Faeries with Nunchucks

Ok. So maybe not.

But here's a cool (or scary if you are Sarah) story for ya...

So I grew up in what most people would consider the country -- 5 acres on a lake in rural Louisiana. We raised chickens all my life (for the eggs and the fun of it) and my parents still do. In our small Chicken Yard there is a small Chicken House - a little hut of a building where they go to roost (sleep). It has a flat roof so the leaves and pinestraw just pile up on top of it. Over the weekend my Dad was up on the roof raking all the leaves off and when he raked over a loose piece of tin, he was greeted by a coiled Chicken Snake. After nearly having a heart attack and falling off the roof (which he did later by the way....um...falling off that is...not a heart attack!) he beat it to death with the rake. It was 5 feet 8 inches long and as big around as a tennis ball for about 3 of those feet. Some biddies (baby chicks) had just hatched over Easter weekend and out of the 10 that hatched there are only 6 left - thanks to Mr. No Shoulders. Here's the proof:

If I had been at home, that snake would have been thoroughly dissected by now. But I'm weird like that.

The latest

One of five custom orders from my friend, Kristen.

Tagged!

I've been tagged! Jaime at Little Bird Creations tagged me for this meme.

Here are the rules:
1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

So here are my 7 facts as they come to me:

1. I can shoot tears out of my left eye. I love it. My husband has banned this activity from our house.

2. I have traveled to all of these places and LOVED all of them: Mexico; Senegal, West Africa; Burkina Faso, West Africa; Paris, France; South Korea; and Japan. I have lots of stories from each of these places. I'd be glad to tell them to you.=)

3. I love pranks. Not pranks that permanently damage a person or their property, but good-seriously-well-thought-out pranks. . .especially the ones that take time and effort to pull off. I like pulling pranks and having them pulled on me.

Examples from college days: One weekend I returned to my dorm room to find that my ENTIRE ROOM had been put in wal-mart bags. I'm not kidding - if it would fit in a wal-mart bag it was in one. Most of them were hanging from the celing. I thought it was fantastic!

My friend and I took the tires off of our friend's car, put it up on blocks, and Saran Wrapped the tires to the car. I have pictures to prove this but they are at my parent's house. I'll have to see if I can get mama to email them to me.

4. Justin and I had only known each other for 9 months when we got married. It's been 3 1/2 years now. (That 9 months had nothing to do with babies. We don't have any yet.) =)

5. I love adventures and I try to turn even the most mundane boring things into one. As long as it doesn't involve falling out of or jumping off of something higher than the high dive, I'm all for it.

6. I really really really really don't want to live anywhere that Zach and Sarah don't live.

7. These are a few of my favorite things: music, pickles, Chick-Fil-A IceDream, singing, going barefoot, a great book and a long bath, learning to make new things, great pictures, singing around a campfire, hot chocolate, the lake I grew up on, singing, best friends that can read each other's minds, oh yeah -- and singing.


Ok - that was really random and if you were to ask me tomorrow I would probably tell you 7 completely different things!

But now I tag:

Kim at Today's Creative Blog
Manda at Sunshine and Poppies
Kris at Monkey Foot Designs
Em at 3 Peas in a Pod Designs

and anyone else who wants to do this!

80's Night!!

We celebrated our friend Kiley's birthday with 80's Night last night. It was a blast! I'm so glad that I'm too young to remember 80's clothing! Scary!

Flashdance and Marty McFly

Me, Sarah, and Mandie


Melissa and I


Kiley (Birthday Girl!) and I


The Zach and I


Adam and The Zach (I just like this picture)


Sarah and I

Ben and Melissa


McFly, Edwards, Bueller...Bueller

McFly and Bueller



How many people does it take to zip a vest?



This was Justin's vest when he was 8 years old...it should not be zipped anymore!

Oh Flashdance..I think I may have pulled something.

The Moons and Mays


The CCC small group (most of us)

Total Goofiness!

Yep.

