Ronald Mc Donald House- Home Away from Home

Nick Gets De-Ported!  No more Chemo!

Hey Everyone!  I just realized that the last time I wrote from Mc Donald's House we were back at my Very First Blog!!!  Back when we repainted Dr Cohen's Office and I started Putting my Canvases in there, which kind of Started this whole thing!

Today was A Big Big Day- 

Nick's Labs all came out Clear and Fabulous (White Sheet). He is having surgery to have his Port Removed which means No More Chemo!! (Yellow Sheet).  We're Staying at Mc D's House (Orange Band) AND- I had my First Cup of Big Girl Coffee from Starbucks!  And I actually Ordered by myself!!

Praise the Lord all his Counts came back Fantastic and he is all clear!  We don't even have to come back or do labs for 6 weeks!  Yay!  

Remember this anyone?  Flashback! This is in Dr. Cohen's Office..

Here's a quick Peek at Ronald Mc Donald's House- our Home Away from Home!

Ya- this was voted the Creepiest Pic at the House- God bless whoever Quilted it's 5 foot by 5 foot Glory...The Little ones love it...The adults are sure the eyes are following you whenever you try to steal cookies from the Ronald Mc Donald Shaped Cookie Jar...

Here is Nick carrying in Supplies:)  We were blessed to stay in Apartment #41 this time so we get to have Food with us.  Most of the Units are just Beds and Bathrooms and you eat in a Communal Kitchen with your own little Cubby and Shared Fridges.  This unit has a Full Fridge...Score!  Ikea bags...priceless!

Here he is in the Main area of the Apartment- they have a little Kitchette to the right so when you are staying for weeks at a time you can cook your own meals.  

There's two Bedrooms you can see in the back there- one Master with a Queen Size and a one room with 2 Twins so even with Nathan we all fit:)

Here's the boys in the Living Room area- A Couch AND a chair this time:)  Usually we are in 42, and Nick and I sit in eachother's laps on the little love chair:)

Here's Yet Another Amazing Thing about Mc Donald's House.  Today after a day of Hospitals, IV's, Surgery, Cold Coffee and living off of Vending Machines...we can go at 6:00 and Some Blessed, Blessed volunteers have made a Home Made Dinner.  It's Amazing.

If you ever wondered what to do for someone who is struggling with a Medical Condition, chemo, or really Anything else, a Home Cooked Meal is SO amazing.  I can't say enough about it.

Here's the Shared Kitchen area.  There are 3 stoves, 3 Microwaves, 4 Refrigerators and everything normally in a kitchen times about 70:)

Here are the Amazing People who made us dinner on Wednesday Night- They just happen to be the Wonderful Folks who Sponsor and Maintain Apartment 41!

And Suprise!  The Dback's came in and Re-Furbished the whole Play area! Nick and Nathan have been playing here for the last 6 years!  Ya- they were on the slide just a few months ago folks...:)

Well, it's been a long day and I just woke up from my "It's-finally-over-and-he's-fine" crash on the Couch next to him while he came out of Anesthesia:)  So I'm going to sign off and say Thank you so much for all your prayers- all the Facebook, Twitter, Google and Instagram Love and God Bless you all!

Love to All!

Right Brain Planner- Focus and Priorities

My Right Brain- A Radical Departure!

So last week,  I shared my new "To Do- Ta Da!" Open Project Board....This is where I'm keeping track of all my Craft Fair Goodies.  

I am happy to Report that Progress has been made!!  I added a little more "Halloween-y" Color and Let me tell you!  You thought checking things off a List feels good....Baby- you gotta try Moving these papers from one side to the Other...and then Stabbing a Thumb Tack right through it's paper heart!!!!!

But I digress....:)

So what has been the difference this week?  Why am I finally getting things done?

Remember Last week's ADD list of "To Do's and Goals"?

I had WAY too much on there.  Why do we do this to ourselves?  Instead of a practical list of things that could reasonably be completed in 24 hours, we end up writing this Enormous Fantasy List of Everything we have ever Dreamed of getting done.

Then- no Matter how many things we do- we are still 'Failures' because we didn't check Everything off.  Anyone pickin' up what I'm laying down here?

Anyway, I ended up Really Stressing myself out. AND- I literally got Nothing on the Art 'To do' list done because I put so much time on the "House Work", "School Work" "Yard Work" lists I ended up working til 9pm and never getting to what I really wanted to do.   Sound Familiar?:)

By the Weekend I was completely Frazzled and had to Apply Multiple "Emergency Dog Walks" and forced Cat Naps....I even sat in a tree for an hour...which always does the trick.

