A Completed Project

So last fall I started a project designing cool posters from a set of European capital landmark shapes I had. I thought about just doing a couple for the boys' room, but then I heard Katie's voice in my mind saying, "Jan, you've got to sell these on Etsy! People would find them and pay you for them!"

And so I started my Etsy shop. There are 46 European countries (including Kosovo; not including Turkey). Some are more symbolic or abstract and others look a lot like how I designed them.

This tower is actually surrounded by other buildings.

This cathedral really is at the top of a huge staircase. And the sky is often gray there. And swans are the national bird.

I finished my last one today. It took me a while due to hard drive issues and the fact that the original designer of the landmark shapes lives in a country that doesn't recognize Kosovo as a country so I had to find a landmark and design the building on my own.

So far, I've sold 9 posters. Amsterdam is the most popular, but I've also sold some like the capitals of Croatia (Zagreb) and Bulgaria (Sofia). Also I may have inadvertently learned all the capital cities of Europe and fun facts about each one. Someday I'll visit a place like Ljubljana (pronounced Lyoo-blee-yahna) which seems gorgeous.

This city does not have live dragons.

Ella's Turning 12

To celebrate Ella's 12th birthday I made a video for her.  I love this girl!!

Craig Costume Creations

Katie was recently in charge of costumes for our homeschool group's production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.  She had a great committee and used her amazing ability to create beautiful, professional looking costumes from just about nothing.  (Sorry about the quality of some of the individual photos--they were only taken for reference.)

The whole cast

(Roxanna as Puck)

(Aspen--Fairie)

(Lysander--Lover)

(Moth--Fairie)

(Oberon--King of the Fairies)

(Titania--Queen of the Fairies)

(Demetrius--Lover)

(Egeus--Father of Hermia)

(Rosemary--Fairie)

(The Mechanicals with Roxanna, totally stealing the show as a perfect Puck)

The next week, Captain America: Civil War was released in theaters.  Garren and Connor had been preparing for this day for months.  Garren made his metal arm out of soda cans for Bucky, and Connor made costumes for himself as Captain America, for our friend Ben as Black Panther, and an Iron Man hand for another friend.  Also featured: Abbie as Scarlet Witch, Ken as Nick Fury, and a friend as Black Widow.

Karly's video collection

Karly is a prolific video maker.  Here is one you will all enjoy; it was made last summer (2015) in Virginia, Kentucky and Indiana with the Treanors and Francises.

Cousins video

Here's a Christmas compilation...

Christmas video

There's more of her creations on the vimeo site.  Enjoy!

Halloween 2015

I'm on a catching-up roll! Or a roll with ketchup.

We recycled a few costumes this year.



I was a handy-woman with my tools and Home Depot bucket. I'm holding my other nephew Isaac, a raccoon, who's holding my pliers. Edward was a scientist professor with his lab coat and safety glasses. Roger wore the toddler scrubs I made a few years ago. And Frederick wore our bat costume. Last time Edward wore it, we put the bat ears on my wide black headband, but it left gunk on there, so this time we did it on my beret. He was a French bat.



I would include pictures of my pumpkins that I decorated this year, but SOMEONE SMASHED THEM IN THE STREET TWO WEEKS BEFORE HALLOWEEN!!!

In Oklahoma, the local delinquents would always wait until after Halloween to smash your pumpkins. They were much more considerate.

Allan Birthday Celebrations

I'm finally getting around to posting Edward's birthday and baptism. Yay for me.





And here are a few shots of his birthday cake:





The next birthdays are mine and Evan's. I celebrated my birthday with a cheesecake and Evan had an Oreo ice cream cake.

Then came Roger, who is too little to request his cake shape yet, so we came up with a cowboy theme.





It's a bull, made from a heart-shaped cake pan and horns from my Pyrex bundt pan. I even put a pretzel ring in his nose.

In February came Frederick's birthday, and the most interesting request I've ever had: a jellyfish. Thankfully, he made up his mind a month in advance so I had lots of time to ponder how on earth this would happen.



The Fruit-by-the-foot tentacles were a huge hit.

Roger held still for 30 seconds . . .

Roger came home from church one Sunday and while I was making sandwiches, things got quiet. Things are never quite at my house. So I went to look at the boys and Roger had already gotten out his pacifiers and fallen asleep on the floor.



So cute!!

Roger has also been watching the Studio C Scott Sterling videos a lot. He likes it when we throw our plush soccer ball in his face. He falls over and says, "You hit me in my blood."

So when Roger saw this picture…



… he said, "Soccer ball hit Roger on the binky! He fall down."