*lyssa beth*

DIY Bench from Head & Foot Board

My bench is done!

So back in May..(almost a year ago!) I picked up this head & foot board for FREE from a garage sale. It was the last day and they wanted everything to go. I took advantage....

Anyways, wasn't sure what I was going to do with it.

It sat in our basement for months and months. Come October and Joe had had it! Our basement was turning into it's own thrift store. I knew I had a problem at hoarding so we started de-junking the basement. This set was put onto the chopping block. At first, I agreed since, seriously, when was I going to use this anytime soon? So it was put outside. But the thought of it being given away left me sad. There was just so much potential! So over Thanksgiving Break, I confronted Joe and told me I had a plan for this set and that I needed his help. My plan? Turning this into a bench for a large porch.

So somewhere on my computer, I have pictures that show Joe cutting up the foot board and screwing it onto the head board....but I can't find them. But you can imagine and see how we did it. We measured about 19 inches in on each side and cut the foot board. We used some Long screws to attach them onto the headboard. We then placed a piece of wood across the front to add support for the arm rests.

Then we went and cut up some boards to lay on top of the support wood for the seat.

Then we had our friends use their nail gun to nail those in place. They also reinforced the seat by placing a vertical board underneath the seat, as you can see in the middle in the picture below.
I also sanded then painted a pretty light aqua blue.

It looks wonderful on my porch. I love love love it. and glad it's done and outta my house :)

Linking up HERE.

Mid-Winter Break

Today was the first day of the mid-winter break. We have the rest of the weekend off. Best part is that Joe has it off too. Hopefully we'll something worthwhile!
Today, Emma and I (with the on & off help of Kate) made a snow castle. We got dumped last night so we had plenty of snow.

I'm going to be honest, usually I dread snow and playing in it with the kids. I don't know why, I just loathe getting dressed and being out in the cold. But today, since it was just me and the snow was perfect, I went ahead and sucked it up and went out.

And i'm glad I did. It was really nice. I ended up taking off my coat midway through. Pretty good workout.

It was cool to see it go up. sorry if the pictures are vague on how it looks. it was bright.

Tomorrow, I think we'll add some height to this baby. Maybe attempt a roof?

eCraft DT this week...

They guys, wanted to give you a sneak peek at what I made this week.
I made a pendant for my necklace.
You can find the "how-to" over on the blog!

Luke & His Room.

Remember when Luke turned his back on babyhood?

He seems to be doing just fine. His toddler bed upgrade has been successful.
Here's an update on what his room looks like now.

That's one RED wall, right? It came like that. And since we're renting, i'm not putting in the effort to paint. So Red stays. Luckily it goes with his "colors".

Here's his new bed. Larger than a Toddler bed but smaller than a twin. Got this baby for free from a friend :) I love his trunk. Got it for $3 at a thrift store. And his pallet shelf holds his precious books.

That globe? $5. Don't be jealous.

Before naps and bedtime, we read 3 books. I love that the books are set up where he can see them. So he loves picking the books himself.

He's a little camera shy ;)

He has finally chosen. He loves Pat the Bunny!

eCraft DT this week

Want to see what I made today? Head over to the eCraft Blog to see the whole project :)

At the home front, 2/3 kids have coughs that won't go away. I'll be missing MOPS this morning to tend to them. I look forward to snuggling on the couch with them and watching a movie or two...

What are you doing today?

Quiet Time with Emma

While Joe ran up to the office to work on some stuff, I found myself playing Dress-up dolls with Emma in her room. The other two kids were downstairs.
While we were playing school, I couldn't help but be distracted by my little Emma Beth.

She is just beautiful and smart. Funny and silly. Loving and creative...I could go on and on...

The thing about Emma is she's very strong-willed. The first few years with her were a little rough...(little is an understatement). Even a year ago, we were being confronted by her Preschool about her behavior and possibly her being kicked out.

Yet in the past year, she has grown SO much. She loves school. She is doing great with her Teacher. She's one of the top students in Kinder...lol hate to brag but...it's true.

Just so proud of her and what kind of girl she is becoming.

Now, she still has her moments, especially when Luke attacks or if she's not winning on the Wii...but

At the rate she's maturing, i'm not worrying about it as much anymore :)

birthday goodies

Besides Valentine's Day this month, there have been lots of birthday, mainly friends.

Want to share with you a few I made (with love ;) )

Some adorable button earrings made with the yummiest fabric by Moda. You'll be seeing this fabric again soon....

Next up is this adorable camera strap cover. I have been wanting one of these forever. But I always tend to make and give away the cutest things I make. And i'm fine with that. I know if I really REALLY want it, I'll make another one ;)