Archives for February 2012

Oh Friday, how I love thee.  So glad it’s the weekend.

Last night as Harper was brushing her teeth I noticed these in her trash can.

Yes, that is 10, count them 10 Smarties packages.  This led to lots of laughter on the parental part, but some tears for one wee Kelley.  A good ole’ truth lesson.  I was semi concerned with, “Where was I when you snagged all these?”

Today we hit up Monkey Joes.  Turns out, when you have a party there they give you some passes to come back on.  We were stoked.

I started One Thousand Gifts.  First chapter complete.  I may have marked up almost 2/3 of it.  I think this book is going to be good…like real good.

Last night I glued on a ton of magnets to my Mom’s old scrabble pieces.  I’m a bit in love.

I’ll post the How-To for the board soon.  It’s easy, easy!

And today we did our weekly planned craft.

We adore the book Little Pea.

My mom actually bought this for Harper several Christmases ago.  It’s the story of Little Pea who has a pretty great life, but doesn’t like one thing…candy.  And he has to eat candy every night if he wants to become a big strong pea and get his dessert…which is spinach.  Too cute, right?

It’s seriously adorable and the pictures are rockin’.  It has been in heavy reading rotation lately, so today we made a pea craft.

Here are our supplies: White paper circles, eyes & mouths, green paint, paintbrushes, crayons, scissors and glue.

Sol chose to sit today’s craft out.  He was still busy eating his lunch 🙂

First up, the kiddos painted their Little Pea.

Once it was dry, which I use a hair dryer to speed this along, they cut out their pea.

They then colored, cut out and glued on their eyes and mouth.

Harper decided to make her pea, Mama Pea, with some flashy eyelashes.

And there you have it…adorable peas.  You always have a craft project, if you have a loved book 🙂

And that is that.  So glad the weekend is here.

Oh and our 15 Months Waiting Art Giveaway is still going on.  You can scroll down to the post below or CLICK HERE and enter to win this 12×12 canvas with “dare to live fully.”  Giveaway ends this Sunday night at midnight.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

**GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED.**

Here we are.

15 months on the wait list for our boy.

15 months worth of waiting to be matched with our son.

15 months that have torn, reshaped and refined my heart.

We were placed on the wait list on November 15th, 2010.  That seems like so long ago and so much life has happened.

  We celebrate each month being a little closer to seeing that incredibly, crazy sweet face that I only dream of right now.

Every month I use our local Tennessean paper with the 15th date, then create an art piece with that front page and give it away in honor of our boy.

15 different art pieces created and shared with you kind folks.

This months piece is on a 12×12 canvas with the wording, “Dare to live fully.”  My cousin Rebecca recommended the book One Thousand Gifts and it recently arrived in the mail.  I haven’t even started the book yet, but immediately loved the cover and wording.

I wish I could put into words how my heart feels today, but I know that know matter what I type it would never be able to fully convey how it feels.

I know we are right where God wants us.

I know my son is right where God wants him.

And yet it is still so hard.  So very, very hard doing life without him.

I long for my son.  My heart adores and loves him already.  I have imagined him with all his little details a bajillion times.  I have prayed a million prayers for him.  Given the chance, I would hop a plane this very moment to be with him.

God is preparing our hearts for him and God is also preparing his heart for us.

And so we wait…patiently sometimes and not so patiently others.

And no matter how hard it is…I have to trust in the fact that nothing surprises our God.

He gets this.  And He gets that my heart is about to bust.

I petition Him and pray like mad and with fierce faith that today will be the day.  And then I pray this all over again the next day.

Day after day, month after month.  The day will come, that crazy awesome day will come.  And I have to have faith in that.

So here’s how you enter to win:

Please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Entry #1 Leave a comment…any ole’ comment will do.

Entry #2 Leave a comment about how you are living fully right where God has you.

Entry #3 Share the giveaway on your Facebook status

Entry #4 Share the giveaway on your Twitter status

Again, please leave a separate comment on this post for each entry.

Giveaway will end this Sunday, February 19th at midnight and I will announce the winner on Monday.

And of course, if you are the winner, we will mail your canvas directly to you.

Thanks for stopping by and reading my crazy thoughts for today.  Now I’m off to hang with this cool dude & Batman.

Happy Thursday!

It’s just been that kind of day.

But thanks to my friend Courtney and Florence And The Machine…I’m gonna ‘Shake It Out’.

The video is semi creepers, but the lyric

“it’s hard to dance with a devil on your back so shake him off” + a crazy catchy beat = major uplifter.

