We decided leftover streamers might be just the thing to create the look of fire.  All the kids had quite a bit of fun ripping, twisting and filling bottles with a variety of streamers to create different effects. It was a great impromptu craft session.

Streamers are definitely now added to my list of ‘must have’ craft supplies to keep year round. What’s on your ‘must have’ list for impromptu kid craft sessions?

First up:  Sparkpeople.com and the Sparkpeople iPhone App

Sparkpeople is a free website to help you organize, collect and learn all you need to know about getting healthier. There are tons of forums on just about every topic, whether you are looking to lose weight, want to know about a particular exercise program or are adjusting your diet per doctor’s orders. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, lots of boxes and widgets, but it’s well worth the time exploring to find exactly what it is you need.

I use it for the food and exercise counters. I find it very helpful to keep account of what calories I’ve taken in and how many I’ve burned. I also have a few doctor’s recommendations on particular vitamins and nutrients (like calcium and fiber) that I can track with their tools.

Most importantly for me is that I can track my food on the go. Being able to look up nutrition information from their vast database and other user’s input really helps me to think twice about what I’m about to put into my mouth next. That may not be your issue, but it’s really helped me learn how to make some better food choices and plan my food intake for a whole day, not just grabbing and eating everything in sight.

Number two on my list today is Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred workout video:

For a busy mom, this workout is ideal. It requires the DVD or downloadable video, a set of hand weights, and space. A mat is only necessary if your space is a hard floor. The entire workout lasts about 20 minutes, including warm up and stretching at the end.

It’s considered circuit training. You complete three six-minute circuits. Each circuit consists of three minutes of strength training, two minutes of cardio, and one minute of ab workout. Sounds easy, right?

Wrong. It will kick your butt. First day I tried it, I could only get through one six minute circuit without feeling like I would die. Granted, I realized quickly I was dehydrated (don’t exercise on one cup of coffee) and was coming down from a weekend long sugar binge (really bad idea). I wasn’t going to give up, and I tried again the next day, well hydrated and made it through the whole workout. I was winded and beet-red at the end, but I did it!

I’m already seeing amazing results, my stamina improves every day and I’m beginning to feel definition in some of my muscles. It’s only been six workouts so far. I did have two days without working out while on my road trip, but I think I’ll be downloading the videos from iTunes before BlogHer so I don’t miss a beat.

Stay tuned later today for my third item for the kids: Jumpstart’s latest Wii game, Get Moving- Family Fitness.

It’s just easier with the iPhone. Bing. New e-mail. Mid-day inspiration while my children are fighting over light sabers in the backyard. What’s not to love?

Since I cleared my reader, I found a few projects I love that you might as well, so I’m dumping them here. Seriously, it’s my blog, I can do post what I like, even if it’s just for my own convenience. <wink>

First up, for those who love embroidery or want to learn. I firmly believe anyone can pick up this skill and should. Lots of tutorials online, lots of free patterns, lots of uses for this skill. On to the find…

From my internet friends over at Sibling Craftery, a quirky wedding present, embroidered tea-towels of LOVE.

There are three images in the FREE set, but the macaroni and cheese is my favorite. Click over to see ‘frosting on my cupcake’ and ‘cookie to my milk’. Who doesn’t love embroidered food with faces?

For those who crochet, check out these adorable and not too kitschy Fruity Trivets and Pot Holders from The Purl Bee.

I love that it’s the same pattern for all 3 fruit, and they give you the exact colors used on each. The photos are beautiful and easy to follow, especially the demonstration of how to create the seeds.

Make sure if you plan on making these you read the instructions carefully. To be practical and actually protect you from heat, the yarn is doubled and the pattern uses a size K crochet hook.

Please don’t forget your crafty internet etiquette. If you download or use these patterns, leave the creators some comment love and if they have Flickr groups, upload images of your finished project to their group. They are sharing their hard work for free, so it’s a nice way to say “Thanks”.

Day 1 Cast & Crew - I'm one of the gray shirts on the side.

Things have been a bit slow here on the blog because I’ve been recovering from an amazing JUMP 2010. If you are new to the blog, check out last year’s post. While JUMP only lasted 4 days for the kids, it consumed about 16 days of my life. This year I dove even deeper into JUMPmania by leading the props acquisition team. I’ve learned a bit about ancient farming tools, man cave decor, and how to find an oversized baby pacifier. Truly things everyone should learn. It was amazing as expected. The lessons learned, new friends made and amazing songs continue to knock around in my head while I try to catch up on all the lost sleep.

JUMP 2010 - Kids, Volunteers & Cast

We served 3,243 kids in 4 days.

