71 Projects: Argyle Wreath

I know it is well past St. Patrick's Day. In case you didn't notice, I finished this wreath the day before St. Patty's.  Oh well :-)  You could make one for July 4th!

Project 5: Argyle St. Patty's Wreath

Start Date: March ??, 2013
Finish Date: March 16, 2013
Total Time: 1 hour-ish
Difficulty Level: Easy
Total Cost: less than $10

SUPPLIES:

Foam Wreath Form (I used green because it matched my yarn.)

Yarn, 2 different colors

Felt

Pins or Glue

First, secure one end of your yarn with glue, tape, or half of the tag :-)  It is going to be covered, so it really doesn't matter. Start wrapping the yarn around the wreath form.

Next, continue to wrap until the entire wreath is covered.

Secure the other end of the yarn. I used a straight pin, but you could just glue it.

Then, cut a bunch of squares from the felt.

With the size of wreath I had, I found that about 1¾" was just right.

Space the squares out so the corners touch, or come close. I secured each square with a pin to the middle.

Then, wrap the other color of yarn so that it covers the center of each square.

Repeat that step, going the opposite direction.

I didn't glue the corners of the felt squares and after some time, they relaxed a little.

Next, I made the shamrock.  First, I cut four circles.

Next, I did a little double fold thing... that is surprisingly hard to explain! 

Then I attached the circles at the fold so they formed a little cluster.

I tied a double knot in the dark green yarn and cut it short for the stem. This is attached with a pin.

There you go!

Keep track of all of my DIY projects by clicking on the DIY Directory tab at the top of my blog!

Sharing this DIY at The 36th Avenue, The Brambleberry Cottage, Bits of Everything, Cozy Little House, and Happy-Go-Lucky.

5 DAYS LEFT!!

It's about to get ca-razy around here!  There is less than a week left until the jolly 'ol elf comes for a visit.  In case you are super stumped on what to buy for someone on your list, let me help!

My List

If you haven't been listening to Yiruma on Pandora, you have been missing out!  He is amazing!  I definitely want one of his CDs (especially the import, Piano Museum) for Christmas this year.

On my list of "Things that would make my life a whole lot easier," this is number one.  The Chicago Metallic Batter Dispenser.  Do you even know how many times a year I make cupcakes?  Well, probably only four (two batches for each girl's birthday parties) but when using a spoon to sloppily pour the batter into the cups, it seems like a million!  This nifty little gadget will definitely be the first thing I buy for myself if it doesn't find it's way under our tree.

Santa Mike came early this year and actually surprised me by giving me one of my gifts early!  I got a full year of HGTV sent straight to my mailbox!  My house will look awesome in 2013, I promise you!

You people already know how much I LOVE to read, right?  Believe it or not, I still haven't read every single book ever published in the United States.  Close, but not quite.  A couple from my list this year are by two of my favorite authors, Jodi Picoult and James Patterson.  Can't go wrong with either!

 

Speaking of reading, you all read The Hunger Games trilogy, right?  Me, too.  BUT, did you see the movie?? I DID NOT.  Teensy bit angry about that.  I'd be a super happy camper to find this DVD under my tree this year!

Mike's List

Not necessarily what I bought him or know that he is getting... because he reads my blog :o)  These items came straight from his list!

Finding out what is on Mike's coveted list each year is a tough task.  He never really asks for anything except gift cards.  If that's how your guy is, you can't go wrong with a GC to Best Buy!

If you are a normal person, you probably keep your tools in a toolbox, right?  Well, us McClures keep our tools in the wheelbarrow.  That's how we roll... literally.  Truth is, we have so many random tools, we just don't have a place for them.  That, and the fact that we still haven't truly got our garage organized yet since moving in.  The wheelbarrow was there and not being used (because our leaves are still on our tree, dead) so we tossed the tools in it!  Mike wants a toolbox and this Craftsman 3-Drawer Metal Portable Chest is the one he wishes to have.

