Found It Friday - Water

I cannot believe that it is Friday already! I must confess, I had to do some scrambling to get my Found It Friday post ready, as puppeteering and painting have taken up most of my week.

For those new to Found It Friday, I'd love for you to come in and join in on the fun! Read here on how to get involved and please link up up your Found It Friday post below. (And really, please please please link up! I would like to really get this meme going!)

Our theme for inspiration this week is water, so here goes:

1. Since it's summertime, I thought I would include something showing water in its solid form. You can get ice cube trays in just about any shape. I think this Tetris ice cube tray is genius and would be a perfect party conversation starter! (ice cube tray by ThinkGeek)

2. Even something as simple as water can inspire fantastic works of art. I was captivated by this pixelated street art piece and had to share it! (artwork from WebEcoist)

3. Apparently you can also make art with nothing but water and a smooth surface. Somebody with much more talent and a much steadier hand made these ultra-cute water pictures. (simple water art by dunn of my interesting files)

4. Nutrition experts say we should drink at least eight glasses of water a day. But let's face it - water is boring and not nearly as fun to drink as soda or iced tea! Flavored water can help, but it can get expensive too. I found an interesting article on how to make your own flavored water, even using chocolate syrup, jell-o mix, or coffee flavor syrups. (full article by Kristie Leong at Lifestyle)

5. Just had to include one of my favorite activities with the kiddos. Give them some old paint brushes, a few buckets of water, and let them "paint" away outside. My kiddos have painted sidewalks, driveways, railings, tires, and more with this extremely inexpensive activity. It dries, and then they start all over! I couldn't find a pic of my kiddos painting with water, so I (ahem!) borrowed this one from QuatroMama to illustrate my point. (check out her blog, folks, it's inspiring and a great read!)

So link up folks with your water-themed posts!

and next week's theme will be: stars.

Thanks for participating!

the simple stuff VBS style

Four-year-olds are awesome! They don't need a lot to impress them - they are happy with little surprises and average, everyday things.

Take this week for example. The Drama Queen has been attending Salvation Safari (VBS) every evening and having a blast. It is her first time going to VBS, and here are just some of the things that make her excited almost beyond words (but let's face it, the Drama Queen is rarely out of words!)

1. She got a special VBS T-shirt the first night that she is to wear the rest of the week. She wanted to wear it to bed that night!

2. She loves her name tag even more than her shirt! Apparently there is something importantish about having your own name tag.

3. Her group name is the Marvelous Monkeys. According to the Drama Queen, that is the best team name ever - you just have to mention the word monkeys and she's in cheerleader mode.

4. There have been candy and toy prizes for good little girls and boys that stay quietly in their seats. Obviously these treats become much more special when they come from a TEENAGER. (that word is spoken in awe by the Drama Queen)

5. If you are too scared to go on the very tall inflatable slide during activity time, a nice lady lets you play with play-dough. The whole time!

6. The teachers wear funny costumes and are so nice to teach a new Bible verse every night (the Drama Queen's words, not mine)

7. She loves the puppets, and Momma is the coolest mom in the world because she is Safari Sam! (one of the puppets)

I am so glad that she is having a great time and learning so much. There are many more VBS's in her future, but this one, her first one, is special.

And let's hope that Safari Sam doesn't lose his place or forget what he was going to say because a certain momma is busy peeking out to see her daughter's reactions to all the fun and excitement. :)

Wordless Wednesday - Fun in the Sun

Summer: Splashing, Slides, Sailing, Spoons, School Shopping

Three cheers for a fun summer! It has finally arrived here in Oregon - it made its very late appearance in early July. We don't mind the heat because now we are finally getting to all our summer activities! It has been a bit of a challenge with our schedules - the Nerd was out of town all last week, VBS is all this week, and the Drama Queen and I will be headed up to Canada for two weeks in August.

Still, there was time for the Drama Queen and the Beast to take their very first ride on a paddleboat. I am not sure what was more exciting to them - the actual ride or getting to wear a lifevest.

I did not trust the Spud to stay in his seat on the paddleboat; but he amused himself for quite a while with a partially-deflated ball and wading pool. The kid is so crazy he was doing belly-flops into the pool and laughing hysterically!

Our friends ( the cool ones with the pond and paddleboat and big backyard) set up a homemade slip'n'slide complete with little inner tubes and dish soap to make the kiddies (and some grown-ups, ahem) slide faster. The Drama Queen daintily danced her way down the slide on her tippy toes each time. Perhaps she missed the point, but hey, she had a great time!