To get an idea of what happened beyond the photo, here are the JUMP 2010 Fun Facts:

• 987 volunteers
• 158 watermelons
• 485 gallons of Gatorade
• 5,700 bags of cotton candy
• 260 pounds and 8,350 bags of popcorn
• 6,928 pounds of ice
• 167 gallons of syrup
• 18,200 sno-cones

This was the first year of JUMP for my husband, Mr. T. He was a snow cone man. The few times I saw him, he was always manning an ice machine, shaving ice for those thousands of sno-cones. He has the guns now to prove it too.

I can’t imagine how JUMP will change for next year as we adapt to allow more kids to join in the fun. If you are in the St. Louis area and want to get updates on next year’s event, check out the website or follow @jumpkids on Twitter.

It’s only been within the last 12 months that I have truly begun to make meaningful friendships with Christian women locally, in real life. It has truly revolutionized my life. We have a need for friendships, women we can hug (sorry bloggers) and call or text when life gets sticky. You need that friend that will bring food, pick up your kids or hang out in your living room with your kids so you can have your first shower in 3 days. The problem is, in many places, especially larger cities with large churches, this isn’t always easy to find. We attend a large church & have morning Bible studies, so I frequently have to leave early to pick up my half-day kindergarteners.

For me, the change came when a group of divinely inspired ladies started a Bunco group. Sometimes we as women need an excuse, a reason, and more importantly a starting objective or common goal to give us reason to create friendships. I think TerryAnn understands this well. Rather than a traditional Bible study group, she proposes a knit or crochet (or both) group which also studies the Bible. Much like Bunco was for my group, needlework is the starting place for the Bible study. The accompanying discussion, prayer and sharing of life is what will weave bonds for life.

Now on to the knitty gritty of what you’ll find in the PDF Knit and Crochet Bible Study. For the purchase price of $27, you gain reprint rights for each member of your group. If you’ve priced study books lately, you’ll find this a real steal. Some studies are book and workbook combinations, with each member needing to purchase their own. I love that TerryAnn provides this at a reasonable price, especially considering how much work she’s put into it. With 6 members, it’s less than $5 each. Yet it’s also feasible for a single person (group leader or small church) to afford. The PDF file is a whopping 40 pages total. There are 10 lessons total, perfect for a weekly summer Bible study.

My favorite things about this study:

• Each lesson begins with scriptures printed at the top of the page in 4 different translations.
• While lesson focuses on Proverbs 31, study includes cross-references to other scriptures.
• Each lesson is 1-2 pages long, with a few questions at the end to facilitate discussions.
• It’s not homework intensive, which could exclude new members joining mid-study.
• You could choose to assign work a week in advance, or choose to hand out sheets each week as members arrive. While more time for meditation could enhance the group, if that’s intimidating for your members, it’s not necessary.
• Lesson is on one page, with questions on a separate page. This makes it easy to print and disperse as needed to fit the needs of your group.
• Uses PDF format which is easy to read for any user with free Adobe Reader download. Or, if you are like me, go paperless with Dropbox and an iPhone!
• Written by a woman, mother & crafter for women. TerryAnn addresses many of the mental and emotional issues such as inadequacy that women face in a very honest manner.
• Study begins by setting the tone and “rules” for the study. Many studies don’t address this and assume members all understand issues like gossip and keeping confidences within a group.

My only critical comment about this study is that at the time of my review (I received a preview copy) there was only one crochet pattern included. But, on the website there is a post entitled Where to find FREE Patterns. I’m sure this is because a blog post is much easier to update with new information than a PDF file.

Update: Terry confirmed that the final purchase copy does contain additional knit/crochet patterns!

I recently polled my Twitter followers about what are the best projects for beginner knit or crocheters. Two resounding answers came back: baby items and dishcloths. If you were beginning a study group, either of these would make fantastic projects that could in turn be donated to charities. Baby items can be donated to hospitals, crisis pregnancy centers, Newborns in Need or many other great organizations. Dishcloths could be sent to organizations that help families rebuild their household after flood, fire or homelessness or if your church has a kitchen, just gift them to that ministry.

If you are looking for that perfect summer study that is full of value, but not overwhelming with homework, you should check out Knit and Crochet Bible Study, Book 2: The Proverbs 31 Woman . You’ll notice on that page that there is a previous knit/crochet study available as well, or you can buy both at a significant discount.

I received a complimentary previem PDF copy of this study to read and review from TerryAnn Porter of Knit & Crochet Bible Study. These are my personal opinions, no other compensation was received for this post.
For more information please see my Disclosure Policy.

