<begin mild rant>
There is a nasty bit of a rumor floating around out there. You know, the one that says that homeschool parents don’t like/appreciate/respect teachers? And that teachers don’t like/appreciate/respect homeschool parents? I’m going to lay that rumor down right now.

Frantically Simple. Fighting injustices every day.

I love (most) teachers. They are dedicated, hard working and truly have their students best interests at heart. I don’t homeschool to keep Newt away from evil government schools and unrighteous influences. I homeschool because it works for our family.
Most teachers that I know get that and respect it.
</end mild rant>

Toning it down to an appropriate level: “Teachers of the World: I appreciate you!”
Better?

If you’d like a cute and simple way to show your appreciation for a favorite teacher, read on.
Note: Merely reading this tutorial will not be enough. Once you have read the instructions on creating the following project, you will have to actually create one. Or make a card. Or buy something. Or just say, “Thanks.” One of those ought to do it.

Newt and I made a chalkboard flowerpot for her piano teacher a couple of years ago. It’s a cute, simple, and cheap and easy to make little gift.
Purchase a small terracotta pot from your local gardening store or crack addiction recovery center Wal-Mart.
If you are going to plant directly into the pot, instead of using a liner, you’ll want to seal it. Thompsons MultiSurface Spray Water Sealer works great. Brush on or spray the interior of your pot and allow to dry according to label instructions.
Once the sealer is dry, paint the outside or your pot with chalkboard paint. A little goes a long way; you don’t need to buy a large container of it.
Allow to dry for 24 hours before planting. Have your little darling chalk a message to his/her teacher.
I suggest, “Teachers of the World: I adore you (and also would like to smell your hair)!”
And now we are back to awkward…
I’ll be home all next week. Go ahead and drop the restraining order by any time.

Amazon affiliate links are being used for your convenience. Feel free to pick up your supplies where ever you like.

We’ve made more freezer paper t-shirts. Doctor Who themed, of course.

Exterminate! Exterminate!

Since Newt wants to become a vet, and lots of dissections are in her future, we both felt it would be a great opportunity. That is how I found myself inviting some friends over for a good old fashioned spring break dissection party.
I have to admit, I was a little unsure how any of us would handle it, but once we got through the first few cuts, we were fine.

Fascinating stuff, that.
If you have the stomach for it, I created a set for the rest of my photos on flickr.

What else have we been up to?
Lots of sleeping in. Reading. Writing; I’ve made a fair amount of progress on my book. Time with friends. It’s been a nice break.

What crazy plans do you have this spring?

Dr. Who Valentines PDF

Now, aren’t you glad I made a fuss?

Dr. Who artwork credit: Dalek, Ood, Tardis, Weeping Angel

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It just so happens that I have a ton of fabric strips left over from Newt’s quilt. Newt and I each decided to make a wreath.
The inspiration wreath used a purchased heart-shaped wire form. I didn’t know where to find one of those, but Walt’s closet has plenty of wire hangers.
I used wire cutters to nip off the hook and the part where the ends twist together. I then bent the hanger into a rough circle, overlapped the ends by an inch or so and used a generous amount of electrical tape to secure them together. Once the ends were secure, I bent the wire into a heart shape. If you make one, bear in mind that it does not need to be perfect. If one hump is a little larger than the other, don’t worry! Lots of girls have that issue. You won’t really be able to tell with all the fabric strips on.

We trimmed our fabric strips to about 1 – 1/2 inches wide and six inches long.

To tie the knot, fold your fabric strip in half. (It doesn’t matter if it’s right sides or wrong sides together.) slip the looped end under your wire. Take the loose ends, pull them over the wire and through the loop. Tighten and repeat with the next strip.
I really should have taken a picture of the actual knotting, but once we got started, neither one of us wanted to quit. This was one of those activities that your fingers just feel happy doing. Just pretend there is a picture here, k?
Keep adding strips until your heart is full. Ahhww!
Right at the top, in the ah, cleavage(?) of the heart, tie two loose ends together to create a loop for hanging. After hanging you can either fluff it up so the rags go every which way:

Or straighten them up so all the loose ends point out kind of:

Ooh, this is fun. What should we make next?

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Adorable, no?
The garland that we made looks no where near as cute, but oh-well pretty much nothing like it. However, I do like the way ours turned out and it was fun to do a little crafting together.

