Three Kids, Three Furries and Yarn

Kid Rock Cross Stitch

2014-05-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

I have been working on this off and on for a while. Hoping to get it finished soon.

My awesome skull and dragon needleminder came from Etsy. :)

Influenster Spring Fling VoxBox

2014-05-24T19:15:00.000-05:00

My Spring Fling VoxBox from Influenster arrived today! Can't wait to try everything.

~ Playtex Sport fresh balance tampons
~ KISS Everlasting French nails
~ Nivea Skin Firming Hydration moisturizer
~ Softlips Cube
~ Rimmel London Scandaleyes mascara
~ Peach pie car freshener from the movie Labor Day

Soon I will post individual reviews of the products.

Happy Birthday to me!

2014-05-23T18:03:00.000-05:00

My hubby is awesome. He got me two Walking Dead shirts for my birthday and grilled me a nice juicy steak for dinner.

Another Kid Rock Drawing

2014-05-09T16:33:00.000-05:00

Progression photos:

I think this is my favorite drawing I have done of Kid Rock. :)

Norman Reedus and Brad Rendro Drawing

2014-05-06T20:18:00.000-05:00

Boondock Saints Cross Stitch

2014-03-25T12:55:00.000-05:00

I found these patterns online and just had to cross stitch them. Love me some Boondock Saints. I will probably add more to the first one at some point.

Help my dragon egg hatch!

2014-03-19T15:22:00.002-05:00

All you have to do is click the link. It will ask if you would like to join Treasure Trooper, but you don't have to.
Thanks!

Recent drawings (Daryl Dixon, Kid Rock, Johnny Depp...)

2013-10-28T16:54:00.001-05:00

Some of my recent drawings. Rather than get all of them back out, I'm sharing some of my Instagram photos.
Daryl Dixon/Norman Reedus...Love TWD! Used pencil and charcoals.

Skull from my hubby's Kid Rock t-shirt. Pencil and sharpie.

WIP-My Kid Rock shirt using charcoals.

Finished with watercolors and watercolor pencils for the flag.

Kid Rock's American Badass Eagle in pencil and pen.

Kid Rock silhouette with song titles using sharpies.

Kid Rock quote. Sharpie and markers.

Skull in charcoals.

Finished skull, roses, and web in charcoal and sharpie.

Johnny Depp! Pencil and charcoal. (I use a photo on iPad for reference..saves printer ink)

Captain Jack Sparrow using a plain old pencil.

There are probably more drawings around here somewhere, I do so many it I'd hard to keep up with all of them.

My Kid Rock Drawings

2013-05-21T12:51:00.001-05:00

This one isn't finished yet...need to get a gray sharpie.

And a quick sketch of Daryl (Norman Reedus) from The Walking Dead.

Kid Rock Cross Stitch

2013-05-21T12:34:00.003-05:00

The finished piece measure about 7'x7'. I used 6 colors of DMC thread. It took about 2 weeks to finish, working mainly after kids went to bed.

Nerd Wars on Ravelry: Ravatars

2013-05-21T11:26:00.000-05:00

I decided to join Nerd Wars on Ravelry for T8. Now, of course, I needed a new ravatar to show my team spirit. So, I played around a while last night and here's some of the ones I have got so far...

For some reason it won't let me make these smaller.

I will add more as I finish them.

Minnie Shawl

2013-05-03T10:30:00.000-05:00

Progress on my Minnie Shawl. The pattern can be found here on Ravelry.

2012 TrueBlood Swap on Ravelry: Package Received

2012-11-14T16:08:00.001-06:00

I am so happy to have participated in this swap again. These ladies are awesome and they come up with the most amazing themes for the packages.

Here is what I received!

Gizmo wanted to help open the package.

Everything taken out of the box.

My spoiler wrote an awesome story to go along with my goodies. They were all numbered so I got to read the story and open everything one at a time. The suspense was killing me, but I loved every minute of it!

An awesome red shawl. The pattern is "Vlad" on Ravelry. I don't think I would have ever found the time and patience to knit this for myself.

A handmade Fangtasia purse! And it is huge so it holds everything I need.

THE softest fingerless mitts ever! Made from sky blue mink and cashmere yarn.

A cute handmade bag, bracelet and stitch markers.

Glitter, Paul Mitchell shampoo & conditioner samples, a loofah, glass nail file, two polishes, and two lip balms.

Candy! Even some from the UK! Everything was so yummy...yes, it is all gone already..except for the drinking chocolate. I'm using it sparingly to make it last. :) Also, she sent the tea to help with headaches.

