Literary Halloween Crafts

I actually own (very different) books about Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde, the classic is on my e-reader and the other is pictured below and is also a good tale written by Beth Fantaskey.

Being the book nerd that I am...The Strange Case of Dr. Jekell and Mr. Hyde along with a few other tragic tales has always been a favorite of mine to read during Halloween time, so this year I thought I'd tie in a extra spooky craft to go along with it! I love this particular story and I've always been drawn to Victorian Era literature style of writing, there is just something romantic about it, even in this novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.

In this craft I decided to change the idea of Dr. Jekell being a man and created him actually into a her... cool right?!? Maybe a part of me wonders what it would be like to dabble in the realms of my subconscious and see if I have a Mrs. Hyde of my own? LOL!  These crafts were way easy to construct and were VERY inexpensive too! Most of the materials came from the dollar tree and Micheal's with their fabulous coupons that I normally get in e-mail, text message or mail anyway. I think all together I might have spent about 10 bucks total!

My Dr. Jekyll and Mrs. Hyde Skull came from the dollar tree, as did the candle stick and glass plate that I hot glued together. While waiting for those pieces to set, I spray painted the skull black first, once the black dried I then pulled a old fishnet stocking over the face of the skull and sprayed (in small bursts) a bit of the purple spray paint I had left over from making the spell books. I then let that dry completely and started to paint the paper mache pumpkin from Micheal's ($3.00 on sale). After the pumpkin dried completely I took a sharpie and one of my favorite excerpt from the book and started to hand write it over the outside. I sprayed the pumpkin with some Krylon clear coat and wrapped a Halloween ribbon (from the dollar tree) around the stem and wa-la! Once my skull was completely dried, I cut the top hat off headband I got from Micheal's ($3.99 on sale), fired up the glue gun and glued it to the top of the skull. I added the black and green flower by clipping it on the side and then painted the lettering for the sign onto some heavy card stock. I threw some of the cheap dollar tree spider webbing under neath the glass stand I constructed and placed last years cupcake sprinkle test tube rack near my new Dr. Jekell and Mrs. Hyde skull and ta-da! Instant fabulous and spooky literary Halloween craft! What do you think?

My little pumpkin patch by the fireplace. The monogrammed pumpkin is from Hobby Lobby and was bought last year and the black and orange was made by me using a maple leaf for the outline, inside it says 1692 which was the start of the Salem Witch Trials, another of my favorite non-fiction reads!

It's starting to look a bit creepy around here...

I told myself months ago that I WOULD NOT make Halloween crafts BEFORE October 1st. Well... so much for that! In all honesty I could not help myself. I was in the dollar tree yesterday, looking for potential craft items for the new Girl Scout troop I got suckered into Co-Lead.  And well I sorta stumbled upon some awesome mason jars, and what can I say... Mason jars always have a soft spot in my crafty little heart. They are just so cute and you can turn them into just about anything! Annnnnd it just so happened that the glass candle holders were riiiiiiight next to them on the shelf....honestly, I think someone at dollar tree is setting me up LOL! So who could resit right? So I bought those, some candy corn and some cheap creepy crawlies for the inside and WAH-LA! Instant cute decorative candy jars for Halloween! :)

And if that all wasn't enough... I decided to make a new fall wreath for my front door. Don't worry... I still have my fabulous eyeball Halloween wreath from last year that I will hang up when it gets closer to Halloween. I just wanted to make one that I could keep up for after Halloween and all through the month of November. :)

What do you guys think?

Dino-rific Weekend!

What have we been up to? Paleontology of course! LOL! And another of our magic tree house books/craft/project. I have noticed how we've been reading them a little out of order but honestly it doesn't matter to me, I'm just glad shes been taking an interest in reading and, learning about new things like dinosaurs such. We finished reading "Dinosaurs After Dark"and she has been craving to learn more about dinosaurs... so we borrowed a few books from the base library and discussed how dinosaurs lived and what fossils are. I found a few great craft/projects about dinosaurs through google and pinterest.com and well... we went a little nuts LOL!


I decided to whip up a batch of salt dough and I found some plastic dinosaurs at Walmart... I laid out our "rocks" and then smashed down a dinosaur in the middle of each of them, hence making an imprint or what I like to think looks like a fossil. ;) Then we baked them for quite a while, after they finished baking and cooling we painted them and then let them dry.


