Happy!! Be Happy!! SMILE!!!

If you have ever read my blog, you will know that I am an avid Pinterester. Pinterestee? Pinterest addict, for sure. It's like crack for the budget conscious crafter. They have everything, and I mean EVERYTHING you could ever possibly want. Every genius blogger on this lovely world wide web has their ideas and creations stolen, er...umm, I mean "pinned" and put on there to share. It is amazing. And on this amazing website, I found the inspiration for the Mother's Day gift I am giving myself this year.....

(Yes, I said giving myself. My dear hubby is notorious for doing nothing but a card, and my crafty soul is tired of being disappointed year after year. So I have started trolling the crafty sites every year to see what I want, then I make my kids make it with me. We are all happy.)

These were the pictures I liked, but decided to take the elements I loved and make my own.

This is from Pinterest. I wish I could credit the person who made it, but the link is SPAM. Sigh.

This is also from Pinterest. Again, I can't credit the owner, since it was pinned from Google.

I loved the block letters from one, but the black and white of the other, so while on a failed trip to Michaels, I picked up some of their white wooden letters that are about 12 inches tall. Then I grabbed a 4 spot frame, which actually turns out to be the EXACT frame as the bottom picture. If you think finding a horizontal, 4 spot frame is easy-let me tell you how wrong you are! They are very difficult! At least around here. But I got this beauty for 40% off! Walmart prices at Michaels AND I didn't even have a coupon.!!Could've had a steal if I owned a printer that worked. Lame. So this "failed trip" turned out to be worth it. (Side note-Armour Etch is also EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO FIND! I would wager it is right up there with Unicorns and kids that clean the house "just to be helpful" and not because they are asked to, to the point of Mom pulling her hair out in frustration. That hard.Ok, rant over.)

It was now time for a good old fashioned PHOTO SHOOT!! I love taking pictures of my kids. I DO. But, if you were ever around me when I am oh, I don't know-10 or so pictures in, you might think me a liar. My neighbors must have thought there was an escapee from the local mental hospital next door.

"Look at me....."



"Smile! Smile! HAPPY! Look happy, not like you are in pain, Nick." 

"Look at me.! Seriously?!?! You three be ready for when I can get Miles to actually look!! Smile....Smile! LOOK at ME and SMILE!!!"

"HAPPY!! HAPPY!! (in a desperate, edging on shrill voice) I SAID LOOK HAPPY!!!

Now, I'm not going to say that any of those were actual quotes. They may, or may not have been....I guess it really all depends on what you think of me after reading that. =)

After many, many pictures I was able to pick out one for each of them that I liked.

Then off to Fred Meyers to get them developed. Shoved them into a frame and Ta Da!!



Super easy, and not expensive at all! Happy Mother's Day to me!