Wednesday, December 12, 2012

A few pictures of Lester 2012


 December has been crazy with basketball games, wrestling, school programs, and church activities. I just barely downloaded my camera cards and decided to post all the happenings with Lester lately. I tried posting a few on facebook, but ended up skipping quite a few days. I can't wait for my kids to get out of school....we are all in dire need of a vacation. I am just looking forward to hanging around the house and doing nothing. My husband even took next week off, which is a miracle. He never gets to take vacation around the holidays. Thank goodness for Christmas falling in the middle of the week this year. So on with the show.....These are listed backwards from most recent....





Day 12
Playing with blocks....a great way to send the kids to school this morning
Day 11
Taking some down time and playing Angry Birds
Day 9
elf sized chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast
Day 8
Doing a little wrapping....not so easy with out thumbs
Day 7
Caught red handed in the cookie jar
Day 6
Taking time to remember the true meaning of Christmas
Day 5
Keeping a close eye on everyone from on top of the piano
Day 4
Having a chat with Rudolph
Day 3
Light bright art work
Oh' Christmas Tree

Day 2
Painting some nut crackers

Day 1
Husker game day! We didn't do so well.


Now I am off to get my Young Womens activity ready. I will try and post Lester as the action occurs, but no promises. Happy Wednesday, Everyone!
Rhonda

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Gratitude 2012

This Thanksgiving I am celebrating by posting all of the things I am grateful for in 2012. 

