Summer Days

These summer days are so full of things to do! We've mostly been staying indoors because of the excessive heat. Example:

 Um, can I just say UGH! Yesterday there was a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms, but today I didn't see that. We need rain so badly! My hydrangeas are dead and my rose bushes are not far from it. Oh well, that's what we get for move to Oklahoma!

I have been experimenting with my hair a lot lately. I'm so tired of boring pony tails or braids. I prefer my hair to be up off my neck in the summer so I've been pinning different ideas. I really like this style. It needs a little practice, I think. :)

 I especially like it dressed up with the headband.

Chloe Jo and I retried the suncatcher craft with translucent beads this morning. It is so pretty! The picture definitely doesn't do it justice.

I also tried to do melted crayon art this week. This is the pin that was my inspiration:

Source: lightandspoon.wordpress.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Um, it totally tanked. I'm going to have to find more detailed instructions on how to do it because this is what I came up with.

You can laugh! I won't be offended. It's horrible, yes? I don't know if I'll try it again. It seems fun to do, but what am I going to do with it after it is finished? It doesn't go with my decor at all. I was disappointed it was such a ginormous fail. I can usually salvage crafts that go awry.

I hope you all are having a great week so far. Stay cool if you can!

Kids Crafts: Suncatchers

Last night I was planning to watch the opening ceremony of the Olympics. Unfortunately, that didn't work out due to TV troubles so it was scratched. Sob, sob, sniff, sniff, tear. So instead Chloe Jo and I did a craft I had pinned on Pinterest!

I already had the supplies I needed to do this craft, so I just had to go dig them out and we were ready to get started.

First, we decided on the colors we wanted to use. We chose pink, pink, pink, pink, white, purple and turquoise. Then we covered the bottom of a round cake pan.

 The instructions said that I didn't need a liner, but I actually did and this project ruined my cake pan!

 While we were putting the pony beads in the pan, I had the oven preheating to 400 degrees. After filling the pan, I put it in the oven for 25 minutes. It did smell like plastic burning so if you do this, don't be alarmed!

 After it was finished melting, I let it sit and cool down. There was a lot of cracking and popping while it was cooling. I dumped the suncatcher out of the pan, drilled a hole in the top, strung it on a piece of ribbon and hung it on a suction cup on the window.

It turned out pretty cute! I don't know which beads made the gold in the suncatcher, but I'm glad to know the process works. I obviously needed to use more transparent beads so we will be doing this project again. Maybe we'll even do it with cookie cutters to make fun shapes instead of just a round one!

I hope you all are having a fabulous Saturday!

I need to get going on a few things for the Anniversary party I am helping plan!

Family Pictures 2012

Waaaaaaay back in the summer of 2010 my sister decided she wanted to play photographer and take some family pictures for us. She did an amazing job so I was happy to be able to use her again for this year. Again, she took some great pictures and the best part of it was that she did it for free (unless you count a few times of babysitting, but I think Russ and I are still trying to break even from when we stayed with them so long during the move)!

Chloe Jo did great for a while...and then she was over it!

I yuv her wittle pouty face.

This one is my favorite. I am hoping to have it printed into wallets to give to friends and family.

I also wanted a few with just Russ and I. I think it's nice to have them just for our bedroom.

This is my favorite.

Although, I really like this one, too! Especially the artsy heart!

The family pictures all turned out so good that I could hardly choose which one to print to frame. I'm going to have an equally hard time choosing which ones to give out.

I eventually decided on this one to frame (without the border enhancement).

Chelley had this idea and I love it so much! It turned out fabulous!

I love my sister for doing this for us! The pictures turned out fantastic!

What I'm Loving Wednesday! and Oh, How Pinteresting!

It is Wednesday, Folks!

And you know what happens on Wednesdays!

It's time for What I'm Loving Wednesday and Oh, How Pinteresting!

Link up {here} and {here} to join the fun!

I'm loving our family pictures my sister took for us a couple of weeks ago! They turned out so good! Here is a little sneak peak. I'll be sharing more later.

I'm loving all of the planning and preparation that has been going into my grandparents' 60th anniversary party! I do love throwing a great party! This is a wedding picture of the happy couple!

I'm loving the new hairstyles I've been trying out lately. I keep pinning things to try. Some work out pretty good and some don't. I did like this one pretty good.

I'm loving these super fun Skechers snow boots I bought a couple of weeks ago for ....wait for it... $7.50!!!! What a steal and they are so adorable on!

I'm loving my sister and I's precious babies! They light up my life!

Sweet Chloe Jo and Brianna

 Handsome Brenson

I'm loving my sweet cousin, Alyssa's Youtube channel. I especially love this song, Like Taylor (Swift). If you are a Taylor fan, you will love it, too!

Source: dollarstorecrafts.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Chloe Jo is in love with this owl lantern. She has been asking to make one for her room. I may have to see what I can do about that!

