Pressing matters like watermelon bricks and acceptable consumption of chocolate birthday cake

The past couple weeks I've snuck in some crafting time during naps or Clifford viewings.  I've recently discovered Pinterest.com, this handy little site where you can collect pictures of stuff you find online and put them all in one place.  See?

I've got a "Feelin' Crafty" board on my Pinterest site full of crafts and do-it-yourself projects just begging to be made.

So over the past two weeks, I've scrounged for supplies around the house and pulled off a few fun projects in between playing with Newbie and telling Opie to GIT OUT while I'm unloading the dishwasher.

Project 1:  Fancy Schmancy Stop-Dropping-All-Your-Stuff-on-the-Counter Catch All Shutters
I snagged the shutter for 3 bucks at a flea market and had the Hubs chop it in half for me, then I spray painted that sucker out in the backyard and whala!

Project 2:  Once Tacky Turned Cutesie Porcelin Chicken
Bought that chickie at the same flea market and used the same spray paint to convert it into a fun little piece for the kitchen.

Project 3: Love God, Love Others Banner
I've had a blank wall chilling out in the playroom forever and finally ran into a fun project I thought would fill the space perfectly.  I found this little dandy here and then drew out the letters, glued them to some scrap fabric, cut them out and strung them together.  I love that our mission is strung up as a reminder throughout the day.  ...and who doesn't love pear and apple fabric???

(Exhibit A: Our house, 9:30 am. Exhibit B: Our new Clifford the Big Red Dog obsession.  "And her love made Clifford grow so big that the Howards had to leave their home..."  Yes.  I can quote both the theme song and the entire first three episodes.  Thankyouverymuch. )

We haven't been doing a whole lot around here lately, which is why I've had time to do some crafting...and some Cliffording.  This weekend, however, we broke the mold and got out of the house for a visit to the Reading Festival.  G-Mama has been working with a team to plan and throw the Reading Festival all summer long, so we were excited about checking it out. 

Newbie had a blast hollering at all the characters walking around until they came close, then he clammed up and kept his hands to himself instead of offering a high-five or his newly famed "hi!"  He didn't even hollah back at the character from one of his favorite books, The Best Mouse Cookie. Poor mouse.  He got the shaft after walking all the way across the street to say hello. 

They even had a Hook-A-Book at the dam where Newbie reeled in some new reading material for his rain gutter bookshelves.

                                                (We take our book fishing very seriously.)

We hit the characters, the book fishing, and the Paws for a Cause tent, which was full of fuzzy little golden retriever puppies-LOVE!  But Newbie's favorite was definitely the fire truck.  He's really starting to get into cars and trucks, "vrooming" when he sees one and pushing his cars across the floors at home.  It was fun to see him play around on the big fire engine.  He went bonkers when he saw it and took off in an instant.  He ran right up to the fireman and got a shiny Fire Deputy badge sticker. He even got to sit in the front of the truck!

We hit up G-Mama's house for the afternoon and evening after the festival, and I stumbled into a Little Tikes car my sister and I used to play with in their basement.  I 409ed that thing then set it out in the kitchen for Newbie.  It was vintage 1980's plastic car love at first sight. Never mind that the Hubs was all, "If you're gonna spray paint everything in our house, why can't you at least spray paint the girly purple car?"  Whatevs.  Its an authentic 1980's Little Tikes, baby.  You don't mess with 1980's Little Tikes.

We're looking forward to the Hubs getting home a little early from work today after working a few hours this weekend.  The weather here has really cooled down- its been in the 70's lately- so we might hit the park for some fishing or go for a walk on the nature trails.  Opie better pull it together if he wants in on the fun because he's got two strikes against him already, and he's working on a third.  Who told this dog that I need to know each time the wind blows outside or every time a neighbor gets into a car across the street?  My ears hurt.

While we're asking questions, who took my deodorant?  I can't find it anywhere, and I'm ashamed to say I've spent the better part of two days smelling like Old Spice's version of Tahiti because I can't find my own copy of antiperspirant.  Help.

Also, I made P-Dub's watermelon granitas Thursday night, except I skipped the "scrape the top of the frozen mixture every hour" part, so now I just have a 9x13 brick of watermelon sitting in my freezer.  What do I do?

Happy Monday!