Korker Bows

Madalyn, oh so cute!

I told my sister I would put directions on how to make korker bows here, so here they are. I love these bows, not because they are quick to make, but they are very easy and require no tying, which is great for beginner bow makers. They work great when you're trying to match a multicolored outfit.


So first gather your supplies. You'll need a 1/4"-5/16" dowel, short enough to fit into your oven. You may want a few of these so you can bake a lot of them at a time. You'll need two clothespins for each dowel. Ribbon, 3/8" ribbon is the easiest to work with, but you can do smaller, I've never done bigger, I would imagine the curls wouldn't stay very well. The more colors and patterns, the cuter the bow, just my opinion. Scissors, dental floss or elastic thread, hot glue, and an alligator cip or french barrette.

Second, clip one end of your ribbon to the dowel with the clothespin and wrap your ribbon around your dowels, keeping it tight and fairly evenly spaced, clip the end of ribbon with other clothespin. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and bake in your oven at 275 degrees for about 15 minutes, you might want to do it longer if it doesn't seem curly enough. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from dowel.


Third cut all of your korkers to desired length. The longer the korkers the bigger the bow, so just keep that in mind. The ones I did for Maddie's bow pictured above were about 3-4 inches, the one I am making in the pictures were probably 2 1/2" since it was for Annabelle. It's up to you. And the more korkers you have the fuller the bow. Also don't forget to either use fraycheck on the ends of your ribbon or heat seal the ends by running the ends through a lighter very quickly. I only did two layers of korkers but you can do more than that.


Fourth, lay all out a length of dental floss and place your korkers on top of it. Arrange them so that they are layered, but laying the same direction. Don't forget to mix up your colors a bit. Then tie a knot with the dental floss. Your bow should look something like the bottom picture. Trim the ends of the floss.



Next, line an alligator clip with ribbon (starting at the bottom by the place you pinch, and going around the outide and down the top of the clip, and then to the inside of the clip, so everything but the bottom of the clip is covered.) and use hot glue to secure your bow.


And yes, I know this bow does not match what Annabelle is wearing, but I was making it for another outfit. Still so cute.

Look Who's 7!

Jacob turned 7 last Saturday, I can't believe it. He was little, I swear, just yesterday. He is getting to be such a big helper and it one of the best big brothers ever (most of the time). He is funny and sweet, and as always full of energy. He loves to laugh and to play. He loves dinosaurs (as most of you know) and can tell you anything you might want to know about them. If he doesn't know something he'll make it up, but he says it with such authority, and since you don't know much about it, you'll tend to believe him. Jacob is so smart and likes to teach his little sisters all about the dinosaurs. His only complaint right now is that he would like to have a little brother, well that's a wish that'll have to wait a little while at least. We love our boy!

Uneven Braids

These braids look so much cooler than regular braids and the bonus is that they don't take a second longer to make. Instead of dividing your hair into three equal parts, make the two outer sections very small and the middle section thick and braid as usual. Couldn't be easier. Stick in a couple of proper bows and voila, something different, but the same.

Easter Egg Hunt

Here are some pictures of the kids hunting for eggs at Grammy's. It was cold and the wind was a bit nippy, but who cares when there is candy to be found... Doesn't the one of Madalyn make you laugh? And then there's one of Annabelle that we took last week, just so you can see how much she's grown in the last 6 weeks. So cute.

What would happen if...

I was thinking the other day that I complain way too much, and that I should really cut back, but then what would I have to talk about?

These are a few of my favorite things...

It's been a rough week. We are still trying to figure out what to do with 4 children and it was spring break, which meant I had all four, all day, everyday and it was a trial. My respect for my mother and mother-in-law grows exponentially everyday. My kids have had a hard time adjusting to the new baby and schedule, etc. and each has their different ways of showing their displeasure at this upset in their daily life, mostly in regressing in areas that I have little patience for. So come Friday night I was in need of a little comfort. So I made chocolate chip cookies. There is something so comforting about gooey, warm chocolate chip cookies that they instantly relax me. It's probably not a healthy relationship to have, but it works for me. As I was making them with the heightened anticipation of taking that first bite I got to thinking of all the things that I run to for comfort, and here is my list of favorite comfort things, feel free to add your own.

1. My Husband - Greg has a knack for calming all my worries and woes. It's one of the reasons I go nuts when he is not here and why I love him so much.

2. My mother - Why does she have to live so far away?

3. My mother's homemade chicken noodle soup - This is so good when you're sick. It's perfect, not too salty, just the right amount of vegetables, and real chicken broth.

4. Jane Austen movies or books - It depends on the mood. That women was a genius.

5. A good hug from my kids - Madalyn is particularly good for these, as she's my snuggle bug.

6. Homemade Cinnamon Rolls - These work for two things, 1)kneading the dough gets out the frustrations of the day and takes the edge off 2)Eating them warm out of the oven with a drippy glaze makes everything all better.

7. Girl's Night Out - I love my husband even more because he makes sure (and on occasion has taken the initiative to plan them for me) that I have these regularly. I think that has been an issue this month, I have spent way too much time in the house in general.

8. A walk outside in my quiet neighborhood (especially in the spring)- Ahhh...fresh country air, as long as it doesn't smell like onions or cows, ahh...fresh country air. Otherwise just don't breath too deeply.

9. Chocolate ice cream - just plain chocolate ice cream, and yes even soft serve ice cream is acceptable. Greg laughs at that because he says people don't WANT soft serve ice cream, they settle for soft serve ice cream.

10. Friends - I love the friends I have. They make me laugh and laughter is the best medicine, or so they say.

Annabelle Nina

Baby #4 arrived last Tuesday, a little early but still healthy and strong. We named her Annabelle Nina (pronounced Ny-nuh). She was 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19 inches long. She is beautiful (what mother isn't going to say that?) and so far is a great baby. We've had Grandmas here for awhile though so I might change my mind when I am all on my own. We love her to pieces, as do her siblings, therefore she has to be held all the time for her own safety. She's going to get used to that and when my Mom leaves she's going to get a healthy dose of reality. But my Mom says you can't spoil a newborn. So here are some pictures of our new bundle of joy.