NOT Just Another Mom

  Here you can see how the paper is crimped...   So all these images keep coming to mind on what kind of quilling-inside-an-ornament I can fathom up now.  Hmmmm.....done this, what about this kind of thing!  Well, I'm having a lot of fun trying out different projects and seeing what and how I can fit things inside those tiny little openings on the DIY ornaments.  This time I was thinking hard about a Christmas tree and how I could put it together inside the ornament and how I could decorate it.  Well, here are some pictures of my thought process and how it came about.  Sincere thanks again to Charlotte Canup of The Art of Quilling  of whom I purchased the pattern to make a snowflake inside an ornament.  She inspired me to go crazy with the desire to see what else I could try! Here I am rolling it with the quilling tool.   Here I've shaped them into squares...   It really is put together inside this flat plastic ornament!!! T...

Sometimes you wonder how people manage to keep going through adversity. So many people have endured so much in these last few weeks and some in their lifetime! I can only imagine that it is faith, family, and hope that drives them to keep going. If you don't have these things then life can get you down. Every day I thank God for my family, friends, and the opportunity to take in another day. Yesterday I stupidly locked my keys and phone in the truck as I filled up with gas. I kept thinking how stupid it was and how could I have done that? Then I also thought that it was so trivial compared to what others have to face on a daily basis. In honor of those who have dealt with breast cancer, I wanted to make them something special to remind them that they are here for another Christmas and they are very much loved! So here is an ornament to be placed on their tree to remind them of the hope of things to come. I used a plastic round ornament and carefully pushed the quilled ribbo...

Here are some pictures of my latest Christmas cards that I've been working on. No matter how hard I try seems like I never can get everything together for Christmas time. I really wanted to have personalized Christmas ornaments and cards for everyone but I just didn't have time...I think this summer while the kids are out of school I will try to get a lot of Christmas done in July!

I decided I wanted to try another quilled ornament and so I chose a candy cane pattern. I quilled the first red and white candy cane as a whole. I then quilled the green and white candy cane into two pieces so that it would fit into the top of my ornament. I put the red candy cane inside first and then glued the two green pieces using tweezers to glue them onto the whole red and white candy cane.. After waiting a while, I then glued the bow on top using the tweezers to gently place it on top of the candy canes inside the ornament. I think I like the contrast of the two colors!

I am signed up with a company/website called SheSpeaks and they just sent me something awesome to try! You know me, I don't mind trying and giving my opinions! They sent me Torani flavored syrups..Salted Caramel and Peppermint! What perfect timing with the cooler weather! As my hubby was fixing his famous hot chocolates, my daughter said," Why not try them with the new peppermint syrup from Torani?" I quickly measured two teaspoons in a cup of warmed milk and then my husband sprayed whipping cream on top. He then grated Hershey's milk chocolate on top and then put two pieces of chocolate on the topping as well. Oh, my! It was amazing! I was really surprised how yummy it was...I had tried the Pumpkin Spice before but it was no where as delicious! You can see by the pictures how yummy they looked!

I've been really busy lately with my sons and daughters extra curricular activities, so all my grand spectacular expectations of making lots of quilled ornaments just haven't happened....as of yet. So far, I've made one following a pattern from Charlotte Canup and you can purchase the directions here: http://www.etsy.com/listing/88314486/quilled-snowflake-inside-glass-ornament That was my first attempt at a quilled ornament, then I proceeded to try another snowflake of my own! The next one I wanted to try something different so I tried a Christmas stocking. I purchased the plastic ornaments at Hobby Lobby and then found some at Walmart as well. They have big and small round ones and even flat big ones! I hope that now I can make a little more time to create some more! What do you think? Stocking during the day Stocking on tree with lights  Nightime view with lights Daytime view   This is the snowflake that Charlotte Canup desi...

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Okay, I know sometimes when I get into something I tend to go overboard, but its just too much fun! Do you like to try new things just to see what you can do? Well, I get like that and I just want to see what I can come up with that will be different... I made three new pumpkins for three of my neighbors and the pictures show you three more colors from duct tape brand.

While checking out some blogs the other day, I came across a site at http://www.thevspotblog.com  and found an awesome idea for decorating a pumpkin with duct tape. Now being an Alabama fan I couldn't resist trying to make it. Here is her link for making it:  Houndstooth Pumpkin Tutorial I just used fabric paint to put on the logo. Cool, huh?!?!

While looking on Pinterest one day I found an interesting link for sensory bags for preschool classes. There were several fun ideas such as an ocean theme, alphabet theme, and they filled the bags with hair gel, water, and even shaving cream. We decided to try shaving cream in our bag and we used fun shapes to make stamp imprints and then the kids even had fun using their hand print in the shaving cream. This activity was really fun for those kids to had issues with getting their hands dirty.

My next-door neighbor had a birthday so I wanted to make something special. She is a cheerleader that I made a special birthday card for... The colors for her cheerleading squad were black, red, and white.

I put shaving cream onto a baking sheet and dropped two colors of food coloring, then gently swirled it with my fingers. I then placed the cards down into the shaving cream, picked them up gently and raked the shaving cream off. As you can see, it leaves a tie-dye effect onto the card and then I created some quilling to embellish them. I hope you like the variated swirls!

I am the biggest junk food junkie sometimes and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups have been a long time weakness of mine. Well, it just so happens that with being a bzzagent, I get the opportunity to try things ( for free most of the time,too ). Well, the latest campaign is for a newer healthier candy called Unreal. They have no corn syrup, no preservatives, no hydrogenated oils, no artificial flavors, and no GMO's. I decided to do a taste test between the real deal and Unreal's peanut butter cups. I wanted to know if they had the same sweet chocolate and creamy texture. Well, after trying them both and comparing the two, I prefer Reese's, but the Unreal is good in its own way. It is a little more of a stronger chocolate flavor and not quite as creamy, but it's not bad for being a healthier choice. Take the time to compare the difference for yourself. I have the pictures to compare... Can you tell which is the real Reese's?

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I found some simple cards at the store and thought wouldn't it be neat to add some quilling? I love having generic cards around for various occasions. It makes it easy to write something and drop it in a gift bag or in the mail for someone special. Here are some cards I've made so far... Hope you enjoy!!