Missy Made It!

Seeing Triple.

2012-01-31T09:30:00.004-05:00

Anyone else seeing triple?

Jasper & Oliver have had a playmate come to visit several times over the past week.

She's the little girl furthest away in the picture.

I'm pretty sure she's their sister.

We've been calling her Coco.

She's very sweet and looks well taken care of. She does not have a collar so I'm not 100% sure where she lives.

And NO we will not be getting a third dog. =)

Cub Scout Pinewood Derby Race 2012

2012-01-30T08:00:00.000-05:00

Griffin participated in his first Cub Scout Pinewood Derby on Saturday and I am excited to share ...

He won 3rd place!

He and Daddy worked together to create a super awesome car!

He is very proud to be a Cub Scout!

This is a few of the Tiger Cub cars

Watching the boys race was such fun!

The sportsmanship encouraged is wonderful to watch.

Just look at 'em go ... Griffin's is called Bee and it was number 338. If you flipped his car over the 338 spelled BEE.

They are already talking about next year's design!!

Seriously ...

2012-01-29T08:41:00.002-05:00

I walked in the room and discovered Griffin in this stance playing with his Transformers.

Seriously ... don't you wish you could do this too?

In Our Home ...

2012-01-18T15:54:00.004-05:00

I absolutely, positively LOVE this ...

The Deck!

2012-01-14T12:08:00.003-05:00

My terrifically talented husband Mike has designed the MOST amazing deck for us.

Things are coming along and we had some unseasonably warm weather in January so we were able to get it stained!

Before staining we had to make sure it was good and sanded.

Mike and Griffin worked with this super cool sanding machine we rented and now our deck floor looks so nice!

We still had to do a bit of hand sanding, so Griffin and I did that together.

Here I'm sharing a picture of the deck half stained and the other part not.

Isn't it an absolutely gorgeous color?

Ta Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa ...

Next up will be railing, screening and stairs!

I can hardly wait until we can use our new enclosed deck!

Pinterest, Anyone?

2012-01-14T11:39:00.002-05:00

Wow ... I've just discovered Pinterest!

There are soooo many terrific ideas, recipes and lots of inspiration!

Join me on Pinterest and follow me here:

Click Here For Missy's Pinterest!

You will glad you did. =)

King Of The Jungle!

2012-01-12T08:56:00.005-05:00

This week Griffin is being recognized as student of the week and he is "King of the Jungle"!

He took pictures to school to share with his friends

They put the pictures on the "King of the Jungle" bulletin board

He took his favorite book "Wacky Wednesday" by Dr. Seuss to school to read to the class

And today he could invite someone special to lunch so Mike and I will be joining him!

We are soooo very proud of our little guy.

Letter To Griffin.

2012-01-10T10:42:00.001-05:00

Griffin is being recognized as "King of the Jungle" in his class this week.

We were asked to write a letter to him to let him know how much he means to us.

This is our letter to Griffin:

Dear Griffin,

This week you are being recognized as “King of the Jungle” and we are so very proud of you.

From the moment you were born you have brought joy to our lives each and every day.

You are smart, funny, adventurous, creative, talented, funny, silly, thoughtful, kind, loving, sweet and the light of our lives.

You make us laugh (and giggle) with your silly ways and wonderful sense of humor.

You make us think with your thought provoking questions.

You have a talent for building awesome Lego creations and you can transform a Transformer faster than anyone we know! You love airplanes, helicopters, tractors and dragons. You also enjoy being a scientist and doing experiments.

The pictures you draw will forever be our favorite works of art!

We are convinced you LOVE tractors so much because you share your birthday with the one and only John Deere … February 7th!

You LOVE eating cupcakes and you can eat more of them than Daddy & Mommy.

Thank you for being the absolute most amazing son to us!

We say it often … and we never, ever want you to forget …
You are the BEST gift we’ve ever been blessed with.

WE LOVE YOU!

Daddy & Mommy

(Secret Sign ~ kiss thumb, kiss thumb, two thumbs up)

Something New ...

2012-01-06T06:30:00.003-05:00

I have some new paper flowers in my shop today!

They are very detailed with three layers of petals, an antique dictionary cutout center, a sweet little heart and a beautiful little pearl.

I also have many other handmade flowers and you can click here to see all of them in my flowers category.

The Three Amigos.

2012-01-05T07:00:00.000-05:00

The truth is I became a bit of a slacker when it came to my blog last year.

In 2012 my goal is to change that. I want to blog as often as possible as it is some what of a scrapbook for me. I want to remember the fun times, the adventures and accomplishments.

So, as I am going through pictures I will be sharing some current memories as well as some a few months old.

Up first ... the three amigos!

Heidi-Ryan-and-Evan ... say it really quickly and it sounds like one word. It's a one word phrase for three amazing friends!

They came to our house to visit in November {and yes I'm just blogging about it!}

The boys had a good time playing on Fort Griffin and just being together.

Of course no visit is complete without a ride on the buggy through the woods and over the creek.

My superbly-amazing-dog-loving friend didn't spoil the puppies at all.

Well. Not too much anyway.

After a full day of being together it was time to settle down and read some good books.

We miss our friends alot. Did I say alot? I mean A-L-O-T!!

Can't wait until our next visit.

We love you Heidi-Ryan-And-Evan!!

First New Creations Of 2012!

2012-01-04T07:00:00.000-05:00

The calendar rolled over to 2012 and I have so many NEW ideas swimming around in my mind that I just have to get busy and start creating!

Yesterday I did just that and designed some super cute new handmade paper embellishments.

These can all be found right here in my Missy Made It! shop

I have tractors ...

Pink Volkswagon Vans ...

Airplanes! {of course}

Sweet little hedgehogs ...

Pink Princess Birds ...

And a lovable robot ...

I can make as many of these as you would like. I can also leave the twine off if you have another idea in mind for them.

Stop by www.missymadeit.com for these and many other cute handmade paper embellishments!!

The Training Wheels Are OFF!

2012-01-03T10:45:00.005-05:00

Griffin would like a "big boy bike" for his birthday in February.

Mike told him before he could get one he first had to learn to ride his bike without training wheels.

Yesterday the training wheels came off and the practice began.

When you have a drive-way full of gravel like this it's hard to ride a bike on it ... so the practice took place in the road in front of our house.

Mike has a good steadying hand and we offered Griffin lots of encouragment.

He tried really hard. Figuring it all out will come in time.

But in the mean time he has Daddy right there by his side to help him out.

Black Eyed Peas ~ It's A Tradition.

2012-01-02T08:19:00.003-05:00

As in most southern homes eating black eyed peas is a tradition on New Year's day.

Don't they look absolutely yummy?

When we have them we add a bit of chopped onion and fried okra.

I remember eating black eyed peas every New Year's day when I was growing up. My Daddy would also make fried hog jowl and cracklin bread to go along with them.

Though we did not have the hog jowl and cracklin bread we did enjoy ham, corn, macoroni & cheese and corn bread.

Do you have black eyed peas on New Year's day?

If not, what is your traditional New Year's day meal?

Happy New Year 2012!

2012-01-01T07:01:00.003-05:00

Happy New Year!

2011 was a terrific year and I'm looking forward to an even greater year in 2012!

I've had some thoughts about what I would like to accomplish in 2012.

This is my "beginning" list and I am sure I will add to it as time goes on.

Be healthy ... eat healthier and move more

Be the best mother, wife, sister, inlaw and friend I can be

Volunteer more

Be creative

Find a church and read the bible

Learn how to sew

Learn how to make graphic banners

Blog More

And to be HAPPY (my 2012 one little word)

What are you hopes, dreams and wishes for 2012?

One Little Word.

2011-12-31T08:23:00.003-05:00

My "one little word" for 2012 is ...

The Gingerbread House.

2011-12-30T08:31:00.007-05:00

When Grandma arrives from Florida we know it's THAT time!

Time to build our annual gingerbread house.

