!! :)

So....if you would like to order a necklace (Christmas presents with a cause, anyone?) please leave me a comment with how many eggs you want in your nest and whether you want the mini nest or the full sized nest necklace.

And if you could, please pass this on for me? Thank you SOOOO much! I love you guys!!!

*UPDATE*

Wow! I am so incredibly blown away by all of your support! There just aren't words to express my gratitude!

Due to the INCREDIBLE support, please expect it to take 2-3 weeks for me to get your necklaces made and shipped! I make them all by hand, so it takes a while! My fingers are going to be sore! HAHAHAH! (not complaining...SOOOO worth it!)

Thank you!!!

Update on Stephen: {surgery news}

2011-10-18T19:18:00.000-07:00

Wow. My heart is SO full of gratitude right now! First, I am so, incredibly grateful for all of your prayers and comments and emails...just, WOW. Thank you so much! I seriously have the BEST group of blog BFF's in the world. We are not only craft friends, we are LIFE friends. :)

Secondly, I am so grateful for God's goodness. I have been stressing out all day, waiting for updates on Stephen's surgery...not expecting good news, but trying to have faith that things would turn out okay. I bit off all of my nails and stress ate an ENTIRE batch of no-bake cookies. Brent put up these pictures of Stephen's MRI scan. Just look at the size of that tumor! :(

Then, later this evening, they put up these pictures. This is Stephen after he came out of surgery. Bless his little heart. He is still sedated, but doing well.

This was Brent's update:

"Just talked to the surgeon. It went great! He estimates he got out 99 percent of the tumor. There was minimal bleeding and no transfusion necessary. Pre-pathology results classify it as a PNET type tumor and pathology will most likely confirm it given a few days of testing.

Stephen will be in ICU sedated and incubated overnight. They will wake him in the morning aver a new scan. Both Amber and I will be able to stay with him overnight. No telling how soon he will get out of ICU, but recovery will be at least a week and maybe two.

We can't tell you how relieved we are and thank each of you for your WONDERFUL support, prayers (across multiple denominations and faiths), fasting, priesthood blessings, karma and whatever else you sent our way!

We are so blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives.

Of course we are not out of the woods yet, and there will yet be chemotherapy to endure, but we could not have any better news to announce today!"

I have NO doubt in my mind that it was all of the prayers reaching up to Heaven today that brought this WONDERFUL outcome. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! Now...please say one more prayer and THANK Heavenly Father for pouring out his blessings! :)

Update on Stephen

2011-10-18T08:36:00.000-07:00

Hello, friends and family. Right now, as I type, little Stephen is in an operating room. It hurts to just think of him right now. Surgeons standing over him operating on his little head. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for Brent and Amber, watching them wheel him away, not knowing if they would see him alive again, not knowing what kind of effect the surgery would have on him. I can't even hold back the tears. My heart just aches for them. How do you tell your little child that he may die? How do you tell him goodbye? How do you let go of his hand? How do you break your gaze from his face as he leaves down the hall?

After another 3 hour long MRI yesterday, they discovered that the tumor most likely originated inside of his brain. And with a little 6 year old brain and a tumor the size of a large orange it just doesn't look good. Please, PLEASE, say a special prayer for them today. We don't know what God has planned for this little boy, whether he will be called home or whether he will be a living miracle. But either way, please pray. Pray that the doctors hands will be guided as they operate, pray that his little body will be strong. Pray especially for the family, that they will feel God's loving arms around them to comfort them in this most difficult of times.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

For Stephen's POST-SURGERY update, click HERE!

Prayer Request {personal}

2011-10-16T17:25:00.001-07:00

This is a very hard post to write. No crafts or tutorials, something that is so much more meaningful and important. I know so many of you who are good, faithful Christians, and I humbly ask for your help.

Today I got a call from my mom who was in tears. My cousin and his wife received some heartbreaking news yesterday. Their 6 year old son, Stephen Chow has been having horrible headaches for the past month or so. They took him to the doctor where he was given antibiotics, assuming it was some sort of a virus. The headaches continued. Yesterday, they took him into an eye doctor where they discovered that his optic nerves were very swollen. This prompted an MRI, where they discovered a brain tumor the size of a large orange. He will be having surgery to relieve the swelling. Please, keep them in your prayers, I know without a doubt that God hears them and He will answer.

In the meantime, hold your little ones. Don't waste time on meaningless things, and cherish EVERY moment you have. Keep the Lord at the center of your life and never lose faith, He is our Creator and is aware of our every need. Trust in His TIMING, rely on His PROMISES, wait for His ANSWERS, rejoice in His GOODNESS and believe in His MIRACLES. Thank you all! I love you!!!

For Stephen's surgery update, click HERE.

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

2011-10-16T13:15:00.000-07:00

Woohooo! It's time for Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week! Ready....set...go!

1. Craft of the Week

How fun would it be to make a giant one of these for kids to reach into to get their Halloween candy at your house???

2. Cute Outfit of the Week

I love how simple and classy this outfit is! And...I have pretty much everything needed for this outfit...minus the ADORABLE lacy ruffle shirt...MUST.FIND.ONE.NOW.

3. Tip of the Week

Okay...maybe you already know this..but it was new to me! Most mason jars fit with your blender! So many possibilities with this!

4. Kid Friendly Craft of the Week

White shaving foam + food coloring= bathtub paint.
Now, that's a math problem I can actually handle.

5. Good Laugh of the Week

HAHAHAH! Love it. *this much*

6. Inspirational Quote of the Week

Sometimes we spend so much time praying for the things we want, that we forget that we can be the answers to OTHER'S prayers. Or, we just expect things to fall onto our laps. How much faster would our blessings come if we at least tried to meet God half way? :)

7. *DROOL* of the Week

I have a little love obsession with enchiladas. And these look INCREDIBLE.

8. Tutorial of the Week

Now that it's starting to get a little chilly outside (Well, here in Colorado, anyway...) it's time to start thinking about things for kids to do inside! How cool would this be for a reading tent, or even just for pretend camping trips in the living room? This is SO on my to-do list.

9. Hairstyle of the Week

Love this! Especially with the bump in the crown! Easy AND cute. Just my kind of hairstyle!

10. Home Inspiration of the Week

Okay, so this was originally posted into my "Good Laughs" page...but really. It's genius! I'm not kidding, I am doing this in my laundry room.

Annnnd, that's it for this weeks edition of Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week! Which one was your favorite? And, are you on Pintrest, too? I'd love to see what you've been pinning!

OH! *duh* and if you'd like to follow me on Pintrest, click HERE! :)

See you next time!

Peanut Butter Eyeballs

2011-10-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

Today was a nice lazy day. We busted out Nightmare Before Christmas and I had this crazy craving for these Peanut Butter Eyeballs that my mom used to make with us around Halloween time. It's become a tradition with my kids and I, and today was the special day! I thought I'd share the recipe and maybe you can start the same tradition with YOUR family! :)

PEANUT BUTTER EYEBALLS

1 1/2 C peanut butter
1 stick softened butter
1/2 tsp salt
3 C powdered sugar
M&M's candies
White chocolate candy coating
black food coloring or chocolate chips

Mix the peanut butter, salt and butter well. Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Shape into 1 inch balls, place on waxed paper. Then, put them into the fridge to harden.

Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate coating on low heat (or in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time and stirring) until melted.

Dip the peanut butter balls into the white chocolate and coat evenly. Place them back onto the waxed paper. Immediately press an M&M onto the top center of the eyeball.

Dip a toothpick in either the black food coloring or melted chocolate chips and put a small dot in the middle of the M&M to create the pupil.

Put it back into the fridge until the white chocolate is nice and hard again. All done!

If you're really feeling ambitious, you can dip a toothpick in red food coloring paste and make veins in the eyes!

P.S. Don't forget to check out my current giveaway for a mini nest necklace!

Linked up to:
Tatertots and Jello
Family Ever After
Sassy Sites
I Heart Naptime

{Mini Nest Necklace GIVEAWAY!}

2011-10-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

How would you like to win one of my {ADORABLE} mini nest necklaces? I'm telling you, these things are HOT right now!

Well, now you can! It's giveaway time, baby! Entering is easy! Here's how to enter!

1. Follow NatSprat (I love my blog BFF'S!)
2. Follow me on facebook
3. Follow me on Pintrest
4. Tell me which of my tutorials/crafts is your favorite.

5. Share this giveaway on facebook, twitter or your blog.

Please leave me an entry for EACH thing you do! That's 5 awesome ways to enter! This giveaway will end at midnight on October 21st!

Good luck!  

Linked to:
I Heart Naptime

Georgia Mud Fudge Ice Cream Cake {Tutorial}

2011-10-07T08:04:00.000-07:00

Today is my WONDERFUL Mother's Birthday! (Hiiiii Mom!) I got the awesome job of making her birthday cake. I wanted to make her something special. I know she loves Georgia Mud Fudge Blizzards from Dairy Queen...so I decided to make her a Georgia Mud Fudge ice cream cake! Wanna know how I did it? :)

You will need:
1 1/2 tubs of chocolate ice cream
1 cup chopped pecans
1 box brownie mix
1 tub of Cool Whip
1/4 cup of milk
1 small box of chocolate pudding
1 bottle of Magic Shell ice cream topping (you know, that stuff that hardens in just few seconds after you pour it onto your ice cream?)
1 round spring form pan
a large star frosting tip and frosting bag

First step, make your brownie mix. Pour it into the greased spring form pan about 1/4 of the way to make a "crust" for the ice cream cake. Pour the rest into a square baking dish so it's about 1/2 inches thick. Bake them for 20-25 minutes until it's set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the brownie.

Meanwhile, while the brownies are cooling, take out your ice cream and leave it on your counter to let it soften to the point where you can plop it out and stir it. (Just NOT to the point where it's a melted liquid mess!)

Cut the extra brownies you made into little squares and put them into the freezer for a while to harden.

After the ice cream is softened, plop it into a large bowl and stir it up so it's about the consistency of a Wendy's Frosty. (Mmmmm.) add your chopped pecans. Get out your brownie chunks and throw them in. Then, take your Magic Shell topping and give the ice cream a good dose of it! Stir it up until things are mixed evenly.

Dump that into the spring form pan on top of the brownie crust and smooth out the top as much as you can. (I took a piece of wax paper and smoothed the top with it) Put it back into the freezer for about 3 hours until it's hardened again.

While it's hardening you can go ahead and mix up the "frosting". Mix your Cool Whip and the chocolate pudding mix and 1/4 cup of milk together. Get it nice and smooth and creamy and put it into the fridge until the cake is ready to take out of the freezer.

When your cake is set, take it out of the freezer and carefully run a warm knife along the edge of the inside of the pan to loosen the ice cream and brownie from the side. Take the spring form part of the pan off and smooth out the sides with the knife. You're almost done!

Next, put your "frosting" into your frosting bag with the large star tip and pipe it onto the top and bottom edge of the cake. (See the picture!)

BEAUUUTIFUL! Now, get your Magic Shell topping and drizzle it all over the cake however you want! It's so fun to watch the stuff harden...

Now, YOU'RE DONE!!! Carefully put it back into the freezer until it's time to eat it! :) To cut it, use a knife warmed in some hot water.

See, super easy and SUPER delicious!

Now...I wish the birthday party would start so we can break into the cake! The picture is killing me! hahahah!

Linked up to:
Tatertots and Jello
Lolly Jane
The Girl Creative
Nifty Thrifty Things
Pinkopotamus
Blue Cricket Design
Fingerprints On The Fridge

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

2011-10-01T13:53:00.001-07:00

Wow, has it really already been a week!?! I don't know where the time went. But...happy October, everyone! Are you ready for my top 10 favorite pins of the week? I am! Here we go!

