Abraham Lincoln sites - President's Day

 Anyone who knows me, knows I L-O-V-E Abraham Lincoln.  My students know just how obsessed I am considering my classroom was covered with his picture, witty remarks and wisdom.  I have a continually growing set of books and movies dedicated to him and his role as our 16th president.

And since I love to travel and visit historic sites you can bet your bottom dollar I seize any opportunities to see sites relating to Lincoln.  Hoping to add the monument and museum in Springfield Illinois to my list. These sites are extremely popular, and I hope families get the chance to see these monuments dedicated to one of the most loved presidents that's served our great country.

"History is not history unless it is the truth."

"Bad promises are better broken than kept."

"Broken eggs cannot be mended."

"My father taught me to work, but not to love it.  I never did like to work, and I don't deny it. I'd rather read, tell stories, crack jokes, talk and laugh - anything but work."

"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt."

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park - Kentucky

On our family RV trip we planned to make a stop at Lincoln's birthplace.  Since I was doing most of the event planning this was definitely going to be stop on our loop.  What added to the experience was the fact that we almost missed the whole thing!  If you've ever dealt with time zone change then you know the line isn't a straight line, but in fact curves in and out. So the closing time for the historic park was actually an hour earlier, and by the time we realized it, we were booking that RV down those side roads faster then was probably safe and flew into the park just in time.

Picked up this miniature bust of Lincoln as a small token of our visit. Makes a perfect item for my teacher desk.

Battle of Gettysburg - Pennsylvania

One of Abraham Lincoln's most famous speeches was his Gettysburg Address in 1863 after the three day July battle.  Lincoln delivered his classic speech at the dedication of a national cemetery at Gettysburg to commemorate all the lives on both the union and confederacy side that had been sacrificed.  It was one of the greatest expressions of democracy in American history.   

Even back when my family visited the battle site in my early school years I still remember that feeling when driving through the park and stopping at the Minnesota memorial.  My love of learning about the Civil War has only continued to grow. In college I was lucky to have taken a class just on the Civil War my freshman year.  I was completely in my element in that class.  I was able to read so many great books on the subject and we even memorized the Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

I hope that I'll be able to venture over to the site again next time I'm in Ohio, since I know that it would certainly mean even more to me today.

Mount Rushmore - South Dakota

One of my favorite monuments honoring our past presidents, carved into the side of the Black Hills of South Dakota is Mount Rushmore.  This National Memorial is visited by nearly 3 million people a year who wish to marvel at the astounding man-made creation carved into nature’s creation.  When you stand at the base of this gigantic memorial it is hard not to be amazed.

"The purpose of the memorial is to communicate the founding, expansion, preservation, and unification of the United States with colossal statues of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt."
Gutzon Borglum

Clearly I was not the only one to think that these were the best of the best in regards to our presidential leaders.  Even back in grade school when I visited this memorial on a family vacation I was captivated.  I'm looking forward to returning with my own family one day.  And since some of my students have been, I always love teaching about Mount Rushmore's construction in my U.S. History class.

 Lincoln Memorial - Washington D.C.

Before starting my history teaching job, my husband and I took a spontaneous trip to D.C. over the summer.  I haven't been to D.C. since I visited in sixth grade with my family, so I've been dying for another opportunity.  It was great to tour all the memorials again, especially with a friend that's a D.C. native.  Make sure you have your walking shoes if you visit, cause boy did we get our exercise over those 3 days.

Although I value all the memorials, my most anticipated was of course the Lincoln Memorial!!!

DIY Cork Board Arrow

Recently, I have had an intense desire to re-organize and re-arrange our home. Is anyone else suffering from this?! I am wondering if it is the time of year or if I just need a fresh look. Either way, I have found a couple projects to help... so far!

I just finished a new command center area in our kitchen. A command center is usually your "drop site" for all things scheduling and paperwork. I will share more photos of the whole set up soon but for now, here are all the details on my super easy and quick DIY cord board arrow project.