1. A home that provides safety both physically and spiritually.
2. A loving Savior, Jesus Christ
3. My son... who inspires me to be a much better person. I know this kid will do great things in his life and it challenges me to be a better mother.
4. My daughter, Liz...she keeps us laughing around here.
5. My daughter, Rachael.... I admire her enthusiasm and spirit.
6. My daughter, Christyn.... I just adore her cuddles and 5yr old chats
7. A car to drive me from here to there
8. Food in my cupboards
9. My husband who loves me and provides for our family.
10. My computer that not only helps me with my job, but keeps me close to far away friends and family.
11. Temples
12. My calling in Young Womens at church....I really enjoy hangin with the youth.
13. My many talents...both old and new.
14. My studio filled with many projects and fun stuff to play with
15. Our cows
16. My father-in-law... Although we don't see eye to eye politically he is a kind hearted man with a wonderful sense of humor.
17. The bills that have been paid this year
18. Our bird...I look forward to his morning song
19. A washer and dryer
2o. My kids school
21. A comfortable bed to sleep in
22. Medication that helps me start my day
23. The 40 lbs. I have lost since June.
24. My treadmill
25. The body for life program.
26. New converse....I swear I could never own to many
27. My repeat customers.... I love the many people I have had the opportunity to work with this year.
28. Being published in a magazine
29. My mother... she is my best friend
30. My sewing machine.... I had to use it more than usual this year. Mended and made many of my girls clothes plus some curtains for the basement.
31. My new iPod
32. Music....all music
33. My health
34. Scriptures
35. Prayer... I am grateful to know that my Heavenly Father loves me and hears my prayers.
36. our trampoline... it is way too much fun on those things
37. The garden my son worked so hard on this year and the produce we did get from it.
38. I am grateful that no one in this family broke any bones this year.
39. My camera that lets me document all of the days this family has.
40. I am grateful I was able to go to my cousins wedding and see family this year.
41. The trees that were cut down in our yard this year.
42.My church...ward family
43. My daughters baptism
44. our movie collection.... what we do on many family nights
45. My friend, Melane
46. My hands
47. The doctors that help to find answers for our daughter
48. Make-up
49. My wardrobe ....you can never own to many sweatshirts
50. Electricity 
51. Pinterest
52. Facebook
53. My weight machine
54. Thomas S. Monson
55. Bishop Horton
56. Good teachers for my kids this year
57. Candles
58. Bubble baths
59. My magazine collection
60. My cook book collection... we explored many new recipes this year....most of them healthier
61. My sister...I am grateful for our long talks and all the guidance she gives me
62. My brother, Brandon....grateful for our visit to the pumpkin patch...He Always inspires me
63. My brother, Greg... I am grateful we spent time with him on Harper's 1st b-day
64. Grateful for the drywall pile in our basement and finally having time to start putting up walls
65. I'm grateful for the many ideas that swim around in my head
66. Fly swatters ... boy I needed those this year
67. Fluffy Jammies
68. The little town we live in
69. Hunans ....this year it seemed to be the only place everyone wanted to eat at on special occasions
70. Internet shopping
71. The Fed Ex guy
72. squisshy cheeks
73. bedtime stories
74. family meal time
75. Pandora
76. All the projects I accomplished this year.
77. The military....I'm Grateful for all the men and women that serve our country
78. Craft time with my girls
79. Grateful for the right to vote...even if Mitt Romney didn't win
80. Grateful to live in the US
81. This one is hard to say but this year I am grateful for Walmart... Only place to late night shop
82. Telephones
83. My Dad... and his occasional phone calls
84. Girls Camp... I really didn't like it, but I came home closer to my Heavenly Father
85. Clean drinking water
86. My sons scout troop in Lexington... making him a better man
87. Extra bonuses on my husbands check
88. Fresh clean babies
89. Grateful for the time with my son watching TV shows on Hulu
90. Massages
91. Hot apple cider
92. The ocean...although it's been forever since I've been there it will always be a part of me.
93. My sons online seminary class...I am grateful I get to listen in on occasion
94. Cliff protein bars
95. Calorie tracker
96. art work on the fridge
97. dirty finger prints on the walls
98. girl days
99. the 2 dates I did get with my husband this year
100. Goodwill, junk shops, and antique stores
101. I am grateful for the many artists that have inspired me this year
102. fluffy blankets to cuddle in
103. sketchbooks
104. art journals... that help me release my thoughts
105. Banana/ cinnamon protein shakes
106. Preschool
107. Farm drives
108. Perfume
109. fabric softner
110. Hobby Lobby
111. well water for our crops
112. shopping days with my mom
113. My brother-in-law....he really is the coolest guy and such an example
114. P90X
115. High speed internet
116. cleaning the church with the Burtons
117. Hometeachers
118. Sunday school
119. Food storage
120. my blog
121. avocados
122. Family Game Night
123. Little Nebraska towns we explored this year
124. The great friends my kids have
125. hot showers
126. my testimony
127. new art work on my walls
128. little notes from my kids
129. new hair color
130. General Conference
131. video games
132. fresh flowers
133. afternoon naps
134. kisses
135. my watch
136. soft scrub
137. Mindy Gledhill
138. new internet friends
139. chicken pot stickers
140. family history
141. late night chats with my teenagers
142. Playdates 
143. Food Processor ...makes my life easier during canning season
144. Chocolate...need I say more
145. superglue
146. HONEY....Yummmy
147. Family Prayer
148. Family Scripture study
149. summer nights
150. walks with my kids
151. Mary Kay
152. hunting season
153. night lights
154. laughter
155. rainbows
156. The sun or good ol' Vitamin D3
157. Parks
158. family vacations
159. Aspbergers
160. Foggy mornings
161. Bonfires
162. Arrow ... my new favorite TV show
163. Fireflies
164. rainy days
165. late nights in the studio
166. Picnics
167. leftovers
168. stars
169. running shoes
170. dishes in the sink.....not my fav thing...but I know my kids are fed when my sink is full of dishes
171. Gas
172. tire swings
173. laundry on the line
174. the smell of a wood burning fire
175. that I am not in high school anymore....I really feel for my teenagers
176. lunch dates
177. fresh fruit
178. mutual funds
179. movie theaters 
180. building snowmen with my kids
181. being a stay at home mom
182. positive people
183. warm weather
184. email
185. etsy
186. photoshop
187. flipflops
188. the girls daddy dates
189. twinkling lights
190. The Holy Ghost
191. children singing
192. fashion...my own sense of style
193. sunday naps
194. My sister in law....Ika. I couldn't ask for a more awesome sister. She is perfect for my brother
195. fresh orange juice
196. farmers markets
197. goals...especially accomplished ones
198. unexpected mail
199. color .... all the colors
200. bare feet
201. camping
202. motivational quotes
203. My own canned goods....yummy
204. Birthdays
205. Dreams
206. trips to town with my son to buy him Gyros
207. Mountains
208. Antibiotics....been grateful for these a few times this year
209. new notepads
210. Disneyland .... I can always dream....SOMEDAY
211. being organized
212. a clean refrigerator .....or fridge in general
213. Farmers
214. a good sweat
215. Photographs..... I absolutely <3 pictures
216. Paid bills
217. Deodorant  
218. Seatbelts
219. Toilet paper
220. Air conditioning....oh i was sooo grateful for AC this year
221. nieces and nephew
222. Jack Johnson
223. Baptisms
224. Ice cream
225. my kitchen ..... for the times I do want to cook
226. A good pair of jeans
227. My kids math homework...so much I need to relearn
228. morning walks alone
229. A good nights sleep
230. Instagram
231. Pumpkin patch
232. corn mazes....getting lost with my brother in one
233. Fix a flat
234. smiling people
235. Football games
236. rental cars
237. inspiring conversations
238. Hawaii....something to help inspire me
239. school programs
240. the dentist .... I love our dentist for giving my family beautiful smiles
241. dance recital ....I going to miss this next year
242. iCal
243. teaching classes
244. Alisha....I love serving in Young Womens with her
245. vintage furniture
246. Hardware stores
247. Scrap days with friends
248. summer vacation
249. SOOO grateful the elections are over
250. Cerritos...the neighborhood I grew up in
251. portable dvd player...that came in handy on vacation
252. The Killers
253. chalkboards
254. a new roof
255. genuine kindness
256. fishing on the river
257. The farming game
258. moose... I just love them
259. book stores
260. Calculators
261. courage
262. sleeping kids
263. adversity .... it makes me stronger
264. Hart of Dixie
265. vacuum cleaner
266. porches to lounge on
267. our health insurance
268. 4H...grateful for that experience 
269. a clean house
270. waterfalls
271. drive-thrus... sometimes they are too handy
272. big puffy clouds ...naming shapes with my kids
273. miracles
274. creativity
275. fresh air
276. Drivers ed
277. Honesty
278. freedom of speech
279. my bathroom scale....it is always nice to see lower #'s
280. so grateful my kids are out of diapers
281. big hugs
282. dancing
283. tickles
284. Amazon
285. walk-in closets
286. art galleries
287. porch swings
289. forgiveness 
290. my kids musical talents
291. Zumba
292. confidence
293. farm fresh eggs
294. grateful for the entire month of October... it = lots of me time
295. my husband cooking dinner
296. showers
297. meditation
298. hand sanitizer  
299. Wednesday night activities
300. the gift of giving
301. cell phones
302. freedom
303. science
304. get togethers 
305. Maps
306. Willpower 
307. grateful for spray sealer
308. grateful for my eyesight
309. Joseph Smith
310. Sunsets
311. grocery shopping
312. The atonement 
313. big fluffy pillows
314. Eternal families
315. grateful for family members who have passed
316. compliments
317. The moon
318. swimming in the lake
319. Peace
320. the earth
321. back highways
322. taking Sacrament
323. 400+ thread count sheets....YUMMY
324. steak...grateful for a wonderful b-day dinner this year
325. city life
326. paper
327. LOVE


