Pre-School Graduation

Today was a happy day and a sad day. The boys graduated from pre-school! Their teacher, Mrs. Katie, has done so much wonderful stuff with them throughout the last year. I could go on and on about the wonderful "crafty things" that they have brought home. But, more importantly, she has been patient with them, taught them, molded them, and loved them. I really wanted to do something special for her that the boys could help make. So my quest began...I found all sorts of teacher gift ideas online but none of them really described the relationship that Katie has had with the boys. So, in true Jessica style..I merged a few ideas and came up with something unique.
I came up with a vase covered with pencils..because nothing feels more "school like" then #2 pencils. We filled the vase with dirt and a flower and attached a card that said "Thanks for Helping Me Grow". Because that is exactly what Katie has done..she has helped them grow! We then colored gift bags and made special tags for the bags and attached them with big daisies. The boys will still get to see Mrs. Katie over the summer until they start "big kid school" and if it up to me they will still sneak visits in after that :)  (ohhh and we made one for their Assistant Teacher Ms. Yuliya too!)

Paper Towel Roll Art

While on Google Images I typed in DIY Wall Art and a picture came up of some paper towel art. I decided to make my own version of it and here is what I came up with.  To make this you save up all of your paper towel and toilet paper rolls and them paint them the color of your choice ( mine are white). Then when dry, press them flat. (This gives the flower petal shape) Cut them into strips, you can make them as thick or as thin as you like. Then decide where you are going to put your art and how you are going to lay it out. I have seen some where people put them in picture frames or even just right onto the wall. I spray painted (textured brown) 4 pieces of rectangle canvas and laid mine out to look like it was going up the wall. Once you have it all set up then hot glue each piece of roll onto the canvas. To make it look seamless I let some of the petals hang off one canvas so they would overlap the other.  Ta-Da!  (Don't forget to Google paper towel roll art for more layout ideas)

I loved Anatomy Class So Much I Decided to Keep the Textbook...On My Wall

I made 2 of these "flowers"..one for each side of the tv. All you do is
1. Cut a circle out of cardboard (I used one of our dinner plates for a template).
2. Tear pages out of a book and tear them in half lengthwise.
3. Roll the pages like your making a cone or birthday hat.
4. Hot glue the page to the cardboard starting on the outside and working your way in to the middle. You have to move each layer in a little bit to get the flower full.
5. I spray painted mine with a metallic spray paint and then lightly went over it with black.
6. Mount it! I used long nails and just hammered one through the middle of each flower into the wall.

The Reason I Craft:

I learned most of my crafting skills from my Mema. She taught me how to decorate cakes, how to sew, and amazed me by being able to cut anything you want out of a piece of construction paper. My OCD trait when it comes to crafts comes from my Dad and older Brother. My uncle sculpts and makes the most amazing trees ever! Then on my moms side...well my mom "crafts" but she is more of the turning junk into treasure kind of person.

Crafting makes me smile. It takes away stress, it calms me, it makes my house feel like a home, and it makes me feel like I have accomplished something. Not to mention it saves tons of money!!! I love all kinds of crafts...sewing, knitting, scrapbooking, cake decorating, and even making random things to stick around the house. But..what I love the most about crafting is being able to give someone a craft and see them smile or teaching someone how to make something they never thought they could.

Nothing makes my heart melt more then when the boys make me a craft. I would rather have a homemade card or craft over a store bought present any day. In just the 5 years the boys have blessed my life I have managed to fill 2 storage containers with their crafts and have no plan on cleaning them out anytime soon.

Although we all know I love medicine...my real dream job would be to own a cupcake bakery (Cups & Cakes) and make cakes and cupcakes to give to kids and families who wouldn't be able to have a cake to celebrate a special day. Then 2 nights a week have a crafting party where grown-ups and kids could come and express their creative side. If you can't tell I've put a ton of thought into this...I just haven't put a ton of money in savings to start it.

So, long story short....I love to craft because it makes me smile.