Great Gifts 2 Go

I recently found a rather pathetic looking plaster ship. It kind of reminded me of the decor of a 1970s seafood restaurant decor. Everyone who watched me walking through the thrift store with this big, ugly ship tucked under my arm were probably absolutely amazed that I picked this thing up. But, it was only $8.00 and I needed a project. I also needed another unique, nautical themed wall piece for my patio. Here is the before photo.... Here is the finished product...I think it turned out pretty well!!

This is going around Facebook...why is there no action on this wonderful idea! Every child facing cancer needs to know that they are beautiful!

I saw this and thought it needed shared!

My junior showman, Freedom, has been hard at work in the show ring and had acquired an impressive collection of ribbons and trophies. So, to help keep her organized and showcase her wins, we built a custom hanging award display case for her wall.

I love my students dearly, especially my alternative school kiddos. They have my heart and they know it. That is what makes graduation so bittersweet! I know that my job is complete, that I pushed, pulled and bribed them to the finish line. One of the most dynamic girls that I have had the pleasure of working with graduated this year along with her boyfriend. She shared a photo with me of the two of them in their cap and gowns getting ready for the actual graduation ceremony. I took it a step further and added in a scrapbook-like background along with the school's logo and the year of graduation. It turned out lovely and is a great momento for Chelsea's memory book.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am most at home in my kitchen baking and coming up with yummy desserts. My friends and family spoil me and as an Easter gift I received a cake pan shape like a lamb. After thinking it through, I knew I did not want to do a traditional cake with this pan. My mom had requested that I bring my no sugar added Hawaiian cake for Easter dinner so I thought, hey why not bake it in the shape of a lamb? The Hawaiian cake itself is super simple to make, the only problem was that the whipped topping and vanilla pudding "icing" was a little difficult to shape. Everyone raved about the cuteness and deliciousness of this cake so I thought I would share photos of it...

First Chocolate Bunny When I was browsing through JoAnn's Craft Store I found the most interesting chocolate molds. Having worked with other cute molds in the past, I jumped on these for only $1.99. I bought two sets and then put them aside until it was closer to Easter. I knew I wanted to do something cute with them, I just did not quite know what. After sending out the invitations to Easter dinner and looking at my tables and what decor I would use, I pulled out these chocolate molds. They would be perfect as name tags for each table setting! I molded my first chocolate bunny and then went to work trying to figure out how to put a name on them. I did not want to do a real boiled egg or one of the cheap looking plastic eggs. I then found craft eggs at Wal-Mart that I could paint and decorate. I was able to put the person's name on the egg and then set it in the chocolate bunny's basket. Craft Eggs I used Wilton's candy melts (light cocoa) to form the bunni...

Anybody who knows me knows that I am most at home in second-hand shops or flea markets. It is so much fun to spend hours scouring shelves and tables laden with broken down and somewhat dilapidated items. I had my daughter, Freedom, with me on one outing and she found a rather sad looking horse statue that was in need of a lot of love. After begging me to get it so it could have a place to call home, I relented and spent a total of $0.99 on this decrepit looking statue. The "Ugly Duckling" Horse Statue After sitting it on my desk and staring at it day after day for over a month, I finally became inspired. Freedom kept bugging me about starting on it and I kept balking. I could not figure out what exactly to do with it. Then I saw a photo of a lovely grey horse that Freedom’s friend, Sprite, had with her when they went bowling. Once finished, Freedom absolutely loves it and it now sits in a place of honor on her shelves in her bedroom. The finished p...

Having six inches of snow dumped through the afternoon yesterday and then throughout the night was no fun. I am the type of person who likes to see photos of snow, but not necessarily have to walk or drive in the white stuff. This winter has not been horrible in regards to the white stuff here in St. Louis, but it looks like winter is finally here. Freedom was so happy to wake up to a lot of snow, but then once she got out in it to play she decided it was not so much fun! My little four pound Japanese Chin baby did not realize that the snow was so deep. She jumped off the step and face planted right into the stuff. She was so upset that she just sat there and cried! I felt so bad for laughing at her and I wish I had thought to grab the camera!! She is still a little upset with me and is not speaking to me! I did snap some photos of the snow here and caught my collie baby out in the snow... The front yard! Another angle of the front yard! A tree stump in the backyard! ...

