All the... small things

Hello, neglected blog.  One post in June??  Really?  Wow, a new low.  Well, it can only go up from there, and you know, I'm already over it.  So...

I don't have anything big or amazing to say, I just want to document some little things that make my life fun.  Like Spencer's happy dance.



Haaaaaaa-py! from Bethany Weed on Vimeo.

I was only able to get two segments of the dance on video, but you can imagine, it goes on and on like that... :)  


And how he says the names of each family member...




Spencer loves his family from Bethany Weed on Vimeo.



He says everyone's name cute, but I LOVE how he says "gyyyylll" for Leah.  He NEVER calls her Leah or any variation thereof.  She's always just "girl."  Which is so cute!  How did he even figure out that she's the girl?  I don't know, but he did and it's CUTE!


I decorated some doors for our school's teacher appreciation day (yes, a long time ago...)  Definitely a small thing, but I'm kinda proud of my efforts...

(What you can't see very well are all the bee related puns I added, like, "Have you heard the buzz?"  "She's the bee's knees!"  "She's sweet as honey!"  And "She's bee-utiful!"  I know.  How clever am I?  :)

And for Mr. Horn, who I really think might BE the best teacher in the world.  Well, best for Nathan, anyway.  He was WONDERFUL!!

The kiddles went camping in our backyard.

I made Golden Graham bars instead of smores.  They spent a crisp night together under the stars, telling stories and listening to night noises.  A small thing but they LOVED IT!!



We went for a body warming soak at Miracle Hot Springs.

We actually did that awhile ago, back when it was still kind of cold, just a quick Saturday family adventure, but I forgot to blog about it, and it qualifies under the "small things" title, so there you go.

And, mmmm, hmmmm, yep, that's it for now!

Leah's Room

Since we were just talking about Leah, let's talk about a completed house project!!  YAY!  Mothers everywhere, cheer with me because you know how hard it is to turn those grand home dreams into realities.   So yay!  Leah's room!  DONE!

I wanted her room to be light and bright and cheerful and whimsical.  I wanted to include her favorite colors (red and pink.  She also likes purple, but I'm sorry.  I can only be so accommodating.)  I collected little items for seriously years before I started putting anything up.  Leah lived in a blank walls orphanage room for a very long time.  But no longer, my friends, no longer!  So come on in...

 Um, hm, where shall we start?  Because you do want to hear all my stories about these things, right??  Well, let's start with the dresser.  How I grabbed it off of Craigslist for $100.  How that is AMAZING for such a cute dresser, but when I got it, I thought I'd have to repaint it, because gray?  In this cute little room?  But how when I got it in here, I thought it was just fine, delightful even??  Let's talk about that mirror.  Which I have had for QUITE some time, which didn't come with the dresser, but behold!  Don't they look all curvy and cute together?  Let's move in closer to that zone because I have more stories to tell...

 Pinwheels!!

Most fun paper craft ever.   I made this pinwheel banner and I love it!  Perfectly whimsical and imaginative.  Reminds me of a sweet summer day.

I found that delightful little print from this etsy shop.  It's great because they let you choose your own hair color.  And that's perfect for me because I'm weird.  I only want to put pictures of brown haired girls in Leah's room. 

And that little Pip Studio sugar bowl??  This was a gift from Miss Jayna and equals the most awesome souvenir ever from her trip to England.  The little big top lid!  The cute and tiny birds!  Pink!  Red!  Perfect! 

Now, do you see that bunny hat stand tucked in the corner?  It is SOO CUTE, right?  And that's the definition of whimsical.  A bunny hat stand.  Found at the thrifts.  5 bucks.  Didn't have to paint it- it was perfect just the way it was!  And now it holds dress ups.  Many, many dress ups.

Let's move up from the bunny stand, up to the little shelf.  Also thrifted for a buck.  Did you care about that?  No?  Well I kind of did so there it is.