After Much "Tree Prayer"...this is the New To Do List I came up with

Scandalous!!!  

One thing at a time?  What Madness is this? 

So I decided to Try something New...

This Monday- I put my Creative Stuff First.  Shocking- I know!   Trust me- I was pretty suprised myself!

But Instead of Working Furiously all day Hoping I would have time left over to do Art...I tried doing Art First....I was terrified!

Monday is my Cleaning day.  I knew for Absolutely sure that If I didn't Start off with cleaning- I would be on "Hoarders: Buried Alive" by 5 pm that night.  

It's the only Logical Conclusion...

Could I risk it?

I also took the advice of my Amazing Hubby, whose been telling me for years to 'Choose 2 things'.  He's one of the Most Organized and Productive People I know, but we are Very Different Folks. First, I'm a Chick...designed by God to Multi Task...and then there's the Raging ADD....but I pressed on...

 I chose 2 things:  

1)  Finish Owls

2) Blog about the Owls

Both of these were Achievable Goals- as the Owls were almost done.

Now- the REST of my To Do List:  The House Cleaning, Laundry, Mopping, Dusting, Dinner Planning, Home School Overseeing, Goat Emergencies...all were calling to me.  I had to FIGHT to stay on task.

But Lo and Behold!  At the End of the Day.....

Five new Baby Owls!  And you can check them all out because I actually Photo'd, edited and Blogged about it!  Boo-yah!

And to my Amazement...the House even got Cleaned!  Not Perfectly mind you...and not as Clean as I usually like to have it.  But I live by these Words of Wisdom spoken by my "Oracle of Orginization"...The Fly Lady.

"Housework Done Imperfectly still Blesses your Family"

-Fly Lady

I love this Woman!

The fact that I Mopped on Tuesday instead of Monday did not cause the Planets to Fall out of Orbit...

Hmmm....

And at the end of the day I had that "I created something totally Unique" feeling... I had a passably clean Home...and my Children were fed and did in fact have Clean Underwear.

The Moral of the Story?  Prioritize what you Love. 

 Can I do it two days in a row?  

Tune in and find out:)

Love to all!

Craft Fair Owl-a-pa-looza

Owly Craft Fair Goodness!

So as you know,  my Craft Fair is coming soon- and I as am pretty much Obsessed with Owls lately- I made a few for the Fair...

This batch is on 'Upcycled' wood that I have Rescued from Thrift Shops and now- they live again!!

Here they all are for an Inventory Shot...

So here are a few Close Ups so you can get your 'Owl Fix' for the day:)

Each one is different....they are about 8 inches by 6 inches.

I actually made most of these last year- but they didn't have all the embellishments and quotes on them.  I sold out of Owls quickly last year- but you never know!

Today I'm working on a larger Canvas because I want to include one of my Favorite Verses...

Ok- I'm off to Walk the Dog, Hit the Exercise Bike- then Lock myself up in my Studio...we'll see if I make it!

Love to All!

Baby Owl Delivery! Mixed Media Canvases

Hoot if you Love Baby Owls!!!

Here's a Sneak Peek at the New Deliveries- Soon to be in my Etsy Shop Molly Lolly Loo:)

Many of you know of my Owl Obsession- If you have ever been on my Pinterest Boards you will Quickly Realize that I tend to Stalk Anyone who shows an interest in the Little Creatures!

It's been dreaming of making Little Baby Owls out of my 6 x 6 Canvases that I got from Blick.  

So, after weeks of trying to get Time to get to them...then fussing over the Design...fussing over the Colors-- then just plain FUSSING...they are Finally Done!!!  Five new Canvas Baby Owls-and Five new Wooden Ones....  I think I'm in Love...:)

Here they are in Progress- I did a Late Night "The Hobbit" Showing and made a mess while everyone was in bed...that way I could clean it up and have a "Ta Da" in the Morning...

So here are the other Little Guys...

Each one has Different Colors and Little Quotes..

I Collaged the background with old Book Papers and Music.

This one needs a stem and a Phrase still:)

So I haven't decided whether to Give them Feet yet....Your thoughts?

I will get them in my Etsy Shop as soon as possible.  I may steal some for the Craft Fair.

I'm finishing up Photo-ing the Wood based ones....I'll try to have them up tomorrow:)

Love to All!

"Dude- Don't fall in the Hole"

Molly's Sunday Musings.... Week one

"Dude!  Don't fall in the Hole!"

