I’m super excited to announce another calendar giveaway!!  John & Erika of delphine press fame have graciously offered a hanging ribbon calendar to one lucky blog reader!

Woo!

And while I’ve got your attention … if you’re in need {or know someone who is} of invitations, hop on over to delphine’s new digital customizer {letterpress is available too} … it’s really cool.  Heck, even if you’re not looking for invites, it’s kinda fun to play with!  It’s one of the first {maybe only?} true customizer’s available.  You can pick your own colors, fonts, graphics, envelopes, liners … the whole kit & kaboodle!  Check it out and spread the word!

Alrighty … ready for an awesome giveaway?

Please leave any ol’ comment {you can also facebook, tweet, or blog … just be sure to leave another comment saying you did so} by Friday, October 2 {midnight CST}, and I’ll post the winner on Saturday, October 3.

Have fun and good luck!

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This Tuesday, I’d like to unwrap for you the most incredible gift of all … His Word.

May this simple song be a reminder to us all of the hidden treasures … hope, peace, love, strength, forgiveness, salvation … that His Word promises …

The Word {Sara Groves}

I’ve done every devotional
Been every place emotional
Trying to hear a new word from God
And I think it’s very odd,
that while I attempt to help myself
My Bible sits upon my shelf
With every promise
I could ever need

{chorus}
And the Word was
And the Word is
And the Word will be

People are getting fit for Truth
Like they’re buying a new tailored suit
Does it fit across the shoulders
Will it fade when it gets older
We throw ideas that aren’t in style
In the Salvation Army pile
And search for something more to meet our needs

{chorus}

{bridge}
I think it’s time I rediscover
All the ground that I have covered, like
Seek Ye first (what a verse)
We are pressed but not crushed,
perplexed but don’t despair.
We are persecuted but not abandoned
We are no longer slaves
we are daughters and sons,
and when we are weak
we are very strong

And neither death nor life
nor present nor future
nor depth nor height
can keep us from the love of Christ
And the Word I need
is the Word that was
who put on flesh to dwell with us.
In the beginning….

{chorus}

The old Word is the new Word is
The old Word is the new Word is…

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That’s where Hunter’s nukie’s ended up!!  Can you believe it?

{You can read about Hunter’s nukie party here and here}

We were in shock that we actually got a letter back!  And poor Huntie was shocked her nukie’s weren’t in the letter!  :(

The balloons {and nukie’s} ended up in Tobermory Ontario!  The family that found them actually live in Michigan, but have a summer home in Canada.

I’m amazed the balloons traveled all that way …

When we had Piper & Wynter’s party a few years ago, we sent off separate balloons for them, both with a letter and some money … but we’ve never heard anything back.  Maybe they’re in the middle of the ocean somewhere?

Anyway …

This was such a joy, that I wanted to share … {and ahem, better late than never …}

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I’d been wanting to do this craft with the kids all summer long!  But somehow, we just never got a chance.  Did anyone else’s summer fly by?  And P.S., how is it we already have Halloween decorations up?!?

Anyway.  I’ve had these craft materials cut and ready to go … sitting there … taunting me … for weeks.

So when we planned a trip to Exuma over Labor Day weekend, I carefully packed up the “craft bag” and off we went.  After all, the ocean would be the perfect place for a sailboat craft.

Sorry my tutorial photos are lacking … it was a bit crazy helping 3 girls figure this out AND take photos with a {new-to-me} rented Nikon {boo, by-the-way!}.  I’ll do my best to explain directions and for the most part, I think you get the jist from the final images … you’re smart blog readers, right?  ;)

So … what do you start with?

1. straws {non-bendable & strong … trust me}
2. adhesive putty
3. construction paper, or scrapbook paper
4. juice box
5. japanese paper tape {optional}

Directions:

1. cut juice box in half … this is not an easy feat {times three … actually six, cuz my cleaning person threw out the first batch!}
2. cut out the sails
3. we adhered the straw to the center of the sail and folded it over.  we started out delicately with our adhering, but ended up taping the heck out of the little suckers.  our straws were the bendy kind … {not recommended!} … and wouldn’t stay put for us.
4. tape the sail together
5. put some adhesive putty on the bottom of the “boat” and adhere your straw to it.
6. and wa-la!  that should be it.

But it wasn’t.  Never easy with us.  :)  So if you run into problems with your sail weakening, here’s what I suggest … well, first … make sure your straws are really strong.  Not the Walgreen’s brand 99 cent kind.  Okay, but if they are … put the sail/straw in the corner of the boat and putty & tape the heck out of it there.  Then completely wrap your straw in tape to make it stronger.  And yeah … that should be good to go!

Then take a few good pictures before you send them off into the sunset and they completely dissolve once they hit water.  No seriously … the juice boxes held up well … it was our straw situation that was lacking.

The girls loved this project!  We ended up watching them sail off into the distance …

I think we’ll definitely do it again … maybe next time we’ll try this one.

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Is she not the epitome of a glowing pregnant woman?  As I mentioned in my previous ’sneak peek’ post … we’ve been waiting FOREVER to do these photos!!  I love how they turned out and I think it was well worth the wait!

Are they not the cutest couple ever?  And two guesses at what their new bundle’ll look like! ;)

Thank you Nellie & Matthew … I seriously enjoyed spending this time with you and capturing this precious moment in your lives …

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