Project #2...check

This has been a work in progress for quite some time. It took us a while to decide how big we wanted the outside frame and how many frames we wanted on the inside. Then we had to find all the frames (clearance baby clearance) which took awhile. Next we had to decide what family photos we wanted to use, here was the criteria: the photo had to be able to be enlarged to the desired size, the photo couldn't be too damaged, blurry, etc. you get the picture (no pun intended). Then it was off to photoshop for some touch up work and finally into the frame and onto the wall. It's been a long process, and are really happy with the final product!!

Here are some of the photos we used. These are not touched up or cropped, they are the original scans.

Trent's grandpa Kay Allred

This is an old photograph of the Allred Family Farm. We really love the look of the old machinery.

The wedding of Beth Powelson & Kay Allred. They are on the left and Kay's parents are on the right.

4 generations of Powelson's, Trent's mom, Joy, is the infant.

Trent's maternal great grandpa, Samuel Emilton is the baker farthest to the left.

Trent's maternal grandpa, Richard, his younger brother Jerry and their mother Theada Powelson.

My paternal great grandfather, Charlie May

My paternal grandfather, Douglas May

My maternal grandmother Marjorie and her younger sister Priscilla

My maternal grandfather, James Meyer

Trent's parents wedding

My Parent's Wedding

This picture is of Tainter Falls, before they built the dam. It's location is the channel behind Jake's Supper Club.
I posted these next 2 just for Trent!!

My paternal great grandfather Charlie May sitting by the fence with the catch of the day!

My paternal grandmother Ruby May is in the center with her sisters Hazel and Beanie.

Potato Stamping Fun

I first learned how to make potato stamps in Girl Scouts. I really loved attending Girl Scouts and was one all through my elementary school years...good times. Anyhew, one week we learned how to make potato stamps and every now and then I pull this "oldie but goodie" out of my bag of tricks for my kids to enjoy. Both Luke and Emry have birthday parties to go to this weekend, so today we make homemade wrapping paper. They had a lot of fun, and got really messy. Does it get any better than that? Here are the pics, enjoy!

Luke's going to his best friend Kristian's pirate party,
so we made a skull N cross bones and a ship.

Emry's going to a princess party,
so it was a crown and heart for her stamps!
(she got a little crazy with the paint, she ended up painting in undies, a true artist!)

Here they are, all wrapped and looking gorgeous!

Project #1...check

I always have a current list of projects to do lying around my house somewhere. Sometimes I'm really good at checking things off that list and sometimes not. This past summer has been one of those "not" kind of times. So this week while my sister Maggie was visiting and school started and since we were stranded at the house b/c one of our cars is on the fritz, I decided that it was time to work on that list. So this will hopefully be the first of many posts to come in the near future.

Project #1
My craft room/office/kid free zone

It all started a few months ago when I read Amanda Blake Soule's book.


It is fabulous, you can find out more about Amanda here. I fell immediately in love and just felt inspired to get to work with my own family.

I love to do arts & crafts type of stuff, but felt hindered b/c I didn't have a space to do it in. With kids running around all the time it's tough to enjoy a project that you have to constantly be getting out and putting away during naps and bedtime. So after some consideration and a talk with Trent, we decided to move all our food and small cooking appliances out of the laundry/pantry room and into the garage to make room for me!

I couldn't have wrapped this project up without the help of Maggie, she helped me with the finishing touches, wrangled my kids and gave me moral support when my brain was fried! (she's also a cleaning slave driver...she gave me permission to say that btw)

So without further adieu....here it is, the big reveal...hope you like it as much as I do!!!

Mommy School -ABC books

This week we took on a large project for mommy school. If you know me, you know that my kids and I like to make books. We've made books about shapes, colors, numbers, cars, the ocean, books for sacrament mtg...you get the idea. Our books have been made a variety of different ways using a wide assortment of supplies - clear contact paper, lamination, construction paper, card stock, magazine pics and photos...until now....we went high tech all the way!

TUESDAY: I wanted to revisit the alphabet (mostly for Emry's sake). So we decided to arm ourselves with cameras, paper, pencils and a bag for found treasure and take a walk around our neighborhood. Off we went, discussing the things around us and enjoying the sunshine. It took a little prodding on my part to get the ball rolling, but they caught on pretty quickly.























WEDNESDAY: We went through all the photos we took and decided which ones we wanted to have included in our "most awesomest book yet". Then that night while the kids were in bed I arranged the pages in photoshop and printed everything out.

THURSDAY: We cut the covers (out of cereal boxes). Decorated the covers using markers and our mad artistry skills. Then we (by we I mean Luke and I, Emry was in charge of keeping Carley busy) sewed the pages and book covers together.
Viola! A masterpiece to be proud of for sure.