We "burried" them in sand and dirt from the back yard and then "dug" them back up to dust them off and pretend we were excavating them! It was AWESOME! And if you have a kid who's into dinosaurs... I highly recommend partaking in your own dinosaur dig! Oh so much fun! And your kids will love it!


I then glued a make shift dino of my own on some heavy stock paper and let her paint over it so she could see the "bones" of the dinosaur... she thought it was pretty neat how the paint didn't stick to the bones...


We also made a hand print dinosaur and her very own dinosaur necklace! The necklace she LOVES and I probably will have to pry it off of her at some point LOL! Best of all... soooo easy to make! I just took the left over plastic dinosaurs and screwed a frame clasp screw at the top and then threaded it through a ball chain. And wha-la! Instant dinosaur necklace and instant fun! For hours!

Recycled Notebooks Craft

In honor of girl scouts thinking day (which was Feb. 22nd 2012) munchkin and I did a fun little recycle project. We took boxes from foods around the house, like cereal boxes, pizza boxes, fruit snack boxes and even poptart boxes and made notebooks out of them using the boxes as front and back covers! They are so easy to make and the kiddo loves them! She loves the idea that she can write a "story" about her favorite foods on the front LOL! I love that she is writing, being creative and of course recycling!

I know... your probably thinking... when did she turn into such a hippy?! Well, to be truthful a part of me always has been green, I just don't show it as much. I'm not totally extreme like some who only bathe once a week because they want to conserve water, but I try to do my part. We recycle at home for various things, and I also recycle on base with a container called "Greenopolis" they are a small'ish company that has a few containers in bigger cities (and working to make more in other cities) that you can take your recyclable bottles to and they will actually reward you in coupons and movie tickets for recycling! YEAH! That's right... REWARDS for recycling!


So yeah recycling rocks! And the munchkin had loads of fun helping me cut out the cardboard and paper to put in between. I then stapled the tops up to make it "flip" style and walah! Instant notebook! You can make them however you want or even decorate them too! The best part... when they are full and used up, you can always recycle the paper & cardboard again ;)

Oh and speaking of recycling! I picked up THE BEST pair of flip flops I think I've ever owned yesterday! We got our tax refund back (YAY!) and went on our shopping spree for new family spring/summer wardrobes. Among the loads of stuff I bought, I got these awesome Sanuk flip flops from Carnival shoe store. They are insanely comfy! I feel like I am quite literally walking on air... and it's because they are made out of a yoga mat! Yup! Check them out online at www.sanuk.com or you can also find them at shoes.com or zappos.com. I'm telling you... best comfort flip flop ever!!! lol!

Valentines Day Party and a Craft or Two

So this morning we went to the squadron's children's Valentines Day Party, it was pretty awesome and the kiddo had a good time. Everything in the hall was decorated in pink and red and cuteness! I only wish I hadn't forgotten my camera at home :( I could have taken with my phone buttttt I forgot to plug in my phone last night to charge and it died while we were there :( It seems I'm batting a thousand already today LOL! Anyway we got home and the kiddo wanted to hang up ALL her new valentines in her room... which was ok with me, but then I got this awesome idea! *Light bulb* LOL! I decided to make her a wreath out of the valentines! Sounds pretty cool eh? Have a looksee!

She loves it! And all I did was hot glue the cards in a circle! LOL!

And since I was crafting and had my glue gun already out I figured I'd make a little something for my long window... remember the leaves I made in the fall? I just applied the same concept
to the hearts I made for Valentines day! :D

And just cause she's so darn cute... I present my kiddo... man she's looking less
like a little kid and more like a mini teenager these days... I feel old LOL!

Upcycled News Paper Hair Clips

These were so easy and fun to make! My kiddo loves the Garfield one. They were just too easy to make. Basically all I did was cut out circles from the left over Sunday newspaper I had... hey... waste not, want not right? I then stuck them in between some clear laminate sheets and then cut out around the circles. I arranged them in the flower shape and glued them down with hot glue, after that dried I flipped them over and glued alligator clips to the back. See! Easy peasy! :)

Calling All Bookworms

Hey guys... psssst... guess what I made...

Just wanted to make a little something to show my love for books... :) And its so easy to make... i just used regular white paper to make the pages of the books. I eyeballed the size I wanted cut the strips and folded them in half, I used maudpague to glue the pages together and the covers (which are just pieces of scrapbook pages) on the tops and then I hot glued around all the edges to "seal" it. And then I hot glued all the books together and then glue them on top of adjustable ring. Cute right?

