The Robin's Nest

Wordless Wednesday...Point Defiance Zoo, Tacoma~

2012-02-15T15:44:00.000-08:00

Wedding Pics~1-21-2012~♥

2012-02-02T17:59:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures from our son's wedding as promised...

Karina waiting for the wedding to start.

Almost time!

This is about the time Tim started tearing up-AND so did the moms.

Exchanging Rings.

Sharing Cake...

My husband, my son, myself. :)

My dad, me, my son, my daughter in law, my husband, my daughter, my granddaughter, my brother.

Happily Ever After... Part 2

2012-01-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

To read part one click HERE.

So Thursday and Friday were spent cleaning, moving furniture around, and picking up trees all around our house that fell in the ice storm. About 10:45 pm my husband and I stumbled into bed totally exhausted, that's when a light came on...No, not in our mind, a actual light in our closet came on! The power was restored but apparently only in our neighborhood. This we called miracle number 1.

The next morning I'm getting ready to run around like a mad wedding woman when the mother of the bride calls. She proceeds to tell me that she went to pick the wedding dress up at the cleaners and they were closed due to the power outage.

I'm like, "WHAT? You've got to be kidding me?" !!!!!

She wasn't.

I suggested going to the police station to see if they had the owners home number.

They didn't.

Meanwhile Karina the bride is working away at Starbucks making the most wonderful coffee in the world for her customers, not knowing all the craziness that was going on behind the scenes. Karina's mom decides she better go break the bad news to her...

Karina's response, "It's not at that cleaners mom, it's at the one right down the sidewalk from here and they have power!"
WHEW! The MOB and MOG aged a bit in that hour of despair-You should of heard the things we were trying to think of to replace the dress~ All legal mind you.

Karina's mom had a bunch on her plate too. She was getting the cake, the cake topper, the bride and groom glasses,beverages, picking Karina up to get her hair done, etc. etc.

I head out around 10:00 am wearing a baseball cap hoping and praying I wouldn't end up wearing it to my son's wedding due to lack of time.

Miracle number 2: (Side note: Karina loves purple) I drive to Safeway in our town, they still didn't have power but ONE door was open and the florist just happen to be there. She just put out fresh bunches of lilac and white roses, baby's breath, and purple and white tulips... I bought most of what she had. I also bought a Orchid plant because Karina's mom said Karina loved them.

Miracle number 3: I went to Costco at a town by ours that just happened to be open. They had every kind of ribbon I needed in the perfect colors, all the FANCY appetizers any glamorous hostess could ever want to serve and big bunches of flowers with lots of purple in them. I then ran to Walmart and bought vases in all sizes and white wire for big white bows.

Miracle number 4: The pastor and photographer agreed to back the wedding up until 5:30 pm... Karina got a chance to get her hair styled and I got a chance to get home, take a shower, do my hair, get dressed, arrange flowers, make bows etc. All this was completed in time due to help from my brother Ron, my husband, and our daughter Ronnie.

We greeted the photographer, guests, pastor and we had ourselves a beautiful little wedding!

Here are some pictures of how we arranged the house and what it looked like after a few flowers were placed about. Mind you, I am a florist but I only had 1 hour to arrange all the flowers, make the boutonnieres, and all the bows. All but the last three pictures were taken with my iPhone.

View as you walk in. We removed the pillows before everyone arrived. My dining room table is usually where the pews are.

View from the back of the room. Kids got married in front of fireplace.

With flowers.

Tulips hanging on Pews.

Full view~

P.S. the bottom of the vase is stuck to the pew with heavy duty glue dots-Worked perfect.

Boutonnieres for Groom and Father of Bride.

Roses hanging at the bottom of stairs where Karina's dad met her to give her away.

Flowers in the brides make-up room. These were also carried around to be in different photo shots.

Bride holding orchids wrapped in purple ribbon.

Groom before wedding, waiting patiently to see his bride.

Husband and wife.

The biggest miracle of all...These two meeting each other~A perfect match.

I will post more pictures when we pick them up from the photographer.

Added Note: I really feel the need to tell you all that these miracles are from the Lord. I was thanking him all day Saturday~I believe the blessing he showered us with, were for all of us but mostly for Karina....AND that is another story-The greatest one of all. I hope to be able to share it all with you someday~♥

Once Upon a Time~Part 1

2012-01-25T20:11:00.000-08:00

Engagement photo-Tylor Fox Photography

My son Timothy and his fiancée Karina planned on getting married last Friday at the court house. The judge however was scheduled to have surgery and couldn't perform the ceremony. Wednesday night, a week ago, my son calls and tells me they found a Pastor to marry them AND asks if they can get married in my home that Saturday???
"Of course... I can do this in 2 days right?" I thought to myself.
Well, RIGHT after Timothy and I had the wedding in my home conversation a horrible ice storm hit our area.
What a mess, power went out, trees were falling all around our house, guest were coming in from as far as San Diego.
We have a generator so my husband and I got busy cleaning and moving furniture around. I could vacuum with a long extension cord and do dishes the old fashioned way. We had one pretty big problem though...All the businesses in the area lost power too. I had no food, no flowers, no way of getting my hair done ~ The wedding was at 4 pm on Saturday, what in the world could I do!?!

Let go and PRAY!

And that's what I did. Lord knows I wasn't in control-Just took me a minute or two to realize it.

It was a let go and let God moment.

Here are some pictures around our house of the ice storm~

I took this picture last Wednesday, a few hours before my son called.

Then the ice storm hit.

It's amazing the beauty an ice storm leaves-The birds in this photo are called Varied Thrushers.

This Japanese Maple in the front of our house actually survived!

Pictured is the curly willow that was in last Wednesday post...Amazing the difference a week can make. This tree fell over during the storm.

As did the beautiful Cherry Blossom tree in our front yard. My husband and I went out on Friday in the rain and resurrected 3 major trees-He had to do a bunch of trimming, we hope they survive.

Part two coming soon...

Wordless Wednesday...

2012-01-11T18:21:00.000-08:00

{Black eyed Junco/Curly Willow/My backyard}

Gooseberry Patch Valentine Sweetheart Ribbon Wreath...

2012-01-06T11:14:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I pinned this Sweetheart Ribbon Wreath onto my Valentines Pinterest board. It got so many repins that I thought I should share it here.

Cute huh?!

To see how to make it~~~ run yourself over HERE to Gooseberry Patch-Those ladies have such fabulous ideas and wonderful recipes.

It reminded me of the one that I made for my Autumn door...

Actually my sister Lori made the ribbon garland for me and I made it into a wreath. Gooseberry Patch created theirs on a hanger using material and ribbon. Lori's was all ribbon tied onto a rope. The nice thing about this is I can take it off the wreath and use it as garland if I want to change things up one year.

To see how to make the ribbon garland/wreath go HERE.

For Valentine's day I am going to try to make one for my front door out of wire with both fabric and ribbon sans cookies.

The fabric will make it much less time consuming.

A pinner commented that she is going to put Hershey's kisses on hers instead of the cookies. That's a fantastic idea especially for those short on time.

This would work wonderfully for any holiday~I can picture the 4th of July wreath in my mind right now!

Wordless Wednesday...

2012-01-04T15:01:00.000-08:00

Mt Rainier National Forest.

Days Until...

2012-01-03T17:38:00.000-08:00

If you read this post and think "I've seen this before somewhere" -You have! I posted it last year on January 3rd...I just changed the number of days left for this year, it's a lovely reminder...

~41 Days Until Valentine's Day~

~73 Days Until St Patrick's Day~

~95 Days Until Easter~

(Image from country living)

~130 Days Until Mother's Day~

(Image and cards to purchase at Salty dog Greeting cards)

~165 Days Until Father's Day~

And yes, that is my husband Tim and granddaughter Noelle's hands~♥

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-12-28T09:35:00.000-08:00

Click to enlarge.

Wonderful Wednesday...

