Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Wreaths

I took on a little DIY project this summer that I wanted to share.  I love fun, crafty projects but I don't always have the time with little fingers always curiously looking at what I'm doing.  So, this one was a no brainer.  I just gave her some string and she was all set.  I am still working on a couple more but here is what I've made so far and  a little step by step in case you want to give it a go.

First, I picked out a wreath, Styrofoam worked best for me but someone else mentioned that they liked straw.  If you do the straw, I would recommend keeping the plastic paper on it to keep the surface smooth.  I started by tying a piece of yarn around the Styrofoam and then I just wrapped and wrapped.  I went pretty slow at first to keep the yarn straight.  I also kept the inside circle scrunched the whole time because it can get a little thick towards the end if you don't watch it.

Also, a little note here.  If you are doing small chunks of colors similar to the Mizzou wreaths below, I would leave a little yarn hanging from the knot and use it to secure a knot to when you are ready to switch colors. I laid it flat under the yarn I wrapped so it wouldn't be seen. That makes it a little easier to tie it off at the end.  If you decide to use one color, I let it hang until I was done and then tied it off where I started.

There isn't much more to it than that.  Just tie and wrap, switch colors if you want.  Then decorate!

To make the felt flowers, I used a piece of felt and cut it in a spiral.  Obviously the bigger the circle the bigger the flower.  The wavy lines give the flower a little flourish.  I left a big chunk in the middle of the circle that will be the base of the flower.  So start at the beginning of the circle and start rolling the material up.



Then I glued the base of the felt to the underside of the flower.  And that's it.  Here's the finished product.

Finally, I glued the flower to the felt and pinned it down through the Styrofoam. 

Here's how it turned out.  I love them and I can't wait to get them all done!!

Monday, August 8, 2011

A Day without Power Is....

Sweaty.
Boring.
Quiet.
Hungry.
Nerve-wracking.
Frustrating.
Impatient.


That was today.  Today with no electricity.  Luckily it wasn't 100+ degrees.  Not much of a comfort when it was actually 90 and we couldn't turn on any fans, but at least it wasn't 100.  We were lucky enough to get some dry ice from KCP&L.  The nice man who gave it to me instructed "just act like I'm camping...."  Yes, that is a great idea Mister, the baby and I will pretend to camp while she throws the remote at me and screams "milk" all day. 

Anyway, it's over.  As of 7:00 we finally have air conditioning, TV, and MILK! 

On the bright side though, Reese came and got me so she could sit on the potty chair and she went.  Awesome!

Monday, August 1, 2011

Learning to be a big Sister

This weekend, Deakan spent the night with us.  We really enjoyed his company.  He has such a sweet disposition and is tough as nails.  He's just learning to walk so he had many spills but always seemed to knock the dust off and get back up. 

Reese really enjoyed having him too.  She worked her magic as a Big Sister in Training.  She tried to clean up and entertain and she is definitely good at making sure everyone knows what he or she is supposed to be doing.  Quite the rule enforcer!

Deakan and Reese played, you know games that Reese decided she wanted to play.  They shared chicken nuggets and Reese taught Deakan how to play Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes. 

Our night with Deakan was too short.  We would've really liked to have taken him for a few days.  Reese could use the practice and I could use the sweet baby boy cuddles.  But either way, we know we are in for quite a ride with another little one on the way!

Monday, July 25, 2011

Girls, Girls, Girls

Last week was a week of beautiful ladies at the Neal house!  We were lucky enough to have two special guests, Maggie and Halee. 
This is Maggie.  Our beautiful niece.  She is 7 going on 25.  A gymnast, a reader, and a great cousin!  She came to stay with us last Saturday.  We had the best time while she was here swimming, watching the Disney Channel, playing babies, and eating at Burger King.  Reese was a stinker and a half while Maggie was here but Maggie thought she'd still come back, even though we wouldn't blame her if she didn't want to!  We were glad to spend a few one on one days with her and I know Reese loved bossing her around.

This is Halee.  She's Reese's aunt.  Or as Reese likes to say, Halba.  Halba is an athlete who is a rock star student involved in lots of clubs, she is a friend to many and she is getting ready to turn 15.  And you know what that means, my friends, DRIVING!  Halba came home with me on Wednesday after taking my Grandma to the doctor.  Her parents (and Dustin's) went to NYC for an extended weekend so we got Halba to ourselves for the rest of the week.  We had so much fun going swimming, shopping, and our VERY favorite; dancing the swimming dance.  We were sad to see Halba go.

And then there were none.  Yes, they've all left, even my girl, who is staying with TT for a few days this week while I teach/attend some summer classes.  It's a quiet place after all the fun that was had here last week, but now we get to gear up for a weekend with my nephew, Deakan!  We've been waiting all summer for this!!