Homemade white chocolate fang candy too! Lots of them.

A black choker with Eric's "blood" in a vial incase of an emergency.

Two books. I've read through the Palmistry book. Yep, it pretty much says I am artistic and mothering. :) I can't wait to start Wicked Appetite.

Yarn! Malabrigo Silky Merino Yarn - 869 Cumparsita My first Malabrigo! And a cake of Sky Goddess Yarn in the Crave colorway. It is a light fingering weight. Both of these are currently on the needles and hook.

Orange ribbon and candle. And three TB buttons.

Everything!

I was so royally spoiled in this swap. I can never thank my spoiler enough! Thanks V!

The next post will be the package I sent to my spoilee because this one was so long.

We've Got Puppies!

2012-11-07T22:08:00.001-06:00

Bristol had her puppies Saturday night/Sunday morning. There are nine total and are a border collie x german shepherd mix.
-One looks like Bristol and one like Bear, the daddy.
-Five are mostly black with some white (bellies and/or paws and tips of tails).
-Two are white with a couple black spots and brown faces.

Bristol has been a great mommy taking care of them.
Here they are only hours old:

And three days old:

A few close ups:

These babies will be 6 weeks old on December 16th and ready for a forever home in time for Christmas. I will hate to see them go, but we can't keep them all, just one...which will be hard to decide.

A few new Franken polishes I mixed up...

2012-09-15T21:24:00.001-05:00

A deep bloody red with lots of red glitter. "Cocktails with The Viking"...thanks to my True Blood group for helping me with the name.

A light pink base with an assortment of glitter colors. Hubby helped me think of the name "Birthday Girl". Although it could be called "Sookie" lol

Clear base with mainly silver and blue glitters of all sizes and shapes. This one doesn't have a name yet...Thinking "Satellite" maybe...Or "Lafayette" to keep with the TB references..;)

Red base with red, green, silver, and gold glitter. This is also unnamed right now. Obviously, it needs to be something Christmas-y.

Have you ever made a Franken polish? How did it turn out?

Firepit Giveaway!

2012-08-24T14:52:00.000-05:00

I would love to win this for our backyard! Head on over to enter.

This is just awesome. (RAOK)

2012-08-07T13:24:00.001-05:00

I was wasting time on Pinterest a few minutes ago and came across a pin that was about random acts of kindness. I followed the link and wow, I am amazed by this post on Tickles To Giggles-What a Ride!

What am awesome way to teach kids the importance of being kind. Very inspiring! I'm going back to read more of her posts right now.
~April

Silly Kiddos

2012-07-30T19:31:00.001-05:00

Being silly while Daddy was in the store.

Memphis showing me her piggies. Lol.

~April

Dots! Dots! Dots!

2012-07-23T18:02:00.001-05:00

I let Memphis pick out my polish today. She chose Revlon Top Speed in Grape...along with a rainbow of KleanColor neons.
Finished: colors are way more bright IRL.

These are very bright in person: (note to self, need a purple and blue neon)

Base color: it kept photographing very dark, almost black...so I adjusted the image to make it look more like it looks in person..

Mmm, grape: (see how dark it looks without any good lighting)

Wonder what colors Memphis will pick next! :-)
~April

Vampy French Nails V--V

2012-07-22T23:49:00.001-05:00

Playing around with polishes today...
Wet ‘n Wild: Black Creme
Creative: #289 Royal Crime (under the holo polish)
KleanColor: #230 Chunky Holo Fuchsia (got this for $1 at the local monthly flea market)

W'nW: this is awesome. I can easily do only one coat and it covers so well! (You can tell I use it a lot...sticker is wearing off.)
KleanColor: Very pretty pink with holo (that is pink, orange, & yellow).
Creative: I've had this for a long while and it is more of a shimmery purple/red with coppery tones. Can't see it well in this pic though.

Look at the holo! Not the best shot...

This is better...See the pink/orange/yellow! Very pretty.

And you can also see the lumpiness from a smudge on my thumb. Grr. Guess I will be changing polish again tomorrow...

True Blood Season 5

2012-07-17T14:31:00.000-05:00

Well into season 5, True Blood is definitely capturing my attention. There is so much going on in every episode that I have to watch it more than once.

