DIY Yarn Globes

Here is my most recent DIY. Colorful Yarn Globes. 

I love them because they are super easy to make [once you figure out the wrapping technique], easy to hang, and they add so much color to a room. They would be perfect DIY for a wedding or event to add a pop of color. You can also attach a light fixture and make them into pendant lights...[this WILL happen when we live in a place we can do lighting stuff in]. 

You will need: 

Basic Craft Glue (Like Elmer's. I bought the $1 bottles and Wal-mart)

Water

Yarn/String/Embroidery Floss

Balloons (or another round deflatable object)

A place to tie your globes while you make them and let them dry. 

Instructions: 

Blow up a balloon to the size you desire. Cut the yarn into very long pieces [I used about five 4ft long pieces]. Tie your balloon up where you are making and drying the globes. Next mix about 1/2 bottle of glue with some warm water in a bowl [I didn't use specific ratios, I just did it by feel. It should be on the thick side but thinner than straight out of the bottle]. 

Then put your first piece of string into the bowl with the glue mixture. Let it get completely soaked in the glue. As you pull it out of the glue run the string through your fingers to get rid of extra glue - the string should still look coated in it so don't squeeze too much out. 

Now is the hard part...wrapping it. Begin by tying the string to the top of the balloon and wrap vertically - keeping tension in the string as you wrap. As you finish with a piece of string, tuck it under one of the vertical strings and soak the next one in the glue. 

Keep wrapping vertically until it is about 2/3 covered and there are no big spaces between the strings. Then begin wrapping horizontally... This can be tricky, but if you tie string to the top and start diagonally, it should work. Keep wrapping until you like the amount of string on it [the thicker it is the longer it will take to dry].

Let it dry at least 24hrs over a container because it will drip extra glue as it dries. I hung mine over the sink so it was easy to clean if it missed the container. You will know it's dry when it is completely hardened.

When it is dry and hardened, take a pencil eraser and push on the balloon to separate the balloon and the string. Do this all the way around the globe. Next, cut a small opening at the top of the globe and pop the balloon. Remove the balloon carefully AND it is ready to hang!

To hang mine, I just used some thread and a small tack. If you want to make a pendant light out of it...check out some of the tutorials on Pinterest! 

I love how much color it brings to the corner of our living room. Aren't they awesome!

I hung up our Christmas lights tonight and some are right by theses globes and they look even cooler [is that a word? like "funner"?] It makes me want to add a big bunch of lights in the center of them all. 

So what do you think? How do you add pops of color for an event or in your home?

Cheers.

p.s. If anyone has questions, feel free to comment to ask. 

Music Mondays: Winter Song

In hopes that snow comes soon...


This song always makes me want to watch the Narnia movies. Enjoy with a cup of hot tea or cocoa.

Cheers.

Football Champs!

Congrats to my little brother[in-law] and his team who won their high school State Championship game yesterday!

You boy's played hard this season and we are so very proud of you!

Go CRUSADERS!!! 

p.s. Andy is a sophomore playing on varsity and was out most of his freshman year because of a torn ACL!!! Way to rock it bud!

Cheers.

Full of LOVE and FOOD

We have a wonderful problem when it comes to holidays. We have SOOOOO many people we love that we want to see and they all live close to each other! 

You see my family and N's family live only about 1 mile apart. And then on top of that we live in a small community with lots of people from our Church that we grew up in and went to school with. AND N's extended family lives within a 30-45min drive and with grandparents/great-grandparents on either side it's important to see them as well....you get the picture???

So what do we do???

We eat WAY too much delicious food [because they are all excellent cooks], smile and laugh SOOO much that our faces hurt, and we come back so VERY full of love that all we can do is cuddle up and nap after it's all done.

I mean there can be worst dilema's right? Family [and those friends that ARE family] are very important to us. They are why we decided to live in Flag while N finishes school. There will be times in our life [probably not far off] where we won't be able to see everyone and so we make the best of it while we can and savor all of the love, food, and joy.

In fact, when we went around the table saying what we are thankful for...my thankfulness was that I have been able to come home to be with my family every year since I first left for college...some quite creative ways to get there but no matter what the circumstance [fire on my campus, tight $, work schedules] I was able to come home. And for that I am thankful.

What were you thankful for this Thanksgiving? [And what was the star dish of your meal? Ours were the pies...Pumpkin and Pecan.]

Cheers.

Music Mondays: Epic Orchestra

N started playing Trans Siberian Orchestra back in October.

I love that my hubby likes to play [epic] Christmas music early. I don't know why but as I see all these facebook posts about these husbands throwing a fit about their wives starting to play Christmas music this week, I get all tingly inside. Maybe it's because I have a husband who LOOOOVVVEEESSS Christmas as much as I do.

