Back to School

It is that time of year again... a time for fresh starts, new students and of course shiny school supplies. I can't believe I am actually going to admit this, but I am a little sad that I didn't get to do a "back to school" Wal-mart run. I LOVE walking down the aisles and soaking up all the bright colors that Crayola dangles in front of me.

Anyway, there are no Wal-Marts here in KL, but it is still a very exciting time for me nonetheless. Instead of picking up brand new boxes of Crayola crayons for my new students, this year I did a little research. I am sad to say that I can't remember where I read this... maybe Pinterest?! I found the idea to use the saying, "You are o'FISH'ally a _____." The best part is that you can fill in the blank with whatever you want.  It could even be a cute little something for your child to take to his or her teacher the first day.

I have been going crazy with these awesome FREE polkdot borders I found here. (I'll give you a sneak peak of my classroom later this week) She is so generous to create various borders in all different colors. If you are a teacher or just crafty, download them. They are great to have on hand for making little tags.

Here are how mine turned out...

~Happy New (school) Year!~

Overseas Adventure

I know I have neglected my crafting duties.  Unfortunately, it will be a little while before I can be crafty Kristy again.  I sent most of my supplies over a few weeks ago when the movers came.  They said it would take approximately 9 to 11 weeks to get to Malaysia. So, here we are in Malaysia experiencing the culture, food, malls, transportation... I am short on time and supplies to be able to craft.  Hang with me though.  I am pretty sure I'll be leading a "Crafting Club" second semester for some of the elementary school girls.  Until then... check out our adventures here!

~Happy Adventures~
love,  Kristy

and She Lives!

Okay, I promise I am alive.  

I know it may seem like I disappeared, but there are a lot of things that have been going on behind the scenes of the Godbout home in order to prepare for our big adventure.  We have sold both of our cars and currently have our home listed. (you can check it out HERE) We are praying that we sell the house before we leave on June 11th! Someone asked me today if my nerves were shot and while shot is not quite the word, I do feel frazzled at times. However, things are falling into place piece by piece. I am trusting the house will sell, the movers will take care of our belongings and that on June 11th we will be boarding the plane for the 40 hour trek to Kuala Lumpur.

In the meantime, I have been painting a few name plates, but really have had very little time to craft.  I do vow to have a Mother's Day post/tutorial up in the near future. Hopefully, before Mother's Day!! 

                             

Until then... Thanks for your patience and your prayers!

~ Happy Monday! ~

love,  Kristy

p.s. With everything that has been going on, I completely forgot to send out some of the prizes for giveaways. Please forgive me!!

Free Write Friday

So, I'm sitting here probably being a little more melodramatic than usual.  Keith and I should have been more productive, but we opted for a Friday night movie on the couch together. We watched 50/50 which just stirred an odd mix of emotions inside of me.  It seems like a rarity in this day and age that we just take time to sit and write. Well, just like I encourage my little munchkins to free write in Writer's Workshop... it may also be healthy for me to do the same. I am positive some people are tired of hearing about our move to Malaysia; others probably want to know every detail. All I know is that I am completely and utterly overwhelmed by the thought of everything detail that must fall in place before we take our seat on that plane.  However, I am beyond excited when I picture our little family truly living a dream.  It is obviously an adventure, but it is much more than that.  It is a time in our life where we are being called to surrender. Every detail that must fall into place, all those intricate pieces of the puzzle I must hand them over to God.  I am being reminded daily, if not hourly that He is in control.  I must trust Him with everything.  This is a difficult task, but one that is so rewarding when I see Him nudging me to relinquish my grip. Thank you Jesus for the big adventures, but thank you Jesus that you hold all those tiny pieces that all fit together.

Mister Postman...

I wanted to share with you a fun idea that you can use next year! I actually saw this at Jaxson's daycare and I just thought it was genius.  Valentine's Day parties are filled with chocolate, cards and my students trying to fit everything in a small gift bag or brown paper lunch sack. I will never go back to those days...

Our local Bi-Lo donated enough for my entire class...

All I needed to do was rid my craft stash of anything pick and red! 

This was such a fun activity for the students. 

All of the "mailboxes" turned out so cute!

I stapled the top and cut a slot for each mailbox.

Each student had a blast delivering their love notes and candy gifts to their classmates! 

~Happy Belated Valentine's Day~

Moving to MALAYSIA

Hello beautiful readers,

I just thought I would update you on some BIG news!  I have been a little M.I.A. because I was pursuing our dream of living overseas.  I accepted a job teaching in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and couldn't be more excited. We have a lot to do in five months, so I'm not sure how "crafty" I will get to be, but please know that I have appreciated your support.  I plan to get "crafty in Kuala" once we get settled in. I should have more posts about our adventures there as well.