Grandma (Bett) and Griffin got right into the building part ... first comes the walls.

We got quite a laugh with the messiness of trying to get the walls to stay on. Especialy the roof. The royal icing was quite messy.

It's quite helpful having an engineer (Daddy) help with the gingerbread house.

{He was covered in royal icing too}

Grandma and Griffin posing proudly with their finished gingerbread house.

Daphne Oz's Coconut Bundt Cake.

2011-12-27T07:56:00.002-05:00

Every Christmas I make my Momma's Butternut Cake. I love it. The simple truth? Mike doesn't. Neither does Griffin. So, we have this absolutely beautiful Butternut Cake in our house and I'm the only one that will eat it.

This year I was watching my favorite new show on TV, The Chew and I saw Daphne Oz make this delicious looking cake she called her coconut pecan cake.

So ... I made it instead of the traditional Butternut Cake that I love so much.

This is the cake I made ... isn't it pretty?

It is very easy to make and it is loaded with coconut and pecans!

After pouring the most delightful glaze all over it you dust it with powdered sugar to give it a festive look.

Yuuuuuuummmmmmmmy good!

If you would like a super fast and delicious cake
Click Here For Daphne's Recipe.

Seeing Santa 2011.

2011-12-21T20:28:00.002-05:00

Griffin went to see Santa Claus yesterday ...

That was {before} he started complaining of an ear ache. And {before} I took him to the doctor. And {before} he was diagnosed with an ear infection AND strep throat.

My poor baby is sick and he's all medicined up.

We've been taking it easy today and will tomorrow as well.

Fingers crossed he is all better before Christmas gets here.

Free Etsy Banners.

2011-12-20T07:42:00.019-05:00

I have been hoping to learn how to make my very own Etsy banners for awhile now. I am happy to say I finally figured it out.

Today I am sharing with you several Etsy banners I have made and I am providing them to you for FREE!

Just click on the banner image you like and then save that size (760 x 100) to your computer. You can then use whatever program you would like to add your text. If you are unsure of what to use I suggest you use picnik.com. It's easy and free.

If you are unable to figure it out and would like some help I would be delighted to customize the banner of your choice for a nominal fee of $2.00. I will also have some banners available right here in my Etsy shop If you would like to purchase a customized banner from the selections from below please email me at mgmh@aol.com with your request.

This is the custom banner without wording. Click on it to get to the 760 x 100 pixels size. Then you can save it to your computer.

This is how I can customize the banner for you. With your shop name and optional tagline or description. The text size may vary to allow room for text to fit accurately.

{Click image to see in actual size}

And this is an example of the customized banner using my Etsy shop.

{Click image to see in actual size}

If you decide to use my banner please let me know. I would LOVE to see what you have done with it. Also please join My Facebook Page to be notified of new items!

Now ... on to the FREE banners!

Here they are!

I Think I Love Her.

2011-12-15T23:24:00.003-05:00

Sometimes something happens that is SO sweet you just have to write it down so you remember.

Today after school Griffin unwrapped a Hershey bar from his friend Annabelle.

He took a bite.
He paused.
And then he {whispered} ... Mommy, I think I love her.

{Picture taken April 2010}

It was one of those moments in which I saw true innocent love on my son's face.

His friend Annabelle is such a sweet girl.
She calls him on the telephone often.
Actually she is the first girl who has ever called him.

And all it took was a tiny little gift wrapped Hershey bar for my son to realize love.

Words To Live By.

2011-12-14T17:19:00.000-05:00

We Have Santa On Speed Dial.

2011-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

Here at our house ... we have Santa on speed dial.

If Griffin wants to talk to him we can put in a call to see if he's free. Sometimes he's in the toy work shop and is unable to talk, but most times he's free to take his call.

It says "Santa Claus" right there on my cell phone.
So, it's official.
We have Santa on speed dial.

Occasionally Griffin needs a gentle reminder from Santa about good behavior. Sometimes there is a fine line between naughty and nice. When he needs reminding it just takes a quick call to Santa to get back on track.

Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Claus for everything you do.

A Must See ... By My Friend Sue.

2011-12-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

Over the past 13 years or so I've had the pleasure of making some really wonderful online friends.

Sue is one of these friends. She is so sweet, kind and creative.

Today I wanted to share with you one of her newest creations. When I saw this paper piecing set I fell in love with it. It's so detailed. It's a work of art.

If you are interested in learning more about this paper piecing set or to find out more about Sue's other creations, makes sure to click here to visit her Facebook page.

Sweet Vintage Dictionary Paper Embellishments.

2011-12-08T08:56:00.006-05:00

I am in love with the new vintage dictionary paper embellishments I just added to the shop

The pretty pear vintage dictionary paper embellishments have a beautiful mix of sage green, saffron yellow and vintage dictionary pieces.

I've also added sweet packs of vintage dictionary paper embellishment shapes.

My favorite is the birds in flight

And who can resist a romantic heart?

To find these and other unique handmade paper embellishments make sure to visit the shop and
Shop Now!

Cub Scout Crafting.

2011-12-06T06:20:00.000-05:00

Griffin's Cub Scout leader Jim asked me to help the boys create table decorations for their Christmas party.

I found the idea for these darling Candy Cane Candles here

Aren't they cute? And very easy!!

When searching for ideas I also happened upon these super cute Pipe Cleaner Christmas Trees. I found the idea for these here

Since we were using a glue gun to adhere the candy canes to the candle we needed something for the other boys to do while Kristen (Jim wife & Patrick's mom) and I helped the boys create the Candy Cane Candles.

And this did the trick.

These are two super simple ideas for little hands (with a little help from an adult!) to make.

Friends.

2011-12-05T07:00:00.001-05:00

Griffin had his friend Sam over for a sleepover on Friday night.

They enjoyed building Legos, watching Lego movies and eating pizza.

They have been friends since Griffin was one and Sam was two.

My wish for them is they remain as close throughout their lives as they are today.

This is a photo of the two of them with Sam's brother & sisters in 2008.

Pool party ... bubble style!

We actually consider Carol, Allen, Hannah, Zachary, Sara and Sam more than "friends".

They are our family.
And we love them very much!

Vintage Dictionary Paper Embellishments.

2011-12-02T05:52:00.006-05:00

I love old things.
Vintage. Antique. Shabby. Cottage.

So I got to thinking I wanted to add something with a vintage feel to the shop.

I had an idea to use old dictionary pages (maps & sheet music too!) to create handmade paper embellishments. My neighbor Debbie shared a wonderful vintage dictionary from 1961 that I'm using to create these.

This is what I came up with ... I ♥ them.

My handmade paper embellishments can be used for scrapbooking, cardmaking, gift tags, home decorating, weddings, showers, parties. They are whimsical, elegant and cute. They would make a lovely table scatter for a party!

I think this is my favorite set ...

Vintage dictionary paper bird embellishments

And of course ... the sweet heart paper embellishments are a bit romantic

And then on this set I added a touch of color with red hearts

They are currently available in my shop.
So please go
Shop Now!
for these and other cute handmade paper embellishments.

Legoland Florida!

2011-11-30T23:27:00.003-05:00

We had an amazing trip to Florida during Thanksgiving week.

A highlight was visiting Legoland which happened to open in our hometown of Winter Haven.

I have lots and lots {did I say LOTS?} of pictures to share. I just have to get them resized and uploaded.

In the meantime you can see from this picture the bright, bold and absolute FUN we had while there!!

Create-A-Banner Kits!

2011-11-29T16:32:00.006-05:00

I have wanted to add handmade banners to my Etsy shop for awhile now. I didn't know how easy it would be to ship a completed banner without damaging it in some way. So, finally I came up with my new idea ...

Create-A-Banner KITS by Missy Made It!

I have so many ideas swimming around in my head so today I finally created the first one!!

This is my dream banner accented with detailed butterflies

The tallest letters measure 5" and the shorter letters measure 2.75"

It's a great size for any occasion!

