How to create Watercolor Rock Eggs

1. Gather two goofy kids on the back patio

2. Collect rocks in an Easter Basket (lighter colored rocks work the best) and refer to the rocks as eggs.

3. Paint the “eggs” with watercolor paint

4. Let dry. Line up the eggs for a pretty display that won’t crack under pressure!

Happy egg painting!

Love,

Jess

Hope your St. Pat’s Day was fun! I wanted post my family photo (one of the few I have of all 6 of us) before Easter! Yikes, this year Holy Week, seemed to sneak up on me, how about you?

It is hard to believe it has been a whole year since my family announced that I was expecting. Click here, to view a home video that we made last year, for our special news. Little did we know than how much (twins!) our lives were about to change forever!

Love,

Jess

P.S. What does it say about me, that I made the cookie photo larger than my family in the collage? hahaha – love them both!

Claire and Leah. My preemie babies grew into their size 6 month clothes, learned to grab their toes, and found yet another way to steal my heart – giggle with wide mouths and dimples.

Molly. My little girl increased her vocabulary to include “Actually”, “Never mind”, and “What the heck?”

Ryan. My boy has thrown himself into a world of legos, video games and collections of bouncy balls, cards, & comic books.

The days are long. The days of whining, sticky, smelly, funny, angry, rowdy, loving, quiet, sleepy, loud, active, creative, sassy, sweet children hanging from every limb are long.  But, the months jet past like a movie in fast forward.

As life marches on, I long for time with my kids to slow down. The days of singing yet another round of Itsy-Bitsy spider, soothing cries for extra an tuck-in at night and having all my kiddos under the same roof will all too soon seem like a distant luxury.

Here’s to living in the moment and praying to God I’ll remember any of it at all!

Love,

Jess

Do Dollar Stores make you giddy from all the crafting potential? I know it sounds weird. But, there are a group of us crazy crafters that love a challenge, especially a thrifty challenge.

Lindsay, from Living with Lindsay, is hosting the 2nd Annual Five Dollar Challenge. Armed with a $5 bill, I gathered some supplies from my local Dollar Tree.

My challenge? Create a new Spring Decor item according to Lindsay’s guidelines and make a tutorial for the project. Hence, the super long line of photos below.

*Dear Voters: JJ, Emily and Gina* Thanks for stopping by Just a Blink and checking out my $5 challenge entry! It was a total blast to push my creativity to meet this budget.

Supply List

• Green floral wreath – $1
• White streamers -$1
• Faux baby’s breath flowers – $1
• Package of mossy stones – $1
• Bird knick-knack – $1
• On hand tools- thread, pins, sewing machine, marker, paper, glue, scissor, wire cutters

Center Piece

1. Sew two streamers together on the sewing machine. Push the streamers as you feed them to create a ruffle. You’ll need as many lengths as it takes to wrap your wreath.

2. Wrap the ruffled streamer around a wreath pinning each section as you go, making sure the pins are in the back. Fluff up the streamer on each side of the stitch line for a softer looking ruffle.

3. Cut the baby’s breath into small portions. You may need a wire cutter if the stems are really thick.

4. Stuff the stems into the open edges of the streamer ruffle. Add mossy stones to the center circle of the wreath.

Finished center piece (Base plate not included in challenge)

Name Card Place Holders

1. Sew a length of streamer ruffle about 6-9 inches in length to act as a pillow for a name place card. Yank on one of the threads to make a tighter ruffle and tie it off to the thread on the opposite end, creating a circle. Fluff up the paper.

2. Tape or glue a small name card to a single piece of baby’s breath.

3. Cut out a scalloped circle out of card stock to act as a plate decoration.

4. Set the small ruffle circle, from step 5, on top of the scalloped circle. Add a  name place card and cover it with a mossy stone. (plate – not included as part of the challenge)

Finished place card holder for Easter brunch!

Napkin Ring

1. Cut a long section of stem, from the baby’s breath bouquet, using a wire cutter.

2. Twist the stem wire into a circle

3. Cover the wire circle with a thin strip of fabric. I used gray felt. Add a dab of hot glue to hold the fabric down. Insert the napkin into the ring. (I used a paper towel to meet the standards of the challenge, it’s paper, right?)

