Seasonal Picture frame DIY

ok soooo while cruising pinterest the other day I came up with an idea to make a picture frame(s) that I could use to display seasonal pictures. It turned into a bigger project than I expected, my brain worked better than my reality. But after several days, I finished it!

My original idea was to just find an old branch and tie the picture frames to it. Well when I couldn't come up with a branch that I liked,  I went with an old piece of wood I found laying behind our shop. I took in into the shop and painted it white.

After discussing with my husband how to "hang" the picture frames from the board, we talked about things to put on the top of the board to sorta disguise the fishing line being tied to it. We discussed a few things, but then I thought "hey what if I make some blocks with our last name on them?? Well that was a good idea, but then I got an even better idea (or so I thought) what if I do the seasons and we change it throughout the year? oh yes! this is a FABULOUS idea! Soo, next came cutting out the blocks. I found a 2x4 and measured it (they're really 1.5 inches tall) so I measured out the lines to be cut at 1.5 inches a part to make cubes. However, I'm not the brightest when it comes to power tools, and cutting the blocks with a chop saw did not leave me with perfect cubes. (user error, 100% on that!) But I carried on and dealt with it anyway.
Next came painting my blocks to match the board.

While they were drying I did the math and figured out how to space the blocks out. (That, was also not the easiest thing I've ever done. Sorry Mr. Rowden, I know you taught me better, but my math skills are a bit rusty.)  Once I had my holes marked I used the smallest drill bit I could find and drilled the holes in the board. I also took my picture frames (14 magnetic picture frames for the fridge) and drilled tiny holes in them to tie the fishing line to.
Next up I decorated the blocks with stickers. I found all of them in the scrap booking section at walmart. I placed the stickers so that each season and it's corresponding decorative stickers were in order so that with just one turn of the block, you'd be on the next season, make sense?

Once the stickers were on I turned the blocks upside down and hammered a straight pin into the center of the bottom. Finding the center was a little more difficult because of my awesome chop saw skills resulting in uneven blocks, but alas, I managed to do it all. The straight pins fit down into the holes I drilled into the the board.

I then laid the board out on the floor and arranged the frames where I would want them. Next I threaded the fishing line through the holes in the board (use a small needle for this, otherwise you might find yourself cussing inanimate objects) then I tied the line to the frames using the holes I drilled in them earlier.
Finally it's done!

I left hanging it up to my husband. As much as I wanted to have fun measuring and marking and figuring out where the studs were, he lives for that kind of thing so I let him do it ;).

I still need to fill the screw holes with caulk, add a few more pictures, and move the picture above the board because it is not centered, but other than that I'm pretty proud of my little DIY project!

whoa?? a blog post?? Halloween crafts!

Ok so it has been a million years since I last posted on my blog. I blame facebook 100%! it is just so easy to keep everyone updated there, so that's what I do.
But, as some of you know, I've found a new internet sensation/addiction. If you haven't heard of Pinterest yet, well, you're totally missing out! it is like an online bulletin board where you can "pin" all the things you find on the internet that interest you. From recipes to crafts to decorating ideas to planing parties. ANYTHING can be pinned. And I'm not kidding when I tell you, you can spend HOURS on that site.

Anyway, I thought that since I'm devoting so much time to lurking around pinterest I better put some of the madness into action. So anytime that I do something around the house/with the kids that was inspired by pinterest, I'll try to make a blog post about it.
Today is raining and cold so I thought a Halloween craft is in order (yes, I know it's only September, but hey, I decorate for christmas in Novemeber, so we'd better get started!) I saw a pin today with handprint ghosts and bats, so without further ado, here you have it: hand print Ghosts and Bats!

So if you feel like you are totally missing out on the black hole that is Pinterest (you are, trust me!) and would like to check it out, you'll need an invite because it is technically still in "beta". Just let me know, and I will send an invite on over. 

For Aunt Laura and Uncle Chuck;

Thank you so much for the Christmas gifts!! The kids both love them and they are going back and forth between the train and the dollhouse. And of course we love the foodie gifts too :) I took a couple videos of them opening them.

sigh of relief

Camryn had a visit with her dermatologist today to try to figure out what the spots all over her are. He diagnosed her with urticaria pigmentosa. Which is basically a bunch of  masses of histamines in her skin. it can get irritated and itch, but it isn't cancerous, life threatening, or dangerous. And, it should be gone by the time she is five. I was really worried about it. I wasn't sure what it was and after Carter's eye appointment (I'll explain that in a minute) I was worried about what it could be. So, huge relief there!

Now, on to Carter. He went to the eye doctor on Friday. He was diagnosed with Duane's Syndrome. That is where the outside nerve of his left eye is missing. He can not turn his left eye towards his ear. We thought he just had lazy eye. I don't think I was quite prepared to hear that he wasn't fixable. However, it isn't life threatening, or anything that is going to have a major effect on his life. He has to turn his head a bit more to the left to see things on that side, but other than that, it isn't too big of a deal. It was kind of a shock to my system to hear that there really isn't anyway to fix it, as I was expecting them to just tell us he needed to wear a patch for a couple hours a day and he'd be as good as new in a few months. I'm also pretty sure Camryn has the same thing. She has an appointment scheduled in july for an evaluation as well. The doctor said it isn't hereditary, but Google says it can be. So I guess we will find out then if I don't know how to make a baby with a 6th cranial nerve ;)

Happy 1st Birthday Camryn

Today is camryn first birthday! we're having a party this afternoon for her. I can't hardly believe it has been a year already. it goes by soooo fast!!

here is a picture of the cake I made her...




and here is a few from her cake smash session:

There are more pics on facebook too ;)

Easter Pictures for Angie

here ya go! I uploaded these through blogger so the don't look as crisp as they really are.
ps-there is a new post on www.junedalephotography.blogspot.com

Taking a leap!

I've decided to take a leap into the photography world. I'm branching out and offering to photograph some friend's kids/families to grow my portfolio. it is my hope to someday be a "professional". Wow that word scares me!! I don't think I'm anywhere near the caliber of a professional photographer, but the only way to get there is to keep on practicing. I feel like I have SO much more to learn. I'm constantly researching and reading everything I can get my hands on to learn all I can. I'm excited to be given the opportunity to do something I have fallen in love with.
I signed up on a photo lab website a month or so ago and had to have a business name to make an acct. SHH! don't tell them I didn't really have a business yet! lol But they were offering a free print for new account holders, and i couldn't resist. So anyways, I've been thinking about what I want to call my far-off-in-the-future business. Do I want to use my own name? not really. it isn't a common name and I don't want people to wonder "how do you say that?" or "I'm going with Sally Sue photography, because i can't pronounce this one". Well I think, after a few weeks of contemplating in the back of my mind, I have settled on a name. JuneDale Photography. It incorporates both of my kid's middle names and is sort of a tribute to them. After all, everything I do now is for them. SO they should get some credit ;) Get ready to see this on all my photos:

I know I haven't been good at blogging lately. (you can thank facebook. I post everything over there!) So while this blog doesn't get much attention from me anymore, I am hoping that my new blog, JuneDale Photography, will have tons of new posts as I begin to photograph people other than my kids! They run when they see my camera now anyways, so I HAVE to find new people to take pictures of if I'm going to grow :)

here are a few from Easter: