Balance

Everything is not perfect. My kids are not always put first. Craig and I are not always rolling around on the floor with kiddo’s laughing.

Craig doesn’t always understand my blogging and etsy shop. And in all honesty, he doesn’t always support it. There are times he’s my biggest supporter, but then there are times where he brings me down. Yes, we, as a whole, are not perfect.

Assumptions are often made about positive blogs. That assumption being, “oh my, she lives a perfect life”. It’s not true. You have to remember, you only see what the writer wants you to. I could blog about the annoying things that happened during the day, and the millions of tantrums and frustrations we had. And I am sure a lot of people would relate to that and possible enjoy reading it, knowing they are not a lone. Instead, I reflect on the positive aspects of our day. I guess I just assume everyone knows that we had the tantrums and frustrations, but found joy and excitement despite those. Instead of throwing MORE negative energy into out already negative world, I’m trying to convey positivity. Hoping to help someone find the positive in there overly negative day.

For every picture you see of smiles and play, know that there are hundreds  un-captured images of tantrums, arguments and pure laziness.

Life is a balancing act. A race. I balance every thing the best I know how. Each day is different.  For me, it’s who (or what)  needs me the most at that point in time. Some days the computer wins that race, other days the kids win it. Rarely does laundry win, but eventually, everything(everyone) gets there spotlight. First Cup of Coffee is in first place, followed closely by Checking Email. OH WAIT. They’re both passed up by Dirty Diaper. and Here comes Tantrum Number 1. First Cup of Coffee seems to be lagging, but pulling steadily ahead.

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

A New Park | Wordless Wednesday

 

“We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today.”  Stacia Tauscher

“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.”  ~Neil Postman, The Disappearance of Childhood (introduction), 1982

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Pumpkin Decorating

Now that Adelyn is old enough to understand decorating for Halloween, we are trying to decide on the best route for the tradition of carving pumpkins. She’s still to little to actually carve a pumpkin, lets face it, I have a hard time cutting into those darn things. So I’ve been on the search for some fun idea’s she can help with.

I love the idea of using pretty Washi tape to decorate pumpkins. I’m thinking that this would be way funner (yes, that’s a word in my dictionary) for Adelyn. Check them out here

Maybe we’ll tape them all up, paint them, then peel off the tape like they did here.

I’m in love with this idea of  copying fabric onto paper (color copy) and mod podging onto pumpkins! How neat. More info here.

Or maybe just painting and mod podging some leaves from the yard like they did here

Maybe we’ll paint them with acrylic paint like LollyJane

OH, what about stenciling them like they did here, maybe using freezer paper for your stencil.

I love the look of this pumpkin. They spray painted it white, then carved it. So pretty. Check out more tips here

Oh, so many ideas. It’s hard to choose just one.

CARVING  TIP: Most people chose to paint, stencil and decorate pumpkins rather than carving because they last longer. Did you know: Ordinarily  a cut pumpkin will only stay fresh a few days? Keep them going for as long as possible: After cutting out your design, coat the raw edges with a lubricant such as petroleum jelly or WD-40, which reduces the exposure to air. It also helps to display jack-o'-lanterns in a cold, but not freezing, place, and on a dry surface. If your autumn weather is too warm, small jack-o'-lanterns might even be stored by day in a refrigerator. Source: Country Living

 

Here are a few of my favorite Halloween Party ideas too:

1. Frozen Ice Hand 2. Scary Appetizers 3. Party Pictures 4. Fun Veggie Platters 5. Pumpkin Cooler

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Morning Coffee | a confessional

Confession:

I don’t want to have a tea party 20 times a day!

Really, there’s only so much fake tea I can drink. But I do it anyway. To make her happy. To make her feel special. There are times when I tell her no. But more often than not, I’m sipping fake tea. I always leave our tea parties feeling happy. This is why, no matter how much work I have to get done, or how much laundry is pilled up, if she asks for a tea party, she will get one.

Stone went to bed earlier than usual last night, as I rocked him to sleep, Adelyn was quiet in her room, playing Diego. Once I knew he was deep enough in his sleep, I slipped him into his crib, and I snuck into her room. And we had the Tea Party of all Tea Parties! Not because she asked, and really I had tons of laundry I had to put away, and this post that should have been written, but I knew that it would make her smile. We lined up her babies then we all took turns sipping and eating fake donuts. She even read us her Tinkerbelle story.

Inevitable, laundry had to be put away. We hung out in my room while I folded clothes and put them on hangers. Craig joined us a few minutes in and after all the clothes were put away, we had a pillow fight. Just the three of us. Like old times. Daddy, Mommy, Daughter. Craig and I swung at the same time…. she was a pillow sandwich. And she fell down in a hysterical fit of laughter. My heart jumped, and I had to hold the tears back. This is my little angel. This is my life. Who would have thought I could get so lucky.

Last night I needed a Tea Party, because while I know it makes her feel special. The reality of it is…. she makes me feel special!

 

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

I can’t wait to read your confessions this week, each week has gotten better and better!! (last weeks linkup had over 1700 views… what a great start for it only being the 3rd week!). Don’t forget to come back and check out other’s who have linked. I’m hoping that through confessing out loud some things that have been on our heart/mind will help us connect with fellow bloggers on a more meaningful level.

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TuTu(torial): DIY Fabric TuTu

 
I recently shared this project on The Wiegands. It’s so fun and pretty. So I HAD  to share it with all of you who who missed it. This fabric tutu is very easy to make and you can do it all, start to finish, in ONE nap time. BONUS: If you even semi-regularly sew, you’ll have everything you need.


What you’ll need:

• Scrap fabric
• Elastic
• Scissors to cut fabric (pinking shears if you have them)
• Sewing machine to make waistband.

