Top 5 posts of 2012 ~ and a whisper of a giveaway

It was fun looking back over the year and seeing the things the kids and I did that I had forgotten about, and to reflect a bit on the past year. Also it was interesting to see that my top favs were not the most clicked on posts. :)  (If you scroll to the bottom of the post you can read of a giveaway coming up.)

Here are the top 5 post of 2012 

(the most clicked on)

The most popular post this year, 2012 were part of the Cardboard Series I did. 

I am combining these as 1.

#1. The top 2 were: 

DIY whiteboard

Homemade Cardboard town

This series was a lot of fun and I have to say cardboard is one of the best materials to bust boredom! 

Click here to see all cardboard projects in our 'Oh for the love of Cardboard Series'. 

#2  Ribbon Wand 

This was my very first post of 2012 and one of the favorites of the year. :) 

#3 No pattern A-line dress

#4. Homemade Abacuses

#5. Glittery Puffy Paint
This post was the most popular of the year. :) 

Just in case you wanted to know...
here is a peak of my 5 favorite posts this year:
It was hard for me to pick only 5. So many of the things we create here have meaning to me, if it was my kids idea, mine, if it was during a hard time, a season of lots of creativity, or something God was speaking to me and the project reflects that. However I narrowed it down, 5 it is. :)

Keepsake fabric book

Enjoying a lived in house

Sweet isolation and the beauty of ordinary

Pom pom ice cream shop

Felt tree pillow

This new year 2013 I wanted to do a giveaway.  So keep your eyes peeled, there is a fun and a very relevant giveaway just around the corner to bring in the new year! I wish I could win it. :)

Thank you for all you who follow along. Blogging in my West corner has been such a fun outlet for me.  We shall see what 2013 holds for me and blogging and all the creative energies God has given me... 
Happy New Year

Becky

Quick/fun gift idea, plus kaleidoscope snowflake printables

Homemade gifts idea:

Hi there. Yes we are three days away from Christmas and this weekend my kiddos are finishing up their homemade gifts for their siblings. We don't feel the pressure of having to be done weeks in advance for Christmas, we are just enjoying our weekend and leisuring finishing up...

My two girls are making their 4 year old brother a homemade coloring book using all the differnt online pages and this fun link.. coloringpagecreator.com, using our own pictures. :)

They are also trying to find dot to dot pages for a fun activity book of sorts.

 After they find and print all the pages they will bind it all together with
scrap book paper on both sides and that will be that.

In the past Autumn for made for one of her friends, a homemade Knock Knock joke book for a christmas gift. We all enjoyed helping her pick the jokes out and it was fun seeing what she thought was funny. ;)

Kaleidoscope snowflakes

We found this super fun coloring page while we were searching today. The girls love it and it kind of reminds us of a snowflake, this time of year anyway. Maybe in Spring it will be a flower and then in fall a bunch of fallen leaves. ;) I thought I would share the fun for all those colring lovers out there. :) 

coloringtown.com

This is just one of 4 kaleidoscope coloring pages. 

There was also some fun Christmas colouring pages for different ages on this link All ages coloring pages. My 4, 6 and 9 year old all found something they enjoyed coloring.

What I am thinking about ~ For the past 4 years we have been a homemade christmas gift family... We share Christmas with two other American families. They each have kids and so we started having the kids make gifts for each other. They have been simple and some very clever and creative through the years. This year however we will not be celebrating with one of our sweet families as they have returned to the States. We miss them dearly and I am thinking of them tonight especially.

 I hope the little homemade gift we shared gave you some last minute ideas that help you invest at home and spend less money and more time with your little ones. :) 

Merry Christmas dear ones. 

Celebrating hope, freedom and life in my little west corner this December 22nd. 

Becky 

Off I go to wrap up some gifts as this post has taken me all day and now night time is upon me.

(oh the sweet few hours of stillness!)

Pom pom and felt garland.

This post is fun, festive and the epitome of my theme 

"use what you have".

                                     This little piece of fabric was my inspiration this year. :)

I am running out of felt and yarn. I have a random variety of pom poms from our

 Pom pom Christmas tree countdown last year and our
Pom pom ice cream shop. (I guess I have a thing for pom pons) ;)

Last year I sat around during the holidays and made pom poms out of my left over yarn and came up with this simple pom pom garland.

Lets just say this year it evolved. So this little garland was put together one evening with all my scraps.  

I would love to make it longer. Maybe I will sit around this Christmas and make more diy pom poms and next year I will extend this sweet Christmas garland. :)

Until then I will enjoy the randomness and fun.

Hope it has been somewhat inspiring to you in your Christmas decorating.