Happy Thanksgiving, to you all!
Rhonda

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Is it really beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I went into Walmart this week and was surprised by the fact that the register lights were already wrapped to resemble gifts, the shelves were stocked with Christmas goodies, and the seasonal isles were loaded with Christmas housewares. It amazes me how every year the Christmas season always starts just a little earlier than the previous year. Slow down people! Can't I just sit back and enjoy the holiday of Gratitude! Have we all forgotten how far we have come. I for one will be taking the next few weeks to just embrace all that the Lord has given me this past year and I hope to be celebrating this glorious month of Thanksgiving with the ones I love.

Posted below are some santas I made for a lovely costumer. It was a joy to work on these and I hope they will bring much cheer to those that will be receiving them.









Just a few things I am Grateful for this month.....
My family.. whom I adore and love unconditionally
A loving Savior who gave his life for me
My home that keeps us safe and warm
My Talents ...without them I might just be a little psychotic
My friends...because we all need to laugh now and then
My car that seems to transport me and my children to every activity
And today, I am especially grateful for the right to VOTE.
And let me not forget how grateful I am for all the men and women who so
diligently serve this country to help provide the freedoms we do have.


Happy Veterans Week to all of you and I hope you all take time this month to find the things you are Grateful for in your life.
Until next time,
Rhonda

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Halloween tree




This is our Halloween tree in progress. My oldest daughter and I have been working on all the ornaments. We are still working on some clay ornaments and a prim witch hat for the topper. I think it is coming along quite well. 

