{HOPPY} Easter!

 

Lately, our lives have been filled with lots of happiness and snippets of
pure bliss…

 

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Kisses!
I love that they are besties!
(… most of the time…)

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Hollis is pure sweetness!
Seriously, her sweet little spirit melts my heart on a daily basis!

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And this boy’s smile is contagious!
The happiness he exudes is sure to brighten anyone’s day!

 

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Then there is little miss mischief!
This girl wears us out!
She keeps us on our toes and makes sure we NEVER have a dull moment! 

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Lately, we have been soaking up these fleeting moments!
Spending time with those who mean the most and thanking God for blessing us with these three precious littles!

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Happy Easter from our family to yours!

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

1 Peter 1:3

Rockin’ around {The Christmas Tree}

 

 

 

A fun topper…

 

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plus some super fun ornaments…

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equals …

 

 

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My favorite Christmas Tree to date!

 

How do you decorate your tree?!
(Colored lights, white lights, random ornaments, etc?)

 

Merry Christmas!  

Easy Peasy Mesh Christmas Wreath {Tutorial}

 

 

If you have been a JIAD reader for a while,
then you know that I am a SUCKER for Christmas décor!
This year I decided to make a new wreath for our front door because in my book, you can NEVER have enough Christmas Wreaths!
My friend Mandy, is a mesh wreath makin’ goddess so I called her up and we had a crafty Christmas Wreath evening!

This is what I ended up with:

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Want to make one for your front door?!
These are super simple and fun to make!

Start with a wire wreath and tie wire onto it, like this:

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

TIP: Make the wire LONGER than I did… you can always cut excess at the end! You want to make sure you have enough length to hold all of the mesh so you won’t have to add more!
Once your wreath is all “wired up,” it’s time to add the mesh!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Start by tying the end of the mesh to the wreath using one to the wires…
(I used mesh that was about 2 feet wide)
twist the wire around the end of the mesh to secure it! Does that make sense?!
Then you poof and twist wire around, leaving the ends of the wire pulled apart.
(I twisted the wire twice around the mesh to hold it in place… see next few picture for clarification!)

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

If you are wondering what kind of wire to use…
this is what Mandy had and it was better than mine!
So get this kind!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

See how I left the ends apart and twisted the wire the mesh around twice?!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Once you get all the way around the wreath and are back to where you started, add another color like I did below, or keep going around with the same color (if you want a solid wreath)!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

I “weaved” the red mesh in and out of the green mesh.
Your wreath should now look something like this.
I went around one more time with the green after the red mesh!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

So, after three “rounds” of mesh, your wreath should look like this:

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Once you are finished with adding the second round of mesh, it’s time to make the bows!
Cut two pieces of ribbon the same length.
Mine were about 8-9 inches long… I didn’t measure…

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Lay the thinner ribbon on top of the thicker ribbon like this:

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

And pinch the center.

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Tie the center with a piece of wire like this:

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

I hot glued the pom poms on to the center of the ribbon to cover up the wire.

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Make sure your wires are not visible from the front of the bow then add some hot glue to the center of the ribbon.

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

I used the ribbon bows to cover up the wire that holds the mesh onto the wreath!
The mesh was very thick and bubbly, so you do not HAVE to do this if you don’t want to!
I also placed mine at different angles.

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Once you have added all of your ribbon bows,
your wreath should look like this:

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

 

Of course I HAD to add a “P” to my wreath,
so I painted a BIG “P” that I found at Hobby Lobby red then hand painted large lime green polka dots on it!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

How much fun is this wreath?!?

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

I love how the ribbons add a fun POP of interest!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

I think the “polka dot “P” takes the wreath to a whole other level of fabulous-ness!

Mesh Christmas Wreath Tutorial

Now crank up that Christmas music and make a super cute wreath!

Oh yea… Just incase you are feeling SUPER crafty…
here are some tutorials from the past: stockings, Rag wreath With Lights ,ribbon garland, A Play felt Christmas tree, A Christmas Wreath and an Acorn Christmas Tree!

Merry Christmas!
(Even though Thanksgiving is not even here yet…)

If you make a wreath using this tutorial, please share it on the JIAD Facebook Page or email it to me! I would love to see your creations!

4th of July {the post of if’s}

 

 

Happy 4th of July everyone!
I hope all of you are having a safe and fabulous time celebrating our Independence Day!

 

Because I am about to POP… feeling SUPER pregnant… and it’s hotter than
you-know-where here…
I decided to skip the 4th of July décor this year.
(*GASP* “Those poor littles!” – that’s what you are thinking, right?!)