2011-12-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

Where we go to get away from it all...

Mossy even in the winter.

Peaceful...

Playful.

Beautiful...

A whole herd of elk were in these woods, she is the only one that would pose for me.

Click on pics to see better detail.

Merry Christmas!

Jolly Snowman...

2011-12-10T13:15:00.000-08:00

Pictured above is the snowman by Martha Stewart.

Pictured above is the snowman by Robin Beck (Me)

To see how Martha made hers click HERE.

I made mine a little different... First off, I used really soft fluffy yarn and made my own pom poms instead of buying them. I used black embroidery thread for the eyes. I did the felt hat just like Martha but added a little snowflake embellishment to make it more cute. The carrot nose is felt but I sewed little black lines by hand to make it look more like a real carrot. For the scarf I used ribbon off a package someone had given me and sewed little red buttons to his front to finish him off. This snowman is fun and easy to make. He would look cute on a Christmas tree, a gift or just about anywhere! This would be a wonderful craft to do with your kids.

Merry Christmas!

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-12-07T18:24:00.000-08:00

-Click on photo to enlarge-

Hope You All Have A...

2011-11-24T10:31:00.000-08:00

The ones that got away...

Happy Weekend...

2011-11-20T10:06:00.000-08:00

{Snow Cowboy}

I hope you are all having a great weekend~ My husband was on vacation all last week. We didn't go anywhere, just stayed around the house and worked on my NEW craft room the whole week.

I CANNOT wait to start crafting in there!!!!

We did take some time to go up to the mountain by our home and play in the snow.

I have so many Christmas ideas that I want to share with you all~

But for now, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving week...

Remember to relax and enjoy it!

Let talk Pinterest...

2011-11-09T16:51:00.000-08:00

Pinterest, Pinterest, Pinterest...~I get better craft/cooking/photography/etc ideas there then I do from most magazines. I love sitting on my bed at night and pinning items onto my boards right from my iPad. BUT what good does it do if you aren't going to try the ideas out? SOOOO I decided to blog about the ideas that I like that work and even the things I wasn't so crazy about.

First off lets talk about some pins I'm not so crazy about: I like some of the quotes people put on there, but really, don't believe everything you read! One quote said, "It takes running across a football field to burn the calorie of just one M&M"-PUUUUUULEEEASE! Seriously, my body burns one M&M calorie by just trying to get the bag open. Another that I just read today said that "If you dream about someone it means THEY are missing you-Psychological fact."

Hello?

That's probably why I found humor in the sign above.

Now onto things I liked alot...

First off...This chili was REALLY good. We have made it twice....

The recipe and photo comes from HOW TO: SIMPLIFY. I'm not putting the recipe on here because I don't want anyone pinning if from my site. Go HERE to pin and to get the recipe. What I will say is that the lime is important and that I am crazy about cilantro but left it out due to those who don't like it in my family. I, however, added LOTS of it as a garnish to my own bowl. This is not a spicy recipe-I'd put it more in the category of comfort food. You can also find it on my

Gluten Free Pinterest board.

Secondly... Ikea $4.00 spice racks used as kids bookshelves. I pinned it from the blog, Wonderful Joy Ahead. You can also find it on my Pinterest "kids" board.

I like the idea but am only using it by Noelle's bed for nighty-time books. She has so many books that a bunch of Ikea spice racks would look lame holding all of them. We will build a big bookshelf instead. I don't think the Ikea spice rack is a good idea if you have ~~monkeys~~ active children who like to climb on things-I say this from experience...My oldest son was a climber when he was a toddler and these bookshelves wouldn't have lasted a second!

Noelle's little reading area.

"My little Gems" added Yard sticks to her Ikea spice/book racks. Click HERE to see...She even painted them.

Lastly, the spice racks are hard to find. They aren't very big all packaged up. They are in the kitchen section but I actually had to have a employee walk me right to them. They were just sitting on a shelf-No display.
Here is what they look like all packaged up:

You can see them online HERE.

To see all of my Pinterest boards click HERE-But a little advanced warning...

I'm kinda on a Christmas kick right now!

Word-Full Wednesday...

2011-11-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

I like seeing other people do Wordless Wednesday on their blogs-BUT always wish I knew where they took their pictures. So here are some photos I took a couple of weeks ago when Fall was just hitting the area...AND where I took them.

The Hoh River right outside of Forks, on the road to the rain forest.

Fall on the Hoh River

Our granddaughter Noelle in Forks Washington

I took this picture from the passenger seat of our truck going 50 miles an hour over the Hood Canal bridge-Olympic mountains @ sunset.

Hope you are all having a GREAT week.

What I Did This Weekend...

2011-10-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

What did you do?

Making a Nest from a Grapevine Pumpkin Revisited...

2011-09-21T19:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone...

This is just a reminder to grab your pumpkins NOW at Target in their dollar bin ($2.50)

That way when Christmas comes around you can make this nest...

For instructions click HERE.

But you could use the nest for things other then paper whites...

This would look nice year round.

I found this blog on Pinterest and love these blue paper mache eggs!

To see how to make them go HERE to Centsational Girl's blog.

Wordless Wednesday~End of Summer Fun...

2011-09-14T17:55:00.000-07:00

Astoria Oregon Sea Lions...

2011-09-01T14:08:00.000-07:00

The town of Astoria is right on the Columbia River. The Columbia River is full of big fresh salmon. Where salmon are... sea lions can't be far.

These guys are loud and very smelly like a fish market that has no doors OR windows-Yucky!

Here is a short iPhone video I took of them barking...You can hear Noelle in the background talking about them swimming. :)

A Day At The Beach...

2011-08-17T18:30:00.000-07:00

These pictures were taken along the coast of Washington at

Ocean Shores...

I don't know the family but I dubbed the deer "Yogi." He was just looking for a picAnic basket.

Horses... for a ride along the shore~

Our grandson Landon doing cartwheels with the seagulls...

Our grandson Carson and granddaughter Noelle playing in the water and sand.

Noelle chasing bubbles....

A.Perfect.Day.

Wordless Wednesday-Rainy Day Hummingbird.

2011-08-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday... (Okay, there are a few words!)

2011-07-20T16:52:00.000-07:00

Live Sand Dollars And Other Sightings...

2011-07-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

Once again I was delighted to have company come up from California to visit us here at Camp Beck. Last year I took them to Forks/La Push/Hoh Rain Forest AND Dash Point. This year they wanted to see Mt Rainier and to go back to Dash Point to see the live sand dollars.

The sand dollar pictured above looks like a typical sand dollar~I took this picture with my iPhone at Dash Point.

But the live ones...

Look like this~Top side.

The back side of that same sand dollar-It feels real fuzzy.

Here are some underwater...Look real close and you will see a few real tiny white ones.

If you go to Dash Point and can't find the sand dollars don't fret... You just have to look harder. I find them on the far left side of the shore every time I go...

This is what they look like most the time on the beach. They hide under the sand. If you dig down even a 1/4 inch you will find hundreds. The arrows in the picture above show the edges of some of the sand dollars that have burrowed down.

There is also a resident blue heron... It was so funny to watch him walking right along side these ladies like he was part of their outing.

BUT I'd have to say that the most beautiful sighting that day was this precious little girl running and laughing along the shore. She is adorable!

(You guys really didn't think I would do a post without my granddaughter in it did you?) ;)

If you would like directions or to see more pictures of the sand dollars at Dash Point click HERE to see a post I did last year.

Country Living...

2011-04-08T10:09:00.000-07:00

Did you see these cute mugs at Country Living Online? I think they are adorable and just think how many different designs you could do. They would make great gifts and supposedly they are dishwasher safe! The paint is inexpensive too!