Each kit will include the letters, already punched for easy ribbon streaming, any accents (in this case butterflies) and ribbon or twine.

Plus, I will also include a color copy to help you create the finished banner!

Shop Now!
for this darling Create-A-Banner kit and more handmade paper embellishments!

Chrismas Is On The Way ...

2011-11-26T16:13:00.000-05:00

We enjoyed a delightful Thanksgiving day with our family.

Now Thanksgiving is over we look forward to Christmas!

I wonder how long it will be before it looks like this again?

Merry Christmas Paper Embellishments.

2011-11-23T09:15:00.001-05:00

With Thanksgiving just a few days away we will all soon be thinking about decking our halls and other creations.

So today I am sharing my brand new Merry Christmas Kids ...

I've created both a girl and boy ... and I will customize it to your liking.

You can find these in the Christmas section of my Etsy shop!

Shop Now!
for these and other super cute handmade paper embellishments!!

Winter Butterflies

2011-11-21T07:16:00.002-05:00

Though it's getting a bit cold outside ... butterflies still make me happy.

I've added some super cute new butterfly whimsies to my shop!

I have a rainbow of colors available including those you see above!

Shop Now!
to see all the pretty paper embellishments I have available

Look What's New ...

2011-11-15T19:48:00.005-05:00

The past few days I've been blessed with major creative mojo!

I know it's a bit early ... but I've created some brand new handmade Christmas paper embellishments.

These can all be found right here in my Etsy Shop

I'm a southern girl ... so I created these Merry Christmas Y'all embellishments with my southern heritage in mind. =)

I fell in LOVE with this red and white Merry Christmas paper ... I knew I could find a use for it ...

It's all about the owls here ...

This is a brand new design ... paper snowflake flowers!

Sweet {h a n d m a d e} Christmas ornaments ...

I *love* these as well ... customized with your name, phrase or year!

They can be used in scrapbooking, cardmaking, gift bags, cards ... you can even hang them on your Christmas tree!

I invite you to stop by www.missymadeit.com to see my handmade paper embellishments ... I have these and MANY more available!!

Boys Will Be Boys.

2011-11-11T14:00:00.002-05:00

Our boys Jasper and Oliver have been full of energy today ...

When I went outside to check on them I could hardly believe they were on TOP of the wood pile.

OMG!

Needless to say ... I called them down and keeping an eye on them so they do not get back up there!

Custom Handmade Banner.

2011-11-09T16:25:00.000-05:00

This is a custom banner I made for Sandra of Surreal Treasures.

This is the first time I've made a banner for someone other than my family.

Sandra is having a jewelry open house on Saturday and wanted something to welcome her guests.

Since it's a jewelry party she wanted it a little "blingy" but not too over the top. Its' hard to see the glittery paper I used as the colored accent on each piece.

This is a closer look so you can see the detail.

I really enjoyed making this for her. I'm considering adding these to my Etsy Shop after Thanksgiving. What do you think?

I voted!

2011-11-08T10:07:00.001-05:00

Today I exercised my right ...

The right to vote!

Why My Family Likes Me ...

2011-11-04T07:00:00.000-04:00

I was looking through Griffin's school journal the other day and discovered this very sweet picture he drew of our family. There's Mommy in pink, Daddy in yellow and Griffin in the middle. I asked him about the red and yellow circles over our heads and he said they were fall leaves.

It also included a written assignment of why his family likes him ...

He writes ...

My family like me bee kuz they luve me

Yes, Buddy we do!

We love you with all of our hearts and I'm so happy you know that!

My How He's Grown ...

2011-11-03T15:06:00.004-04:00

When I was looking at the pictures I took of our trip to the Blueridge Parkway to look at the leaves I came across this picture.

It seemed familiar to me so I went looking at older pictures.

And then I found this picture!

This picture was taken in October 2006. Griffin was one-year-old.

I managed to capture the sweet love of my wonderful husband and son again exactly five years later.

Jasper & Oliver ~ Six Months Old

2011-11-01T14:36:00.003-04:00

Jasper joined our family in May 2011 and Oliver joined us in July 2011.

Jasper was only four weeks old when he came to us. Several weeks later we welcomed Oliver. They are brothers and we made the best decision ever when we decided to bring Oliver into our home as well.

Our boys just celebrated their six month birthday.

My mother-in-law was visiting and she was laughing at me when I told the boys to sit, stay and SMILE! She thought it was funny. If you look closely, Oliver is indeed smiling in this picture.

Our family went from a family of three ... to a fabulous family of five.

We are lucky, indeed!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T09:34:00.003-04:00

Halloween is such a fun holiday ... we love decorating with pumpkins, mums and S-C-A-R-Y decorations.

This is a picture of our house all decorated for Halloween.

Our newest addition this year is the scary ghoul on the front door. Griffin decided our house needed a little more "scary" added to it this year.

Also ... can you see the skeleton holding the pumpkin in the little green chair?

Didn't Griffin do a great job on his jack-o-lantern?

He wanted it to be super scary ... so he drew the face and together we carved it. Then he wanted to add toothpicks to it to make it even scarier!

The second pumpkin is mine ... I wanted to do a personalized pumpkin with Griffin's name on it. It was pretty easy to do. I just cut out letters using my die cut machine and traced around them and then carefully cut them out. Griffin was very surprised when I turned my pumpkin around and he saw his name.

We wish you a very happy and safe Halloween!!

Fire Pit Dining.

2011-10-29T09:26:00.003-04:00

We were lucky to have Bett (Grandma) and Tony visit us for a few days last week.

On Friday we decided to dine by the fire pit ... grilling hot dogs over the open flame. I told Griffin we were going to have a "weiney roast" and he had no idea what I was talking about. When I explained it was the same thing as grilling hotdogs he understood.

Did anyone else call hotdogs, weinies growing up or it that a southern thing?

I love grilled hotdogs ... I actually like them a little on the burned side. I like one hotdog in a bun and the second one without a bun. Of course the macoroni salad and bold beans were delicious too!

What weiney roast would be complete without s'mores?

The boys were roasting the marshmallows over the fire as the graham crackers and Hershey bars waiting patiently for them.

Just look at all the gooey yumminess ...

This is actually the second time we have grilled hotdogs over the fire pit this season and we are sure to do it again very soon!

Cub Scout ~ Go See It ~ Teamwork & Sportsmanship

2011-10-21T09:05:00.005-04:00

The leaders of Griffin's Cub Scout Den scheduled a fun "Go See It" last Friday night at the local high school foot ball game.

The "Go See It" focused on teamwork and sportmanship.

The boys met with two referees before the game. They discussed teamwork and sportsmanship with them as well as their jobs when on the field.

The boys were delighted when the referees presented them with their very own official gold coin.

It was so much fun to sit in the stands with scouts, enjoy stadium food and watch the game.

It happened to be homecoming as well ...it was fun to see the Homecoming King & Queen crowned and the floats the kids had made parade around the track.

Our team won that night ... gooooooooo Bulldogs!!

Watching Griffin grow and learn as a Cub Scout is such great fun ... we look foward to many, many years of scouting!

Fun Class Project.

2011-10-18T19:34:00.006-04:00

Griffin's first grade class has been studying different famous people over the past couple of months. One day I was blog hopping and came upon this post and thought it was a great idea. I contacted his teacher and asked if she wanted to do something similar.

She was going to be reviewing the famous people they had learned about and she invited me into the classroom to do a similar fun project.

{I have to say ... I LOVE being room mom this year!}

So this is what I came up with. I created "Paper People" for the famous people they were studying. Here you will see Eleanor Roosevelt, George Washington Carver, Christopher Columbus and Benjamin Franklin.

These are the sample pages I made so the children could refer to them when they were putting their paper people together.

Earlier in the day Mrs. S asked the students to choose one of these famous people to write about. When I got to their classroom the children were given a kit with their famous person's paper person inside it.

