So, So, So, So Crafty

Yep. That's me. Crafty.

Or desperate.

Either way.

The kids had a terrible day on Wednesday. There was sobbing, yelling, rough-housing (and that was just me). But, there had been two trips to the swimming pool, eating out, late bedtimes and it all combined for the perfect storm of frazzled children. So, by the time Spencer had gotten out of his bed for the 72nd time at 1a.m., I declared that the next day (or I guess by that time it would have been later the same day) would be a lazy, catch-our-frazzled-breath day.

We stayed in our pjs all morning long; turned off the blasted TV; chilled out; and, that afternoon, did a craft!

I was inspired by... wait for it... pinterest! (See? Who says addiction is bad?)

I had seen this pin and thought it was a great idea:

Source: cluckclucksew.com via Miranda on Pinterest

Unfortunately for our craft day, I had thrown away all of my fabric scraps when we moved. (I completely overruled my inner-packrat and thought, "I haven't used these scraps by now. I probably never will." Crap. Now my inner-packrat has been proven right. The monster awakes.)

But, fortunately for our craft day, I had just seen this on TexaGermaNadian's blog:

I didn't have any rhinestones or brads. But, I had a butt-load of buttons.

And, my children + hot-glue gun = bad idea.

So. Being crafty and all. I combined the two ideas.

I cut the letters out of cardboard. I handed over the Elmer's glue (poor, poor table); dumped out the buttons and let 'em go to town.

They asked me to do a "J" with them. And, who am I to say no to a good craft?

Here are our completed projects as we left them to dry. As you can tell, there is ample glue coverage. These buttons are going to stick if The Johnsons have anything to say about it!

Spencer went for the complete coverage, like mine. Lulu is a little more of a minimalist.

And... here are the finished works of art.

Thank you. No applause necessary.

(This is two posts about DIY/crafty stuff. I'm totally turning this into a Crafty Blog.)

Lost Generation

by Jonathan Reed

I am part of a lost generation
and I refuse to believe that
I can change the world
I realize this may be a shock but
“Happiness comes from within.”
is a lie, and
“Money will make me happy.”
So in 30 years I will tell my children
they are not the most important thing in my life.
My employer will know that
I have my priorities straight because
work
is more important than
family
I tell you this
Once upon a time
Families stayed together
but this will not be true in my era
This is a quick fix society
Experts tell me
30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce
I do not concede that
I will live in a country of my own making
In the future
Environmental destruction will be the norm
No longer can it be said that
My peers and I care about this earth
It will be evident that
My generation is apathetic and lethargic
It is foolish to presume that
There is hope.

And all of this will come true unless we choose to reverse it.

There is hope.

It is foolish to presume that

My generation is apathetic and lethargic

It will be evident that

My peers and I care about this earth

No longer can it be said that

Environmental destruction will be the norm

In the future

I will live in a country of my own making

I do not concede that

30 years from now, I will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of my divorce

Experts tell me

This is a quick fix society

but this will not be true in my era

Families stayed together

Once upon a time

I tell you this

family

is more important than

work

I have my priorities straight because

My employer will know that

they are not the most important thing in my life

So in 30 years I will tell my children

“Money will make me happy.”

is a lie, and

“Happiness comes from within.”

I realize this may be a shock but

I can change the world

and I refuse to believe that

I am part of a lost generation

Lost Generation

by Jonathan Reed

This poem was presented as a video that won 2nd place in a 2007 video contest sponsored by AARP called U@50. According to Wikipedia, “contestants between the ages of 18 and 30 were challenged to create a two minute video depicting what they feel their life will be like at age 50.”

I think this poem is brilliant. I gotta go find out what the FIRST place chick wrote!

Small, Small, Teeny, Tiny World

Shawn and I have made friends with a great couple here in the New City. Her brother came to town for a visit. Her parents had a backyard get-together with their friends. (Seven people from the older generation; eight from the younger generation.)

One of the older couples?

Parents-in-law of one of my** closest college friends.

She was one of my bridesmaids.

Funniest part?

We didn't figure it out until the next day.

Best part?

She and I talked on the phone because of it for the first time in... probably... five years!

Awesomely small world.

**That's right, Shawn. I said, "my" not "yours." Mine! (Shawn and I love this particular friend so much we fight over who was friends with her first and who was better friends with her. Answer: Me.)