Here's the directions Country Living provided:
To duplicate these mugs, print and cut out the animal shapes. Use these templates (go HERE) for Cow, Sheep, and Pig shapes. Place each shape atop a small piece of contact paper and outline it in pencil. Cut out with a craft knife; then discard the paper inside the outline. Peel away the backing and affix the stencil to a clean, dry mug, making sure to center the image. Following the package directions, use a soft brush to fill in the outline with dishwasher-safe PermEnamel paint ($3.49 for two ounces, joann.com); let set for a few minutes. Carefully remove the contact paper, clean up any edges with a damp cotton swab, and allow the paint to cure for 10 days.

To visit Country Living Online click HERE they also show other cute paint ideas.

Play Along...

2011-04-06T20:58:00.000-07:00

I know I am a dork-It's common knowledge and I'm okay with that. With that being said and out of the way lets play a game called:

WHERE WAS ROBIN?

Here's how to play-Tell me where you think the picture was taken~

This weeks is easy squeezey...

Thank you also to everyone who came by with concerns and prayers for our daughter...I wrote 2 posts about her accident on The Robin's Nest Facebook Page. Click HERE to see it. She is out of the hospital :) *** Ronnie is back in the hospital her wound was very infected-They cut the stitches out and cleaned her up, there was mud and debris in there still-unbelievable. She endured excruciating pain but is doing better now and thanks you all for your prayers and well wishes. She will be in the hospital for at least a couple of more days.

Wordless Wednesday...

2011-03-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Thank God For New Beginnings...

2011-03-20T12:44:00.000-07:00

The Answer...

2011-03-04T09:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I asked if any of you knew what famous actor this is...

Lori was the first to get it right...

Michael Learned is best known for playing Olivia Walton on the '70s TV series The Waltons.

Goodnight Johnboy!

Have a good weekend everyone~

Theatrical Thursday...

2011-03-03T09:05:00.000-08:00

Can you guess who this famous actress is?

I'll post the answer tomorrow!

Be My Valentine♥♥♥

2011-01-31T17:29:00.000-08:00

Martha, Martha, Martha~How do I love your ideas?

Let me count the ways...

Okay, maybe I'll spare you the counting and just show you all some great templates I found on Martha Stewart's site instead!

~Click HERE to see the wine label template~

~Make these cute little bags HERE~

~Got a gardener in your life?

Click HERE~

~Learn to make the labels and bath fizzies HERE~

~Cute heart shaped box template HERE~

I'm Coming Back To Blogging Soon...

2011-01-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

I have a very sickie little girl on my hands right now though.

I've been crafting away and I'm very excited to show it all to you!

Adding Your E Mail To Your Blogger Profile 101...

2011-01-04T17:42:00.000-08:00

I got a email from my good friend Carmen she wrote,
"Robin,
You really must add your email to your blogger profile. I always try to reply to you and it's no comment blogger. :( "

I had no idea! (though for many of you this is old news!)

You see, when someone comments on your blog you get a E mail with their comment in it-If their email is added to their blogger profile you can just hit "reply" to that comment in your email and answer them back. If they don't add their email to their blogger profile and you try to respond to their comment it shows up as "no comment blogger" and you can't get a email to them.
Wow, I hope I'm not confusing anybody!
Now, there might be some of you out there that don't want an email back and that's fine...Then this post isn't for you unless you like hummingbird pictures.
But if you wouldn't mind a response every once in a while via email here's a tutorial for you.

I never do a post without a photo~It just wouldn't seem right to me.

For the tutorial-Click on the photos to make them larger and follow the red arrows:

Click on Design-

Click on Dashboard-

Click on Edit Profile-

1. Put a check in the box saying you want your address to show.

2. Down toward the middle of this same page add your address in...

Taa Daa~!

Now other bloggers can respond to you easier.

Thanks Carmen~♥

To visit Carmen's wonderful blog click on her name.

Thought You Should Know There's Only...

2011-01-03T14:18:00.000-08:00

~40 Days Until Valentine's Day~

~71 Days Until St Patrick's Day~

~109 Days Until Easter~

(Image from country living)

~123 Days Until Mother's Day~

(Image and cards to purchase at Salty dog Greeting cards)

~165 Days Until Father's Day~

And yes, that is my husband Tim and granddaughter Noelle's hands~♥

Our Twilight Getaway~ Part One...

2011-01-02T21:14:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I live in Western Washington... My husband and I have been going over to Forks for years even before Twilight was anything to talk about. We go there to fish and hike-It's some of the most beautiful country you will ever see. But this time when we went I actually took some Twilightish photos to share with all you Twilight Fans. We like staying in La Push on First Beach at the Quileute Oceanside Resort-We always stay in one of their luxury cabins right on the beach. They are clean and have huge windows so you can enjoy the view no matter the weather.

Here is the kitchen in the one bedroom cabin...They supply really nice dishes and cookware and even have a dishwasher.

Jacuzzi tub and the view from it...

The living room and it's view~No TVs and our cell phones couldn't find service from our cabin...There is only wireless in the hotel office-So our stay was nice and secluded!

Early the first morning, I am lounging on the couch in my lodging pj's cause that's what you wear while staying in a cabin. I am eating eggs that I just cooked, drinking coffee...

...enjoying this view out my window

(this picture was taken from the couch inside the cabin)

When low and behold what do I see? Seriously, this freaked me out a little~Wolf ears? Is it Jacob and his pack?

No...It's just a German Shepherd. You should have seen his brother though, he really did look like a wolf and was much bigger and a russet color, he walked right by my window! But I haven't learned to hold my camera while eating breakfast...YET.

**********

For more information on the Quileute Oceanside Resort click HERE. They have larger luxury cabins, smaller cabins, a new motel and RV sites. Costs range from $80 to $280 per night depending on the season.

The Quileute Oceanside Resort did not pay me to blog about this, nor did they give me anything free~

But if they did it would be okay with me (just putting it out there!)

La Push Baby...

2011-01-01T17:39:00.000-08:00

Some guy surfing the Rez~First Beach~La Push Washington~Last day of 2010.

Taking A Little Break...

2010-12-29T17:54:00.000-08:00

I'm heading to the coast/La Push/Forks with my hubby for a much needed getaway.

♥~Happy New Year Friends, May the Lord bless you all~♥

See you soon....

Ha Ha!

2010-12-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

JUST MESSING WITH YOU GUYS~♥

Brighten a Dull Winter's Day...

2010-12-16T08:26:00.000-08:00

A couple of years ago at Thanksgiving my brother Ron gave my mom and I each a paperwhite kit.

Mom and I enjoyed watching them grow and bloom in the dead of winter.

This year I picked up a few paperwhite bulbs at Home Depot.

Instead of putting them in a vase, I created a centerpiece that is me made over
(and probably you too!)

Here's how I made it:

Remember the grapevine pumpkins I got at Target in the dollar bin?

I posted about them here.

After Thanksgiving I was getting ready to store them and it hit me (like a ton of bricks) that they could probably be turned into a nest!

I took a pair of old craft scissors and started cutting away.

I pulled the grapevine away from the metal frame inside and formed the grapevine into a nest.

So if you didn't happen to pick up one of these pumpkins at Target that's okay-Just look around for something that "could" work.

A round basket with moss or raffia around it would be just as cute.

It only takes a little extra imagination~ Once you start thinking "nest" you'd might be surprised at the things around you that would work!

I recycled a gallon milk jug by cutting it to fit inside my nest-I put moss around it to help hide it.

Then I added pebbles, they are perfect for growing the paperwhites.

At this point you want to arrange your paperwhite (Narcissus) bulbs.

The pointed base taper candle holders go inbetween the bulbs so the pebbles hold them-You can get these at any craft stores, alot of times they are in the wedding section. Battery operated taper candles are the safer route to go and what I recommend. They also come with their own base. I love these, you can purchase them at Kmart/Sears.

Moss is great for covering everything up... I painted the edges of these little pine cones white, it helped them stand out better from the brown nest-Then I added a bird that I had lying around my craft room.

A few berries around the nest makes it festive.

Here's another view...

Without the candles on a window sill.