1. Craft of the Week

I just love these!!! I can just imagine putting them on bags...scarves...sweaters...headbands...AAAAAH! Cuteness overload!

2. Cute Outfit of the Week

Ooh, gray and turquoise together? Yes PLEASE!!! I'm seeing a lot of scarves on outfits lately...and I'm loving it.

3. Tip of the Week

Now really. How did I not know this? If you need to get those pesky sticky labels off of something and don't want the gooey, scummy mess left over, just heat it up with the blow dryer and it'll slide right off! *smacking forehead*

4. Kid Friendly Craft of the Week

With two little girls, I know this will be a big hit! I have to admit...I love sparkly things, too! :)

5.Good Laugh of the Week

No explanation needed!

6. Inspirational Quote of the Week

Okay...so this is funnier than the Jolie's Pitt's (get it? Jolie's armpits???) kids thing! BAHAHAHA! Maybe I should start carrying around water and sugar in my purse so I'm always prepared?

7. DROOL of the Week

You could make these so many ways! Cinnamon and Sugar...sea salt and butter....olive oil and Parmesan...green chili and cheese...I'm getting hungry....

8. Tutorial of the Week

Remember how I said I'm seeing scarves everywhere??? Well, soon you'll be seeing them on ME! And hopefully YOU!

9. Hairstyle of the Week

Now, this is actually for shorter hair. I imagine it will work with long hair, too. I love pretty AND easy updos...updoos...updo's...*gah*!

10. Home Inspiration of the Week

Sweaters aren't just for your upper half...they're for your couch, too! I know I have some sweaters who would LOVE to sacrifice themselves to have a place on my sofa. Or bed. Or both.

And this, my friends, concludes this weeks edition of Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week! Which one inspired you most?

Happy Birthday Whitney/Birthday Party for FREE

2011-09-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

My Whitney is 8. I just can't even believe it! Where did the time go!?! Just yesterday she was a tiny baby who wouldn't let us sleep at night...and now she's a beautiful 8 year old! I don't know what I did to deserve such a special girl, but I am eternally grateful.

Just a few things about my Whitney:

She has a profound love of her Savior and the Scriptures. She amazes me.

She is kind and sensitive and shows a touching sense of empathy.

She loves animals and would have a million if she could. (I, on the other hand, am just fine with ONE cat.)

She loves to draw and paint or do pretty much anything artistic.

She's a little song bird. (which can get a little frustrating when you're waiting for her to finish using the bathroom while making a pit stop at a gas station and she's sitting on the toilet singing the third verse of, "I Am A Child of God")

She loves to tell jokes. I don't know how she remembers them all...but she's got a great selection in that brain of hers. (I'm positive she got that gene from both of her Great Grandpas...)

She wants to go to BYU. (att'a girl!)

She wants to grow up and be a mom, an archaeologist and a modest clothes designer. (she's going to be busy.)

And, right now she's into Barbies. I asked her what kind of a birthday party she wanted and she said, "Barbie!" And I said, "Okay!". But, when we got to the store to get party stuff my DH took one look at the Barbie decorations and said, "Oh, heck no." And then something along the lines of Barbie Lady GaGa...

And I giggled. He was right (minus the raw meat dress and metal underwear...) So, I figured I could just make my own decorations. I was thinking Barbie Fashion Fairytale...pinks and black and sparkly, oh my!

I made some of these Paper Accordions (Soooo easy and fast!)

And I took some big plastic gem things that I had laying around in my craft stuff and hung them from the dining room lights to make some sort of desperate attempt at a crystal chandelier. Hey...it was 3 a.m., cut me a break. ;)

Then I remembered I had some hot pink leopard print fabric laying around that was on clearance for $1 a yard...woo-hoo! The perfect fashionable table cloth!

Like the cupcake stand??? It's really just a little dessert plate stuck to a candlestick. Fancy, I know. (what you DON'T is that it's actually just sticking together with those double sided scrapbook sticker thingies...I was too tired to wait for the glue gun to heat up!) Ahhh, real life. I love it.

Oh, and the Eiffel tower? FREE. I've had that puppy sitting around since Girls Camp last summer! I'm so glad I held onto it!

So, the total out of pocket cost of decorations for this party:

tablecloth: Free (already on hand.)
cupcake stand: Free (already on hand)
crystal chandelier (don't laugh!): FREEEE (you guessed it, already on hand.)
scrapbook paper: $1.25 (okay...I lied. FREE...already on hand)
crepe paper: free....

So....what is the moral of this story? DON'T THROW STUFF AWAY!!! You will find a use for it...I swear. Unless it's like, a scary clown doll...do the world a favor and throw it away. Actually...smash it up first, burn it, and THEN throw it away. *shudder*

Last but not least....

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY WHITNEY!!! I LOVE YOOOU!

Linked to:
Tatertots and Jello

Easy DIY Pumpkins

2011-09-28T11:51:00.001-07:00

It's definitely fall here in Colorado! And I have that incredible itch to bring fall inside the house! I tried the beautifully colored leaves from outside....but the kids thought they'd make great confetti. So...plan B called for making something of my own! These have been SUPER popular lately! I swear...I'm seeing them all over blog land! (Hiiii Lolly Jane!)

We have this HUGE pile of old fence posts in our backyard. They were there when we bought the house. I've been eying them for a while because I knew there was something awesome that could be made from them. they're all old and weathered...totally perfect! So, I played the Fairy Godmother and Bippity Boppity Boo'd them into pumpkins! And the best part is, they won't fall apart and rot at midnight. ;)

I'm not kidding, it was SOOO easy! Anyone can do it! All I did was take my wood post and cut it into three different sizes. We don't have any fancy mitre saws or table saws or anything, so I went out there with the regular hand saw and got to work. (Man...that's a good work out!) I'm pretty sure my 80 year old neighbor thought I was crazy. But I was loving it.

Then, I painted them different shades of red and orange and brown mixed together. After they dried I sanded the edges and sides a little to get the wood to show through.

Last of all, I found 3 pieces of old gnarly branches from outside and stuck them onto the pumpkins with thin nails that I nailed into the top of the pumpkin. With a tiny drill bit, I drilled into the "stems" so there was a hole to fit the nail into. That's it!!! It took me about an hour TOTAL. (I know, right!?!)

*If all of my yapping didn't make any sense, go see my homies at Lolly Jane for a great tutorial!*

I love how they look on my newly fall-ish decorated entry table!

Now...go make some! And then, give yourself a big pat on the back and blog about it so I can see your creation in all it's glory! YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Linked up to:

Naptime Crafters
All Things Thrifty
Tatertots and Jello
DIY by Design
Trendy Treehouse
Eisy Morgan
Someday Crafts
Family Ever After

Mini Nest Necklaces

2011-09-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

I got some new beads yesterday! They are the mini version of the turquoise eggs on the nest necklaces. So, I made some mini nest necklaces! I have to say, they turned out sooooo cute! They are about the size of a penny...so dainty and sweet! They're $8, and that includes shipping! Grab one while you can! And remember, if you want the regular size, I'm still taking custom orders for them! Click HERE! And please be sure to leave a comment letting everyone know that you've claimed that necklace! Thanks! :)

***UPDATE: ALL MINI NEST NECKLACES FROM THE SHOP ARE SOLD! FOR A CUSTOM ORDER, LEAVE ME A COMMENT, I'D BE SO HAPPY TO MAKE ONE JUST FOR YOU!***

My First Senior Portrait Session!

2011-09-26T08:51:00.001-07:00

My "little" brother is a senior this year and this weekend he asked me to take his Senior pictures for him. I was so excited...and nervous...but mostly excited! Most kids here get their pictures taken up in the mountains or something, and we really wanted to do something different. We decided to make them more "manly" and sort of urban grunge. I think we hit it right on!

and... I saved my favorite for last....

I'm really happy with the way they turned out.

And I am AMAAAAAZED at how much time goes in to post-editing pictures! These puppies took me around 8 hours! *gah!* It's no wonder photographers charge so much for pictures, it's a lot of work!

Photography is such an incredible thing...I love how you can freeze time. :)

Anyway, thanks for letting me do your pictures, Brett! It was a blast!

Linked up to:

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

2011-09-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

I thought it might be fun to do a "Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week" type post every Saturday. Can I just say how much I absolutely LOOOVE Pintrest!?! It's literally like getting a new magazine every.single.day. There are so many incredibly talented and creative people and ideas out there! It's just too good not to share! So, my friends, here are my top ten favorite pins of the week. Enjoy!

1. Craft of the Week

Plates with scrapbook paper Mod Podged to them! SO many fun options for this! Like...cookie plates for delivering Christmas cookies? You could use cute Christmas paper on the back! I'm pretty sure they sell clear plates at Dollar Tree....this is on my to-do list for sure!

2. Cute Outfit of the Week

I have some boots almost exactly like this....maybe that's why I like it so much. I love the neutral tones together!

3. Tip of the Week

Use a disposable shower cap to put your shoes in so they don't get that nasty gum that you stepped on in the Target parking lot on your clothes. GENIUS!!!

4. Kid Friendly Craft of the Week

How ADORABLE is this!?! Oh my gosh, I want to make one, like..right NOW.

5. Good Laugh of the Week

I know...I know. Absolutely inappropriate. And hilarious.

6. Inspirational Quote of the Week

7. *DROOL* of the Week

Rolo cookies. Need I say more? The picture says it all!

8. Tutorial of the Week

LOOOOOVE this skirt! Great tutorial by Sew Dang Cute!

9. Hairstyle of the Week

This is the tutorial I used for the hairstyle in my profile picture! It works! :)

10. Home Inspiration of the Week

Now that my kids are going to school, it seems like out entry way has turned into a mess of shoes, coats and backpacks. Mark my words, I WILL build this for my entryway! It's perfect! :)

* * *

Annnnd, that's it! I hope you've enjoyed these Pintrest Top Tens as much as I have! Which one was your favorite?

P.S. If you want to follow me on Pintrest you can click on the "FOLLOW ME ON PINTREST" button on the right sidebar! :)

{You Know You Want One!}

2011-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

It's official! I am selling these! It sounded like there was a lot of interest in my original post on My New Creation. I love this necklace because of the symbolism, it's just so sweet! There is an egg for each of my children, a bird to guard and care for the nest, and a heart for all my love. How perfect is that!?! Would you or someone you know like one, too? Well, now you can! :)

Here are the details

They are only $12, and that includes shipping. You just tell me how many "eggs" you want.

These are the "egg" options I have:
(I ran out of the Original turquoise)

The new super cute Speckled Turquoise which are the same size as the Original Turquoise

Aren't they cute!?! They remind me of robins eggs. :)

The Speckled Turquoise is smaller than the other 2 turquoises, so if you have more than 4 kids I would probably go with the speckled Turquoises unless you want a nest the size of a golf ball around your neck. ;)

Also, I have white freshwater pearls. You can use these for all of your eggs if you want, or if you or whoever the necklace is for has lost a child or baby this can replace the turquoise egg for them. It's like a little angel in your nest. *sniff sniff*

OR

I have these angel wing charms as well. If you want all of the eggs in the nest the same and you or they have lost a child, I can add a pair of angel wings for each little angel they have.

When you decide what you want, I make it and then I put it on my All Things Natsprat blog (http://allthingsnatsprat.blogspot.com/) with a PayPal button as a personalized listing just for you! And, as soon as it's paid for I send it to you. Easy as that! Let me know if you're interested! Order now, the holidays are coming up fast! These would be AWESOME Christmas presents! ;)

Or.....