Here’s how to make one like ours:

1. Go to the Wal-Mart paint department. Consider the colors… Choose reds, pinks and purple for Valentine’s Day.
I loved the colors on my inspiration garland, but was, um, less than inspired by the paint card choices at the store. Though I’m not sure I can entirely blame the paint cards – the whole process made me a bit nervous.
Look furtively around then slip several paint cards into your purse.
I know they are free, but I still felt a bit like I was up to no good (considering the fact that I had no intentions to buy their paint for this project). What are your thoughts? Is it ethical to take paint cards without intending to buy paint? #firstworldproblems

2. While at Wal-Mart, go look at their paper punches. They do not, have not, and likely will not ever have what is needed. Remember that you have a punch at home that will work.

3. Go home and dump out three baskets of craft supplies to find heart-shaped punch. Huh. It’s smaller than you remember. Make do.

4. Start punching. Realize that you do not want to poke a needle (twice each) through all those tiny hearts. Decide to glue. Realize that this will not only be easier, it will make your garland double-sided, perfect for hanging on a window. In your face, inspiration piece!

5. Lay several hearts, wrong side up on a piece of tag-board (which is fancy-speak for an old manilla folder). Put a dab of craft glue near the top of each heart. Lay a length of crochet thread (or whatever you have lying in a drawer somewhere) on top of the glue.

6. Place another heart wrong side down, sandwiching thread and glue in the middle. Allow to dry, then hang somewhere prominent so everyone can ooh-and-ahh over (or make crazy-eyes under) your “hard” “work”.

Total cost: $0 (if you have a punch, glue and thread buried in your crafting supplies).

Newt and I had so much fun, we also made the scrap fabric knotted heart wreath. I’ll share it later in the week.

What projects are you working on?

Linked with Works For Me Wednesday, Trendy Treehouse

What I Would Feed my Family on a Monthly Budget of $250
This one got me thinking. I’m going to give it a shot. Watch for a post about how it goes.

Curried Carrot Soup
I can’t wait to try this. However, since Walt is neither a soup, curry, or carrot fan, I think I’ll have to wait until he has a night shift at the police department.
Or I could make it for lunch.
Or maybe make it for dinner alongside grilled cheese sandwiches. That way Walt could have soup and a sandwich, hold the soup…
No mater what, it will get made. And soon.

Seven Lies about Homeschoolers – Video
It’s funny because it’s true…

Doodling in Math: Spirals, Fibonacci, and Being a Plant – Video
Newt and I look forward to every new Vi Hart video on you-tube. We may not understand all of the mathematical principles that Vi talks about, but we enjoy watching. Math should always be this fun and interesting.

We Must See Past What it Seems…
I saved the best for last. This post was written a little over a year ago, which would make it about 147 years old in internet years. However, it is well worth revisiting. This is probably one of the most moving and outlook-changing things I have ever read. Go read it. You’ll be glad you did.

re-pin
re-pin
re-pin
[big happy sigh]

When I was a teenager, I learned some pretty wise words of uh… wisdom from Poison’s Brett Michaels. Sing it Brett!
Every rose has its thorn,
Just like every night has its dawn,
Just like every cowboy sings a sad, sad song…
Every rose has it’s thorn.
Yeah it does.

Pinterest’s thorn is this:
Sometimes, just pinning makes me feel creative enough.
It’s rare that any of those wonderful ideas ever live outside my pin-board.
Let’s remedy that, shall we?
I’ve spent the evening combing Pinterest for ideas of Valentine’s crafts to do with Newt. My only criteria was that it be something simple to create and inexpensive. There was no shortage of ideas:

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Newt and I will recreate one of these crafts this week and report back next Monday. Here’s the really fun and exciting part: You get to pick which one!
Disclaimer: The previous statement is likely false. You may find this idea neither fun or exciting. Humor me, would you?
Leave your pick in the comments.

I often bust out into whatever song I feel is appropriate, much to the embarrassment admiration of my friends and family. Even when I’m not singing out loud, there is almost always a song running in the back of my mind. When I pay attention to it, I find that the words usually relate to whatever I am experiencing at the time.
For example: a couple of months ago, smack in the middle of my personal winter, I spent several days with The Lion King’s The Circle of Life running through my head. I had no idea why, and frankly, I was beginning to get a little annoyed by it. However, when I took the time to pay attention, I realized that the predominate lyrics I was thinking on were: There’s more to see than can ever be seen/More to do than can ever be done,
Lightbulb: I was silently belting out my feelings of anxiety and stress. Realizing that did absolutely nothing to relieve my stress, but at least I understood the soundtrack.

On a happier note (Ha! See what I did there? Song? Note? … Hello?), I’m pleased to report that for the last three days in a row, I have awakened to this song in my head:

Go ahead and listen. You can’t help but love it.