Source: crochetincolor.blogspot.com.au via Lisa on Pinterest

I must make this for Chloe Jo for this winter. She is obsessed with "Meow!"

Source: mymodernmet.com via Lisa on Pinterest

I've been wanting to try making one of these for a long time. I think they are so neat!

Source: aestheticnest.com via Lisa on Pinterest

How fun is this tablecloth for a party?!?

Source: tumblr.com via Lisa on Pinterest

Just because I love Pride and Prejudice

Happy Wednesday, Ya'll!

I yiked the tuwtels.

Hi Ya'll!

It has been insanely busy around this here casa the last couple of weeks. Ever since moving to Oklahoma, my social calendar has exploded. I have had neither the energy or the gumption to post lately.

The temperatures around here have been insane. Last week it was up to 112. I was excited when it got down to 103! 112 is just entirely too hot. If I was water (which I am mostly) I would only need another 100 degrees before starting to boil! I am thankful for air conditioning. I have no idea how the pioneers stood it!

Anywho.

Today Chloe Jo and I went with a friend to the Oklahoma Aquarium. I've been itching to take Chloe Jo to an aquarium since her second birthday (when we had planned to take her to the aquarium in Charleston, SC and that did not work out) so I was very excited to get to go!

We had a terrific time seeing all of the fish and sea life!

There were several exhibits that you could touch. I actually touched a starfish. Yes, you should be impressed. I don't normally care to touch. Chloe Jo was very proud of herself because she touched...wait for it....drumroll please...THE WATER! HA!

 My favorite animals were definitely the seahorses. Adorable! And I didn't get a picture. I'm a slacker.

 I also thought the starfish and the lionfish were neat.

 Chloe Jo's favorite animals were the turtles (hence the title of this post).

 CJ was very uninterested in taking pictures so this is the best I could get. Some days are just not meant for picture taking.

 And then we couldn't pass up a photo op with this metal (!) crocodile. Yeah, I think I burnt my buns for this one. I guess I'll never learn...

Tourists

Last Friday my Dad went to Costa Rica for a mission trip. I had told Mom a while back that I would go stay with her for a few days while he is gone. After taking Dad to the airport on Friday, Russ, Chloe Jo and I went to change our licenses and tags over and around 5:30 that evening Chloe Jo and I finally got on the road to go to Missouri to stay with Mom.

My grandparents are celebrating their 60th (!!!) anniversary this year so we started working on party stuff on Friday, worked on it all day Saturday and Sunday. This is good because we have gotten a lot accomplished and all of the supplies bought. We weren't planning on it being this way, but that's okay. So Monday my Mom went to work and Chloe Jo and I decided to go to Mansfield, MO to see Laura Ingalls Wilder's home. I have always wanted to do this and I'm so glad we went!

I think Chloe Jo was pretty excited about going, too! I read all of Laura's books when I was young (and am now itching to read them again) and I am looking forward to reading them to Chloe Jo when she gets a little bit older (maybe they will be the first chapter books we read because chapter books are so special to a child....Lassie was the first chapter book my Mom read to me).

 We were able to tour two of Laura's homes. She lived in them both during her adult life and they are where she wrote her books.

 I imagine Laura sat on these same steps, maybe shucking corn, when she lived in this house.

 This is Laura and Almanzo's farm house. We weren't allowed to take any pictures inside. I was so fun to get to see furniture that Almanzo built and where Laura sat to write. I loved getting to peek into this part of her life.

 This is the stone cottage that Laura and Almanzo lived in for 8 years. Their daughter, Rose, had it built and gave it to them for a Christmas present! While they lived in the stone cottage, Rose lived in the farm house. Rose later decided to move to the northeast and Laura and Almanzo moved back to the farm house because the stone cottage was just not home.

 Our tour guide took this picture for us. It was raining when we went through stone cottage so they also let us borrow an umbrella.

 After touring the homes and going through the museum, I decided to go to the cemetery to see Laura, Almanzo and Rose's graves. Rose was married for a short time and then never remarried so she is buried with her parents.

 Laura and Almanzo's stone only had their last name on the back.

 Rose's stone had a whole paragraph!

 After finishing up in Mansfield, I decided to go out to Bakersville and check it out. Bakersville is just north of Mansfield and it is an old pioneer village. We didn't have much time to explore so I filed it away in the back of my head so that we can go again at a later date.

 I love old pioneer villages. Going through this village made me really want to go get an old time photo taken! I'm going to ask for that for my birthday I think!

 Chloe Jo also loved exploring the village.

 There were several shops and most of the display items were also for sale.

 My favorite shop was the apothecary. It smelled so good when you walked in. I love the smells of spices and dried herbs.

Chloe Jo was especially fascinated with this water wheel and the pond of gold fish the water flowed in to.

 She was very disappointed that this wagon didn't have a horse attached to it! HA! She is so silly because she doesn't want anything to do with horses when we get close to them!

We had a very fun day and I am looking forward to going back to Bakersville with the rest of the family soon!