Decorating on a Dime Booth/Handout

A few months ago my friend Melanie aka "Stake Relief Society President of the Los Lunas Ward," called and asked me to come up with a "Decorating on a Dime" booth and handout for their September Women's conference. I was delighted to do so but found it quite challenging to come up with a good handout that gave tips on cheap decor and and also served as a framework for my booth. I realized that I didn't want to just give a list of inexpensive decorating ideas because everyone's tastes, skills and interests are so varied that one list couldn't really meet the needs of a lot of people. So I stepped back and instead looked at the problem from the perspective of what skills are necessary to be able to decorate on the cheap.
I came up with seven important things to know and skills to have: How to refinish, repurpose, rearrange, think big, be resourceful, paint walls, and have some basic woodworking skills. I came up with a thorough handout on all of those things and then also made a handout about organization and another with seven great tools to own for a beginning woodworker.
Then for my display I decided to show a few things that I had come up with (on the cheap, of course). I made another set of poppies and also tried out spray painting over a lace-valance-template. I bought some plain oak doors at the Habitat ReStore for a buck each and refinished them in two ways - stained and painted. I also used a tube from a mail-packaging store to make tubes for each of my kids to keep their homework and other important papers in.
Here are some pictures of my booth:

On the actual day of the conference I just stood there and answered questions about different things in my booth. It was so fun to see friends that I hadn't seen for quite some time, and it was fun to talk about things that I like to do. (Although I felt funny being an "expert" - I'm not.) In the end I wonder if it was sort of a flop, though, because I had so many people say things like - You made that? I could never do that. - or - I could never use power tools. My husband does that. - or - I'm not that creative... To which I would like to say - If you want it bad enough, you can figure out how to do it. And it might not turn out great the first time, but if you try enough, something is bound to turn out incredible and you will find yourself gushing with self-satisfaction. And you'll be hooked.

Anyway that's that. I would like to share with you a phone message my sister Amy left me after I emailed her my handout. This is verbatim:
"Okay so when you said handout I thought you meant like a little cutesy little handout...not like I'm putting on a seminar on amazing things that if you miss out on you'll be dumber and wrong and very detailed...It looks like you put a lot of time into that...I think you should join the PTO because you have spare time...Anyway, I have not read it, I just wanted to tell you that it looks amazing...and...I'm in my car, which is why I haven't read it..."

Ah...it still makes me laugh. I'm pretty sure she still hasn't read it, but that's okay. Awesome.
Anyone want a very detailed, long handout that is not some cutesy little thing that you might be dumber and wrong if you don't read? ;)

Balloon Fiesta Bust 2012

 Here we are - such a good looking group. We were bundled up warm, at the Balloon Fiesta Park dark and early with time to spare. We had gotten packed and loaded up and to the park like seasoned pros. And then the winds proved too...windy...for the balloonists and their crews and that was that.
Bust.
It's okay because we brought kites to fly. Amy brought this awesome dragon one...

 ...it refused to actually fly. We're still not sure if it was a mechanical failure or user error.

 Believe it or not, as the sky lightened it actually got colder so after much whining and sadness, we left the park without having seen a single balloon inflate.
Back at home the kids warmed up and hung out for a short hour before we had to head to soccer games.
Aren't Bekah and Sarah so cute?! Sarah had gotten her face painted the week before and it still wouldn't come off. It was an awesome little rainbow skull.

 Amy and I worked on crafts, of course. We made an adorable little fabric tote complete with pockets and zippers, and we also made this witch boot. (I found the pattern on pinterest, where else?) I would like to say that Amy loved this project, but she didn't. Well, she loved the finished product, but she didn't like cutting the paper to match the wood boot and had the gall to criticize the wood-cutter (me!). She was mad that I didn't cut it out exactly like the pattern so she could use the pattern to make the paper pieces. Hmph. I redeemed myself by finishing it for her before she left. And it's GREAT. So there.

On Friday night we were at the elementary school playground for Bekah's soccer practice. Joshua and Luke and I ran around playing with a football (still one of the greatest things I learned from cross country practice - how to throw a football), and Mikey and Beau rolled down the hill. Later Amy was running to get a ball and wound up taking a wood chip to the bottom of her foot. It went through her croc flip flop and into her foot. Yuck. At home I delicately tried to get any pieces of the wood chip out while Amy held on to Mikey for dear life. I think Amy thought she was going to die. She didn't. I said "delicately," right?
Anyway, the next day Amy and I decided to play a trick on the kids. We had bought a "gorey flesh" kit from Target and used it to make it look like the wood chip had shot out the top of her foot. We fooled the kids for about ten seconds.

Then they all got in on the action and became scarred zombies. Creepy, huh.

Luke's face was my favorite.