DIY Cork Board Arrow

Supplies:
- Wooden shape (Arrow from Target)
- One 12 by 12 inch cork pad
- Glue (Hot glue or E6000 preferred)
- Scissors
- Push pins, as desired

Directions:
1. Start by measuring out each piece to match the arrow shape. I only needed one piece of cork pad but you may need more depending on your shape. I preferred my arrow to look like it was different pieces versus one whole piece so cut mine accordingly.

2. Glue each cork piece as desired. I had to be careful to hold mine in place until secure.

3. Allow the glue adequate time to dry before hanging on the wall or inserting push pins.

Paper Arrows

Valentine's Day is right around the corner! While some complain that it is a Hallmark holiday, I think we should all use it to spread a little extra love. Send an old friend a card in the mail, send a valentine to your godbaby or just write some simple words of appreciation to your other half.

One craft that I will be including in my valentines this year are these pretty paper arrows. Arrows have become a huge trend of late. I have been seeing them everywhere! Since I have a total feather obsession, I find arrows quite lovely. Naturally, I had to try to DIY a few of my own.

Supplies:
- Paper Straws (Found at Walmart)
- Wasabi Tape (Found at Target)
- Card Stock (Found at Michaels)
- String and/or yarn (Found at Michaels and Target)
- Hot Glue Gun
- Scissors

Directions:
1. Start by cutting out different size feathers from the card stock. Also, cut out the tips of the arrows as well.
2. Hot glue the feather cut outs to one end of the paper straw. Glue the arrow tip to the other end.
3. Wrap the top of the arrow with string or yarn. Glue into place.
4. Embellish as desired!

These beauties will be accompanying some other valentine's day goodies. I cannot wait to send them out to loved ones! Bring it on Cupid! XOXO

DIY Paper Roses

This darling heart canvas was used on my wedding day and is now perfect to pull out for Valentine's Day! 

Since I recently used it to decorate our home for Love Day, I thought would resurface this blog post to share with those who are looking to add some pretty heart elements to their home this season.

Paper Roses

Supplies:
- Card stock paper in varied colors and patterns
- Glue gun
- Scissors
- Canvas or other base piece

Directions:
1. Begin by cutting circles. I cut different sizes so that my roses were different sizes. Then cut a spiral in the circle. I preferred my roses to not have perfect edges but if you want perfect edges, cut your spiral edges in the same length.
2. Begin wrapping your rose from the outside edge of the spiral and twist into the center.
3. Glue as you go but ultimately, glue the paper together at the end. 

4. Position roses on your canvas as desired. I used a burlap canvas, one of my new favorite things! I placed the roses into a heart and hot glued them in place.

If hearts are not your thing, I have used these paper roses in several other ways!

I wanted to find some inexpensive ways to bring more yellow into our gray/white/yellow bedroom theme. I also had a frame that no longer had a glass piece. I whipped up a couple of these paper roses and painted the frame to match the decor. We get so many compliments on our wall arrangement! 

I just love how easy and dynamic these paper roses are. Happy crafting!!

Black & White Striped DIY Canvas Art

This weekend, I finally put away our Christmas and New Years decor. All except the Christmas tree! I am allowing that to stay up at least one more week. Baby steps.

My husband told me, "It looks so empty in here." I think I fell a little more in love with him after that comment. I always feel that way after putting away the gold tinsel, glittery nutcrackers and sweet little snowman. Plus, in Minnesnowta, winter is still raging on through March. Why shouldn't holiday sparkle?

Well, I packed everything away and to fill the void, I pulled out the Valentine's Day decor. I do love the sweet hearts and shiny "I love you" signs. To add to the set up, I did a little canvas project that is inspired by my Kate Spade agenda.

I have shared some pictures on IG of my darling planners over the years. I have always been totally calendar obsessed, that baby comes everywhere with me. Knowing this, I invested a bit more on my planner this year. I have been loving it! One of my faves is an old planner pattern which is simple but girlie, I replicated it for my Kate Spade inspired canvas project.