And who needs expensive plastic toys when a couple of spoons and some food cans will entertain the little hooligans? Traditionally, the kiddos have beat their little hearts out on pots and pans, but to save Momma's sanity, I persuaded them that the coffee can and the oatmeal can were just as fun. As apparently they were, for the kiddos spent over an hour playing their "drums". (Note: Make sure you are using empty cans or at the very least, firmly secure the lids with tape. Mischievous children will be sure to open the cans and distribute their contents liberally. )

And while I have been getting my fair share of the sun too, I have mostly been spending my time on The Framed Frog orders, paperwork for the Beast, and planning for VBS puppet theater.

That, and waiting eagerly by the phone on Friday because my baby sister ( in Canada) had her first baby! Little Delaney Hope is so beautiful, and my sister is already an amazing mom. I am so excited to go see her in August and monopolize the baby. :)

Also, the Drama Queen and I have already been hitting the stores for back-to-school shopping - getting uniform shirts and a lunch box at Old Navy and crayons and glue at Target. (giddy with school excitement!)

Exciting times! And speaking of exciting times, I now need to rally the troops and make a trip to the post office. It will be epic, I'm sure....

Found It Friday - Detective Shows

Well, as I have mentioned before, it has been a crazy week. Besides all the appointments and meetings, The Nerd was out of town on business all week as well. He got back late last night, thankfully bringing lots of "swag" from his conference for the kiddos. (stuffed animals, balls that light up, nerf rockets, and more!) I say thankfully because today I have the stomach flu. Good times.

But still, I wanted to get the Found It Friday post up, even if it is a bit late in the day.

Found It Friday, in case you're new to the fun, is a weekly event in which participating bloggers take that week's theme and find five things inspired by the theme. Then of course they blog about them, sharing them with the world!

Found it Friday has had a bit of a slow start, with few participating, but I am hoping that with perseverance more will join in soon. :)

This week's theme: detective shows

1. Okay, so this recipe for pineapple fried rice was inspired by the show Psych. If you watch Psych, you will totally get it. If not, you may not get the pineapple reference, but you can certainly enjoy the recipe. Total yum! (recipe by Darlene Schmidt)

2. This set of perfectly aligned vases reminds me of Monk and his obsessive desire to be sure that everything is in its proper place. (ColorBlok Vases from Kichler Lighting)

3. When I think of Columbo, I think "tan trench coat." This charming piece of outerwear is a vintage 80s find. (vintage trench coat by the pudding store vintage)

4. Okay, so this one is not a TV show; but The Shadow is one of my favorite radio dramas ever! There are many "shadow artists" out there, and this shot is one of my favorites. (shadow tricks by ziza)

5. And lastly, here's a well-done digital caricature of the cast of CSI: Miami. I must confess I have never seen the show, but this just cracked me up! (caricature by karikamania)

So link up your detective posts below:

And next week's theme will be: Water!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

After a 2-hour-long appointment with the ESD folks yesterday and a pile of confusing and sobering paperwork to attend to, I am completely overwhelmed. Perhaps the emotions and seriousness of David's diagnosis are starting to sink in. I have a post written up all about it, but I guess I'm just not ready to put it out there yet.

So instead, you can see what lovely things have been traveling from my place to Canada, California, Mississippi, and Ohio lately.

A fun race car themed name train - I had full control over the design and colors. This customer is fantastic - it's the third time she has ordered a train from me! :)

another name train - this one in a construction theme, specifically to match the Little Dozer nursery bedding set. I love doing stripes, and these blue/brown/white ones are so sweet!

a custom memo board done in a tiffany-blue floral fabric with black ribbon and sparkly silver fasteners. It's going in a dorm room where the mom has already made bedspread and bed skirts to match. Lucky girl!

Pink ladybug letters - these will be standing on the table at Kayla's first birthday party, so the design is actually continued on both sides of the letters. I think pink ladybugs is a super cute theme for a first birthday party, don't you?

14 more custom orders to go so I can catch up! Yikes!

