How to make your own gas pump

As promised, here is how I put together Travis' gas pump. I thought this would be a pretty popular item, but surprisingly, I only found one online reference to a homemade gas pump, so I used it for the basic idea, but embellished my own to create a truly unique homemade gift.

First, I wrapped two boxes in wrapping paper, with the design to the inside. One box was wider than the other. I basically eyeballed how the pump would look, so I don't actually know the dimensions of the boxes I used. Then I hot glued the boxes together.

I used scrapbook paper that I taped onto the boxes with painter's tape. I only had a small rectangle of the green (on the bottom), so I cut down a second design (the cars) to fill the rest of the box.

Scrapbook paper and painter's tape

Using coordinated scrapbook paper to create the various screens, message center, and credit card opening, I cut out different shapes and glued them to cardstock. Then I used electrical tape to tape them onto the top box.

Message Center

I glued another piece of scrapbook paper to the side of the top box (where the nozzle goes).

Spray bottle nozzle and scrapbook paper on side

I cut two holes:

            1) in the bottom of the top box where it meets the bottom box, and

            2) in the rectangle of paper on the side of the top box.

I had a neighbor cut the bottom off the spray bottle. Turns out he just used a bread knife, which left a fairly clean edge.

I then hot glued a piece of rope to the bottom hole, and the other end I hot glued inside the spray bottle. The spray bottle nozzle fits into the hole on the side of the top box.

Final Product!

And now Travis has his very own gas pump!

Sophia filling up the tank while Travis watches

Travis pulling up to the gas pump

Little Red Wagon First Birthday Party

After years of totally lame parties, we finally scored a fun, clever first birthday party--it sure helps that Travis is happy and cute!

The Theme

I didn't like the traditional party accessories that I kept running across; I wanted something a little bit different, something simple and classic, so I did a lot of research. It took awhile, but then I found two things that helped solidify the theme.

1. Trav's birthday gift from Pappaw
2. Several other mom's blog posts who had done parties with related themes, and encouraged me that it was possible to do it myself.

Our theme centered around the classic little red wagon. I created banners using scrapbook paper of sky, sand, grass, pebbles, denim, and wooden fences to create an outdoorsy feel.  I made cupcake toppers using the same design as the banners, but smaller and glued onto toothpicks.

Cupcakes

Then I decided on decorating cupcakes. Taking several cupcake decorating classes was very helpful, but I knew I wanted something simple. Using just a couple of colors and a few different decorating tips, I created green grass and white peaks sprinkled with red sugar and sparkly fairy dust. For Travis' special cupcake, I made a jumbo red velvet cupcake with cream cheese frosting. I thought it was appropriate since I discovered and fell in love with red velvet cake while I was pregnant with Travis (because he didn't like chocolate!).

He had such a fun time tearing apart the cupcake and making a huge mess.

Gifts

By now, I'm sure you're wondering about that gift from Pappaw! It was  a little red Radio Flyer sports coupe. Absolutely adorable. Travis LOVES it! The other kids took turns driving him around the house in it.

As I was trying to think of a birthday gift from Ken and I, I thought how fun it would be to have a little gas pump to go along with the car. But I didn't want to spend much money, so Ken suggested I go online to get a little inspiration on how to make one. Surprisingly, I only found one reference to a homemade gas pump, so I used it for the basic idea, but embellished the idea for a truly unique homemade gift. I'll tell you how I did it in a separate blog post, but for now, here's some teaser photos.

Several months ago, I began a project that took such a long time to complete that it became Travis' second birthday gift. Using a robot theme and coordinating scrapbook paper, I made a matching game.

I took 12 pieces of ready-made craft wood, and decoupaged  rectangles of paper on both sides. One side is all the same design, while the other side has 2 each of 6 designs. I then embroidered a robot onto a little pouch that holds all of the wooden rectangles. It is a little old for him yet, but he'll be able to play before we know it.

We had such a fun time celebrating our little man's first birthday with family and close friends. I'd like to thank our amazing friend, Ashley Terry, for capturing the day with such amazing photos. 

Life is funny that way

So after I blogged the other day about how God is teaching me to embrace my own writing style, I received this daily devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries reminding me that God gives unique gifts to each person and that we should embrace our gifts. The post centered around this verse

“Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Isn't it funny how God works? Sometimes we hear a gentle whisper through the storm prodding us to trust and follow Him, and other times He uses clanging symbols to send a message to jump start our hearts and reverberate through our souls. I find that I am continually amazed and thankful by his love for me.

I've been thinking a lot about strengths lately. I guess because I am still trying to pinpoint mine. It's always been easier to identify where I fall short, but I'm beginning to realize that life is better if we pinpoint our strengths and build upon them. To that end, I took the StrengthsFinder quiz. Here are the strengths it identified for me. Do you think they're accurate?

• Learner: People who are especially talented in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them. 

