Visual Designs by Chris

Chris Durnan

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TBT – Camo Reading Pillows

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In an effort to have a homemade Christmas, I searched and searched pinterest. I came across a few pillows for gifts. All had different elements. Here is mine.
The Traveling Reading Pillow with a flashlight. 
I purchased the pillow forms on sale at Joann’s woohooo! The 12×12 was 2.00 a piece. so happy I walked in. I bought 8 of them. Made a test run for my son D and then 5 more for my nieces and nephews and all in varying colors of camo. Then I made 2 more for my other nieces (pictures to come).
I took the opportunity to purchase books from Scholastics for my son’s teacher. I purchased in November. I put a remind in my calendar for October of next year to purchase more books. You can’t beat the price and it always helps the teachers stash of books in the classroom. Win Win.
My pillow actually has a flap folded up underneath on the bottom into the back. So my Sister and Sister-in-law can take them off and wash them. The camo pillows all went to ages 6 and under. So I knew traveling in the car or camping would end up with some dirty pillows.
They all have handles and I went to the dollar store for lights and found carabiner flashlights attached to the handle on top.  The lady at the dollar store looked at me like I was crazy when I wiped out all 9 flashlights they had. I didn’t want to end up with a broken one and they were the perfect size! So I grabbed them all.
When they were opened almost all of my nieces and nephews sat down and started reading right away. Hopefully this will be a useful gift and homemade. yeah!
And recently I was told another Digi Camo Pillow was needed for my BIL. Perfect for camping evenings. Love it!
Enjoy!
Chris
Throwback Thursday is an indulgence and reminiscing as I pull old posts from my previous blog and reshare them to move them to my new home. I appreciate your taking the ride with me. Enjoy!

TBT – Blue and Gold Tissue PomPoms

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Excuse my indulgence in Throwback Thursday as I bring back some posts from my old blog to my current site. 
As is true in most Cub Scout packs. You are always looking for a way to decorate on the cheap, but nice. This years Blue and Gold was my job to coordinate as the Wolf Den Leader. I started with blue and  gold table covers, 36 balloons, a beautiful cake done by a phenomenal cake maker, centerpieces by the wolf den scouts and these tissue pompoms for extra punch. I wish I had gotten more pictures. So If I can find some from friends who went will post those later. Here are some pictures.

This is our cake table. The cake was delicious I was told and was created by Kim. Her marshmallow fondant is a begging situation in our family. My guys eyes light up at just the thought. And the cupcakes I was told were phenomenal. Needless to say I have passed on her number to many. I think as a Scout you should do your best to support local businesses. And the tissue pompoms were part of the display. I would not use yellow again. To translucent of a color. But for 8.00 I made 16 of them with help from friends. I set them up into the accordian fold and my friend Heidi came and pulled them apart for me while I worked on other setup.

I took 5 sheets of the 20×20 tissue paper and folded them in accordian style
Then I cut the end in a half circle to give it a more finished look.

 

My friend did the pull apart, but I did one to see. First fan out the accordian and then pull the tissue towards the center. To start I wasn’t happy with the ones I did, but as always Heidi just foofs things just right.
Here is the one I did at home to test run.

 

All in all filled the table a little more. and I thought came out pretty nice.
The first photo was taken by our Pack Photographer. I cannot express how phenomenal it is to ask a parent who has a passion for photography  to catch so many of our activities. We have a private shutterfly account and he uploads the photos and the parents can save for their own memories. If you don’t have a Pack Photographer, find a parent who has a fancy camera, and beg them to go to work for you. It is just awesome. And this way you can print the photos for the end of the year and stick to a board and display or use for registration roundup. I don’t panic to get photos of my son as I run around and helping at pack or den meetings. I am one to want to capture those memories. So I can do my jobs and he gives me something to cherish afterwards with phenomenal photos to remember with. Love it!

Enjoy!
Chris

TBT – Tack Room fixes

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I’ve decided to use the Throwback Thursday date as a way to bring back some of my old blog posts and move them here. If you’ve read it before, I hope you re-enjoy. If you it’s your first time Enjoy! ~Chris

 

My husband impresses me all the time. This was his latest fix for our revamped tack room. He needed a blanket rack for the horse blankets and so he threw out some ideas here and there for the last week and then came in and said I got it. He welded a piece of rod iron fencing to some rebar and horse shoes and then anchored it to the wall. My hubby is a jack of all trades. Welds and is always working on improving things it is awesome. I know we are in for a change when I hear… “I’ve Been Thinking” Usually if it’s in concrete I know it’s secure, but if it isn’t well …. it’s up for debate. Here are pics of his saddle blanket rack.

And I found this appropriate for the Tack Room refrigerator. An ode to John Wayne, a Luckenback Texas sticker from our honeymoon and a magnetized bottle opener. I must say that Luckenback stick brings back found memories of the prettiest dance floor I have ever seen in my life. We pulled in to this little place where the sign was and looked at this falling down barn thinking what are we doing. And when we opened the door we just sat there and smiled my husband gave me a little spin on the dance floor and it was the shiniest gleamiest (is that word?) smooth wood with a ton of coating floor. It was beautiful. I yearn to kick up my boots on it again.

And then of course something I think every tack room needs. A cute cowboy. but I might be a little but biased. And that rack on the back is a rack for more tack that he welded. Second hand horseshoes. We have buckets of them.

 

Thank you for indulging with me and reminiscing on Throwback Thursday!

Enjoy!

Chris