This little shelf holds sooooo many precious things.  Darling hankie under the red boots.  These red boots are so defining for Leah.  Red boots are cute and a little sassy.  Not naughty sassy, just confident about your own awesomeness sassy.  And who wouldn't feel confident kickin' around in those things??  That little red and purple matroyshka doll is from actual Russia.  A gift from my dear friend Kim, and Leah loves it.  BUT because I am paranoid about losing all the little pieces (a real possibility, folks), she can only play with them when I'm upstairs.  This makes that doll a special treat, probably increasing her love for it greatly.  You know, the forbidden and all that.  :)

 That picture of Leah was taken a few summers ago when we visited Washington.  Salt Creek, if you must know.  I was SO in love with her that day.  Well, that week, really.  She was so precious.  And she LOVED the beach so dearly.  Looking at that picture makes my heart smile a big golden smile.

That clock?  Did you notice that clock already?  Because that clock is my second English import.  I saw that clock on Pinterest and neeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeded it.  So so so so badly.  But, the darn English.  So stingy with their cuteness.  They won't send their cuteness over the ocean to me!  Luckily, my mother is a world traveler and when I heard she'd be traveling to England, I ordered it to her hotel there and she was kind enough to bring it back for me.  Oh Greengate clock of adorableness.   I love you so.

The butterfly, tiny rose tea cup and books were thrifted (natch), but let's pull in for a close up.

Because these are about the cutest vintage books ever!  And do you see that one on the bottom?  Called Tassels On Her Boots.  Tassels On Her Boots!  TOO PERFECT for this room and for this girl! 

Let's move across the window to her bed.  

Ahhhh!  There's so much about this picture to love.  Let's keep it together.  Okay, so the bed I picked up on Craigslist.  I can't remember how much (remember, all of these things were purchased over the course of literally years), but I know it was pretty cheap and very sturdy.  I slaved many a hot summer day painting it red.  Because for some reason, I just thought Leah needed a red bed.  The polka dot and flower pillows that match her duvet cover?  ALSO English imports.  Cath Kidston.  Why can't Americans make darling dots and flowers while the English practically breathe them??  But I digress.  I found one company that carries a limited supply of my girl Cath- and they ship to the U.S.  Joy!!  And the pillow in front?  The accent pillow?  Which is gaaaaaaaaaaaaah!  So cute!  Ryan bought it for me one Christmas after having seen it on my Pinterest board and possibly after having been prompted to do so by Miss Jayna.  

And THEN, THEN THEN THEN, let's get started on the PICTURE!  The picture, my friends, the picture above her bed!  ANOTHER item in the room that veritably defines whimsy.  An elephant and a bunny riding a bike with balloons trailing behind!  Isn't it the cutest?? 

Let's pull in on that cute little guy because I DIED the moment I saw it.

However, when I saw it, it was a Valentine.  And only sold in Valentine size, like 3 inches or something.  But I had to have it and I had to have it big, so I wrote to Sarah Jane and asked-nay begged-could she PLEASE sell me that print in the Valentine colors, but in a nice big size?  She did!  Super nice of her and all of her stuff fits SO WELL with what I love about childhood.  In fact, this is not the last piece of Sarah Jane you shall see, but we are being orderly about this tour.  Very orderly.  No use jumping the gun just so you can get more Sarah Jane in your eyes (though I can't blame you.)  But we must now shift our gaze up to the gallery wall.  

I know, you didn't even see it when you came in, did you?  Your eyes were too busy being so excited by everything else!!  (Also because I didn't put it in the shot, but nevermind.)  Again, so many things to love about this wall.  Let's first start by loving the little girl.  That girl.  She's so darn photogenic and so adorable.  This was not coached, not posed, she just has that classic little girl charm.  I painted, thrifted and made so many things on this wall... perhaps it deserves a close up montage, hm?  Yes.  

Do you know, I found that little girl cameo at a thrift store and she was glued to some ugly weird green carpet-y thing.  She was crying because of the hideous thing that had been done to her.  But I rescued her, put her in a pink and red room where she rightfully belongs and now she can smile serenely.  Leah calls her The Princess.

I made that little button heart and I kind of adore it's homemade cheerfulness.