Stone Mountain and Easter

On Good Friday we (Mom, Dad, Doug, Justin, and I) went to Stone Mountain. It is the world's largest outcropping of granite and it just happens to be located about 20-30 minutes from where we live. We hiked to the top of it. It was a gorgeous day and we all had a blast. We were worn out by the end, but it was worth it. If you are ever near Atlanta, you should visit Stone Mountain.

This was taken before we hiked it. We ended up directly above the carving at the very top.

This is at the top - right behind us it pretty much drops straight down and that is where the carving is that you can see in the first pic. We were facing the sun - can you tell?=)

The is what was behind us. We were standing in front of the building with the columns for the first picture.

Still at the top - it is amazing to me how trees can grow out of solid granite. How is that possible?

Skipping ahead to Easter Sunday...

We had a fabulous service Sunday morning and then came home and had a an amazing lunch. We had Chicken Deluxe (chicken breasts wrapped in bacon and dried beef, smothered in golden mushroom soup and sour cream, and baked for 4 hours), homemade yeast rolls, rice, and fresh broccoli with cheese sauce. It was sooooo good and I ate it all again last night! For dessert we had Four Layer Delight, and if you are lucky I will share that recipe later.=)

Here's two Easter pics:

Salutations!

Hi y'all! I hope you had a fabulous Easter and rejoiced over the empty tomb! Sorry I haven't shown any blog love the past week (I know y'all have been checking here everyday just waiting for me to post some random tidbit about my life. yep.) - I've had a lot goin' on! My parents and brother came to visit from Louisiana last Thursday and stayed through Easter and I have been working on my studio for the past couple of weeks (which doubles as a guest bedroom minus the bed) trying to get it finished before they got here. I managed to finish the room about 2 hours before they arrived so I was thrilled.

Here's my studio:

It makes me happy! My FIL let me have the desk (it was just hanging out in the workshop at the golf course) and Justin and I cleaned, sanded, and painted it. I'm pleased with how it turned out, but I think I'm gonna have a piece of glass cut for the top. We sealed it, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.

IKEA was a huge help in pulling this together. Sarah and I each picked up some shelves and brackets on our trip and I also got the desk lamp (which is not at all the same color green as the desk, but hey, it's still lime and it makes me smile). I am also in love with their little rail-hanging-basket-wall-system-thingymabobs and I got this, this, this, and two of these. They are changing my life as we speak. Seriously -- when I finally have a house I might have one of these on every wall of every room. Ok, maybe not EVERY wall, but a lot -- you get the point. Here's a close up of the thingymabob:

I read somewhere that when setting up your studio you should try to have different work stations for different types of projects. I just recently discovered my love for paper and paper crafts, so I brought in my moms old sewing table to use as my Paper Crafts Station. Everything is seperate and in its own special place right now. We'll see how long it lasts before I have sewing stuff and paper stuff all mixed together with no rhyme or reason.=) I have a bad habit of turning my studio into an explosion of fabric, paper, buttons, ribbon, etc. But I'm trying to repent.

Oh yeah -and here's a pic of the thread holder that my dad made for me (I meant to post this a LONG time ago because he gave it to me in November). Thanks Dad!

So that's my studio. The other wall has two big utility shelving units that house all my fabric and batting and things that are not nearly as fun to look at, so I'll spare you those pics.

I'm featured!!!!

Ok, well I guess that is what you call it. But if not, I'm still going to call it that because it makes me feel good.=)

Erin of The Vintage Pearl (remember her?) featured me and the aprons I made for her kiddos on her blog. The kids are sooooo cute in their aprons! I'm so excited to be mentioned on her blog - I'm doing the happy dance! If you are looking for the post about me on her blog, you'll have to scroll down a bit because she posted them on Friday. Head on over there and check it out! THANKS ERIN!!

On the same note, yesterday I was looking at my site meter (yes, I keep track of who visits my blog so I know what URL referred you and so I can visit your blog) and I saw a new person had stopped by for a visit. Usually new people are either hopping over from The Vintage Pearl, 5 Minutes for Mom for the Blog party, or google (because they are looking for Shrimp n Grits recipes and I happen to have one on here) - but this one was from another blog (Crafty Natalie) that was unfamiliar to me. I went to that link and OH.MY.GOSH. Right there in the post is Moonpie Designs! Go check it out!