That being said here is some epic Christmas music for your Monday. And maybe since it's so epic those  that think its too early for Christmas music will forgive you...

Cheers.

p.s. The Trans Siberian Orchestra is playing in PHX on Dec.1st and my hubby would love to go. Anyone have tickets that doesn't want to go [or has $120 that they don't know what to do with]???

Once Upon a Biscuit Berry Pie

I just baked a biscuit on top of brown sugared berries...its like instant pie.

Do it.
It's delicious.
Then watch Once Upon a time. That would make us Wednesday night twins.
All I need now is some ice cream.

Cheers.

Music Mondays: Veteran's Salute

I'm trying something new for Music Monday today... I don't think I will be able to pull myself together every week to create a playlist for ya'll but this week I thought I would try it out

In honor of all who have and are serving and their families. Be blessed and honored on this Veteran's Day.




p.s. I said the other day I would share my proud teacher moment and I will now as it relates to this... We had a Veteran's Assembly at school on Friday to honor those in our community that are Vets as well as Active duty. The second grade classes each sang a song and shared letters they had written to Veterans to thank them for their service. It was quite touching, especially to see how the service members were honored by it. As you may not know, I work in the special ed room and do a lot of work with a 2nd grader who is quite wiggly and has a lot of sensory needs [i.e. he hums/sings/recites movies  constantly] but he has been practicing with his class for this assembly and guess what?!?! He made it though the entire hour long assembly, performance and all, perfectly! Then when meeting the veterans, he looked one gentleman in the eye, said "hello," and shook his hand! That's hard work for a kid with Autism! I was so proud I almost cried. Its these moments that make me love what I do. Great job bud!

Cheers.

Winter's Arrival

Winter announced its arrival this weekend.

This is what we woke up to on Saturday Morning!

And it has stayed! Hurray! Winter is peaking out its chilly fingers and graced us with some beautiful white powder. A little bit ago I was mourning summer with autumn's approach but that didn't last long because we had a beautiful fall season and boy am I READY for some snow and cold weather!

Lilu had the right idea of how to spend this first chilly winter weekend...cuddle up with some blankets and nap...

 And get some crafting and housework done... eat some caramel...make apple sauce...play dinosaurs and board games with some kiddos...

So Welcome Winter! We are so glad you're here. [Oh and keep bringing more of that white stuff!]

Cheers to Winter and Snow!

Blogger's Block

I have a bunch of photos [mostly food related] that are waiting in a file to be shared with all you lovelies, thoughts and ideas that are waiting to be written...however motivation is no where to be found when it comes time to sit and write/post... sorry to those that read regularly. I am searching my brain for inspiration/motivation/some kind of -ation that will get me back on posting track...

You see I had an insane.drive you to the nut house, "Keep Calm and BREATHE" kind of 2 weeks there not too long ago and it threw me into a funk...I recovered from the crazy but somewhere along the way caught a bad case of Blogger's Block...even Pinterest isn't helping! [oh my this is serious!]

Anyways, we're supposed to wake up to snow in the morning...maybe that will help. Maybe tomorrow I will feel motivated enough to share my proud teacher moment that I had today! It's precious. I almost cried in front of 100+ parents at an assembly because of it [yeah I know Drama mama with a capital "D"!]

Blogger friends...what do you do when inspiration is waning? What's your home remedy to a bad case of the "Blogger's Block"?

Cheers.

Hero Walk

So yesterday I mentioned that we had been travelling on the weekends, last weekend we did a [timely] Disaster Relief Training with our church in PHX and learn A LOT!!! I wish I could share all of the wonderful information we received that is applicable for more that just distasters. If anyone wants more info I can send you the training packet and the link to get more info.

As awesome as the training was...THIS weekend we got to go down to PHX to do the JDRF walk for our sweet little friend Heidi who has had Type 1 for a little over a year...

She [and her family] have had a rough journey as they figure out this crazy diagnosis but she sure does rock that pump and her tough Momma is a fighter just like her. It is obvious where she gets it from.

It was fun to be able to support Heidi and her family by doing this walk with them. We had a great team of family and friends...though us Haystacks missed the baby stroller memo as you can tell below...

Nate did pull our weight for the team as he carried one of the kiddos on his shoulders the whole walk.

All of Heidi's Heroes!

p.s. Please be praying for her that she would be completely healed from her diabetes as a testimony to His mercy and that God would pour his blessing and grace on their family. 

Go Team Heidi!

Cheers.

[Photos were taken by the many members of our team.]

Music Mondays: Travelling

So sorry that my Music Mondays is all I've been posting recently... we've been travelling on our weekends so my week has been filled up with things that I normally try to get done on the weekends.

Here is fun song for you called "Travelling" by a sweet band called Paper Lions:

Enjoy.

Cheers.