There are the mini nest necklaces! The turquoise are the same color as the original turquoise, but about half the size. So, if you order a mini necklace, these are the stones I will use. They are so cute and dainty! They're only $10 and that includes shipping! If you would like a little bird on it, please let me know. It is $1 extra. ;)

Thanks so much!

Red Mustard and Teal Beauty

2011-09-22T23:16:00.001-07:00

Here's another necklace I just added to my All Things NatSprat shop! :) It's first come first serve! So, if you want it, hurry and snag it! Be sure to leave a comment with the post letting everyone know you claimed it! Thanks so much!

Price: $14 (includes shipping!)

New Necklace: First Come First Serve! :)

2011-09-22T21:49:00.000-07:00

I just added a new necklace to my All Things NatSprat shop! There is only one, so it's first come, first serve! This necklace is PERFECT for fall....oh my gosh, don't you just love these colors together!?!

Cost: $14 including shipping!

So, if you want it, head on over and grab it while you can! And if you do grab it, please leave a comment saying you claim it so others know it's already been taken! ;)

My New Creation

2011-09-21T14:49:00.000-07:00

My newest creation. I am absolutely obsessed with it! There is an egg for each of my children, a bird to "guard" the nest, and a heart for all of my love! I'm thinking about making them and selling them! I think they'd do great with the holidays coming up! What do you think???

No-Sew Felt Flower Pillow Tutorial

2011-09-20T09:24:00.000-07:00

A while ago I did a guest post tutorial for this felt flower pillow and thought you guys would like it, too! It's SO easy and SO cute! I would love to make like..a hundred of them with different fabrics and colors of felt! In fact, I think I will. Ready for the tutorial? Here we go!

YOU WILL NEED:

3 sheets of felt
Scissors
Gluegun/gluesticks
A pillow you would like to dress up

Next, find 3 different sized things to trace. I used a sour cream lid, a cup, and a small can of diced green chilis. Use a marker that is just a little darker than the felt so you can see it.

On the first 2 sheets, you will trace 4 large circles and 3 small circles.

On the third sheet, you'll trace 6 medium circles and 3 more small circles.

Now, cut out all of your circles. You should have:

Next, cut them all in half.

Get your pillow, and lay out 9 of the large petals in a circle. Don't glue them yet...just get them situated to your liking.

Once you get them where you want them, THEN you can glue them on.

Layer on a second layer of LARGE petals.

Now a layer of MEDIUM petals...

And a second layer of MEDIUM petals.

Now, take 8 of your small petals and cut them in half.

Now, round off the corners.

Finish layering your small petals, ending with the ones you cut in half. Then, cut a circle of felt to fill in the hole in the middle. I traced a spool of thread, it was the perfect size! It will end up looking like this:

And now....give yourself a big pat on the back. :)

How cute would this be on a patterned pillow? Or you can also put a rolled fabric rosette in the center like this:

See, easy peasy. :) And, with the holidays coming up, now would be a great time to make some for Christmas presents! Everyone will be SO impressed! *wink wink*

Linked up to:

My New Blog Design {phew!}

2011-09-17T20:11:00.000-07:00

Like my new blog design? Want to hear the story?

Here it goes.

It's after 1 a.m. and I have been sitting at the computer for about 3 hours trying not to hyperventilate or throw the monitor. Silly me, I just wanted to try on a few new blog backgrounds. It's like...trying on shoes, right? No big deal...no serious commitment. Well, one of them I "tried on" completely scrambled my blog and my posts weren't showing up or anything. SO, luckily, before I had "tried on" other blog templates and backgrounds I saved the blog html to my hard drive and was able to start from scratch. Well, in the meantime, I stumbled across an AMAZING blog...who you've probably heard of...

(Dearest Kevin and Amanda...I love you.)

They had a WONDERFUL post on how to design your own blog background! So...I got to work. And it was hard. And fun. Which, basically is fard. (can you tell it's after 1 a.m.?)

So, they also have FREE digital mini scrapbooking kits that you can download, which you need if you are going to design your own blog background. And come on...you know you do. It's kind of the same feeling as going somewhere and seeing someone that's wearing the same outfit as you. "Awwww man....she has the same dress. And dang...it looks SO much better on HER!"

*Awwwwkward*

Well, thanks to their amazing tutorial on how to design your own blog, I have my own {unique} blog design that I absolutely love!

Also, here is another great website for free digiscrap downloads:

Shabby Princess.com

So...Whadda'ya think?

Wadda'I think? I think I'll go to bed now. :)

Trash into Treasure

2011-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I am totally kicking myself for not taking before pictures of this...I was just so darn anxious to turn it into something amazing! I found this for $1 at the thrift store. It had a really ugly picture of Precious Moments dolls at the top and it was red. I was giddy about it as I brought it up to the register...sometimes I wonder what the cashiers are thinking when I bring things up to the counter so excited about them. "Man...I bet this chick's house is HIDEOUS." or "Man...this chick has horrible taste! UGH!"

But who cares. I thrive off of making beautiful things out of junk!

This is my latest creation! I painted the frame gray and antiqued it. Then I Mod Podged some paper over the ugly picture. Then, I cut out some vinyl letters with my handy dandy Silhouette
and stuck them on. I finished it off with some of my rolled fabric rosettes and some ribbon and that's it! This whole project only took me about an hour!

Hmmm...now I just have to get brave enough to write on it. If only my handwriting was as cute as the font....

Linked up to:

I'm on FB!

2011-09-14T09:02:00.000-07:00

Guess what! Guess what! (Say, "What?") You can now follow NatSprat on facebook! I don't know what took me so long...*smacking forehead*

Click HERE to find me!

Or, you can follow the "become a fan on facebook" button on my sidebar whenever you want! :)

The Big Change

2011-09-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

Well....I have a bit of news. I am no longer a homeschooler. This is kind of bittersweet for me. This year I tried to homeschool Aaron and Whitney...and if you remember my post on The "H" Word, I was pretty nervous about homeschooling 2 kids at the same time. Well, my fears were confirmed. I just couldn't do it! It was SO hard to try and bounce between the 2 kids and making sure they weren't falling behind. We weren't getting done with school until about 5:00 in the evening! It was awful. :( I turned into this totally stressed out monster and felt like all I did was nag, "Finish your math! Come on! We've been working on this for 2 hours!!!" And I just think Aaron couldn't handle me being his mom and his teacher at the same time. It was so frustrating! He is an interesting boy. His mind works like nobody I've ever seen.

Here was our conversation:

Me: "Aaron, today we're going to learn about an awesome color! Can you tell me what color your shirt is today?"

Aaron: "Um......it's red!"

Me: "Good! Now...can you tell me what color Lightning McQueen is?"

Aaron: "He's red!"

Me: "Good! Now, what color are our dining room walls?"

Aaron: "They're red!"

Me: "Great job! So, can you guess what color we're going to talk about today?"

Aaron: "Um.....BLUE!"

I swear...I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

My husband had taken off two weeks, and his second week off was our first week of school. It was kind of embarrassing to have him home to witness the chaos. Me trying to help Whitney with her math AND help Aaron with his writing with Kate crying at my feet, "Mommy! Mommy! Hold you? Hold you? WAAAAAAAAH!!!" I wasn't dressed...I hadn't done my hair or makeup in three days, the house was a WRECK, dinner was never made on time, and I was in tears at least twice a day.

So, he came and sat with me and said the magic words. "Honey, I think we should look into putting the kids into public school. "

I was relieved and heartbroken at the same time. I know it's what was best for the kids, and I knew they'd LOVE school and everything would be okay. But...I was heartbroken that I couldn't handle it. It's embarrassing to admit....I failed. So many other parents homeschool like eight kids all at once! And I couldn't even handle two! Sigh.

So, the next day I took the kids to the school and enrolled them. I got to have a tour of the school and meet the teachers *who are just SO cute!* and I felt much better.

I couldn't sleep that night. I was so nervous. What if I slept in and they missed the bus? What if they won't wake up? What if I forget to put their lunches in their backpack? What if they start crying? What if I start crying? What will I do all day? Will they be okay???

The next morning we all said family prayer together, I took them both to school, walked them to their classrooms, gave them big hugs, told them I loved them and went back home. I didn't cry like I thought I would...I was more excited for them than anything. I knew they were in good hands and that they would make friends and have a blast! But, I couldn't wait for them to come home! I couldn't wait to see them get off of the big yellow bus and come running to me! And...they did. :)

I have to admit...I am LOVING the peace and quiet days I have now. I am LOVING going to the grocery store with only one kid to worry about. I am LOVING taking naps with Kate during her nap time. I am LOVING having a clean house. I am LOVING baking things so they can have after school snacks. I am LOVING having dinner ready on time. And I am LOVING hearing their stories of their adventures at school when they come home! They seem so happy and excited! And...I think everything is going to be okay.

{Classic Vintage Rustic Reception}

2011-09-09T20:03:00.000-07:00

My brother Matt got married a few weeks ago. They had a GORGEOUS reception up at Sundance in Utah. Oh my gosh, have you ever been to Sundance??? If not, you MUST go. Their reception theme was...well...the only way I can think of to describe it was classy vintage rustic. And I am kicking myself for not taking any pictures while we were there. I was too busy chasing after my kids, eating, talking, dancing and just having a GREAT time!

A few weeks later we held an open house for them here at my parents house. Now, my parent's house is really cool. It was built in 1908, so it's sort of a classic victorian style brick house with pillars and all...it's beautiful. (Hmmm. I wish I had a picture of it.) Anyway...we kind of wanted to go with the same theme as their reception in Sundance. I was SO EXCITED to help with the decorations and stuff! Seriously, I thrive off of that sort of stuff.

So, to start out, I made this:

It is SO easy to do! All I did was paint and antique a shadow box frame (you can use any frame, though, it doesn't have to be shadowbox!) and I printed a big "Mr. & Mrs." onto some brown cardstock. (The font I used is called Traveling Typewriter from Dafont.com). I LOOOVE that font! Then, I put the printed paper into the frame, added a 3D paper flower I had cut out with my Silhouette, and that's it! This would be SUCH a fast, easy, inexpensive and AWESOME wedding gift for anyone! You could even just type their initials or their last name...so many possibilities!

I was also in charge of making cupcakes and a display for the cupcakes. Our local thrift store was having a rennovation sale, so everything I got was 25 cents! I bought a bunch of random plates and candlesticks and little bowl things and we glued them together to use as cupcake stands. They turned out so cute! ANNND, if you just glue them together with a glue gun instead of permanent E600, you can pop them apart and store them or wash them or whatever. When you're ready to use them again, just glue them together with the glue gun again.

I also made some cupcake toppers and wrappers with my Silhouette. They were a big hit!

I also cut out some strips of card-stock and circles with "R" for Reschke to make some napkin holders. We tied it all together with twine. So simple and so cute!

I think everything came together so well!

And, last but not least...a picture of the happy couple! They are SUCH goofballs, I just love them! Matt picked an AMAZING girl, she is a perfect addition to the family! :)

Linked up to:
Lolly Jane
Candace Creations
Tatertots & Jello

Master Bedroom Makeover

2011-08-31T21:36:00.000-07:00

Guess who has a new master bedroom? Mua. Muah...Moi? Cursed French. It's MEEEE! The long story made short is....my husband turned our previous master bedroom into a home gym. He put the treadmill, weights cage, free weights, benches, etc. in the bedroom so he doesn't have to work out in the freezing cold garage this winter. I know, I'm such a nice wife. But I'm totally happy because our master bedroom had turned into sort of a "catch all" room. Random mismatched bookshelves, storage bins, guitar amps and guitars...you name it, it was probably in our room somewhere. I wanted a room that FELT like a bedroom, ya know? So, I'm TOTALLY not complaining. We moved the girls in together (which they are LOVING) and we moved the master bedroom into Whitney's "old" room. Would you like to see what I did?