And that was pretty much the end of our weekend. The balloons were a flop but the company was great. The boys spent hours outside finding tarantulas, playing in the ditch and digging in the dirt. Bekah and Sarah disappeared into Bekah's room (aka "Ground Zero") for the whole time. Marianne was a terd, but a cute one who will like people more in a few more years. And Amy compensated for her whining later by forgetting her dual-waffle-maker. We've enjoyed it often, thankyouverymuch.

Santa Fe Autumn

Yesterday I took some friends and their kids with me and my kids to go see the leaves in Santa Fe. I had been informed by Taffy that they were spectacular...and she was right. See for yourself:

This is my favorite one. Something about the angle and the white trunks makes it look surreal to me...

Sights like this remind me of a scripture in Alma chapter 30, verse 44, "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it..." The artist in me was struck by the beautiful blend of colors, and realized (again) that Heavenly Father really is the Master creator.
Beau was an awesome hiker. We really didn't go far, but he climbed every little hill on the side of the path that I let him. Here he is showing off his muscles.

Beau, Marianne and I had a wonderful time. We're grateful for friends that are ready for an adventure at a moment's notice!

Arnold The State Police Pig

Rus and I have been married for how many years now, and I just learned of an important (and famous!) family relation...He is about my age, born in Gallup, and has survived years of being on the wrong side of a police revolver. But he can take it because he was made of a different metal that the rest of us. Really.
So to back up for a minute...years ago, Rus's dad Roger (then a state police officer), went to a welder to have some shooting targets made. It was then and there that Arnold was born to a life of dings, dents and holes.

Meet Arnold.
Arnold is a State Police Pig.  

And he's a tough old pig at that. He's had a few holes put through him with a muzzle loader but has since been welded up and is as good as new. He even has a sense of humor...
For April fools day one year Rus and Roger loaded up Arnold in the back of Roger's State Police Car and Roger took Arnold to work.  Arnold was placed outside Chief Taylor's office looking in.  When the Chief came in and saw Arnold he just started laughing. A pig born to take hundreds of hits now holds a respected and dignified post in front of the State Police Office. And here is where Arnold got famous: KRQE news in Santa Fe reported this story last Saturday:

Cops embrace pig they once shot at

Updated: Saturday, 22 Sep 2012, 5:19 PM MDT
Published : Saturday, 22 Sep 2012, 5:15 PM MDT

by Alex Tomlin
SANTA FE (KRQE) - People who think they're being clever sometimes oink at police officers or even more bluntly just call them pigs.
So you'd think that a pig is the last thing cops would want as their symbol.
But New Mexico State Police have taken the sting out of that insult by embracing it:
This isn't just any pig, though. This is Arnold, who watches over the state Law Enforcement Academy at Department of Public Safety headquarters in Santa Fe.
That's right -- where cops from all over the state spend time training and getting certified before they hit the streets.
Ok--let's address the, umm, pig in the room.
It's a common practice for pigs and cops to be linked. Usually police are not big fans of that connection.
"Pig was not a complimentary term for police officers, but they turned it around for themselves and now pig stand for Pride, Integrity and Guts," DPS spokesman Tony Lynn said. "And they love it. They absolutely love it."
This little guy stands for a lot and has put up with a lot over the years. He was originally made for target practice at the request of a state cop in Gallup.
He still bears the scars from there.
"He found his way to Santa Fe, and they put him outside of the office of one of the New Mexico State Police chiefs, Chief Taylor," Lynn said.
A few years later, when the state were sprucing up police headquarters, they let employees decide what art should be placed outside to represent the building and DPS.
"The pig, which wasn't even one of the art works up for vote, won," Lynn said. "They mounted him permanently outside the Law Enforcement Academy, and that's where he sits."
Everyone has embraced the little guy even putting a wig on him and saying he was undercover or dressing him up to look like a lieutenant or offering to get him a donut as they walk by..
No one knows exactly how long Arnold the pig has been hanging around headquarters, but officials say they plan to keep him there for good.

Soccer, Poppies, Lace, Gaps, Mud

The last few weeks have been busy. BUSY. It has a lot to do with Bekah and Jacob playing AYSO soccer for the first time this year. They both have practices twice a week at the same time at two different fields. Then they both have games every Saturday. [Can I insert here that gung-ho soccer moms and dads are confusing and intimidating to me? They are telling their almost pro-eight year old how to better evade the other team's defense and getting after them for off-sides. They own large and semi-effective shade equipment like over-sized umbrellas and chairs with built in shade-roof-things. Their kids also do dance and gymnastics. For a non-sports family, this all feels a little over the top...] Add to that other church and school obligations and BAM, none of us has any time to breathe. But life is still good. I love watching Bekah and Jacob play soccer. Bekah started off pretty aggressive but has since learned to be a little afraid of the ball. I think it has something to do with her getting hit in the face at a game. I'm hoping she'll gain back some confidence.

