born to fly

post halloween round-up...

 Where, oh where did October go??? I think it got blown away with the fall leaves...

I am room mom for one of my sweetpea's classes this year. He is in 3rd grade so I planned a Halloween classroom celebration that was for "bigger kids" (as my son likes to refer to his class!).

We dunked apples into melted caramel...
 

created "Haunted Portraits" using their photos and sheets of spooky eyes and features I had printed out...

I printed the below sheet directly onto Avery full size label sheets so the kiddos could just cut out and stick right to their 8 x 10 black and white photos. (If you click on below it will give you a bigger size...feel free to use for next year!)

 
  
I packaged up "trick-or-treat pillowcase" kits...they included a length of clothesline, a white pillowcase, and black iron on patches which I had traced the face templates onto...

here is the finished product...they LOVED this...credit goes to Miss Martha Stewart...

I brought an iron into the classroom and ironed them right there...so fun!

 

and here is a peek at my costume...can you guess what I went as??? Tee, hee!!! 

I made the nose out of a dixie cup and sheets of felt.

Hope you had a spook-tacular Halloween as well!

xoxo,

cristina
 
 
 

 
 

no pretty pictures today...just some courage...

I'll admit I've had a small case of the grumpiness brewing...nothing terrible...

visitors in town all weekend, sick kids, too much on the "to do" list...you know, daily life. So I'm up and going this morning, head churning with one task after another...and I'm at the sweet pea's school copying and distributing flyers for the bagel sale my son's class is putting on. Since it was Monday morning the entire student body gathers for an assembly. I finished my tasks and was about to rush out the door onto the next "to do" item when I decided just to "peek in" the assembly.

HOLD THE BOAT FRIENDS.

"To do" list...gone! Rushing time frame...gone! Why, do you ask?

Right before my very eyes, I watched as my 3rd grade son, who has very severe dyslexia by the way, walked up front to the podium...in front of the school...and read from a script about the bagel sale happening tomorrow. Now I know for some of you, that does not seem like a reason for the awe and amazement I experienced. But for anyone who has ever suffered from or had a child who suffers from dyslexia you GET it! He was not nervous, read it perfectly and went on his merry way...no big deal to him. For that sweet pea's mama though, who has spent hours of tutoring and reading and homework and encouraging time with that boy...it was EVERYTHING.

I LOVED that it was no big deal to him, I LOVED that he didn't even mention it to me and most of all...

I LOVED that GOD encouraged me to peek into that assembly today.

Sometimes the biggest act of courage is a small one.  ~Lauren Raffo

Life is good today,
CS

party favors for the sweet peas...

My two little sweetpeas have their birthday parties this weekend. I put together some easy party favors for the guests and thought I'd share the how to! Both of my kiddos love to draw and sketch so I put together little notepads for everyone. The papers used are from my Kenner Road papercrafting kits.

The notepads are sized 3 x 5...perfect size for smaller hands.

Ok-the how to:

I have a Purple Cow Laminator which I purchased at AC Moore using my 40% off coupon. (Love that!)

I cut some double sided scrapbooking papers down to 3 x 5 size. I then inserted them into the 3 x 5 laminator pockets and simply fed through the laminator.

I purchased blank 3 x 5 index cards at the office supply store and counted them into stacks of 25. Using my crop-a-dile I then hole punched both the laminated papers and the index cards.

On my computer I printed out little 2 x 4 tags onto 8 1/2 x 11 cardstock. After cutting them down to size I used a corner rounder on the edges to give them the look of a vintage flash card. I hole punched these as well. While at the office supply store I purchased a large box of metal binder rings.

 

Time to put it all together: Open the binder ring, use one laminated 3 x 5 paper for the back, next add the 25 index cards, then top off with another laminated 3 x 5 paper. Add the flash card tags on the top and close the binder ring. Voila! Fun, cute and useful party favors! If you like, you can add ribbon the the girl's version as shown below.

We are off to the pumpkin patch for a double birthday celebration!

Enjoy!

xoxo

CS
 
 
 
 
 
 

a little something pretty...

I am headed to Silver Bella once again this year in November to submerge myself in glittery, crafty goodness. Each year the Bellas hand out "moo cards" which have become quite the craze. They are basically "mini" business cards. Never heard of Moo? Check them out here.

I have always just handed out my regular business cards, but received a great coupon via email and decided to bring my own "moo cards" this year...

Here are a few:

and a few more:

So fun and pretty, right? You can actually create your own Moo cards directly from your Flickr account. Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy!

xoxo

CS

p.s. I just reread this post and realized that it may sound like foreign language to some...

Moo, Bellas, Flickr...oh my!
 
 

Sweet & Sinister Swap Goodies...

I was so pleased when I found out that my swap partner for the 2009 Sweet & Sinister Swap was to be Miss Cari Bruno. <<me jumping up and down and clapping my hands...>>

Reading through her blog and peeking at her etsy shops were SO fun...especially as we discovered our love for so many similar things! I asked Miss Cari just to surprise me for the swap as I was sure to love anything she did...boy was I correct!!!

Decorating my home right now are the lovely items she included...take a peek...

A gorgeous "spooky" banner hangs on my mantle...

My fave shadowbox is loaded up for the season with goodies she included...can you see the "commonwealth syringe" box in the middle...love that!