First, there was finding a paint color. I wanted something that was in between brown and gray. I chose Better Homes and Gardens 814 Earthy Stoneware. This color ended up PERFECT. Exactly what I imagined! I really wanted some contrast with the white and light robin egg blue.

I wanted something like the hotels have now for bedding...the white coverlet that they just fold the sheets over. I love that it looks so crisp and clean and that it's easy to just throw in the wash.
I got this nice set from Target for around $50. I love climbing into a crisp clean bed!

I made each of the pillows accept for the brown one...(I can't even imagine how long it would take to make the brown one! *GAG*)

All of the fabrics are Premier Print fabrics from Fabric.com. I absolutely LOVE the giant shabby rosette pillows! OH! And do you want to know how I got the size for the blue pillows? All I did was cut a normal queen sized pillow in half and sewed the edge closed! It makes a perfect longer rectangle size. DON'T cut a pillow full of feathers in half...just FYI. Not that I did it or anything...*giggle*

I also covered an old canvas that I had with the fabric and stenciled on a "B". The frames were SOOO easy, too! I just took some old frames and took out the backing and glass and made a bunch of shabby fabric rosettes. Then, I glued them to the frame and that's it! I LOVE, LOVE, LOOOOVE my shabby rosette frames!

Annnnd, that's it! An easy, inexpensive change up for a BEAUTIFUL bedroom.

Linked up to:

Ballard Cork Board Knock Off

2011-08-27T17:28:00.000-07:00

I have been drooling over the latest Ballard catalog. I have been wanting one of their big cork boards for FOREVER. But...at $300 it just isn't possible. Or is it? Wait...IT IS! I just have to make my own!

I've been on the prowl for a big cork board and chunky frame all summer. The thrift store hasn't had any. Then, yesterday my mom called me from down the street, "Hey, Nat! There's a garage sale down here on the corner, you should come check it out!"

So, I did. And guess what I found. For 50 cents. That's right, 50 cents! Pretend you didn't notice it's upside down. And, they had a big cork board for $2, too! Talk about jackpot!

So, I ripped out the picture. Then, I took it out to spray paint it with Krylon Ivory Gloss. While it was drying I removed the cork board from it's frame and cut the board to the same size as the picture. Then, I stuck the cork board piece in it and......TA DAAAH! My very own beauuutiful cork board.

I love it. Like...a lot. Take that, Ballard!!! And I'll keep my $297.50, thank you very much.

This project was SOOO easy! And SO inexpensive! Stay on the lookout and you'll find just what you're looking for!

Linked up to:
Nifty Thrifty Things
Tatertots and Jello
Little Rays of Sunshine
The Girl Creative
Making the World Cuter
Family Ever After
DIY Home Sweet Home

Platter Platter On The Wall...

2011-08-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have been doing a little "updating" in our dining room. I have been trying to find some nice wall decorations for our dining room and it has been so frustrating! But...I think I finally found something I like! I've been seeing a lot of nice wall collages going up lately, and I wanted to do something similar. So, off to the thrift store I went and spent about $8 on random plates, frames and platters. Now, the cool thing about these plates and platters is that they are PLASTIC. So, there will be less mess if they fall off of the wall. Nothing has fallen so far...*crossing fingers*.

I really love how it all turned out. I spray painted everything in Krylon Ivory Gloss. (Remember how much I love Krylon spray paint???) Then, I put that Scotts Wall Mounting Tape on the backs of the plates and platters and stuck them to the wall.

This is my favorite piece of the collage...a pretty wall...sconce...thing. I drool over the details every time I look at it.

THAT'S IT! Oh how I love easy peasy beautiful! (Dude...that totally sounded like that "easy breezy beautiful, COVERGIRL commercial! HAHAH!)

Linked up to:
Thrifty Decorating
Tatertots and Jello
Nifty Thrifty Things
Little Rays of Sunshine
Making The World Cuter
DIY Home Sweet Home

The BEST Homemade Granola Recipe!

2011-08-23T19:44:00.000-07:00

Hey y'all! I'm back from the wedding, my nicely wrapped gift made it safely to the new bride and groom's apartment and I have an AWESOME recipe for you today!

I don't know about you, but this whole economy thing has been kinda sorta freaking me out. I've been trying to be a lot more frugal with things, and especially trying to learn how to cook with our food storage so I don't have to be trying to learn while I'm under a lot of stress ~~the world is ending~~ and don't know what the heck I'm doing.

Food storage, you ask? Yup. I'm talking wheat, beans, rice, dehydrated and freeze dried fruits and vegetables, powdered milk (gag), oats...stuff like that. I am LDS, and our church leaders of have advised us to have at least a years supply of food storage so that we are prepared. (It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark, ya know?) I've been working on building ours up for about 5 years now. I could do an ENTIRE week of posts on food storage, maybe later. Right now, I'm hungry. (Though, if you would be interested in some posts on food storage, what to get, where to get it, how much you need per person, how to store it, etc. let me know!)

So, ANYWAYYYYY...I decided to make homemade granola yesterday. I have to say, it turned out AMAZING! Granola can be really expensive! At Safeway it's around $4 a box. A little box at that. I made about 7 cups of it for around $1. No joke. And it tasted SOOOO much better than the store bought granola with all sorts of random preservatives and who knows what in it! Now, aren't you just dying for the recipe? :)

HEEEERE YOU GO!

Honey Coconut Granola

4 C. rolled oats
1 C. whole wheat flour (you can use white, too...)
3/4 C. honey OR
1 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (it just gives it more of a maple-ish flavor)
(heck...maybe you could try half honey and half maple syrup! Mmmmm!)
1 C. coconut
1/4 C. cooking oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. chopped pecans (optional)

Thoroughly mix together. Spread on a cookie sheet, bake at 300 degrees for 25 minutes stirring occasionally while baking.

You can also add things like sesame seeds, cinnamon, chopped almonds, raisins, etc. but add the raisins AFTER you bake it or it'll be like eating raisin flavored rocks. And we ALL know that eating raisin flavored rocks is no fun.

The best part is that granola is so versatile! It's not just for breakfast. You can put in on parfaits or use it as an ice cream topping! You can even use it as cobbler topping in your dutch ovens. Man, I love this stuff. Oh man. I'm starving. I think I'll go have a snack, and I'll bet you can't guess what it is. :)

ENJOY, my sweet little granola munchers!

Just Say NO to BOWS! {BEAUTIFUL GIFT-WRAPPING}

2011-08-17T13:18:00.001-07:00

Ladies and Gentlemen, the days of boring gift-wrapping are over. Just say NO to BOWS! Who knew gift-wrapping could be so much fun!?! I didn't.

I had originally bought a GIANT bow at Dollar Tree, thinking that it would do just fine. But as I pulled off the sticky tape from the back, I just couldn't bring myself to put it on the box. I knew there had to be a better way. So, I searched "gift-wrapping" in Pintrest....OH MERCY ME. (If you haven't done that yet, do it.)

I ended up doing THIS instead:

and a close up....

Everything I needed I already had on hand. Wrapping paper, ribbon, fabric strips, cute buttons, mesh stuff, beads/pearls, a gluegun/gluesticks and a crystal thing from Walmart. (It comes in a package of 20 or so in the craft/floral section).

You can do it, too! There are SO many possibilities! Now, get out your scraps and glue gun, put away the usual sticky-back bows and get creative!

For my tutorial on how to make the fabric rosettes on the gift, click HERE.

Now...how do I get this box through a 10 hour trip to Utah without it being destroyed??? Hmmmmmm. :/

Linked up to:
Thrifty Decorating
Tatertots and Jello
Nifty Thrifty Things
Making the World Cuter
DIY Home Sweet Home

Anthropologie Inspired Wedding Gifts

2011-08-15T08:57:00.001-07:00

First of all, if you are by brother Matt or future SIL Jessica STOP READING NOW!!! Or, keep reading and PRETEND to be surprised when you open your wedding present, a'ight?

Now, for the rest of you, here's the scoop. My little brother is getting married this weekend. I still can't believe it! He grew up waaaay too fast. But, I am so excited for him, and I absolutely adore his fiancé. He picked a REALLY great girl and she's going to be a FABULOUS addition to the family! So...then comes the hard part. What is harder than finding something to wear to the wedding? ANSWER: The perfect wedding present. Remember how we live in the little tiny middle of nowhere place with nowhere to shop other than Walmart? Well, they aren't registered at Walmart...and honestly, our little valley Walmart is pretty pathetic. SOOOO, what is a girl to do!?! Especially when there is no Anthropologie here? And that's the style they like? Well. I'll tell you. HELLOOOO KNOCKOFFS! So...are you ready to see some nice shabby chic goodness? Good. :)

It all started off with an ugly gold-ish frame. However, it had great details and lots of potential. A little paint and creativity turned it into THIS:

(Just choose a base color, paint it, let it dry, and then choose an accent color and lightly go over the details and edges to make it look shabby. That's it!)

I love creating things because it's something that nobody else has. Which, is da bomb. And all that.

So then I had this knob...hanging....thing (really, I don't know what it's called) that was pink and on clearance from Hobby Lobby (thanks, Mom!) and I fixed it up into THIS:

She can use it to hang necklaces or scarves or whatever she wants. I am SOOO incredibly tempted to keep it for myself. Sigh. But, I already have one. And it's in their wedding invitation colors. Hopefully she'll like the set. Annnd, maybe it will inspire her on how to decorate their bedroom. I'm picturing something like THIS:

And, I'm going to make them a matching throw pillow now. Out of THIS fabric (which is on sale at fabric.com!)

Annnnnd, that's the awesomeness of keeping an eye out for things that have potential. Look for cute details and use your imagination! This whole set only cost about $7. That's including the pillow! (You did not just read that, Matt and Jessica....what I meant to say was $70.)

Now, get out there to your local thrift store or garage sale and get crazy! :)

Linked up to:
Someday Crafts
Nifty Thrifty Things
Making The World Cuter

The "H" word.

2011-08-09T10:02:00.000-07:00

School is about to start. The good part about this is that I will no longer see this face. Okay, that didn't come out right...what I meat was I will no longer see this LOOK. I will indeed see this sweet little face EVERY.SINGLE.DAY of the school year because I homeschool. What I won't see is the "Mommmmm, I'm bored" face. Follow?

I'm kind of nervous about this school year. Last year, I just homeschooled Whitney. This year I have Whitney AND Aaron who is starting Kindergarten. Don't get me wrong, I love homeschooling, but it's a lot of work. And I never get tired of the looks from people when I tell them I homeschool. Why? Because I can just imagine what is going through their heads when they hear the word HOMESCHOOL. It probably looks something like this: (watch it...you won't regret it!!!)

(I never get tired of that video! It's hilarious!)

I never thought in a million years that I would ever homeschool...I thought homeschooled kids were weird. I thought homeschool parents were even WEIRDER. But, my oldest daughter, Whitney has health problems and I didn't feel comfortable having her so far away. If she died at school I would never forgive myself. So, I did Kindergarten with her at home. I didn't use any particular program or set of books, I used a bunch of different things. And to my surprise, I actually REALLY enjoyed it! With 1st grade, I felt we needed more structure. So, after a lot of prayer and searching, I decided on doing the K12.com program.

