Blog with Friends - Scary Stuff Edition

Today is Blog with Friends - SCARY STUFF Edition!!! Ready to be afraid???? 

For my project I'll show you how to make a Have Scary Dreams Pillowcase!

I saw this fabric in Joann's and knew it would be perfect for Jacob. Nightmare Before Christmas is his favorite movie and purple is his favorite color. His birthday was September 21st and I knew I wanted to make SOMETHING for him. But what??? (BTW, I actually made this over a month ago!) 
I decided that a pillowcase would be the best thing for a 22 year old boy. ;) 


WHAT I USED 

Just less than 1 yard of main

Just less than 1/4 yard of black




STEP 1

You can use an existing pillowcase to measure this out if you like. 

I cut it the length I wanted and left the width.
STEP 2

Fold the contrast fabric in half and press.

Pin it to the "bottom" of the pillowcase. (I changed the position from what is shown in the picture.)

Sew the seam.

Press the seam.

Top stitch in place. 


STEP 3

Pin along the side and the bottom.

Sew the seam and press!

Guess what! You're done! That took, what?? 10 minutes????


I then took the pillowcase and embroidered Jacob's name on the black with shiny purple thread. 


Y'know.... Karen from Baking in a Tornado just reminded me how kids can trick or treat with pillowcases!!!! Wouldn't that be perfect?? You could make one to match their costumes and when Halloween is over they can use it on their beds!!! :D


Now check out all the other SCARY posts!!!!! :D

 Karen of Baking In A Tornado shares a recipe for Billy the Puppet Cake.

Robin of Someone Else's Genius wrote a Halloween story, In the End: Re-Imagined.

Rabia of The Lieber Family Blog shows us how to make fun Trick or Treat Bags.

Check out Lydia of A Cluttered Genius's Cheap and Easy Halloween Make-Up Tutorial.

USE YOUR WORDS - September 2015

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.

I’m using: robust ~ strength ~ core ~ phoenix ~ blue ~ mother

They were submitted by: Sparkly Poetic Weirdo



Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:



 Baking In A Tornado

 Spatulas on Parade

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

 Southern Belle Charm

 The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 The Angrivated Mom

 Confessions of a part time working mom

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Climaxed

 Evil Joy Speaks

 Never Ever Give Up Hope

 Eileen’s Perpetually Busy

 Searching for Sanity 

 She had a large, robust family and she took great pride in it. Her children were her everything. Her reason to keep going in a difficult life. Being a mother was the most important thing in the world to her, her reason for being. Her reason for breathing. 

 But things happen, like they always do. 

 Her family was torn apart by a monster. 

 She had to go. She took most of the children with her but one chose to remain behind. 

 The pain in her heart from the one child deciding not to go with her nearly tore her heart in two.  Her blue eyes were constantly swimming in tears. 

 But she had to find the strength in her core to rise like a phoenix from the ashes of heartbreak, violence and betrayal. 

 She had to keep going on the hope that one day all of her children would one day be under her roof, safe, sound and happy as they had never before been. 

Blog with Friends - Back to School

It's Blog with Friends time again!! WOO HOO!! I am so happy to be back with a new tutorial for you!! It feels like it has been AGES since I had a new tutorial!! I think the last one was a Blog with Friends! 

Anyway, this time around I have an easy peasy nap mat cover for you. Super fast, super easy!!! 

My cousin's little boy is starting preschool and they requested that the parents have covers for the kids' nap mats. 

Viola!

What I Used 

Less than 2 yards of fabric
Zipper
Coordinating thread


STEP 1

With the fabric folded in half, like it comes off the bolt, I put the nap mat on it and cut the fabric.
You want to leave several inches at the top and bottom as well as the sides for seam allowance, room for it to be folded, and room for it to spread out when the child lies down on it. 
Make sense??


STEP 2

Sew the zipper in the top.
I guess I'm a little rusty at this tutorial thing because this is the only picture I took of the zipper process.

You are going to fold the fabric over at the top by 1/4" and press.

Fold over 1/2" and press.

Place the zipper on the wrong side of the fabric and pin in place.

Sew the zipper.

I did a double row of stitches for reinforcement.



STEP 3

With wrong sides together and your zipper open, sew the 2 open sides together. 

Turn right side out!

Slide your mat inside.

Zip it up!

You're done!!!!!

So, what do you think?? Fast and easy????


Don't forget to click the links to all the other posts!!! You know they're going to be AWESOME!!!!!

Karen at Baking in a Tornado has this DELICIOUS recipe for Kit Kat Brownie Bars. OMG!! I NEEEEED THESE!!!!

Lydia from Cluttered Genius has the perfect list for you - Favorite Sites for Teaching Online. As a homeschooler this is AWESOME!!!!

