Happy Memorial Day - Patriotic Flower

I woke up feeling crappy today, so I didn't do anything to celebrate Memorial Day. I did however Utilize some of my new craft supplies to make a pretty patriotic flower!

These 5 conveniently pre-cut 4x4 quilting squares were among the fabric scraps, and I like the way they look together. It's a pretty subtle patriotic theme with some stars, and red white and blue hues. 

 I tried 2 methods of making petals, before deciding on the one I wanted, but I'll post pictures from both.

 1st method you fold square into triangle, and then fold it again to make a smaller triangle. 

 Then you make a running stitch across the open edge of the small triangle. 

 After you pull together, you should get this pointy petal result. 

 The second method I tried you fold the square into a triangle just once, then sew a running stitch along the 2 open edges. 

 When you pull tight, you should get a more round petal.

 They turned out about the same sized, and both methods are super easy! 

I chose the more pointy petal. Just repeat the process for the other squares, attaching as you go along. 

 I glued a felt square to the back so I would have something to attach a pin, or headband to.

 And finally added 3 red white and blue buttons to the center to complete the patriotic look! 

I know those instructions are absolutely tragic! Hope you get the gist of it though; it really is so simple. I got the inspiration from THIS blog, and she gives much better instructions. She did a slightly different method with circles, but since I already had squares, I made squares work! I'm still trying to decide if I should make it a hair pin, or head band...

Happy Memorial Day everyone! My thoughts and prayers are with those who have died protecting my freedom. Thank you troops who are currently fighting for this country. 

Until next time. 

UPDATE:

I decided upon putting it on a headband, and I'm happy with my decision. Good thing about hot glue is that if I change my mind and REALLY want to make it into a hair pin or other, I can persuade the hot glue to relese my flower from the headband. 

I know I look like a gross hot mess in these pictures, but focus on the pretty flower headband. It was 1:00 a.m. so probably not the time I should attempt being a model. 

Yes, I am literally that tired that I can't even come up with a title.

Thank You Michelle!

I won Michelle's @DELICATEconstruction kids crafty giveaway!Remember last Monday when I posted a bajillion art projects? Well it is a good thing I did because the very last one I posted and linked up was the winning number! YAY

I just got my package in the mail, which was perfect timing because so far this Friday has SUCKED.
This was just the pick-me-up I needed, and I felt like a kid on Christmas morning going through my mystery craft box =D

 I walked in my house with vomit on my pants a a million things in my hands, but seeing this package immediately brightened my day!

 Look how much she jam-packed this thing =]

Scrap ribbon - one of the things my craft collection was desperately lacking.
I'm going to need to make one of her ribbon organizers now. 

As any crafter knows, you can never have too many buttons. 

This might just have been my favorite item in the box. SCRAP FABRIC YIPEE!

Play-Doh is a necessity for any toddler teacher. 

Tons of art supplies liek puff balls, pipe cleaners, beads, crepe paper...My kids are about to get spoiled with fun crafts! Now I can try some of her 10 Uses for Popsicle Sticks. 

Ahhh I was just running low on my sticker collection - perfect <3.

I see some pretty things for me in my future... =]

This was my second favorite thing only to the scrap fabric. I've been wanting to make these on my own, but haven't been able to collect enough broken crayons yet. Now I can give them a test run with some of the ideas that have been floating around in my noggin. 

All of my loot! 

I soon realized that my drawers are already hopelessly full, and this is my only storage, AHH! So I set out to organize everything in hopes I could make all my new loot fit. First I combined all my snacks and electrical things [chargers, batteries, CDs, manuals...] Into one drawer because I didn't have enough of either to justify their own drawer, but I now have MORE than enough crafting things. 

Is there madness to my method, or method to my madness?

Well it all fits and is semi-organized now.
Until next time <3

RUNNING!

I love running! It is one of the best forms of exercise there is, giving your overall body the a great workout, and great for the heart. I've ran competitively since middle school, but since I've gotten to college, and though I consider myself a decent runner, I'm not good enough for university level, at least the universities I want to attend. So I've gotten lazy. Running for a team and for a purpose, to make it to districts, regionals, etc is such great motivation, but I've lost that and so my running has admittedly been on the decline. I still love running itself, it's a great relief, and those endorphins aren't too shabby either, but when it comes to getting myself out the door in my running gear...well that is the real battle. That is where I am right now - stuck inside on my computer thinking about running, but not wanting to make the effort to go do it. I know once I get out the door and start hitting the pavement [or grass] I'll feel great and glad I made that decision, but right now all I'm feeling is every ache in my body screaming not to run, all the sleep my body is suddenly yearning for, that hot noon day sun, the thirst in my throat. I don't have a team or race to work for, and I also am not in good running shape, so I think to myself if I skip today, I'm not really hurting myself cause I'm not in shape anyways! You see my dilemma here? Why am I blogging about this, you may be asking. Well I'll tell you! MOTIVATION is what I need, so I decided that if I make a promise to the blogging community to get my but out the door and run till my body stops aching and all the sleepiness goes away, that I'll have something to run for.

I, Angelyn Rhames, will put on my running shoes and get out that door, I will go for a good run, and I will do this everyday for the rest of the week! That I promise to myself, and to anyone reading this pledge of health right now.

Alright well I guess I better get on that. Until next time!

Diaper Changing Activities - MISC

I don't have any new diaper changing activities really, I've just been bringing in new things for them to explore, and not really an activity. I didn't think these deserved their own post, but I'll just put a bunch together in one.

Glitter bottles
Food coloring+glitter+hot glue; got the idea from HERE. They love them, and it's good practice naming colors. I often find them placed in random spots around the room, like on our bookshelf.

She loves her glitter bottles! 

Bouncy Balls 

Simply gave them some fist sized bouncy balls, they went nuts! In a good having fun way, not chaotic mess way! 

Rubber Ducks
They went around saying quack quack for 30 minutes!

Basically just brought in something new that they don't see everyday so I can focus on diapers, and not misbehaving kids.

I think that's all I got for now...wish me luck in the giveaway!

Until next time, which might be a while...

Cotton Ball Painting

A couple weeks ago I strained a muscle in my back, and boy was life hard at work!!! I haven't been as active with the kids as I usually have been, and over all everything is simpler and less involved on my part. Not necessarily a bad thing though, maybe I can let them do their own thing a little more even now that my back is better.

This day I just gave them a bowl with different colored paint, and cotton balls to paint with. I've been trying to introduce new ways to make art, and cotton balls is the texture I choose to go with for this activity.

 Isn't that texture just so pretty and fun? Can't make that with a paint brush. 

Vivien still preferred fingers over the cotton balls, but the projects turned out beautifully. I'm now debating whether or not to cut them into a specific shape - we are after all learning what a square is this week - or leave them as is. what do you think???

Mess Free Art

So I had tons of extra page protectors laying around and decided to have a mess free art project! You have no clue how happy those 3 words make me! I cut out flower shapes for each child. 

Then had them pick out 2 colors they wanted.

Taped the top closed, and let the kids smush the paint around! 

Addison asked for a brush to help her do the smushing.

 So did Vivien. 

At this point I noticed page protectors are not very flexible, and this would've worked a little better with a large ziploc bag. 

I hung them up to dry, but because I used acylic paint I ran across a problem removing the flowers...

Ya...not so pretty, but that wasn't going to ruin my mess free fun. I just traced a smaller flower on the back, and cut it out!

I think they came out cute!