If your hubs is into video games, I hear this one is pretty cool.  Mike wants it, anyway!

I love weekends and rainy days.  You know why?  Because I love sweat pants!  Mike does not own a pair of sweat pants.  He has not worn them since he was a kid.  Part of me feels sorry for what he's been missing out on.  Similar to how I feel about Jaden not eating cheeseburgers.  Anyway, I did a happy dance when Mike asked for sweats!  We can lounge together :o)

A no-fail gift for guys is always cologne.  It takes me about 10 years to kill a bottle of perfume, but Mike can go through a bottle of cologne in exactly a year.  He's got some secret skills.  His fav is Eternity by CK.

Jaden's & Taylor's Lists

Jaden has a friend that has a Nook.  Jaden has a friend that has a DS.  Jaden has a friend that has an iPod Touch.  Jaden wants ALL of those!  Gramma J stepped in and discovered the InnoTab 2 from VTech.  It is basically a tablet for kids that has all of the fun features of a Nook, DS, and iPod Touch... plus more!  Also, seeing how well Taylor has taken to the Mobigo, we think this will be great for her, too!

My kids LOVE to draw and practice writing!  Both girls are already in love with their Magnadoodles and have recently discovered what fun a dry erase board can be!  When I saw the Crayola Dry Erase Activity Center, I knew this would be a gift that both of my girls would love!  They can slide in different worksheets and activity pages.  PERFECT for Jaden learning to write her sentences and Taylor learning to write her ABCs!

We are a movie-loving family.  We own well over 1000 DVDs.  It's perfect because there is always something to watch!  And honestly, it is cheaper to buy the DVD than it is to take my family of 4 to the movie theater.  The top movies on the girls' wish lists this year are Brave and Dora's Fantastic Gymnastics Adventure!

Taylor's favorite thing to do is have tea parties with her babies.  I'm pretty sure she'll flip out over this Graco Doll High Chair for baby Maxine!

When Mike and I were shopping, we both got all nostalgic over the updated version of one of our favorite toys growing up.  The Lite Bright!  Both he and I loved creating the lighted pictures and knew Jaden would, too!  The updated, LED flat screen version is pretty cool!  I'm sure J will love it as much as her mom and dad did :o)

This just makes me feel OLD!

There you have it!  Our 2012 Christmas lists :o)  I am so excited to see the looks on the girls' faces on Christmas morning... that is, IF Taylor can get off of the naughty list!!  Merry ALMOST Christmas!

Our Thanksgiving that almost wasn't...

What a WILD ride the past week has been!

Taylor caught a cold last week and had been pretty snotty and coughy.  Our holidays always kick off on Thanksgiving Eve.  We head downtown to see the lighting of the Santa, tree, and wreath.  I contemplated not going this year because Taylor was a little under the weather, but the weather was AWESOME (we barely even needed coats!) and she seemed to be feeling a little better.  So, downtown we headed!

Both girls had coughing fits right before they lit the tree. Mom had to duck into a restaurant and get bottles of water... and cookies :o)  I thought, great... now Jaden is getting sick.

We went to Grandma's on Thanksgiving for dinner at noon. The girls were under strict instruction to COVER THEIR COUGH, blow their noses, and wash their hands... Oh, and don't give the babies their germs!  Jaden's right eye also looked a little red, but there was no crust so I ruled out pink eye and figured it was just from coughing so hard the night before.

 

This year, the girls made place mats to show what they were thankful for.  First, they traced their hand and made a turkey.

Next, they cut out their turkey and some leaves. On the leaves, they wrote what they were thankful for.

We glued everything down and...

Tada!  Thanksgiving place mats!  I took them to work and laminated them so the girls could use these during dinner next year.

In case you can't read them, Jaden is thankful for, "Pat (her great-grandma), Daddy, Wayn (her great-grandpa Wayne), gramu (grandma), gramps, Mommy, Taylor, and Alyssa (one of her friends)."  She sounded out and spelled all of the words herself.

Taylor is thankful for, "Tea Parties, Grandmas and Grandpas, Hot Dogs and Applesauce, ABCs, Baby Maxine (her favorite doll), Mom and Dad, Jaden, and My Friends."  She told me what she wanted on her leaves and I wrote them.  These girls have a lot to be thankful for!!

Then they did puzzles with Gram and Gramps... I love the concentration :o)

After dinner at Grandma's, we went to Mike's parents' house for more delicious food!

I did get a little shopping done on Thanksgiving. I went to one store when it opened at 9 a.m. for an awesome deal and then to another store when it opened at 8 p.m. for another awesome deal!  Let me tell you... there are some CRAZY people out there!  Thankfully, I was able to get in and out of the store in under 10 minutes!  I was the 10th person in line to get into the store (because instead of standing in the line at the main entrance, I went to the back door... a little known secret around these parts!) and first in line to check out.  It was awesome!  Except, my throat started to feel tight and scratchy...

I did not head out into the crowds on Black Friday.  Instead, I tackled my family room!

That's the only picture you get for now...

The only problem was, my one-day project was not completed on Friday because that's when our weekend from H-E-double hockey sticks started!  During dinner, I noticed that there was yellow goop coming out of Jaden's right eye.  Grr... blasted pink eye.  I took her to Redi-Med after we were done eating and as they were doing the normal check-up stuff, they discovered that she had a fever and that it sounded like she had fluid in her lungs.  They wanted to get an x-ray to check for PNEUMONIA!  Are you kidding me?!  We went in for pink-eye and came out with a mild case of pneumonia.  Terrific.  I was actually thankful for the pink-eye that night. The Dr. said that they caught the pneumonia early enough that it was easily treated.  Had she not had the pink-eye, we may have had a pretty bad situation on our hands!  I took her home and tucked her in... poor kid!

The next day, I continued to work on my room.  My cold was getting worse and my ears were hurting a little.  I took some cold meds and pushed on through to try to get my room done.  By the end of the night, my ears were plugged.  It felt like i was driving through the mountains.  They would not pop.  It sucked.

After we went to the grocery store on Sunday, I walked around the neighborhood passing out flyers to my upcoming Holiday Open House for my Scentsy business.  It was COLD and by the time I got home, my ears felt like they were on FIRE!  I went back to painting my room... then I started to feel nauseous.  I felt dizzy.  Actually, I felt like I had one too many glasses of vino!  I laid on the floor and texted Mike (in the basement) that I needed help.  Turns out, I had vertigo caused by my ears.  Now, I've birthed two kids and the vertigo/ear infections... WORST PAIN OF MY LIFE.  I felt like passing out, or puking, or crying... or all three at the same time.  Horrible.  I went to the doctor on Monday and after looking in my ears, his exact words were, "Wow! I have never seen ear infections this bad in an adult before! This is what we are used to seeing in a child!"  I win. Thank you.

So, where are we now?  We have unofficially bought stock in Kleenex.  The girls and I are blowing out some pretty nasty stuff!  Hopefully we are working it out of our systems.  Jaden's pink-eye is gone and she finished up her medicine for the pneumonia.  Taylor is still doing the runny nose thing, but I have a feeling that will last until March.  My throat is feeling better and I can breathe through my nose finally.  My left ear is perfect, but my right one still sounds a little hollow.  I have one more day left on my Z-Pack, though.  I'm hoping that we will all three be at about 95% by the weekend!  Mike, well, he has seemed to escape the sickness for now.  If I was a betting person, all of my money would be on Christmas Day for him.  Hopefully I lose though.  The family room is about 95% finished. I just need to get some window treatments and do a fun DIY project.  Then, you'll get your before and afters :o)  Hopefully you all had a better long weekend than we did!

Happy Thanksgiving!