A project and a sick day

Okay, I admit it, I am a dorky crafty person. I enjoy creating things and trying to make them cute. I love that I finally have a daughter to do them with and for. However, my boys are all in love with my glue gun and sewing machine and Riley has even sat down and sewed a pillow! Anyway, Alayna and I had a craft day yesterday! She has been scouting for little shells "for her friends" for months and we have said we are going to make them into jewelry for months too. We finally did that! I found some glittery elastic at WalMart and also some Hemp. The elastic made the most sense for growing girls. Here is one of the shells we searched so diligently for with the elastic and hemp:

The shells needed a hole drilled in them (I LOVE power tools!!), and you will probably not be surprised to know that this method earned me a cut on one of my fingers from the drill bit...all worth it!
The elastic was looped through the holes and then knotted. Here are her friends' gifts! I will deliver them to their moms whom I will be seeing in just over 24 hours!!! No, I am not excited at ALL!!! I can post this now and not ruin the surprise because they are all on the road heading to Dallas for the MOPS convention, YEAH!!!! We made mostly bracelets and one necklace. Alayna did all the designing: choosing the shell, where the hole should go and what color elastic should be used. I was just the labor:
We had to make some for her as well. Here she is modeling a necklace, bracelet and if you look carefully, an anklet as well. Work it girl, more is more!! Check out the pinky on her left hand...cracking me up!
I was inspired as well and went on-line to learn to make a hemp bracelet for the grown ups. I was shocked that I did it right the first time! I redesigned the clasp to tie on since I did not have a bead with a big enough hole for all 4 strings to thread through (in spite of all my efforts to make the beads I had on hand work, including breaking one in half while using the drill to make the hole bigger). I tied it in a cute bow (because I think bows are cute and stylish right now!!) and made it big enough to slide off and not need to be untied and retied. I prepared 14 more that just need all the knots tied to give me something to do on the plane and layovers on my flight to Dallas tomorrow. I just need to get to the beach between now and then for a few more shells.
Which will prove to be difficult today since Holden is at home sick...puking sick...poor buddy (don't worry, no photos to follow). He was so thoughtful and considerate in his illness. He got up in the night, sick, but made it to the toilet (what a champ!), and went back to bed, not wanting to disturb me or dad!! Gabriel announced his illness at precisely 6:43 this morning when he was up doing his thing again. His alarm on his watch was going off as he was leaning over the toilet...time to get up! A kind mom that I carpool with agreed to come get the kids and take them to school for me even though it's not her day, so Paul wouldn't have to take the van and leave me without wheels all day. As he was still leaning over the toilet, he asks, "Am I going to school today?" So concerned about missing a day! Cute. Did I mention I am leaving tomorrow morning for Dallas?? Please pray this doesn't spread throughout the Prachar house. I am usually the ONLY one that doesn't pick this up when it comes to our house for a visit. Gabriel has NEVER missed out on a round of the stomach virus. We need a miracle. I will never live this down if Paul does his single dad routine with this bug running rampant in our family!! But of course, I just don't want anyone else to be this miserable either!! I may get that pre-party nap in with him though...