A Diagnosis and Chai Tea Cupcakes

So another intensely busy week has begun. I feel a little overwhelmed with all the appointments and meetings for Davey, and the etsy shop orders keep piling up. I've had so many custom orders with specific deadlines in the past couple of weeks that I've stayed up past midnight every night and risen at 6:00 am just trying to keep up.
As many of you have been probably been wondering, we did receive an "official" diagnosis for Davey last week. After his long morning appointment with a speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, child psychiatrist, and pediatrician, Davey has been diagnosed with high-functioning autism. I have in hand an Autism Speaks 100 Day Kit that is helping us understand a little more of what the future is going to be like with this diagnosis. We still have a lot to learn, and tomorrow we will be discussing specific therapy options and preschool possibilities with the special education therapists. I am still processing the diagnosis - amazed that God found us worthy to undertake such a task and terrified of the responsibility and life changes.

I'll keep you all updated on our little man as we continue through this process. Davey did amazingly well throughout the long process and especially enjoyed the physical therapy room with its balance beams and bouncy balls. The therapist discovered that Davey has very little core strength, causing sitting up and climbing up into his car seat to be an exhausting task. This is why he has such poor balance and has difficulty doing simple tasks, like walking backwards or jumping off a step.

Meanwhile, I wanted to share a recipe I discovered recently when I was getting ready for a premiere jewelry party. I made these chai tea latte cupcakes - divine! and so here is the recipe:
Vanilla Chai Tea Latte Cupcakes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
2 oz butter, softened
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground ginger
dash of salt
1 or 2 chai tea bags
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners into cupcake pan.(recipe make about twelve)
Heat up milk on stove, remove from stove. Place tea bags into milk, cover and steep for 5-10 minutes.
Cream sugar and butter together. Mix in egg and vanilla. Mix in milk.
Sift flour, baking powder, spices and salt together. Mix dry and wet ingredients together.
Divide batter into cupcake liners. Bake for 15-18 minutes or until a tester inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool before frosting with your favorite buttercream frosting. Sprinkle with cinnamon. :)

Yummo! Happy Monday all!

Found It Friday - Surf and Sand

Ever get just a little bit excited about a great item you find at a thrift store or garage sale? Get giddy over a fabulous one-of-a-kind necklace or purse you find on the internet? Get inspired by a well-written tutorial on making paper cranes or cute stitched felt magnets? This is the place to share our finds and get inspired! Read all about Found It! Friday here and please link up with your post. This week, we are inspired by sand and surf.

1. Wear the blue of the ocean with this stunning sundress. I love the oversized hibiscus flower appliques on the brilliant blue background. (ocean breeze sundress by ishkabibbles designs)

2. Instead of bringing home a baggie of shells and beach rocks, jazz up your beach finds by bringing some Plaster of Paris to the shores and make a souvenir to keep for always. (sandy hand mosaic by Family Fun)

3. Spending a day in the surf and sand makes me hungry! What better treat than something right from the sea - my favorite is shrimp. I am eager to try this recipe for coconut fried shrimp with orange marmalade/honey sauce. (coconut fried shrimp recipe by Taste of Home)

4. Aren't these hand-painted surfboards gorgeous? They are proof that just about anything can be made into art. (surfboard art by Mike Losness)

5. And who can resist a "sandy" cake lavishly covered in creamy frosting, graham cracker crumbs, candy sea shells, and gummy fish? I made this fun cake for the Spud for his first birthday last summer. (instructions)

C'mon, y'all! Link up your beachy posts below and share the inspiration:

And the inspiration for next week's Found It Friday is: detective TV shows (a la Psych, Monk, Columbo, The Pink Panther, CSI, etc.) I can't wait to see what your creative brains cook up for this one!

Hey all you peeps from Follow Me Chickadee! Welcome!

Wordless Wednesday - Joyful Colors

my little girl turned 4 1/2 yesterday and we celebrated with tie-dye cupcakes with extra sprinkles! Happy Half-Birthday, Baby Girl!

more wordless fun at 5 Minutes for Mom...

Wanna link up here? I would love to see your picturesque posts!

Giveaway! woot! woot!

Exciting news folks! My All Around the Mulberry Bush Wall Initial is being featured at 3 Garnets and 2 Sapphires! After you read all the extremely nice things Karen writes about my work (I am humbled and overwhelmed), you can enter a giveaway to win your own wall initial. If you are not in love with the Mulberry Bush design or have something different in mind, never fear! The winner will be able to choose whatever design they want for their wall initial.

This is an especially fun giveaway for The Framed Frog to participate in. Just a year and a half ago, I opened my Etsy shop with great misgivings and no sales for weeks. Karen kindly offered to host a giveaway on her site, and that giveaway, along with some other factors, helped launch my shop and get the sales going. Karen does a lot of great giveaways and is very candid and thorough in her reviews. Go check her site out!