This would make a great gift or you could make one to brighten your dull winter's day. I have thoroughly enjoyed mine AND they grow fast once you add water.

BTW: If you are planting in pebbles or marbles, add enough water to come within 3/4" of the top of the pebbles. This will keep the base of the bulb moist, but will not soak the bulb and avoids rot.
NEVER leave candles unattended! Leaving the candles out would be best if giving this as a gift.

Drum Roll Please....

2010-12-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

(Our Grandbaby Noelle Grace)

The Winner of The Farm Chicks Christmas book AND the Starbucks/Target gift card is.....

LUCY~From BLACK CAT RANCH!

Congratulations Lucy!~Contact me with your information and I will send it all right off to you!

Thanks to all who entered...There will be more giveaways in the New Year!

Book and Doily Bird Ornament~

2010-12-10T09:08:00.000-08:00

I want to first say thank you to Robin for
having me at her blog today! It is such an honor to be here!

{My sister and I share a blog called Beautiful Nest, where we show whatever we happen
to be up to at the moment! For me, this is often featuring the home
improvement projects that my husband and I do on our fixer-upper, as
well as posts on crafts and decorating!}

I have been noticing all of the
gorgeous and creative book wreaths in Blogland for some time now, and
thought it would be fun to somehow incorporate that idea into an ornament.

I also love paper birds and so
decided to make a paper bird, but add a twist to this idea by using
the pages of a book for the
body of the bird.

This Book and Doily Bird
Ornament is an inexpensive and fun
way to add a simple yet festive touch to your Christmas tree. And it is
not at all difficult to make, either!

What you'll need:

Bird and wing templates (see below)

Card stock, solid colored

Decorative card stock

A book {Dollar stores often sell
paperbacks that are just perfect for this}

Miniature doilies

Buttons and decorative jewels

Felt

Twine

Glue gun, glue
sticks

School glue stick, such as Elmer's

{Along with these, you will also
need fabric and paper scissors as well as a hole punch.}

Begin by printing out the bird and wing
patterns. They are not pictured to scale here, but if you save them to a
file and then print, they will
print to the correct size. (The birds are about five inches wide.) You
can trace these onto cardboard or card stock~ these will be your templates.

Trace the bird template onto card
stock, and then do the same thing onto your book pages. I had to glue
two pages together to make it big enough for the bird, and most book
pages will probably be this way.

Glue the book page cut out onto the
card stock one.

If you used a hole punch for the
twine, make sure to do this part before going any further. It will be
too difficult to do it later.

(You can find these miniature doilies at JoAnn
Fabrics, for 99 cents a piece.)

To give the doily
"wing" extra firmness, I used stitch witchery. If you haven't used this
before, don't worry! It is easy-peasy!

Cut a piece of stitch witchery
about half the size of your doily, making sure when you fold it, the
stitch witchery doesn't extend past the edges of the doily.

Now cover your folded doily with a
damp cloth and place hot iron onto it, holding it there for 10 seconds.
(Although I did notice cream doilies were a bit thicker than the white
ones, and they needed about 15 seconds to fuse.)

Using a glue gun, dot the folded doily with glue
and press onto the bird. You can glue the wing on however it looks best!
See how the wing covers the hole punch, so no one will know it's there?

Now if you want layered wings for extra
texture, trace the wing templates you like, and cut them out. You can
use book pages or felt for the extra wings...or anything you want! :)
Glue these onto the doily wing, and add your other embellishments~
buttons, sparkly gems, sequins...you name it!

I also thought it would be fun to make birds out
of decorative card stock as well, with book page on the back of the
bird, and combine this with book page wings...Once you get going, the
possibilities are endless! You can mix it up however you like!

Then the best part of all~ decorating your tree!

{Here is my little "kitchen tree"
with the birds!}

And that is all you need to know to make these bird ornaments! It has
been so fun to be here, and I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas! :)

Blessings,

Jenni

Note From Robin: Thank you so much for guest blogging Jenni. The bird ornaments are adorable!

To visit Beautiful Nest click HERE. (So worth the click!)

♪♫The Best Way To Spread Christmas Cheer...

2010-12-09T18:20:00.000-08:00

...is singing loud for all to hear!♫♪

But being I can't carry a tune in a bucket, I think I'll just have a little...

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!

Christmas always makes me think of my childhood~

Even though I was born in Southern California, I was raised most my life in Spokane and Cheney Washington...

Being The Farm Chicks hail from the Spokane area, I thought this book would be the perfect gift for my giveaway.

So included in the giveaway is...

~The Farm Chicks Christmas Book~

It's full of wonderful crafts, decorating ideas and recipes as shown in the pictures below.

And here's a special little treat. Each book has lots of extras bound in! Like 8 perforated double-sided note cards/recipe cards and 21 stickers!

BUT you can't really enjoy a book without something hot to drink to go along with it now can you? SO... I'm also giving away this...

$25 STARBUCKS GIFT CARD!!!

(I know it's exciting but stop screaming Jenny-I can hear you from here!)

If you don't drink Starbucks you can request a Target gift card instead~

(I'm easy that way.)

There are up to 4 ways/chances to enter:

GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED!!!!

Thanks to all that entered!

Merry Christmas Friends-♥

Netting For Garland, Wreaths and Angels...

2010-12-07T13:21:00.000-08:00

I bought this netting at Ben Franklin~

It's called Geo Mesh Poly Ribbon.

I decided to use it as garland on my tree...

I did alot of twisting and scrunching.

Snowmen ornaments can be purchased at Target.

Here's what it looks like on my tree.
I haven't finished decorating the tree but wanted you to see how the mesh looks.

I should have it all done by the 24th! :)

The video below demonstrates how to make angels out of Geo Mesh~
You can make wreaths with it too.
By the way: That's not me in the video-JUST in case you are wondering.

You could probably use tulle (fabric for making tutu's)

to get the same results at a better price.

Christmas Revisited @ The Nest...

2010-12-03T01:44:00.000-08:00

Today I decided to revisit some fun Christmas ideas that I have shown in the past for those that are new to my blog.
I'd also like to give a warm welcome to all the visitors stopping by from Gooseberry Patch! Grab something hot to drink and stay for awhile~

I'm so pleased that my blog is featured at Gooseberry Patch today~
Thanks so much ladies!
To see today's Featured Friday post click HERE
***
First Off:

Changing grocery store flowers...

From This...

To This!

Click HERE to learn how to arrange this.

Click HERE to see how to make the bow.

Got Snow?

It's alot of fun...

To make this winter wonderland~
Click HERE to see how easy it is!

Even the wildlife enjoy a Christmas treat...

Learn how to put together this Outdoor Christmas Creation by clicking HERE.

Next week we will be finishing up with our guest Christmas bloggers~ I also have a new craft using a birds nest to share with you.
Have a wonderful weekend!
To join The Robin's Nest Facebook Fan page go HERE

Owl Ornaments~

2010-12-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

These cute owl ornaments are fun and easy-Even the kids can get involved in making them!

Our next guest blogger in the nest is:
Amy from Life in Pink Hi-tops.
A little about Amy:

I'm a mom of 4 who has decided that being sane is highly overrated!! I love making all kinds of things. You never know what I may be up to. But it's probably not going to be folding the laundry!

********************

OWL TUTORIAL

Supplies you will need:
Paint
Felt
Heavy thread for a hanger
Split wood egg

The small owl uses the Split Robin Egg and the large owl uses the Split Pullet Egg. These can be found in the unfinished wood section in your craft store.
I got my split eggs at Michael's.

Let's Begin...

First off, paint the egg. Don't forget the eyes! I painted mine on.

You want the narrow end as the bottom.

You could use googly eyes~ That would be so cute.
I decided to do a little extra on the pink one. I used a stamp to add a little extra detail.

Cut out the felt.
You can download the templates for the felt backs HERE.

For the beak I cut a tiny corner off a piece of white felt.