The plan included allowing the students to use the Cricut die cutting machine to cut out the accessory that went with their famous person. I really think the kids enjoyed doing this.

This is a picture of the kits I created for each of the famous people.

I made 16 of each (yes 64!!). The children will receive one of each of the kits, however there was only time for them to create the one they had written about earlier in the day.

Mrs. S gave each of the students a piece of paper they were to decorate with their famous person and then attach their written assignment to it as well.

They turned out SO cute!

I was able to get a few pictures of the completed projects.

This is Griffin's ... he chose Benjamin Franklin.

This is Annabelle's ... she chose Christopher Columbus.

This is Ava's ... she chose Eleanor Roosevelt.

The children were very creative and it was a super fun project!

With that in mind I thought I would share examples of the finished paper people and how you can make your own.

I used my Cricut Die Cutting Machine with the two paper doll cartridges. Paper Doll Dress Up (PDDU) is the one I used most often. I also used the Everyday Paper Doll (EDPD) cartridge as well.

A helpful hint ... tiny pieces cut a couple of each for each kit. For instance the necklace I probably included at least ten "pearls" cut from a single whole punch.

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT
Page 38 PDDU Dress
Page 38 PDDU Hat
Page 38 PDDU Shoes
Page 67 EDPD Hair
Page 30 PDDU Suitcase
Necklace is just single whole punches

GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
Page 32 PDDU Jacket
Page 32 PDDU Pants
Page 32 PDDU Shoes
Page 32 PDDU Shirt
Page 46 PDDU Hair
Page 44 PDDU Mustache

On the Benjamin Franklin I have to give a great big THANK YOU to my Facebook friend Katya for sharing the creative idea of how to create him. With her help it was very easy to figure out how to make him.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN
Page 59 PDDU Jacket
Page 40 PDDU Shirt
Page 41 PDDU Tights/Slim Pants
Page 62 PDDU Pants
Page 62 PDDU Shoes
Page 47 PDDU Hair (just the back part)
Buttons are made using a single hole punch

I was in a time crunch when it was time to create the final paper person so I did a Google search for Cricut Christopher Columbus and I was *delighted* to find this blog post with a creative idea for Christopher Columbus!!

CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
Page 46 PDDU Shirt
Page 46 PDDU Tights/Slim Pants
Page 46 PDDU Shoes
Page 46 PDDU Belt
Page 44 PDDU Hair
Page 44 PDDU Hat
Page 44 PDDU Ship

Happy Creating ...

Look What $2.50 Can Do ...

2011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Okay ya'll ... I have to share this really fun, easy and CHEAP decorating project you can accomplish at only $2.48!

The truth is I love having colorful mums, whole pumpkins, gourds and jack-o-lanterns on my front porch for fall.

The reality is we have two six-month-old puppies (Jasper and Oliver) and they seem to enjoy eating and destroying everything I have out there.

Anyone remember this post?

Anyway ... I really wanted to buy some mums but I just know they will not last long.

So ... Walmart had these on clearance for only $1.49.

I thought I might plant them in the clay pots the dogs have already destroyed ... but then I saw these for only $.99 ...

I put them together and VOILA ... instant cuteness!!

I've accomplished a sweet fall decoration and did not spend alot of money ... they were so affordable to make I made two of them.

Now ... here's hoping the dogs do not eat them!!

He Loves To Read.

2011-10-12T09:41:00.003-04:00

Reading has always been a big part of my life. I remember as a little girl my Daddy would take me to the used book store on Central Avenue in Winter Haven and I would stock up on books and Tiger Beat magazines.

I still enjoy reading ... Debbie Macomber, Nora Roberts and Catherine Coulter are a few of my favorites.

That's why it means so much to mean that Griffin likes to read. Doesn't matter how many books we read he always wants "just one more Mommy".

When we were in town this past weekend I saw this copy of "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown" and I knew he had to have it. We sat down last night and read it together.

I hope his love of reading continues forever.

Things That Make You Go ... Yummmm!

2011-10-11T07:00:00.000-04:00

Healthy eating is high on our priority list ... we eat lots of fresh vegetables and fruit.

But on occasion we totally indulge in something like this ...

A yummy fried egg and bacon breakfast sandwich on whole wheat bread with a little mayo.

Yummmmmmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fall Is Here.

2011-10-09T08:02:00.005-04:00

It's no secret ... fall is my favorite season of all!

I love everything about it ... the colors that blossom, the cool weather, the wonderful aromas, the pumpkins and apples, the changing leaves, the beautifully colored mums, getting my crock pot busy and making soup and the utter feeling of bliss when you step outside and see scenes like this ...

This is a picture of my backyard from a couple of years ago. In just a few short weeks it will look like this again. I can't wait!

This is Griffin last year ... it's amazing to see how much he has grown in just one year. I love fall because most days it's still warm enough to run around in shorts, yet cool enough to know fall is here.

Gorgeous ... gorgeous ... fall leaves!

This is another picture of our backyard ... it just explodes in color. The trees are still about 90% green right now. Slowly they will turn into this bold, bright yellowish orange color. I.can't.wait!

I think this is my all time favorite picture during fall. It was taken in November 2008 when he was three. He was blowing bubbles and I managed to capture that sweet innocence of watching bubbles float away on his face. I love this picture.

With fall ... it also brings fall inspiration. I love making fall inspired paper embellishments ... sunflowers, leaves, pumpkins ... they are just my favorite to make! If interested you can visit my Etsy Shop By Clicking Here to see what I have available.

I hope you enjoy your beautiful fall days as much as we do.

The Deck.

2011-09-23T08:00:00.000-04:00

Mike has designed the most amazing deck (porch) for us.

It's architectarally beautiful and it's coming along quite nicely.

The other day it was time to stain the upper boards on the roof.

First Mike had to clean and sand them ... so he used his scaffolding to make this easier.

Guess who else likes the scaffolding ...

Mike got his handy dandy paint sprayer out and it made it a pretty fast job.

Notice Griffin over on the steps ... though he's in his bathing suit, he's wearing the swim goggles as "work" goggles to protect his eyes from the over spray. He's so funny.

The natural wood is gorgeous however we had to stain and seal it to protect it from the elements ... we chose this beautiful natural stain finish.

Can you see the difference?

Here's a closer look ...

It is absolutely GORGEOUS!!

It's going to be a screen enclosed deck/porch ... it's going to be fantastic!

Unbelievable.

2011-09-22T08:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I opened the door to discover this ...

I couldn't believe it.

Jasper had destroyed my big beautiful boston fern planted in the antique pickle barrel.

When I was cleaning it up a little lizard came out of the fern ... pretty sure he was after the lizard and not the fern.

{sigh}

Happy Birthday Caden!

2011-09-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

The day Hurricane Irene was whipping through our area we helped our friend Caden celebrate his very first birthday!

The sweet birthday boy ...

Caden's Mommy Shebly made this darling birthday banner for him

Caden's grandpa carved this amazing Winnie the Pooh out of a watermelon

The cake was delicious and it was dairy free!

Griffin had such a good time ... thank you for including us Andy, Shelby and Caden

A Chair Built For 4.

2011-09-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

In our house Daddy's chair is built for four ...

Mike, Griffin, Jasper and Oliver

A Surprise In My Backpack.

2011-09-19T08:00:00.000-04:00

The other day when Griffin got off the school bus he said Mommy I have a surprise in my backpack. I said great buddy you can show me when we get home.

Thinking it was more than likely something he chose from the teacher's prize box or perhaps something he created in art.

Instead, he pulled this out ...

Once we arrived home he was digging in his backpack and pulled out this little yellow flower. He said Mommy this is for you.

My heart melted.

He said he had found it in the morning in PE and knew I would like it. So, all through PE he held on to it. Then when he returned to his room he put it in his backpack.

I can absolutely say this is one of the sweetest most thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me. Knowing my little boy saw something he thought I would like and then making sure to give it to me ... well, I'm just moved to pieces.

The absolute best gift in the world is one given with a pure heart.