K12 is actually an online public school. (yes, that's right, PUBLIC school!) It's free, it's accredited, and it is individualized to your student. They send you all of your books, supplies, and even a computer for your child (yes, it's all free)! You are assigned a homeroom teacher who you keep in close contact with for questions and such, and you meet with them a few times a year for testing to make sure your child is where they are supposed to be academically. They still have things like field trips, but instead of riding on a bus up to the museum or the zoo or wherever it is, you go as a family and get to meet other families from K12. And, they have fun things like pen pal programs, and in the summer they have field trips to Elitch Gardens at half price! It really is a neat school!

What do I like about homeschooling?

I don't have to be up before sunrise to drag them out of bed, get them dressed, make their lunches, get them to the bus stop, and if they MISS the bus I don't have to drive them to school and worry about them being tardy.

I love that we can start whenever we're ready. We don't have to start at 8:00 sharp. If we feel like starting an hour late, we can.

I love that I get to be the one to see the excitement on their faces when they understand something.

I love that we have a homeroom teacher (whom we ADORE) so I'm not doing this all on my own with nobody to turn to for questions.

I love that God is allowed at school. 'Nuff said.

(Whitney wants me to add that she likes not having to worry about bullies...)

I love that it's not a big deal to miss a day if they're sick. (And honestly, I do love that I don't have to worry about them bringing home whatever is going around school)

I love that we can go on family trips or field trips whenever we want! We don't have to worry about missing school, we can take school with us!

I love that we can get all of their school work done in about 4 hours, instead of them having an 8 hour day. Things go a lot faster when you don't have to wait for the rest of the class to finish. ;)

I love that it is so structured. I just look online at the class schedule for the day at what needs to be done, I get them started, I help them when they need help, and when they finish it I mark it as completed. That's it.

I love that the kids take a little assessment test at the end of each lesson to make sure they understand what they were supposed to learn. If they don't pass it, we go over the lesson again and re-take it. I always know they are ready to move on.

I love that our day is so flexible. If they need a break or are really having a difficult time, we can stop and take a breather and then give it another try. And, if they need to spend more time on something, they can. Or, if something is really easy for them, we can move on faster. The school is built around your child, not your child built to the school.

I love the way the school teaches. Part of the class is workbook activities, and the other part is online. They usually have fun interactive games and things for them to do. Like, when we were learning about the ocean, they got to play a simulated submarine game to explore the ocean. There were sea creatures they could click on to learn more about them. And the deeper they went into the ocean, the darker it got and the cooler the creatures were. It was fun even for ME! :)

I love just being able to be with my kids. I love KNOWING what they are learning and not having to worry about them being taught something I don't agree with. (Especially with everything going on these days!)

These are just a FEW of the things I like about homeschooling. I'm not saying that I think public school is bad...I think there are so many awesome things about public school, and I think the WORLD of teachers. They are amazing! And, I know it's not for everyone. Annnnd, I don't know what my future holds, but I feel very blessed that I am able to homeschool them for now.

So, anywayyyy, if you are interested in using K12 with your family, you can learn more at K12.com! I'm not even getting paid for this...that's how much I love it!

I'm Baaack!

2011-08-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, I swear I'm still here!

First, our hard drive on our computer died. (Second time in 1 year! AAARGH!) So, we've been without a computer for a while. I lost ALLLLL of my pictures, and it still makes me want to throw up when I think about it. We even bought an external hard drive about a year ago. It's still in it's box. Lesson learned. If you buy an external hard drive to back up your stuff...USE IT. *smacking forehead against computer monitor*

Then, I was gone because my beloved Grandpa passed away. That was an emotional roller coaster because every day my Dad would call and say "today will probably be the day...I just can't imagine he will last much longer." He did this every day for a week! My Grandpa had a big strong heart...and I'm sure it was using Energizer batteries. It was a bittersweet occasion, half of me is so sad that he isn't here anymore, yet the other half of me is so relieved and happy for him. He suffered from Parkinson's Disease, and while his mind was still so alive, he was trapped in a body that prevented him from saying all of the wonderful things he wanted to say or doing the the things he wanted to do. It was heartbreaking. I don't know what I would do without the gospel of Jesus Christ....knowing that families are FOREVER and that I will see him again. I know he'll be watching over us and looking in on us from time to time...it's not the end of his book, just the beginning of another chapter. And it was nice to get back up to Utah to see everyone. My Grandma has been so strong through all of this, she is such an amazing woman. I am so blessed to be part of such an incredible family!

I don't remember the last time we had a family picture. And my dad had to hold me up because my heels were sinking into the grass! P.S...that is the last time I will EVER wear high heels to a funeral. *OUCH*

ANNNNND, I've been busy painting. We turned our master bedroom into a "home gym" because our garage is so friggin hot in the summer, and FREEEZING in the winter. So, we moved the girls in together (they are LOVING sharing a room!) and we moved the master bedroom into Whitney's old room. I was kind of sad to paint over the cute bedroom colors, but I love the way our new master bedroom turned out! Pictures to come soon! I just have to hang all the wall decorations and stuff.

So...stay tuned!

Happy Birthday To America....and to ME!

2011-07-05T17:39:00.000-07:00

I have, like, the COOLEST birthday ever. I celebrate mine on the same day as our marvelous country. I get parades, barbeques, fireworks....seriously. It's awesome.

I started my day out with a lovely breakfast made by Michael....apple cinnamon puffy pancakes, bacon and orange juice. The perrrfect start to my day!

Then I opened my present from him....a tri-pod for my camera! YESSSS! And guess what...
it works! *SAY CHEEESE!*

Then we were off to the parade in downtown Alamosa with my family....

The firetrucks were too loud for Whitney...

And I could not stop laughing at this float! HILARIOUS!!! I think we live a little too close to area 51 if you know what I mean. Even the aliens are happy it's America's birthday. And my birthday. But mostly America because I'm sure they enjoy all of our fireworks from the far reaches of space.

Then my mom took me into JCPenneys for a little shopping...I found some shorts and capris! Thanks, Mom! (It is so stinking hot this summer! *GAG*)

Then we went home and I took a 2 hour nap. Can you say HEAVEN??? I can. And it is spelled N.A.P.

Then we went to my parents house for dinner. They made my favorite shish-ka-bobs (I don't know how it's really spelled...)

(Awwww, my Daddy. I love him!!!)

Then I opened my presents. Lots and LOTS of Chocolate. And a dandelion digger thing so I don't have to keep using the butcher knife. Maybe I'm scaring our neighbors? :)

F.Y.I....yes, she is. Just wait...it gets better.

My mom made a BEAUTIFUL cheesecake for me! Don't you wish you were there? I think there is still a piece in the fridge...first come, first serve! (Helloooo 700 calories per slice! Come to Mama!)

Then, my brothers put on a lovely fireworks show. It really was the perfect ending to the perfect birthday! Thanks to all who made it so special!

And most importantly,

GOD BLESS AMERICA,

LAND THAT I LOVE!!!

I am so lucky to get to share my birthday with the greatest country on Earth. I couldn't stop thinking about all of the miracles and sacrifices that have made our country free. Happy Birthday, America! And me. But, mostly America. :)

My Marriage Miracle

2011-07-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

WOW! I am completely blown away at the support and encouragement I've received after my last post! THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOUUUU! It was so nice to know I'm not alone!

I spent the past week at Girls Camp with the Young Women from church, and it was a WONDERFUL, much needed break. I feel so refreshed! And I was SOOOO ready to come home to my little family, I could hardly stand it!

The funny thing is, my husband stayed home to take care of the kids while I was gone. In my mind I was secretly hoping he would see how hard being a mom was. I was expecting to come home to a torn up house, messy kids, a totally cranky husband and an empty fridge. To my surprise, when I walked into the front door, the house was ABSOLUTELY CLEAN. It was quiet. There was food in the fridge. I was like, "What on earth!?!" He was out with the kids on a bike ride! He even went out and bought one of those bike trailers to pull Kate behind him in. The kids were dressed and clean, and Kate's hair was in little pigtails. I was completely blown away! Not only this, but he had gotten up every morning and made the kids breakfast. Like...pancakes and french toast and bacon and eggs! He had even trained the kids to put their dishes into the dishwasher when they're done eating (why hadn't I thought of that!?!) I'm not kidding, this man is a better mom than I am.

My life has changed SO much in the past month or so. My marriage was falling apart and I didn't know how we were going to fix it. We've tried counseling before, but it didn't help and was pretty much a big waste of time and money. Do you want to know what has been the miracle in our marriage? THIS BOOK.

Did you know that people show and need love in different ways? It's like two people speaking different languages. Sure, two people who speak different languages can talk to eachother, but will they know what the heck the other one is saying??? Not really. One of our BIGGEST problems in our marriage is that our love languages are different and we had no idea! There is a quiz that you take to help you figure out which love language is the one you speak/need. The 5 love languages are PHYSICAL TOUCH, ACTS OF SERVICE, WORDS OF AFFIRMATION, GIVING/GETTING GIFTS, and QUALITY TIME.

The test has 30 multiple choice questions, answered A B C or D. Then, you tally up your answes to see which things are most important to you and helps you to figure out which love languages you and your spouse speak/understand. Then, there are different chapters on each love language and how to speak it. The first love language I need/understand is acts of service. This means that the things that mean the most to me are things like him doing dishes...he shows me he loves me by the things he does for me. My second love language is quality time. I need to spend time with him, whether it's taking a sunset stroll or playing a video game together, it doesn't matter. I need that one on one time. This is how he "fills my love tank". People are like cars, if their tank is empty, they can't go. His love language is Physical Touch, (as are most men's first love language...hahah!). But, if my love tank is empty because he hasn't done anything to fill it, I am a lot less likely to feel like being intimate, and if I'm not filling his tank, he won't want to do things to help me or spend time with me. Get my drift? It has really been AMAAAZING to see the change in my husband. He had NOOO idea that helping around the house and spending a little one on one time with me each day would mean so much to me. Now, his second love language is also acts of service. I found out that the most important things to him are coming home to a clean house, having dinner ready at least a half an hour after he comes home (he's usually starrrrrving), and silly little things like putting my shoes in the closet! I had no idea how important those things were to him, either. SO, now I focus more attention to making sure I do a "turbo clean sweep" of the house before he comes home and making sure he has dinner soon after he gets home. I make the bed and put away my shoes...such easy little things! And we have both been SOOO much happier! Both of our tanks are being filled, thus we have fuel to give to the other. I highly recommend this book, it has worked wonders.

Annnnd, that's your reading assignment for this week. :) Even if your marriage is peachy keen, it's still fun to discover more about you and your spouse. And, if I were Queen, I'd make everyone who is even THINKING about getting married read this book so they know what their love languages are so their relationship stays going in the right direction.

AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER. THE END.

I've Got Some Exshhhplaining To Do...