Using what I have - yarn, bits of felt and pom poms. 

In my little west corner,

Becky

Felt Advent Calendar -stage 2

ok. I am in stage 2 of this homemade advent calendar journey. :) Yipee. 

I have 4 more days and I think I will be ready! However I have my daughters birthday party on Friday and a guest on Saturday sooo..

Here is my update with some pics~

I have completed all my pieces and did a blanket stitch around the edge of my felt piece.

These sweet little guys along with the angel and stars were bought at Hobby Lobby. (minus the straw..that was my doing) :) 

Having those 10 pieces to start me out REALLY gave me the kick in the pants I needed to do this project.  I bought them at Hobby Lobby for 1/2 off for $4, I think. 

Here are a few of the little guys I made. I used felt glue for the shepards and stitched the sheep.

The little houses, path and stable were easily cut out and stitched. The camel however was a bit more challenging and I still want to stitch him. The little sign next to the 'Inn' is going to be a surprise. :) 

Ok so here is the fabric I have for making pockets. 25 pockets and numbers sounds a bit daunting.  

I don't have enough felt to make pockets, so I decided to use this fabric. 

What do you all think green or red for the pockets?

Do you think the fabric will work instead of felt?

My kids love this project and I am excited to have something now for each year.  I also want to have scripture cards for each day to put in the pockets but that might have to wait until next year....

Well that is my update.

Using what I have in my west corner to celebrate Christ's birth as a family.
Becky

My very own DIY advent Calendar (finally)

So for years now I have wanted a Nativity advent calendar and have tossed around differnt ideas. My dear friend made one last year and she inspired me with all those sweet homemade pieces made with love and care.  I always seem to think of putting together an advent calender in December and so end up with DIY Christmas countdowns like here and here, that are two or three days behind.  

BUT NOT THIS YEAR.

While in the States I found this 10 piece nativity felt set at wonderful Hobby Lobby (oh that store is amazing).  So I am inspired... I am 10 pieces ahead and now only need to make fifteen more pieces. For the next week I will be taking all my extra moments and creating a felt master piece. (it's all in the eye of the beholder, right? ;)) 

This pic was from yesterday.  I have already done a bunch since this...sewed up the sheep, made a camel, a Shepard and found a piece of fabric in my stash to make pockets for the pieces. 

My goal is to have at least the pieces for the first few days of December and the display

 ready by December 1st.  

Right now I have enough ideas for 23 pieces...only two more to think up. (I can always add extra stars)

Well that is it. I will be posting pics of my progress along the way, 

it will help encourage me if nobody else. :)

We are celebrating Thanksgiving on this fun, festive Saturday so off I go to bake a carrot soufflé, make a cranberry-apple crisp and a salad..oh and get breakfast for my kiddos. :)

In my little west corner..using the felt stash I have. 

Becky

Here is a LINK to my Stage 2 update on this advent calendar.

10 bags of stuff and snoopy waffles

My west corner is super sweet to me as we are HOME!! It has been 4 1/2 months and we are all so happy to be where we belong.  Kids have started school, I have unpacked 10 bags and gotten rid of 6 garbage bags full of clothes, toys and etc. Out with the old to make room for the new. 

It is easy when you have more space to store things. I am very grateful today that I do not have that extra space to store extra "things". There are times I want to grumble at this fact but honestly I find it so freeing to have to purge every time we bring in something to our home.  Seriously isn't it amazing how the challenge to live in an apartment on the 5th floor with my family of 5 brings me to a place of gratitude. I get to live more simply, I get to teach my children that 20 stuffed animals does not make you happier than 5 stuffed animals, you just end up with no where to sleep on your bed. 

Oh the lessons learned.

Following are a series of pictures that have nothing to do with the previous paragraphs. ;) 

Yes SNOOPY Waffles made by Grandma Schneider a little tradition that seems to 

make all the grandkids smile. Thank you Bunny for being a piece of stability to my kiddos 

every time we return to the States. 

May Snoopy live on....

From my west corner...unable to sleep because I am hacking and hacking,
nothing like a crazy midnight post.
Becky

My odd and beautiful life

It is now the 5th night back in my Sweet little west corner.  Every time I return from the States back to Turkey I can't help but see my life a little clearer and crisper. I love that.  Returning 'home' presents a wanting and contentment for me, to have seen all that I could have and yet be so grateful I don't have it.?  Oh my odd and beautiful life. So very glad to be home.

Good night all and Good night Sweet Savior. 

Arian Armstrong~ Good night print
Check out her other prints!

I have a beautiful life given to me by beauty Himself. In love with my creator who made the heavens and the earth and all that is in it and who is here with me across the ocean as I adjust. 

