boot cuffs

who doesn't love the look of boots with super textured socks? well, this project was a quarter the work it would be to make a full sock or a leg warmer. i love them and i think i need them in 51 colors.  i am perfecting the pattern and if i'm happy with it, i will share it here with you.

have a lovely weekend.

nourishing lip balm

 I made this lip balm yesterday and I'm already loving it. my lips have been in really bad shape and I've been wanting to use my essential oils more with my skincare, so i decided to make my own lip treatment. this balm is wonderful on lips and I've been using it on my hands too. I was able to find the coconut oil at Trader Joe's. instead of coconut oil you can use other oils like olive oil, almond oil or jojoba oil). i ordered Shea butter and beeswax on Amazon.com. you can also use other essential oils, next time i plan to try peppermint oil with lavender for a more tingly lip balm. these are incredibly easy and will make great gifts and stocking stuffers.

2T Beeswax (about 1 oz)
2T Shea butter
2T Coconut oil
1/2 t. Vitamin E oil
5 drops Lavender oil
5 drops Melaleuca (tea tree) oil

1. place beeswax in a glass jar (i used a mason jar)
2. put jar in a sauce pan of boiling water
3. once wax is melted add shea butter, coconut oil and vitamin e oil. 
4. after everything in the jar is melted and well mixed stir in essential oils and pour into your lip balm containers.(you can buy little  jars online here.

I am getting excited about making lotion bars, too.  i might use this recipe.

weekend

 wow. i really didn't want this weekend to end. it was wonderful and long. i ate delicious food, spent time with friends and with my sweet little family. my boy got his hair cut and so did my big girl! it was a big day. i made my ladies hats. i think they look cute, but isla won't keep hers on. oh, and isla recently learned how to take off her shirt. from here on out i can't guarentee any level of modesty from that chick. onsies? we also got out our Christmas decorations. i made a nativity this year, which i'm excited about, but haven't been excited enough to photograph. i guess there's not a whole lot to say... i loved this weekend, but i am SO excited for the next few weeks (aka the best time of the year). here's to a great MONDAY.

thankful

my heart is full.  i truly have so much to be grateful for. we have had a lot of changes this year.  i am so grateful for bryan's new job, our new home and the friendships that we are making here in our new life. But the things i am most grateful for the constants in my life: my family, my husband and children, my beliefs, Jesus Christ.

i hope you all have a beautiful thanksgiving.

weedending

that little movie clip posted just before this post was something my sweet husband posted as a joke. while i was in england for study abroad i taught primary to a group of children at church every sunday. one of those kids liked to call me "googley eyes."

anyway, this weekend wasn't rainy. or overcast. amazing, i know! it was nice to have a little sunshine. we went to arboretum and ate lunch and bings. it was really nice. we also did a fair amount of laying around and the kids did a fair amount of destroying the house, while i was busy baking, crocheting and reading (mom's deserve a weekend too). now i'm going to go for a run and  then clean up the disaster area that is the my house, but not before i make you look at some pictures.

 

 the babes

 

i've been crocheting mistletoe. i have a few more ideas and will probably make another one or two mistletoe before decorating time.  i think i will felt the one above....

 chocolate cupcakes with salted caramel frosting-the flavor of my weekend.

i hope you all had a lovely weekend.

googly eyes! :)

harlequin throw: DONE

i finished this puppy. BAM! it took me long enough! i first posted a peek of this throw here and if i'm correct (i hope i'm not) it took me 8 months to complete. 8 months is way too long. i generally like projects that are not super time consuming, like 2hr long projects. when i have an unfinished project it looms in the back of my mind and pesters me until i've finished it. the funny thing is i have this knack for starting incredibly time consuming projects, like afghans. i need to learn to enjoy the journey, right? i love afghans and i will probably start another one soon, because i like to cause myself  mental anguish.

 i think it's lovely.

living room

here are a few pictures of our front room. we have a lot of plans for our front room, but right now we are leaving it as is. i did a little gallery wall. i'm really happy to have more space to display art. i have been fortunate enough to have traded for almost all the art in our home, with the exception of my art. i would really like to keep collecting art and making art for that matter. i will hopefully post more as the space evolves.

bunny hat

Happy friday to you! i'll be eating cupcakes (leftover from halloween) and living large this fine day. here's my little p sporting her bunny hat. penelope asked me a while back to make her a bunny hat she was inspired by the TV show adventure time (it's a weird show) that she watches with bryan. i also make her these mittens, with with pink finger tips and the other with a pink cuff- ASYMMETRY, BAM! 

in other news: i've been disciplined and haven't stolen all my kids' halloween candy. they really shouldn't eat that much sugar though, so when i'm done with my cupcakes, i'll get on that. in our neighborhood they give out full sized candy bars. IT IS the trick-or-treating dreamland of ledgend. when i was young i'd heard of this place, but never believed in its existence.

i hope you all have a great weekend. we are supposed to be having our family pictures taken. pray for us.

ps you should be jealous of my cupcakes. they are better than your mom's.

oh... how did this get here... hmmm...