We are on our way to Minnesota tomorrow and will be gone all weekend, so we won't be getting much more done on it this week. I just wanted to post some pics of how it is coming along. The kids and I are actually very excited to be getting away for a few days. We are also stopping in Omaha to see my brother and my niece. My kids are missing their cousin. I'm so happy my brother will have some time to see us. Well, I'm off to pack some bags and get some cleaning done. Hope you enjoy our tree. 
See ya' all next week!
Rhonda












Saturday, September 15, 2012

A girls day with a surprise



My oldest daughters birthday was this week and to celebrate we were going to have a girls day on Friday. The plan was to have a Harry Potter marathon while creating some Halloween things. She ran out to check the mail and came in the house with next months issue of Stamper Sampler. There was no better way to kick off this crafty weekend then to find out I had been published in the Oct-Dec issue. We ended up heading to town to get some groceries and then stopped to see my mom. Elizabeth decided to get Snow White and the Huntsman while we were at the store. It was already getting late when we got home, so we changed our plan of action. We ended up watching Snow White and then went to bed. Today we woke up and got to work on our crafts and started  movie 1 of Harry Potter. This banner below is one of the cute things we have been working on. We also spray painted a bunch of things we plan on using in projects. We mostly played with paper crafts today. Liz had some great ideas for a few clay crafts, but we didn't get to those. I think we will need to schedule some more time next week. Hopefully she won't be swamped with homework. I have really enjoyed my weekend with her. It was just the icing on the cake that I was published in next months issue of Stamper Sampler. I adore this magazine and have oohed and awed at many of their publications. It is always an honor to be featured among so much talent.
You can purchase this issue here... http://www.stampington.com/thestamperssampler/index.html

Happy weekend to you all
Rhonda

Monday, September 10, 2012

Altered Halloween Spools



I had so much fun creating these altered thread spools. My oldest daughter even created one. Hers is the one with the candy corn. I found a bag of these vintage wood spools in my closet and thought the Halloween theme would be perfect for them. They are a great addition to our fall decor. My kids must be getting excited for Halloween, because three of them have already mentioned getting out the Haunted Houses and other decorations. I'm thinking they have a great idea, so I will be pulling out the totes tonight when the house is quiet. They will wake up to all our fun Halloween decorations. It really
wouldn't matter what is put on display as long as the Haunted Village is up. All of my kids are obsessed
with miniature things. I'm not sure where they get that from...wink wink! As a kid, I was always a tad bit obsessed with those sort of things myself.
I am still working on lots of other fall creations, so stay tuned. I will share them as soon as they are complete.
Happy Monday to you all!
Rhonda

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Christmas Configuration


I started the day spray painting some shelves and cleaning my studio, but it didn't take me long
to get side tracked with a few projects. I guess, I should clean my studio more often, so some of these
unfinished projects will get done. Creativity is easy to find after going through all the piles of junk I
have laying around. This Christmas configuration is one of the things I finished today.
It is nice to have a few hours alone in the morning while my little one is at preschool. It is amazing what 3 hours will do for a mother. Just this week I was able to get laundry caught up, activities for YW finished, lots of cleaning, and of course a few crafts. I better not forget the best part, I have been able to get my workouts completed without having to stop midway to assist a whining 4 yr old.
It's time to get the little ones to bed. I will post more of my projects as soon as I can.
Rhonda

Monday, August 27, 2012

Just a little canning

I just haven't been able to get much crafting done these days. I am certainly eager to get started on some new projects, but my schedule has been filled with lots of time in the kitchen. Canning season is fun in the beginning, but not so fun after 2 weeks of standing on your feet in a hot, messy kitchen. So far, I  have canned 1 case of dill pickles, 2 cases of sweet relish, 1 case of hot pickle relish, 3 cases of corn & a few jars of tomatoes. I also froze 200lbs of potatoes and 6 lg bags of corn on the cob. There is still so much that needs to be done. I hope I can get tomatoes, pears, salsa, and maybe some spaghetti sauce done this week of next. The great thing about all this canning is the fact that my kitchen is well stocked for the winter. It seems like a ton of work, but all this canned yummy goodness is well worth the work. I love knowing that everything we eat is natural with no junk added. 


Thank goodness for Pinterest during this time of year. Let's just say I am an addict. In between every batch of canned goods I am pinning away. I love seeing all the fall pins lately. I definitely have found some fun fall projects I want to give a try. This time of year is my absolute favorite....football games, apple cider, leaves falling, cooler nights, kids in school, oh my list could go on.
I guess my pressure cooker is calling, so I better run.
If you would like to see all the fun fall pins, you can always follow me on Piterest.
Have a great week,
Rhonda

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Art Journal Case and a few pages

WOW! It has been a while since my last post...I barely recognized my blog and all the new things going on with blogger. I don't really post about things that are so personal but, I have an excuse for being gone so long. I was not doing so well for a few months (health wise). I am feeling much better now and have a new doctor who has been wonderful. The last 3 months have been rough....lots of Dr. appts., countless tests, and new medications (some worked and some didn't). Let's just say I am finally feeling somewhat like my old self. I have been on a health kick lately....new exercise routine and diet and I am finally losing some of the weight that was put on this year with all the illness. I think this lifestyle might stick. I feel that GREAT! Enough about all that. I am happy to get back to creating and blogging.
Here is what I have been working on lately. I found this sweet little suitcase at a garage sale for
$1 and decided to turn it into a traveling studio.