Jacob does pretty well. He pays attention, likes to have the ball, and usually knows what he is doing. It's a huge improvement over t-ball days (blah).

 

We obviously need to talk about looking where you kick the ball...
Last Monday we went to a park for family night and had a family scrimmage. It turns out that Beau is the one who really wants the ball the most. That kid is fast and pretty coordinated for his age. He will be so fun to watch when he's bigger and on a team. Hopefully between now and then he'll learn to not pick up the ball and run away when the other kids are being too threatening. Marianne even knows that soccer balls are for kicking. If I hold her hands, she'll kick the ball with her little feet.
Another thing that has been keeping me super busy is some prep work I've been doing for a "Decorating on a Dime" booth for my old stake's Women's Conference. I made a detailed handout (my sister Amy was amazed that it was four pages long and not some cute little thing...), and I'm still in the process of working on my display. I asked around to find a friend who wanted a wooden poppy wall art thing and then made it for her (she financed it), so that I could use it to show in my booth.

See all that mess around/behind it? I'm also trying out some other fun ideas from pinterest like using lace as a template to spray paint some wall panels and refinishing plain ol' oak cabinet doors.
Here are the lace panels. I ran out of white spray paint before I could do the brown panel. I think I'll trim up the sides of the boards...I think I like these...

I have really learned a lot; I hope people that walk by my booth will learn a little or at least be inspired.
Now on to other news:
It must be noted that Jacob has lost two teeth. I know the pic shows only one tooth missing, but there are two bottom ones gone now. Rus pulled the first one - and I mean pulled. It wasn't coming out although it was very loose and Jacob said, "It's okay, pull it again!" He really wanted his tooth money. Once it came out, he bolted down the hall to show me and by the time he got to me he was beaming - with a super bloody mouth. It was gross, and I told him so, and he wasn't phased a bit. He just washed his mouth out and went around with this goofy smile the rest of the day. He loves to tell me the foods he can and can't eat because of gaps in his mouth.

I also have to share that I did the Dirty Dash. And it was AWESOME. If you are not a runner and you want to do a 5k, do the dirty dash. It's basically a run for inebriated people, through the mud and muck and over/under obstacles, with lots of slipping and yelling. I say it was for drunk people because there were a good portion of the people around us who I am sure tipped the bottle before the race. They wore tutus and signs that said, "I've got the runs," with an arrow pointed down. I did the run with a couple of friends from church and we had a great time, despite the unbelievably cold weather that morning. OH, and the tshirt you get from that race is also AWESOME. It's blue and fitted. Need I say more?

I know, we look like cave-women. If you don't like mud or getting dirty, you won't understand and I accept that...
Now it's time to get off my fanny and go do some real work while the house is quiet...

Marianne the One Year Old

Marianne is officially one.

This crazy little fireball of cuteness and noise started out like this:

Adorable and sweet, alternating between hungry and sleepy 24/7.
And now she is the ladder-climber, the dog-tail-puller, the toy-stealer, and the mess-maker.

I am sure she knows that the box of straws holds close to a hundred and the box of baggies holds more than that. She can unroll a roll of toilet paper faster than Doc Holiday can empty a six shooter. She loves to play in the trash, splash in the toilet, and eat Colonel's food, and thus isn't too thrilled about washing her hands, washing her hands, and washing her hands, face and mouth.
The Bug's vocabulary consists mostly of Mamamama, Dadadada, and Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah (that's Elmo the dog's bark that she imitates.) She loves to drink dad's soda, drink real milk, sleep all night usually, wave goodbye, hug dolls and blankets and anything soft, practice walking, and did I mention make messes?
A few days ago I left her with a friend so I could go to an appointment, and when I returned she crawled to me, half crying, half yelling. I picked her up and she punched me in the shoulder with her little fist and then hugged me super tight. It was like she was saying, "How could you leave me I'm so glad you're back!"
She loves to play in the boy's room and aims straight for the ladder to Jacob's bed, which she will climb to the top and then stand there yelling because the last step is too hard. We have to put the ladder away so she doesn't climb it and fall, which she has done twice before. (Footie pajamas and ladders don't mix.) Since I am usually playing transformers with Beau, Marianne has taken quite a liking to his big Optimus Prime. She also likes the Buzz lightyear that spins around. She doesn't really like her own toys. She loves the time of night when all the other kids have to be in bed and she gets free reign of the living room. She loves to play and be tickled and chased.
According to the kids:
Jacob loves that she likes to laugh.
Bekah loves that Marianne crawls on her and that she can eat things and that she can do anything.
Beau's favorite thing about her is hugging her.

Marianne, you're so much fun! We love that you're a part of our family!

