Craft Fair

             Pink Penguin

Wine Cork Nativity

Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus

The California Snowman: Peppermint Playdough, felt top hat, google eyes, scarf and pipe cleaner arms.

Bottle Cap Tic Tac Toe

Bottle Cap Magnet Snowmen

Saving Money Like a Boss

This is an old dresser that my co-worker was going to chop up and burn. She dropped it in my garage about 3 weeks ago.

I applied a citrus stripper to remove the old damaged finish

Another Stripper shot

I stained it a light cherry and then sealed it with a polyurethane clear coat

The almost finished product. I decided to keep the original hardware but they were badly damaged. I applied a hammered black paint and installed the hardware after we moved the dresser into Thor's room. One of the runners was broken so my dad showed me how to fix it and make the drawer stable and easily usable again.

Finished Product! Since Thor was a baby he has been using a rubbermaid plastic dresser. Now he has a real dresser!

Thor is born... and is turning 7!

7 Years ago today, Jake and I were living in Colorado Springs. We had a tiny apartment off of Pikes Peak Avenue, went to at least 2 movies a weekend, and had just said good-bye to all his Army buddies as they had left for another deployment. Jake was in physical therapy for his ankle, and our future in the military was uncertain. Top that with the fact that I just gone into labor, and it made for a pretty busy week. Wednesday morning I woke up with contractions about 5 minutes apart, but decided I wanted to wait until my doctor's appointment later that day to go to the hospital. Jake came home to go with me and away we went. My doctor told me we would be having a baby that day, and sent us up to labor and delivery. I would just like to go on record as saying... we did not have a baby that day, or that night, or even in the wee hours of the next morning. Our mighty little  red-head (yes it was red when he was born) did not come out to meet us until 22 hours of labor, 4 hours more of pushing, and the threat that we would be having a C-section if I did not get him out in the next 20 minutes.

I was drugged, starving, exhausted, and ready to see our son. We had still not decided on a name. The nurses had asked us when we came in and we said we were just calling him "Thor" because he had such mighty punches and kicks. By the time he was born we still had not chosen a name. When we saw his pretty red hair and perfect porcelain skin, we knew he was a Thor. The newest Nielsen man was born. He was the first grandchild born to Jake's family, and the 4th in mine.

7 years later, he still has that perfect white skin, but the red hair has faded and is now an amazing blond, with just hints of strawberry. Since he was a little guy he has loved, dinosaurs and wildlife of any kind. He collects bugs and reads books on animals whenever he gets the chance. He will sit for hours and watch documentaries on flora and fauna. He is the sweetest, most thoughtful little guy. His favorite subject in school is Art and his art teacher Mrs. Amendt loves having him. She stops almost daily to tell me little stories of things he has made for her, or shown other students. His favorite animal is still the orangutan. He has had a mild obsession with them since he was about 3. He can tell you all about their disappearing habitat in Borneo, and their diet and lifestyles. Jake and I are proud to be parents to such a tender hearted, thoughtful little man.