Ohhh and speaking of reading... I went to the thrift store yesterday and picked up new books for .99 cents! YES! .99 cents! You just cant beat that! I have started one of the books today and am about half way through it... it is such a page turner! They are "Candy Shop Mysteries" by Sammi Carter, she has 5 books in the series and I have 3 so far, I think I'm going to have to get the other 2 if the rest of her books are like this one I'm reading. I also did a little research on amazon and thanks to amazon suggestions I have found a ton of other books by the same publisher with similar themes. I call them the "house wives or stay at home mom mysteries" because they all revolve around baking, cooking, sewing, crafting, knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc... I see a new addiction in the works for me. And just because when I start something I never stop unless I go all out I have compiled a list of these type books! LOL!

Hooked on Murder (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
Dead Men Don't Crochet (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
You Better Knot Die (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
By hook or By Crook (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman
A Stitch in Crime (A Crochet Mystery) Betty Hechtman

Knit One, Kill Two (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Needled To Death (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Unraveled (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Double Knit Murders (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Dropped Dead Stitch (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Dyer Consequences (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
A Killer Stitch (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
Fleece Navida (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton
A Deadly Yarn (A Knitting Mystery) Maggie Sefton

The English Breakfast Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Scones and Bones (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Death by Darjeeling (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Gunpowder Green (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Shades of Earl Grey (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Dragonwell Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
The Teaberry Strangler (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Oolong Dead (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
The Jasmin Moon Murder (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs
Blood Orange Brewing (A Tea Shop Mystery) Laura Childs

Fiber & Brimstone (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Keepsake Crimes (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Death Swatch (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Frill Kill (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Motif for Murder (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Death by Design (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Bound for Murder (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Photo Finished (A Scrapbook Mystery) Laura Childs
Tragic Magic (A Scrapbook Mystery)

Sprinkle with Murder (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery) Jennifer McKinlay
Buttercream Bump Off (A Cupcake Bakery Mystery) Jennifer McKinlay

A Peach of a Murder (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
The Pumpkin Muffin Murder (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
Murder by the Slice (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
Killer Crab Cakes (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn
The Christmas Cookie Killer (A Fresh Baked Mystery) Livia J. Washburn

Roast Mortem (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Holiday Grind (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
On What Grounds (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Through the Grinder (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Espresso Shot (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Latte Trouble (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Murder Most Frothy (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
French Pressed (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Decaffeinated Corpse (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle
Murder by Mocha (A Coffee House Mystery) Cleo Coyle

Stuck on Murder (A Decopage Mystery) Lucy Lawrence
Cut to the Corpse (A Decopage Mystery) Lucy Lawrence
Sealed with a Kill (A Decopage Mystery) Lucy Lawrence

Chapter & Hearse (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Murder is Binding (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Bookplate Special (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Bookmarked for Death (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett
Sentenced to Death (A Booktown Mystery) Lorna Barrett

A Killer Crop (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly
One Bad Apple (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly
Red Delicious Death (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly
Rotten to the Core (An Orchard Mystery) Sheila Connolly

Fundraising the Dead (A Museum Mystery) Sheila Connolly
Lets Play Dead (A Museum Mystery) Sheila Connolly

Dirty Rotten Tendrils (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Mum's the Word (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Slay it with Flowers (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Dearly Depotted (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Snipped in the Bud (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Sleeping with Anemone (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Acts of Violets (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Evil in Carnations (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
Shoots to Kill (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins
A Rose from the Dead (A Flower Shop Mystery) Kate Collins

Pinned for Murder (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Sew Deadly (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Death Threads (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey
Deadly Notions (A Southern Sewing Series) Elizabeth Lynn Casey

The Quick and the Thread (A Embrodiery Mystery) Amanda Lee
Stictch Me Deadly (A embroidery Mystery) Amanda Lee

Spinster Sprinkles (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Glazed Murder (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Fatally Frosted (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Evil Eclairs (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck
Tragic Toppings (A Dount Shop Mystery) Jessica Beck

Scoop to Kill (A Mystery a La Mode) Wendy Lyn Watson
I Scream, You Scream (A Mystery a La Mode) Wendy Lyn Watson
A Parfait Murder (A Mystery a La Mode) Wendy Lyn Watson