Chair Detail

1. Loop-tie streamer to the top of a chair. Use double the measurement from the top of the chair to the ground for your streamer length.

2. Tie a piece of coordinating fabric around the top of the looped streamer.

3. Tuck in a bit of baby’s breath and faux leaves from the stems.

Complete Dollar Store Table Setting

The photo below is my official entry for Lindsay’s Challenge.  Wow! My Spring/Easter table setting was put together for just $5 (plus a tiny bit of paper and fabric that I had on hand)!

But why stop here? This table needs to be gussied up a bit, no?

1. A few extra touches: table cloth; cake-stand for the centerpiece; jelly bean favors; egg decor butter spreaders; white plates and glass cups

Now, I have a lovely spring table setting for two!

Love,

Jess

P.S. I’m so glad I didn’t give up on this project! I thought, at first, it was going to look like I was decorating with toilet paper. Well, whatever the source, I think it turned out kinda nice.

Proverbs 31: 26

She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction on her tongue.

She Speaks is an annual conference hosted by the Proverbs 31 Ministries organization.

But what is She Speaks 2010? It’s one weekend in North Carolina this summer, hundreds of women chasing their dreams, refining their talents and having a darn good time doing it.

psst…She Speaks 2011 planning folks. Can we have the conference in February next time for this Minnesota girl? Okay fine, maybe not. But hey, at least I can always see something positive. North Carolina Summers = Bottomless Pitchers of Sweet Tea.

Women flock to this conference for the multitude of opportunities to grow, connect and share about their ministry, writing and/or speaking projects.

I have yet to attend a She Speaks conference. I desire a chance to participate, so much so, I can feel the freezing meeting halls already. Seriously, y’all down South sure know how to crank the air conditioning.

Emily, from Chatting at the Sky, wrote a post on her blog about an awesome opportunity for a fortunate blogger -A Cecil Murphey SCHOLARSHIP from Lysa TerKeurst!

Author Lysa TerKeurst is hosting a linking party for her panel of judges to select one blogger to attend She Speaks 2010 Conference for free. I feel like I should be standing on my tip-toes, raising my hand extra high and waving it around as if to shout, “Pick Me! Pick Me!”

Yes, I’m raising my hand up from behind this computer screen, whispering pick me! But, who am I and what do I want with a Cec Murphey scholarship, you ask?

Well, let me break it down for y’all.

Who: My name is Jess. I write a home life blog called Just a Blink. I’m from Minnesota. I have 4 kids 5 years old and under. I have a passion for creating art, teaching children and telling stories.

What: The She Speaks 2010 writer’s track is calling my name! I want to be an author and create a children’s book series to inspire the next generation of girls.

Quick Peek: Dilly is an ordinary 9 year old girl that longs to become something more. Dilly finds herself in extraordinary, daring and virtuous adventures that lead her to find her own greatness and God’s goodness.

Where: I’ve got the joy of the Lord, Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart! Where? Down in my heart to stay! Enough said.

Why: The She Speaks 2010 writer’s track will allow me to get a firm grasp on the ins and outs of writing, publishing and marketing books for children.

I want all the joy down in my heart to be spread, like a contagious smile, to young girls and all people reading the book.

When: July 30 – August 1st 2010

How: How,  is right!? With the help of Lysa’s scholarship giveaway, that’s how! The conference is very reasonably priced. However, my funds for an event of this magnitude are nil. {Everything we are able to save up is going to our medical bills and mini-van acquired from the birth of our twin baby girls.}

I do have frequent flyer miles to get to North Carolina and I can manage to gather up enough cash for the extra little traveling expenses. All I need is the ticket in the door!

*Lysa’s judges* Please allow my mind to be stimulated and my soul to be nourished at the She Speaks 2010 writer’s track!

Thanks a Bunch,
Jess

Day 3

My sister-in-law, Lisa, lent me her sewing machine. Bless her, she knew I was desperate and needy, she sent along a sewing basket with thread, pins and notions.

Presser Foot and Cord – Check

Instruction Booklet – Check

Value Buy sewing machine – Check

Bobbin spun and needle thread – Check

Ready. Set. Sew!

