Crafty Friday: Geometric Art

I wasn't sure what to call today's craft project... Colored triangles? Geometric rainbow? Easy-to-make modern art that is bright, fun, and colorful? [ That was a bit wordy] So I settled on geometric art, which can encompass a whole lot of different projects, but here's how we did ours. I hope you don't mind a photo tutorial, as our littlest crafter is trying to help me write this post.

Here's what you need:

+ colored pencils

Here's how to do it:

A few tips:

* use colored pencils to make your lines. regular pencils or markers will bleed into the paint
* you can use a fine tipped permanent marker to go over your lines after the paint is dry. this was my plan, but I haven't gotten to it yet,
* for younger kids, the larger the shape, the easier it is to paint, if the triangles end up quite small after making all of the lines, you can paint right over the lines to make the shapes bigger. that's what finn ended up doing
*don't try to paint holding a fussy baby.

happy crafting!

xo

nessa dee

One Month

My little August. 

My sweet surprise.

I found out I was pregnant with you the day after my birthday. I was shocked. It was so unexpected. Yet as soon as I knew you existed, the little gummy bear growing inside me, how I wanted you. How I loved you. How I longed to see your beautiful face. 

You're the best birthday gift I ever received.

I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I have three kids, that you're here, that you're mine.I find myself just sitting and staring at you in amazement. I'm trying to soak every bit of your sweetness up. I can't resist kissing your chubby neck, or snuggling you while you nap. 

You continue to surprise us everyday.

At your two week check-up, you rolled over from your tummy to your back, and you've done so many times since. 

At two and a half weeks, you smiled at me. I didn't even mark the day because I thought for sure you couldn't have legitimately done so that early. But you did it again the next day and the next, and in front of witnesses. 

You smiled at your daddy for the first time today. 

You're a big boy! You gained two pounds in the first two weeks, and you're around 12 pounds now according to my scale. You're quickly outgrowing all of your 3 month clothes. Your daddy says you just skipped right over being a newborn.

You have quite a few nicknames already from family and friends. Augie, Gus, The Hux, Huck, and Captain Thunderpants to name a few. Around here, though, you're Mr. August.

You know your brother and sister's voices. You always try to find them when you hear them talking. When your daddy speaks, you're mesmerized. You become so still and just follow his voice around the room.

And speaking of talking, you're trying so hard to do so. It's no surprise in this family. You make the cutest sounds amidst a lot of grunting and snorting, which is cute, too.

Oh, August. How you've captured my heart. My beautiful baby boy. 

I love you so.

xo 

mom 

Hello, Monday!

Wow! I apologize! I should have put an 'Out to Lunch' [for a whole week] sign on my blog. I keep thinking I have this time management thing down, but someone else is calling the shots now, and I have to abide by his rules. We haven't been up to too much, lately. We have had a few visitors this week including a cowboy and a couple of pirates. We went to our homeschool co-op orientation, and are gearing up to start next Friday. The kids are so excited. Me? I'm a bit nervous. I'm going to have to force a schedule on Mr. No schedule and I'm hoping he'll adjust. He's not really one of those babies who wakes only to feed. He likes to be carried around [and not in a sling] while discovering the big wide world. He's training me well. So I'm just going to have to grow a thick skin and make him give in to my demands. It's only one day a week. I can do this. Right?

Here's what we've been up this past week...

xo

nessa dee

Hello, Monday!

Today...

:: We're trying to ease back into school for the year.  It was not my original plan, but the thought of starting back full force in a couple of weeks seemed more daunting.

:: I found this book for August just days before I had him. I had to buy it and hoped that we would stick with the name 'August' once we saw him, otherwise it would be just another alphabet book.

:: Audrie took these pictures, and I love them.

:: I should have been cleaning my living room [of which half of the junk out belongs to the hairy member of our family who can't pick up after herself]...

:: Instead, I decided to take pictures of  a certain little guy. I'll share more, but here are a couple of my favorites...

Happy Monday!

xo

nessa dee

One Dozen

One dozen years ago today I walked down the aisle and said "I do" to the handsome kid who met me at the altar. I'd do it all over again a thousand times. 

To my husband, my partner, the father of my 3 beautiful children, my best friend...

Happy anniversary!

I love you so.

Ness

Kitchen Redo

The verdict is in. Now that we have more testosterone in our house, it was decided that the kitchen was too feminine for the boys, so it's going to get a major overhaul.

Oh...not my kitchen.

This kitchen...

It's been in dire need of a revamp for sometime now. It was Audrie's, and it's nine years old, missing a door, has loose knobs, and leftover sticker adhesive from a renovation done by it's former owner. Now that she's 11, and too old for these baby toys, this kitchen is getting the makeover it needs to satisfy its masculine owners because they really aren't too happy with the pink pastel color palette...

So, we're gonna take a little bit of this...

and a lot of creativity, and hopefully end up with something like this...

Yep, we're going to need a lot of creativity.

xo

nessa dee

Mr. Mustache

My brother had the opportunity to work at the London Olympics this year, and not wanting to miss the chance of having free room and board, my mom hopped on a plane to join him. August was a week old when she left, and I had been warning her that he would probably be talking and have facial hair by the time she got back.

Well, I don't want to say I told you so, Mom, but I told you so.

Can't wait until you get back.

xo

nessa dee

I can't find my living room...

on the other hand, we have a new downstairs playroom

with an awesome set of shelves to hold all of the kids' toys

and its very own changing table for August

xo 

nessa dee

Crafty Friday: God's Eyes

In terms of crafts that are super duper easy, super duper fun, and produces dynamic results, this one meets all those criteria. God's Eyes are something you might remember making at summer camp, or Vacation Bible School, but totally worth revisiting them as an adult...making them with your children, of course. All you need  are some popsicle sticks, glue, and a variety of different colored yarn.

For a quick tutorial, head on over to Kaboose here.

If you notice, the difficulty level states "very easy," and I can attest to that. This is so easy, you can do it while nursing a baby. In fact it's a good way to pass the time while doing so.

Audrie took right to the craft...

The boys, not so much.

One is sick...

and one is satisfied...

But between Audrie and I, we managed to create quite a few God's Eyes...

If you have some toothpicks and embroidery thread, you can create miniature God's Eyes as well...

We have big plans for these little guys. They are going to make their way onto a chain and become pendants for some very cutesy crafty pieces of jewelry.

And we're not stopping there. We'll definitely be revisiting this craft. I foresee future Christmas ornaments and garland...

With all of the time spent in my gold chair nursing my baby, I'll have enough God's eyes to fill at least four dozen Christmas trees!

Happy Crafting!

xo

nessa dee