Michael's Christmas program

Here is a sneak peak of my silly boy:

I'm so glad I brought our video camera. I'll try to upload some video footage. 

Basically, they had the kids singing along with a CD. 

I think they were supposed to sing at this moment...or Michael was just being goofy. 

I love everything about this picture. Captures my Michael PERFECTLY.

This could have been before or after his interpretive 

SOLO dance 

to the song "Happy Birthday baby Jesus!"

Much thanks to my friend Laurel for capturing this moment! 

Overheard at our house

I was sitting down with Michael to do his reading.

"Okay, say these sounds slowly if you can"

He  turns his read real quick and says "What have you been eating?"

Me: "Nothing. Is my breath stinky?"

Michael "Yes! You smell like an ENCHILADA!"

I went and brushed, and rinsed, and brushed and rinsed....

Thanksgiving

Why is it that I don't realize until it's too late, that I don't take enough pictures!?

My parents and little brother, Evan, joined us for Thanksgiving this year. Unfortunately, this is how they were greeted:

LOTS of snow. The tri-cities RARELY gets snow that lasts overnight...let alone ALL WEEK AND STILL SNOWING! 

Our front door needs some adjusting on the weather stripping or something, because there is a serious breeze coming in through the cracks. Dan fixed it by squishing tissues in the cracks...and it did work...until we had to open the door.

Dan was great about taking the kids sledding. I stayed home to cook the Thanksgiving dinner, so it would be ready when my parents arrived

I need to learn how to take a thanksgiving picture. Notes for next year.

1)Step back to get the WHOLE table

2) wait for family members to get IN the picture

3) man...this picture is making me hungry!

We had extra time to make this "place-card holders". 

And what would Thanksgiving be, without a project?

A CUSTOM master closet!

(WOOHOOO!!!!!)

I had this project in mind since the moment my parents told me they would be coming.

This it the before, sans bars for the clothes. We were a little eager to get started....

Dad and my brother working hard. I helped...I promise!

 And the After:

We moved in our old dresser and made it a "built-in" dresser with a hutch on top. These shelves are 16" deep. LOVE them. (Oh and I do plan on painting the drawers too...)

the backwall and opposite wall. I LOVE how every shelf is adjustible. Perfect for my changing wants and needs. 

I wish you could see the closet in  person. It's much better than the pictures. 

THANKS DAD!!!

We were so sad to see them leave today. I especially. I surprised even myself when I burst out crying when they pulled out. I guess part of me wants to be a little girl again, and let them take care of me. We had so much fun with them and hope they come again soon...and NOT when it's snowing.  (I'm not sure where mom was when we took this picture...but the weather was getting worse and they needed to get off.)

Again, I'm kicking myself for not taking more pictures. I don't think I have ANY of my mom. UGH. I guess I'll have to replay the week in my head over and over, so I don't forget a moment.

Halloween

Better late than never, right?
Acutally, I thought I had already posted these pictures...but I guess it was just on facebook.

We had fun decorating out house. You can't really see him, but we've got a mummy who talks, hiding behind the post at the top of the stairs. Dan thinks I sound just like him. Great. That's flattering.

 I don't remember where I saw this idea, but I thought they were really cute. As we'd finish a jug of milk,  one of the kids or I would put a face on it, and we'd place it with the rest of the collection. Cheap, cute, and can be thrown away!(ahem...recycled)

I had lots of fun decorating the shelves and even more fun not worrying about dusting these shelves for the whole month!

I later made this wreathe from spray-painted white roses. I liked how it filled in that blaringly blank spot. 

What's Halloween without getting "boo'd!". 

Apparently, someone(S) didn't read the directions that you have to "Boo" someone who does NOT have a ghost in their window, stating that they have already been "boo'd". 

We got Boo'd

and Boo'd

and Boo'd

I think 5 times. We enjoyed all the treats, but only kept the original "boo" going. 

Now for the cuteness:

Chelsea dressed as a mummy this year.

Michael was Darth Vader. He has no idea who Darth Vader is but wanted to "be something with a light saber". Whatever. 

Brinly was Dorothy. The CUTEST dorothy. Ever. 

She was so attached to her basket and "Toto" that she didn't let go the entire ward party.

Just in case you didn't get enough:

(sigh....)

I wanted to go as Rosie the Riveter, but when I went to put on my "costume", but I looked so stupid, so I convinced Dan to go as my "rival" high school sweetheart. Turns out we were wearing the local rival high school colors. oops. (Notice Dan has a lipstick kiss on his cheek. ooh lah lah lah!)

Since Halloween was on Sunday, we let the kids dress up and pass out the candy. Unfortunately, we only had about 4 customers. Oh well. Lots more candy for me! 

new blog

I know, I know.

you're rolling your eyes.

I just didn't want to clog our family blog up with my "projects".  I also wanted to share some of these projects with the blog world, but didn't want the whole world in my private blog. Just so ya know. :)

http://improvingononeslife.blogspot.com/

Here is my latest project, COMPLETE! Yay.

Before:

After:

half a project, DOWN!

So, the end of August, I bought this beauty, off of craigslist for $40. 

Actually, it was $40 for TWO nightstands, a head board, armoire, and two mirrors. SCORE. 

...or so I thought.

In hindsight, I probably would not have gotten them if I knew how much work I'd have to put in them.

They were border-line,  rotten. 

G.R.O.S.S.-rotten.

I washed them with bleach first, took off the backs and sanded like crazy!

The side veneers were warping, so I hacked them off.

Then I replaced the veneer with beadboard.

To make a more uniform look, I put beadboard in the center of the drawer faces.

Then I primed and painted them, inside and out.

 (about 6 coats total)

I stained the top, and put several polyurethane coats over the entire thing.

Spray painted the original handles in rubbed bronze...

...and thought I was done.

(please excuse the clutter on top)

But...I just didn't like how old-fashioned it looked. 

So, I ordered some bun-feet off e-bay. 

They came in a beautiful mahogany, but that didn't look right, so I painted them.

And now,

 I am happy. 

And just because this has been a long post, (and a long project) 

here is a reminder of

 the before:

and after:

And now...on to the armoire....

oh, heaven help me...

Another pumpkin masterpiece...

Before we do this year's reveal...


let's review...

October 2008

the Election year:

October 2009

My personal favorite....

the Brinly pumpkin!

And now...

for Dan's 2010 entry...

Dr. Mike Shannon!

(the man who owns the dental practice Dan works at)

A lot of you ask how he does it, which is why I present the Dan's-pumpkin-carving-DIY-tutorial:

So, he takes a regular ol' photo....

Turns it black and white

plays around with the exposure...and stuff..

Tapes it to a choice-picked-pumpkin...

Don't forget the tools! 

Dental tools are quite useful for more things than just teeth!

And....

Wah lah!

Mr. Shannon is a pumpkin! :)

It's times like these that I ache for a "nice" camera to show you how awesome this thing really looks.

They have a carving contest at work. Unfortunately, Dan's pumpkins don't look very good in the light...

but they are magical at night! 

I'm so proud...can you tell?!