Nutmeg Wreath

When Natasja sent me this project, my jaw totally hit the floor. It is that amazing! Take a look.

I am not sure if she made the wreath base herself or not, but I intend to make this project for my own home starting with a store bought base. I noticed some on sale for $10 at a large sewing/craft store in my area.

Then, you just need to learn to make Natasja's paper roses. She shows how to do this here. They are very easy! I even taught them at a make and take in August and everyone was able to make them. Once you have your roses, simply hot glue them to the wreath and throwing in a sprinkling of Ready Set Chipboard for good measure.

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OK, can I ask you all a question? My daughter Kate has always been a social butterfly. Then, we hit age 10 with cliques, mean girls and loads of drama. HELP! I was a total outcast from about the 6th grade until...... well, let's just say girls still scare me.

I have no idea how to help her with these crisis. Her best friend has been on a vacation for the last week and I found out yesterday that she has no other friends at school to sit by at lunch or play with at recess. I am heartbroken for her, since I know exactly what it's like to pretend you are happy wandering the playground alone waiting for that bell to ring.

Lately, she comes home asking for specific things because the clique she wants into tells her she's not welcome without them. I want to be empathetic to how she feels, but I don't want her sacrificing herself for the group or thinking that these girls are really her friends when they're not.

I remember trying to talk to my mom when I was young. I never felt like she understood me because she would tell me to be myself, which I did not find helpful. Now I am in her shoes and even more clueless as to what my advice should be.

So all you blog readers out there. What do I do? How do I help her be true to herself, be a good friend and find good friends?

Here's what I've tried so far:
I have talked to her about how I felt as kid and what I went through.
I got her the book Cliques, Phonies and other Balonies
And, believe it or not I bought her a bra...... it's a long story and no, she doesn't need one yet, at least for its marketed purpose!

2intense

15-Oct-2009 @ 10:37:00am

I teach elementary school, and this is my 19th year. It has been hard watching kids become meaner and meaner. In my early teaching years, someone might get their feelings hurt, but then everyone would move on. There wasn't so much labeling, physical actions, or ignoring students. It's not even that they call each other names now, it is that they give each other harmful labels that stick, or they ignore some children as if they don't even exist. As a teacher, the more you try to make it better, the worse it really gets. I also have a 14 year old daughter who gets sexually harassed on a daily basis by older girls. Mostly because she is very attractive and well put together. She handles the abuse better then I do. She laughs at them or just ignores them. I feel like running them over with my car!
I don't have any answers, but I would encourage your daughter to try to make new friends daily, boys and girls. Maybe just walk up and sit with a group of kids and introduce herself, or find a group of kids that share her interests. Try to talk to one new kid a day. I don't know if it will help, but I have observed that some of the girls become really good friends with some of the boys in my class when the other girls are nasty.