 

Sooo… today I am sharing some awesome ideas that I would have totally done IF I were going all out for the 4th this year :

 

This Pallet American Flag from Young and Crafty would totally be on our back porch!

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And we would eat these Fruit Sparklers for our afternoon snack from The NY Melrose Family.

 

 

And my 4th of July Mantle would look like this from The Crafted Sparrow:

I would even rock Patriotic Nails from Fit, Craft, Stylish & Happy

 

And this Patriotic Wreath from Twice Blessed would totally be hanging on our front door:

 

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Harper would so wear this 4th of July Ruffle Skirt from Mama Says Sew:

 

 

And Cliff would wear this 4th of July Shirt from Make It and Love It:

 

We would eat this Messy Burger with potato salad from Cooking Light for supper:

 

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And finish the celebration with the most amazing fireworks display ever:

 

…guess there’s always next year… right?!

 

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!
Be SUPER safe and have TONS of fun!

Easter 2012!

Easter morning.

The excitement and anticipation to see what the Easter Bunny dropped off was almost tangible. But before the littles can see the goodies in their Easter Baskets, they have to be primed, prepped and ready for Church.

I do it this way for many reasons:

1. They are sooooo excited and I just want to selfishly savor the moments of “Mom, do you think he REALLY came?!” and “I can’t WAIT to see what is in my basket!” The look of excitement on their faces and the squeals of anticipation that echo down our hallway.

2. Easter is about the marvelous story of Jesus and how He was raised from the dead so that we can all be saved. Church is our first priority on Easter Sunday. So, by sharing the story of the tomb and how Jesus was not there anymore with the littles between pulling on shirts and snapping bubbles, We make it very clear that Easter is not about a bunny that hops around and puts candy in baskets.

Easter is about SO much more.

3. This way the littles can play until it’s time to eat breakfast and head off to Church!

 

Once they were all ready,

the moment they waited for ALL MORNING (aka 10 minutes…) was here.

 

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Ross and I just sat back, watching them dig through the goodies that the Easter Bunny left. Smiling when Harper would day “Wook Clee, a Nance (aka a Boa)!” and Cliff would say “That’s pretty Harper! Check out my new dirt bike!”

 

 

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They popped open the eggs in their baskets and unwrapped their candy as if it would be their only meal for the whole week.

 

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Candy before the big Easter Breakfast Dad cooks is an Easter MUST!

 

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After all of the goodies were discovered, shown to us and played with, Ross and I went into the kitchen to plate breakfast. We were chatting about how cute the littles were and how their excitement was so big that the house could burst when we heard the pitter patter of little feet come around the corner and the girl yelling

“I’m all weady to goooooo!”

 

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The Easter Bunny was spot on this year.

Little Miss Priss proudly wore her new bracelet, necklace, sunglasses and knit slippers to breakfast while Ross and I joked that SHE may be too good to eat with US common folk!

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After a wonderful Sermon and scooping happy littles up from Sunday School, we went to lunch and then to my aunt’s house for an Easter Egg Hunt!

Ross patiently held Cliff’s basket while Cliff leaned down to pick up each egg he spotted.

 

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And The Girl filled her basket in about 5 seconds…

She didn’t REALLY care about hunting for Easter eggs, she just wanted to pop them open to devour the candy inside!

 

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Cliff beamed brighter and brighter with pride each time he placed an egg in his basket.

 

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Easter this year was wonderful.

 

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We are so blessed to have these sweet little souls in our lives.

 

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Throughout the day, Ross and I kept looking at each other with the “Isn’t God SOOOO good?!” look.

 

 

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Happy Easter!

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.

John 11:25-26

Valentine’s Day Pinsperation!

Since Cliff and I will be gone most of the month of February,
I am keeping Valentines Day decor to a minimum!

So, instead of ignoring Valentines day completely…
I wanted to share a few fun ideas floating around on Pinterest
that I would totally do if I were going to be home!

I would so make a wreath like this for our door:

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And I would send these to school with the littles to share with their friends:

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Oh yea and I would make Harper an outfit like this:

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On our coffee table would sit these:

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For breakfast we would eat these:

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For lunch we would eat these:

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Then for dinner we would eat these:

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And just because, I would have this hanging on our backdoor:

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Happy Valentines Day!