Don't glue it on yet, we will do that later.

After the paint is dry, glue the egg piece to the felt.
You will be folding the beak over the top (wider end) of the egg.

Before you glue the beak down, add a thread hanger through the back of the top.
I used a needle and crochet cotton.
Once you have the hanger on glue the beak to the front.

Now you have a darling little owl to hang on your Christmas tree!
I live in Pink Hi-Tops, so of course I had to have a pink one for my tree!

Thanks for sharing Amy, they are adorable!

*********
More guest bloggers to come~
If you would like to join in E-mail me!

Ho Ho Ho...Here we go!

2010-11-28T18:15:00.000-08:00

Drum Roll Please...

Our first Christmas themed tutorial will be this Vintage Deer Ornament.

Our first guest blogger is:

Valerie has a wonderful blog called...

Yarni Gras!
(Click on her blog name to go to it.)

Valerie tells me: I'm a happily married mother of two kids, 2 dogs, 2 cats...the list goes on. Love God, my family, our pets.....at the same time, I'm a total craftaholic who loves a good margarita!

****************************************

Her tutorial:

I have always loved the vintage ornaments that resemble teeny dioramas....but don't have any. So I tried my hand at creating one:

I liked it so much, I decided to share how I did it. Some steps weren't photographed cause I added things AFTER it was finished. (okay, so I'm not Martha. I don't have one made and another one going through the process....)

First, gather your supplies:

*a wee little box (mine is 1.5" by 2.5")

white spray paint

glue

scissors

tiny bit of polyfil or cotton ball fluff

miniature deer (miniatures at Hobby Lobby)

miniature trees (craft section at Hobby Lobby)

star sequins and 1 start shaped bead

variety of glitters

thick sparkly glitter glue

small amount of white sparkly felt

you will also need if hanging it:

yarn

tapestry needle

skewer

***

First, spray paint the little box white.

To make the 'sky' use a bit of glue and sparkly blue glitter...just a little. Put it on the back, top and both sides. Glue a few little sequin stars on the back at this point too.

For the snow, glue down a wee bit of poly-fil and tamp it down good. Let it dry and then pull the majority off. What you have left will be the snow. (see? no snow, no stars....I love hindsight!)

Take a little tree and cut the stump off.

You can leave it on if you need the height. My little box was so tiny, I opted to clip it.

Then, cut the stumps off the remaining trees you will use. I used one big tree and two little ones.

For the back tree that will be against the box, cut the back off straight so you can glue it onto the back and it will lie flat. See?

Then arrange the other trees around it and glue them down.

Then glue down your deer.

Once dried, take your thick glitter glue and go around the trees and deer. Put a dot onto the top of each tree and drag it down with your fingertip. Do it lightly so you don't rub it completely off.

After everything is dried (again!) take a piece of the felt and cut a strip that will go around the little box.

Glue it down with the seam on the bottom.

If you want to hang it like I did you can use a skewer and put a hole in the top and in the felt. Be careful not to crush your little box. Again, this was something I should have thought of BEFORE I finished most of the ornament!!!! Oh well...that's what happens when you are crafting with wine!

Thread your yarn through both pieces and glue it together, this holds the hanger in place really well once dried.

Clip the knot as close as you can.

Once the felt is dried to the box, slather glue on it and roll it in MORE GLITTER!!!! Remember, glitter is GOOD!
Then, add a thick band of glitter glue around the front to hide the demarcation between the box and felt if you can still see it.
Now for that pesky little knot...

This is where you need a star shaped bead. Simply glue it on top of the knot facing forward. This part is tricky because the space is so teeny.

If you use white glue, you'll need to let it dry on its back so the bead doesn't fall off.

This is what it looks like hung on my Year of Enchantment tree.

I love this angle, it looks so natural. I'll probably put it on my big tree though...and add glitter...maybe some more glitter...?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So cute-Thanks for sharing Val~!
More guest bloggers are coming...
If you are interested in sharing a Christmas idea contact me~

Outside Today...

2010-11-21T12:56:00.000-08:00

~Cold Little Hummingbird~

Seattle Washington

ADDED NOTE:

This little guy is very healthy and has been with me for 6 years (year round.) It's not often we have real cold weather here-I always make sure their feeders stay thawed out and that they have places to stay warm when the weather does get chilly.

I have about 6 hummingbirds that stay through the winter. They love playing and chasing each other when it snows and all other times!

Christmas Ornament/Garland Ideas...

2010-11-19T15:06:00.000-08:00

ONLY at Christmastime can you find me in a K-Mart store...They always have the cutest Christmas decorations there. My husband Tim and I ventured into K-Mart the other day. I just HAD to get out my camera and take pictures of some of the Christmas decorations to share with you all. Tim of course just shook his head when the camera came out. You should have seen his face when I asked him to "please" hold some garland so I could get a picture of it! (Insert growl from him here.)-(Love you babe!) ;)

Anyhoo, I'm clicking away and suddenly we hear over the store intercom system, "Code 2, Code 2!" "Code 2, Code 2!" Both Tim and I looked up at each other with the deer in the headlight look and

I whisper-yelled,

"RUN!"

Of course we didn't, we just laughed cause we're dorkie that way.

I was real nervous taking the pictures and to serve me right ALL of them came out blurry. BUT I looked up K-mart/Sears Online store and they had pictures right there for me!

By the way, you can buy all that you see on this post at K-mart or Sears stores-Their online stores have everything too. OR you can make them yourself~

So without further ado...

For all you crocheters out there. Oh, I wish I knew how to crochet, I'd be making lots of these!

These crochet ornaments are from Country Living designs.

Ty Pennington designs created this ruffled pine cone-I would probably make this in a red and white toile.

Country Living again-I'd do this one with plaid ribbon.

Jaclyn Smith designed pink pine cone-I touched it and it feels like that fun foam you can buy at craft stores.

~GARLAND~

Seriously, how hard could this be to make? Put those kids to crafting! (Country Living)

Remember making pom poms? (Country Living)

My favorite!

9 foot Yo Yo Garland-It is super cute-Better looking in person then in photo~ Easy to make girls!

(Country Living)

Thank you to everyone who is participating in my homemade Christmas deal. It's not too late to join and it doesn't have to be ornaments-Anything Christmas works. See this POST to learn how to be a celebrity guest on my blog.

We will be starting our celebrity guest tutorials next Monday~

Christmas Tree Ornaments...

2010-11-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Store bought or Homemade or Both?

Usually my main tree is all store bought and very classic.

BUT not this year! Noelle will be 2 years old so I want the tree to be more fun and whimsical for her.

This year I will be buying AND making my ornaments-The one's I make I will share with you.

I was wondering if any of you out there with or without blogs, would like to share how to make your homemade ornaments on my blog. If you have a blog all I would need is a html of your post. If you don't know how to do this E mail me (robinruns@comcast.net) and I will write you back and show you how, it's very easy. Also your blog will be mentioned so everyone can go and check it out~♥

If you don't have a blog, I would just need you to E mail me pictures and directions.

By the way, it doesn't matter the style...Primitive, modern, whimsical etc. etc.-I tend to have lovely followers from all genres.

One more thing... I just started a Facebook page for this blog. It's a way to see what is going on in between what I post here. I also will be sharing different craft and food recipes on it that I don't blog about. To join just click on the blue and white Facebook square on the top right of my blog. Once you get there join by clicking "like." By the way, you have to have a Facebook account to join my Facebook page (that's just the way they work!)

Hope you are all having a wonderful week!

Enough Said Wednesday~Egad!

2010-11-10T00:01:00.001-08:00

Something To Ponder Over The Weekend...

2010-11-05T19:17:00.000-07:00

1. West Virginia: 1 in 42 (Who'd thought?)

2. Iowa: 1 in 67

3. Michigan: 1 in 70

4. South Dakota: 1 in 76

5. Montana: 1 in 82

I was shocked that Washington was a low risk state -I've hit a deer and know many others here that have too. Then again, we do spend a lot of time in the mountains.