2011-06-21T20:33:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone! So....I've been getting asked why I've dropped off the planet. Here's the scoop... *deep breath*

First off, after the American Crafter competition I was just sort of drained. Just the thought of a can of spray paint made my head start to throb. (I know, SO sad, huh.) So...I haven't even seen my glue gun in a month...and sadly I don't miss it yet. Hopefully I can re-kindle my love for crafts soon. But, I've got a lot of other things going on in life right now...I need to get those fixed before I can work on anything else. Hence the no posts...I figured you'd rather just not hear anything from me than hear me whine. ;)

I'm usually not a whiner...the problem is that I just hold everything in until I explode. Truth be told, I've just been having a hard time with life. I know how horrible this sounds....but do you ever just get tired of your life??? Lately, I have been. It's the same thing, day after day. Being a Mom is hard. We don't get to come home from work, put up our feet and turn on the TV to watch a game and relax. No, our job is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Day shift AND night shift. Give. Give. Give. It's all we do, all day long. "Mom, I need this. Mom, Aaron hit me. Mom, do cows pee milk? Mom, I'm hungry. Mom, I'm bored. Mom, I think Kate is poopy and she's stinking up the house. Mom, this dinner is gross. I don't want to eat it. Mom, where are my shoes? Mom, what is a million trillion plus a zillion? Mom, Kate wiped a booger on me! Mom, I need such and such." Then, in between all of the "Mom, I...." there is the cleaning, and the cooking, and the cleaning up AFTER the cooking, and the laundry, and the shopping (remember the Shopping Trip of Horrors Post??? YEAH.), and the doing things for our church callings and civic duties and everything else we have to do. (Like trying to keep the husband happy. SIGH) And the saddest part? Everything we do is erased by the end of the day. I have nothing to show for all I've done by the time my husband comes home from work other than the appearance that I have been a total lazy slob. The kids have destroyed the clean house. My freshly mopped floor is sticky with spilled juice and graham crackers are smashed into the just vacuumed carpet. The bed I made this morning has been torn apart by three little monkeys jumping on the bed. The dinner I made is gone and all that is left are dishes for ME to clean up. The laundry I washed and folded and put away, somehow it's all dirty again. (And someone PLEASE tell me why boys can't seem to pee INTO the toilet bowl and not down the friggin sides of the toilet!?!) All the little things just start to build and build...and I just feel like I'm losing my mind! Sometimes I wish someone would just take care of me for a day, ya know? "Honey, why don't you go take a hot bath and relax, let me do the dishes." I feel like I have to do everything on my own. Probably because I do.

Then, there is my constant struggle with my weight. It's such a roller coaster! I've put on about ten pounds in the past month. I've just completely fallen off of the wagon. I stress eat and it is HORRIBLE. Why can't I stress eat celery or carrots? Seriously. Today I ate an entire bag of Lays Salt and Vinegar Kettle Chips and a bag of Nutter Butter Bites. Sigh. That probably took care of my entire calorie allotment for the week! :(

The saddest part is that I'm already on anti-depressants. I've been on them for about a year now. (Hellooo Zoloft) So, I shouldn't be feeling so down. I've already upped my dosage to help me deal...but it's just not working. I feel like a crazy person because I'm on them...I hate knowing that I need them just to get through a day. It's embarrassing. But what else can I do? I remember what life was like when I wasn't on them, and it's not a place I want to go back to. But then, at the same time...I wonder if I'm sad because life is hard? Or am I sad because I'm chemically imbalanced? It's like asking which came first, the chicken or the egg.

Well, that's definitely enough whining for the day. If you made it through this whole post give yourself a big pat on the back! :) Hopefully I'll be back soon in full force. Thanks for all who checked in on me, I have such great blog BFF's! :)

Buisness Time and Racist Dragons. FOR REALS.

2011-05-26T20:35:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh, have you seen these youtube videos of the Flight of the Conchords!?! You HAVE to watch them...I can't stop laughing! Enjoy!

!!!Little Man Mustache Baby Shower!!!

2011-05-23T12:06:00.000-07:00

OH.MY. GOSH. You HAVE to check out this baby shower my friend Emily threw! It is the CUTEST little boy shower I have ever seen! She keeps coming up with the most amazing parties! WOW.

Click HERE to see the whole party! UH-MA-ZING!

A Happy Bummer

2011-05-23T10:09:00.001-07:00

Well, I didn't make it through to finals. I'm kinda bummed...and kind of relieved at the same time. It was a lot of pressure and so many things got neglected while I was trying to get my projects finished. I'm excited to have made it as far as I did and all the new blog friends I made! And I got lots of great things made! Like, Whitney's desk...cute lawn chairs...and an AWESOME suitcase! Well, now I'm of to go catch up on all of the things I neglected! :) Laundry and housework, here I come!

I Heart Actions and Presets!

2011-05-22T15:44:00.000-07:00

This weekend my ADORABLE niece, Jenna had a ballet recital! I got to do her hair and makeup and even got to take some pictures of her after the recital. Isn't she adorable!?! I have been having a lot of fun playing around with my new Photoshop. There are so many fun actions and stuff out there! Two of my favorite places to find actions and presets so far are the Coffeeshop Blog, and the Pioneer Woman blog. They are UH-MA-ZING!!! What kind of resources have you guys used to learn photography??? Do share! :)

American Crafter Round 3

2011-05-20T17:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's round 3! I can't believe I'm still in the competition. (Thank you, guys!!! I couldn't have made it this far without you!!!) The talent is SOOOO amazing in this group! Especially in THIS round! **I'm shaking in my custom baby seal leather boots** (5 imaginary bonus points if you can guess the movie that line is from.)

Well, you wanna see what my project was? Do ya? Do ya?

Tah-daaaaah! My own Pottery Barn knock-off lounge chairs.

I was looking through some Pottery Barn Kids magazines, and they have the cutest stuff! I love the new beach designs they've come out with this summer! I've really wanted some cute lawn chairs for the family, and decided to make my own. I bought 2 lawn chairs, some fabric paint (don't use the acrylic paint, it'll just rub/wash off!) and some stencils. I let my kids chose the designs they wanted and here's what I came up with!

I totally had visions of having pictures with my kids chillin' in them. Sunglasses, swimsuits, a glass of lemonade in hand with the sprinklers going in the background....it was going to be PERFECT. Then, the morning I was supposed to get the pictures taken it was 40 degrees, SUPER windy, and starting to blow snow flurries. CRAAAAAAAAP! So, the kids sat in the car with the heat on full blast while I got out in my winter coat and took pictures as quickly as I could. Sigh.

But...I think the chairs turned out AWESOME! And, since they're personalized, I don't have to worry about them fighting over who gets what chair! ;) Plus, they are so easy, ANYONE can make them. (Come on...you know you wanna!)

Now...time to vote! You get to vote for your favorite top 3! I would be sooooo thrilled if you voted for mine! :)

CLICK HERE TO VOTE!

How I Lost 5 lbs This Week! You Can Do It Too!

2011-05-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

Does that title sound like a crazy midnight infomercial or what!?! Did it grab your attention, though? Read on for a free pair of oven mitts for the first 100 callers! Okay, not really. What I have to offer is WAAAAY better than oven mitts. (Unless they were in a REALLY cute fabric.)

I want to tell you about this FABULOUS (and FREEEEE!) website I've been using to help with my weight loss goals. Exercising every day didn't seem to be cutting it for me...and I know exactly why.

I.LOVE.FOOD.

I hate being hungry...it makes me cranky and sad. And...well...hungry.

BUT, the good news is that since I started using this website I have lost 5 pounds in one week. How??? I have become aware at how fast calories add up throughout the day! Homegirl here was eating like, 3,000 calories a day!!! No freaking wonder I was bustin' out of my britches!

I'm going to give you a quick overview of this website now...so you can see just how awesome it really is! I'm not even getting paid or anything...I just love it so much!

Here's what it looks like. (well, the top half anyway...I couldn't fit the bottom half onto the screen!)

So, as you can see here (hopefully) there are 3 tabs. FOOD, FITNESS, and EQUIPMENT.
And, most importantly, a box for you to enter what you've eaten. The cool thing is that it has EVERYTHING you could ever possibly eat and it's nutritional info. When you click "I ATE THIS", it automatically enters the information into your daily log. You can edit your serving sizes, too.

Since it's early in the morning, I hadn't entered any calories consumed or burned anything yet. According to my caloric needs, I should be eating 1, 167 calories a day. So, after I eat breakfast, I enter that in and it will put it in the calories in like this:

Cool, huh? So, when I have my 3 o'clock crash, I can look at my calories I have left for the day and decide whether I really want to waste my calories on that delicious chocolate Snack Pack.

Here is what the other tabs do:

MY PLATE: This is where you enter the food you eat/calories consumed.

CALORIE GOALS: This is where you enter your lifestyle. Are you pretty sedentary? Or are you always up and about? Or, are you right in the middle? Your daily caloric needs will depend on this. So, I entered my information and how much weight I want to lose per week, and my magic calorie number was 1,210 per day.

WEIGHT: This shows a line graph of your weight loss. It's been SOOOO awesome to see the progress! Even if it's just a pound a day...it's still awesome to see that line drop! It will also track your body mass index...ROCK ON.

And...the rest of the tabs are things you have to become a "GOLD" member for....psssh. Frills, I say. Frills. Who needs frills.

Another thing I LOOOOVE about this site is that I can keep track of how much water I drink during the day. I used to be TERRIBLE at drinking water...I could go all day without drinking anything. But, not anymore! And I have noticed a big difference in how I feel, and even a difference in my complexion.

FYI...I hate water. So, I use calorie free flavored drink packs in my Nalgene because I can guzzle them without gagging. I love these Hawaiian Punch Singles!

I really couldn't say enough good things about this website. There are so many more bonuses to it...but it would be like, a 5 page long post. It has been a HUGE help! So, if you're looking to be able to fit into that swimsuit again by summer (like me...) then definitely check this website out! Here's the link...

CLICK HERE!

SUMMER FUN sneak peek!

2011-05-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a sneak peak of my project for round 3 of American Crafters! Summer Fun, baby! Aren't you just dying to find out what my project is? Don't get to "crabby"....YET! Check back on Friday for my full reveal! (Of my project...not of me...pssh.)

MWAHAHAHAH!

Running Shoe Tips

2011-05-18T08:24:00.000-07:00

Remember my post about the Sgt. Glen Martinez Memorial 5K? It's next weekend! Well, I've got to say, my training has been going really well! I have osteoarthritis in my knees, so I have to be careful. I've already had surgery on my right knee once because my cartilage is in such bad shape that my bone chipped, and it's something I'd rather not have again. So, I thought maybe I'd share some little tips about how I've been training. My AWESOME sister-in-law, Kathy, (who is just about to run a half marathon this weekend) has been training me. I'm TOTALLY not claiming to be a pro, these are just a few things I've learned so far!

A HUUUUUGE thing for me has been my shoes.

{Shoe Love}

There is actually a lot you have to look at when finding the perfect pair of running shoes. People run differently. Basically, it's all about how your foot hits and rolls when you run. It's called Pronation.

The way you pronate will be crucial to picking the kind of shoes you need. Shoes have different ratings for stability and cushioning. A great place to figure out how you pronate is to read THIS article at RunnersWorld.com.

Also, it's VERY important to find what kind of arch your foot has.

To do this, you will need to take a wet test. Click HERE to find out how easy it is to do!

My feet and pronation are classified as "normal" so, I needed a pair of shoes with stability ratings and cushioning ratings at about the same level. I found my pair of Asics GEL Cumulus at Sports Authority, and I am absolutely IN LOVE with them. I feel like I'm running on clouds. The shoes I had before made my knees hurt and my feet cramp...it was miserable! I had NO idea how important shoes are! They were even on sale, from $100 down to $70. Woo-hooo! OH! And at Sports Authority, they have these spiffy little stations where they use heat sensitivity (like mood rings) to see what kind of arches you have. You just take off your shoes, stand on the little board for about 10 seconds, and when you get off you leave footprints. AWESOME, HUH!?!

So anyway...there is my little tidbit for the day on running shoes.