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Christmas (a month late…)

On Christmas Eve, we load up the littles and head over to my Aunt’s house for some food and fun before going to the Christmas Eve Candle Light Church Service.
This year  The Girl seemed to understand …
and seeing her bubble with excitement just may be the cutest thing I have ever seen!
The Boy was super excited too, but he seemed to be able to contain it a little better…
…that was until he opened THE “McQueen Game!”
(thank you Nonnie!)
And this moment at Church made me cry.
Cliff really understands that Christmas is about celebrating Jesus’s Birthday so that we can all be saved and that makes us so proud!
WAY too early Christmas morning, I heard “Mama… Daddy… GET UP!”
Two excited little feet and the squeaky wheel from Cliff’s walker echoed down the hallway…
This moment is priceless.
Ross and I sat back ,video camera in his hand, Nikon in mine and watched the littles discover all the fun new toys Santa left for them!
Seriously, there is nothing like a Christmas Morning face:
Harper squealed with delight as she flipped through the pages of “Shoe-la-la!”
She has a serious obsession with shoes… one that I am sure will NEVER go away!
 In the middle of going through their stockings, this happened.
As a tear slid down my cheek, I smiled behind the camera and prayed that God will nourish their relationship as they grow so that they will always be best friends.
Moments like this are what life is about.
Cliff was thrilled to open boat shoes “just like Daddy!”
 Elmo and DeDe (Ross’s parents) came over with a HUGE surprise for Cliff…
Yep.
“A Ranger just like Daddy’s!”
…After a little instruction they were off..
and everyday since Cliff takes Harper on a “Ranger Ride!”
Seriously, this is the BEST toy Cliff has ever had – it keeps them in one place and entertains them for HOURS!
(Thank you DeDe and Elmo!)
The Girl got a crib for her babies…
…and a highchair too…
but in her mind she IS the baby and so the poor babydoll got the boot and Harper did this:
This Christmas was so special.
So much fun!
We are so blessed!
Merry Christmas!
(…a little late!)

Acorn Christmas Tree!

In our den, next to our Dear Santa frame is this fun Acorn Christmas Tree!
I cam across the BIGGEST acorns ever while tailgating at a football game this fall…
and yes, I got a grocery bag and started picking the up…
TONS of them.
(Yes, people were looking at me like I was NUTS – pun intended!)
I bought a cone from Hobby Lobby and began to hot glue the acorns on starting at the base of the cone, working my way up.
See?!
Once the entire cone was covered, I had this sitting on my counter.
Cute, but definitely needed color!
Soo…
I took it outside, attacked it with a can of spray paint and ended up with this:
LOVE IT!
The best part… it cost me less than $5!
Merry Christmas!

Rag Wreath… with Lights {Tutorial}

Want to make you very own Rag Wreath WITH Lights?!?
Well then, today’s your lucky day!
I began with a wire wreath that I hopped in my buggy at Hobby Lobby and wound a white strand of Christmas lights around it…
Then I went into my stash of fabric, tulle and ribbon then gathered all of the reds, greens and whites!
I cut the fabric into 4-5 inch strips.
The longer the strip the more “poofy” the wreath!
It’s totally up to you!
Then I tied the strips onto the wreath using a basic knot like this:
Keep tying and tying and tying and tying….
until it looks like this:
Plug it in and enjoy your new Rag Wreath with LIGHTS!
If you wanted to, you could add ornaments to add a fun element to it!
…but mine will have to wait until next year for that!
Yay for lights on super cute Christmas Wreaths!

Every night…

Every night this time of year, goes a little something like this.
We play with the train that my cousins and I played with at my Grandparents when I was little.
(Isn’t it so neat that is STILL works?!)
The wheels squeak, the music sounds like it is coming from a fried record player and the horn is an ear piercing, screeching noise that I can’t even begin to describe…
but the littles LOVE it and so do I!

We have been through 5 packs of C batteries because they only last about 10 laps around the track before the horn stops chooooo choooooing.
And according to Cliff, EVERY train HAS to Choo Choo!

We also have Christmas movies on.
Every night after dinner and bath we tune in to some of the old school movies that Ross and I enjoyed when we were little – our favorite is How The Grinch Stole Christmas, of course.
But on the weekends, we mix it up with a little Polar Express – LOVE it!
Then, once the movie is over, the boy lines up his “Christmas Friends” aka Alvin and the penguin who both sing.
Different songs.
And we watch the three of them perform in less than perfect harmony.
Each performance is followed by hoops, hollers and very exaggerated claps because to us,
it’s beautiful.

Then it’s prayers and to bed they go!
We LOVE this time of year! 
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