 
Making the TuTu:
As you can see from the picture, your strips do not need to be perfect, or even the same length. It adds character to your tutu. Some of the pieces we’re not long enough so I pieced them together with the sewing machine. My strips measured 20-22 inches with a few 17-19 inch strips thrown in. The width of my strips were somewhere around 1.5”.  (I did not use a ruler or measuring tape to cut my strips… all of them are uneven.)
Tip: If you have pinking shears, I would recommend using them to cut your strips, as it will keeping the fraying to a minimum


For the elastic waistband, I used 1/2” elastic. The length of the elastic should match the measurement of your child’ waist.

Now the only thing you have left to do is to tie your strips around the elastic band. (My daughters waist measure 18” and I used 42 strips)
I also added a few places of scrap tulle for fun. Make sure when you’re double knotting, you’re getting the knots some-what close to the center of the strip.

After your all done, you can go through and trim up the super long strips and make the whole thing even.
Adelyn loves it. I love it. I hope you love it!


You could use just a few different fabrics with matching tones and I’m sure it would be even cuter! Or add more tulle through out it to make it more “tutu”ish.






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Note: The strips will fray, but it adds more character. Like I said before, cutting the strips with pinking shears will minimize that fraying. I would NOT recommend washing this in the washing machine.
I’d love to see pictures of your finished fabric tutu’s.

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Smile When He Makes You Happy.

Sometimes we build up this fairytale in our minds. We hear a story of what “her” husband did or see “their” relationship through a perfect lens, not realizing that every person, including their relationship, is not perfect. ((Myself included))

# kristanlynn
xoxo0

Pumpkin Bread | a recipe

Come fall, and I become a baking machine. Not really, but between Halloween and Christmas is about the only time you will find me baking. Something about baking with a cool breeze coming through the window makes it feel right.

 

 

The other day was pretty cool, rainy and just plain dreary. So to brighten up our moods and get into the fall spirit I baked my FAVORITE holiday treat. PUMPKIN BREAD. OH my… it’s nothing short of YUMMY goodness! It’s probably one of the best things I make. I always make extra for friends and neighbors, and it’s always devoured! Perfect to eat with your morning coffee or to bring to your Thanksgiving Feast.

Ready for the recipe?


Ingredients:

• 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2/3 cup water
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
  

Lets BAKE:

1. Mix pumpkin puree, eggs, vegetable oil, water, sugar and vanilla.
2. In separate bowl, mix: flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger.
3. Pour dry ingredients into wet ingredients. Mix. Don’t over mix though, you want to mix just until your dry ingredients aren’t dry.
4. Pour mixture into 3- 7x3 loaf pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 50 – 60 mins depending on your stove. (Loaf is ready when toothpick is inserted and comes out clean). Our stove is super old and totally sucks… so it always takes longer than an hour!

Now, it’s pretty amazing like this… but I always add a glaze. It’s the perfect touch!

Glaze Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Powedered Sugar
• 1/4 Cup milk
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon butter

Melt the butter and add it to the rest of the ingredients. (Add the milk a little at a time. You may need less, you may need more.)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Drizzle over the loaf. Cut a slice and enjoy pure bliss! hah.

 

Idea: Use Bundt pans, put them together and frost for a pumpkin cake!

 

Photo Credit

Health Tip: Use 1 cup Applesauce instead of 1 cup oil for a healthier recipe. (I’ve never done this, but friends have and it turned out great).
I’d love to hear what you think after you’ve made it.

# kristanlynn
xoxo   

I’ve linked up here, here, here, here, here and here.

Wordless Wednesday: random

TuTu: Handmade by Me

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

Sponsor Call | October

We hit over ONE MILLION views this month!!!! More info here.

# kristanlynn
xoxo  

DIY Earring Holder

I’d love to introduce you to Marissa! Marissa blogs over here, at Sea Flower Studios, where she shares some easy DIY ideas and tips for handmade sellers. When she’s not crafting her little heart out she’s jewelry making (and has been for several years), you can check out her BEAUTIFUL shop here.


Today she is here to share her DIY Earring Display.

What You Need:

• Any size wooden picture frame 
• Glossy paint 
• Mesh screen (I found a small piece of metal mesh meant for crafts but the type of metal screen for window screens would work great if you have any laying around) 
• Paint brush 
• Utility knife 
• Staple gun

 
What to do:
1. Take the glass and backing off the frame and remove any nails that may be in the frame.
2. Lay the metal mesh down on a flat surface. Be sure the surface is protected with lots of newspaper of cardboard or use a surface that you don’t care about damage. Place the glass from the frame on top of the mesh. Hold the glass with one hand while using the utility knife with the other hand to cut the mesh using the edges of the glass as a guide so you end up with the mesh being the same size as the glass. This mesh will later be placed in the frame where the glass once was.
3. Be sure the frame is clean and dry. Paint the entire frame. You may need 2 or 3 coats to make sure it is fully covered.
4. Using a paintbrush that has very little paint on it paint the metal mesh. If your brush has too much paint on it the holes of the mesh will fill with paint. You may need 2 or 3 light coats to make sure it’s fully covered.
5. Once the frame and mesh are completely dry you are ready to assemble them. Lay the frame face down on a flat surface and put the metal mesh in the frame where the glass would normally have gone. Using your staple gun secure it in place by putting staples through the mesh into the lip of the frame. Be sure the screen is pulled tight as you go there are no ripples.
6. That’s it you’re done! To hang earrings you just feed the hooks into the tiny holes of the mesh. 

You can connect w/ Marissa on her blog , check out her shop , chat via Twitter or  Facebook