I don't know what to do with myself!

HAPPY MONDAY!

The Ultimate Blog Party!

{This is a "sticky" post and will stay at the top until March 14th. Please scroll down for new posts!}

A great big "Hey Y'all!" to everyone stopping by for The Ultimate Blog Party!

My name is Steph and I am a wife to Justin (3 1/2 years) and a full time nanny to Grace and Nate (6 and 3). I love fabrics and creating new things and I want to be a WAHM when the kiddies come, so I created Moonpie Designs. I make aprons, purses and totes, blankets, and all sorts of personalized baby goodies. I really enjoy trying new things and Moonpie Designs allows me to do that without breaking the bank! When I am not working with the kids or sewing, Justin and I are most likely hanging out with the besties, Zach, Sarah, and Baby Micah.

I always love it when bloggers give me a little history about themselves, so over the next couple of days I am going to do just that. I'm including lots of pictures and stories so get comfy and settle in for a bit. Let me take your coat.

Be sure to leave me a comment so I can check out your blogs too!

****Ok, I have been trying for an hour to scan some old pictures and get them in a decent enough shape to put on here, but I am giving up for the moment. I hate HP Image Zone (where my scanned pictures automatically go), but I am determined to get those pictures up here! Please check back in a bit for those, and until then you can look at all the other pictures I've put in past posts!****

It's gonna be a great day!

It is gorgeous outside ("not too hot, not too cold - all you need is a light sweater!") and to make it even better, Sarah and I are going to IKEA!

I'm re-doing my studio right now so hopefully IKEA will help out in the "shelving" department. Sarah has never been to IKEA, so who knows what all she'll bring home! It is going to be a fun day indeed!

I'm in love...

with making cards!

These are a couple of samples of the cards I made today at the CCC Annual Scrapbook Day. They will go in my Etsy orders. The last picture is of the bottom half of the inside.

Don't forget to SPRING FORWARD tonight! I'm going to bed - it is already 11:10pm and I have to be up at 7:00am!!

This makes me happy

*UPDATE*


Another BIG THANK YOU to The Zach for once again sharing his immense knowledge of all things computer related with me.
_____________________________________________________________________
But because I am dense and can't figure out how to put the actual youtube video in this post, I am going to have to send you here to see the happiness-inducing thing of which I am speaking. Sorry 'bout that folks. I plan to get The Zach to teach me how to do the video-in-the-post-thing tonight.

Regardless of the inconvenience, you should go there and check it out. Make sure your volume is turned up. It will not scare you - you have my word.

The latest creations

So my bloggy friend Erin (can I call you friend?) over at The Vintage Pearl ordered some Mini Me Aprons from me awhile ago. It has taken me FOREVER to finish that order (sickness on top of sickness on top of full time job) but the aprons are finally done and ready to be shipped! Here they are:

I'm pleased with them. I had the hardest time deciding what to do for Caleb's but hopefully he will love his soccer apron - especially since he just had his first game of the season!

Now I'm sure y'all have already been over to Erin's blog today, but if you haven't you should go right now and check it out and then hop yourself right on over to her etsy and/or ebay shops and buy yourself a little treat. Well go already!!=)

Whatcha think?

This has been my project this week - between finishing up orders and cursing the cold weather. It is going to make its home on my studio wall but, I can't decided if it needs something else or if it is perfect the way it is. And, if it does need something else, what is that something?

I need your help. Leave me a comment with your opinions/suggestions please!

Nothing has been glued down yet so make as many changes as you like!

I think I am going to hang them side by side instead of top and bottom but when I tried to take a picture like that it was just really small.

If you read...

...you must read these books by my favorite author, Ray Blackston.

Seriously. These books are fabulous. They are funny. They are charming. And they are real. I've read Flabbergasted, the first of the series, probably 15 times (I'm reading right now) and the whole series probably 10. These are my go-to books when I don't have anything else to read, or just want a good laugh. If you read these, I promise you will laugh. And you will relate - no matter your age, no matter if you are married, single, or single-again -- you will relate to someone or something in these books.

Now if the cover of this next book doesn't make you want to read it, then I don't know what will.

