Great idea, why didn't I do it sooner?

This year, after becoming infatuated with silhouettes, I thought I'd put together some ornaments using silhouettes of my kids for the grandparent's Christmas gifts.  My husband misses one of his family Christmas traditions of  getting a new ornament every year (we even have some, his sweet step-mother kept for him, hanging on our tree).

Heaven forbid I start having these ideas months before Christmas time! Each year I think I will prepare months in advance for the next Christmas. Nope, it isn't until crunch time that I even get the ideas. As I was preparing the grandparents silhouette ornaments I realized I could do this for each of the families. But I also realized it doesn't mean the same to have my children's silhouettes hanging from their trees. So, with the help of some family members, I was able to get profile pictures to work with for almost all the cousins. I worked with Paint.NET (a free product similar to Photoshop) and came up with silhouettes for all the kids. Hopefully each family will enjoy their gifts.

There is always concern that people might not appreciate my simple gifts (or what seems simple to me). This project was not expensive, by any means, for supplies. Black and white copy on transparency paper is $0.70 (at Office Depot*) and I can get about six to a page. Then I lucked out with Micheals selling their Christmas stuff for 1/2 off. The plastic clear ornaments were $0.60 each and glass bulbs were $2.49/4 ($0.63 each). 

I think the only expensive part would be the time it takes to make the silhouette with the photo editing software, but it was a joy. Not only was it fun, but I got better with more experience.  

These are my first silhouettes, I didn't do as much as their hair, but I think they turned out classy. I might have to come up with a few more projects to do with silhouettes.

Here is the photo I worked off of to make one:

Instructions:

1. Take a side (profile) picture of your child. A white background is very helpful for clean lines.

2. Download to computer.

3. Use photo editing program to change the picture to Black and white

4. Adjust brightness and contrast until you get a good line.

5. Trace profile using the different tools on the program, using black for the object you are making into a silhouette, white to clean lines up. I would use a bigger width on the paintbrush for quicker coverage and for chins and noses.  

6. After the silhouette is to your satisfaction use the magic wand tool with a tolerance of about 50, click anywhere in the silhouette for it to select all the black.

7. Create a new page and paste the silhouette into it. Check to make sure your lines are crisp.

8. Print your very own silhouette of your loved one.

To make for ornaments:

Follow instructions above, save on a thumb drive/flash drive/smcard, or print a copy.

Take to Office Depot to be printed on transparency sheet.

Cut into circle (sized to fit into ornament), roll and insert.

Sit back and enjoy the work.

If you don't want to do the work yourself, I may be willing to do it for you. :-)

*Office Depot made better b/w copies than OfficeMax, just an FYI.

About time!!

I got tile floors!

Right now I am hearing the sweet hum from 

the SwifferÒ SweeperVac as my daughters vacuum for me (again).

I added something to the official picture on their site, 

can you find it?

I'll post some before and afters, but first

here are my two little cleaners.

Aren't they just so cute?!

Don't judge their outfits! They dress themselves, 

which is one less thing to hassle with them over. 

 I know the cute kids are blocking the way, 

don't pay any attention to the curtains either, 

we tied them up to keep them out of the guy's way while he tiled.   

 This one is the big one!! 

Not only did he tile under the toilet,

we got NEW toilets!! Elongate, wow, what a difference.

Who carpets a bathroom? CRAZY!!

Two weeks later, &

we have one happy Momma.

Thanks to tax returns...maybe this will help with the summer electric bill too 

(one dream came true...how about two).

Day Camp for Cubs

I was released from my nursery calling a few months back, and was given the opportunity to work in the Cub Scouts. Lucky me, I got to attend Day Camp with our boys. This year our theme was "Follow the Prophets" are you ready to listen? At each station we would learn about a prophet, some incorporated the facts into their station's activity (if there was one). I love how much inspiration went into the different activities. We are talking about young boys here, so of course they all loved BB guns and archery. Along with those favorites we also were able to pass off many requirements: there was a first aide booth, cooking station, knot tying, flag folding, obstacle coarse, and another favorite Kick Ball. Oh, and I can not leave out the EGG DROP, next year they should have a frying pan to put all the eggs that made it though the drop. So, on to the pictures!!

Fallen off the planet

I'm not sure if anyone is still following our blog. Postings have gotten a little sparse. We have not fallen off the planet (yet) but have been busy with homeschooling and adjusting to Greg's new job and I haven't been able to find the desire to blog. I have been released from Nursery (teaching the 18 month to 3 year olds at church) and called to the Cub Scout program assisting in Joseph's Bear group.

We had a 100 Day Homeschool Celebration where we got together with my friend Danielle Wagasky and her children. Here are a few pictures:

This is our theme based lunch... 100

These are the six little smarty pants!

Danielle did a great blog about our celebrations here (and took lots more pictures than I did). We had load of fun. We tried to have each of the kids do a sample of what "100" looks like. Brianna did 100 kisses (with lips confetti), Kaitlynn did 100 dinosaurs (again, dinosaur confetti), Elizabeth kinda helped me put 100 pennies on a page, Libby and Keagan brought 100 Duplo blocks to play with, and Joe...you wonder what Joe did, well so do I. 

I guess he figured we needed to have something that showed what 100 x 0 would look like. 

We read some books from the "100 picture books everyone should know" list. Did math games with gummy worms and lifesavers (YUM). Popped 25 balloons with a 4 words inside, if you popped it, you had to read the words (that rule didn't stick too well). We went off to the park to get some exercise and wear off some of that sugar! Then we came back and had ice-cream sandwiches. I think they all had a really good time.   

Here are the roses my sweetheart sent for Valentine's day:

And, what my creative daughter made out of the box:

It's a house for her littlest pet-shop critters, 

and the wallpaper is little strips of paper she cut by hand, 

and then glued (using up a whole glue container).

There is a door that opens, and hand-drawn pictures on the wall.

Cozzy!

Hopefully I am back and found my will to blog.