Crafty Goodness Roundup

I've abandoned my weekly link roundup as of late (quite accidentally.  I want to keep it up, but life has a way of interfering).  My constant collection of crafty goodness that I hope to create just keeps growing, though.  Out of the kindness of my heart (and the selfish need to keep them somewhere where I know I can find them), I'm compiling a collection here.

Leaf mobile (found at Creative Jewish Mom).
We have tons of yarn, so this would be great to do with the kids.  Plus, I've wanted to dress up our front door for fall.  I actually created a leaf wreath with items from the Dollar Tree, but I love that look, so I may create this mobile in addition.

Halloween Bloody Bathroom
This is one I don't actually plan on doing (could you imagine the reaction from potential buyers when they came to see the house?), but I love this and other Halloween ideas they have on that blog.

Cutest Owl Costume EVAH!
Okay, so I altered the title a bit to better suit my feelings on it.  :-)  I'm all about birds, especially in relation to my youngest (we called her Tziporah when she was tiny because she looked like a bird) and I particularly like cute owls.  So I'm going to get to work on this costume today.

Again, on the bird theme, I want to make these
Paper Mache Birds
They seem pretty simple and very cute.

I've been scouring the side of the road for drawers to use to make this
Dollhouse.
That's so cute and would be a great way to use up some of my neglected paper supplies.

I am absolutely in love with this owl room for my youngest.  Again, with the owls.  I adore that bedding.  The problem is, it's no longer available.  *sigh*  I have a knack for falling in love with things that are either 3 years old (and therefore nowhere to be found) or from a foreign country.  I wonder if I could try to create bedding like that.

Heart-shaped photo arrangement
I love that.  When we (finally) move, I want to try that out at the new place.

Not exactly a craft, but these Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes are calling my name.  Problem is, I'm drooling too profusely to respond.

There's a lolcat for that.

This simple Halloween decorating idea from the Graphics Fairy cracked me up.  I'd like to do that year-round.  :-)  That's another one that makes me wonder what the potential buyers would think.

This rock collage is darling and simple (and a much better souvenir alternative to buying plastic crap with the name of the state/town/country plastered on it).

These owl items aren't crafts, but they are adorable and I think they'll easily lend themselves to crafts.  I could easily recreate those with fabric scraps.  Although, I must say, we have some Stephen Joseph items for the kids and we've been very impressed with the company.  We had a problem with one and the customer service was phenomenal.

This French Vanilla Creamer seems simple to make and lacks all those extra chemicals.

These paper name mobiles are adorable and simple.  That's another thing I want to make for the kids' rooms when we move.  Hmmm...I would even do something like that for the front door to spell out, "Welcome."  That combined with that first leaf mobile could be super cute.

lolcats for the middle daughter

This makes me think of E.

Linky roundup 8/24

Here are some links that have piqued my interest this past week.

Tori Amos' Suede (Live 1999)

I love Tori Amos and that song is particularly dear to me.

Photo Booth Engagement WIN

This is indeed a win.

What a great way to propose!

In keeping with the engagement theme,

Marriage Proposal Frozen in Time

This is such a fantastic video. They really are a sweet couple.

I came out of the blogging closet this week to my friends and family when I posted a link to my

For Sale post.

I posted pictures wherein I marveled over how much the smallest of my preemies had grown.

Artscow Free Memopads first 20000

I ordered mine and shared the link.

The Quick Ten: Happy Birthday, Dorothy Parker!

Mental Floss is awesome.

Some great information I never knew about Dorothy Parker. She was shorter than me. I don't often get to say that.

Recycled Mosaic Kitchen Art

I want to make these for the kids' rooms using their product packages and tags.

I saved the super cute box from the Valentine's Day shower curtain I got on clearance at Target and my kids often save the tags from their clothing because they like the designs. This would be a great way to use all of those to decorate their rooms.

I so understand!

Tori Amos Explains Spark

Spark is one of my favorite videos of all time.

The audio helps explain many things I've always wondered about.

The Facebook Song for Friending Ex-es: Are you F***king Kidding Me?

I played this song over and over again.

Obviously, language warning. The "Poking me" part is my very favorite.

A friend discovered

Dr. Dick Chopp.

He is a urologist who performs vasectomies.
"Dr. Richard (Dick) Chopp is well known in the Austin community for performing Vasectomies."

You can't make this stuff up, people.

Vintage Blue Mermaid Girl

I like the Graphics Fairy and this one is one of my very favorites.

Fla. Church Plans 'Burn a Quran' Day to Mark 9/11

This is one of those things that makes me say, "Jesus, save me from your followers."

Mocha Cupcakes with Espresso Buttercream Frosting

Two great tastes that taste great together: cupcakes and coffee.

I'm drooling just thinking about these.