I have a small obsession with banners.  I had to be physically restrained from adding more, more MORE Banners!  More buntings!  Bunt ALL the things!!

Then let's see, what else do we have?  Well, at the base of the bed, a laced up trunk...

It's cute, right?  I just podged a little lace onto a plain Ikea trunk to girl it up.  

What else...?  Ah yes-a little reading zone.  

Ryan made her that little shelf, my mom and I made her the bean bag (cutest fabric!) and Katie Daisy made her the You Are So Loved print.  And she is so loved. 

Let's see, there's a few other little details we've missed...

Ryan painted this room white long ago because I knew I was going for light and bright instead of builder's beige... and while he was at it, I had him paint the ceiling pink.  Because why not??

The chandelier I almost don't even want to talk about because it caused me so much grief!!  All I will say is that sometimes spray paint goes wrong when it really REALLY shouldn't.  But now it's up and it's cute.  

Do you see that I added red pom pom trim to her window treatment?  Eeeeee!  Red pom poms!  Tell me RIGHT NOW, what is happier than red pom poms??

And that night light is SO adorable, I can't even tell you.  It's delicate and porcelain like a little tea cup and it gives off the coziest light at night!

Maybe you'll humor me with a few unnecessary pictures of cuteness?

And on your way out, this:

  A little Sarah Jane embroidery that I made.  Because that girl is my deep blue sea.  (Not too bad for my first embroidery, right?)

And one more peek to see what's happening in the room right now:

Sooooo... let's see... how to put this... Well, let's just put it:  I'm looking for validation.  I want you to leave a comment.  I want you to say, "Wow!  Good job, Bethany!  It's totally darling and English and whimsical!"  Or something like that.  I'll leave you to work out the particulars, but comment and tell me you love it as much as I do!  

A very fairy tea party

When little girls turn five, 

As a mama, one must strive

To throw a party that she truly would enjoy

One that's pretty and pink (and without any boys!)

Frilly invitations, created with care

(Obviously, done with Miss Jayna's flair)

Invited six little fairies to enjoy tea with us

And for this purpose, mama went to quite a fuss

When little fairies did arrive

They flitted through balloons along the drive

That lead them to the most welcoming of sights

A beautiful fairy tea party, perfect for tiny sprites!

Tiny tea cups, tiny berries

All just right for tiny fairies

The table was adorned in pink and flowers

All laid out under gauzy bowers

While glittery gold fairies danced overhead

And six little girls enjoyed strawberry bread

And watermelon "tea" and tiny cookies

And all remembered to say thank you and please.

The princess presided over her splendid tea,

Full of giggles and full of glee,

Delighted to share her special day

With such good friends at such a grand soiree.

I love you, my little fairy girl

You add such sparkle to my world

 

After the delicacies were all consumed

The party activities were resumed

Six little girls beaded and beaded

'Til their fairy bracelets were completed

Then off they went to find fairy treasure

They ran and giggled and took great pleasure

In finding clues and winning prizes

Finally completing their fairy guises

They won their wands and they won their wings

And fairy halos, among other things.

On to presents, cupcakes, and more fairy fun

'Til sadly, the party was all done

Blow the candles, make a wish

Wave your wand with a twinkle and a swish

And maybe your wish will come true.

I wish a very happy birthday for you!

Goodbye, fairy friends, thank you for being here!

You celebrated Leah's birthday with lots of cheer!

 My favorite little fairy, with eyes of blue,

Happy, happy birthday.  Happy birthday to you!

Pudding Pictionary: Combined Young Men/Young Women Activity

So I don't usually post about my awesome ideas that I use for my calling (or job) at church.  Mostly this is because I think most of my blog readership probably doesn't care and it's not something I necessarily want to record for posterity.  Also, it's because I usually borrow others' ideas, so why would I post something that someone else out there already posted?