A Pagan's Nightmare is a "comic spoof on legalism." You should read it.

And now for the best news of all...drum roll please...Ray has a new book out that was released February 12th. I did not know this. I don't know how I didn't know, but I didn't so this news totally just made my day, week, month, and possibly year. This is the cover:

I am literally going to Lifeway at lunch to see if they have it. I'll cry if they don't and politely DEMAND that they stock some copies, and then I will go straight home to my computer and order one for myself from amazon. I can't wait. I might have to go right now.


Anyway -- you can learn more about Ray and his books here. You can read Chapter One of each of the books there and what I call the "back cover" - you know, the short run down of what the book is about. I know you know what I am talking about. Don't kid yourself.


You can order the books here, here, and here. I suggest ordering them all at once, especially the series, because once you start you WILL NOT want to stop and driving the the bookstore or waiting for the next one to come in the mail will be excruiatingly painful. Consider yourself warned.


I'm off to the store. Happy reading!
Oh yeah, and when you go to Ray's website, leave him a little note and tell him "Steph from GA" sent you. =)

My first attempt at scrapping (sorta)

So I got it in my head about mid-January that I was going to MAKE cards for Valentine's Day this year. Um...yeah. I don't know why - I just did. So 2 hours in Michael's, a splitting headache, and $34 later, I had what I needed to get started. Keep in mind that I had NO IDEA WHAT I WAS DOING. The goal was to make 4 cards - one for my parents and brother, one for DD (my grandmother), one for Sarah (the bestie), and one for Justin (the hubby). I managed to accomplish this - but it wasn't easy. You see, I have committal issues. I don't want to glue anything down. I am always afraid that if I glue it down that 5 minutes later I will come up with a better use for it and then I'll be screwed. But over a weeks time I managed to make the four cards I needed. And I must say, it was pretty fun once I got the hang of it. I need tons of practice though and I am certain that I will never make an actual scrapbook - but the card making was fun so maybe I'll do it again sometime.

Here's the one I made for Justin: (please don't laugh - I don't claim to know what I'm doing)

Kinda plain and simple, but he loved it so that is all that matters.

This may very well be the death of me...

Chocolate, caramel (car-muhl), and pecans (pah-cahns NOT PEE-cans). Now separate, these three things are harmless (well, maybe not to your thighs, but for the most part) but put them together and the sheer ecstasy of the experience alone will kill you - Stop your heart dead in its tracks. Not to mention the elation you will feel when you bite into it and pull it away from your mouth only to have a trail of the most amazing caramel you've ever tasted stretching from your lips to the bear claw now a foot away. But the imminent threat of having that sticky goodness dangling off your chin will not deter you. You will let it dangle and continue devouring this caramel-bleeding Bear Claw until you have 5 trails hanging off your chin threatening to permanently make themselves at home there. Or maybe that's just me.

But...

Chocolate + Caramel + Pecans + Ecstasy (feeling, not drug) + Elation = DEATH BY BEAR CLAW

If I truly do die from attempting to eat the whole box in a single weekend, you can blame my parents. They sent Justin and I a box for Valentine's Day. Yes, you should be jealous. No, you cannot have them. They are MY parents. I'm willing to share though.

You can order your very own Death in a Box here or by clicking on the picture.

Come now friends. Let's all fall off the Resolution Wagon together. You will not be disappointed. =)

Picture property of River Street Sweets

Out of the mouths of babes...

Day one of this nanny job:
G- age 5 1/2 N- Age 3

Nate: Mrs. Stephanie, what is that thing in your nose?

Me: That's a nose ring Nate. Like an earring, but for your nose.

Grace: Nate, it's called in-di-vi-du-al-i-ty. Mrs. Stephanie has individuality. Can you say it with me?

G & N: IN-DI-VI-DU-AL-I-TY

Day two:
(While at the pool getting our table set up with ALL our stuff)

Grace: Mrs. Stephanie, you have the pools reflection on your legs.

Me: {Looks at legs and tries to figure out how on earth the pool is reflecting off her legs}
Grace, come show me. I don't see what you are talking about.