A lot of people, myself included at one point, view the Bible as just a running List of "Things I don't get to do anymore".  Like God sat around making a  list of Rules designed Especially to make sure that no one had any fun while they are here:)

Until I had kids- it really didn't hit me that I, the Mom, had Rules for my Children that caused them to say "Aw Mom- we never get to do ANYTHING! "  And they would sulk and pout and refuse to speak to me for awhile:) Sound Familiar?

 But I knew that letting my five year old have a Real Campfire in his room overnight was not the Best thing for him.  Even though he couldn't see it at the time.

And that's really what the Lord is thinking when He gives us His Word...

I know it's a Dorky Picture- I couldn't find one online so I made Nick hold that white sheet up...The Bible Kept falling over...AND it's the Bible I stole from Toby!! So now he knows darn it! Busted!

It's like Life is a big open, grassy field- it looks great! Like you could run around wherever you want to!

  But hidden under the grass are giant Holes...and in the Holes are Landmines.  

If you went running , unaware, wherever you wanted, you could Fall Hard- get Hurt, Badly...maybe even die.

But what if Someone had a Map?

You know it's from the Hobbit...Tolkein all day every day..

Would you be forced to use the map? Nope...

Could you decide to run around wherever you wanted even if it meant falling into a hole and suffering the consequences?  Yep!  

Could you decide NOT to Believe in the Map or the Map-Maker....Absolutely!  

Would that make the Holes and the Mines disappear?....Nope.  The holes are real, the mines are deadly.

It's really about God, the Loving Father saying to his Kids 
"DUDE!  There's a hole there....it's right there- Dude, don't fall in!"  
Yes, God does occasionally speak in an 80's Valley-Style accent when necessary. 

 He's been around a little longer than we have...He actually does know what's best for us and that's what He wants...the best.

Check this out: The very first Psalm...

Blessed (Happy, fortunate prosperous and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly (Following their advice, their plans and purposes), nor stands (submissive and inactive) in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down (to relax and rest) where the scornful (and the mockers) gather.
Psalms 1:1

Just some 'Molly Musings'...

Your thoughts?

Love to all!

Return of the "Dollar Store Diva"

Dollar Store "Item of the Week"-  Stencil Applicators

Man- it's been a while right? 

I hit Joanne's yesterday for the First time in like, a Year- and picked up these awesome Die Cut Papers.  They were in the Paper Aisle- so sorry I didn't get the Name on them...

Swirly Goodness...

Flower-tastic

 I think this might be my all Time Fave....love the Flowerliscious-ness....

I have a lot of Backgrounds to do so I was thinking I would use them as Stencils- they're 12 x 12 inches so it would be great on any surface.

So- because it was just Card Stock- I thought I would go home and add Mod Podge to both sides to make it a little more Durable. Boom- instant Stencils!

But man, I am so sloppy with Stencils!  Seriously- I try not to get impatient- but I am more of a "Paint Flinger" than a "Detail Painter"

So I decided to look for actual "Stencil Specific Equipment" while I was there. 

OMGosh-  They wanted $3.99 for one little Foam 'Dabber'!  Ain't nobody got time for that!  And girl you know how I am with Spongees- It would be $4.00 of dried-up-stuck-to-the-table-sadness  after one use!

I marched right out of there and headed to my Homies at the Dollar Store.   Now- it's not one of those "Some-things-might-be-a-Dollar" situation...oh no.  This one is the Real Deal- you can walk around with Confidence knowing your Buck will go far:)

So Here is the Magic...

Make Up Sponges

Oh ya- it's Cosmetic Sponges...for a Buck...that's just how I roll...

So, not that I'm bitter Jo Anne's- but you DID notice the number '28' on the lower left...for a buck...

I'm just sayin' !

So these little Wedges are so much better for me for 3 reasons:
1)  I'm closer to the action- my fingers are right on the stencil

2)  I can use the tip, the side or the bottom for those little details.

3) It's not as Porous as the "Dabber" which helps me Control how much paint goes on.

So Here's One of my Spongee Creations:)

I base painted the Canvas with Blue Acrylic mixed with Glaze medium then used a Plastic Bag to pull off some of the paint.  Next I used my Flower "Stencil" and dabbed on White Acrylic with my Sponges.  It did take two coats- but it dried very Quickly.

Background ready to go!

Then I worked in my Journal to play play with my Swirly Stencil...

Not sure where this one will end up- but it was lots of fun!

What is your Favorite Dollar Store Find so far this year?

Have a Fantastic Weekend and Love to all!