I love you buddy. =)

Help Bring Alan Jackson To Mineral!

2011-09-14T16:09:00.002-04:00

I live in a tiny little town right outside the town of Mineral, VA.

On August 23rd a 5.8 earthquake rocked our area and caused severe damage.

The local Louisa County High School has been condemned. The high school is currently sharing the middle school. The high schoolers have classes on Monday, Wednesday, Friday. The middle schoolers are going Tuesday, Thursday and every other Saturday (yes Saturday!). They have also condemned one of the elementary schools and those children are being sent to another elementary school.

Many folks aren't even aware of this as the media chose to concentrate on the surrounding areas (such as Washington, DC and New York). Mineral, VA was the epicenter of this earthquake and they need YOUR help!!

In an effort to raise awareness and to possibly help with donations to the disaster relief fund ... please, please, PLEASE help bring country singer Alan Jackson to Mineral, VA!!

All you have to do is click on the following link. Then choose Mineral, VA. You will need to know to type in zip code 23117.

If you will ... please take just a moment to do this.

Here's the link:

Share this link with your friends, family, bloggers, facebook ... anyone you would like!!

It takes 30 seconds to place your vote.

Don't forget ....

Mineral, VA

Zip Code 23117

Cub Scouts ~ Tiger

2011-09-13T11:26:00.002-04:00

Griffin started Cub Scouts last night ... it's his first year and he is a Tiger.

We are very lucky to have two wonderful men as his scout leaders. He already knows most of the boys in his group and looks forward to having an awesome time!

He was super excited to go and participate. The whole way there he talked about being like Russell (from the movie Up!) and how he was able to wear his uniform and earn badges. It was a.dor.a.ble!

Their first project last night was to create a scrapbook page called "About Me". I was super excited myself to be able to help the boys with this. I gathered up some scissors, glue, papers and stickers so the boys could create a page.

The boys were asked to bring a family picture and some magazines to cut out some things they found interesting as well.

It was great fun ... I think I had as much fun as Griffin did!

It's going to be an awesome year in Tigers!!

10 years ago.

2011-09-11T08:27:00.003-04:00

No words could accurately describe how I felt that day.

Three words still ring true for me ... United We Stand!

GOD BLESS AMERICA.

Creative.

2011-08-27T07:26:00.002-04:00

Griffin received a fun care package in the mail from his Grandma Bett.

Included was a package of colored pencils. Griffin is very creative and LOVES to draw. I was busy cleaning house and he was busy drawing a picture. I thought he might be drawing a picture of a whale or dragon, two things he typically loves to draw.

After awhile he proudly came up to me with his drawing behind his back ...

He drew the sunflower field (down on the farm) we had just visited.

I was amazed at the detail and coloring. The sky is shaded and the sunflowers even show their roots. He added the sun and clouds.

And he did this for ME!

He's such a kind, sweet, loving little boy. I'm very lucky to be his Mommy.

I do plan to frame this and proudly hang it on our wall.

Yes, Virginia. That Was An Earthquake.

2011-08-24T15:01:00.002-04:00

Wow ... Wow ... Wowwwww!

Yesterday around 1:50 in the afternoon we experienced a 5.9 earthquake here in Virginia. Apparently the epicenter was located approximately 12-15 miles from where we live.

It.Was.Scary!

We experienced several aftershocks throughout the day including a 4.2 at around 8:00 pm.

We slept downstairs last night because I felt safer in case we needed to get out of the house. Around 12:45 in the morning I was awaken again to another aftershock.

Local residents are still reporting aftershocks today ... I haven't felt any today.

I just hope everything has settled down and will get back to normal.

1st Day Of 1st Grade.

2011-08-22T09:39:00.002-04:00

Today is Griffin's first day of first grade ...

He was very excited to start school.

When I took him to school this morning I was prepared to walk him in.

He told me he wanted to walk in himself because "first grader's do not walk in with their mommies".

Ahhhhhh ... he's growing up.

Freckles.

2011-08-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

Griffin and I were discussing the sweet little freckles on his face ...

He said "you know momma they are like sesame seeds on a hamburger bun"... it made me giggle because he's absolutely right. =)

Harry Potter?

2011-08-16T17:23:00.002-04:00

So last night Griffin and I sat down for dinner ... left overs.

I was still getting my plate warmed in the microwave when I realized he had his Harry Potter glasses (I made them out of paper) and his magic wand (the wooden piece from a pinwheel) ... and he was trying to cast a spell.

Apparently he did not want the left over (and delicious!) roast beef, potatos, green beans and carrots we were having because he was trying to cast a magic spell to turn it into spaghetti.

It gave me the best laugh I've had in a very long time.

So, nooooooo ... Harry Potter does not live in our house ... but a boy with a big imagination sure does.

Autumn Is In The Air ...

2011-08-11T07:32:00.005-04:00

Fall is my favorite time of the year ... I love the crisp, clean feeling of fall.

With that in mind, I have created some new fun, fresh and fabulous handmade paper embellishments!

You can find them in my Etsy Shop {Missy Made It!} by clicking HERE

Does anything else make you think of fall ... pumpkins!!

I'm a southern girl and ya'll is a word in my everyday vocabulary ... so "Happy Fall Ya'll!"

This is a brand NEW design!!

Right now I'm loving crimson red and butter yellow together!

I hope you will stop by Missy Made It! to see the other fabulous handmade paper embellishments I have available!!

Jasper & Oliver!

2011-08-10T07:00:00.000-04:00

If you've read my blog before you may know we adopted Jasper in May. And then in July we adopted his brother Oliver.

They are two of the cutest puppies you will ever see ... and they are like night and day.

Just look at this picture ... they do not even look alike!

Griffin has introduced them to his little purple pool ...

For the past few days they have been getting in it all by themselves to cool off

Of course a game of "chase our favorite boy" is always fun too ...

And once you go one way you must go the other ...

I believe this picture of Oliver and Jasper in action shows exactly how much fun they are!

This is a picture of Oliver ... he's the layed back and sweet one. He actually was still long enough for me to get a picture. His brother Jasper ... the spunky and feisty one was probably off running in the woods at this very moment.

We are so glad they are now part of our family ... we love you boys!

Sunflowers!

2011-08-09T09:40:00.006-04:00

There's just something about sunflowers that makes me happy ...

If you take a ride down our road you will see this beautiful sunflower field Mr. Gill has planted

It's a bit hard to see in the picture but you can see rows and rows of beautiful sunflowers!

How about a little closer look?

Griffin and I decided to hop out of the buggy and Daddy snapped our picture

Just look at all of this bright, shiny yellow beauty!

Gosh ... how I love sunflowers!!

The Color Orange.

2011-08-08T07:25:00.002-04:00

Griffin's favorite color right now is orange.

(Picture taken at Old Town in Kissimmee, FL July 2011)

If it's orange ... he likes it.

When given a choice if the color orange is involved he will always take it.

I hear several times a day ... "look Mommy, it's orange and that's my favorite color". When he says that, something inside me just melts.

It makes me happy that the color orange brings him so much happiness.

I think if it was up to him every single shirt he wore we be orange, every popsicle he ate would be orange and every toy he chose would be orange. =)

That's great buddy ... because orange is a terrific color!

New Paper Flower Embellishment Kits!

2011-08-03T08:36:00.002-04:00

I have made handmade paper flowers for about 14 years now ...

The sunflower paper flower has always been my favorite to make. The other day Griffin and I went down the road from our house to visit a field of sunflowers ... that got me to thinking. I wanted to offer a "field" of sunflowers.

So I came up with this ...

Paper Flower Embellishment Kits!

In the kit I provide all the PUNCHED PIECES so *YOU* {my customer} can create your very own sunflowers!

I'm really excited about this ... I will be offering other flower colors and shapes too!

Plese visit My Etsy Shop By Clicking Here to check them out!!

T-Ball!

2011-08-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

Griffin enjoyed another season of T-ball this year!