****Spoilers...****

~ Bill: What is up with him? He seems a little "off" this season. And I'm not talking about from all the crap he and Eric are going through with the Authority. It's like he has a hidden agenda....?
~ Hadley & Jason: So, Hadley is trying to make Jason (& Sookie) believe that Vamps killed their parents...Honestly, I think that the light-fingers blow that Jason & Andy took had something to do with Jason now beginning to make little anti-vamp comments. And the flashback with their parents on the bridge...hmm..could be anyone, really, at this point.
~ Alcide: He finally gets a chance with Sookie, and it's screwed up. Now, he is finally taking on the roll of pack master. The fight with the interim pack master should be good.
~ The Authority: Ok, sorry but this is kind of boring to me. Roman...just isn't capturing my attention. And with the most recent episode, he may have met the true death by Russel Edgington. However, Roman didn't burst into goo....and on IMBD it states he is in 11 episodes, I believe. So, unfortunately I don't believe he has met the true death just yet. And what is up with the tall black guy killing everyone on the bus?
~ Sookie: My goodness. She has cried in every episode thus far. Girl, get your crap together! She ruined it with Alcide by puking on him...not that Bill & Eric wouldn't have interrupted anyway. She is really getting on my nerves a bit more this season.
~Eric: We have learned he has a sister (by Godric) and cares for her. Then makes the statement that he will be at her execution or something like that. And with all kinds of other comments it makes you wonder where his allegiance really lies. He glamours Alcide & tells him to always look out for and protect Sookie...then, tells him she disgusts him romantically. I'm thinking Eric still cares for Sookie...in his own way. Maybe we haven't seen the last of them together. But, if they are eventually together I really hope it's a lot better than last time. Remember the snow scene..yeah, that royally sucked. Lots of people that read the book were hoping for more along the lines of the shower scene from book 4. Alan sure knows how to make us happy & piss us off at the same time.
~Jessica, Tara & Hoyt: I never cared for the old Tara. Now, Tara as a vamp is beginning to grow on me...a little. Jessica wanted to be vbf's but, after the scene with Hoyt...ain't going to happen. I think Hoyt was right when he told Jess that she still has feelings for him. She just doesn't want to admit it. And now poor Hoyt has been abducted by the shifter-killers...they even called him by name when they killed the vamp that was feeding on him.
~Pam: I love that she is a maker now and owns Fangtasia. I think she could be a bit nicer to Tara but hey, that's why I love Pam. She says what she wants and doesn't care what anyone thinks. Plus, she never has a bad clothes day ...unless you count the sweatsuit she wore when turning Tara. I really hope she & Eric come back together. They have such great chemistry on screen.
~Layfatette: Love him. But, where the heck is Jesus? I'm thinking Jesus' grandfather knows where the body is...and I think the Bruho demon thingy may have had something to do with the disappearance as well. LaLa had seemed more worried about Debby Pelt than finding Jesus' body. Now, after seeing Jesus' head with his lips sewn together, maybe he will start trying to find answers. And he really needs to learn to control the demon (ex: Sookie's car and the bleach in the food). Oh, and love LaLa's mom. She is hilarious.
~Arlene & Terry: After all they have both been through, they deserve to be happy. But, in AB's world of TB, no one can be happy for long. I don't really care for the Ifrit smoke monster storyline. It just takes away from other scenes we could have...unless they tie it in with something else..which I doubt will happen. Anyway, I'm hoping they figure out a way to break the curse and Terry can come back to Arlene...and we can have longer scenes with the vamps.
~Sam, Luna, & Emma: What the crap! Someone is killing shifters. The guy that owns the anti-vamp store is definitely up to no good. He is obviously a part of this whole thing. But, Sheriff Andy won't be able to question him because Sam shot him. Andy thinks Sam saved his life, but..duh..the guy was actually going to shoot Sam. I hope they find these guys quickly. Luna is growing on me. And Emma..how cute is she as a wolf pup?

Ok, so I put together a list of links that I found and have been reading lately.
http://true-blood.net/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844441/
https://www.facebook.com/TrueBlood
https://www.youtube.com/user/trueblood
http://www.inside-true-blood-blog.com/
https://www.twitter.com/TrueBloodHBO
http://connect.hbo.com/true-blood/
http://store.hbo.com/?v=hbo_shows_true-blood
http://www.babyvamp-jessica.com/
http://truebloodnet.com/
http://www.trueblood-news.com/
http://www.ericnorthman.net/
http://www.trueblood-online.com/

So, what do you think of the season so far? What do you not like? What would you change if you could?

~April

imPRESS Press On Manicure

2012-07-11T14:47:00.001-05:00

Today's post is all about the Broadway Nails imPRESS Press-On Manicure that I received in my MomVoxBox from Influenster.

I received a nice, very shiny purple color in my box. Now, I have used press-on nails before and they didn't ever stick very well for me. So, I was a little apprehensive that these would stay on for even a couple days.

