Show & Tell

Show & Tell : Stencil 101

Showandtell_updated

I'm so excited to share another great crafty book with you tonight–Stencil 101
by Ed Roth. The girls and I broke into it this afternoon and there is tons of potential for great craftiness. The book includes twenty-five pre-cut and reuseable stencils as well as ideas and tips for using them.

9780811864725_norm

This afternoon I used two stencils, the horse shoe and the fawn to customize basic white tees for the girls. The stencils tear out of the book really easily and can even be stored in an expandable pocket in the back of the book, after you use them. (great idea!)

Stencil 101 Giveaway

When I stenciled the tees, I laid a pad of paper inside the shirt and used pins, stuck straight into the thickness of the pad of paper, to hold the stencil in place. This was really helpful since I didn't have any type of spray adhesive to hold it and it also kept the paint from bleeding through to the back.

Stencil 101 giveaway

Per the books instructions, less is more. I started out with just a bit of paint on my sponge, dabbing and layering on color, in order to keep the paint from soaking under the stencil. I used a hair dryer to dry the paint quickly before I removed the stencil and then again to set the paint. Tomorrow, I'll iron the reverse sides of the tees to really set it permanently.

And in my opinion, this is definitely a crafty project for older children or adults. My girls only involvement was picking out what stencil they wanted and then being impatient while I worked.

Beginning to end, with distractions, the two tees probably took my 15 minutes to complete.

Now I'm feeling sassy and confident and thinking of putting a stencil above the doorway leading into the girls room or maybe even up the risers of their steps!

9780811864725_detail

always has to do what her sisters are doingalways has to do what her sisters are doing

And of course, the youngest of our clan had to get in on the modeling session as well. Everyone needs their turn standing on the chair. And apparently, after watching Mary, she determined that you were supposed to run your fingers over your stencil as part of the photo shoot. This girl watches her sisters' every move.

And did you guess? I have not one, but TWO copies to give away!  Leave a comment, I'll announce the two winners (plus the Birk winner) on Monday. And thank you, once again to Chronicle Books!

Happy Weekend, friends!!

Showandtell_updated

I'm so excited to share another great crafty book with you tonight–Stencil 101
by Ed Roth. The girls and I broke into it this afternoon and there is tons of potential for great craftiness. The book includes twenty-five pre-cut and reuseable stencils as well as ideas and tips for using them.

9780811864725_norm

This afternoon I used two stencils, the horse shoe and the fawn to customize basic white tees for the girls. The stencils tear out of the book really easily and can even be stored in an expandable pocket in the back of the book, after you use them. (great idea!)

Stencil 101 Giveaway

When I stenciled the tees, I laid a pad of paper inside the shirt and used pins, stuck straight into the thickness of the pad of paper, to hold the stencil in place. This was really helpful since I didn't have any type of spray adhesive to hold it and it also kept the paint from bleeding through to the back.

Stencil 101 giveaway

Per the books instructions, less is more. I started out with just a bit of paint on my sponge, dabbing and layering on color, in order to keep the paint from soaking under the stencil. I used a hair dryer to dry the paint quickly before I removed the stencil and then again to set the paint. Tomorrow, I'll iron the reverse sides of the tees to really set it permanently.

And in my opinion, this is definitely a crafty project for older children or adults. My girls only involvement was picking out what stencil they wanted and then being impatient while I worked.

Beginning to end, with distractions, the two tees probably took my 15 minutes to complete.

Now I'm feeling sassy and confident and thinking of putting a stencil above the doorway leading into the girls room or maybe even up the risers of their steps!

9780811864725_detail

always has to do what her sisters are doingalways has to do what her sisters are doing

And of course, the youngest of our clan had to get in on the modeling session as well. Everyone needs their turn standing on the chair. And apparently, after watching Mary, she determined that you were supposed to run your fingers over your stencil as part of the photo shoot. This girl watches her sisters' every move.

And did you guess? I have not one, but TWO copies to give away!  Leave a comment, I'll announce the two winners (plus the Birk winner) on Monday. And thank you, once again to Chronicle Books!

Happy Weekend, friends!!

126 Comments
animal kingdom / DAILY FARM LIFE / life on thomas run

black walnut’s home birth

I arrived home yesterday morning in the pouring down rain, hands tangled and pinched in loads of grocery bags I was carrying from the car as quickly as I could, to find "Black Walnut" standing in front of the mudroom door, mewing incessantly. She was soaked from the rain and obviously distressed.

Black Walnut is our cat who is about the size of a walnut. She's tiny. It seems she's never grown much bigger than her teenaged-kitten size, but lately she's gotten quite broad and hippy, if you know what I mean. I hate to admit that I didn't get her spayed in time and she "got married" before I had the chance to get her in to the veterinarian.

We knew her time was close as she was getting as wide as she was long, waddling around the farm and eating enough food for an army of cats.

So when I saw her waiting for me at the mudroom door yesterday morning, I knew something was up. And when she turned and I got a glance at her hind end (sparing you the details here) I really knew something was up (or down. or out, maybe).

The girls and I quickly scooped her up from the rain and made her a nest of towels inside a laundry basket on the mudroom. And stood back like a bunch of nervous old ladies, cringing and fussing with her every cry and contraction.

Black Walnut and her kittens

By late afternoon, dear little Black Walnut gave birth to five kittens and I now have a pretty good idea which lurking tom she "married".

The girls were amazed, glued to the action, soothing her and telling her what a good mama cat she is. And now I hear new words in their vocabulary like "after birth" and "nursers" which makes me laugh.