Rus and Keri Go To Zions

Just so you know, when you are married ten years you earn a trip away. I know this is not always possible because children are natural impediments to "alone time," but still. You have earned it. I earned it by putting up with Rus and he earned it by putting up with me. What made the trip enjoyable was the fact that we actually still really like each other. (It might even be love.)
The trip in a nutshell:
We left Monday and came home Friday. We spent one night in a tent at Jacob's Lake, three nights at a house in St. George, and at least 20 hours in the car.
Now the not-nutshell-version:
Cutesy showed up Saturday night. We spent a generous 24 hours with her informing and warning her of all possible "worst-case-scenarios," and then rushed off in a cloud of dust (yelling "WAHOO!") on Monday morning before she could re-think the whole situation.  
We rushed off in HER car.
That's right.
Gorgeous.
That's her name. The car's.
...with less than 7000 miles on it, well at least before the trip.
...in her fully loaded Ford Focus with every available accommodation including a slightly crappy navigation system. But it had Sirius radio with Blue Collar comedy, comfy seats, great gas mileage, and could really get up and go. (Not that we ever drove it like that. Promise.)
Right before we left my mom mentioned to Rus that she had just had it washed and noticed three and only three dings on the front bumper. Take that how you will...
Here I am the first night with Gorgeous.

Notice which of us was in focus? The Focus. Because Rus developed a slight crush - he's a sucker for bells and whistles. My mom also mentioned something to him about parking her far, far away from anything and we wound up in the boonies of every parking lot, giving deference to her shiny exterior and not my sore calves. I might have developed a slight jealousy complex by hearing my husband mention Gorgeous and not have it be me.
Anywho...
After Jacob's Lake (where they have a delectable restaurant and bakery), we headed to Zion's National Park, which is east of St. George. We pulled over to explain to my mom on the phone how to get Netflix (and the Transformer cartoon) working and Rus snapped some pictures. I was really there, but I look very photo-shopped in in this picture...

 We made our way down the very busy Zion canyon and took the shuttle up to the Grotto so we could go on a short-ish hike. (We had no food to our names besides an apple and some store-bought oatmeal cookies - that's why we kept it short.) Here is the Virgin River in Zion Canyon.

 We hiked up to the upper Emerald pools. Rus tried to get me to talk in a few pohnepain words (from his mission) so we could be foreign like everyone else, but I couldn't do it. Saying "hello," to hikers is reflexive for me; I was hopeless.

 The next day we prepared ourselves with plenty of food and half as much water as we would actually need and headed out to do a more vigorous hike. We chose the Lee Pass trailhead because it was on the west side of Zion's away from the main canyon and subsequently much less traffic. But it was still captivating and beautiful due in large part to the LaVerkin creek that it followed. Here is Rus at the trail head. I know this picture has that lens spot thing by his head, but it's better than the glare on the picture where he's not wearing his hat...and the scenery is breathtaking, too. No one but my hot-honey can (and does) enjoy hiking in a swanky button-up shirt. It breathes better than a regular t-shirt, fyi.

 About four-ish miles into the hike we heard the rush of the river before we could even see it. We had seen glimpses of the river off and on for miles but it was nothing like this. This was beautiful. It was my favorite part of the whole trip. We had lunch here, took a million pictures here, and enjoyed the water.

 Another picture from that hike...the sky was SO blue and the rocks were SO red, it was beautiful.

The half-way point in our hike was marked by the Kolob Arch. It was an obscure arch located .6 miles off the main trail on a much more strenuous trail than we'd encountered up to that point.

 This sign said, "Further travel not recommended." (Rus and I happily obliged.) Next to that, scratched in with a rock it said, "Kolob Arch, Look Up!" That is how obscure the arch was - you could be looking right at it and not really see that it was there. By the way this is also the point where we realized we were pretty much out of water. A forest ranger happened to mention that there was a spring nearby where some of them got water (and drank it without treating it). We decided to take our chances - the runs later was a more favorable option than three hours and seven miles of thirst - and we survived. The water actually tasted great, too.

This was the view when we finished our hike.

 The next day I convinced Rus to do something a little less strenuous. He made me pick the hike so I chose the Narrows, a super popular and thus super populated hike that was simultaneously breathtaking and wet. Very wet. The trail is the Virgin river. We moseyed up it for about two hours and then headed back and out.

 You should be aware that getting these pictures with no one else in them was actually a great feat, because there were people everywhere on the trail.

On Friday we drove home a long but pleasant nine hours. We were refreshed, rejuvenated, and excited to get back to our kids and to relieve Cutesy. She did a great job, the kids survived and we were all happy to see each other.

The end.

Please recognize that we actually took 417 pictures on this trip. You got 13 of them. You're welcome.