The directions are very simple to follow. Just pick the size that fits your nail, peel off the plastic from the back (there is a tab to make it easy), and press onto your nail. Keep pressing for about 30 seconds to ensure it adheres well. Then, repeat for the remaining nails. After you are finished try not to get your nails wet for a while, maybe even a few hours.

I applied mine in well under 10 minutes. These would be great for last minute manicures before an outing with friends! I wore mine to a friend's baby shower.
The package states:
~No drying time...yep, no wet polish to deal with
~Easy removal & won't damage your nails...yep, my nails looked good. No peeling or anything.
~No glue needed....yes, love this part because I always manage to get glue on my fingers.
~They can last up to a week...mine lasted about 5 days. But, I'm a mom who has her hands in water washing things constantly. But still, I was impressed they lasted that long.

The imPress nails come in 36 colors and patterns. You can see them all at http://www.blogger.com/www.impressmanicure.com . You can also download an exclusive coupon from their website and virtually try on the different colors and patterns!
These nails cost $5.99 for solid colors and $7.99 for the patterned nails. They can be found at CVS, Rite Aid, K-Mart, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, etc.
I can't wait to use my coupon that came in my MomVoxBox to purchase a new set. I really like "Lil Drumr Grl", "Dancing Queen", "Holla!", and "Over The Moon". Now I just have to decide which one I want to get!
You can learn more about the imPress Manicure at these links:
Http://www.facebook.com/bwaynails
Http://www.twitter.com/bwaynails
Http://www.youtube.com/bwaynails
~April

Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster and Broadway Nails as a participant in the MomVoxBox Campaign.

The Many Uses of Ivory

2012-07-10T10:51:00.000-05:00

Today I am going to review the Ivory Bar Soap that I received in my MomVoxBox from Influenster.
I have always had positive thoughts on Ivory soap. My grandmother used to buy it when I was little.

The smell is nice and refreshing. When I used the soap, it left my skin feeling clean and fresh. I did not get the slimy feeling when using it, like I have experienced with other soaps. You know the feeling...it's like you have to keep rinsing and rinsing to get the slimy soap feeling off. Yep, I didn't experience that with the Ivory soap. Also, it didn't leave my skin feeling dry afterward.

My three children also tried the Ivory soap. The liked that it floated in the bathtub (because it is 99.44% pure). So, I did end up having to take it away because I didn't want them wasting it while playing with it in the bathtub. One of my sons has eczema and this soap did not aggravate it. And that is always a good thing.

Ivory soap is more than just a body and facial cleanser. Did you know that Ivory can be used as a stain remover for clothes? You can also grate it into flakes for homemade laundry detergent (use the bar for handwashing delicates). I have also heard that if you put Ivory soap into the microwave, it will puff up like a fluffy cloud! I see a homeschool science experiment in the future! And, if you are crafty with a knife, you can carve it into cute animal shapes! (Photo was found on Ivory's Facebook page.)

Ivory bar soap can be purchased for $4.27 for a 10-pack of bath size bars. Yes, I said a 10-pack! I think this is a great value. It is actually one of the least expensive soaps on a per ounce basis. Plus, it has been around for over 125 years! Ivory even created their Facebook page as a community so moms can share their tips and tricks with other moms as a way to help things run more smoothly at home.

You can find out more about Ivory Bar Soap by visiting these links.
Ivory on Twitter
Ivory on Facebook
Ivory on YouTube
PGestore

~April
Disclaimer: I received this product complimentary for testing purposes from Influenster and Ivory as a participant in the MomVoxBox Campaign.

Wildfires

2012-07-02T08:00:00.001-05:00

With all of these wildfires across the country, it's scary to realize that it could happen anywhere. We recently had two different fires breakout in our area. However, they were extinguished after a few hours. Still, they consumed a few acres.
I came across a wildfire post over on Preparedness Pantry's Blog. It includes things to do before, during and after a fire. Check it out!
Wildfire Outbreaks Nationwide: Are You Ready?

~April

Hello Kitty + Pillowcase Dress = Cuteness!

2012-07-01T18:38:00.001-05:00

My 2-year-old is officially obsessed with Hello Kitty already.
She has hairbows, a necklace, a pillow, plastic rings, etc.
I have been meaning to make her a pillowcase dress for a while now... so I figured why not make one with Hello Kitty on it. However, I didn't have any HK fabric...only a white sheet that my husband got me for sewing a while back.
Insert lightbulb moment...I decided to just use fabric paint.