A Brisket, A Casket (A Deadly Deli Mystery) Delia Rosen

Delicious and Suspicious (A Memphis BBQ Mystery) Riley Adams

Sketch Me if You Can (A Portrait of a Crime Mystery) Sharon Pape
To Sketch a Theif (A Portrait of a Crime Mystery) Sharon Pape

A Slice of Murder (A Pizza Lover's Mystery) Chris Cavender
Pepperoni Pizza Can Be Murder (A Pizza Lover's Mystery) Chris Cavender

The Long Quiche Goodbye (A Cheese Shop Mystery) Avery Aames
Lost and Fondue (A Cheese Shop Mystery) Avery Aames

Tressed to Kill (A Soutern Beauty Shop Mystery) Lila Dare
Polished Off (A Southern Beauty Shop Mystery) Lila Dare

Cookie Dough or Die (A Cookie Cutter Shop Mystery) Virginia Lowell

The Missing Ink (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson
Driven To Ink (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson
Pretty In Ink (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson
Ink Flamingos (A Tattoo Shop Mystery) Karen E. Olson

Bundle of Trouble (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) Diana Orgain
Motherhood is Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) Diana Orgain
Formula For Murder (A Maternal Instincts Mystery) Diana Orgain

Secondhand Spirits (A Witchcraft Mystery) Juliet Blackwell
A Cast Off Coven (A Witchcraft Mystery) Juliet Blackwell
Hexes and Hemlines(A Witchcraft Mystery) Juliet Blackwell

If Walls Could Talk (A Haunted Home Renovations Series) Juliet Blackwell

The Ghost of Mrs. McClure (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Dead Deb (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Dead Man's Library (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Femme Fatale (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Haunted Mansion (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)
The Ghost and the Bogus Bestseller (A Haunted Bookshop Mystery) Alice Kimberly (aka Cleo Coyle)

A Crafty Killing (A Victoria Square Mystery) Lorraine Bartlett

The Trouble with Magic (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
A Charmed Death (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
Hex Marks the Spot (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
No Rest for the Wiccan (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
Where There's a Witch (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
A Witch in Time (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt
Home for a Spell (A Bewitching Mystery) Madelyn Alt

Town in a Blueberry Jam (A Holidays Mystery) B.B Haywood
Town in a Lobster Stew (A Holidays Mystery) B.B Haywood

Fatal Fixer-Upper (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley
Spackled and Spooked (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley
Plaster and Poison (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley
Mortar and Mystery (A DIY Mystery) Jennie Bentley

Have any of you guys read these kinda books before? Or do any of you guys have any reading suggestions for me??? I just love to read!

Getting a Little Girlie...

So this is what I've been crafting up lately...

Some Artsie Fartsie Earrings :)

Made these just for me... they are resistor earrings! Lets just say the hubbers LOVES them!

Pretty pink and sparkly flower earrings for the munchkin.

Tinsy Tiny Cuppy Cakes... also for the munchkin :)

And some ROCK'in hair bows!!

The Tale of the Crappy Crocheter...

So I have begun crocheting, thanks to my BFF who just recently came for a visit this weekend. She crochets like a pro! She has all sorts of Awesome stuff she makes... everything from beautiful hats and hair bands to baby booties! So she has got me hooked on hookin ;) No, not that kinda hookin although I do think its hilarious all the little innuendos you could make up with crocheting. We sat there one night (while crocheting) and though of all these funny things to put on t-shirts. Like... I hook it in spare time, I love hookin, Size matters.... how big is your hook?, If you show me your hook... I'll show you mine... etc ;) Anyway... I have been "practicing" all weekend and yesterday and today. I am a crappy crocheter... for now. I promise to get better and keep at it. Its just one of those things that does NOT come naturally or easy for me. I'm gonna have to work at this, but there's nothing I love more than a challenge at doing something creative! I think with time and a reading chart, because reading those patterns are starting to make me feel like I'm reading another language... I think, just maybe... I could be...decent ;) So right now my project is a scarf and I hope to finish it by 2012! LOL

Oh and she also does nail art... like she did on mine ;) Just wish mine were longer so they looked better... see! Told ya she was AWESOME! :)

Straight from the Geekery

First off I'd like to say Thanks to Jennifer! She chose me to be featured on her blog Sunshine and Chaucer for my comic book shoes that I posted about yesterday. YAY!!! Thanks Jennifer!!! You made my day! :D

And now for my next trick project... I bring you...