A couple of other notes: We will be headed out to Davey's appointment with the special education folks soon, and I will update you later on that. Also, please don't forget this week's Found It Friday theme: sand and surf. The Found It Friday posts take a little time to put together, so start gathering your ideas and photos now. Mr. Linky was looking a little lonely last week. :(

Special Times

I am sitting at the kitchen table with all three kids clamoring for my attention. The Drama Queen wants me to confirm that tomorrow is indeed her half-birthday; the Spud is anxious to get down from his high chair. The Beast is demanding that I look at a picture on the wall, and if past behavior is any indication, he will insist that I look at the same picture several more times today.

Although I am subconsciously answering these questions and releasing the Spud from his chair, my real attention is focused on a stack of papers in front of me. Each sheet has the logo ESD emblazoned across the letterhead, and I am trying to find all the "sign here"s and "date here"s. Somehow, seeing all the paperwork that will potentially put our son in special education suddenly makes the whole situation much more real. On one hand, I am excited - eager to get some more answers and to get our Davey the help he needs to function socially.

On the other hand, however, I am also preparing for a very different meeting tonight. Tonight the Nerd and I meet up with the Drama Queen's preschool teacher and discuss "normal" things like where to purchase her uniform, what fun things she is going to get to do in class this year, etc. Tomorrow is the meeting with all the ESD folks, where the discussion will not be so "normal." Tomorrow, they will be deciding whether or not Davey is a candidate for Early Intervention Preschool. Again, I am happy and hoping so much that he will get this help; but it saddens me a little as well. As a mom, I never expected to hear "ESD" or "special education" used to refer to my child.

Strangely enough, it is not really a negative feeling. I feel blessed that God has entrusted us with the task of raising this special child. He must see something in me that I don't - not yet, anyway!

On Thursday, we will be gearing ourselves up for a very busy morning. The Nerd has taken the time off work, and together we and Davey will be meeting with several specialists throughout the morning. These meetings will result in the official diagnosis -Aspergers or otherwise.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and kind comments, dear readers. And local friends, I cannot thank you enough for the many spur-of-the-moment baby-sittings and advice and hugs. :)

God is faithful, and He knows.
"I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when i was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect, and in they book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!" Psalm 139:14-17

Found It Friday - Daisies

It's time again for a breath of fresh inspiration. Welcome to Found It Friday, where I (and other awesome bloggers) share how we were inspired by the simple yet beautiful flower called a daisy. In case you're joining us for the first time, each week I post a theme for inspiration. All participating bloggers come up with five things inspired by the theme. You can read more about how you can join in on the fun with this new meme here.

He loves me, he loves me not. . . let's explore this field of daisies together.

1. I love the cheerful effect that giant Gerber daisies have. I couldn't think of a more appropriate place for my daisies than my big sunny kitchen window. I bought adorable hourglass vases at IKEA, filled the bottoms with white rice, and then inserted the Gerber daisies (which I cut down to the height I wanted.) Instant happiness!

2. Perhaps if you love flowers but have trouble keeping them alive (I have no green thumb whatsoever!), this steel daisy chain may work perfectly in your garden. It is made entirely out of recycled propane tanks by Shining Sun Garden Works. Gorgeous!

3. The Drama Queen and I were so inspired by the shape of daisies that we made our own monogrammed daisy hair clippies. (tutorial)

4. Daisies are just lovely at weddings! Here is a very chic and easy way to make your wedding favors memorable - just add a sweet daisy to the top of a standard wedding bubbles container. (daisy wedding ideas)

5. And speaking of sweet, make edible daisies like these charming beauties to decorate cupcakes for your next garden party or bridal shower. (Puffed-Up Petal Cupcakes by Wilton)

And finally, as a little bonus this week, I made a daisy-inspired treasury at Etsy, highlighting items featuring fresh yellows and clean whites. It's easy (and addicting!) to make your own treasuries at Etsy.com. It's strangely exhilarating to organize a group of your favorite things and make it look beautiful. You can see my entire treasury here.

So, show me your daisy love! Link up with your Found It Friday daisy post below, and be sure to visit everyone else's posts to kick up the creativity this weekend!

Next week's inspiration is: Sand and Surf . Start gathering your wonderful finds now and wow us with a beautiful post next week!

(and if you came visiting through Follow Me, Chickadee Fridays, welcome! I am so glad you dropped by!)