BACK IN THE GAME

Good morning all my friends! How are you doing this bright and beautiful morning? I am doing much better today than yesterday LOL. DD texted me after she got off the plane and we chatted a bit, then she was off for a day of fun n the sun with her friends at Epcot! If you’re over that way, remember to wave HI to the Dickinson High School Band LOL! She sent me a space postcard and she was in it having a blast! Then she called me before she went to bed and all is well. And she even texted me this morning! Thank you to everyone for the comments yesterday! They made me feel a lot better. To my mother… you ALWAYS have to get that “I told you so” in there don’t you? LMAO… and to Cyndi… hun I am so sorry! I don’t want you to leave and I didn’t mean to make you cry. I can say I think I have some awesome kids… both biological and communal! They are polite and helpful and I would claim every one of them! As far as the cheesecake comment… oh I rolled LMAO and then I opened a candy bar! LOL! Talk about putting on pounds… take that doc! LMAO! But seriously, I AM glad that my thoughts can provoke powerful emotions in people. Sometimes that’s what we need… a good cry… it cleanses the soul. And thank you to Hazel and Vincent as well for being so kind. I couldn’t ask for better readers! I have the best in the world… commenters, emailers, and just readers all around!



Ok, I was trying to recoup from the emotional train wreck I was yesterday, so I built me a small planter from some scraps of wood. I stained it and let it dry all day in the sun. It’s small and cute! I love it! I made this one out of 2 x 12’s. I think this is gonna be either a box for a tree or for my peas… not sure yet LOL. The DH went over to the houses behind us, where they are building on the houses, and got some more scraps of various sizes. I can build another 2x12 box like the one I did today… just a little bit thinner (not as wide). And then there are a bunch of 2x2’s I think they are… that will make a cute thinner box; like a window sill box. I’m gonna need more screws though LOL!

OMG I so have to tell you what I discovered yesterday! Ok… I have been taking my trays of seeds outside during the day for the sun, fresh air, etc. (LOL they kinda sound like pets don’t they?) LMAO! Anyway, I put them out on the patio table, which is where I work with smaller plants, plant seeds, etc., and went to water them and low and behold I have yet another sprout! But this is no ordinary sprout! It’s a GIANT PUMPKIN!!!!!! Yes you heard me… one of the seeds FINALLY germinated! YAY!!! I was so dancing for joy!

My dad built my mother some raised beds on planter platforms… and she got her gift card, so guess what we will be doing today? Yep SHOPPING FOR PLANTS! YAY! LOL… Of course, I am so stoked about my giant pumpkin, I doubt I could find a plant as awesome! LOL… But mom has 2 rather large planters to fill, so I think we will be bringing home lots of babies LOL! I don’t mind. As you all know, I always have so much fun with my mom. And then Saturday we will be going to the Galveston Home & Garden Convention. Don’t worry I plan on taking lots of pictures and hopefully getting lots of samples, seeds, whatever!

Ok, Easter… here are some more crafts to get you in the Easter mood! Bunnies… there is nothing better than the image of a fluffy soft friendly little carrot nibbling ball of fuzz! So here are some crafts dealing with bunnies.

Craft Ideas of the Day: Easter Bunnies



Terra Cotta Easter Bunny

What you'll need:

2 Terra-cotta pots (any 2 of same size)
White Gesso
Gold glitter craft paint
Paint brush
White felt
Pink felt
Scissors
2 Small wiggle eyes
Hot glue or tacky glue
Pink ribbon
1 Tiny pink pom pom
3 White pom poms (at least double the size of the pink pom pom)
2 Small silk rose buds
Wire cutters

How to make it:

1. Base coat the two terra-cotta pots with white Gesso. Let dry.
2. Glue the terra-cotta pots together (see photo).
3. Cut a piece of ribbon to fit around the middle of the bunny. Glue in place.
4. Tie a bow with another piece of ribbon and glue on.
5. Add gold glitter craft paint on center of bow.
6. Glue white pom poms on right above ribbon (see photo).
7. Glue pink pom pom above and right between white pom poms.
8. Glue on wiggle eyes.
9. Cut out ears out of white felt. Cut ears a bit smaller out of pink felt. Glue together.
10.Glue ears on top of the bunny.
11. Cut the stems off the rosettes with the wire cutters.
12. Glue a ribbon rosette in front and in back of ears.
13. Glue bunny tail on the back of bunny, about half way up the bottom pot. Let dry.



Bunny Envelope

What you'll need:

4X6 envelope in pastel shade
Pencil
Scissors
Pink construction paper
White construction paper, optional for eyes
Black construction paper, optional for eyes
Red marker, pen, or crayon
Wiggle eyes, optional

How to make it:

1. Lick the envelope shut.
2. Turn the envelope up long ways (portrait). Note: Most of the envelope will be ears.
3. Leave about 2 inches to draw on the bunny face. Draw on ears and cut around the ears.
Note: This leaves you with a little opening for the grass and eggs.
4. Cut out inner ears out of pink construction paper and glue in place.
5. Glue on wiggle eyes, or cut eyes out of construction paper and glue in place.
6. Glue on pom pom nose, or cut a nose out of construction paper and glue in place.
7. Draw on mouth with red pen.
8. Fill opening with Easter grass and an egg or goodies.



