It's Time to Say Goodbye

Well, as it says in Ecclesiastes 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens". I feel like the season of The Path Before Me Blog is over.  I feel like there are lots of things that I am not doing well and blogging is one of them.  I just want to craft and not feel like I have to write about it.  I just want to enjoy my kids and my family and not feel like I have to chronicle it all.  Blogging was fun when I started 2 years ago and I have really enjoyed it, until recently.  It's become hard for me to get on and even enjoy the other blogs that I follow because I then feel pressured to write something at my blog.  That's not how it should be.  I am not saying that I will never write a in a blog again but I am going to close this one down and have a good blogging rest.  When it feels like I could enjoy it again then I might come back. 

So thank you to all the followers who have left me nice comments and have entered my giveaways.  I enjoyed sharing this time with you.  
Ciao!

Mother's Day Pictures

It's been over a week since Mother's Day and I am just now getting around to looking at these pics of me with my boys.  Not one of these pictures is "perfect" as far as everyone looking at the camera, or lighting and all that. But all I see is my life.  Constant action.  Being a Mother is my greatest joy and I am so thankful for these beautiful boys that I get to watch grow.  I am still in awe of the gift of my children.  God is so good.

Car Craft Tutorial - Scoop Ball

I know you shouldn't run with scissors, but are they allowed in the car for crafting purposes?  Probably not too safe.  However, I made sure to tuck them snuggly in my purse when I was done with them so they wouldn't become a projectile in the event of an accident.  Although my purse would probably be pretty deadly.
Anyway, this is not a post about car and passenger safety.  This is a post about crafting on the go.  I've been wanting to make this scoop ball game for awhile and have had the 1/2 gallon milk carton's taking up space on my counter for too long.  So I decided, that it could be done in the car on the way to Josh's baseball game.

15 minute drive.  15 minute craft.
Cost: less than $5.00

Scoop Ball Supplies

2- 1/2 gallon plastic milk cartons, rinsed and dried
1 roll of fun Duct tape
scissors
small ball

 Before you leave the house cut your milk cartons in half horizontally about 3 inches from the bottom of the handle.  Regular scissors cut this for me.  

Begin taping at the cut edge by folding the Duct tape over into the inside.  You may need to snip at the  inside corners in order for it to have a good fit.  My son Caleb picked out this flaming Duct tape.  There are so many fun designs and colors to choose from.

Then I just wrapped it around the carton and I did one strip around at a time.  So I would cut after I had gone around once and then start on the next strip.  

I used smaller strips for getting around the handle.  I had lots of wrinkles in my tape, it did not go on smoothly, but I tried.  However, I think it still looks pretty good.  

Repeat the process with your other carton and then find a ball that will fit inside without getting stuck.  This one worked okay but I think we are going to try to find one just a bit smaller.

To play scoop ball you need two players.  The object of the game is to toss the ball using your scoop and to catch the ball using your scoop (like Lacrosse?).  You can make up your own point system and rules.  We just like to toss it back and forth and then increase the distance for a challenge.  

My New Toy

This is the new toy that I had mentioned a couple of weeks ago.  I haven't been able to play with it as much as I would like but that's how it goes.  For those of you who don't know what this is, it's a  Silhouette.  A digital dye-cutting machine.  It cuts through all kinds of paper and vinyl.  It will even cut through material.  I've done a few simple things with it, such as making tags for teacher treats.  But I've also done some fun sewing projects with it too.  Here are some of the things I've been doing.

I used the pennant design to make the size I wanted and then I cut it out and used it as a pattern to make the pennant on this bag.

I did the same thing with this rocket.  I used the Silhouette to cut out the design which I then used as a pattern for this applique.

Again, I used an apple pattern from the silhouette to make this applique.

I used the vinyl to label my Sugar and Flour Containers.  I love the vinyl!

Here's a tray I bought at The Goodwill Store for 45 cents!  It no longer had any of the ribbon but, I have tons of ribbon so no biggie.

I used a black and white ribbon and then printed out "To Do" in black vinyl on the Silhouette.  Now I have a To Do List on my craft cabinet door.  I just used sticky Velcro dots to place it there. 

I found these dry erase crayons at Michael's and they are fantastic!  The boys use them on their dry erase boards and I don't have to worry about marker stains. 

The crayons worked perfectly to make my list.  All this was done for under $2.00!  The Good Will and the YMCA can sometimes have some good finds! 

All in all, I am diggin' my new toy!  I am excited about using it for scrapbooking next weekend! 

Looking Forward

Well, this week was full of just about one thing, cake pops.  I spent all my extra time working on building a display for 100+ cake pops and then in the making of 150 cake pops.  It's the biggest order I have ever done and I learned a lot in the process.  However after finishing those on Friday afternoon and then making 30 cup cakes for a shower that was this morning...I'm not taking any orders this coming week.  I need a cake break.  So this week I'm looking forward to NO cake! 

There they are folks!  127 of the 147 cake pops...3 of them didn't make it.   It might be a little tilted on top, but I think it turned out pretty great! 

The blue color was really hard to make.  

The customer ordered white and navy, with silver sprinkles. 

I don't think the blue was quite navy but it was close.

I did two cake pop bouquets for door prizes.
This was the small one.

 And this was the larger one.
I had fun doing the 4th of July theme!  