"Make your someday today!"


Happy Adventures

love,  Kristy

Valentine Debacle

Yes, this is my post about the "debacle on the front door."  If you don't know what I'm talking about then you didn't read my first Valentine's day posts... which, by the way were really cute, inexpensive projects anybody can do!

I have to admit when I put this "thing" up on the front door (and yes it is still there) my husband actually laughed out loud. If you know anything about him, he typically is very encouraging and complementary of my handiwork. However, when I heard him laugh, I had to laugh too because it is NOT what I had pictured in my head.

It is a very sad attempt at a unique V-day wreath...

You will need:

• Scrapbook paper
• Adhesive Spray
• Hot Glue Gun
• A clear plastic plate (as I later discovered) 

Begin by using your spray adhesive to glue two pieces of scrapbook paper together. 

Once it is dry, cut 2 inch strips.

I ended up making about 20 because I really wasn't sure how many I would need. 

Fold each strip in half.

Fold the ends into the center and pinch together. 

Use your hot glue to hold it in place.

Cute right?!  Just wait to you see the "wreath".... not so cute!

So, at this point I was excited because it was coming together.  Lay out your hearts and glue them together. Silly me realized once I pick up this circle of hearts (made of paper!) it would not hold this shape...

Hence, the plastic plate...

So, with lots of hot glue and red ribbon to hold it all together... Here is the finished product.

Not too bad from this point of view, but I promise straight on... well let's just say this isn't my best stroke of genius.

I did, however, find a great use for the hearts...

cute little place cards perfect for any Valentine's Day dinner party. 

Celebrate your successes and celebrate your failures!

~Happy Debacles~

love,  Kristy

Valentine's Treats...

So, this will be one of a few Valentine's day tutorials.  

Yes, some might say this is a trivial holiday and yes I agree that Americans spend way too much money on such a silly holiday. However, it is a colorful and over-the-top holiday that is fun to decorate for... especially if you can do it for just a few dollars. Did you catch that?! AND in this post you will get two for the price of one! Just because I love my readers!! On a side note, I can't wait for you too see the debacle that is on my front door, but for now I am celebrating my successful projects: Valentine's Day Garland (that was free!) and i heart you frames. Let's get started...

V-Day garland

Here is what you will need:

• Several shades of paint swatches (these are free)
• Yarn that you probably have laying around the house
• Heart shape (I used a cookie cutter as a template) 
• Hole punch and scissors

Begin by cutting out as many hearts as you will need. I used 15.

Then you will need to punch two holes near the top of each heart.

Cut small pieces of yarn for each heart. Loop the ends thru the holes and tie a bow.

Repeat until all of your hearts have bows.

You will now take one long piece of yarn that will run the length of your mantle. On the back of each heart will be a loop; I used a large needle to thread each heart onto the long piece of yarn.  

As you thread each heart on... 

slide them down and spread them out.

Now hang your ends and style it to your taste! 

 Ta-dah... cute garland!!

And it's even better that it was free, right?! 

Alright, as promised lovely readers... treat #2.  This one was not free, but it cost less than $5.

 I heart you Frames

You will need:

• 3 wooden frames from Wal-mart/1 needs to have the heart shape (each frame was .97!)
• Scrap Valentine's day fabric (gotta love that remnant bin)
• Spray paint 

Spray each frame with a few coats of paint.

Once it is dry...

Pick a cute font and print the words "i" and "you." As you can see, this is a really easy project.  Once you have printed the words, cut them to fit into the back of each frame.  Do the same with the fabric.

And one more look at everything all put together...

~Happy Valentine's Day~

love,  Kristy


Linking to: 
Frugal Days
Kurtz Corner
my 1929 Charmer

it is a NEW year!

Is it really January 22, 2012??

Well, it really does seem that every year I get a little bit older, time flies a little bit faster.  Here is what we have been up to in 2012... This is the first year we did not sit down and write out a specific resolution. This year I thought it was more important to have some general goals that I really want to accomplish.  Instead, of one resolution... I chose to focus on 12 in 12...  Here are just a few I'd like to share.

More family time!

  

Becoming more healthy!

Fresh starts and organized spaces!

Enjoying our city...

Going on adventures...

Taking time to relax...

and more Craft time!

which also includes...

(sneak peak! stay tuned this week for Valentine's Day treats)

more blogging! 

So, yes this year has already started to fly by. However, as you can see we have been busy spending time doing what is important.  We know that this is the year of change... and we know that we will be ready for it!  We are excited about our future and we are excited about 2012!

Happy New Year!  a little bit late I know

love,  Kristy