~easy studded earrings~

 I've been looking for pronged studs for a DIY 

project for a couple months. I'm not having 

any luck at my local craft/fabric stores and I 

think I'll have to break down and order them online.

In the search I did come across some cute 

studded shapes......in the scrap-booking department

at Michael's. The only problem is they are stickers.

Despite the fact that they're stickers, 

they are actually really sturdy.

They won't work with what I was hoping for

but they will work for a bunch of other fun projects.

Like this:

       I made these fun little stud earrings by

gluing an earring back to the back of it with

a dab of E-6000. 

It took 1 minute. They've become a 

fun little staple in my accessories collection. 

Now that I have these fun studs, I have a few projects

lined up that need a lil bit of be-dazzle!      

~teacher appreciation week-the rest of it~

 Have I mentioned yet that I am soooo

glad teacher appreciation week is over?

It kicked my butt.

Between the room parent responsibilities and

the projects I did for the committee responsibilities,

I was WIPED OUT by Friday evening.

Here's what my little guy gave his teacher

on Wednesday:

 A little mini rose bush with a trellis....

got it for $5.99 at our local market.

       

 Wednesday evening we went and decorated

the teacher lounge and stocked it with all sorts

of food, drinks, goodies and magazines.

These are some of the little sayings about teachers

that I made to go on the tables.   

 I took pictures of the lounge when we were done

but the pictures turned out not so great....

so you don't get pics of that :)

Just imagine a stocked fridge, counter tops full

of food, etc.  

This is what we gave my son's teacher 

on Thursday:   

 A "Smash Book" with this book mark:

 I got this free printable at 

Positively Splendid for the bookmark.

Click (here) to get yours. 

 I made a few of these little paper clips for the book too.

 We even did a page for her:

 She loved it.

I love Smash Books.....I call it the lazy

way to scrapbook. I've been doing books like

this for years.....who would have ever thought

a person could market it and make a ton of

money selling them? Wish I would have 

thought of that. Anyway.....it was $12.

Friday we bought her lunch so we didn't 

give her a gift. 

Also....Friday I delivered these to the 

teacher's mailboxes at the school.    

 At the beginning of the week I made packets

for each teacher's class. In each of these packets

was a questionnaire for the students to fill out about

their teacher. A student from each class was in charge of

their teacher's packet and the student returned it

to the office after they were filled out. That way

the teachers didn't have to be involved and could

be surprised. Once I got all the packets back

I went thru them, picked out any that had 

negative comments on them (there were only

3 in the whole school), printed up a cover sheet

and put them in presentation folders. 

Some of the answers the kids wrote were hilarious.

Like this:

That's it until next year. 

As much as I just complained about how

time consuming and exhausting it all was,

it was worth it. I hope the teachers felt 

special and realize how much they are

appreciated for helping us with our little ones.

I seriously don't know how they do it.

Thank you teachers! 

        

~my momma~

 It's no secret that I have a slight obsession

with jewelry. I like to think it comes from

my Momma. I have so many wonderful pieces

of handcrafted jewelry by my Mom and I think

today is the PERFECT time to share them with you.

My Mom has always had great jewelry. 

Most of it she buys but a lot of it she makes too.

The reason you don't see her wearing her

handcrafted jewelry much is because she's

always giving it away to us girls after she makes us.

With 3 daughters and 1 daughter-in-law, who all

happen to love jewelry, she's got plenty of

people who will gladly showcase her work.

Mom has always given hand-made gifts to us.

Since we were babies.

A Christmas just wouldn't feel like Christmas 

without a hand made gift from Mom.

When my Grandma (my Mom's Mom) was still

alive, it was the same.....so many wonderful

handmade gifts. Always special.   

She passed it on to my Mom.

Mom passed it on to us.

Naturally, as we've grown older, the gift content

has changed, but the love and thought put into

the gifts never changes. At this point,

us girls know each Christmas we will 

receive a beautiful piece of jewelry made by Mom.

It's something that we all look forward to.

Since I don't live in the same state as they

do anymore, I am usually the last to get mine,

often times AFTER Christmas when we go up there.

I always tell my sisters on Christmas morning as

we're talking on the phone about what we got,

"Don't tell me what Mom made us this year.

I want to be surprised!" 

It's not only Christmas. It's birthdays, Easter,

Mother's Day or for no special reason at all other

than just because she loves us.

Over the years she has been the one to put the

creative spark in me to make jewelry. 

I never attempted until she started to. 

Have a look at some of my favorites:

                 

       Turquoise and copper drop earrings.

A staple in my wardrobe. 

    

 Beautiful pearl and sterling silver bracelets.

We got the one without the charm two Christmas's

ago and the one with the charm last Christmas.

 Another staple in my wardrobe. 

Turquoise and silver bracelet.....

the big silver bead makes it a statement.  

She made this for Christmas 2010. 

 This turquoise bracelet with black fringe....

another favorite. Christmas 2011.

 Christmas 2006....perhaps the most special.

She made all of us girls a necklace like this.

The sterling silver pieces on it and pendant were from 

a necklace my Dad had given her, the last Christmas

before they divorced in 1990'ish.    

She kept it all those years because it meant

so much to her. She disassembled it piece by piece

and came up with this design for us.

It's one of my most treasured pieces.   

 

 This beautiful lariat. The picture

doesn't do it justice but the beads on it are

swarovski crystal and absolutely beautiful.

The beads are little tiny....it probably took

her so long to string this. 

A birthday gift for me about 9 years ago.

I had shown her one in a catalog I wanted

that was $75. Mom's ended up being prettier and

much better quality.....and so thoughtful.    

 This beautiful set of red bracelets.

In person the color is so rich that they

look like velvet beads. We got these for Christmas

the past two years. If you can't tell by the pictures,

Mom buys high quality beads and supplies.

They never look cheap because they aren't.     

 She made me these beautiful red and sterling silver

earrings for my birthday 2012. Another staple.

 I LOVE big earrings. I love long earrings.

I love to wear a statement earring and 

no other jewelry. These are one of those.

Some gorgeous dangly earrings.

These are some of my favorites she's

ever made me.  They hang past my chin

and I love them :)  

 Lucite earrings......wear these ALL THE TIME

when I can't figure out what to wear with an outfit.

 Fun statement rings made with buttons. 

I wear these a lot when I go out. The little 

clear one with the bling in the center is my favorite. 

This is the charm bracelet she made that goes with

the black and silver necklace. 

This isn't even all of it.

There's more.

So much more.

Although not all of it fits into the "expensive"

category, they definately make my 

"MOST VALUABLE" list.

Though I do so across many miles,

I celebrate my Mom this weekend.

All that she has been and all that she ever

will be to me. All that she's taught me and

all that's she's passed down to me.  

Not only the wonderful MOTHER that she

is but also the amazing, strong, independent,

creative, fun, compassionate and loving 

WOMAN she is....and for teaching me

in the best way possible.....

BY EXAMPLE.

I love you Mom.

Happy Mother's Day.