Black & White Striped DIY Canvas Art

Supplies:
- Canvas (I used an 8x10)
- Paint (I used black acrylic paint)
- Painter's Tape
- Craft Tape (I used an adhesive gold glitter tape)
- Wooden letter or shape (Mine was purchased at Michaels)

Directions:
1. I started by taping down the areas that I wanted to stay white. Be sure to press the tape down firmly to avoid bubbles.
2. Paint the open areas with the black paint. Paint two coats.
3. Remove the tape and allow to dry.
4. Since my lines weren't perfectly straight due to using low quality painter's tape that bubbled, I used craft tape to cover the lines. I used half inch craft tape and cut it into smaller pieces. Stick or glue into place.
5. Glue on your shape or letter. Allow time to dry before hanging.

DIY Hexagon Canvas Art

I love trying new projects. These days, I especially appreciate the ones that I can start and finish in a reasonable amount of time. Lately, I have been seeing pictures of a geometric canvas on Pinterest and wanted to try it out myself. I tried it on a relatively small canvas and completed it while watching a movie with my husband. I would love to try it on a larger canvas because it would make for some interesting and cool house decor. You could also add a monogram, image or other fun elements to personalize the canvas.

Supplies:

- Geometric paper punch (I used a Creative Memories Hexagon Punch)
- Four 12x12 pieces of paper
- Canvas (I used an 8x10 canvas)
- Glue gun or ModPodge
- Scissors

Directions:

1. Cut out the paper using the punch. I decided on a pattern and punched paper as needed.
2. Begin gluing on the paper. I left a little space between paper pieces in order to create a pattern.
3. Cut any pieces that do not need to be full.
4. I will be putting a sealing spray or glue over the canvas to help preserve the paper longer.
5. Add any letters or images desired.

Cranberry Mason Jars

It is December! I can hardly believe we are entering the Christmas countdown. We had our first big snow here in Minnesota and that was a reality check that winter is upon us. Time to cozy up with some hot cocoa and make the house pretty, if you haven't started already!

Marie and I spent a little time over Thanksgiving weekend working on a mini blog shoot and are so excited to share our simple, inexpensive (we had most of the supplies in our houses already) and gorgeous winter tablescape with you!!

Cranberry Mason Jar DIY

Supplies:
- Fresh cranberries
- Mason jars of various sizes
- Pine branches
Note: We clipped a few from Marie's Christmas tree
- Floating candles

Directions:
1. Start by filling each jar with a handful of fresh cranberries.
2. Add water to each jar.
3. Put a sprig of pine branch into the base of the jar.
4. Top with a floating candle.

Next, we wanted to take these jars and make them into a nice tablescape that you could showcase throughout the winter and for any upcoming holiday parties. We kept it fairly effortless and used pieces that we already had in our Christmas storage. Sorry for the lack of "before" photos, we were so excited about this one that we totally forgot!

Supplies:

- Cranberry mason jars

- Two fake pine and pinecone sprigs

Note: Found at Michaels or your local craft store

- Christmas bulbs

Reindeer Donut Pops

I hosted a Crazy Christmas lunch for a Christian girls group of 5th and 6th graders that I lead. We had so much fun and the girls really enjoyed themselves!

This is a similar idea to a mystery dinner or crazy dinner where the kids have to pick from the menu, having no idea what they are really ordering. We themed our lunch around Christmas so we named the different dishes things like: Olaf, snowflakes, poinsettia and elf.

Unfortunately, in the mad rush of prepping the meals, I did not have much of a chance to capture photos. Which is a bummer because the snowman-shaped sandwiches were darling!

I did, however, document the most important part: dessert. These reindeer donut pops were the final piece of the lunch and the girls were tickled!

Reindeer Donut Pops

Supplies:
- Package of small chocolate donuts
Note: You can use powered donuts for snowmen donut pops!
- Wilton's candy eyeballs
- Decor candies
Note: M&Ms work great as well
- Pretzels
- One bar of melting chocolate
- Lollipop sticks

Directions:
1. Melt the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds or until smooth.
2. Push the lollipop stick through the bottom and middle of the donut.
3. Dip the back of the candy eyeballs and candies in the melting chocolate and place on donut.
4. Break pretzels in half and dip the bottom of each half into the chocolate. Insert pretzel into the top of the donut to secure.
5. Allow some dry time before serving.