Photo Charm Bracelet

Here is a photo charm bracelet that I made.

I bought the bracelet and charms at Hobby Lobby

Resize the photo's to a little over an inch and print them off 

The charms come with a little piece of cardboard for the backing and I used this piece to draw an outline around the picture and cut them out

Just slide the picture in the charm behind the clear plastic piece and then slide in the backing piece and attach to the bracelet using jump rings!!!

There you have it, a beautiful photo charm bracelet to keep your precious little one with you at all times!!!!

TIP: The cardboard backing was getting wet when I washed my hands and I was afraid of it ruining the photos so what I did was use the backing and trace it onto a piece of black cardstock ( I used black so it wouldn't show any dirt or dingyness) and cut the circle out of cardstock.

I used Mod Podge to adhere the photo's to the cardstock and then put a layer of Mod Podge over the whole photo and put that into the charm behind the plastic piece. The cardstock looks better than the cardboard piece that came with the charms also. This should keep the photo's from being ruined if they get a little wet from washing my hands. If I did this again, I wouldn't put the Mod Podge on the front of the photo because you see the brush strokes and I it bothers me...it doesn't look bad.....it just bothers me.

 

  

  

 

I added this to:

Its So Very Cheri
Keeping it Simple: Motivate me Monday
Today's Creative Blog: Get Your Craft On
Blue Cricket Design: Show and Tell
Fireflies and Jellybeans: Show off your stuff party 

Sharing some winter photo goodness!!!

I wanted to share some more of our winter pictures. I will be glad for spring but for now we make the most of it.

This is one that I did a Vintage effect too...I like how it turned out.

He loved to stomp on the snow where no one else had walked. By the time we were done the front yard was full of little Luke prints. Of course he liked stomping on anything that Mommy wrote or built.

I love the saying on this one

 

This is my niece Shannon. Her and her sister Kyla were over while their mommy worked and we all went out and went sled riding. 

Thanks for looking and hopefully these pictures brought a little sunshine to your winter day!!! (can't wait for spring!!!) 

Being a working mom

I just got a call from my husband (I am at work shhhh don't tell) to inform me that he stood Luke in the corner for the first time and he did great. When Tim told him to turn around...he did and stood there (he's just shy of 19 months old)

So we are thinking that either he is way smarter than what we give him credit for or they must have had to stand him in the corner at daycare before. :(  Please don't get me wrong I am all for Luke learning right from wrong and I love his daycare but it just tears at a mommy's heart to think of someone else doing it. 

Then husband puts me on speaker and I start to talk to Luke who in turns starts crying because he misses me....which is hard to hear when you are at work and have 1 hour 35 minutes and 14 seconds left until you get to go home (ok not really counting the seconds but you get what I mean) you can't go rushing home to comfort your baby.....sigh. sigh again. I miss my baby. Maybe it's because I am a first time mom I don't know. But, I know I have to work...so I do, so we can have what we need and a little of what we want. I wonder if it gets any easier??

I am glad that we may have found a good discipline tool for Luke though. With the terrible two's starting to rear their blonde little head, we something to tame them.

Weight Watching Wednesday

I weighed in yesterday and.......

I lost 2 pounds!!!!!

This is just great seeing as how I didn't exercise at all...except for my one failed attempt at the 30 day shred. Luke has had a cold or flu this week so he has been especially clingy....so that is what my week has been filled with. Work and a sick baby...fun fun.

At least I am on my way down and not continuing to go up. I need to do my measurements because I do plan on exercising and I would like to see those go down as well.

I decided that I was going to treat myself to the Wii and the Wii Fit Plus. I loved my bff/sil's so much that I want one that I can do anytime I can fit it in.

Well, wouldn't you know that the one time I decide to buy myself something that is over $10.....it's  nowhere to be found. Humph.....I have looked everywhere, I have called all Walmarts, Targets, Best Buys, and Movie Gallery within a 30 mile radius...and nothing and no one can tell me when they will be getting any in. Don't ya just hate when you make your mind up to purchase something and then you can't find it.....I hate that. So, lets all keep our fingers crossed that the Wii Fit Plus shortage will end soon and I'll be doing some Kung Fu in the comfort of my own home!!!!!