Check out Hawaii's odds 1 in 13,011~ HA!

Have a great weekend, watch out for deer West Virginians!

(All info from State Farm Insurance)

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-11-03T19:29:00.000-07:00

Hoh Rain Forest~Washington

Fall Window Pane Chandie~Lit Up...

2010-11-01T15:19:00.000-07:00

Remember when I showed you all how to make this Window Pane Chandelier in THIS post?

Well, I added some lights and candles and wanted to show you how it looks at night...

Here's the table with some pumpkin candles added to it~

A close up of the Chandelier~

Close up of top of Chandie~

Full view~
I've really enjoyed it both day and night and I can't wait to change it up with Christmas decor!
♫♪Fa la la la la, la la la laaaaa!♪♫

(Our grand daughter Noelle.)

How did Little Bunny Foo Foo get on this post? Wink wink! ;)

Chalkboard Gift Boxes...

2010-10-25T17:46:00.000-07:00

I love all the different scrapbook papers BUT I'm not into scrap-booking...

I have finally found a new use for the paper AND my trusty chalkboard spray paint~

The chalkboard part actually came to me in a dream.

I found this pumpkin scrap-booking paper.

(Tim Coffey "Fall Pumpkins" Code: 30-159815)

Love it...

Here's how to make them:

Find the perfect gift box-These are a wood composite.

But you can use inexpensive

Paper Mache boxes too.

(I already applied the chalkboard paint to the one above.)

Spray chalkboard paint to the top of the box-I applied 3 coats letting it dry in between each coat.

I made a template of the box (top and bottom) using parchment paper.

Using the parchment paper template cut out the design.

(Sorry this picture is fuzzy-I had to take it myself while holding the Xacto knife in one had and the camera in the other.)

Mod Podge is the key... Don't use a glue stick or tacky glue. Just use a foam brush and Mod podge the box then put the paper on. This makes it to where you can slide the paper around easily on the box to adjust it perfect. Plus it keeps all the air bubbles at bay. After applying the paper with Mod Podge put another coat on top of the paper to seal it.

Here are some more that I made:

So many different Christmas papers!
(BoBunny "Noel Postcards" Item # 12NP785)

Accessorize the top and write what you want on it.
As you can tell I wrote mine free hand-You could use a stencil.
I used a damp Q-tip to clean up the chalk edges.

A great box for a special baby gift.
(Top: be inspired "Brooke Argyle" Item # 27080
Bottom: Simply Fabulous "Brooke Paisley" Item # 27181)

Don't forget to add some chalk to the top so they can re-use this gift box.

***********

I had so much fun making these~I already decided to make up some really big Paper Mache boxes for under the Christmas tree. I will add chalkboard paint to the top of some and to the sides of others.

Remember, many stores have 40-50%off coupons~You can get some really great deals on Paper Mache boxes that way!

Wordful Wednesday...

2010-10-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

~Fall In The Pacific Northwest~

Front Door Mums.

Front Porch Squirrel.

Fall Foliage in Forks Washington.

Douglas Squirrel in the Hoh Rain Forest, Stocking up for the Winter.

La Push Sunset.

It's been a really busy two weeks, my parents came for a visit! But I wanted to let you all know... I've started the chalkboard project and hope to finish it by tomorrow.
Bare with me, I think it will be worth it!

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-10-13T09:47:00.000-07:00

Rainy Day Hummingbirds...

2010-10-10T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's raining here in Seattle... So I decided to take some pictures of the hummingbirds around our place-They tend to love the rain. These little guys will most likely stay around throughout the winter.

It looks like the above hummingbird is a teenager-He is just starting to get some color...

This colorful one however is an adult who has been around for years~He definitely rules the roost!

The leaves are turning color...

Hope you all had a great weekend!

P.S. I'm crafting something new and exciting with chalkboard paint-I'll post about it sometime this week~IF it turns out! HA!

What's Making Me Smile Today...

2010-10-07T16:50:00.000-07:00

Sitting back, relaxing and enjoying all the craft ideas from

Better Homes and Gardens Online...

(photos are from bhg.com)

While Drinking the new Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew Flavored Coffees!

(Half a packet per cup is perfect in my opinion)

ADDED NOTE: You can purchase them online or at your local Starbucks, by the way Starbucks is not paying me or giving me anything to post this-I'm just loving my Starbucks, it's making me smile!

(photo from Starbucks online)

It's the little things in life!

What's making you smile today?

Fall Ribbon Garland Wreath...

2010-10-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

My little Sister Lori made me a Ribbon Garland (Swag) last year...Last night I made it into a wreath.

This wreath took me all of about 4 minutes to put together. I took the ribbon garland, put it around a grapevine wreath, added a nest with eggs then scattered a few artificial leaves into the nest.

I love how it looks on my front door~

Thanks Lori~♥

Up Close View~

Full View~

To make the garland Lori just cut a rope to the length she wanted, cut a variety of ribbons and knotted them onto the rope.

Easy Squeezy!

Here's one Lori made for her mantle a couple of years ago...

To see that post click HERE.

This is a perfect craft to do while watching a movie!

Window Pane Chandie...

2010-09-30T17:48:00.000-07:00

I had this old window pane on one of my walls in my living room. My mom and I came to the conclusion the other day it was getting a little outdated.

So I asked my husband if he had any plexiglass AND of course he did. He cut the plexiglass to fit in the sill and used some gold chain to hang it out on our front porch. (Thanks honey~♥)

Being I'm all about saving money this year, I added some fall foliage, leaves, acorns & pumpkins that I already had. The grapevine pumpkins are new and are only $2.50 at Target in their dollar bin.

Another view...

Up Close View...

And... Here is the view that you see when sitting in the chair looking up. I thought it would be fun to add some candles that would glow through the glass and maybe even some lights around the leaves-*NEW: Click HERE to see it lit up!

If you noticed I didn't call this a "Fall" Window Pane Chandie-Only because come December it will be decorated for Christmas!

In my previous post-I showed where Martha Stewart had made a grapevine chandelier- I liked it but the grapevine wreaths I had were too small and didn't look proportioned with the table-The window pane was just the right size.

Have fun, the possibilities are endless~

Pumpkin Chandelier...

2010-09-21T14:27:00.000-07:00

I was over at Martha Stewart's Website the other day and fell in LOOOOOOOOOOVE with this Pumpkin Chandelier~

I was thinking about how easy it would be to make even for those who are not crafty. All you would have to do is buy a pre-designed fall wreath, add some small pumpkins with tea lights, some twine to hang it with and SHAZAM you got yourself a fall chandelier-(Yes, I said shazam baby!)

So even though I (say it with me) LOOOOOOVE this pumpkin chandelier I don't think I will make it. For some reason seeing this wreath gave me a whole other idea that I will be showing you all next week.

By the way...There are only 93 days till Christmas and it falls on a Saturday this year. Just thought you should know. ;)

Wordful Wednesday...

2010-09-15T12:20:00.000-07:00

If I had to pick one word to describe my life this last year it would be the word:

ADJUST

Here's the definition: To change(something)so that it fits, corresponds, or conforms; adapt; accommodates.

I'm still trying to make everything fit into my life but truthfully there are so many loose ends it's just unreal.

Seriously, I don't know how you women do all that you do!

What is the one word you would pick to describe your life this year?

Wordless Wednesday~Love One Another...

2010-09-08T10:10:00.000-07:00

We Interrupt The End Of Summer...

2010-08-31T17:14:00.000-07:00

...To bring you FALL!

Sorry I couldn't even wait till the first of September. Here are a few of the craft ideas I have shared with you over the years here on my website~Know that more Fall (and Christmas) ideas are coming up in the weeks ahead~

The way I look at it, if the trees are changing colors, and they are here in Seattle, then I can post Fall crafts!

P.S. I'll try to wait until October before I share my Christmas crafts...BUT don't count on it!

