Front Door Wreath

So as you can tell from the lack of blogging our lives have been pretty full! And I have loved every minute. We recently just got home from vacation, and we are 2 weeks away from school starting. Every time someone mentions it I am on the verge of tears. Today was one of those days where I played catch up. I even got to a little weeding in the flower beds (Eric just about fell over)! But one item that was high on my to do list was to get something new for my front door. I love a good wreath, but I hate paying a ton of money. I have had the same wreath on SINCE BEFORE EASTER! It even had a bunny on it! Whew... it was driving me nuts.  I have pinned no less than 50 things that I wanted to make to spruce up the ol' front door but none of them were happening.

When I was in Lexington a couple of weeks ago I ran into the Hobby Lobby to get a few things, While I was in the fabric section I saw a pre-printed burlap with black chevron. It was $8.99 a yard and I used my 40% off coupon. I had a project in mind, I just needed the time to get it done.

Well yesterday was the day! I was ready to pull out the burlap and get started! Here is a "best" step by step tutorial!

SUPPLIES:
1-2 yards of burlap fabric (they have several colors, several printed-- like the chevron i used, or they have the simple plain burlap). I bought 2 yards but only used about 1
LOTS of plastic Wal-Mart bags ( for my "W" i used about 25)
Staples

TUTORIAL:
- Lay fabric out on flat surface. Layer the fabric so that you are only cutting the letter one time. I put my fabric printed side to printed side so I could mark on the blank side.
- Once your fabric is laid out and its time to make your letter. I eyeballed how big I wanted my letter and then just free handed a "w" with a pencil. Once I got it how I wanted it I used a marker to outline it so I could see better when cutting.
- Cut your letter out. I used pinking sheers to keep the raveling to a minimum, but I do not think it necessary
- Once you a have your letter cut (don't forget you need 2 letters) make sure that they are lined up and printed sides are facing out.
- For my "w" i started by using my good old fashion stapler and stapling the bottom. Basically what you are gonna want to do it staple part of your letter then stuff it with the wal-mart plastic bags. I would just keep stapling and stuffing making sure that the stuffing was even. I just did a little section at a time and then stapled it up! (*** you will be able to see the staples from up close but really they are unnoticeable***)
- Once my letter was done I needed a way to hang it. Now this is gonna vary for each letter. I used a brown wire hanger.  Breaking off the "hook" of the hanger and I unwinded it and then poked holes in my letter and fished the letter through the hanger. This way it would lay flat on the door. Another option to hang it with is wire hanger that is used for picture frames.
- Now that my letter was on my hanger I needed a splash of color and a way to hide the ugly part of the hanger. I used some art mesh that I had left over from my christmas stash and made a bow. Put the bow on the top of the hanger and then placed that baby on the door.
- Now its not perfect, but it looks great on my door and it is NOT my Easter wreath hanging up in AUGUST!

If you have any questions please feel free to EMAIL me at kjwhite1980@gmail.com

Playroom Overhaul

I have an entire board on Pinterest dedicated to our playroom. It is on the main level of our house and I love it. The kids play in there while Im cooking, cleaning, or doing whatever. It also has a door so at the end of the day I close the door to not see the mess. It is very nice. Another plus is that there is NOT ONE TOY anywhere else on our main level. In our last house the kids toys were in our family room and every day it was a stressor for me as well as an eye sore. So if i could snap my fingers my playroom would something along the lines of this:

So my plan is to spend most of the day working on our playroom. If I had about $500 and a Uhaul heading to ikea I am sure I could really make some progress. Well since neither of those things are happening today I am on my own. I plan to purge, place, and prioritize. Here's a list of the things I want to do: (mind you this all has to happen during Lynley's naps because she is not such a good "helper")

1. Get some artwork hung on the walls. I have lots of "kid friendly" artwork that I want to display in a collage I just need to get it sent out and hung up the way I want it!

2. Purge the toys. We have about a MILLION happy meal toys that JHW thinks holds significant value. They do not. I want to throw those away.

