Shell Crosses

I made one of these before for a friend with shells I collected in Cancun, Mexico in 2008. Down south I noticed a lot of people with cross collections, no idea if that is the norm everywhere, but I made a few more with shells I collected when we went to Florida right before we moved north. 

Cross with a bit of variety. 

Cross with all the same type.

Cross with all white and splashes of purple.

If anyone is interested they are $7.00 plus $5.00 if they need to be shipped. 

They are equipped with a hanger on the back.

Christmas Keepsakes

As you might already know, we are military and were stationed in Gulfport, Mississippi when our daughter was born. We would take her for walks on base and I would collect seashells. Even though the base wasn't directly on the ocean, there were actually a lot of shells randomly all over. This is what I did with them. Christmas keepsake ornaments from the place my beautiful, life changing, amazing princess was born.

These are the four I have left. I'll sell them for $5.00 each if anyone wants one. If I need to ship it I'd add $2.00.

This was all of them. 

(Not my idea by the way I borrowed it from a museum gift store we went to.)

The back. 

Fall wreath

Here is a wreath I made for fall. The whole thing cost me maybe $5.00 as I got everything except the D at the dollar store. I have made 2.5 wreaths now. I say 2.5 as the one for Christmas I just added bows and stuck a Santa head ornament in the middle. 

Here are the other 1.5.

See, just bows and a Santa head. He isn't even attached, just hangs on the hook with the wreath.

I lived in Mississippi when I made this Mardi Gras/Valentines wreath. I used beads that Chris and I got at a parade the year before. I spray painted the foam ring and stuck in hearts from the dollar store. We moved the week before Mardi Gras actually happened this year.

Random Learning Activity Crafts for Mady

Here are a few things I've made her over the last few weeks to learn new skills and to just have fun.

Bath tub paints made with shaving cream and food coloring. I made some more tonight with baby shampoo and corn starch. She hasn't used them yet, we will see which works better. Also she will have orange in her selection. 

She went for the red the most. She's always liked red since she was tiny. She might end up being a lefty.

I didn't have much and I bought the corn meal special for this. An indoor sandbox. She didn't use any of the toys and she ate a bunch of the oatmeal. Hey, it's one way to get it in her.

She threw all the toys out, rubbed cornmeal all over her legs, and dumped it on the floor and sat in the box.

Parmesan cheese container with pipe cleaners. (Sharp ends are folded in.) She LOVES this, plays with it all the time.

Box with holes to fit puff balls in. She hasn't been overly interested in this one. 

I made her a chalk board from a piece of cardboard. I wanted to use canvas but couldn't find the ones I have in the size I wanted. She was very excited and of course, like her crayons the chalk soon ended up on every other surface, but at least it just wipes off. 

Doll for Christmas

OK, the doll is basically done. She is just in need of clothes which I am trusting to my mother-in-law once I get her the measurements.

I messed up on her eyebrows a bit, but I decided that's the squinchy look Mady used to do when she was tiny. And her hair...oh her poor hair.

I got it at Joann Fabrics and it looked so pretty in the bag. It's bulk and you either glue it on or sew it on strand by strand. Rather a pain in the butt. I got curly as I just have always wanted curly hair and the only straight they had was blonde. I opted to sew it on as when you are playing with the dolls hair you want her head to be soft, not full of crunchy dry glue. There is only one thing. I noticed it and of course when I showed my husband he noticed it and used a much more vulgar term than I did...

It looks like pubic hair. There is no other way to say it...unless you are a vulgar sailor such as my husband. It's soft and fluffy, but it looks like it's in the wrong spot. I'm sure it will only get worse as Mady plays with it, oh well! At least she won't know the difference.

Here are some pictures so you can judge for yourself. Overall, I'm proud of the doll as she is the first of this kind that I've made, and only the third doll total. As I said before I messed up her armpit a bit, but that will be hidden with clothes.