Close up of a little wool felt halloween sprite she made me...(we are both so inspired by Julie Collings' book, Pretty Little Felts, right now.) The photo doesn't show it but the orange ball she is holding is an embroidered jack-o-latern!

Loads of cream and black vintage advertisements and glittered crepe paper rosettes. sigh.

Thank you my sweet swap partner...thank you!

xoxo

CS
 
 

 
 

Once upon a midnight dreary...

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.
"'Tis some visitor," I muttered, "tapping at my chamber door-
Only this, and nothing more."

Currently inhabiting space on our home's mantle is my new little Halloween friend. I created him after reading through the inspiration on the Jolie Paquet blog. In particular the project put together by Cindy Gilstrap of JunqueArt. Loads and loads of fun paper projects happening there.

*Quote from above is excerpt from Edgar Allan Poe's, The Raven.*

xoxo

Cristina

H1N1, Halloween and Marie Antoinette...

Say what??? Welcome to my world...

Well...my littlest sweet pea has been recovering from a bad bout of Influenza A. (Yes, H1N1.) Poor thing had a temp that spiked over 105 degrees. Set mama's heart to panic mode it did! She was in bed for a few days but is recovering at the remarkable speed that only a 6 year old could accomplish. The rest of the family is dosing ourselves with Tami Flu in hopes we can avoid the spread of it...so far, so good!

So of course I've been a bit housebound and had some extra time for creative pursuits. My latest assignment...a swap with the theme of a Royal "Treat Box" using the inspirations of Halloween and Marie Antoinette.

Sofia Coppola's film version of "Marie Antoinette" came to mind and the masquerade ball Kirsten Dunst attended (as Marie). I decided to create a millinery box filled with trims and baubles that might have been used in dressing Marie for such a Halloween/Masquerade event.

I covered a paper mache box in vintage ledger paper, seam binding and german glass glitter. I edited the image of Marie digitally and added the masque.

Lining the millinery box were pieces of vintage dress making patterns.

Beautiful accoutremonts fit for a queen...

vintage trims, florals, buttons and ribbons...

 

dress patterns, feathers and treats...

 
   
La Masquerade de Marie Antoinette.

Enjoy!

xoxo

CS

ijustneedaminutetobreatheduringoctober...

Whoosh! Is seems to happen every year at this time. Busy as a honeybee...that is me!

Back to school, room mom responsibilities, Seahawks/Childhaven Auction invitations, birthdays coming out the ying yang (me, dad, hubby, brother, and two of the three sweetpeas), football and coaching my cheerleaders...

In between that fit in a little one with strep throat (already!), tennis team practice and matches (yes, for me!) AND SEVEN of my husbands friends staying at our house for a long weekend.

In between that and sleep, I've managed to carve out a little Halloween craft time for The Sweet & Sinister Swap I'm participating in. Side note:

Dearest swap partner Cari,

As we've already chatted about, I'm LATE getting this package out to you. And these photos are being posted before it's in your hands. SPOILER ALERT! My apologies but Oct. for me is sojampackedasyoucanseefromabovelist that I thought I'd do it while I have the time.

xoxo,

your sweet & sinister partner Cristina

I was SO beyond thrilled when I stumbled upon this vintage, black, metal lunch pail at an antique store. 

I thought it was the perfect container to package lots of lovely swap items in.

I included this pumpkin pin cushion for fun...

deliciously sweet treats...

and sinister and spooky goodies.

Sidenote #2: 

Dear Cari,

In case you are peeking...as I know I would be...there are lots more surprises you still haven't seen!

xoxo,

Cristina  

nowwegetbacktothecrazinessofthemonthofoctober...
  
 

Joy...defined...

 

Yes. Yes. Yes.

The good, the bad, the easy, the tough...all mixed up with an egg beater, poured into a pan and baked into a life.

 Brené has a giveaway on her blog right now and asked for answers to the following questions:

Who/what are you trusting today? I'm trusting in my own FAITH. Letting go of worry.

Who/what are you grateful for today? Little sweetpeas that walk downstairs in the morning and straight into their mama's arms. Sigh.

Who/what is inspiring you today? A new artistic endeavor for me...sewing...and the amazing resources available in the blog world. Having the COURAGE to just jump in and try new things!

 

What are your own answers to the questions?

xoxo

CS

39 years of widsom and learning...

 

Today I celebrate 39 years of a wonderful, beautiful, gifted life. My cup truly IS spilling over with JOY, BLISS, AWARENESS and COURAGE.

I am not exactly sure when the shift happened, but instead of not wanting to mention my AGE and being apprehensive about  ANOTHER YEAR added on, I am filled with THANKS for each and every day of those 39 years that has brought me here...to TODAY.

 

(this lovely card was a surprise in the mail from Wendy Robinson. A fellow member of the Marie Antoinette Mail Art Group.)

And so, on this special day, I would like to give THANKS for each and every one of YOU. Thank you for the years you've known me and watched me grow. Thank you for listening and standing by me whether I walked down the wrong path or not. Thank you for stopping by and encouraging me to forge ahead through my art. Thank you for sharing YOUR stories of LIFE, HAPPINESS and HEARTACHE. Thank you for opening a window to your souls and for peeking into mine.

I love and treasure each and every one of you. Really, I do.