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hudson paint has introduced 24 new colors of chalkboard paint!
colors like 'safety orange' and 'genius pink'!
at $24/quart it's not cheap, but that's why we have christmas lists! *wink*wink*
eating meals has never been more fun around our house.
but then again, in between the meals is pretty fun too.
and homework will never be the same.
we owe it all to one simple thing - our table top.
with three kids constantly crafting, homeworking, cooking, etc. our kitchen table was taking quite a beating. our wooden table top was not pretty.
we don't have a formal dining room - just this table - but i'd like for it to look nicer than a dog's chew toy. it just looked rough.
i mentioned to a friend in passing that i'd seen a metal table top in a magazine....
i came home one day from work and i there was a new metal table top on our table!
(did i mention that our friend is a sheet metal worker?)
it was custom fit to the exact dimensions with softly rounded corners welded neatly into place.
but...
the best part was when i found out that dry erase markers could be used on the surface!
life takes on new meaning when you can write on your table!
such an unexpected creative outlet!
want to do this to your table? call your local trade school to find someone who can do this for you!
i'd love to hear about it if you do! you won't regret it!
many moons ago i posted these photos of our breezeway -
not much of a before/after!
this is our breezeway between the garage and house.
i've wanted it to be a cheerful entrance ever since we moved in here two years ago and we finally got around to painting it a few weeks ago.
here's the finished breezeway -
by now the chalkboard has been written on and erased many times.
once of my favorite quotes is on there right now:
"respect for ourselves guides our morals; respect for others guides our manners" - Laurence Sterne
this space will be fun to fill with the kids artwork.
the grey and yellow feels so cozy and it's so calming to come home to.
already the breezeway looks different with backpacks, boots, flowers & such that comes with life.
sometimes it's the little changes that can help us adjust to things in life we can't change.
feeling refreshed and giving thanks every day!
how do you display your children's artwork and projects?
a perfect rainy day thing to do! the colors make any day better!
how to make LOLLIES
you will need: jolly ranchers, candy sticks, parchment paper, foil & a cookie sheet
1) lay a piece of foil on cookie sheet. cover foil with a piece of parchment paper.
2) unwrap candies and place side by side on parchment paper in your choice of color & flavor combinations. use three candies together for extra large lollies, and only two candies together for regular lollies.
3) heat candies in oven for about 5 minutes at 200 degrees. keep a close eye on the candies and take them out as soon as they've barely melted together. if you leave them in too long they will melt too much and you won't be able to put a stick into the lollie. alter the cook time accordingly.
4) carefully take cookie sheet out of oven. immediately lay candy sticks into place on melted candies. slowly twirl in melted candy to coat the stick and so it will hold in the lollie. they're hot! don't burn yourself but you will have to work fast before the candies harden.
5) let the lollies cool about 30 minutes before eating or wrap up in clear cellophane bags, tie with ribbon and give as gifts or party favors!
halloween costumes = homemade fun
the kids worked out what they wanted to dress up as for halloween.
we made our costumes and had a ball!
introducing:
amelia earhart
a penny
a smurfette pez dispenser
we're rationing out the candy the kids collected.
ironically this within a month of halloween all the kids have dental appointments! ha!
we hosted goshen's first friday free kids crafts a few days ago.
i lost track of how many kids we had but our last one didn't leave the shop until after 9pm!
thank you to all the volunteers!
we couldn't have done it without you!
thank you to 5orangepotatoes for the mask template!
i can't remember where i found the recycled pumpkin project but i think it was on the crafty crow.
such fun blogs to visit!
as you can see on the window in the background, i've named our class and studio space 'art at the garage'. we had our first crafting birthday party (for twelve 5 & 6 year olds) last saturday with a few more already scheduled! our studio space is in full swing!
december's first friday craft will be a gift you make and give as a christmas present.
we're also getting ready for a day of making gingerbread houses....
what classes or workshops would you like to see us have?
i'd love to hear your ideas!
no matter how many times you clean out a pumpkin, it's always kind of icky.
i held a pumpkin carving class that i gutted 10 pumpkins for - but it was worth it!
who doesn't love to use a drill and make a mess?
it was fun to share and try new designs and have a chatty time!
i tried out something new to make the carved pumpkins last longer:
equal parts pure lemon juice & water
mixed together in a spray bottle you coat the entire pumpkin, inside and out.
kind of messy, but so is the carving process.
the pumpkins will dry overnight but still kind of be sticky to the touch.
they lasted about 7 days kept inside.
i didn't use the lemon juice solution on this pumpkin....
and it only lasted a weekend.
if anyone has any ideas about how to make pumpkins last longer please share!