Drinking sleepy time tea to help hush away the jet lag~
In my sweet little west corner.
Becky

our 'little house in the woods"

Oh my sweet blog, that holds so much of my thoughts and creativity, how are you? :)
Blogging while in the U.S. has little appeal to me.  There are so many more outlets, so I don't have as much to say or maybe I have as much to say but more people to say them too. :) 

We  decided to stay in the States an extra 2 months and one of those months have passed and we are now entering our 2nd month. We will be flying back to Turkey the beginning of November.

We are so very happy where we are staying. We call it our "little house in the woods', and it is just that 'little' and on 50 acres with lots of and lots of white oak trees and fun bits of personality.

Here we are at our "little house in the woods". Some of our first days of homeschooling. We read a proverb a day from the Bible. I figure it is good to get a bite of wisdom each morning. :) Autty will continue homeschooling in Turkey while the other two will go to Turkish public school. 

Oh the joys of 50 acres. 

My children are like free horses here. 

I would love to post pics and story my time here however I am having quite the time with iphoto and picasa being friendly and so until I get that worked out ..no pics, or limited pics anyway.

I love this little red tractor with personality that I look out and see every morning. :)
It's the 'red'  little things. 

I look forward to returning to Turkey and pounding out on the keys all my thoughts again. Blogging is such a wonderful outlet for me in Turkey, I find it strange how I don't feel that desire/need so much while here in the States. 

  When we return there will be all the new challenges of homeschooling my oldest in my little west corner of Turkey and all the other fabulous challenges and joys of living where we live and doing what we do. Until next time....

In my 'little house in the woods' for now,
Becky

Collection of my Tea bag holders

Hi. I'm still here in the States. Going from here to there...meanwhile drinking tea along the way. :)
(I'm missing my Turkish breakfast to go with all these cups of tea.)

I have decided to collect all these fun tea bag holders and put them on my very boring day planner. Yes a itty bitty DIY project for my day planner. Can't help but share the little things that make me smile.

 I would eventually like to collect enough tea bag holders to cover a full canvas. I will call it my 'collection of tea' my very own art piece. :) But until then I will just start here...
I'm still working on it, here is a picture.

I will mod podge these little guys either straight onto my planner or onto another surface and then to my day planner. We shall see what I do. 

I have found some new teas that I really enjoy and this is a great way to remember them. 

A few of these tea bag holders are from a sweet tea away with Dave. 

Maybe I should start collecting really good chocolate wrappers... tea and chocolate. ahhh

However beginning a collection of chocolate wrappers could be dangerous. ;)

 Today I am desiring to walk out my faith in my daily attitude and words.

~ far from my west corner

Becky

iyi aksamlar herkes. 

Pom pom ice cream shop

Here she is all ready to serve at our play ice cream shop. Nothing like ice cream at 9 in the a.m. :)

Foam comes, colorful twisted pipe cleaners for straws and candy, ice cream scoopers 

and

 some pom pom sprinkles. 

I used a plastic container and poked holes in the top and put in little pom poms.

and then of course...

all sizes of pom poms for ice cream scooping fun. :)

Here are a few more pics of our ice cream shop that lasted for a full week in our living room. The kids played with this daily and it was a fun thing to do and keep the kids occupied on those hot days and while I was packing for our trip to the States!!!

Here are the DIY foam ice creme cones. 

I Used a piece of foam, a black marker and a glue gun to make these.

Hope you have enjoyed and found a bit of inspiration in our "pom pom ice cream shop".

It is easy, inexpensive and you can find most things in your house.  

We are still in the States, thus my minimal posting these days. Today was our little guys birthday, 4 years old  and wow was it fun celebrating with family. 2 Grandmas, Grandpa, Cousin and Aunt, all came and loved on our little guy with us. What a gift to get to enjoy family. 

~Missing my little west corner a bit today but torn by all the joy of being here with family,

Becky

6 year old up-cycle ;)

I loved that my 6 year old grabbed her down and out shoes and decided to fix 'em up.  

This was during one of our felt frenzy days. :) Truly this little thing really made me smile. 

You may ask didn't the felt get all dirty?  Didn't it fall off?  Yep and yep and just to let you know she wore them everywhere, dirty felt and all. :) 

The shoes are now permanently retired but they had a fun extended little life for a bit, don't you think?

Well off I go...we are now in the U.S., Michigan to be exact.  Yes, I am jumping countries and so my posting will not be quite as frequent, hopefully once a week. I am also starting the Slice of Life Project I talked about in this post. It begins tomorrow and I am  excited to see what I learn. :)

ok off I go to enjoy my family here in the North,
Becky