Egg Bunny

What you'll need:

Hard-boiled egg dyed pink
2 medium wiggle eyes
2 medium white pom-poms
2 medium pink pom-poms (optional)
7 miniature pink pom-poms
¼ of a cardboard tube
Pink paint
3" x 3" piece of pink construction paper
Glue stick
White craft glue
Scissors

How to make it:

Dye hard-boiled egg pink, according to the instructions on the dye package. Paint the cardboard tube pink and set aside to dry. Place pink egg in the cardboard tube. Cut two long ears from pink construction paper. Glue the bottom of both ears onto the back of the egg. Use white craft glue to attach wiggle eyes to the front of the egg. Below the eyes, glue two white pom-poms next to each other to make the bunny's cheeks. Just above the two white pom-poms, glue one of the miniature pink pom-poms to make the nose. Lift the egg out of the cardboard tube and lay it onto its back on the cardboard tube. Allow the glue to dry. To make the feet, cut an oval from the pink paper, about 1.5" high x .75" wide. Cut the oval in half width-wise. Glue three miniature pom-poms to the curve of each foot. After egg has dried, set it on a towel while you glue the feet to the front of the cardboard tube. Place the egg back in the tube upright. OPTIONAL: You can also glue two additional medium-sized pink pom-poms on either side of the bunny to make paws.

Tips:

Instead of a boiled egg, use a plastic egg.

You can make a tube yourself out of construction paper to eliminate the painting step.

For a more simplified foot, skip the miniature pom-poms and draw on the toes with a marker.



Sleepy Bunny

What you'll need:

½ egg shell
Wooden doll stand
2 large white pom poms
4 medium white pom poms
1 miniature pink pom pom
Scrap of black felt
Pink and white acrylic paint
White felt
White craft glue
Scissors
Thin white ribbon

How to make it:

Be sure egg shell is clean and dry. Paint outside of egg shell pink. Paint the doll stand with a mixture of white and pink paint. Let dry. Glue the egg shell to the doll stand. Add some glue to the inside of the egg shell. Place one of the large white pom poms inside the egg shell. Glue the other large white pom pom on top of the first one. Glue two medium white pom poms to the inside of the egg shell so that they show at the top of the shell (paws). Glue the other two medium white pom poms to the head for the cheeks. Glue the miniature pink pom pom in between the two cheeks. Cut two long ears from the white felt and glue to the top of the head at the sides. Fold them downward and glue the ends to the egg shell. Cut two small crescent shaped slits from the black felt and glue on to head for sleepy eyes. Tie ribbon around the bottom of the egg shell and form a bow, trim the ends.

Tips:

Pom poms can be purchased in large value packs with different colors and sizes.
Be sure to check the craft stores following each holiday for major clearance priced items.

You could get even more creative and add a sleeping cap to the project by cutting a piece of pastel colored felt and rolling into a cone. Glue it to the top of the head and bend the end downward and glue to bunny’s back.



Bunny Ears

What you'll need:

White poster board
Pink construction paper
Scissors
Pencil
Tacky glue or school glue
Tape or stapler
Easter stickers, optional
Markes, crayons, or colored pencils; optional

How to make it:

Cut a strip of poster board about 2" wide by about 24" long. Cut out 2 ears out of poster board each about 8 1/2" long x 3 1/2" wide. Cut out 2 smaller ears out of pink construction paper. Glue the pink ears inside the white ears. Glue the ears inside the band, positioning to fit behind the child's head. Let the child decorate the head band with stickers, markers, crayons, or colored pencils if they wish. Tape or staple the band to fit the child. Cut off any excess.



Bunny Pin

What you'll need:

1 large round pre-cut wood pieces (recommended: Woodies)
2 medium teardrop pre-cut wood pieces
2 small teardrop pre-cut wood pieces
1 (1/4") pink pom-poms
2 (10 MM) wiggle eyes
Tacky glue
White craft paint
Pink craft paint
Paintbrush
Red thin line paint markers or permanent marker
Jewelry pin back

How to make it:

Paint the round pre-cut wood pieces white. Paint the 2 medium teardrop pre-cut wood pieces white. Paint the 2 small teardrop pre-cut wood pieces pink. Let all pieces dry. Glue the pre-cut wood pieces together as shown in the photograph. Glue the eyes and pom-pom nose on the round pre-cut wood pieces as shown in the photograph. Use the red paint marker or permanent marker to draw on the eyebrows and mouth. Let glue dry. Glue the jewelry pin back to the back of the round pre-cut wood pieces. Wear and enjoy!

So there you have it… lots of crafts about bunnies! I think bunnies are so incredibly cute! Fuzzy and cuddly… you just want to squeeze and hug them all the time! Now as for food, lets stick with some Easter bunny food too…



Easy Bunny Cake

Ingredients

1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
3 3/4 cups flaked coconut
1 (16 ounce) package vanilla frosting
30 small jellybeans
4 red licorice

Directions

Heat oven and prepare two 9 inch round baking pans as directed on cake box. Prepare cake batter with as directed on package adding in 1/2 cup of coconut. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake and cool cake as directed on package.

When cooled, place one whole 9 inch cake layer on serving tray, forming the bunny's head. Cut 2 convex shaped ears from each side of the second layer, place on each side of head to form ears. Use concave shaped piece for the bowtie, place about 1/2 inch below head.

Frost entire bunny covering top and sides of bunny. Pat remaining 3 1/4 cup coconut evenly over top and sides. Decorate the bunny face and bowtie with jellybeans and use the licorice to make whiskers.

Ok kids, I’m off to shop til we drop for plants and such! I’ll share lots of pictures from our adventures with you when I get back! Until tomorrow… HUGS!