Made by Memilyrae

it’s Friday night. 9/9/11 at 11:18 PM. Stephen and I were watching “Made in America” on the History Channel. Stephen fell asleep and he has the remote. My heart is just aching. My chest is tight. My eyes are filled with tears. I have not seen most of these videos from 9/11.

A young girl asked her dad why they took the Twin Towers away. The men and women who put their lives in danger trying to help anyone and everyone – how do you thank them? How do you show your gratitude for all they’ve done? How do they live with what they’ve seen? What they had to go through? How did they get through that much steel? How could anyone survive?

I think about the Oklahoma City Bombing. I was in 6th grade. I remember watching the news watching the updates. I remember talking about it at church, at school. I count the children still growing in the womb of their mothers. 171. That’s the number I say. 171.

I was in college for 9/11.

I lived with my sister and her family. I woke up in a rush … I had a math test. My Brother-In-Law told me to come watch the TV…I saw but it didn’t register. I rushed to school. I took my test. I felt relief. Then I walked into the hallway. Students filled the hallways watching the TVs. Then I realized what was happening. That took over much of our lives for quite a while.

My thoughts are so scrambled and emotional.

I didn’t realize how many buildings fell.

I feel sad for those who were hurt just because they came from the same country as those who were responsible. Hearing the threats, hearing the stories of those who were attacked…hatred is an evil thing.

I can’t imagine what Sunday will be like. the 10th anniversary.

The Oklahoma City Memorial has this quote: “We come here to remember those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever. May all who leave here know the impact of violence. May this memorial offer comfort, strength, peace, hope and serenity.®”

A lot of stuff right now…

a closet converted into an office

my pantry organized (and painted!)

a counter shelf (built in) to hide the sink sticking out on our “island” and still have a space to eat. Seriously, why is the sink in the part that jets out?

shelves in my cabinets

curtains for my front room/kitchen (not sure what I want though)

I’m sure if you are local you have heard the sad news that the historic Provo Tabernacle burnt down this week. I think it was built in 1883. I saw this posted and thought it was amazing.

It’s my last prenatal appointment and we’re down to 5 days. I am so ready to have my baby…I’ll get to sleep on my back, not hurt when I change positions in bed, not have to stand for 10 seconds before taking my first steps to see if my pelvic pain is going to strike, see my feet again (yay!), and not worry about losing my pants as I walk up the stairs! Lol

So far little guy has been very active this morning…especially with all the noise of the other doc office under construction. My weight gain is ok and my blood pressure is high again…at least 2 weeks in a row…but they’re not too worried about it so neither am I! 🙂 I am “almost to a 2” so at least that’s an improvement!

I was able to have lunch with Steve – which was nice (thanks Annette) since this will be one of the last times we’ll have “alone time” for a while  – and tonight we’re looking forward to movie night at home with the kiddos. Honestly, I’m looking forward to when this baby comes, for more reasons than my selfish rants above, to having a new baby in our home, to seeing Evie and Spencer interact with him, and to have Steve home with us for a week.

A girl in my ward (13) asked me why I dyed my hair to blond…my response: “Steve said he wanted to date a blond so I figured I’d better do it or he’d find someone else!” Not sure if the 13 year old appreciated the humor as much as I did.

But, it’s true…I went blond and short again…I’ve been feeling very frumpy… I haven’t been “blond” since high school and right after into some of the college/single years. I was brunette before I met Steve so he has never known me with blond hair. I knew he wanted to see it sometime so I figured while he was away on business that I’d do it and surprise him.

My friend, Cami, does my hair. I had her cut it (A-line) and then came back for a color. I’m starting to get used to it…not getting taken back by the blond looking at me in the mirror…so it’s really starting to feel like it’s me again. LOL Here I am:

Are they too much fun or what!!!!

I was introduced to paper-mache Christmas ornaments from my cousin! I thought to myself “Self! Wouldn’t these be perfect for any Holiday!?!” For sure!!

Some whimsical painting and Halloween colors make these little guys Spookerific!

Here’s the “How To” low down…

What you’ll need:

• Those glass ornaments I’m sure you can find in your Christmas stash! If you need to go get some check your thrift stores first! I picked up a 24 pack for 50 cents!!! SCORE!
• A newspaper
• The magic Craft nectar MOD PODGE
• Paint
• Patience…the painting can take a while!
• Wire for hanging
• Beads for added touch!

1. Get your balls ready! (trying not to laugh over here!)

2. Take newspaper and rip it into thin strips. If you rip from the top of the page to the bottom, it rips super smooth and even. HINT: The thinner the strips, the smoother the paper will lay. Strips should be about 1/4″- 1/2″ thick.

3. Mix 1 part water with 1 part Mod Podge! Enough to submerge your paper in.

4. Dip each strip into the MP mixture being sure to get it completely wet. Using your fingers, wipe off excess mixture.

5. Start wrapping the wet paper strips onto the ornaments.

6. Continue wrapping paper strips and be sure to get the lip of the bulb that holds the top hanging thing.

7. Cover all of your ornaments completely.

8. Hang them to dry overnight!

Once they are completely dried you can start to get crazy and paint your heart out!

Get creative with your designs and patterns!

Add glitter and gems to add sparkle or cut out Halloween images from Scrapbook paper and MP them on! The possibilities are endless!

Add wire and beads if you plan on hanging them! I have mine hanging on door knobs and cupboard knobs throughout my house. You could also display them in a bowl or basket or jar just as they are!

Thanks for letting me share! Amy, you’re the best!

Okay, so I’m not sure if you’ve seen this yet, but it looks SO much better than Twilight! I’m so excited to see New Moon! Sadly, it was the book I disliked the most out of the 4 books, but I think I’m going to enjoy the movie. Ah!

Wish I had THIS LINK before my brother and sis-in-law had their baby (nearly a year ago..gasp!). You can find lullabies of your favorite band! Like Matallica! And Goo Goo Dolls…and No Doubt…and there’s TONS! (I even saw the Beatles Lindsay!) SO. FUN.

So I just made this newspaper article at THIS WEBSITE….

Here are the rules:

1.Be one of the first THREE bloggers to leave a comment on this post, which then entitles you to a handmade item from me – just a warning though – I’m mainly a digital gal, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be physical items!

2. Winners must post this challenge on your blog, meaning that you will Pay It Forward, creating a handmade gift -anything!- for the first THREE bloggers who leave a comment on YOUR post about this giveaway!

3. The gift that you send to your 3 Friends can be from any price range and you have 365 days to make/ship your item. Remember: It’s the Spirit and the Thought That Count!

4. When you receive your gift, please feel free to blog about it! If you are not one of the Top Three Commenters on this post, you can still play along. Go ahead and start your own Pay It Forward chain, and encourage your blogging friends to do the same! SO, REMEMBER…Pay it forward!

(Fun huh! I am excited that I have another excuse to be crafty!)