BUT.  I have had some original ideas.  And since I often benefit from other people's posts on their great ideas, I thought I'd post mine so it can help some other mama who's too tired to think of what to do for combined Young Men/Young Women.  For the greater good, if you will.  So tune out if you don't care, but if your search engine brought you here because you typed in "pudding pictionary" or "Combined Mutual" or something like that, then welcome.  :)


Ok, so Pudding Pictionary.  A few weeks ago, I was in charge of Combined YM/YW.  We had a great plan to do a service scavenger hunt.  Then, the night before and the morning of, it snowed.  Like, a lot.  Like, enough that I was sure I didn't want the Young Men's leaders speeding around our neighborhoods on slippery roads because you know their competitive drive and desire to WIN would force them to take unsafe risks on the roads.  :)  Not to mention, of course, hoards of youth tromping into people's houses with muddy feet.  No, the service scavenger had to be shelved and I had to come up with a new idea that could come together pretty quick.

Enter Pudding Pictionary.  Somewhere deep in the recesses of my brain, I remembered seeing a picture of people playing Pudding Pictionary.  So I went, clicked, found the picture, got the visual, but there were no instructions.  No how to.  This is what I have to offer you today because I spent quite a bit of time thinking it through, trying to get it right, and I think I did.  It totally worked and the kids (and leaders) had a blast!

Ok, so I set up like this:

Six long tables, 3 on 3 facing each other, with a little teacher's table in the middle of each set.  So each pair of parallel long tables had a small table in between them.  That's where I placed my moderator and a buzzer.  Like, a Taboo buzzer.  You'll need 3.  I divided the youth and leaders into 6 teams-each of our teams had 5 or 6.  Then each team needed to come up with a team name and write it on the board that you can see off to the left.

I covered the tables with a plastic table cloth (that step was obvious, right?), supplied each table with wipes and paper towels and gave each team a pack of pudding.  Then each team selected their first artist, and the two artists met up at the moderator's table.  The moderator had a stack of pictionary cards, and I instructed them to please pick good words.  Not too hard, not too easy, just pick a good word.  They gave the word to each artist, then they were off to draw it in the pudding...

Once their team guessed it, they had to run back to the moderator's table and buzz the buzzer.  This avoids any of that, "Hey, we said it!"  "No, WE said it first!"  No.  You buzz and it's pretty clear who won.  Then the winner goes and puts a tally mark by their name on the board, and they get to stay put at their table.  The looser has to shift down.  This makes it so that things are constantly mixing and that new teams are facing each other every round.  And each set of teams was drawing completely different words each round. 

We did about 15 rounds in slightly over an hour (for those of you who like to plan out time-I do!)  At the end, we had two teams who were neck and neck, with 15 and 14 wins each, which made me realize that since those teams kept winning, they were not facing each other.  They were CLEARLY in the lead, so I had them go head to head a few times.  At the end, I crowned the winning team with candy leis, which apparently I did not take a picture of, but you know candy leis, right?  Yeah, google it, you'll find instructions.  Not that it was critical to this activity, but it was fun and the winners wore their leis proudly.  Then, hot chocolate and homemade cinnamon rolls.  And by homemade, I do mean the Sister Rhodes recipe, if you get my drift.  Yeap, I really outdid myself.

One thing that I wish I would have done differently-I gave each table two of the little packs of pudding.  Yes, I COULD have made pudding, but like I said, this was same day planning and I just grabbed pre-made packs at the Dollar Store where I picked up my tablecloths.  This worked OKAY, but I failed to consider the war paint and the pudding wars that the deacons inevitably participated in, which significantly reduced the amount of pudding available for drawing in.  SO, I wish I would have given each table an entire package-that would have been 4 small packs.  Then for sure they would have had enough, taking into consideration warpaint and all. 

So.... there you go!  Pudding Pictionary for your next combined activity!

This Christmas, I made stuff.

I decided to make one thing for each member of my family this Christmas.  First up, the small.  For the small, I made a play makeup kit. 

I can link you to the tutorial where I found the idea, but basically, you just clear out some old make up containers, then dump LOADS of nail polish in them and wait.  And, if you don't die from the fumes, in about a week, they'll be nice and solid and not stinky anymore.  Add a free makeup bag that Target sent, and a dollar store brush set and you are in BUSINESS!