I know I promised some tutorials and I will start making good on that promise this week.  I have lots of new followers and I am glad that y'all haven't left me yet! 

Stick with me...there's good things comin'! 

Winner of Elmer's Craft Supplies!

Hello everyone!  We have a winner for the Elmer's Craft supplies!  Thanks so much to all who entered!

The winner is:

 

Emilee said...

I'm your newest follower.

emileenreynolds@yahoo.com

Congrats to Emilee! She has been contacted and has 72 hours to send me her information. If I don't hear from her by then I will pick a new winner. Thanks again everyone!

Tutorial's Coming Soon!

Want to know how I did this?  I'll be doing a tutorial this week. 

Don't worry, you don't have to be an artist...

 How about making an applique?  This one's on a bib. 

I'll show you from start to finish how to go from fabric to finished applique.

 I also learned a few tips and tricks on using iron-on vinyl.  

I'll share with you how to make a vinyl easy wipe-off bib.  

Only a basic sewing knowledge is required, that's the only kind of sewing i do!

So stay tuned to check out these projects (and more)!!

 

Egg Hunt

Here are a few pictures of the boys getting to hunt the plastic eggs.  I still think it was a dog that ate the eggs hidden the first time but so far we have no proof of how the eggs disappeared.  You can read that story HERE.

Anyway, the boys had fun and we had fun watching them! 

I had to get the boys to pose retrieving the eggs...

they were way to fast at grabbing them for my slow reflexes! 

 Simon wanted to open each egg because at his previous hunt there was candy inside.  However, Momma didn't put candy in these eggs!  I think he was disappointed.  

I love Caleb's expression, he's so excited that he found an egg!

 Searching....

Found one!

Josh

Caleb

Simon

Winner of Headband from Smile Like You Mean It

Thanks to all you guys who entered for the chance to win the headband from Smile Like You Mean It.  I am excited at the response that I got from having such a great sponsor and giveaway!  If you have an Etsy store or are a consultant for your own business and would like to sponsor a giveaway here on my blog, please send me an email.
moehend at yahoo dot com

And now, drum roll please...

Random #33  who was:

ani hearts japan said... I added her shop to my faves as Ani hearts Japan on etsy.


Congrats to Ani, she has been emailed and has 72 hours to contact me with her info.  If not then I will pick another winner.


Thanks again everyone and thank you Katie for such a great giveaway! The code : PATHB4ME for 20% off can still be used at the Smile Like You Mean It Etsy shop. Use it quick though because it expires on Monday! :)

I'm Sponsoring a Giveaway!

I know I said I was taking a break, and I am, but I had to let y'all know that I am one of the many sponsers at a huge giveaway going on at  Angie's Angel Help Network Facebook Page .  So go check it out and enter all the great prizes in her giveway! The Path Before Me Etsy Shop is sponsoring a prize of the "C is for Cookie" tote bag! All the directions for entering are there at her page! Good luck!

Winners will be picked when she reaches 2500 fans so go like her and then tell your friends!  :)

Taking a Break

I just wanted to leave y'all a note to say that I am taking a little blogging break for this week.  I'll be back to announce the winner of the Headband from Smile Like You Mean It on the 30th.  I have a lot going on and I have a new toy that I want to play with!  Have a great week!

The Disappearing Easter Eggs

The day before Easter, three little boys sat out on their porch and dyed 12 eggs.  The eggs couldn't absorb the dye fast enough for these guys, as they wanted an instant result so that they could stick the next egg in.

There were green, pink, blue and purple colors to dye them.

And fun rabbit ear tongs for grabbing the eggs.

One of the boys became very upset when he was told he could not splash in the colored water!  

Finally the eggs were dyed and put into the fridge to await the next days hunt.

The morning came with Easter baskets filled with surprises.

The boys took their time looking at each and every thing and

each piece of candy was held up and requested to be eaten.  

 After dressing in their super cute tie shirts that their awesome Mom made for them, the boys headed out the back door for an egg hunt.  The awesome Mom had hidden all twelve of the eggs out in the yard for the boys to find.  She made sure that she remembered where she hid each one.

The boys ran around looking for the eggs and as they ran past two hiding spots, the Mom wondered why the boys didn't see the eggs.  She began to realize that none of the eggs were where she put them.  They were no where to be found. The boys were ahead of her and so she hollered (because she is from Texas), "Did you guys find any eggs yet?!" and there were replies of "NO!" from all.

Every single egg was gone!  There was not a trace of an egg.  No broken shell.  No fleshy egg part.  Nothing.  The awesome Mom looked at the awesome Dad and they questioned one another about where the eggs could have gone.  It seems that they had just disappeared!  

The conclusion was made that an animal, probably a dog, sniffed them all out and gobbled them up! The doggy wouldn't know that it had ruined the three little boys egg hunt.  It would have just thought, "Yummy eggs!  This is the best day ever!"  Not realizing that later, he/she would be paying for the massive egg consumption... which the awesome Mom secretly hoped would be paid out on the owner of the dog for letting the dog run loose. 

 On the way back to the house, one egg was found.  

Just lying in the grass.  One little blue egg with a damaged side

from what appear to be teeth marks. 

Thankfully the awesome Mom and Dad had plastic eggs and the
boy were able to hunt eggs after all. And everyone was happy

....except the dog.