3. Keep like things together. Blocks, baby toys, ninja turtle crap all together! Make laminated labels to store in bins

4. Make a reading area. I have some cute ideas for this, but I am not sure this will happen today!

5. Keep all the Wii/ video game stuff together and out of the reach of sweet little Lynley!

6. Set up a a magnet area where Lynley can use magnetic stuff. She loves these things, but they are not allowed on our fridge so right now she is using a cookie sheet!

7. Hang Blinds... well at least that is what I think I want to do in here. I am still deciding on blinds or roman shades, Im gonna have to talk to Daddy Warbucks on this one :)

8. Vacuum. I just want a good old scrub down of the floor, but i haven't seen that floor in a while so hopefully tomorrow that will happen!

9. Order my growth chart. I want to make one of the those giant rulers that you have seen on Pinterest I have found one I love, now I just need to order it and the get the wood/ supplies from Lowes :)

So I have a huge task before me. Do you want to see how big... Well here is a picture of the current state of our playroom. Say a prayer and wish me luck!

Easters on its way

If you know anything about me you know that Easter is by FAR and AWAY my most favorite holiday! Its a sign of new life with the beginnings of spring, the words of the hymns awake my soul, and children in matching smocked clothing just about send me into a tizzy! (FYI neither one of my kids are wearing smocked this year.... yes I have their outfits picked out, yes - they are monogrammed, and yes- we will all match)

So with the impeding snow storm that was about the hit Indy early this week I decided it was a perfect time to break out the Easter decor. A lot of stuff I already had, some stuff I made and others I just improvised. But as I set in my house last night I was completely in awe of the sacrifice of Easter!

 Here is the mantel! I always try to put a big banner just because i think it is kid friendly. Keep scrolling down and you will see where I have the printable version for you!

 This is the Southern Living plate that I have had for years. I change the words every season. It only seemed fitting for my favorite hymn!

 Here is our entertainment center. A side note. This was actually a credenza that went with the desk we had in our Lexington House. My parents painted it black added the molding on the bottom and put new hardware on there. It has been a perfect addition to our home and we Love it!

 This is a little table I have between two wing back chairs in our family room. I change out this picture frame regularly. I wanted to put scripture that was easy enough for John Hunter to read. In case you cannot see this one says, "He is not here he is risen just as He said." He is really becoming quite the reader and I could not think of anything I would rather him read than Scripture!

 Ok a closer look at the banner!I printed out 5 pages (there are two pennants on a page) I cut them out. Went to the bathroom drawer  got some cotton balls and glued those cute little bunny tails on. I punched holes in the top corners and threaded some yellow satin ribbon I already had through. Taped her up and there she is! Here is the link I used to print off the banner

 I used a canvas I already had and some paint I had lying around in the craft box to make this little guy. I love it because it is so bright. This was a hard one for me. Easter Hymns are my thing. I love them. I spent about 2 days trying to figure out which one I was going to commit to canvas. Then I let go and relaxed because this little canvas is about $3 so  I could always change it out. I went with this song because I love it.
He Lives He Live Christ Jesus Lives today, He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way. He lives He lives Salvation to impart. You ask me how I know He lives, he Lives within my Heart!

 This sweet canvas I used when I taught preschool. This is the area above my desk in the Kitchen and i wanted to something fun and kid friendly. So this was the perfect option!

 Over 10 years ago my parents bought me this crown of thorns for Easter. It is probably one of the things I treasure most. Every time I look at it I see more than thorns I see a crown, and a King who was willing to give up his Heavenly crown to wear this terribly painful one. Why did he do it? For me. My sin put Him on that cross and my sin put those thorns on His head. This was a great reminder. John Hunter has now taking a liking to these as well. This plate came from wal-mart and I used my cricut and black vinyl to put this hymn on there. I love how it turned out!

 Subway art is all the rage right now. So what better way to be in style than with some Easter subway art. I found this one on Pinterest and had it printed at Sams Club as a 16x20 for about $4. Its perfect!