For Grapevine Pumpkin Instructions Click HERE.

For Candy Filled Pumpkin Instructions Click HERE.

For Candy Corn Clear Paint Pail Instructions Click HERE.

For Glittered Pumpkin Instructions Click HERE.

For Fall Swag Instructions Click HERE.

For Pumpkin Topper Instructions Click HERE.

Wordless Wednesday~La Push Tide Pools...

2010-08-25T09:34:00.001-07:00

Awwww...Thanks So Much!

2010-08-23T15:19:00.000-07:00

Thank you so much for the wonderful birthday wishes last Friday! They really meant alot to me. A big sloppy mushy thank you goes out to my sister Lori for posting THIS cute post on her blog last week! I received some wonderful comments, e mails and gifts from many of you.
I had a GREAT birthday~My husband took the whole week off from work to celebrate AND my mom surprised me by showing up on my door step! She drove all day in traffic to be with me for a few days, it was so great to spend time with her.

So thanks again~ You girls really made my day!

Wordless Wednesday...

2010-08-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Some More About Me...

2010-08-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

I love doing photography.
Okay, if you read my blog you know that!

I used to own a floral shop called The Robin’s Nest.

I live in the city but dream of living a country life once again.

I am a good friend, I can keep a secret.

I'm a very content person and pretty much just want to stay home during the week.

I don't like shopping and rarely go to the mall.

I eat chocolate EVERYday.

I started golfing last year and LOVE it, who'd thought?

My husband is my best friend-I don’t just say that either...He really is.

I stopped nagging my husband 5 years ago-The results are amazing.

Writing a craft book IS in my future.

I used to weigh close to 200 pounds.

My husband and I hold hands while watching TV at night.

I am a witty person and don't take life over seriously.

I tend to add in alot of movie & Seinfeld quotes in my everyday conversations.

I believe the bible is black and white, there are no gray areas-What people think is gray they just don't understand.

I believe God is perfect, hence believing the bible is 100% true.

God changed me big time 11 years ago.
I'm not the same person I was and couldn't be happier!

I'm VERY forgiving.

I can't/don't eat gluten (flour, rye, barley or oats) or MSG's.

I eat real organic butter. Hello Paula Deen!

I love cooking in cast iron skillets

I've never had a manicure or a pedicure.

I fight aging all the way-So my husband tells me.

I talk to my mom pretty much every day.

I wouldn't be here today if God hadn't intervened.

I am a big time electronic junkie.

I am a confident person.

I like rain.

I've ran marathons, triathlons and have jumped out of an airplane.

I want to climb Mt Rainier.

I want to start running again when I am 55 years old.

I hike alot.

I like crafting & sewing.

Christmas is my favorite holiday.

I can't decide if I like the ocean or the mountains better.

I've watched Pride and Prejudice WAY, WAY, WAY too many times.

My husband says my drugs of choice is buying Kindle books & Starbucks coffee.

I used to love hot weather but the older I get the more mild I want the temps.

I've been a procrastinator my whole life...

BUT I'm rarely ever late to an appointment or event.

My feet and hands are always cold-I use a space heater even in the summer.

I look forward to my morning coffee, even thinking about it the night before.

I believe people CAN change.

I believe in miracles~♥

Wordless Wednesday~Add Your Own Caption...

2010-08-11T11:49:00.000-07:00

Wordless Wednesday~

2010-08-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Camp Beck

2010-08-02T12:40:00.000-07:00

My husband Tim and I have camping gear readily accessible in our garage at all times. He came home from work the other night and I told him I didn't have the baby for two days & that we should get out of Dodge. So we headed out towards Forks Washington. While we were there we had a little target practice fun, it's a great stress reliever!

Most of you probably don't know this but I've been shooting guns pretty much my whole life. I even had a stint where I shot competitively.

Still felt some stress so I did some rifle shooting...

I found the more stress you need to relieve, the more powerful a gun you need to shoot...This 44 did the trick!

I also wanted to show you what the true area around Forks looks like. The picture above is the tent we slept in-I consider this yuppie camping though it was a primitive camping spot (no bathrooms/no running water.) This tent was like a small condo!

This is the view that was all around us-It was a very secluded spot right next to the Hoh river. Sorry to say, I did not see any vampires-The only bloodsuckers around here were mosquitoes...There weren't many of those around either, thank goodness!

There were trees growing out of trees. If you don't like the color green you won't like Forks Washington-It's smack dab in the middle of a rain forest.

Two things I love about camping...First is sitting around a glowing campfire with my true love~

Second is the fact that my husband does all the cooking AND brings me coffee and breakfast in bed, er sleeping bag that is!

I will leave you with this last photo of the area around Forks-I took this picture in the morning-The coast is nearby so this marine deck was hovering over us for a while-The sun was just breaking through in this shot~I could of sworn I heard a wolf or two howling in the distance. :)

Disclaimer: No animals were harmed in the making of this post-Just a few cans and targets created for target practice.

Sand Dollars Galore!

2010-07-27T22:31:00.000-07:00

We had company visiting us all last week from California~ One of the places I took them was Dash Point to see the sand dollars on the beach. There were thousands of sand dollars there (Seriously there were.) ~ Here are a few pics I took:

I love the detail on this one.

Here is a live furry one digging deep into the sand to protect itself from the hot sun.

Upside down in the water.

Hanging out at the watering hole.

Many different colors.

If you are ever in the greater Seattle area and want to visit Dash Point click HERE for directions.

Gorillapod Flexible Tripod...

2010-07-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

Last Christmas my brother Ron bought me the most thoughtful gift...

The Gorillapod Flexible Tripod.

Now everyone can be in the shot even the photographer!

Holds your iPhone or iPod too~

I LOOOOOVE it!

Now I the photographer can be in some pictures too!

~♥~

I took these pictures yesterday with my Gorillapod Tripod at Oceanside beach... Tim and I took a day off and hung out just the two of us...It was bliss!

You can google "Gorillapod" to find the store that sells them that is nearest to you!

Have a great week everyone!

HOPE YOU ALL...

2010-07-16T12:01:00.000-07:00

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!

Little hummingbird in my backyard-I place twigs by their feeders, they love to perch!

Funny Thing...

2010-07-14T12:32:00.000-07:00

I think I got called a COFFEE SNOB on Facebook the other day!

I didn't know if it was a compliment or an insult~ So I Googled it...

Here is the definition:

It is simply being a person that is passionate about coffee. It is being able to appreciate and identify quality. It is taking time out of this fast paced, stressful world, to stop and savor coffee and enhance your quality of life.

They'd be more accurate if they called me a Starbucks Snob though~You know I have never bought a iced coffee from any place else? (Ever)

Well, at least no one called me a diet Coke snob~ It's been almost a month since I've had one and I am not going back! :)

What kind of SNOB are you?

C'mon you can tell me, I won't post it all over Facebook -I promise ;)

One Day Of Wonders...

2010-07-04T16:57:00.000-07:00

This last week my husband has been on vacation. We got a chance to take off with the grand-baby for one day. Here are some pictures of what we saw at Hurricane Ridge right above Port Angeles Washington.

Noelle waving "Hi" to a little girl~We can't go anywhere without Miss friendly saying "Hi" to the children who pass by. (Olympic Mts)

Behind the scenes view~She loves her purses!

The Hills Are Alive With the Sound of Music~LA LA LA LAAAA!

Taking a little sunshine break

While at Hurricane Ridge there would be sun breaks then all of a sudden we would be dancing in clouds...Here is a picture of how Noelle looked whenever in a cloud~She liked the way they tasted! (By the way, we didn't show her how to do this-It's just an automatic kid thing!)

Noelle talking to a deer-It looks like it's interested in what she has to say. I think she was telling it that the colors red and blue make purple because Noelle tells everybody that...I'm sure we have another artist in the making here.

Up close and personal.