The inspiration for this piece was a vintage mirrored music box my Granny had in her home. The music box played the theme to Love Story. Can’t say I’ve ever seen the movie, but it’s one of those identifiable pieces of music. This music box had a magnetic butterfly and somehow in the internal workings there was another magnet that moved around, giving the effect of the butterfly dancing about. It was a truly captivating piece as a child.

Last month, while on a trip to visit family, my sister and I were in a thrift store. They had one of the music boxes for sale. It was missing the butterfly, and my sister almost didn’t recognize it. I have no idea why I didn’t buy it at the time, I really should have! Especially now, as I found a way to recreate the butterfly. The original butterfly on the music box was a dainty plastic thing, but by using 2 pieces of the same paper, it gives nearly the same mirrored effect.

The elements provided by Christy’s challenge were:

• brown ribbon
• small wooden clothespins
• decorative paper bag
• metal tin
• foam tape

Supplies I purchased to create mirror:

• dollar store mirror
• wooden spools
• round magnets
• acrylic craft paint
• scrapbooking paper (Recollections “Glorious Garden” line from Michael’s)

Here are the supplies from my crafting stash. They missed the photo because I added many as I was working through the process:

• Mod Podge
• craft knife (X-acto style)
• foam brush (for Mod Podge & paint)
• hot glue gun & glue
• Kindergarten scissors
• brayer
• glass cleaner
• paper towels
• rotary cutter, guide & mat
• foil tape (Oriental Trading Company)

I started the process by painting my wooden spool in a matching green color. Between coats, I disassembled the dollar store mirror. I had to use the craft knife to cut through some of the glue, but it wasn’t too difficult. I tested the magnets, one on each side of the mirror, to see how easily they moved. I decided to remove the thick corrugated cardboard on the back to make the magnets move more smoothly. The choice is yours. Ultimately I chose to wrap the edges of my mirror in the foil tape rather than glue the frame back on and have gaps. If you plan to share the project with a young child, I’d consider using both the cardboard and frame for added safety. If you choose not to use the cardboard, you can gently remove the hangers from the back and glue them to the piece at the end of the project or save them for another project. My hangers were slipped through a slit in the cardboard and held on by tape.

I continued to add coats of paint to my wooden spool. Next, I opened the decorative paper bag to use it as a pretty backing for my mirror. The bag opened pretty easily along the seams.

I used a foam brush to apply Mod Podge to both the paper and the back of the mirror. I used my brayer to make sure  there were no bubbles or creases as I applied the paper to the mirror.

While the Mod Podge and paint dried, I cut out my butterflies and flowers from the scrapbook papers. I found that the Kindergarten style short scissors were most effective for cutting around the round edges and small spaces. I made sure to cut two of each butterfly, a top and a bottom. This required two identical sheets of scrapbook paper, but the effect is well worth it!

I chose to cut a round magnet down to the size of my wooden clothespins. I used the craft knife to score the magnets until I was able to snap it into the pieces I needed. While using my cutting mat, I took some of the remaining paper bag and cut a strip 1/2 inch wide to cover the bottom of the metal tin. The rotary cutter and guide made this amazingly easy.

Next was round two of Mod Podge. Using the same technique as before, I applied the cut out flower to the front of the mirror. I applied a layer of Mod Podge over the top of the paper as well. It was a trick to clean the Mod Podge off the glass between the flowers and petals, but I wanted everything to be neat. I also used the MP to attach the strip of paper bag around the bottom portion of the metal tin. I added a coat of MP to the outside of my painted wooden spool to give it a finished look. I also took a few minutes to use the foam tape to stick the sets of butterflies to each other, print sides facing out, to create a dimensional look.

While things dried, I moved on to hot glue. I used the hot glue to attach a magnet strip to the bottom of each clothespin and the dimensional butterflies to the top of each clothespin. When the MP was dry, I used hot glue to attach a magnet to the top of the wooden spool. I also used hot glue to attach the brown ribbon to the edge of the metal tin lid as well as a magnet to the bottom of the tin.

Once the front of the mirror was dry, I used the foil tape to trim the edge of the mirror. It gave it a finished look and covered the rough edges of the dollar store mirror.

Once finished, use the extra plain magnets on the back of the mirror to hold the tin and butterflies in place. This makes a cute note holder.

Or if you wish to ‘play’ with it, use the magnet attached to the wooden spool to make your butterfly dance around the garden.