The Lego ring! It was just something fun I wanted to do for myself, my hubby proposed to me somewhat similarly (with a toy ring from a candy machine) and it made me giggle when I made this... he also snickered when I showed him and we both though of that awesome day. :)
Basically all I did was hot glue some lego pieces together on top of a regular ring base, from hobby lobby. Hubs also thinks I should get a job there LOL! I told him, that might not be such a great idea seeing how I would probably be spending all my paychecks where I worked LOL!

I also watched the cape last night and I just have to say its AMAZING! Being the comic book nerd that I am, I figured that I would love this show. It reminds me of what a Batman TV series would be like. I really hope this show lasts because I seriously love it! If you love comic books then this show is for you! It comes on Sunday at 9/8c on NBC.

Sorry this post is so random... just had to get all this out, Happy Monday Everyone! :)

Comic Book Shoes

Yes, you read that title right... I made comic book shoes!!! I'm not sure if I have mentioned it lately but Modpauge and I have become quite close... in fact I think sewing machine and glue gun are starting to notice and might be getting a bit jealous LOL!

So I got these plain white kinda boring flats from Wal-Mart and thought what can I do with these to make them look a bit more "Zazzy" (Say it like Sheldon from BBT lol!) and then it hit me!... why not modpauge something on them?... I had just bought this big bottle of modpauge from hobby lobby (while it was on sale) and what better way to break it in. It pained me a little to be cutting up a comic book... what a HUGE no no... but it's a new one and there was nothing significant about it other than the pages were really bright and it had some of my favorite hero's in it. So I bit my lip and tore off some pages to cut out strips to modpauge to my shoes, and so began my project. And I have to say it was pretty easy... a little messy, but easy. And now I LOOOOOOOVE them... I have slapped on about 4 coats of modpauge and then sprayed them with clear coat from krylon juuuuuuust to make sure they are sealed pretty good... but I don't think I'll be wearing them in the rain just because I would cry (ALOT) if they got ruined. Anyway here they are... let me know what you think? :)

Oh, Please excuse the white spots that's just the modpauge drying...

I got a little eager to take pics and post them to my facebook without letting
them dry fully... what can I say? I got a little excited lol!

I even put Green Lantern on my shoes.

And Wahla! Ready to go! :D

Expecto Patronum!!!

We have finally seen the new Harry Potter!!! It was... AWESOME!!! I am a little sad that they are doing it in 2 parts though...but... I understand why. Don't worry I wont spill any of the goodies in case your still wanting to go see it, which you totally should... because it is AWESOME!!!

And in honor of witchcraft and wizardry, I have crafted up my very own wand!!!
Ohhh and its soooo easy to make... no really! And suuuuuuper cheap! Honestly you cant get cheaper than a rolled up piece of paper and some hot glue! I love it! I'm thinking of making a few more of these since I loved how it turned out and then making a cool wand stand to go with them to grace the top of my entertainment center.

So to make your very own witch or wizard wand... take a regular 8x11 sheet of paper and roll (tightly) from one side the other, once you've got your paper rolled up good and tight take a bit of hot glue and glue down your edge. Then cut off each end just a tiny bit and fill that in (very carefully) with hot glue. Let that dry for a few seconds and then begin to glue around all the sides of the "wand" to make the "bumpy" "magical" look. Once that dries you can begin to paint it. I painted the wand part brown first and just used one coat because I liked the way it made it look like wood. After that dried I just took a bit of metallic green paint and painted the "bumpy" "magical" part and Viola! You're ready to start dueling!

Take Your Best Shot!

Remember a few weeks back when hubs and I went on vacation and we went out on our date to the gun range?... which was awesome by the way! Best stress reliever EVER!!! Well, I kept the shells from our shots we fired. They were from.45 Cal hand guns and now they are earrings! I love them, I wore them out today just to Target, Wal-Mart and the Mall and got soooo many compliments on them! They were fairly easy to make too. I just took the original shell and dremeled it in half at the base of the shell, leaving just the back where the pin hits the shell. I then hot glued those to earring backs and Wahla! Instant coolness! :D


Oh and speaking of making jewelry... I made an anklet and matching earrings for my MIL for Christmas... I'm thinking I might just have to get into jewelry making what do you guys think?