A couple cool ideas I saw today....

I saw a couple of cool ideas today while I was browsing the blogs

The first one is this cool idea for a calendar...

Not only does it reuse those free calendars that you get in the mail but it also doubles as a dry erase board!!

I was soo into the cookie sheet calendars that you see floating around then after I got thinking about the little pieces that I would have to put together and piece together.....I really think this is a way better idea.

And you could personalize it with a photo each month too!!!

You can go HERE to check out the tutorial!!!

Secondly, I saw these cool Pom Pom lights.

Are these the cutest!!! I am thinking of making some to put in my bedroom.

You can go HERE to check these out.

Totally cool, inexpensive and easy!!!!

I Heart Faces Contest "Texture"

This weeks theme is "Texture" and this is my entry.

Of course it is a picture of my little guy!!!!

This is my rendition of a watercolor!!

Working out with a toddler

So, I tried the 30 day shred last night.......wow is it a workout!!! I only got to do half of it (I'll get to that later) but my legs and arms are sore today!!! It is pretty basic moves but it works. Before I got pregnant I could do exercises with an 8 pound hand weight. 8 pounds was way to heavy for the 30 day shred. My arms were killing me!!! Definitely a good workout. Lots of jumping jacks...I started to get worried about the floors in my old house...my husband said to hold off on the jumping jacks inside until we get more floor joices...sigh.

Luke got in on the fun too. I told him "you do it" and he started dancing. When I was doing the push ups....he was leaning on my back. And when I was doing the crunches....he was playing "climb Mount Mommy" which he laughed and cackled the whole time his diaper was in my face while I was suffering through them. I had to laugh....it was hilarious. Then as I was on the down swing of a curl and lunge....he walked behind me and WAP, I got him right in the forehead with the hand weight. So of course, I stopped everything to asses the damage.....a huge knot....I freaked....cried and then tried to put an ice pack on  it. He only cried until I gave him his daddy's electronic organizer to play with...then all was well in his world again. Ugghhhhh.....so that is why I only did half of it. I should have probably kept going but I didn't...shame on me. But, if your looking for a good workout....this dvd is for (if you don't need extra floor joices in your old house) you. 

I set the dvd to record Inhale which is on Oxygen in the mornings. It says it's intense yoga. I'll try that tonight. I'll will be glad when summer is here and I can stick Luke in the stroller and go for a good walk. Something we both enjoy which doesn't come with the risk of getting wapped in the head or falling through the floor. 

So far so good on the Weight Watchers too!!!

There's love in the air!!!!

It's FUN to craft has done these super cute L-O-V-E letters!!!! I totally agree that if you used paper that wasn't just a Valentine's Day paper you could keep this up all year round. I can totally see this in my bedroom. I absolutely love how she tied them together with ribbon. I think that is what "ties" it all together (pun totally intended!!) Go ahead and check it out HERE!!!!!!

Weight Loss Wednesdays

O.K. so it's time to give myself the big ole kick in the butt and get back on track with my weight loss. Starting today I am back on Weight Watchers. I lost 66 pounds on Weight Watchers before I got pregnant with Luke. I know it works but I am just having the hardest time getting motivated. I'm sure most of you know what Weight Watchers is but for those of you who may not you can go HERE and check out their website. 

Basically, every food you eat is given a points value and you are allowed so many points per day. You can also earn extra points for doing activity too!! And if you follow this and the healthy guidelines that they give, then you will see results. So, today I start back on my lovely Weight Watchers. It is easy and you do see results, it's just finding the motivation to get started that is the killer for me. 

Right after Christmas I rushed out and bought this dvd. I had heard such great reviews about it that I just had to try it out. So, here it is over half way through January and I haven't even put it in the dvd player!!! I was sooo excited about it too!! So, tonight.....me and Jillian Michaels have a workout date. I'll post tomorrow and let guys you know how it went. 