Here is our kitchen table. I always have a plastic table cloth on the table for each season because I find I have a messy family and we are always doing art projects here. Its just for a season when the kids are young but I love it. I found this bunny in the decor stuck him on the cake stand and added some grass. Now buried away in my cabinets I have beautiful easter egg dishes and  chargers along with monogrammed spring napkins and napkin rings. They are lovely I promise. But the reality is we live here. Every night we eat dinner at this table and as much as I would love place all those things out, I don't!

So here is our house at easter! What is your favorite Easter decoration that you have in your house?

Crazy Girl....

A few weeks ago we had some friends over for a last minute dinner. Eric had been smoking a pork and the food was wonderful (as always). The children were playing and the adults were sitting around the table talking about life, kids, ministry, and marriage.

Eric and I were replaying an event that had occurred earlier that week. We had gotten in a pretty heated argument over something silly (really just miscommunication) but it got blow up way out of proportion. But the whole argument took place over text message. Please tell me you all have been there? What was even worse was we were in the house together while this was taking place. So Eric and I were each defending our sides of the story all while reading the text out loud.(Let me say here that arguing over text is not advisable and since them we have tried really hard to communicate with audible words)  My girlfriend was cracking up and said, "I would love to see that side of Kendra, she is always so sweet, I don't think she has it in her." Poor friend little does she know that there are days I have a crazy person trapped inside me. Do you? Even in college my friend "Big Dog" named my alter ego Mrs. Z (my maiden name begins with a Z), and i always joked that you never wanted to meet her.

I have worked really hard over the past 10 years to not expose that crazy lady to the people around me. But the truth is she exist. You know who meets her the most often, Eric, or my kids, or my family? She comes out even when she is not welcome. Yesterday in Bible Study we were watching the video from Beth Moore. We are neck deep in the study of Esther, but the Scripture she talked about was from Hosea 7:8. It reads, "Ephraim is a flat cake not turned over." Basically what is saying that only one side of Ephraim is exposed. Only one side. Each of us has two sides, and we know what side we want people to see. That is the side, we beautify, the side we build up, the side we update our status on Facebook too, that is the side we make our imaginary boards on pinterest about, but sweet sister we are two sided.

Here is the truth I want you to camp on to today. God wants access to both sides. We cannot be wholly His until he has both sides. What are you so afraid of in your hidden side that He cannot have access to? He loves you, He has engraved your name upon His hand, and He has call you His child? Oh friend I have been there, as early as this morning. Last night I was so mean to Eric, he had a really bad day and was trying his best to be the best husband and father, but I kept beating him up over the smallest things. I knew what I was doing was wrong and mean spirited but  I continued to do it. I spent most of the early hours of this morning exposing myself to God asking for Him to weed out the mean spirit in my life and help me to grow as a supportive and kind wife. Then when Eric woke up I had to humble myself and tell him I was so sorry for my behavior. I could have listed a 1000 excuses as to why I acted the way I did, but that would be all they were.... excuses. In order for me to be better I must expose the BOTH sides to my maker. Have you been there? Do you know what I am talking about? Sweet sister, what do you need to give to Him today.He is ready and willing to take it, He wants you WHOLE and He will help you get there.

After our friends came over for dinner I was browsing Pinterest and I saw this ecard, it was so fitting I had to quickly sending to my friend. Can you relate to this one?

Giveaway Time

So I know I have been MIA for the past month! I have a sweet  friend who keeps reminding me! Well today this blog is back up and running! We have had a lot going on for the past month. Here are some highlights:
1. I turned 33... how fun was that!
2. John Hunter got the stomach bug...threw up all over school
3. Kendra got the stomach bug
4. Lynley got the stomach bug (found her in her crib covered in throw up)
5. Eric got the stomach bug (on his birhtday)
6. Eric turned 33
7. We celebrated Valentines day
8. Eric had surgery.... the family jewels removed :)
9. John Hunter is thriving at basketball
10. John Hunter was Mr. Q in the wedding of Q & U at school
11. The kids and I went to Lexington
12.  Eric and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary!
13. John Hunter got a STELLAR report card and we are beaming with pride!
14... Today is Monday!