And, for an update, I can now run over 3 miles without dying. (FYI, I only made it a quarter mile on my first run!) So, if I can do it, ANYONE can do it. :)

Little Shopping Trip of Horrors.

2011-05-17T08:57:00.001-07:00

Do you remember our Christmas Picture outtakes of Kate? If not...take a look. A goood, loooong look. It's a nice glimpse into my real life.

Well, this was the scene at Walmart yesterday while I was trying to go grocery shopping and pick up a prescription. I don't know what it is with this kid...but as soon as we get out into public she turns into an absolute TERROR. She refuses to sit in the cart (front OR back) and wants me to carry her through the store WHILE pushing a cart full of groceries (and usually with Aaron in the back of the cart). Which, as any parent knows, is impossible. She screeches this bloody murder cry which I'm pretty sure can be heard all the way to the Mexico border. And oh, the looks. THE LOOKS I get from people! Some looks of "Oh, that poor woman." And some of "That lady needs to give her kid a good smack across the face." And some "Wow...worst mother EVER" and the famous "I will NEVER have horrible kids like that" look. (I remember making that look....PSSSSHHH.) Yesterday, I literally left Walmart in tears. A woman gave me "the look" and do you know what I said? I said, "Please, lady, shoot me now." I was absolutely humiliated. It's like that EVERY time we go to ANY store. So, as of today, I vow to NEVER go to the store with Kate in hand. EVER. Until she's like...ten. The end.

INTERNET HIGH FIVE!!!

2011-05-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

OH.MY.GOSH....Check it out!!! I was totally not expecting this! I was the Champ for Round 2! I ~~completely~~ just about fell out of my chair! THANK YOU for helping me to get this far!!! I could never have done it without your support! There is some SERIOUS talent in this group! I am so honored! {INSERT HAPPY DANCE}

Now...on to Round 3! Summer Fun, here we come! I've got some great ideas brewing...wish me luck! :)

Necklace Winner!

2011-05-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

A big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me during Round 1 of the American Crafter Competition! I still can't believe I made it through! You guys really are the BEST! :)

And now, for the winner of the navy, brown, and mustard necklace.....

Congratulations to:

Robin, please email me your address so I can get this sent to you! :) Thanks!

And...if you're bummed you didn't win and really want a necklace, you can check out my shop! I added some new necklaces!

Round 2: Sweet Study Spot

2011-05-11T13:53:00.000-07:00

WOWZERS! What a week! Round 2 was ~~nerve wracking~~ so much fun! I have been wanting to make my daughter a desk for her bedroom for a long time. I homeshool, and I've been getting kind of sick of having her school stuff all over the kitchen table. (And everywhere else!). I saw this desk at the thrift store a few weeks ago and saw it's potential right away. (Though I have NO idea what the slanted shelves are for!) I bought it, brought it home, and turned it into this...

from this!

(can you say EEEEEW? You should have seen all the left over spider junk in it *shudder*)

I cleaned it out, spray painted it Krylon Watermelon Pink, changed out the knobs to some cute "crystal" knobs, and Mod Podged some scrapbook paper onto the drawer fronts for a punch of color. Then, I took an old picture frame, spray painted it the same color as the desk and inserted some cork board. This went on top of the dresser for a place she can pin up her favorite creations.

Then, I added a white lamp, a decorated can for her pencils and stuff, and a cute blue quail to dress it up, some baskets on the top shelf for extra storage. And there you have it, a perfectly Sweet little Study Spot!

Now for the fun part! If you liked my project, please (pretty please with a cherry on top!) head on over to the American Crafter's competition to vote for it! My project is #3. :) Thanks SOOOO much, guys! You're the BEST!

Click HERE

*VOTING IS NOW CLOSED FOR THIS ROUND, BUT THE NEXT ROUND STARTS NEXT FRIDAY! STAY TUNED TO SEE MY NEXT PROJECT! *

Linked up to:

Thrifty Decor Chick
Blue Cricket Design
Fingerprints on the Fridge

My Mother's Day

2011-05-11T11:13:00.000-07:00

I had an AWESOME Mother's Day weekend. How about you guys?

On Saturday, we drove out to my in-law's house with the kids and I got spend some alone time with this handsome hunk...
(doesn't happen very often!)

doing this. *LOVE*

100 yards + 3" Sabertooth Prairie Dog targets? HECK YES.

Then Mike took the kids for rides on the 4 wheelers. SOOOO much fun!

On Sunday, I got to sleep in, wake up to breakfast made by my handsome hunk, went to church, came home and went to dinner at my parent's house. My Dad made dinner for us, it was DELISH! And my sweet little brother, Ethan made us dessert.

He even made my Mom, Sister and I a Mother's Day banner!

(Thanks, guys!)

There's nothing like spending Mother's Day with the ones you love!

My BEAUUUUUTIFUL Mother!

I hope you all had a Happy Mother's Day, too!

They Key To Not Losing Keys!

2011-05-11T08:22:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I am CONSTANTLY losing me keys. I don't know how...or why...but as soon as it's time to go somewhere, I can't find my keys. Whether it's leisurely off to the grocery store, or running ten minuets late to church and in a hurry, somehow, my keys are nowhere to be found. Not in my purse...not on the counter...nowhere. SOOOOO, in a desperate self improvement moment of mania, I decided to finally fix my problem. I made a key holder. And it's been awesome!

I just took a blank decorative wood thing (you can find these at any craft store, or even Walmart) and bought some hooks from the hardware department. I think they were like $2 or so. I spray painted the hooks black. Next, I painted the wood and then "antiqued" it with some black paint and sand paper. I added some letters cut with my Silhouette and some keys (I found them HERE at Dafont.com) The text is called Traveling Typewriter (HERE from Dafont.com).

Then, I just used E600 glue to glue on the hooks (basically, I was too lazy to go out to the garage and get the drill). And that's it! So easy to make and so cute! Not to mention, totally functional. And I haven't lost my keys in a week! :)

Submitted to:
Thrifty Decorating Thursdays
Fingerprints on the Fridge
Nifty Thrifty Things

Thanks For Helping Me Get Through Round 1 Giveaway!

2011-05-10T20:02:00.000-07:00

Since I am SOOO incredibly grateful to those of you who voted for my project last week, I want to do a giveaway to thank you for helping me to get through the first round of the American Crafter Competition! So, I am giving away this DARLING necklace! It has navy, brown and gold rosettes on a vintage cream necklace. I am so in love with those colors right now!

Want to know how to enter???

Good.

All you have to do is leave a comment telling me that you voted for my project and on what day you voted. (pllllease be honest!)

This contest will end on Sunday at midnight, (when voting also ends for my current project, Home Decorating. Voting will start on Friday for this one, I'll let you know when it starts! It's gonna be AWESOME!!!!!) And if I make it through round two, I'll do another giveaway! An even better one! :)

New Goodies!

2011-05-10T09:30:00.000-07:00

Hello, my dears! I added some new necklaces to the shop today! Grab 'em while you can! :)

The McKayla II
Click {HERE} to grab it!

The Kate

Click {HERE} to grab it!

The Courtney

Click {HERE} to grab it!

The Madison

Click {HERE} to grab it!

On To Round 2!

2011-05-09T17:51:00.000-07:00

I made it to round 2!!! I seriously can't believe it....I really wasn't expecting to after seeing the other projects. Apparently my suitcase was 2nd place! THANK YOOOOU, everyone! I wouldn't have made it without you! (No...seriously.) Thank you so much to all of you who voted! I can't even tell you how much it means to me!

I'm so grateful, I think I'll do a giveaway tomorrow for another one of my necklaces! :)

Now...for round two. I am so nervous! The theme is Home Decor. So...hopefully I can think of something fast. Like...tonight fast. Wish me luck! :)

A "MONSTER" Of A Party

2011-05-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

We had Kate's Birthday party today since so many of my family members had to work yesterday. I was actually kind of relieved to have an extra day because I've been so swamped this week. I need that extra day to make party decorations!

Her party was a MONSTER theme...because I think the terrible twos have hit and she has just been horrible for the past month! Sooooo much attitude! So...the monster theme was perfect.

It made decorating really easy, too. So many fun possibilities! I made the usual tissue paper pom poms, and I glued on some googly eyes and horns on a few of them.

Then, I made a "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" banner with my trusty Silhouette. (How did I ever survive without it!?!) Oh! And I also designed some monsters with party hats with the Silhouette software and just had it cut out all the pieces for me to glue together. They turned out really cute!

And my pull string pinata that only took an hour to make....

{tutorial here}

and I tried the ruffled tissue paper garland tutorial I found {HERE} It turned out great!

I also made some cute monster cupcake toppers! {bought monster digital images from HERE} I cut out the cupcake wrappers with the Silhouette as well. And the cupcakes were soooo good! I even made buttercream frosting from scratch, and I will NEVERRRR go back to frosting in a can again. EVER.

And, just because I love you:

NatSprat's Buttercream Frosting

1 Cup softened butter
about a whole bag of powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 Cup milk (I used heavy cream. So bad...but so gooood.)

Beat the heck out of it on medium speed until smooth, and add food coloring if desired.
THAT'S IT!!!

And the adorable cupcake plate stands were just plates glued to spray painted candlesticks from Dollar Tree! {LOVE}

And, of course, what would a monster party be without tickle monster Mama? :)

All in all....I think the monster was pleased with her party!

* * * * * * *

P.S. If you have a second, pretty please go vote for my upcycled suitcase in the American Crafters competition! :) I'll love you forever and ever! (Okay, I'll love you anyway...but it would still be awesome if you voted!)

Click HERE to vote

Submitted to:

30 Handmade Days
Thrifty Decorating
Fingerprints on the Fridge

Trash to Treasure: Suitcase Upcycle

2011-05-06T21:00:00.000-07:00

WOWZERS! It's the first week of American Crafter and it's been a doosie! I'm up against some AMAZING other crafters, and to be honest, I'll be happy just to make it through the first round! Hahahah!

This week, our challenge was Trash to Treasure. Here's the button, just to make it officially official.

I was so excited (and nervous) about our first challenge. Turning trash to treasure!?! I had nightmares of decorating dumpsters. But, once I got out and about and started looking for a victim, ( I mean....candidate...) it got to be pretty fun. I found this old Samsonite suitcase....

It wasn't love at first sight. (I'm sure Oscar the Grouch would have thought it was smoking HOT!) It looked like crap on the outside, but the inside was practically BRAND NEW!

And sunshine yellow with white polka dots. *drool* I knew we were meant to be! So, I paid my $6 and took my new baby home. I got out the masking tape, spray paint, acrylic paints, brushes and stencils. I had so many images of what I wanted going around in my head, and it was so much fun to make them come to life!

Here it is all taped up and ready to go...

I spray painted it red, and with my Silhouette I cut out a spiffy (yes, I said spiffy) flower stencil.

and added some lovely text and swallows. "Away we go..." Love it! :) So, here's the back:

Now, for the BEST part. I've been loving all this chevron eye candy going around, and knew I had to have a piece. So, I stenciled on a chevron pattern and then after that dried I stenciled on a scroll design in teal. Then, I added an "N" for Natalie and sat in awe for a little while at my creation. I also did a coat of Krylon clear topcoat over it to protect all my hard work! It added a nice glossy finish.

And, there you have it! My trash turned into treasure...and I LOVE IT!!! I can't wait to use it when we go on vacation in June! I will always treasure my trash. :)

Now...this is a competition just like American Idol. And YOU, my dears, get to vote for your favorite projects! I would be HONORED if you voted for me! And you also get to vote for 2 more of your favorites! There is so much talent there...go check it out!