If I were to do it again, I’d probably shop around a bit more for some flower or garden stickers to make it easier to decorate the front of the mirror. This would take out the Mod Podge and MP removal step and make the whole process a little easier. I would probably also purchase another cheap photo frame in the same size as the mirror, looking for a frame style that would be easier to glue and fit more tightly once the cardboard backing was removed from the mirror. Those are just my tips and thoughts, but I’m still very pleased with this project. For a cheap, dollar store, style project this works pretty well. If budget were no issue, I would research magnetic paint options so there would be no need for magnets on the reverse side. This would make it much easier to use as a note board, but would likely double the cost of the project (or more).

This month’s packet included some lovely handmade papers, tags & paper ribbons, googly eyes, tan embroidery floss and brass buttons. My first thought was “CRAP! I’m not a paper crafter! What am I going to do with this?” Thankfully the fine print says you only have to use some of each material and although it must be one craft, creative packaging can count. Ah Hah! My loophole! I did some quick internet searching, found a project I liked, requested the book from the library and waited. Waited for the book to arrive, waited for Mr. T to depart so I could have some quality crafting time alone, and waited for divine inspiration on how to use the paper.

When I finally sat down to work on my project Sunday evening… Don’t judge me, I know I procrastinate! Well, let’s just say my initial project fell through. As did the next variation. Frustrated at how to use  both a whimsical googly eye and a stately brass button on the same project without coming off with something destined for Craft Fail, I turned to the internet. Did you know there is a hilarious blog all about googly eyes? After scouring the internet, I finally had an idea.

Armed with a base set of instructions from Wee Folk Art, I set off to make a cute little felt business card holder. After all, I did just buy my ticket to attend my first BlogHer conference, so it’s only logical I’d need something crafty to display my business cards. But as I was cutting felt, the project evolved one last time. Last December, while working the intense holiday production at church, a wonderful woman with fiery red hair and an awesome spirit to match, blessed me with a Starbucks gift card in this adorable little holder:

I love to give handmade gifts, but you know there are those recipients who aren’t truly *ahem* appreciative (or *cough, cough* worthy) of the time and care that goes into such a gift. This seemed like the perfect way to blend crafty with practical!

By the time I finished, I had decreased the original pattern by 70%, changed from two pockets to a single pocket for a gift card, and had enlarged the bird so that it would be closer to scale with the smallest googly eye from the package. I used the most minimal amount of paper possible to be the “card” that accompanied the gift card for the recipient. This was my end result:

Made of el cheapo acrylic felt (because it’s what I had), I’m thrilled with the results. Family and friends be warned: if you receive a gift card from me in the next year, you now know how it will be packaged! The photo doesn’t show the deep violet color of the main felt well, but in real life, it’s snazzy!

Once I had decided what I was doing, this was a quick and easy project. It took 2 days, because I was being careful. I stitched the design in a few hours one evening, then used hot glue to adhere the eye and left it to dry overnight. I did the rest of the assembly in a few (interrupted) hours the next day.

My felt still had the price sticker on it, I purchased it at 5 for $1. So with 3 colors used, that’s about $.60. Add 3 colors of embroidery floss and that’s another $1. Googly eyes and buttons you may have on hand, but if needed to be purchased for $1-2 per package. A cheap craft for sure, could be as little as free if you have these items left over from other projects, but not more than $5 even if you had to purchase everything! I suspect these sell for close to $5 at Starbucks each.

I truly loved working this craft challenge. I thought it would be much more difficult than it was, but the unique supplies provided just the right amount of difficulty to inspire and drive me to work a bit harder. It was a nice change of pace after having several big projects that took a lot of time and didn’t allow for as much creativity. Definitely helped me to bring my crafty mojo back.

Now I get to sit back and watch the voting for the next few days to see which project prevails. I hope the other entrants blog about their process as well, I would love to learn more about what appears to be a bracelet, listed as #1 for the vote. Click here to see all the entrants and cast your vote (no registration required)!

If you are inspired and want to join the crafty challenge, you can purchase a single month like I did to give it a whirl, or get a discount by subscribing for multiple months.

This year, I chose my own valentine. I chose this beautiful print from artist Jennifer Katherine. I stumbled across her blog more than a year ago and began following her. I loved her style, I loved her use of digital, graphic tools and yet, she made things with buttons. Then, after following her a few months, I saw her delve into sewing. This was a girl after my own heart. Although I’ve put my digital art days behind me (for now), I have a great appreciation for the blend of technical with traditional arts and crafts.