The beauty and sweetness of the Japanese Chin dog always makes me smile. The Chin is the most cat-like of all the canines. They are very loyal and lovable creatures! Just look at the sweetness of the classic Japanese Chin expression. Here is a photo of my little guy...he is quickly becoming the love of my life!

The Finished Glass Have I mentioned lately how in love I am with Mod Podge? This wonderful DIY crafting glue/sealant has made me step outside my comfort zone and give a little dazzle to many things. My latest foray has been into adding some glitz to glass and I found this basic margarita glass at my favorite store, Dollar Tree. So, for just a dollar I was able to experiment more with Mod Podge. I took red glitter, Mod Podge and a margarita glass and made a sparkling conversation piece! Now that I have done one, I am working on a set of 6 that a friend of mine is purchasing to give as a wedding gift. Here is what I did: Cleaned the margarita glass and dried thoroughly. Then I applied a thin layer of Mod Podge along the base, stem and halfway up the glass. I let the Mod Podge sit for about 2 minutes before sprinkling on the red glitter. Before the Glam I let that layer of glitter dry for about 4 hours, then I applied a thicker coat of Mod Podge over the glitter...

Freedom's Puppy This is the Kit! Freedom was given a DIY craft kit and book by Klutz on how to make pom pom puppies. We finally had sat down and actually attempted to make these cute little puffs of yarn. I admit it, I am  intimidated by yarn. So, when Freedom got this kit I was not overly thrilled with the prospect of having to play with yarn to make cute puppies. Freedom's 1st PomPom Puppy! My first attempt was not even photographed because it was such an utter disaster. Freedom's first attempt, however, turned out very cute and she is in love with making these little bundles of yarn. Hers doesn't look exactly like the book, but it is pretty darn good for a 9 year old! I highly recommend this kit for the crafty kid that you know. It is a great way to pass the time!

Who knew that I would fall in love with using Mod Podge. My friend, Melissa, always sang praises about the great DIY, crafty things that could be done using this miracle glue. While, I believed that things could be done when she did them, I was a little skeptical on whether or not I could make something turn out so neat. So...I took a leap of faith and created a pair of beautiful sparkling wine glasses. I took black glitter (just because that is glamorous and striking), mod podge and two wine glasses that I picked up at Dollar Tree. I then went to work... I applied a layer of mod podge, sprinkled the glitter and let it dry for about 2 hours (some say to let it dry overnight but the layer of mod podge was not super thick and dried quickly).  I then added another layer of mod podge and sprinkled glitter to ensure that the entire area had been covered and was sparkly. I did let that dry overnight because I was heading out to the Blues game and did not get back to it until the ne...

I just had to snap this photo of my "old guy" and my "new guy".  As you can see, my little black and white Japanese Chin boy (only 6 months old) has his own bed next to my long hair dachshund boy (will be 10 years old in March) but that was not good enough! Josh has become Derek's constant companion and loves to sneak into Derek's cuddle bed after Derek has fallen asleep. The antics of my Japanese Chin puppy have kept me on my toes! I appreciate the settled temperament of my dachshund even more now that Josh has made himself at home!!

Prayers and Promises Ministry, a subsidiary of In His Image Ministry, is finally online! Both ministries are active within their communities providing clothing, food, household goods and prayer to those within their communities. Rev. Michelle of Prayers and Promises Ministry also performs weddings, vow renewals, funerals, memorial services, baptisms and blessings. She is also available for speaking engagements. Check out what is offered at www.prayersandpromisesministry.com . In His Image Ministry is also offering the following Bible studies: * Romans * Genesis Made Simple * God's Greatest Gift* The Man Called Jesus * The Truth About Our Triune God * God's Guidelines On Human Sexuality (Must be 18 years old to request) Check it out and bookmark the site!!