So I cannot think of a better thing do on Monday that host a give away! Easter is right around the corner and if you know me at all you know it is my favorite holiday! So I started looking at some really cute easter shirts for sis and found this adorable one! I contacted the lady and she said you could WIN one! So heres the deal! The contest will close tomorrow at 5PM. You can leave a comment here or on my facebook post. I will enter all the names into random.org and select one winner! How fun is that!

Sweet Lynley did some modeling in her shirt at well! Hope you are in love with it as much as me! If you would like to go ahead and purchase your own, you can do that here at her etsy shop!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/KatelynKreations

Everyone enter now!

Meal Planning 101

So I have had several people ask me about how I plan my meals. Really for me it is all about organization of prep work. So here are a couple of tips I have for you:

- Look at your WEEKLY calendar:  I start by looking at my week and seeing what we all have and what we have time for. For example: Eric always works late on Thursday nights so I need something for the kids and I but I also need to make leftovers for E when he gets home. Or if we have dinner plans one night I will write in OUT TO EAT. Another example is I have bunco this week, it starts at 7 so whatever I cook for dinner I want to be able to eat early and have the kitchen cleaned up before I go. I take all that into account and fill in meals for each day.

- Keep of running list of recipes your family likes: I have a list of about 20 meals that my family loves, likes, or will tolerate. I keep those in the back of my calendar to use as a reference.I only try to rotate them once a month or at least space them out as far as possible. If you would like to see a list of those meals feel free to email me at kjwhite1980@gmail.com

- Meal plan on Sunday: I meal plan on Sunday for meals from Monday- Sunday. And I do my grocery shopping on Mondays. This makes it easy for me. That way I have looked at my calendar, made my meals, and now i am ready to grocery shop. I also browse my Pinterest board on FOOD to see what other options I might be willing to try or whip up. It gives me lots of fresh ideas!

- Make a menu: I write out what is on the menu and keep it posted in the pantry for all to see. That way when I wake up each morning I know what's for dinner and what needs to be done to make it happen, it takes the guess work out of. When I make the menu I usually only include a short description. We are not big side people so for me I can do grilled chicken and a can of green beans and call it a day. But write out whatever helps you complete your meal.

- Make a grocery list: make a list of everything you need to make your weekly menu happen. We rarely eat out for dinner so I have to be prepared. Once you write down what you need SHOP your pantry. This will make life easier and lower your grocery cost. Oh and remember to take your list with you when you go to the store!

- Be flexible: There are some nights where Eric ask for something else or some thing in our schedule changes. Always be flexible. If you skip a meal or don't use it, freeze what you can and then save the rest of the ingredients. For example I have had Chicken Spaghetti on the menu for the last 3 weeks. Tonight we are finally having it.

Hopefully this helps you all. In additions here is an 8 x10 printable jpeg of my menu. You can print it out, hang it up or do whatever you like to it. For me I printed it out and laminated it. That way I reuse it weekly by using a dry erase marker. So what is your favorite thing to fix for your family when you meal plan?

Perfect day for Potato Soup

It is cold here, and I don't mean there is a chill in the air, I mean that we had a 2 hour delay because the windchill was sub zero. Nothing says comfort food to me like soup. I love soups pair with a good salad or even a sandwich from Jimmy Johns

**** SIDENOTE... we go and buy day old bread (which is usually only hours old) from Jimmy Johns for $.25 a loft and  come home and make our own sandwiches, saves money and super yummy)

Anyway I thought I would share my potato soup recipe with you. I recently found this on pinterest and gave it a whirl and it has quickly become a family favorite.

Since the orginal post was so good full of pictures I am just gonna send you there.

http://www.twirlblog.com/2010/12/potato-goodness.html

The only thing I did differently is I left my cream cheese in for an hour... just made it creamery! So what are your favorite cold day comfort foods?