He was lucky enough to be assigned to a fantastic coach's team ... and the team Mom was equally as fantastic!

The thing I love about our local T-Ball season is it lasts only for the month of July.

He truly looked forward to T-Ball this year and is already talking about next year!

New Blog ~ ChasingFlavour

2011-07-28T07:25:00.003-04:00

My nephew Wade and niece Diana just created a hip new food blog

It's called ChasingFlavour

Together they will be sharing delicious recipes such as this goat cheese penne.

Yum!!

Stop by and check it out ~ here's the link:
http://chasingflavour.wordpress.com

Lego Loving Boy.

2011-07-26T08:29:00.003-04:00

Griffin LOVES Legos ...

He has a big imagination and can create just about anything he sets his mind to.

This is a creation he made last night ... it's Mr. Ferguson, Russell and the blimp from the movie UP!

I love the fact he will be watching a movie or tv program and step away for a minute to create a Lego creation related to what ever he's watching.

Can't wait to visit Florida in the fall because Legoland will be opening!!

Tubing!

2011-07-25T07:00:00.000-04:00

We had a fun adventure tubing down the river at Rock Springs in Apopka when we were on vacation in Florida.

Though I lived in Florida the first 36 years of my life I've never gone tubing before. So, this was a first for both Griffin and me.

I have to share this picture because it's the only picture of the tubes I got. It's proof we did actually go "tubing" because all of the water pictures I did get we are just floating and swimming in the water.

This is the boardwalk to the tubing area. Rock Springs is fabulous! It's crystal clear and very cold! You have to take a bit of a walk up to the rocks to get your tube in.

It was neat seeing the turtles ... it's definitely a natural area because we saw several different animals and birds there.

Our little snorkler ...

It's just SO pretty here!

Time for a photo op ... Pop, Mike, Griffin and Nana

Mike, Griffin and me ... notice I'm wearing shorts and a shirt? I did not wear a bathing suit because I thought we were just "going tubing down the river" and I was told to dress accordingly. There was a swimming are there as well ... next time I will know to "YES" wear a swimsuit.

Alligator Warning ... yes, there's warnings because there ARE alligators.

{Read on for more about that}

Pop, Mike and Griffin taking a break ... and Pop pointing something interesting.

Does anything look unusal in this picture?

See all the people around the edge of the water and no one is in the water?

That's because an alligator was spotted in the swimming area and they cleared it out until the gator decided to move on. Granted it was less than three feet long ... but it was still and ALLIGATOR in the waters in which we were swimming.

We had a great, great day in Rock Springs ... next summer when we go back we are most definitely going back!!

You Are My Son-Shine!

2011-07-22T14:57:00.003-04:00

♫♪♫ You Are My Sunshine ♫♪♫

Pop & Nana's House ~ Such Fun!

2011-07-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

When we arrive to Pop & Nana's house Griffin always says we are going to the jungle.

They live on a beautiful piece of property with lots of trees, palmettos, flowers and greenery everywhere. You even have to cross a bridge they built over the creek to get to their house.

They have many fun things to do like ...

Chasing the peacock ...

Taking a walk through the beautiful gardens ...

Swinging high into the sky on the tree swing ...

And of course lots of love and snuggles from Pop & Nana

American Indian.

2011-07-20T07:34:00.002-04:00

I just had to share this picture in it's own blog post ...

When we were visiting Pop and Nana at their house Griffin found this feather outside.

Nana was trying to find a headband to tie it around his head with the feather at the top and she couldn't find the one she was looking for.

Griffin saw this American Flag bandanna and said: Nana let's use this one because I'm an American Indian.

His sweetness gave us a good giggle!

Jasper And Oliver.

2011-07-19T06:29:00.002-04:00

Okay ... call me crazy.

Jasper's brother Oliver is now part of our family!

Yesterday my friend Sybil and her boys were over visiting. The man we adopted Jasper from came down the road and saw us outside with Jasper so he stopped by to say hi. I mentioned to him Sybil might be interested in adopting Emma (the Momma dog). So, he decided to go to his house and get her so Sybil could meet her. When he came back he also brought the other four puppies they still had.

Jasper was beyond excited to see his brothers and sisters. He was so happy running, jumping and playing with them. When we were in Florida he had so much fun with my mother-in-law Bett's dog Sara. I could tell he was missing her and feeling a bit lonely.

My friend Sybil decided to adopt Jasper's sister. Her name was "Flower" by the time she and the boys headed home.

I thought LOOOOOOOOOONG and hard about it ... and decided it would be nice for Jasper to have a playmate. I went back and forth ... all the while Griffin BEGGING me to say yes.

So, after discussing it with Mike that is how Oliver (formerly know as Mr. Fluff) came to be the newest addition to our family.

And now we are a family of five!

4th Of July At Grandma's House.

2011-07-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Grandma (Bett) had a fun get together on the 4th of July at her house.

There were quite a few people there ... Grandma, Tony, Pop, Nana, Uncle Ray, Aunt Terri, Shannon, Brayden, Mallory, Landon, Mike, Griffin and Me

The kids cooled off with popsicles

And of course there was swimming in Grandma's swimming pool

Mike took all the kids for a ride on Grandma's tractor

And these sweet smiling faces had a fabulously fun day together!

Super Excited ... Featured On Etsy!

2011-07-15T13:48:00.004-04:00

I'm super excited ...

Griffin's Rainbow Butterfly Embellishments have been featured in this rainbow treasury on Etsy!!

If you would like your very own set of these very pretty, bright and colorful paper butterfly embellishments you can find them right HERE!!

4th Of July Celebration ~ Winter Haven

2011-07-15T07:54:00.004-04:00

We were excited to see the fireworks in Winter Haven this year.

They had a super fun event on Lake Silver with bouncey houses, games, food, live music and fireworks after dark.

It was great seeing my brother Jerome and sister-in-law Bonnie. Here you see Bonnie and I looking in the camera for a "serious" picture not realizing Mike and Jerome were being silly behind our backs. I have to say ... this is one of my favorite pictures!

Griffin enjoyed the bouncey houses and snuggled in with Bett and Tony to watch the fireworks

Being with family is one of the biggest things I miss about living in Virginia. I think Griffin finally realized we actually have family, they just live in Florida. Here we have my SIL Bonnie, great niece Rossi (Wade & Diana's little girl), Niece Diana (married to Wade), nephew Wade, Liz (married to Scott), my brother Jerome and nephew Scott.

They had an awesome display of fireworks!!

After a fun filled time at Lake Silver we decided to stop by Andy's Igloo for an ice cream. I think everyone else in Winter Haven had the same idea.

An ice cream cone with sprinkles on top is a great way to finish off a super great day!

Common Ground Park ~ Lakeland ~ Florida

2011-07-14T07:57:00.009-04:00

We had a great time while vacationing in Florida.

My mother-in-law Bett actually came for a visit the week before we left and she and Griffin flew back to Florida so she could have some one-on-one time with him before Mike and I arrived. They went to Sea World, visited some area parks, went fishing and had some very special bonding time.

Mike, Jasper and I drove the 14 (loooong) hours to Florida. We have decided next time we are flying ... it's less than a 2 hour flight!!

We did many fun things and I will be sharing them in the next several blog posts. Yes!! I'm actually going to blog.

Bett found this awesome park in Lakeland. It's called Common Ground Park and it has a playground like I've never seen before!

They have a musical area ... and of course he's just like his Daddy ... he LOVES drums!!

We discovered this pretty butterfly bench nestled in the butterfly garden

Look how pretty it is here ... {sigh}

This park had everything ... this was a rope climbing thing-a-ma-jiggy

And the amazing HUGE traditional playset

Bett was relaxing under the shade trees so we went over to get her to walk through the buttefly garden with us. A lady offered to take a picture of us all together ... it's nice to be able to prove I was actually there!

Love this picture of Bett and Griffin on the butterfly bench

They even had faux grass hills the kids could roll down ... fun!