Now, I have, thanks to my bff/sil, Steph, been able to workout on the Wii Fit Plus. Man, I love this game!!!! I would love to have one, but I can't afford it right now and considering I don't even have the Wii, I would have to buy it and then the Wii Fit Plus....nope, not in the budget. But good ole Steph has it and I have went down to her house and used it a few times in the past week. It is fun and let me tell you I was sore the next day. I loved the Kung Fu and the Step Aerobics...fun fun fun!!! Plus, Luke gets to play with his cousins, which he loves...so, it's a win win situation.


One more thing that I think is going to be a great help to me is meal planning. I sat down on Monday night and planned out all my meals for the rest of the week...along with points. So, now all my meals are planned and points tracked so no last minute choices have to be made. I don't do well with last minute dinner ideas...usually ends up being McDonalds. 


Shhh, if you listen really closely I can hear that tote of pre-pregnancy clothes calling to me from my upstairs....you know those clothes that were brand name, cute and fit just right??? Don't worry clothes....I hope I  know I will fit in to you again!!!

I am planning to post about my weight loss journey here on Wednesdays and whenever I have something new to share. I hope that this will be good inspiration for me to stick with it. Tonight I plan on doing an official weigh in and taking my measurements. Wish me luck!!!!

I Heart Faces Weekly Contest

I am so excited to have found this cool blog. I love photography and I love contests so this is perfect for me!! Plus, it gives me some great inspiration. Go and check it out!!


Here is my submission for this week.....Best Face Photo....this is a photo of the best face in my world!!!

Totally Cool Race Track Wall Hanging

This is a totally cool race track wall hanging that I made for my sons room. It's pretty easy and quick to do and I am in love with the results!!!

Supplies:

1 1/2 yards of black fleece

1 sheet of yellow felt

fabric glue

lots and lots of adhesive backed velcro

Hot Wheels cars

What to do:

I used a yellow crayon to draw on an outline of the race track onto the fleece

Cut out race track....trim as needed. I trimmed alot to make it look exactly how I wanted

Use ruler and pencil to mark out yellow dash lines...I made mine about 1/4 inch by 1 inch

Cut out dash lines

Use fabric glue to glue dash lines onto the fleece....I used a ruler to measure 2 inches between each dash

Attach Hot Wheels cars onto fleece with velcro

Use velcro to attach race track to wall

I had to use alot of velcro to attach it to the wall. I put a piece of velcro behind the cars, behind the fleece, to keep the cars flat on the wall...otherwise they sagged.

That's it.....now your little boy has his own race track on the wall!!! And, if he gets tired of it....just take the it down thanks to the velcro!!!

 

Check out this great photo bracelet

        I have been looking and looking for great ways to make a photo bracelet. I want one soooo bad. I have seen the ones that you make with shrink plastic and the ones that cost a bazillion dollars (ok so maybe not a bazillion but totally out of my budget). I even bought some little charms at HobLob but I decided I really didn't like those either. 
       So, anyway I am minding my own business reading the blogs that I subscribe to when what do I see.........THIS absolutely fabulous and easy and inexpensive photo bracelet featured on UCreate!!! I could not believe my eyes!!! And not only is it a great bracelet tutorial it also is a Photoshop tutorial!!! Yeah!!!! 
       I love it and I am definetely going to be making one of these bad boys soon. Now maybe I can fulfill my photo bracelet dreams!!!! Thank you How-To Gal for sharing this great idea!!! Go....Check it out....Now!!!!!

Beneath My Heart has a great giveaway!!!!

I had to tell you guys about a great giveaway at Beneath My Heart. Lisa Leonard Designs is giving away a  $75 gift certificate!!!! You have to check out the beautiful stamped jewelry. Go check out this giveaway and while your there check out the rest of this wonderful blog!!!!

http://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com/2010/01/75-giveaway-from-lisa-leonard-designs.html