art?

I have loved art since I was a very small child.  I think that is what is so wonderful about the piece I just created...it makes me all giggly like a kid.  It has been a labor-intensive project that I first began about NINE months ago when I saw an inspiration piece on another blog.  I wish I had bookmarked the original site, as I now can not find it.  But you can check out a similar project here.  I love the ginormous button that was used for the O in the first full set.  It and the Z are my faves.  {I'm thinking my huge W might need to get some white stripes after seeing this!}  The second set is one I did use for inspiration for my V, and I love how it turned out!  As I learned, there is no limit to what you can use and do for this project...just have FUN with it!

Here is my finished piece, nestled behind our breakfast nook table.  It is 5' x 5', which is HUGE, but this wall was huge and EMPTY and well, just plain BORING!  It is PERFECT now!  {Forgive the horrible lighting...it was dark when I shot this, and I just didn't feel like taking another picture.}

I would love to show you each piece close up, but I don't want to bore you.  So, I picked a few favorites...

X - This is the favorite of most who have seen it in person.  But it is so simple and cheap.  It is one of those unfinished wood pieces from Hobby Lobby.  It was broken, and I got it for a song.  All I had to do was glue a screw into it to hold it together!  I love that it's hanging all funky...broke up the sqaure-ness of the piece.

Q - This is my personal favorite.  It is a picture of a bowl of alphabet soup with a spoon in it decopauged onto a piece of scrap lumber.  Yes, I took the photograph.  ;D

 M - This is my girls' favorite because it has "sprinkles" (sparkles) on it!  Bri helped me create this one and the other pink sprinkly one.

  

E - The boys like this one.  I simply painted this onto a 5x5 pre-made chunky canvas.

I can not even begin to describe how fun it was to create this!  I love that each of the kids got involved and had opinions about what looked good and what didn't.  Here is a list of what each letter is and where it came from...

A - ampersand sign cut from scrap MDF, painted pink and bejeweled

B - paper mache piece made for me a few years ago by a friend

C - a horseshoe

D - premade MDF from Hobby Lobby, covered in scrapbook paper

E - premade canvas custom painted

F - found frame with Michael's premade piece, painted green and embellished with a scrapbook flower

G - premade MDF from Michael's, painted purple

H - premade MDF from HL, covered in scrapbook paper

I - Carleigh's old ruler

J - premade MDF from Michael's, painted silver and clear sparkles

K - premade resin from HL, unaltered

L - premade unfinished wood from HL, polyurethaned only

M - premade unfinished wood from Michael's, painted green and bejeweled

N - premade MDF from Michael's, painted robin's egg blue

O - found round mirror

P - trivet given to me by my parents a few years ago

Q - photograph of alphabet soup decopauged to scrap wood block

R - tin art from HL, unaltered

S - Photoshop design printed on paper

T - cross I snagged from our cross wall (I think it's from HL, too!)

U - premade MDF from HL, covered in scrapbook paper

V - inkjet printing on scrapbook paper and frame I had on hand

W - cut from scrap MDF (thanks to my handy honey!)

X - unfinished wood scissors, painted silver

Y - premade MDF from HL, covered in scrapbook paper

& - premade resin from HL, painted red

Z - premade unfinished wood from HL, painted pistachio

NOTE: All the items purchased for this project were discounted 50% or more (with the help of in-store discounts, coupons, and/or gift cards).  All paints were what I already had on hand (thanks to my sweet friend Mandy for giving me her stash when she moved!)  I estimate that I spent approxiately $60 on this project.  Spread over 9 months, that was a bargain!

checking in

First, life has been busy.  This time of the year always is for our family, but it has been made even more so by my school schedule.  I am happy to report that I successfully completed my first semester of nursing school!  Now, to get the four older kiddos through this last month of school!  I can't believe I will be the mother of a middle schooler next year!  Time is racing by!  Our summer looks to be full of baseball, basketball, and golf!  I am THRILLED that I have the time off to enjoy the kids and to just be still for a bit.

SUMMER!!!!

I haven't updated on Bayleigh because I have needed some time to absorb our most recent ventures with her.  She has gone through a series of developmental tests that measure her motor, cognitive, language, and social skills.  We were shocked at how low she scored and really dismissed the first round of test results, believing she could have just had an "off" day.  But the second round of tests confirmed the first, and so here we are.  She is operating anywhere between a 6 and 12 month old developmentally (with language/comprehension being on the lower side and gross motor on the higher side).  Today, the neurologist told us that in his observations of her over the last four months, he has seen very little advancement.  The exceptions are physical growth and gross motor (she is walking some!  YEAH!)  Next, she will start occupational and speech therapy and have her hearing and vision tested.  We aren't expecting anything less than normal for her hearing and vision!  She is having as few as 2-3 seizures a day, and occasionally up to 15.  She will continue to have a medication dose increase for the next 8 weeks, which is when we return to the neurologist.  He has asked us to consider chromosomal testing, but I am on the fence about it right now.  While it can tell us a great deal about her prognosis, it will not likely change her treatment.  The up side...it's not nearly as involved as the specific genetic test she had previously.  Aside from all of this, Bayleigh continues to be a delight to our entire family.  She is so full of joy and life!  She is growing and otherwise very healthy!  We are so blessed by her.

Once again, thank you all for praying for our family.  We are truly amazed.