Before photos


I decoupaged some paper, stickers, and diecuts to decorate the outside.

I cut a piece of fabric to fit the inside of the lid and then stitched down some elastic to hold brushes, pens and anything else my little heart desires.




What is inside: 
paintbrushes
water colors
watercolor crayons
Gel medium
white and black pens
scissors
ink pads
random stamps
spray inks
charcoal pencils
paint pens
gel pens
decorative tapes
decorative papers
paper embellishments
and of course my 
journal

Here are a few pages








So until next time,
Rhonda

Friday, April 20, 2012


My studio was in tip top shape just a few weeks ago and while I love a clean and organized space, I also feel inspired by a messy studio. Every morning I wake up and turn on Pandora and get to work, or should I say play. Inspiration comes and goes as most people know. Right now, I intend to embrace the chaos in my studio and let go of all that stuff in my head and turn it lose on the pages of my art journal. I started one of these a few years ago and felt like I didn't know what I was doing and quit. I finally get it, there are no rules. It's just a matter of putting your feeling down and letting go. I have to say, I have not felt so free.
I don't have to spend hours trying to decide what paint to use, or how to draw a straight line, or where the shading needs to go, and the best part is freeing my thoughts after I finish. I hope that all this inspiration decides to stay a while, maybe even move in permanently just as long as I can keep up with all my mommy duties at the same time.
Speaking of which, it's time to run my girls to 4H, so until next time.
Rhonda



Pandora list:
Ramones
Blondie
The Weepies
Joss Stone
Otis Redding
The Killers
Adele
and of course
a little
Jack Johnson

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Rainy days


Having some afternoon thunderstorms in my neck of the woods and I couldn't think of a better way to spend a rainy day than sewing for my girls. My little one has helped me to clean her room, had lunch, and now she is watching Barbie. I figure I have a few minutes to get some more sewing done today before I head off to dance classes. I traced out a few patterns last night and started cutting them out today. I hope I can start sewing tonight once the kids are in bed, but we will see. Tuesday nights are usually pretty late. My son and I watch Castle on Hulu when the girls go to bed, so it's late before everyone gets off to bed. I guess I'm not really in a hurry or anything. It's not like they can wear shorts anytime soon. I just got so excited after the first few pair I made. The picture above is for a romper and I really can't wait to see how it turns out. I'm hoping they turn out cute, but I won't know until the girls get to try them on.
I have a favorite junk shop in a town not to far from me and they sell the most awesome things, anything from farm junk to furniture to dishes and even vintage fabric and sewing goodies. I need to make a trip next week, so I can pick up some more fabric. I don't know what it is about vintage fabric, but I love it. I tend to buy the 70's and 80's stuff. I found a strawberry shortcake pattern there last year, but still haven't used it. It is a girls dress pattern with tons of ruffles. I may have to break that out and make Christyn a new church dress.


Here are some capris I made for Rachael and shorts I made for Christyn. I made some others, but these are my favorite so far. The capris were made with vintage fabric I found at the junk store (4yards for $1 you can't beat that) and I absolutely love the way they turned out. I ordered some shirts from Old Navy to mix and match with the bottoms I have been making. I am going to work on making some summer shirts in a few weeks. I guess it is just easier to work on all the bottoms first.
Gotta get back to work before the day slips away from me.
Rhonda

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day


I've been working on lots of projects for an up coming spring show. The little one was on the computer this morning playing Elmo and helping me in the kitchen with my clay projects. I decided to take a wee break and snap some pics of her. She broke her arm last week and I've been wanting a few pictures of her with her purple cast on. Sunday night she was up all night being sick, so Monday was not a great day for pics. Today, the sun was shinning through the front window just perfect so I seized the moment. She sat just long enough for me to capture a few precious Valentine pics.   



 signing I Love You!



Her new Valentine Monkey that Grandma Bert dropped off today.


This was the last picture I took, and as you can see, she had just about enough of me and the camera.

Happy Valentines Day to you all,
Rhonda