~Nubby tree~

I set the timer on my camera and ran like the dickens to get a shot with all three of us in it! Of course Noelle is looking away-You can't win them all!

On the way home we went the Ocean route... Here are a few pictures taken right before dusk...

Noelle and Grandpa love the ocean-Look what popped up right in front of them!

This little Seal! Tim said it was like he was out there surfing the waves.

Noelle loves playing in the water~

The path home...

This is just one day of what the beautiful State of Washington has to offer ♥

I'm On Day 3 Without...

2010-06-23T14:21:00.000-07:00

DIET COKE!

And have yet to hurt anyone! :)

Nuff Said.

Updates...

2010-06-18T11:58:00.000-07:00

Our two youngest kids: Ronnie & Timothy

Last post I did our daughter Ronnie was in the hospital-She was there for 4 days having tests done. She is doing so much better as you can see in the picture (yes, she dyed her hair...Again~LOL!) We knew she had some sort of allergy to dairy and gluten. After many tests we now for sure know that she can never eat gluten (flour, rye, barley and oats) again. Just like her mommy!

Sooner or later she will have to give up all dairy proteins too-No milk, cheese, butter, ice-cream not even lactose free milk.

Also in the last posts I talked about our youngest, Timothy getting ready to graduate-As you can see by the picture above that too happened a couple of days ago.

We threw him a big graduation party and around 40 people showed up-It was a wonderful day!

A little grad art on our chalkboard.

I did a little photo shoot of him and some of his friends before graduation-Yes, we do serious shots but the fun ones are the ones I like to share!

Thank you for all your Prayers, E-mails and Comments ~There have been many of you that have left comments and I haven't gotten back to you...

I will... I really will!

It's been a crazy year, you wouldn't even believe the half of it. But the good news is I see things slowing down and life getting back to as normal as life gets around here!

Love and Hugs to you all~♥

Goodbye May...Hello June~

2010-06-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

Wow, May was quite the month here at the Nest.

My Grandma May Geer (my mom's mom) passed away on the 23rd-Exactly 3 months before her 93rd birthday. It really shocked me that she passed on...I had just talked to her a few days prior and she sounded so strong! But we had a wonderful conversation which ended with me saying, "I love you Grandma." Her reply was, "I love you too honey."
All 3 of her children were around her when she left this world.

It doesn't get much better then that♥

Grandma and Grandpa are together once again~♥

On the way home from the funeral we got a call from our daughter Ronnie~ She was in the hospital. She was at work and passed out. She is having a hard time keeping any weight on. She spent 4 days in the hospital having lots of tests done... The good news is we had her daughter Noelle with us... Ronnie has put on 8 pounds too!

Here is Noelle, the little booger butt we are blessed to watch over.

Peek a boo! (17 months old)

Lastly, here are some fun pictures I took of Tim's prom group. His Prom was ALSO in May...

Tim and his date Beverly.

Miss Beautiful & Mr. GQ

The guys pulled together and rented a limo.

Here's the group that ended up in the limo~It's a good thing the limo driver had a good sense of humor :)

I love these kids.

The guys beautiful dates.

Timmy will be graduating June 15th~ He has been offered a job as a electrician's apprentice... Which I have a feeling he will take though his heart is in missions. This fall he plans on going to Thailand with his youth pastor to help dampen human trafficking of children. Whatever you do son, know we are proud of you.

So without further ado I say Goodbye to May and Hellooooo June!

It's time to get back to some crafting don't you all think? :) (Seriously, Christmas is RIGHT around the corner people!)

30 Years Ago Today...

2010-05-18T13:48:00.000-07:00

****

Do you know exactly where you were 30 years ago today? I do. But it is only because 30 years ago today Mount St. Helens erupted in the state of Washington where I live.

Pictured (Left to right starting in front) My brother Ron Yadon, My grandma Geer, Me (age 16), My grandma Bussee, (Back) My Grandpa Geer and My Mom Barbara.

The picture above was taken Sunday morning on May 18th 1980 in the little country town of Cheney Washington. Cheney is about 316 miles East of Mount St. Helens.
My grandparents were visiting us for the first time since we moved to Washington. We were all dressed and ready to go to church.
Side note: I was really proud of my purple dress my mom sewed for me.
We came home from Church and I headed outside to hang out. I looked up and half the sky was dark black and the darkness was coming towards me. I thought for sure it was the end of the World! I ran in to tell my family. ("The sky is falling, the sky is falling!")

This is my grandma Geer, you would think this picture was taken at night but it was taken at 2:00 pm. Mount St. Helen's ash had completely darkened the sky and ash was falling all around her!

Pictured above is my dad Neil Bussee. This shot was taken May 19th the day after the eruption-He is scooping up some ash to save-There was PLENTY of it!

Here are some even better pictures of our ordeal 30 years ago in Washington State:

Mount St. Helens on the day before the eruption, May 17, 1980, as viewed from what came to be known as Johnston Ridge, about six miles from the volcano. (AP Photo/USGS, Harry Glicken)

Ash billows from the crater where the summit of Mount St. Helens had been only hours earlier during a huge eruption on May 18th, 1980. (USGS/Robert Krimmel)

Ash and steam billow from the crater of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980. (USGS photo)

Ashen clouds from the Mount St. Helens volcano move over Ephrata airport in Washington on Monday, May 19, 1980. (AP Photo/Mike Cash)

A car is shown submerged in ash in this May 20, 1980 photo from Mount St. Helens eruption in Washington State. (AP Photo)

Massive blowdown of trees in the Green River valley seen on June 2, 1980. The flattening of the forest resulted from the May 18 eruption of Mount St. Helens. (USGS/J. DeVine)

In this May 7, 2010 photo, a timed exposure brings out Mount St. Helens against a backdrop of stars and the risen moon at left, in Washington state. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

To See More AMAZING photos of Mount St Helens click HERE.

This post is dedicated to Jessica and Lindsay in England who inspire me every day♥ Love you two!

It is also dedicated to my best friend Michelle Wable~We sure had alot of fun racing our families old trucks in the ash! (Sorry Mom, Dad and Uncle Earl about the trucks/Love you Michelle!)

*** I know I have been missing from the blogging world-Thank you for your E-mails and comments-I AM more then okay ~ Thank you for caring! I've missed you all!

iPod~iPad~iWant...

2010-04-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

*****

There are NOT alot of material things that I want. I will admit however that I am an electronic gadget junkie!

For YEARS I wanted an iPod. We have young adult children and grandchildren so there are always more important things to buy~ So when my husband gave me a little box last Christmas and it had an iPod in it I was shocked & giddy! (Yes, most girls like jewelry, I'll take electronics over jewelry any day!) I use my iPod for everything. It has all my addresses/phone numbers stored for easy access-I added many of the time zones where you all live so I know when and when not to call you. I have the local traffic and pass reports on it. It has a place to type all my lists and notes and a photo center that I put pictures of my family on to show anybody that asks (or doesn't.)

In fact I just added a Kindle feature so I can read online books that I have purchased-It lights up for easy reading and is great for when I can't sleep and don't want to wake my husband with a lit room.

I also have some of my favorite website apps on there-In fact I was checking out a few the other day when I was in the waiting room of the doctors office. I can write E mails and leave comments too. I like that it has password protection so all my private info is kept safe.

Oh yeah, sometimes I even listen to music on my iPod, though not very often! It's funny this is the main reason these little gadgets were made-To actually listen to music of all things. So as you can see I loooooove my iPod dot dot dot~

But now Apple has come out with an even greater temptation! Seriously, why do they do this to me?

The iPad- It's the iPod that's just bigger! Pictures would be easier to see, books would have more words on a page, so much easier to type on YET not as big to lug around as a laptop.

Now I'm dreaming about having this in a few years. The good thing about having to wait is by the time I get one, the bugs are all worked out and the price is oh so much cheaper!

Do you or anyone you know own a iPad? Any thoughts?

What's on your wish list?