Twig and Toadstool: Decoupage an old dresser

Yet another thing I'd love to try when we move.

Land of Nod Wallpaper

I'm using that pink wall as inspiration for the big girls' room when we move.

How pretty is that! A friend recommended recreating it using lace and spray paint. I think that's a fantastic idea and we'll need to give that a try.

Thumb Print Family Tree

We're planning a vow renewal (traditional Jewish wedding ceremony since we had a secular ceremony when we got married) & I would LOVE to have the guests do this.

That's all for this week. I am, however, the queen of random linkiness. So I'm sure there will be more to share next week. Hopefully, I'll feel compelled to post something more in between linky updates.

The Week In Links: 8/10 edition

What's this? Could this be a post unrelated to moving?

Well, what do ya know, it IS.

Once a week, I'm going to try to do a round up of links I found interesting. Take a look and see if you share my interests. Click them all. Glance at them and walk away. Click the ones that sound interesting. It's up to you.

Have Fun Teaching

Work sheets, coloring pages, videos, songs, and more

So many kids are going back to school. This is a great resource for those with kids in school, those who homeschool and those who are teachers.

Next in the list of linky goodness is a lolcat. This will be the initiating cat--boldly going where no cat has gone before, this blog. I can annoy assure you, though, that these won't be the last. This, right here, would be me:

Spearmint Baby: DIY project-Turn Your Junk Into Something New

Neat idea for using spray paint to give items a whole new look

True, that doll is creepy, but I find her oddly less so when spray painted blue. I think I'll have to use this idea to decorate the kids' room in the new place.

Funny Kid T-shirt

I want that for every one of my kids.

While we're on the topic of funny kid t-shirts, let's add this to the wishlist:

Kosher Ham: Winnie the Jooh

They don't make this big enough for the big 2, but I want one for all the kids.

We have a Chanukah bear which we always jokingly called, "Jew Bear" and I like to insist, "He's Pooh Bear's cousin. You know they're related because they have the same last name."

How a 13 Year Old Gained 16,000 Fans In 96 Hours

A touching story of a grandson's love and dedication to his grandfather (and frustration with the despicable things going on with his lack of care)

I was far more interested in the story than the actual mechanics behind how he was able to gain so many fans.

Liam's Pictures From Old Books

Exactly what the title says

Official Keep Austin Breastfeeding Flash Mob

Breastfeeding supporters literally put on a song and dance about breastfeeding.

This is fantastic. I love seeing the families taking part in this who don't look a bit self conscious.

I Am A Wall

Ani homa. Ta'ali.

A friend posted this article from Aish and I love the message. I often need to be reminded that sometimes, silent support is all that's needed.

Regretsy: View In A Room NSFW

This is, quite possibly, one of the best "View In A Rooms" ever.

It is naughty, so you've been warned.

Annie (1982) You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

A friend got this song stuck in my head. Now I've repeated the favor. You're welcome.

Smoking In the Car Is Child Abuse

Some people won't like this, but it is what it is.

I just don't understand why most of the article frames the argument in terms of a personal health decision when earlier, it makes it very clear that it affects others as well as the person smoking.

In the second grade, I spent three months suffering from severe bronchitis. I was on more medications and had more blood tests than I could count. I was miserable. My doctor's notes about the illness say, "Parents are heavy smokers."

Jimmy Marguiles cartoon August 3, 2010: Which Structure Insults Ground Zero?

I've always liked his cartoons and this one is, once again, too true, but it makes me so sad.

And, on a related note, Jon Stewart had a fantastic rant on the topic wherein, he declares, "I give up."

...love Maegan: Refashion a Tank Top Into a Carry-all DIY

I must try this.

This little guy is just too cute and too relevant:



Make It : A Wee Wonderfuls World
Contains the pattern for a very cute mermaid.
I'm dying to try out the pattern to see if I can make one. Maybe this is something even my biggest girls could try out.

WIC: How Does Formula Compare to Breastmilk?

I found this thanks to Blacktating on Facebook. This is a WIC poster which presents breastfeeding as the norm, not the exception.

Valedictorian Speaks Out Against Schooling in Graduation Speech

"But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave."

This relates quite a bit to our reasons for homeschooling.

Challah Crumbs: Aleph Bet Crafts

It can be tricky to find Jewish-themed crafts, so I'm particularly thrilled with this site.

One To Grow On

I wouldn't classify this as "Crazy neighbor" at all. In fact, this is what I've been saying for years.

For Oklahoma City Zoo animals, debris can be deadly.

This article broke my heart.

Savage Chickens: Hulk

It just made me laugh.

The Thinkers

This picture from Awkward Family Pet Photos is far more awesome than awkward.

And thus concludes this week's round up of linky goodness. I hope you found something to peruse.