CLICK HERE TO VOTE

Shared With

Blue Cricket Design

Vintage WannaBee Talent Tuesday
Whatever Goes Wednesday @ Someday Crafts
30Handmade Days Pity Party
Thrifty Decorating
Thrifty Decor Chick
Fingerprints on the Fridge

A Little Teaser For Ya....

2011-05-05T21:28:00.001-07:00

Aren't you just so curious? Check back at 4:00 to see what my project is for the American Crafter competition! :) It's gonna be AWESOME!!!

Happy Birthday, Kate!

2011-05-05T06:42:00.001-07:00

My baby is 2 today! I guess that means she's not a baby anymore. *sniff sniff* I can't believe how fast time flies. It seems like just yesterday (or maybe last week) my little 5 lb runt was born.

And now...she's a 20 lb runt. She loves sunglasses, hats, yogurt, Dum Dums, chapstick, balls, and Eugene from Tangled. And we love her, terrible two's and all. Happy Birthday, my Kate!

Desert Rain Designs Giveaway Winner

2011-05-04T16:45:00.000-07:00

We have a winner! The winner of this pair of ADORABLE silver on silver rose earrings by Melissa at Desert Rain Designs Giveaway is.....

Congrats, Beck! You have 48 hours to email me your address so she can get these sent to you! :)

P.S. Be sure to check out Beck's fun craft blog at

Gingersnap Fun!

And don't forget, you can still use the code MOTHERSDAY at Desert Rain Designs for 30% off your purchase!

Until next time.....

American Crafter

2011-05-02T20:18:00.000-07:00

Oh, Mercy! I've been selected to participate in American Crafter! I am so excited and terrified at the same time! I'll be on the prowl today for something I can turn from "Trash to Treasure" by Thursday. Wish me luck, I'll need it! HAHAHAH!!!!

New Goodies!

2011-04-30T17:55:00.000-07:00

Hey! I added some new stuff to the shop. If you liked the necklace from the giveaway, hurry and head on over! Like....FAST!

Click {here} to grab it!

Click {here} to grab it!

Click {here} to grab it

Click {here} to grab it!

click {here} to grab it!

*Shipping is to the contiguous United States only. If you would like me to ship it somewhere else, let me know and I can adjust the shipping for you.*

Thanks! :)

All Things NatSprat: See it. Love it. Get it.

2011-04-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I have some exciting news! I've had quite a few requests for people who want to buy the things I've made. So...I've started up a new blog because that's how much I love you. My friends, I'd like to introduce you to.....

(Isn't the banner ADORABLE!?! I may or may not have stayed up until 2 a.m. making it.)

It's through Paypal, so all you have to do is see if there is something you want and under the pictures there will be a "Buy It Now" button. You click on it, and it will open up a Paypal link for you to snatch it up! There will be camera straps and necklaces and other random things I make. Let me know if there is anything YOU would like to see in there! I can do custom orders for things, too.

Here are a few of the items in the shop right now....

click {here} to grab it!

click {here} to grab it!

click {here} to grab it!

click {here} to grab it!

click {here} to grab it!

And there will be more to come!

Well, have a FABULOUS weekend, everyone! I know I will!

Camera Strap WINNER

2011-04-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

I want to SERIOUSLY thank everyone who voted and entered the giveaway! I had an INCREDIBLE 72 people enter! I wish I could give you ALL a camera strap...but that would cost a fortune and take me a lifetime, and I'm positive I would accidentally sew my fingers together at some point. So....how about if I just promise to have another giveaway soon? :)

Are you dying to find out who won the camera strap? It was....

EMILY! Congratulations, Emily! You have 48 hours to contact me with your address so I can get this mailed to you!

For anyone else interested in a camera strap/necklace/headbands, etc.....I'm chewing on the idea of opening an etsy shop or blog for things I make....whadda'ya think???

Sgt. Glenn Martinez Memorial 5K: HOME

2011-04-28T09:56:00.000-07:00

I live in small town America. Population, under 4,000. It's a town that was established in the late 1800's. A lot of the buildings are really old...but really cool.

This is our post office...

and our library...

an old church...

our HUUUGE theater....

our restored downtown.

Just a little glimpse of where I live. But I can say a few things about where I live...

There are BEAUTIFUL sunrises and sunsets...

They know how to have a totally ROCKING parade. (yes, there was a hint of sarcasm...but this really is the parade that goes through the town. This picture is from right in front of my parent's house! There are other floats, I promise. )

But the best thing about this town? It's heart. And that's what this post is really about.

*All photo credits for the following pictures go to Jolynne*

This is Sgt. Glen Martinez. He went to my school...or I went to his. He was killed in Iraq on May 2nd, 2008. He was a hero.

When a soldier from our town is killed and they bring them home, the whole town comes out to pay tribute. They line the streets with flags in hand, hands over hearts, and tears in their eyes.

They are brought through town on the nicest firetruck in deepest respect, escorted by all of our local police, emergency response volunteers and their family.

This is Glen's wife, Melissa (center), his father (left) and mother (right) They are INCREDIBLE people.

In honor of Glen, his family has organized a walk/run 5k fundraiser to help raise funds for the Sgt. Glen Martinez Memorial Scholarship. They give out two of them to honor his life and memory to high school seniors.

My Dad runs this race, as well as my brothers. This year, I will be joining them. I've never been a runner like everyone else in my family, but I've always wanted to be. So, this is my year to start. And I can't think of a better cause to begin with.

Will you guys please be my cheer squad? I've never run a race before, so I'm kind of nervous. Okay...more like terrified. But, whenever I don't think I can do it, I'll come back to this post and comments to get all pumped again! :)

Camera Strap Giveaway Reminder

2011-04-27T15:38:00.001-07:00

Just a reminder....

It's the last day of the camera strap GIVEAWAY!!! It's not too late! Voting ends at midnight. To enter the contest, click

HERE!!!

Giveaway by Desert Rain Designs and 30% of etsy code!

2011-04-26T11:02:00.001-07:00

As you all know, Mother's Day is coming up soon! So, I am having a special Mother's Day giveaway today! You can win this darling pair of 100% sterling silver on sterling silver earrings. Give them to your Mama or keep them for yourself! :)

HERE'S HOW TO ENTER:

*Heart Desert Rain Designs on etsy*
*Leave a comment telling me which item in her shop is your favorite*
*tweet the giveaway*
*post the giveaway on facebook*
*blog about the giveaway*

This giveaway will end May 3rd at midnight!

Now, you may be asking, who is the maker of these beauties? That would be my AMAZING cousin, Melissa!

She is SOOOO talented. In like....EVERY way possible. She is a very gifted ballerina, she sings, she does photography, she sews, she is SUPER crafty, and she makes BEAUTIFUL jewelry.

I've been wanting to feature her on my blog because I just think the WORLD of her and she has talents that need to be shared! She even offered to do this giveaway! So, my friends, I would like you to meet my dear cousin Melissa. (Isn't she GORGEOUS!?!)

She is a stay-at-home mom of 2 HILARIOUS kids. There is never a dull moment in this Mama's life! Where she finds time to do everything...I don't know...but she does it, and she does it well.

She has an etsy site called Desert Rain Designs. (Even just the name gives me goosebumps! I can almost SMELL the sagebrush rain. Yummmm.) I absolutely LOVE everything in her shop! Everything is VERY reasonably priced, and the highest quality. And, in honor of Mothers Day, Melissa is doing a etsy code for a WHOPPING 30% off!

(*GASP* Awesome, I know!!!)

In the checkout, just use the code:

Here are some of the lovelies from her shop! If you want it for you or someone you love, click on the image to be taken directly to the url of the item to snatch it up right away! I have a feeling they'll go fast, especially with the 30% off.

And those are just a few! So, hop on over and check them out! Don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Tutorials A La NatSprat

2011-04-26T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hi, Everyone! Lots of great things going on today! While I am busy here at home getting Whitney caught up on school (SUMMER, PLEASE HURRY UP!!!), you can still enjoy some tutorials a la NatSprat!

Check out my new tutorial on Bizzy B's blog for Tutorial Tuesday: HOW TO MAKE A FELT FLOWER PILLOW. Remember the one from Kate's bedroom makeover? ;) Now you can make one, too!

Annnnnd....

I'm being featured over at {Trulie Scrumptious} today! You have GOT to go check these girls out. They are seriously SOOOO stinking cute. They are two ADORABLE and FABULOUS sisters with lots of great ideas and tips and TONS of humor! I am seriously laughing so hard through each post. They are fairly new to Blogland, so go show them some love! You won't regret it. Follow them (I do!) and I promise you won't be disappointed!

NatSprat

The Challenge: Pintrest Inspired Copycat {WEEK 1}

Stephen Update: I HATE CANCER. *tears*

Update on Stephen: MRI Results

Update on Stephen: More Prayers {Please}

I've Been Tagged!

I'm Alive, I Swear!

A Entry From Stephen's Dad

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

I Am Thankful for YOU! {Hope For Stephen Results}

Stephen The Comedian and Pre-Op Artist {so cute}

Update on Stephen {Not Good News *sniff sniff*}

Felt Monster Plush {tutorial}

{personal} Whitney's Baptism

Update on Stephen: {Surgery Round Two}

Another Surgery for Stephen. :(

Stephen: post surgery update with pictures! :)

Did You Order a Necklace? Read This. :)

Hope for Stephen Update {PLEASE READ!!!}

Want To Help Stephen? Want To Get Something In Return???

Update on Stephen: {surgery news}

Update on Stephen

Prayer Request {personal}

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

Peanut Butter Eyeballs

{Mini Nest Necklace GIVEAWAY!}

Georgia Mud Fudge Ice Cream Cake {Tutorial}

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

Happy Birthday Whitney/Birthday Party for FREE

Easy DIY Pumpkins

Mini Nest Necklaces

My First Senior Portrait Session!

Nat's Top Ten Pins of the Week

{You Know You Want One!}

Red Mustard and Teal Beauty

New Necklace: First Come First Serve! :)

My New Creation

No-Sew Felt Flower Pillow Tutorial

My New Blog Design {phew!}

Trash into Treasure

I'm on FB!

The Big Change

{Classic Vintage Rustic Reception}

Master Bedroom Makeover

Ballard Cork Board Knock Off

Platter Platter On The Wall...

The BEST Homemade Granola Recipe!

Just Say NO to BOWS! {BEAUTIFUL GIFT-WRAPPING}

Anthropologie Inspired Wedding Gifts

The "H" word.

I'm Baaack!

Happy Birthday To America....and to ME!

My Marriage Miracle

I've Got Some Exshhhplaining To Do...

Buisness Time and Racist Dragons. FOR REALS.

!!!Little Man Mustache Baby Shower!!!

A Happy Bummer

I Heart Actions and Presets!

American Crafter Round 3

How I Lost 5 lbs This Week! You Can Do It Too!

SUMMER FUN sneak peek!

Running Shoe Tips

Little Shopping Trip of Horrors.

INTERNET HIGH FIVE!!!

Necklace Winner!

Round 2: Sweet Study Spot

My Mother's Day

They Key To Not Losing Keys!

Thanks For Helping Me Get Through Round 1 Giveaway!

New Goodies!

On To Round 2!

A "MONSTER" Of A Party

Trash to Treasure: Suitcase Upcycle

A Little Teaser For Ya....

Happy Birthday, Kate!

Desert Rain Designs Giveaway Winner

American Crafter

New Goodies!

All Things NatSprat: See it. Love it. Get it.

Camera Strap WINNER

Stephen Update: I HATE CANCER. tears

Update on Stephen {Not Good News sniff sniff}