Bett and Griffin see sawing

It was such a fun time. If you live in Central Florida you MUST visit this park. It's located on Edgewood Drive in Lakeland. It's the park closest to Florida Avenue. Go have some fun!!

Back From Vacation.

2011-07-12T07:02:00.003-04:00

We just enjoyed a wonderful 10-day fun filled at home in Central Florida!

It was nice visiting our family and friends.

I have many pictures and stories to share ... and I will soon!

Fresh From The Garden ...

2011-06-30T08:21:00.002-04:00

Look at the bountiful harvest I've picked from our backyard garden

I can hardly wait to make some stuffed bell peppers (Paula Deen's recipe) and homemade salsa.

I can taste it already!

And looky here ...

It seems we are growing all kinds of tomatos ... I'm guessing ...

It's a boy!!

Everyone Needs ...

2011-06-23T07:23:00.003-04:00

Yes ... it's true.

Everyone needs their very own spot.

Jasper's seems to be the lower shelf on our kitchen island.

Wonder what he will do when he's too big to lay there.

Happy Father's Day!

2011-06-18T08:05:00.003-04:00

Growing up I had the BEST Daddy in the whole wide world!

JC Hutto was an incredible man. He was smart, funny as heck, hard working and the all around best father around.

He was from Alabama and a veteran of World War II. He was very proud of both.

I miss you Daddy ... I hope you and Momma celebrate in heaven on this Father's Day.

And I'm wishing a Happy Father's Day to the Glave fathers too!

Of course we have my amazing husband Mike, his Dad Ray (Pop) and brother Kevin.

Three amazing father's with their sweet sons!

I love this picture of the Glave boys because it shows three generations.

Mike, Griffin, Pop, Kevin and AJ

My husband Mike is an engineer. He specializes in automation and robotics. He's the absolute smartest and kindest person I know. He's a wonderful father and husband. Griffin and I love him to infinity and beyond!

Pop is a native New Yorker (can you believe that?) but he's all southerner now. He's a rockhound and enjoys the hunt of looking for treasures buried deep within the earth. He enjoys being outside and all things outdoorsy.

Mike's brother Kevin is a gunny sergeant in the Marines. He's also a member of the Quantico Marine Corps Band. We're hoping to be able to see them more often!

And a Happy Father's Day to my wonderful brother Jerome (Hut).

He's an amazing father and grandfather! He's been with the city for over 30 years (or close to it!). He's loves Nascar, his wife, family, kids & grandbabies. He's kind, funny and smart! The best big brother any girl could ask for.

I can't wait to see him in a couple of weeks ... it's been too long since I've been able to give my brother a hug.

I love you all and wish you all the HAPPIEST Father's Day ever!!

A Boy And His Puppy.

2011-06-15T08:14:00.002-04:00

We waited a long time before we decided to bring a new puppy into our family.

We were heart broken when our sweet Wyatt passed away almost five years ago. I just didn't know if I could ever love another dog like I did Wyatt.

The minute I saw this sweet little furry four-week-old puppy ... I knew it was meant to be.

He's fit right in with our family.

He's cute and very smart.

He'll be 7-weeks-old tomorrow and he's already whining when he needs to go out. Really, how many 7-week-old puppies can do that? Granted, we still have a looong way to go with the potty training but he's already headed in the right direction.

He's getting bigger by the day and he and Griffin are getting along famously.

So I'm thinking "Jasper Milo Otis Marmaduke" will be a very LOVED member of our family for a very, very long time!

I {Heart} Owls.

2011-06-14T11:50:00.002-04:00

This week has found me recuperating from my second bout of pneumonia. I had it last summer and I was shocked to find out I have it again.

Griffin and I are laying low and taking it easy while I'm on the road to recovery. Though he is going to a local pool with friends of ours today. I'm so lucky to have such good friends that will offer to pick him up and let him enjoy some fun time while I stay home and rest.

While I've been stuck in the house I've created some super cute new owl paper embellishments.

I {LOVE} Owls so much ... I'm not quite sure why. I think it stems from my childhood. I'm a child of the 70's and they were certainly very popular back in the day. I was thrilled when they were once again so popular!

The above picture shows the colors I have available. I have some cute little sayings to go along with them and also multi colored packs.

If you stop by my Etsy Shop by clicking HERE you can see all that I have available.

You can also bookmark www.missymadeit.com as that is a direct link to my Etsy Shop.

If you have a moment I would love for you to stop by and take a look ...

Congratulations Harley!

2011-06-09T08:19:00.003-04:00

My beautiful niece Harley Elizabeth is graduating from high school!

Murphy High School Class of 2011

Congratulations Harley ... we are so very proud of you!

You have your whole life ahead of you.

You can be ANYTHING and accomplish EVERYTHING you set your mind to.

We love you very much!!

Missy, Mike and Griffin

Ahhhhh ....

2011-06-07T07:42:00.003-04:00

Summer break is here and we are going to take full advantage of it!

We went to the YMCA pool yesterday and had such a good time.

Griffin had fun playing with his friends and I was able to catch up with friends I haven't seen in a long time.

We will have plenty of time for fun in the sun, trips to the library, watching movies, free bowling and {gasp} maybe even a bit of time for blogging.

I so look forward to this summer with my sweet boy.

My How He's Grown.

2011-06-03T09:29:00.003-04:00

This is a picture I took of Griffin August 23rd of last year ...

He was headed off to his first day of kindergarten

Over the years we've kept a growth chart of sorts on the laundry room door frame

I knew he had grown quite a bit but when I measured him this morning I was *so* surprised to see he has grown over three inches since school started!

I took this picture of him this morning before we left for school ... he's so excited to go to school today. I let him wear his slippy shoes which made him even happier.

He's sad school is out for the summer because he LOVES Mrs. Gordon and his classmates so much. But, he is looking forward to the summer and lots of fun in the sun!

So ... happy last day of kindergarten little man.

I love you!!

Meet Jasper ...

2011-05-27T06:26:00.002-04:00

We did it ya'll ... we welcomed a new member to our family last night.

Meet {Jasper} .... or Winston, or Marley, or Oliver, or Milo, or Otis ... we haven't quite decided on the name yet ... but the minute I saw him I thought he looked like a Jasper.

Just look at how cute he is ... and he's making a certain 6-year-old very, very happy!

His Doggy Momma Emma decided she would no longer feed the puppies so they were ready a little early. We are learning as we go ... it's been 16 years since I've had a puppy.

I expected to be up all night with him but he settled right in with Griffin's blue Easter Bunny and didn't make a peep all night. Of course he woke me up bright and early at 5:30 but that's okay.

Jasper ... yeah ... I think Jasper fits him.

I {Heart} USA Paper Flower Embellishments.

2011-05-25T14:51:00.003-04:00

The truth is ... I love everything about red, white and blue.

With summer here it seems we see more of these beautiful colors displayed together.

I created these pretty I ♥ USA paper flower embellishments with summer in mind.

They are listed right HERE in my Etsy Shop!

Earth Day.

2011-05-24T07:00:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago we were at Lowe's and they were celebrating Earth Day by sharing trees to plant.

When we got home Griffin asked Daddy if they could plant his tree.

Together they planted the sweet little sappling ...

Then Griffin took rocks to create a decorative circle around his tree.

This joins the other one he planted a couple of years ago when he was in the 3's at preschool.

Our front yard is going to be (more) alive with big tall trees in the next couple of years.

Love that!

Finally ... New Dinnerware!

2011-05-23T07:00:00.000-04:00

When Mike and I lived in Florida we were going to build a log home.

When we went looking for dinnerware in Orlando we found this beautiful blackberry china that would work wonderfully in our log home.

Since we moved to Virginia we sold our gorgeous property (complete with a pond and alligator) and we never had a chance to build the log home.

We still loved the china but after enjoying it for 10 years or more we were down to only five plates. If we had more than five people over for dinner we either had to use our heavy Pfaltzgraff stoneware or paper plates.