Skip the add & blast it loud.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbN0nX61rIs&ob=av2e]

Happy Tuesday!

PS: 15 Months Waiting Art Giveaway tomorrow!

Valentines.

Heart strawberries.  Heart bagel with sprinkles.  Pink milk with Cheerios.

Star Wars.  Fancy Nancy.  Conversation Jelly Bellys.

Handmade cards.

The perfect gift.

Mustache valentines.

Homemade red velvet with cream cheese icing treats.

Lunch date.

Valentines 5×5 canvas gift.

Waiting, cousin time & Jelly Bellys.

Sharing cupcakes.

Home date.  Take-out dinner.

Dessert.

15th Valentine’s Day with this handsome fellow.

Happy Valentines Day!

My cool friend Susan gave me this pin.

Stache-tastic.

Susan loves me and gets my mustache quirk.

In my personal, semi partial opinion, I think my new button describes perfectly the wee Kelleys.

I do think they are pretty stache-tastic.

On a total different thought…

I’ve been thinking about going to therapy.  I’ve been up and down and in and out on the idea.  Do I need it?  Can I work out my craziness on my own?  Should I just give it a try and see what happens?  I pretty much think about it a lot…because I think about my Mom every single day, practically all day long.  Everything reminds me of her.

I have been finding more and more that creating is making my head clearer…along with running and Zumba.  I’m not kidding.  Those are my 3 tickets to some sanity.

My sweet, sweet, triple sweet friend Courtney got engaged over the weekend.  She kind of digs sweet treats, so I wanted to make some really special cookies to celebrate such a great weekend for her and her family.  I think it is so important to celebrate others and Courtney definitely deserves some celebrating.

Making these cookies was complete therapy for me.  Using my mind and focusing on someone else…celebrating someone else and their joy.  I love using the creative part of my brain God gave me and I LOVE, LOVE to freehand and draw and doodle…even on cookies.

My mind was clear and I was focused on my friend, her life, her new joy and these cookies.

Not all of the cookies survived…the wee Kelley’s and Josh and myself did have to taste test a few.  And I did make one anchor cookie for my mom…Sol ate it 🙂

So until I make my mind up about therapy…creative therapy and cookie therapy will do.

And super, super congrats Courtney on your engagement.  Completely love & adore you.

Could not be more thrilled for you & Patrick!

Happy Monday!

Pinterest inspiration for some of my cookies:

LOVE tattoo

Heart Doily Cookies

**Update**  I have had several emails and comments about the cookie & icing recipe and tools I used.

The cookie recipe I use is HERE at Sweet Sugarbelle.

The icing recipe I like is HERE at The Decorated Cookie.  I use the Royal Icing (sort of) recipe.

For the actual supplies…The heart plastic cookie cutter I got at one of my SIL’s wedding showers like 15 years ago and the scalloped square cookie cutter came from Walmart.  I use some old vintage Wilton tips that were my moms.  She gave them to me about 10 years ago.  They are way cool.  I’m cheap and usually put my icing in ziplock bags 🙂  And I like AmeriColor food coloring, but do dig Wilton’s aqua colored food coloring (used in the above cookies & purchased at Hobby Lobby).  Hope this helps.

This morning when I got up, I wrote a To-Do List.  I used to always do this, but haven’t lately.  I miss crossing or checking things off.  Today I enjoyed checks.

Banana bread.  Check.

I had 5 rotten bananas.

Laura Kelley Fun Fact #301:  I have never made banana bread in a loaf pan.  Only square or rectangle banana bread for the Kelleys.  I have no idea why.

Polar bear craft.  Check.

Today we made polar bear snow pictures for our weekly planned craft.  Instructions interruption.

Super easy.  Here’s what you need:  white paper, polar bear print out from somewhere on the wide internet, colored chalk, white paint, medicine droppers, scissors and glue stick.

First, my kiddos cut out their polar bear.

I know, they looked like little misfits today.  I like them like that.  And yes, Sol’s face is covered with orange smiley face stickers.

Next, they colored their white paper by laying their chalk flat and rolling it over the paper.

After they colored the paper, they glued on their polar bears.  Lastly, they used medicine droppers filled with white paint to drip white paint…snow…over their polar bear picture.  They LOVED this part.

And that is that.  Colorful, snowy, polar bear pictures.  Huddy insisted on having Snowy, his stuffed polar bear, at the table the whole time.  I love him.

Back to my list.

Amazon order.  Check.