Black Walnut and her kittens

So our mudroom is now maternity ward and gets checked regularly. Often.

My girls will be selling the kittens, to good homes only, for two dollars. Any takers??

I arrived home yesterday morning in the pouring down rain, hands tangled and pinched in loads of grocery bags I was carrying from the car as quickly as I could, to find "Black Walnut" standing in front of the mudroom door, mewing incessantly. She was soaked from the rain and obviously distressed.

Black Walnut is our cat who is about the size of a walnut. She's tiny. It seems she's never grown much bigger than her teenaged-kitten size, but lately she's gotten quite broad and hippy, if you know what I mean. I hate to admit that I didn't get her spayed in time and she "got married" before I had the chance to get her in to the veterinarian.

We knew her time was close as she was getting as wide as she was long, waddling around the farm and eating enough food for an army of cats.

So when I saw her waiting for me at the mudroom door yesterday morning, I knew something was up. And when she turned and I got a glance at her hind end (sparing you the details here) I really knew something was up (or down. or out, maybe).

The girls and I quickly scooped her up from the rain and made her a nest of towels inside a laundry basket on the mudroom. And stood back like a bunch of nervous old ladies, cringing and fussing with her every cry and contraction.

Black Walnut and her kittens

By late afternoon, dear little Black Walnut gave birth to five kittens and I now have a pretty good idea which lurking tom she "married".

The girls were amazed, glued to the action, soothing her and telling her what a good mama cat she is. And now I hear new words in their vocabulary like "after birth" and "nursers" which makes me laugh.

Black Walnut and her kittens

So our mudroom is now maternity ward and gets checked regularly. Often.

My girls will be selling the kittens, to good homes only, for two dollars. Any takers??

45 Comments
Show & Tell

Show & Tell : Birkenstock Sandals

Showandtell_updated

When my husband spent a summer in the Holy Lands, he took one pair of shoes–Birkenstocks. And while I could never imagine spending all summer with only one pair of shoes to pick from each day, they served him well for his whole trip.

So when I was contacted by Birkenstocks to review a pair of their new Spring sandals, I was excited to try what would be my first pair. And while I was instantly drawn to the colors of the two new spring styles (I chose the Madrid), what impresses me most about the Birkenstock company is their dedication to making the complete process of creating these shoes environmentally conscious. As they say, "They were green long before green was a trend."

Madrid_Peridot Green

Here are a  few things that impressed me about their green commitment:

  • The shoes are made with a commitment to craftsmanship using premium quality, natural, renewable, recyclable and naturally insulating material.
  • They are made from durable cork, no trees are cut or destroyed – the bark is simply peeled away and then allowed to re-grow.
  • The shoes can be repaired, increasing the life of your shoes and decreasing the amount of waste entering our landfills. (I love this. Rarely, in this day and age, do we think of repairing our shoes. We simply toss them out and buy a new replacement pair.)
  • Left-over EVA from the sole production process is broken down and further processed for use in children’s playgrounds, sport fields and sound barriers along freeways.
  • You can read more about their green steps here.

I am impressed with the steps they have taken to have a low-impact on our environment. 

Gizeh_Plum Purple

And guess what? Need a new pair of shoes for Spring?? I get to give away a pair to one lucky reader, in the style (Madrid {the first pair pictured} or Gizeh{the second pair pictured}), size and color of your choice!

Leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. I have one more crafty giveaway coming up on Friday, so I will announce all the winners on Monday.

And if you don't win, the other good news is that the sandals are pretty affordable, starting at $49.95, which for a pair of shoes that can be as long-lasting as these, is a really good deal.

Yay for shoes! Good luck.

Showandtell_updated

When my husband spent a summer in the Holy Lands, he took one pair of shoes–Birkenstocks. And while I could never imagine spending all summer with only one pair of shoes to pick from each day, they served him well for his whole trip.

So when I was contacted by Birkenstocks to review a pair of their new Spring sandals, I was excited to try what would be my first pair. And while I was instantly drawn to the colors of the two new spring styles (I chose the Madrid), what impresses me most about the Birkenstock company is their dedication to making the complete process of creating these shoes environmentally conscious. As they say, "They were green long before green was a trend."

Madrid_Peridot Green

Here are a  few things that impressed me about their green commitment:

  • The shoes are made with a commitment to craftsmanship using premium quality, natural, renewable, recyclable and naturally insulating material.

  • They are made from durable cork, no trees are cut or destroyed – the bark is simply peeled away and then allowed to re-grow.

  • The shoes can be repaired, increasing the life of your shoes and decreasing the amount of waste entering our landfills. (I love this. Rarely, in this day and age, do we think of repairing our shoes. We simply toss them out and buy a new replacement pair.)

  • Left-over EVA from the sole production process is broken down and further processed for use in children’s playgrounds, sport fields and sound barriers along freeways.

  • You can read more about their green steps here.

I am impressed with the steps they have taken to have a low-impact on our environment. 

Gizeh_Plum Purple

And guess what? Need a new pair of shoes for Spring?? I get to give away a pair to one lucky reader, in the style (Madrid {the first pair pictured} or Gizeh{the second pair pictured}), size and color of your choice!

Leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. I have one more crafty giveaway coming up on Friday, so I will announce all the winners on Monday.

And if you don't win, the other good news is that the sandals are pretty affordable, starting at $49.95, which for a pair of shoes that can be as long-lasting as these, is a really good deal.

Yay for shoes! Good luck.

300 Comments