The last couple of years we have been searching for a replacement.

We could not agree on anything until we saw these ...

They are squares like Mike wanted. And they are not "deep" as I wanted. Most of the plates out there today look like bowls to me.

They are beautiful!

I love serving dinner on our new dinnerware ... and the best part is I now have over a dozen of them!!

Kindergarten Career Day!

2011-05-19T08:58:00.004-04:00

It was Career Day in Mrs. G's kindergarten class and Griffin chose to be ...

A train conductor just like on the Polar Express!

To create his costume we made a conductor hat and tie out of cardstock. He wore a white shirt and jeans. And his good friend Sam lent him the jacket.

We created "golden" tickets for him to share with the class and he took a hole punch to validate each of his classmate's tickets.

On the scheduled Career Day he was actually home sick from school. He had a sinus infection and missed two days. He was very sad to miss the actual day. But, his amazingly sweet teacher emailed me and asked could Griffin bring his Career Day outfit to school the following week.

I had one happy little boy on my hands as he left for school that day!

Her Name Is Lola ...

2011-05-18T12:14:00.004-04:00

This sweet girl showed up at our house yesterday.

She was eating food from our scrap patch and then she came right up to our porch. I checked her collar and there's no number on it. Then she suddenly disappeared.

She was back this morning. You could tell she's either going to have babies or she already has. I tried to get her to lead me to them this morning. She walked around our neighborhood and I followed her all the while asking her to take me to her "home" or "babies". No luck.

She disappeared down to our woods. I thought maybe she went back to her babies. But no, in just a little while she showed up on my back deck. She jumped up on the deck and it's pretty high. I'm thinking she's for sure had the babies.

I led her inside my house to the front porch and put up a child's gate to keep her there. I put a quilt out for her to lay on and gave her water, a hotdog and some cheese.

I called animal control and they came out. He said she's for sure had the puppies and he would do what I wanted. I couldn't let him take her knowing she has babies somewhere around. So, for right now she's still here.

My neighbor said she saw her near our shed. We think that's where the babies are. When her husband gets home from work they will come over and he's going to see if he can find them. I'm too afraid of snakes to look back there. Another neighbor shared some dog food and treats for her.

Anyway ... I'm calling her Lola.

And right now Lola is lazing on my front porch napping in the shade and she can come and go just as she wishes.

Sweet Happy Birthday Banners!

2011-05-17T07:00:00.000-04:00

Since reopening my Etsy Shop the creative bug has bitten!

I have a number of paper craft embellishments available that will spark YOUR creativity!!

Here's a couple of ideas ...

I have these adorable popsicle embellishments listed HERE. You receive a custom letter for each popsicle purchased. It's so fun & easy to create this fun banner! It can be used for a summer party, birthday bash and any other celebration!

On this particular one I wanted to keep it bright and simple. I attached the popsicles to ribbon using tiny clothespin that you can purchase at any craft store for about $1.00.

And how about a girly ice cream banner? My ice cream cone embellishments can be found HERE. Again, you will receive one letter for each ice cream cone purchased.

To create this banner you would use YOUR ribbon and tulle ... it's fun and easy! How darling would this one be for a birthday party, ice cream social or a sweet bedroom decoration?

The possibilities are endless!

So ... if you are interested in creating one of these yourself stop by www.missymadeit.com to buy your embellishment kits today!

Easter Sunday.

2011-05-16T07:00:00.000-04:00

Easter Sunday we had a fun celebration at our house ...

The Easter Bunny was very generous and hopped in and brought some fun outside play toys and candy to Griffin. Thank you E.B. for remembering him!

Our friends Carol, Hannah, Zach, Sara and Sam came over to spend the day with us. Carol made this amazing Easter Bunny cake. Not only was it adorable ... it was delicious too!

The kids played on the Slip & Slide ... they had SO much fun!

And then they hunted for Easter Eggs all the way down to the creek ...

Sara collected quite a few Easter Eggs and she's showing them off to her pretty Momma Carol

Mike took them all for a quick ride back to the house from the creek

And then ... it was dodge the waterhose time!

Of course when you mix the Slip & Slide, waterhose and dirt together ... it creates a little mud!

It's true ya'll ... a little dirt never hurt! Sam, Sara, Hannah, Zach and Griffin

This little muddy face sums up the entire day ... it was joyful, easy and fun!

We look forward to our third Easter with you all!

Special Delivery To England ...

2011-05-13T14:36:00.002-04:00

I'm super excited ... I shipped my first order to England.

It's making me feel all *fancy*.

I've shipped an order to Australia once and many times to Canada but this is my first international order to England!

My customer's little boy is celebrating his first birthday and the theme is "Baby Mickey". She asked me to make Trouser Mickey Tags for the front of the treat bags. The little "Thank You" scallops will be incorporated elsewhere.

I love selling on Etsy!

Not only is it waaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper than Ebay I feel it allows a stronger connection with my customers.

Stop by my Etsy Shop today to see what I have available ...

Here's my link:

www.missymadeit.com

Happy Weekend ...

He Made Me A Mommy.

2011-05-09T09:05:00.003-04:00

This little guy here ...

He's the reason I'm a Mommy and I love him so very much.

This picture was taken on Easter Sunday. The kids played on the Slip & Slide and then in the mud.

He's been sick the past week. First with a sinus infection. He missed two days of school. Then over the weekend he woke us up screaming with an ear ache. We took him to the pediatrician on Sunday (Mother' Day). Thank goodness for weekend hours. He has a very bad ear infection. He was already on antibiotics for the sinus infection. But somehow he managed to get an ear infection as well. The doctor said that was very unusual. She also said it's one of the worst ear infections she's seen. So, they changed his antibiotic and gave him a 2nd allergy medication to take daily.

He's home again today. Resting, watching his favorite movie Milo & Otis and eating popsicles.

Fingers crossed he will heal and feel well enough to go to school Tuesday.

Virginia Regional Festival Of Flight ~ 2011

2011-05-03T07:41:00.007-04:00

This past weekend we enjoyed a fun family weekend at the
Virginia Regional Festival of Flight Fly-In

It was a beautiful weekend, the perfect weather for this fun event!

Griffin enjoyed looking at all of the airplanes

And or course sitting in this military helicopter was a highlight!

Mike is the aircraft parking committee chair so he was pretty busy during the event, but of course he took time to away from his responsibilities to be with us

Griffin LOVED playing with these darling handmade airplane cycles

The children's tent is always a favorite visit as well ... look at this cute windsock he made

Griffin LOVES to visit Jenny in the tower

He helps her look out for incoming airplanes

The Spirit of Freedom a restored military aircraft actually used in the Berline Airlift was there. It's a flying museum and Griffin enjoyed visiting it.

We had such a good time ... we are looking forward to next year's event!

School Pictures ~ Spring 2011

2011-04-28T16:52:00.002-04:00

Griffin brought his spring school pictures home from school today.

Doesn't he look so grown up?

Where is the time going? Just yesterday he was an infant and he needed me for everything. Now? He's Mr. Independant and can do most things on his own.

But, he'll always be my baby. =)

I'm Still Blogging ...

2011-04-25T09:48:00.004-04:00

Hi ya'll ...

I *am* still blogging ... I have lots of pictures and stories to share. I haven't had time to look through my pictures to do that lately.

I will be back to blogging soon!

In the meantime, why don't you join my Missy Made It! community on Facebbook?

It is a bit easier to share pictures and such there ... plus I share my newest paper piecings, discounts and freebies too!

Here's the link:

http://www.facebook.com/missymadeit

Finding His Name In Flowers.

2011-04-19T07:00:00.000-04:00

We visited Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens for our first day of spring break yesterday.

In the Conservatory they currently have an "Alphabet Garden".

We decided to locate all the letters in Griffin's name.

It was great fun looking all over the Conservatory for all of the letters.

Click on the picture for a closer look. =)