Josh’s Valentines, One Thousand Gifts & some other goodies.  Can’t show a picture…it would give away Josh’s surprise 🙂

Cut sheet metal.  Check.

This is for a magnet board I made to hold my Mom’s Scrabble letter tiles.  I know, odd.  But I promise it’s going to be super cool.

Look for magnets (For the scrabble magnet board).  Check.

Package boxes.  Check.

Giveaways & some gifts headed out.  Pretty packages really are better.

Kids bath.  Check. 

I would tell you how long it has been since the wee Kelleys have been bathed, if I didn’t fear losing readers 🙂

Laundry.  Check.

Washed, folded and put away.  And yes, Harper helps fold clothes.  The boys do to, when their attention span and mine can handle it 🙂

Mom’s Scrabble board.  Check.

The sheet metal I cut is now in the red frame.  I told you it was going to be cute, but it’s not quite done…the scrabble tiles are missing.  They are coming…along with instructions.

And that was my To-Do List.  I feel good and a bit accomplished…for today at least.

Now for the weekend.  I’m planning on doing a whole lot of nothing.  Sounds perfect.

Hope everyone has a great one.

PS:  This 10×10 ‘Be motivated by love & compassion’ canvas is up for grabs on my PPA Facebook page.  Drawing the winner Saturday night.  YAH!

Today was a bit nutty.  Busy, busy, busy.

Sol likes to read.  He loves books, magazines and apparently The Guide To Children’s Dental Health pamphlet.  What I love the most about this picture is his hand reaching into the popcorn.  I love him!

Nothing says “I love you” like these.  Josh Kelley may seriously receive one of these for Valentines Day.

I love going to Home Depot.  And particularly because of the spray paint aisle.  It makes me happy.  I also enjoyed buying sheet metal for a little project today…can’t wait to share.

I love that people give me their unwanted items.  My friend Brea gave me this frame…I have plans…big, wonderful plans.

This is my camera.  I used an old camera to take pictures of my current old, sad and broken camera.  I am having a great bit of stress over trying to pick out a new camera. My Uncle Tom is helping me narrow it down.  I have waited until the bitter end…we like to drive things into the ground 🙂

The side panel is missing, there are metal pieces sticking out of the side, the lens doesn’t close when I turn the camera off, it has trouble focusing, the case is splitting on the top and bottom (I could easily pull the camera apart), small screws fall out of it and tonight it started making a weird clicking noise.  I think it’s time.  I’m kind of sad.

I’ve had this little set of notebooks for a while.  I carry them with me everywhere.  I specifically write down things I would like to use on art pieces.  They are oh, so handy.

Today during nap, I went scanning back through the books and found this page.

A little while later this was my creation.  This little 10×10 canvas…I kind of dig it.

Be motivated by love and compassion.

And today ended with a date night.  Wings, Snicker pie and trivia with Josh, Tyler and Alison.  I adore date nights.

Thanks Aunt Susan…you are beyond cool for watching those wee Kelleys as much as you do 🙂

Tomorrow will be here soon and there’s lots more to do again, but so glad the weekend will be here.  Happy Thursday!

Thank you guys so much for all the kind, sweet, encouraging and funny comments and emails about our cemetery Valentines 🙂  You are truly too kind and I am relieved to know that most of you think I am not going to send my kiddos into early therapy sessions 🙂

And here are some recent highlights in our little Kelley world.

I went grocery shopping alone the other night after Zumba.  I told you my kids, from a cereal choice standpoint, are like 80-year-olds.  It’s true.  I personally wanted the Lucky Charms.

Huddy’s hair is A.M.A.Z.I.N.G…especially after he gets his sweat on during his nap.

Puzzles are a love of my kiddos.  I enjoyed watching them work this floor puzzle the other day.  Sol directed and barked orders from the table…

while Harper and Huddy did all the leg work.  It was funny to watch.

Last night I got to go to the Preds game…for free…Thank Tanya!

Every time we go I try and try and try to get on the Jumbo-tron.  And not just make the Jumbo-tron, but also capture this amazingly, cool milestone on my camera.  Last night = success.

Yes, I am completely aware of how cool we are 🙂

And today I created this 10×10 canvas with “We were made to love.”  I have really been digging nap time and just not sure what to do with all the pieces that have been a result.  Part of me just wants to keep them…the other part wants to give them away or sell them.  Oh the dilemma.  I might need to bless some others with them.  We shall see.

Hope your week has been good so far.  Half way through.  Bring on the weekend.