And oh how the small adored!!!

This is a face of complete smuggery.  She has no idea that it's not real and she is PRETTY FREAKING HAPPY with her make up kit.  So happy that she can't smile, she can only be smug.

 

SO happy in fact, that everyone stopped with the present opening, and played with the makeup kit for quite some time.

And I do mean everyone (who was awake). 

That one might have been the most satisfying.  She is SO happy with it.  It cost me $1 to make (that was buying the brushes), and otherwise it was free, environmentally friendly, crafty, creative, just lovely.   Fun to make and I anticipate hours of fun for her. 

For the Code... anyone who has hung out with the Code recently knows that he is currently nurturing a grand Ghostbuster obsession.  He watches an episode of The Real Ghostbusters (the cartoon) on YouTube pretty much every day.  He loves it.  But, given that Ghostbusters went out of style sometime during the 80's, there isn't much Ghostbuster paraphenalia to be found.  And the 3 people that DO have some are charging $90 for them on Ebay.  No go.  But it is the perfect thing for a gutsy Mama to attempt...

1 cannibalized vacuum, 5 bucks at the thrift store and a few pages of printed Ghostbuster labels later, here's what I came up with:

It doesn't matter that it isn't all the way authentic.  It's Ghostbuster equipment, he can run around the house with his pack and his vacuum hose, and slay ghosts to his heart's content.  Happiness.

Nathan was hard to think of what I could make for him.  But recently, he's been wishing that he had a small stuffed animal that could fit in his pocket.  I'm pretty sure he's going for a Calvin and Hobbes thing... anyway, I thought, hey!  A small stuffed animal?  I could do that.  I settled on a soctopus.  Or in this case?  An octo-ninja.  It was unintentional, but once I started doing it, I realized that the argyle looked like a ninja mask, plus I thought that might encourage Nathan to like it better.  I didn't follow any tutorial for this (I know, you're shocked because the quality of the final product is so very very fine).  I just took an old sock of mine with dudely colors, sewed across the top, so the toe part would be on the inside, sewed eyes on, stuffed it with some scrap fabric, then tied the head together, cut 8 legs and then sewed them together. 

Let's not dwell on the poor bedraggled little guy too long.  He looks very... homemade.  :)  No pictures of Nater in action with it because he's too sick to force to pose for photos.

Now for the Ry, I made something of sentimental value.  So while it may not knock your socks off, I really kinda like how it turned out.

You get it, right?  It's all the places we've lived together.  Man.  It kind of hurts to look at all of that.  But in a good way, because I'm happy about where we are, and really, wherever I'm with this guy, I'm good.

 

So there's my attempt at homemade Christmas gifts.  Please comment and tell me you like one of them.   

Better get out the Podge.

I'm trying to be a good mom, you know I am, so I decided I should do the whole "Meet the Teacher" gift thing.  Never done it before, but it seems like it's the right thing to do?  So I thought I'd give it a try.

I wanted a gift that says, "Hi.  I'm Nathan.  And I'm ready to be your favorite student this year.  And also, you should know that my mom is awesome."  That's kind of the vibe I was going for. 

I think we've accomplished our goal, don't you?  Here's the tutorial.

Pretty cool, huh?  I showed it to Ryan, and he responded with a sincerity and enthusiasm I am not accustomed to, "Wow.  That's actually really good."  Hm.

Naturally, you recognize the fabric, yes?  Scraps from Little Leah's Skirtsie.  See what scraps can do, mom?  (And she was going to throw them away.  Please.)  And I did it all while the daddy took the boys to the library-meaning it was pretty QUICK!!  Oh, but I should mention if you actually go to her tutorial, I found an apple that didn't have those little balls one it-one step easier for me, and my apple had a nice, perky green stem.  Another step easier for me. 

Now the question is, will I really give it to his teacher???

