Meow is the Time

I had pinned this pictures here so I could later do this on my window (not just for Christmas). When I decided to do it today I actually read how she did it and it turns out she did it with chalk pens not a vinyl decal!! SO I decided to see how it looks with a chalk pen and I love it! It's messy and not as nice as hers but I like this and it came off super easy with a paper towel and water. At some point I'll do a vinyl one on my Silhouette but for now...

I used a white chalk pen and pink chalk pen even though the picture above looks like black pen.

So hard to photograph! 

Chalkboard Canvas

 When browsing the hello lidy blog looking for this project, I came across her Chalk Board Canvas DIY. Genius! I know lots of people have done it but I never noticed till I saw her blog (Kristen did one and I guess I never saw the post!). I had bought a huge canvas months and months ago just because I knew I'd use it and it was cheap (9.99 euro) from Aldi (which I had no idea they have these in the states too). So anyway, I saw it, I ordered the chalkboard paint from Hobby Lobby (I didn't know I could order from them!!!! So MANY "I didn't knows" lately!) and painted it. I drew Ava's frame and let her draw inside it and Emily drew her own frame and then drew inside it. They used Chalk pens.

Emily's side (above)

Ava's side (above).  

Proud:)

 Above is a Koji made from the Wee Wonderfuls book. I Shrunk it down when I printed the pattern pieces hoping I could put it on the Christmas tree (I made it back in November) but it's not really small enough and I Frankenstein sewed it. I want to make another one but smaller and of course sewn better:) 

Emily and the sun that lasted only a minute or so. We still have snow on the ground and it's....MARCH! 

This child will be the death of me. Heart attack is Jon's prediction. She wrote all over her leg, stomach, neck and face with a pen and in this picture she circled her booboo that she won't stop picking at. This thing is never going to heal. I keep telling her her leg is going to fall off if she keeps opening up the scab. I tell her all sorts of things to discourage her from everything she does but it doesn't matter!! She cut her hair again. This time she cut half of her bangs off. So "party on one side, business on the other". She wears me out and makes me want to drink. I had not been around kids much before my own and I had no idea they could be born with so much personality. From the beginning she has been testing me! She ate her own poop right before I birthed her for goodness sake (Meconium Aspiration)!I have a cautious child and a crazy child. Heaven help me:)

And the winner is...

You're all winners in my book...

Did you just throw up in your mouth??

But only one can claim my Skunk!!

The winner is:

#12 Venus of Suburbia Soup!!!

I'm so happy we found each other Venus. 

I have really enjoyed your comments, encouragement and inspiration:)

I will get that out to you next week (after you send me your address)! Be good and kind to my your Skunk:)

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And a huge thanks for all the comments left by everyone else. They didn't have to be so fabulous. They didn't. You could have just said you came to my blog because you enjoy my misuse of commas (makes you feel smarter). But you all chose to leave really nice, heartfelt messages that really made my day. I really appreciate it. 

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So the post is not picture-less, I have a picture of a craft I did recently with my friend Kristine. Her Eva and my Ava both attend the local German Kindergarten. My lovely friend Keeley sent me the idea! 

THANK YOU for that Keeley!!

Paper Animal Heads Idea from this blog.

 This bottom one Emily did at school.

5 Year Blog-a-thon!!

Last month was 5 years of blogging for me! 

Can you believe it? As you may know, I use to live in Stuttgart and worked at the best fabric/craft store in the universe. I worked there for 7 years. And met some of my favorite people there. We all motivated each other and were each others cheerleaders. :) Craft blogs had become huge I think around 2007 (that's the year I say because it's when I discovered them). My 1st blog discoveries were The Black Apple and Wee Wonderfuls. I, like others sewers and crafters, were blown away with what we were seeing. So in 2008 we all decided to start blogs.  

*I guess I didn't lint roll as good as I thought I did.

To reward you for 5 years of reading my blog, I am giving away this stinkin' cute Skunk Hanging Bucket!!

It is about 7.5" (not including the handle) and about 5.5" wide. It can be hung on something: in the car for trash or maybe like I have it hanging on my desk, or just sit it on a table. It's made from cotton on the outside and a nylon-type fabric for the lining to make it a little easier to clean out. (You could tell it was a skunk, right?)

The photo below shows it hanging from my desk. I use it as a trash bag. I will be making a new one for the winner. :) It's already started, as you can see in the bottom photo, but I (and my whole family) have been super super sick, so I had to put it on hold.

There were several of us who started blogs around the same time but only a few of us survived. 

They too are having a Blogiversay giveaway!
It's a 

5 Year Blog-a-thon!!!

This is how it works:

1. For my giveaway (the Skunk bucket), leave a comment on this post. The comment must be about me! :) I AM kind of a big deal on my blog so make the comment about me! For instance...your favorite thing I've made, how you met me...anything! Except saying something mean of course because then I will cry and you definitely won't get picked to win!

2. I will ship international. 

3. Leave your email address with your comment if I don't already have it! Written that super sneaky way people do it (for example: parrishplatz(at)hotmail(dot)com)

That's it, no following me or other nonsense to get more chances! 

The giveaway will run from March 10th to March 16th (I will announce the winner on the 17th) The name will be chosen on one of those random number generator sites.
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Now for my friends blog giveaways!! 

Corinnea and Jessica: Created Blissfully

Kelly: Kelly's Korner

Adrienne: The Green World

Jenny: Pearl Swirl Journals

Go to each of their blogs and do what ever they tell you to enter their giveaways!!
*edited to add that while I love love love the wonderful things you all are saying in the comments, you CAN just tell me about how we met or what made you come to my blog or about something I've made. It doesn't have to be how fabulous I am! I'm afraid people won't comment feeling they have to complement my awesomeness:) But if you want to tell me I'm fabulous that's ok too...