Without a doubt, your hunger for evidence, data, or background information is immense. Whether your sources of knowledge are people, classes, books, the Internet, or discussions, you are hardwired to be as informed as you possibly can be prior to starting most ventures. You probably prefer to be overly prepared rather than risk being poorly prepared. Chances are good that you yearn to increase your knowledge by being kept in the information loop.

• Input: People who are especially talented in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all kinds of information. 

Chances are good that you are delighted to read more about topics with which you are already familiar. Accumulating additional information about these issues and subjects makes more sense to you than venturing off into areas about which you know very little.

• Intellection:  People who are especially talented in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions. 

You regularly reflect on how you felt about your experiences as they occurred. You usually ponder how you felt afterward, too. Your emotional awareness sharpens your thinking. You are doubly blessed: You think with your head and feel with your heart.

• Empathy:  People who are especially talented in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in others’ lives or others’ situations

By nature, you might work persistently to lift people’s spirits. Perhaps you naturally see the good in individuals or situations. Maybe this approach allows you to embrace rather than resist life’s surprises, disappointments, opportunities, or successes. Chances are good that you recognize when your coworkers can benefit from your approval and compliments. You spontaneously sense a person’s need to hear kind, encouraging, or supportive words from a colleague. You enjoy celebrating the contributions, strengths, discoveries, or victories of individuals.

• Connectedness: People who are especially talented in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.

Because of your strengths, you may get to know people individually in your quest to gain wisdom. Discovering the qualities that distinguish someone from everyone else might be an essential aspect of your search for truth. Instinctively, you occasionally help people realize they are part of the human family. With your guidance, perhaps they understand that their lives are intertwined with people they will never meet.

I feel like they're pretty accurate. So, the next time I start to doubt my own abilities and begin to compare myself with others (and lament that I fall short), remind me of this verse and smack me upside the head. :)

1 Corinthians 12:4-6, “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”  

Bastrop Photo Shoot

I just wanted to share some early photos from our photo shoot last week. Our friend, Ashley, took them, and did an amazing job! She might get tired of me asking to take more photos of us every 6 months!! :-)

Here a just a few of the photos in case you haven't seen them on Facebook already. Leave us a comment: which one is YOUR favorite?

Heartbreaker

Fun with Papa

Stroll in the Park

Grumpster in Downtown Bastrop

Mama and Travis - My Personal Favorite!

Hanging with Papa

A tea lover's dream

IngenuiTEA teapot from thinkgeek.com

This is not one of those annoying product placement ads like you see on Bones or Castle, this really is the coolest thing. Ken found it, and got it for me for Christmas. It's a 1-cup tea infuser. You put loose tea leaves inside, pour in hot water, let it steep, put it over a tea cup, and there's an ingenious little system on the bottom that drains the tea, but keeps the tea leaves enclosed. If you're a tea lover like me, this thing is awesome. It's great when you don't want to heat up a whole pot of water for just a cup or two of tea.

Anyways, I've been using it more, and realized that I'm getting low on loose tea, which I was shopping for, but then decided to take a break and share this with y'all.

Hope everyone is having a good week!

Surprise, surprise, surprise

Well, it's no secret that I married a good man. :-)
Recently, I had the opportunity to try some homemade ice cream- yep, 32 and I had never had homemade ice cream. Sad. So last night, Ken surprised me with my own ice cream maker - so I could make my own.

Let me tell you the story......

After work and a dinner date at Trudy's, we were on our way to Best Buy to look at some CDs that Ken wanted to buy. On the way, we saw the Crate & Barrel store; many of you know how much I love that store above any other. Ken decided that he wanted to go there instead. I looked at him funny, and even checked to see if he had a temperature. Willingly going to C&B instead of Best Buy? What had gotten into my man? So that was surprise #1.
We wandered around and I was in heaven. I pointed out the ice cream maker that I had seen there and wanted, figuring that I'd give him a little hint about a Christmas gift it wouldn't hurt my feelings to receive.
I was having such a good time checking out all the furniture, that I didn't even notice when Ken disappeared. Well, I did notice, but I thought he'd gone to the bathroom. He found me a little while later and said he'd been looking for me everywhere and then that he had to find the bathroom. Confused, because I thought that's where he had been, I pointed it out to him and wandered off to look at a chair I now just have to have. Guess he just got bored, I thought, trying not to linger too long. So we checked out and Ken bought the little tea accessories I just had to have (surprise #2).
It would have been the perfect night and the perfect date, if we'd ended it there, but it got better.
We started talking about RV's and camping. Ken mentioned camping in the truck so I turned around to assess the space and there, like a shining beacon of love, sat a gigantic C&B bag (how I missed it before, I'll never know). What's that? I asked. I'll give you 3 guesses and if you don't get it right, I'll take it back, he replied. It was my ice cream maker (I got it on the first try!) - surprise #3!!!
Apparently, he had concocted the whole scheme at dinner. He hadn't even planned to go to Best Buy, he just wanted an excuse to be near C&B. Also, he had planned an entirely different scenario to surprise me with my new toy. But as our family motto says, "no good story starts out with 'everything went according to plan.'"
I really do have the perfect man!! (no surprise there!)