Oh.  And since I'm kind of tooting my own craft horn, here's a little something I did awhile ago, but strangely never posted it.  Well, actually, I guess it's not that strange.  It was a couple of moves ago.  Bah.

But I've done a few of the organza flower things.  You tried that yet?  Can't mess 'em up.  Good times.

Who had the auDACITY

to guess 85! Alanna, where do you get off, girl?  I realized the flaw in my guessing game was that I didn't put a time line on it.  No end in sight.  Darn.  So when Megs guessed 83, I thought, "Shoot, that's as close as I'm gonna get!  I better call this thing and send that girl some EARRINGS for being BOLD ENOUGH to guess anywhere in the 80's."   But then I got distracted watching Brian Regan before I made my post to announce her winnings and Alanna came in and SCOOPED the thing.  She probably did it mathematically.  She does stuff like that just for fun.  Plus, she has a freaky good memory and for all I know, when we were roommates, I might have mentioned my grandma's birthday and she remembers it 10 years later.  She's like that. 

My belly dancing grandma is 85.

But you'd be out of your gourd to guess a day out of the 70's, am I right?  Unless you were trying to score a free pair of BWeed earrings, which must account for spurring some of you on to such boldness when most of the reasonable 70's numbers got picked. 


Alanna, you wild woman, send me your address.  I'm sending you a pair of earrings.  Thanks for playing along with me.  You know how I like games.  You guys make things fun for me.


We had a great time with my spicy Mexican grandma.  (Want to know a small funny story?  The first time she saw a picture Ryan, she immediately dubbed him "James Bond" for his rugged good looks, tallness and blue eyes.  The name stuck, though she didn't meet him for another 2 and a half years, by which time we were engaged.  The first time she met him, she was deliberating with him about which dress she should wear to our wedding, and in the course of this conversation, said the word "sexy" in reference to one of her dresses about 6 times.  After wetting his pants, Ryan nearly fainted dead away.) 




In Fourth of July news, I think I might be a Fourth of July scrooge.  Oh, don't get me wrong, I love our country.  We sang the Star Spangled Banner today at church and I got a little misty.  It's the fireworks.  I deeply considered NOT stopping at the little fireworks booth and spending $20, but rather taking the boys out to the backyard and just straight lighting up a $20.  But I got real fireworks and oh my word, our boys were leaping with small boy joy.  They thanked us about 18 times.  Maybe they sensed my teeterings about whether or not I should spend our money on fireworks.  Their exuberance sealed the deal for me.  They got me.  I'll buy 'em again next year. 


I didn't take pictures of the joyous event.  But here are a few other pictures from the day:

Leah's 4th of July outfit. 

(She couldn't be kept still for a non blurry shot.)

And Cody's 4th of July outfit:

I let him wear this to the store with me the other day.  In the interest of the public good.  Because I don't mind if he wears this in public, and it makes lots of people smile.  Smiling is good.  

And the only picture I took of Natey and Ryan:

By this point, of course, Cody had already fallen asleep.  

Also, we did a Fourth of July cooking project today.  This was our final product:

Smores on sticks.  Click here if you want to see what they were supposed to look like.  (Then again, she freely admits that she had absolutely no help from a child.  So maybe THIS is what they're really supposed to look like, eh?)

Happy 4th everyone!  


Edited at 1 in the morning to add:

Dear Fireworks Guy 3 houses down from us,

1 am is past time to stop.

Yesterday was actually a day too early, but I let it slide, chalking it up to unbridled enthusiasm for a holiday that comes only once a year.  But given that it is 1 in the morning, your passion for exploding things has now stretched over 3 days.  Time to stop, man.  Time to stop.  Put the punk down and back away slowly.  May I recommend a course of therapy for you?  Next year, take out 4 hundred dollar bills, then take your match and light them.  Savor the slow (quiet) burn.  Then go to bed.

Sincerely, 

Your patient-only-to-a-point neighbor in the Papaya Palace 3 houses down from you, who can distinctly hear every pop, boom, whistle, screech, scream and zinger and then resultant whoop from you.  If you wake up my kids, so help me...