My 2014 Projects

I really enjoy cross-stitching for friends and family, so these are a few of the projects I made last year.

This was for my new niece.  I took a lot of time picking out a pattern.  My sister didn't have a theme for the nursery that was easy to find a pattern to go with.  (It was initially a 'Family' theme.)  So I just picked this one because it was cute and started on it.  Then, one day while shopping/registering for the baby, my sister came across a fox blanket and said how much she loved the fox because it reminded her of one of their dogs.  I was secretly excited!  The cross-stitch I was working on had fox on it...I did good!  LOL!

I didn't get a picture of the finished cross-stitch framed.  If I remember right, it had a purple mat and white frame and turned out really cute!

My next project was for a little friend the kids and I took to and from preschool a couple times a week.  I wanted to make her a little something to remember the time we spent together....and there were a lot of times Frozen was discussed, so I thought this was fitting. :-)

So, after making the cross-stitch for our young friend, Morgan says to me "Why don't you ever make anything for us?"  (I do, almost every Christmas, but she forgets...)  So I went ahead and made her a Frozen cross-stitch too, but wanted to make it so I could hang it on her door and sewed a border instead of framing it.

 Blake got a similar one...Avengers though! :-)

They hang on the door quite nicely!

 I like to give the kids ornaments each year as well, so I made these to go along with the door signs.

**I have to thank my mom for her help with each of these!  I run A LOT of thoughts by her!  She helped pick out patterns, helped pick out mats and frames, helped with the logistics of sewing and picking out material.  I think I'd be lost without her! ;-)

Blake's Class Christmas Play

 I can't say enough about how amazing Blake's teacher is.  Just after Halloween, she started planning for the class's Christmas play.  (The only class in the whole school that does a play.)  Blake was super excited!  When he found out he was going to be a soldier, he got his lines and practiced them, along with the songs daily without even being asked and had them memorized in no time!  I didn't know what to expect with a class of 2nd graders doing a play, but they were AMAZING!

 The kids not only knew their lines and the songs, but they also had little dancing parts, hand motions and knew when and who to pass the microphones to.  Did I say they were AMAZING?!...

 ...and CUTE!  Here is Blake in all of his cuteness, but all of them were super cute in their costumes.

The play was called "Christmas on Candy Cane Lane" and was about compromising.  The whole play rhymed and maybe lasted 20 minutes.  It was perfect for their age and I couldn't be prouder of Blake and his whole class for working hard to make it a wonderful performance.  I am also super thankful for all the work his teacher did to make such a wonderful memory for all us parents (and grandparents) too.  She is truly amazing! (I told you I couldn't say that enough!) ;-)

Here is a little video of Blake's portion of the play.  He speaks first and last after the song:

Kids' December Art Projects 2014

My mom is amazing and took both kids to the art studio three times in December so they could make gifts...and once just because... :-)

The first time the kids went to the studio in December, they painted pictures for Rich and I.  Blake painted this adorable Santa.

 Morgan painted Mrs. Frosty.  I think she did awesome for her first time at the art studio!  They then wrapped them and we had to wait until Christmas Eve to open them.  Nothing like wanting to see how the kids' painting turned out and having to wait for 3 weeks!  LOL!  It was a fun surprise, though. :-)

 There was an Open House at the studio the following day and, since the kids wanted to go back, my mom took them and they made these faux stained-glass projects.

  These are the final pieces the kids painted for their (other) grandma for Christmas.  They picked out two paintings that matched and each made one.

I then spent what seemed like hours online and at Hobby Lobby trying to find the best way to frame them until my mom happened to come across a burlap canvas with white paint on it that looked like it could be snow.  The paintings fit perfectly, so that was it!  Hot-glued them on it was ready to be wrapped!

Afterwards I thought how it was neat that they ended up being reindeer paintings, since that's what they dressed their horses up as for the horse parade this year.  Not only a handmade gift, but a neat way to remember a special thing they did together.  :-)

"The Identical" DVD Review & GIVEAWAY!! (1/14) #theidentical

*Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Many thanks to Propeller Consulting, LLC for providing this prize for the giveaway. Choice of winners and opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.

About "The Identical":

The Identical, starring Ray Liotta, Ashley Judd, Seth Green, and Blake Rayne is a redemptive movie about a young man, the son of a preacher, who rejects his father’s desire for him to join the ministry and instead embarks on a career as a rock singer. As he struggles to pursue his dream and rise to stardom, he finds love, pain, success, failure and ultimately uncovers a hidden family secret that reveals who he really is. The Identical is a captivating story about a family restored and a life discovered that lifts your soul and warms your heart.

Rated PG / Approx. 107 minutes

Learn more at the film's website: http://theidenticalmovie.com/

Check out the trailer:

My Review:
I have to admit that I was excited to be offered "The Identical" to review.  It was on my Christmas wish list because I knew that after seeing the first 10 minutes of it a while back, I wanted to know what happened next!  Sometimes I get my hopes up for a movie, then I'm disappointed when I see it because my expectations were too high, but this one totally met, and exceeded, those expectations!

I loved the cast, the story line, the music...just about everything.  It was very much a family-friendly, feel-good kind of movie.  My husband even enjoyed it after being skeptical at first.  The kids liked it too and found the whole story fascinating!

"The Identical" is a keeper for us.  We'll be watching it over and over again and I highly recommend that you see it too!  I'm sure you'll thoroughly enjoy it! :-)

Buy it!
Available January 13th, "The Identical" can be purchased, as a pre-buy, through the Family Christian website for $14.99.  Pre-buying it through this link also comes a free copy of The Identity Series DVD.

GIVEAWAY:

Congrats to comment #7, Theresa M!

One lucky reader is going to win a copy of the DVD, "The Identical"!

To enter to win leave a comment below. Please be sure to leave your e-mail address with the comment, so I can contact you if you're the winner.

Only one entrant per mailing address, per giveaway. If you have won the same prize on another blog, you are not eligible to win it again. Winner is subject to eligibility verification.

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Open to U.S. residents 18 years and older. Giveaway will end Wednesday, January 14th, 2015 at 11:59 EST. Winner will be chosen shortly after and contacted via e-mail. The winner will have 48 hours to respond otherwise I will have to choose a new winner.