I recall when Jennifer put the early sketches of this piece on her blog, and then a while later when she showed a glimpse of it with color. I was in love. It was one of those moments where art spoke directly to my heart. I went months without catching up on my blog reader, and wouldn’t you know, the evening I finally caught up, Jennifer had posted just days before that she opened an Etsy shop. And guess what was for sale?! The surprising thing was that she had a note on her shop about a portion of proceeds going to one of my favorite charities. I just HAD to have it. I sent Mr. T the e-mail with the link to purchase. Then I became impatient and just asked him one night if I could buy it, since I have an Etsy account and he doesn’t. A few clicks for me, a journey through a snowstorm for Jennifer and a few days later, it was in my hands!

One of the best parts of the piece for me is what’s happened behind the scenes. I shared through the Etsy convo feature why I was so excited to purchase it, she shared some of her heart and personal story of why she made the piece. It’s truly amazing how the whole thing is stitched together. I almost didn’t share with you on here on my blog, because it’s so unconventional to have a broken heart as a valentine’s gift. But, it’s the truth, my heart is being mended, our marriage is being mended, life right now is a season of healing and restoration. Nothing could better represent this season of life. Even down to the part where it arrived in the midst of my medical testing for those chest pains! Literally and metaphorically, this speaks to me in so many ways. I love passing by it multiple times a day, and am surprised by the variety of emotions and thoughts is produces. This piece of paper speaks to my soul. That is truly the best kind of art!

If you love it too, Jennifer has placed another print for sale in her Etsy shop. Be sure to stop by and leave her some love on her blog: Elegant Journey as well.

If you have a piece of art that speaks to your soul as well, I’d love to read about it. Share the story in the comments or a link if you’ve already blogged about it.

Now, back to the post at hand:

Let me just say it. I LOVE Conan O’Brien. Sure, I’m married to a witty red-head, mother to two twin red-heads well on their way to careers in comedy, so I’m clearly biased. I have fond memories of watching Conan off and on in my college years. I really began watching him regularly during late night nursing sessions with my first son, nearly 7 years old now. That’s when my love of O’Brien truly began. I was thrilled years ago when the date was announced when he would take over The Tonight Show. I patiently waited until the debut last June. I can’t tell you how many nights I stay up much later than I should to watch every minute of his show. So the recent stir has me in a tizzy. I truly don’t understand why there is such a disconnect between executives in corporate America and basic rules of decency and conduct. A contract is a contract, your word is your word. If you prove yourself unworthy of trust, what else is left? Anyway…

DIY Team Conan Tee
Originally uploaded by craftrocklove

What is better than internet frenzy + crafting? NOTHING, I tell you. I was thrilled to see this come across my Twitter feed, from one of my favorite crafters & red-heads herself, Vickie Howell. Her DIY “Team Conan” T-Shirt has so many possibilities! T-shirts aren’t a staple of my crafting arsenal and don’t own any of those fabric paint markers, but I’ve been plotting the various items you could embroider with the “Team Conan” logo. Think of it as if it was our generation’s version of collectible election memorabilia. A button, a set of cloth napkins, even baby Onesies! Heck, if you love Mod Podge, the possibilities are endless!

I think this will be my craft of choice for the weekend, I just haven’t quite decided what medium I will work in yet. Mr. T has even requested a t-shirt, which would require a trip to a craft store. That’s almost like him ASKING me to spend money on crafts!

< insert evil laughter here >

Today’s deal is especially great for stocking stuffers for the infant you know. Burp cloths are $5, custom burp cloths are $6.50, and I even picked up a burp cloth to send to Operation Shower for $3.60! Resa is incredibly generous as she discounts any items purchased for Operation Shower and ships them to the organization on your behalf for FREE!

Speaking of Operation Shower, I recently participated in a MomTV special show hosted by Danielle of Extraordinary Mommy. Danielle highlighted Resa and many other mom-made businesses that are participating in Holiday Shoperation. It was really amazing to see what these fantastic women are doing to support military families. Catch the replay of the November 17th show here on MomTV. Choose Menu – View Movies – Live Recording 11/17/2009 to learn more about all the shopping deals.

Another mom business I was introduced to during the show was My Doodle Bop. Kristin has created several different styles of signs to hang on your infant’s carrier to help friends and strangers think twice before touching your precious cargo. The signs sport the phrase “My hands are clean, Are yours?” The signs are only $9.95 with free shipping & during the month of December, 10% of all sales benefit Operation Shower. Kristin gave out some of her signs as prizes for those chatting during the MomTV broadcast & I won one. I am so impressed with the design, a bit larger than I expected, they are sure to grab everyone’s attention. They are very sturdy, I suspect they would last through many babies, so they’d be a great gift for a first time mom.

What is on your shopping list for those experiencing their first holiday season?