Here are a few things that are making me smile today.

one
The flood water is receding.
Note: It took me three tries to type w-a-t-e-r. My fingers kept wanting to type w-a-l-t-e-r. Walt is not receding. Thinning a bit, yes, but definitely not receding.
Not only is the water level going down, but we have had honest to goodness sunshine in patches over the weekend.
Me, suddenly bursting into song: I’m walkin’ on sunshine, yeah, yeah and don’t it feel good?
This is the kind of thing that people who know me well have to put up with all the time.

two
The slug slime came up off my couch. All I had to do was wait for it to dry, then scrape it off and then seal off and fumigate the entire area with napalm.
Now it’s gone, gone, gone, whoa-oh-oh-oh-whoa…

three
Things are getting done. Hurray!
Our remodeling/repair job feels like it is taking for-ev-er, but progress is being made. For example, we once again have two (count ‘em: one, two!) functioning bathrooms. The hall bath has received a complete makeover, including new tile flooring, new cabinets and sink, granite counter top, and a brand new no overflow toilet.
Haaaallelujah, haaaaallelujah, hallalujah-hallalujah, hall-ayyyy-ay-lu-yah!
We’ve still got some finishing touches to do; I’ll share pictures soon.

three-and-a-half
Remember this?

We found that old window at a garage sale back in September and I had such big plans for it. On Saturday, I batted my eyelashes and sweet talked Walt into finally helping me bring those plans to fruition.
The following horror was our entry when we first moved into our house. If you have small children on your lap, you may wish to cover their eyes.

We have done a fair amount of work there: replacing the front and closet doors, tiling over the ugly vinyl (not pictured) with a pretty matte black granite, replacing and painting the wood trim, and utterly demolishing those terrible prison bars spindles. Still the area didn’t look finished. Without the spindles, we had a hole in the wall that looked to me like a walk up ice-cream counter.
Enter new-old window:

Please note the new curtains too. Love. Them.
Here is another peek at my window:

This afternoon Newt told me: “Mama-
I love that she calls me that…
“Mama, if we sit right here on the couch and look at the front window and the entryway our house looks done. Let’s just not turn around briiiight eyes.”
Agreed. I’m not going to turn around and see my plywood and 70′s vinyl flooring (now with more asbestos!).
…but the view I love the most is on my front porch lookin’ iiiin!

four
Our church has multiple congregations that meet in the same building. Every year we trade meeting times around. Last year, we went to church at 8:30. AM. Twice a month I had early morning meetings. At 7:00. AM. As in, in-the-morning.
Aye-yi-yi, that’s early.
This year, we meet at 12:30. Sunday mornings are slow and relaxed again. We stay in our pjs for awhile, walk the dog together, make breakfast… It’s heavenly.
That’s why I’m eeeasy, easy like Sunday mornin’…

four and three-quarters
Newt made breakfast for us yesterday. I found her a recipe for pumpkin muffins and she went to work. They’re whole-wheat with no refined sugar, using honey instead, and oh-my-yum. The only modification she made (she is my daughter, after all) was adding some pumpkin seeds and walnuts to the batter.
Want some? The recipe is right here.
Why are there so many songs about muffins, and what’s on the other side?
Oh yeah, I also make up my own lyrics. Why not? It’s my show life.

What’s making you happy today? Sing it, Baby.

Linking up with: Not Just a Housewife, Create and Share, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Blue Cricket’s Show and Tell

Newt

“Well, now Thanksgiving this year is safely past,
More turkey eaten this year than last,
More stuffing stuffed, more yams jammed
Into our mouths, and using both hands,
Coleslaw in slews, biscuits by twos,
All of us too fat to fit in our shoes.”

Santa’s Twin by Dean Koontz

It’s officially the Holiday season. We have a little tradition in our family of giving each other a handmade gift. We generally tack a sheet across the opening to our schoolroom with a sign pinned to it that reads: Santa’s Workshop – Do Not Enter. Then we take turns using the space for our crafting. It’s a lot of fun to keep little secrets from each other and creating something with our own hands is a great way to show each other how much we care.
I haven’t quite decided what to make this year; I’d better get on it! If you’re in the same boat, here’s a list of some simple gifts that I have made over the years.

Freezer Paper Stenciled T-Shirt or Bag
Hollow a book (and fill with chocolate or other treasures)
Silhouette Portraits
Book Pages Wreath

Tiny Terrarium
Homemade Snow Globes

A wee fairy garden
Gingerbread Play Dough
A simple apron made from a bandana

Of course a gift doesn’t have to be homemade in order to be handmade. If you are looking for a unique and fun handmade gift but aren’t in a DIY mood this season, be sure to check out all of the talented artisans on Etsy.
If you need stocking stuffers, I have a few things in my shop you might like. Stop in tho view these items and more.

I’m offering free shipping all this week. Use the code CYBERMONDAY at check out, and feel free to share with friends.
Merry Crafting!