Melissa from Home on Deranged has a great post about Apps to Use and Apps to Lose for the School Year. 

The Lieber Family has a great tutorial for making a Personalized Pencil Pouch AND a More Organized School Year. AWESOME!!!!

Eileen from Eileen's Perpetually Busy has a wonderful tutorial for making a special display for Take a Trip Back in Time. 

Robin from Someone Else's Genius has an awesome tutorial for this GORGEOUS Back to School Wreath! Love it!

Joy at Evil Joy Speaks has a tutorial for a Back to School Homework Table! SO cool!!!

Make sure you click on all the SUPER AWESOME links!!!!

Secret Subject Swap - September 2015

Welcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This week 16 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.







Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:



 Baking In A Tornado

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Spatulas on Parade

Sparkly Poetic Weirdo 

 Southern Belle Charm

 The Angrivated Mom

 Confessions of a part time working mom

 The Lieber Family Blog

 Cluttered Genius

 The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

 Someone Else’s Genius

 House of J Chronicles

 Climaxed





My subject is:

“Do you believe that people can be forced to do what's good for them?

It was submitted by: Confessions of a part time working mom .


The short and sweet answer is no, you cannot force someone to do what's good for them. 

The thing is, that is very subjective. Good for them by whose standards? Mine, yours, theirs? What I think is good for someone maybe the complete opposite of what they think is good for them. 
We all have different opinions about everything under the sun.

Now, I obviously don't mean things like drug abuse or drunk driving. Although, in those cases you still can't force someone to not to them. I wish we could. The world would be better off if we could. 

That being said, the world would NOT be better off if some of us were able to force our will, and only our will, upon others. It really isn't up to us to decide what may or may not be good for someone else. We haven't walked in their shoes. We don't know what's driving their decisions. We don't know their options. 

Oh, people try every single day to make people do what THEY think is good for them. But if you're like me, that gets your back up. When someone tries to force me to do what THEY think is good for me, without any thought to who I actually am, and what I actually stand for, or where I have actually been in my life, they are more likely to meet with resistance or out right rebellion. 

I'm not necessarily proud of that. I am usually such a people pleaser but sometimes even I can be contrary. LOL 

Most times people think you are asking for advice when what you are really asking for is an ear to listen to you, a heart to feel for you, and arms to hug you. 

Funny Friday - August 2015

 Funny Friday, August 2015

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write 5 captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.

Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by The Bergham’s Life Chronicles     

.

1. Yes. Yes, there is definitely something I don't like hiding in there.




2. Hmmm, maybe if I shove my boogers in here no one will know that I've been picking my nose.




3. Do they not see my cape?? Do they not realize that I am Super Baby??




4. Pigs in a blanket? I don't see any pigs!!!




5. Maybe if I close my eyes that won't see that I don't want to eat anymore!





Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:





Spatulas on Parade

Stacy Sews and Schools

The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

Follow me home

Measurements of Merriment

Southern Belle Charm

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Baking In A Tornado

Someone Else’s Genius

Confessions of a part-time working mom

The Momisodes 

 

USE YOUR WORDS - August 2015

 

Today’s post is a writing challenge. This is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once and all the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the writer will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them. 

I’m using: Surreal ~ shoddy ~ succumb ~ satiate ~ sorrowful

They were submitted by: Angrivated Mom


So I have to admit a little something here before I get started. I totally thought I had another week. YILES!!!! Not sure how I got all mixed up and confused. Sooo... this may not go as well as it could/should have. 

This is the story of the 5 Ss at work. 

Surreal (S number 1) was always in the clouds. He was a dreamer. The other Ss had a hard time getting him to deal with reality. It was a very difficult thing to put up with. Some of his ideas were definitely out there. 

Shoddy (S number 2) was a lazy bum. He was always getting in trouble at work for not giving his best. The other Ss were getting sick and tired of him! Why won't someone fire him????

Succumb (S number 3) was always sick!! She seemed to catch every single bug that went around. The other Ss were forever buying her hand sanitizer and orange juice. She swore she took her vitamins but the other weren't too sure about that. 

Satiate (S number 4) was always happy. She never seemed to have a single problem! She always working toward helping the other Ss in whatever way she could. 

Sorrowful (S number 5) was the complete opposite of Satiate. She was always depressed. Satiate tried being her friend but Sorrowful couldn't seem to see past her tears and heartbreak.




