an early christmas gift

its been just as crazy this fall.  football that went RIGHT into basketball, dance, girl scouts...

this year we decided to brave the almost 14 hour car drive with 4 kids under 10 and go visit my sister in law for thanksgiving... in montana!  while i don't recommend the drive in the fall (i saw 38 live deer, 10 dead deer, 2 horse and 2 shooting stars on the way out alone) it was a great trip.  i went on a  local hike once we got there, enjoyed tons of good company, fellowship and food.  i was sad when we had to leave.  and since i knew that i wouldn't see the family again at christmas, i tried to get all my christmas gifts done to bring out there so that i didn't have to mail them.  TRIED is the key word.  i forgot to account for being gone for the week before we left.  but i did get half of them done.  that saved me a good chunk of postage.  especially this guy right here.  

when i was making my x's and hearts for valentines last year, inspiration struck that r would love a barn wood 'w'.  because i wanted to see her expression, i made her open it while we were out in mt.  she cant wait to get their basement finished so she can hang it up.  

look at that beautiful weathered wood detail!

back to the basement for me.  this elf needs to keep her butt in gear or the rest of the gifts wont get finished.

guest room

don't get me wrong, i love my guest room.  but i REALLY miss little a:( 

she is awesome.  my 1st big girl.  everyone thought i was nuts when i said she was moving here.  but i knew in my mommy heart it was going to be fine.  and it was.  we both gained so much.  

me-a daughter & friend.  

her-knowledge, courage & faith in herself.  

but when she moved out, i knew it was time to repaint her room. 

(sorry little a-dad-maybe all of us-were tired of the pink) 

my talented father in law painted us this far off barn sunset picture.  it was the starting point for the room, drawing colors and a theme.  

 for christmas my uncle had given us all a photo of mom & papa's big red barn.  it was taken from up on a dirt road behind our house.  we used to play in there for hours when we were kids.  unfortunately mom had to burn it down, it just wasnt safe anymore.  but she did take some pictures as it was burning. 

i had gotten this cool old window a while ago.  but didn't have it when we were hanging stuff in the main living areas.  and i didn't know how to hang it when i was working on our room and i may have forgotten about it.  but i knew the perfect new home for it. 

the mirror came from one of the dressers in this room, but i never could figure out how it was supposed to attach.  then little a broke the frame.  so it hung out in the storage room for a while.  i had my father in law make a barn wood frame for it.  the table came from grandma bert's.  if any of you knew her, she is probably where i get my love for antiques from.  i had painted it (i know how could i???) but i stripped it back to it's original beauty.  

late heart day decor

so a few weeks ago, nebraska was blessed by storm kayla.  it wasnt the most snow that i have seen, but the wind was CRAZY!!!  thank God that part only lasted for a day.  we had a monster drift/pile across the majority of the driveway.  we are very lucky to have awesome neighbors!  so since i was prepared to be stuck at home for a few days (who doesnt love a good snow day???) i got some of my craft projects completed.  

i know it isnt the best lighting picture, but i love how this one shows what it looked like outside.  this was the ONLY window we could see out of.  the rest were all covered in snow.  somewhere out there is my driveway, under at least 4' of snow.  i did a quick and cute valentine's bunting to hang up in the picture window.  i love the lace. 

this was a pinterest idea.  she had used old window trim.  i happen to have an old barn door lying around.  it was again super easy to do-hardest was getting the nails out so that i could use the wood.  just measure, mark & cut.  then determine placement of boards, carefully flip one up, glue and just in case add a few nails.  then i cut old scrap boards & nailed them to the back of the smaller squares so that i could have my heart 'o's-one cause they needed some support to stand & two cause the big silver heart below broke in half.  free hand a little heart, fill it in with some paint & your done.  i really like how they turned out.  also gave me an idea for a christmas gift.....