Grace: Right here....and here....and here {pointing to the stretch marks on my upper, upper thigh/bottom)

Me: Oh. My. Gosh. {laughs hysterically and then dashes to the locker room to see just how bad this must be to look like the pools reflection}

Kids say the darndest things!! I'm pretty sure I will never forget those two days as long as I live!!

Yummy!

This tried and true recipe for yummy roll-out sugar cookies and icing comes from my momma Cindy. If you stick to the recipe (as opposed to deviating as I usually do with every other recipe) they will turn out amazing and everyone at your ladies Bible study will want the recipe.=) But don't take my word for it -- test it yourself. I promise you won't be disappointed.

That is all that is left of ours. I took mine to Bible Study.=)

Roll-Out Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 teaspoons Clear Vanilla Extract*

1/2 teaspoon No-Color Almond Extract

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400°F. In mixing bowl, cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts. Mix flour, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. Do not chill dough. Divide dough into 2 balls. On a floured surface, roll each ball into a circle approximately 12 in. wide and 1/8 in. thick. Dip cookie cutter in flour before each use. Bake cookies on ungreased cookie sheet 5-6 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned. Recipe may be doubled. Makes about 3 dozen cookies. WATCH COOKIES CLOSELY WHILE BAKING -- they burn VERY easily.

Poured Cookie Icing

This icing dries to a shiny, hard finish. Great to use for icing or to outline and fill in with tip 2 or 3.

1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar

2 teaspoons milk

2 teaspoons light corn syrup

Place sugar and milk in bowl. Stir until mixed thoroughly. Add corn syrup and mix well. For filling in areas, use thinned icing (add small amounts or light corn syrup until desired consistency is reached).

Icing (like, the regular kind)

1 1/2 cups shortening

8 cups powdered sugar, sifted

3 tsp butter flavoring OR 2 tsp almond extract (I used almond)

4 tsp clear vanilla*

Place shortening in mixer and add sugar one cup at a time (you will want to have it on LOW unless you just like to cover your kitchen and person in white sweetness and then have to clean it up). Add vanilla and butter/almond extract. Add very small amounts (teaspoons) of luke warm water until icing is the consistency you want. At this point the icing will be white -- you can add food coloring or Wilton's icing coloring if your heart desires.=)

*You can use regualr brown vanilla for the cookies and the icing, but if you want the icing to be bright, blinding white you should use the clear. I used brown because I colored the icing red.

Why?

Me: Nate, keep practicing your "B's"-- they don't have to be perfect, that's why it is called practice.

Nate: I CCCCCCAAAAAANNNNN""""""TTTTTTT!

Me: Your brain can hear you say that. My gosh, I sound just like my mother. I just want you to try. You haven't tried so how do you know you can't do it?

Nate: IIIIIIII JJJJJJJUUUUUUSSSSSSTTTTTTT CCCCCAAAAANNNNN'''''''''TTTTTTTT!

Nate: My brain hurts.

Me: Mine too bud. Mine too. Screaming does that.

Creative Genius

So my husband has been sick all this week with that nighttime-sniffling-sneezing-coughing-aching-fever-NOT-the-best-sleep-you-ever-got crud that is apparently going around the whole US right now. Because of this, I was forced to resort to less than conventional sleeping arrangements for myself. I like to think of myself as an empathetic, compassionate person, and in keeping with that self-picture, I let hubby have the bed while I slept here:

I won't lie -- I haven't slept that great for two nights in a row in I don't know how long!! I'm so glad our couch is a sectional and that with a little creative thinking I was able to turn it into the most comfortable "couch bed" ever! Of course, I did destroy our living room in the process, but it was worth it to not have to sleep with the walking Nyquil commercial (before the medicine kicked in).

I'm happy to report that Justin is feeling much better now. Hopefully we will both sleep soundly in OUR bed tonight. After we watch LOST of course.

Please ignore the mess in the background. This is what happens when Justin is home sick for two days.

New Etsy Listing!

I just listed this in my Etsy Shop:

Go check it out to see what it is! This may be my favorite thing to date. I need a little boy so his crib bedding can be of this fabric!