Links to the other “Use Your Words” posts:

 Baking In A Tornado

 Spatulas on Parade

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Southern Belle Charm

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Never Ever Give Up Hope

 Confessions of a part-time working mom

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver

 Searching for Sanity

 Climaxed

 Juicebox Confession

Cluttered Genius

 The Angrivated Mom 

Secret Subject Swap - August 2015

Welcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This week 16 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:



 Baking In A Tornado

 The Momisodes

 The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Spatulas on Parade

 Southern Belle Charm

 Never Ever Give Up Hope

 Sparkly Poetic Weirdo

 Silence of the Mom

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Confessions of a part-time working mom

 The Angrivated Mom

 More Than Cheese and Beer

 Searching for Sanity 

 Climaxed

My subject is “I think everyone has seen a movie or read a book and found themselves disappointed in the ending. How would you rewrite the ending? ”. It was submitted by More Than Cheese and Beer . Here goes:

Ohhhh boy.... Are you SURE you want me to address this subject??????? Ok... Well, you asked for it. ;)

Let's talk Harry Potter.... The books first and then I'll get to the movies. 

Did we HAVE to kill off everyone??? Well, nearly everyone?? WHY Dobby? Hedwig? Mad-Eye? 

I understand Sirius and Dumbledore, really I do... But STILL!!! Fred???? Lupin and Tonks???? 

GRRR!!! 

Now, the movies!!!

Why leave out sooooo many great parts?? I understand that not all of the stuff can fit but can we at least TRY??

Why leave out Peeves and Winky??? 

Sigh... Most of us really would watch 4 hour movies if they followed the books properly. 

So, if I were to rewrite all the endings, nearly everyone would live!!! LOL We can kill off the bad guys, actually I would kill MORE of them off. LOL 

And if the movies were left up to me, they would follow the books!!!!! So, there! ;) 

Don't forget to check out the other links!!!! 

Funny Friday - July 2015

Funny Friday, July 2015

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write 5 captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.

Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by Sanity Waiting to Happen .

1. Hold on, Bessie!!! Don't let go!!!

2. This takes cow tipping to a whole new level!

3. I tried to tell Bob that's NOT the way to make a milk shake!!!

4. How now brown cow??

5. Brown cow says, "Shut up and get me off this thing!!!"

Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:

The Momisodes

Sanity Waiting to Happen

Spatulas on Parade  

Stacy Sews and Schools  

People Don’t Eat Enough Fudge

The Bergham’s Life Chronicles

Follow me home

Southern Belle Charm

Silence of the Mom

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Baking In A Tornado

Someone Else’s Genius

Confessions of a part-time working mom

Hope you have a great weekend!!!!

Fly on the Wall - June 2015

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 18 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house.

Buzz around, see what you think, then click on these links for a peek into some other homes:

 Baking In A Tornado

 Spatulas on Parade

 Follow me home 

 Menopausal Mother

 Stacy Sews and Schools

 Battered Hope

 Just A Little Nutty

 The Momisodes

 Someone Else’s Genius

 Disneyland in Kentucky

 Juicebox Confession

 Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

 Sanity Waiting to Happen

 Southern Belle Charm

 The Sadder But Wiser Girl

 Searching for Sanity

 Go Mama O

 Eileen’s Perpetually Busy 

 People Don't Eat Enough Fudge

Well, I'm pretty sure a fly would have been bored to tears at my house this month. :/ We haven't really been doing much of anything. 

We're done with school. We just finished testing this week. 

It's too hot to do anything outside or go anywhere. SIGH..

We were having a nice cool spring then out of nowhere the gates of hell open up and spew out this heat!!! BLECK!!!!!!!!! Make it go away!!!!!!! How long until fall????

Anyway, here are a few pictures of what we did manage to do.

The girls got new glasses. Deanna won't let me take a picture of her. :/ 

All I can say is, thank goodness for good vision insurance because my girls have expensive taste! Cailey picked some cute Kate Spade frames and Deanna picked Dolce and Gabbana!! YEESH!!! glasses. 

7-11 has new Slurpee straws! YAY! Last year it was mustaches, this year it's animal faces! 

We got some swimming in!! YAY!!! 

We have some friends that just moved down here. They are staying in the same hotel we stayed in last year. Love that pool! ;) 

We rescued an orphaned raccoon.

It was soooo cute and tiny!!!

We gave it to some friends that have done that sort of thing before. There's just no way that I would have to time. That little booger was eating non-stop! LOL 

I found a CHEAP rock painting kit at Barnes & Noble. The kids had a lot of fun with it. 

So, that's about it. Pretty boring around here. ;) 

Well, there's one more thing... Deanna has now gone on her first date (and 2nd and 3rd). SO MUCH hilarity ensued but I don't think she would appreciate me repeating much of it. Although Jacob talking about a machete was pretty funny... 

I WILL tell you one thing that Colin said. "What? Deanna's dating? No way. Nuh, uh... We have enough family members! We have way too many people in this house as it is!" I said, "Buddy, she's just going on a date. She's not getting married. He's not moving in." 

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!