Catch Up

Here is a little catch up with the Scows. things have been going well. We are almost ready for Christmas which just so happens to be my favorite holiday of all time! The hubby was offered a job with Idaho State Police! We are so excited. We still have no clue on where we will have to be transferred too but hopefully we will find out soon. He starts training this following year. It will be quite an adventure between him being at training, me working tax season and then adding a new baby. But what doesn't kill us does make us stronger. And to tell you the truth we couldn't be more excited. It is going to be an awesome adventure! 

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Happy Thanksgiving

Well as luck would have it Jordan had to work on Thanksgiving so I got the opportunity to spend the holiday's with my in laws in Vegas. We had a fun time eating food, playing Just Dance 4 (videos to come), eating more food, enjoying the hot tub, shopping at a few stores Pocatello will never ever get, and looking at cute stuff for Baby Sparkle Scow. I also got to got to the Cicirque Du Soleil show Mystere

 Which was absolutely amazing!!!! Words cant even describe how fantastic it was. I defiantly want to take Jordan to a show and then I would like to participate in the silk aerial ribbons portion! She was so stunning and elegant.. Totally took my breath away.

 

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Good amidst the Bad

Just thought I would share my happy thoughts today. This last couple days have been an emotional roller coaster for America no matter what party you chose for President. In the end our responsibility as American citizens is to support those who lead this country and pray that they will make decisions that will be in accordance with Gods will. God's hand is in all things and this is all a part of his plan.

Comments made by those around me I thought were uplifting.

"Your success as a family, our success as a society, depends not on what happens in the White House, but on what happens in your house" - James E. Faust

Book of Mormon speaking of the American people before Christ was resurrected:
Helaman 5:2 "For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.
3 Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch tha

t they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.
4 And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;"

"These are the times that try men's souls."

~Thomas Paine's The Crisis

We live in a world of great tumult, clashing opinions, opposing beliefs, ups and downs, disappointments and successes, yet we must always remember an all important truth- our fortunes in life are not dependent upon other people, not dependent upon others' opinions, and certainly not dependent upon the government. Our fortunes in life depend upon no one but ourselves. The greatness of a nation resides not with who its leader is, but the caliber of its people. Complain not, trust in God, and be someone who makes this nation great not someone who tears it down

‎"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. " - Viktor Frankl. 

This quote sums up how I am feeling. No matter what happens around us we ultimately choose our own happiness. There is a lot to be grateful for... Where do you place your gratitude?

"Keep God in our future and personal lives He will do more for you than any president could" 

 The Apostle Paul declared, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind"

You and I cannot control everything that is happening or will happen in this earthly existence, but we can control ourselves, our faith, and our eternal perspectives. It will undoubtedly get worse before it gets better, but we can BECOME better among the worst of it all.

...fear not. Be of good cheer. The future is as bright as your faith.
-Pres. Thomas S. Monson

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Tone

Thursday thoughts but it is friday due to an ultrasound appointment to find out what we are having. Please forgive me for putting this on the back burner this is my first child and finding out what we are having has been on my mind and caused great inner turmoil. :)

Since finding out that we are expecting, I have been doing a lot of reading and studying on parenting. I have found many things that I agree with and don't agree with. But, one universal thing I have found that is so important is the tone we use to teach right from wrong.

Check out this site to see where I got started on this topic today.

What is tone? Dictionary.com states this

tone

   [tohn]  Show IPA ,noun, verb, toned, ton·ing.

noun

1.

any sound considered with reference to its quality, pitch,strength, source, etc.: shrill tones.

2.

quality or character of sound.

3.

vocal sound; the sound made by vibrating muscular bands inthe larynx.

4.

a particular quality, way of sounding, modulation, orintonation of the voice as expressive of some meaning,feeling, spirit, etc.: a tone of command.

5.

an accent peculiar to a person, people, locality, etc., or a characteristic mode of sounding words in speech. 

Now keeping that in mind think about how you talk to your dog. In a high pitched loving voice "Oh you are such a bad dog but I love you!" In  a deep mean voice "Oh I love you dog!". We talk like this naturally when talking to animals. I know that I do when I talk to our puppy. She has no idea what I'm saying but based on the tonality of my voice she either cowers or wags her tail like there is no tomorrow.

She is just so dang cute! 

But how does this relate to teaching and children. From the time we are newborns we are conditions to read tone without any other forms of communication. Little babies can't talk or understand words but they do understand the tone in our voices. They know when we are sad, happy, anxious, angry and they can read into those feelings. Even Animals can.  Sometimes I think as adults our tones are very negative and come across as rude or mean. We don't intend for our words to hurt but they do. 