Like my ruffle? I sewed together two cheap paper streamers to form a ruffle. Ah, can you hear the pride in my tone? Well I am proud.

I have a long way to go before I’ll declare to the world “I am a sewer!” Like, knowing how to read a pattern, cut fabric and do anything cool. But, for now I am loving my little ruffle streamer.

I have plans for my ruffle streamer. Don’t worry, I’ll show you soon. I am going to link up to Living with Lindsay’s $5 Challenge on the 25th.

Thanks for cheering me on as I learned to use a sewing machine for my Proverbs 31 Hands On project.

Proverbs 31:19

¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers

Love,
Jess

Day 2:

Day 1 proved to be less than successful with my hand-me-down sewing machine failing on me even though I swear I heard her say she’d be there for me.

I had resolve. I would not let a little bump in the road throw off my sewing machine journey. I borrowed my mother-in-law’s  Viking sewing machine so I could attempt to reteach myself how to sew.

The Viking’s case was well seasoned. I felt a connection to the small metal latches as I popped them open. It seemed they could tell me a 100 old stories of the hands that had touched them.

The machine sat with authority in it’s metallic green-blue glory. No, arrow diagrams were engraved in the metal to inform a novice how to thread the needle. The bobbin winder had no guide to make sure the thread was evenly spun. It’s knobs were plentiful, yet they were almost entirely unmarked.

Ah, the Viking, heavy and dependable, mocked me as if to say,

“If you have to ask you might as well not be sewing with me.”

And so it was.

I sent the Viking back to the home of  the “sewer” that had touched it’s metal latches 100s of times before.

Love,

Jess

I claimed to the world, “I don’t sew” and I told myself, “I can’t sew”.  Last week I debunked my old mantras by figuring out a thing or two about sewing machines.

Day One:

My hand-me-down sewing machine was calling to me from the top shelf in the garage. 5 years, she sat voiceless, collecting dust but now I heard her say,

Use me. Today is the day! Discover the usefulness I possess. I will unlock your creativity in unexpected in miraculous ways! Surely, your determination alone will give you golden fingers to stitch beautiful and important works of art.

The cold plastic case of my hand-me-down machine hung from the white handle in my clenched fist. She was heavier than I remembered.

I smiled as I set her down in the designated clearing on my kitchen table. I could already see all the Halloween costumes, hair bows and pot holders I was going to create, over the years, with the whirling noise of her presser foot.

Wait. The presser foot! Seriously, WHERE. WAS. HER. PRESSER. FOOT? Where was my sweet sewing machine’s presser foot? Gone. Yep, so was the plug-in cord.

gone, baby, gone. hmmph.

I hoped Day 2 would prove to be more productive.

Love,

Jess

Child of the Day is quite the big event in preschool. He got to be the line leader and the light switch on/offer. Plus, his teacher made him a Child of the Day hat that he wore home.

Ryan had to give a presentation about things that make him special. He shared that he could play soccer, help clean up toys and has 3 sisters!

He brought in some favorite items for a show-n-tell. His blue lovey and “baby” are still cool enough to show off in preschool, so they tagged along.

Of course, I think my son is special, but, it was so fun to see Ryan feel special about himself.

Love,
Jess

1. Crayon roll from Purple Lizard Designs. Can you smell the waxy goodness? Ahhhh! Crayons!

2. Felt card table tent from Miss Pretty on etsy. I think I would hide under here with a blanket, flashlight and a good book and never come out!

3. Felt chocolate Easter bunnies from Becky M. Oh. My. Word. These are so cute, I think I’d eat them.  Check out Nesting Place for Becky’s giveaway today.

4. Junior Executive Onesies by txmom2claire. I miss my baby boy (he’s already 5 years old)! He would have looked so stinkin’ cute in these shirts.

5. Flag banner from giggleberry. I could seriously have a flag banner for every holiday. I think they are so festive. I want a fabric Happy Birthday banner. For. Sure.

Why all the sewing linkage? I’m getting inspired to plug in the sewing machine for my Proverbs 31 Distaff and Spindle assignment.

Love,

Jess