I have caught myself on many occasions talking to my husband and realizing that my tone of voice is not very nice and may be a little bit condescending. It is in the moments like that that I realize how much my tone affects the outcome of the situation. When I keep my tone in check I'm able to receive the answers to my questions without ruining the wonderful relationship my husband and I have together.  

Nicholeen Peck states this about relationships and tone-

"Relationships are drastically affected by tone. When a child cries or whines their parent immediately changes. The alteration depends on the relationship habits and problem solving skills of the parent and child. Some parents immediately pamper the child, while others begin power struggling and threatening. By contrast, more assertive parents choose to recognize the tone and identify the skill needed. They check to see if they are calm, and then effectively communicate the needed change to the child... while focusing the whole time on improving the tone they are carrying in their own heart.

Since we feel more than we ever hear, parents change the hearts of their children by consistently governing their own tones while teaching essential skills in a self-government structure."

Her statement on how we feel more than we hear is so profound. How many times have we read and email, text, facebook status and taken it the wrong way because we have implied tone to it that is not really there. 

I have also tried to watch my tone when teaching my dance classes and primary class. I love teaching my classes and love when they learn and you can see the light bulb click. While watching my tone I have come to find out that the kids are way more responsive when I use a teachable tone. 

In preparing to welcome this little GIRL into our family I have made it my goal to watch the tone that I use when speaking with others. I don't want to be the type of parent that my child feels i'm condescending and that they can not do anything. I want my child to know what great potential they have. 

What do you think about tone? Does the tone you use or someone else uses towards you affect how you react? 

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Raising Confident Children

As you may or may not know we will be welcoming the newest member to our little family in March and we couldn't be more excited. But with all this excitement there is also a slight (actually large) bit of fear. Why fear you may ask well for starters we are going to be new at this whole parenting thing and making our family of 2 (well 3 if you count the dog) into a family of 3 (or 4 again including our mangy mutt) will be quite the adjustment. I have been thinking and planning because that is what I do best all the time about how different our lives will be. There will be no more "quick" stops at the library or making only one trip to and from the car. My mantra will be crushed
                        
Seriously I will carry everything in the car from the grocery store in one trip just so I don't have to go back out there again. The hubby thinks I'm crazy but hey I have stuff to get done. I don't want to waste time running back and forth from the car a million times when if I balance everything just right I can make it in one trip. And besides with it getting cold the less I'm outside the better for all. Anyways.... back to where I was before I had my little tangent.... raising this child is going to be the hardest most rewarding thing we will ever do in our lives but not only do we want our child to be strong and faithful in the gospel we also want them to be confident in themselves and know that we have confidence in them. But how do you accomplish that?

I have pinned many many articles from pinterest about raising confident children and so far this is what I have concluded from my research.....

1) You must be an example of a confident women first.
             If you want to raise someone confident then you must do the same. How can we expect our children to do the things that we would like them to do if we don't show them first. They must learn from us. So be confident in yourself first. Read my thoughts here.

2) Help cultivate a relationship with her father or another trusted male figure.
             Words cannot even express how important my father is to me. I love my husband more then words could ever say but my father still has a special place in my heart. The relationship my father and I have is one that every child should have. Cultivate meaningful relationships with your children.

3)Use positive affirmation and actions constantly! 
              We all feel good when someone gives us a heartfelt compliment or encouraging word or action. Granted we have the power to choose how that makes us feel and what we glean from it (More on that later) but ultimately it is so wonderful when we are praised. Studies show that positive parenting/positive feedback has a greater  effect on children and their self esteem.

5) Communication 
              Communication early I feel has a huge impact on how we create relationship with others and how willing we are to allow others words to form our lives. Being open in communication with feelings and how words or images affect us is something I wish that I was better at but I am working on it.

6) Know who you are and the royal family you came from
               I feel as if the greatest help to me in being confident in myself (for the most part) is knowing where I have come from and where I will be going. I know that without a doubt my Father in Heaven Loves me. He wants me to be successful and return to him. I know that I am a Child of God. My royalty is far behold and rubies or diamonds because of who my Father is. I know how special his daughters are to Him because of the way that he treats his tender loving wife and my Heavenly Mother. Have I always had this confidence in my Father in Heaven know. There was a time in life where I didn't know who I was and if I was going to be able to make it through another day. I was in a bad place. I look back now and know that without that experience in life I would not be the woman I am today but it still saddens me that I got to that point of such disrespect for myself. I'm not perfect in my confidence by any means but whenever I start to feel bad about the woman I am and what I may look like or my weight I remember that those things are very small compared to the love Heavenly Father, Husband and Family unconditionally give me.

My favorite Movie.... A Little Princess

I hope that those reading will find in themselves the strength to become a more confident father, mother and parent to those around them. Check out these websites for a place to start.

http://www.womansday.com/sex-relationships/family/raise-confident-woman#slide-9
http://www.divinecaroline.com/22106/98589-girl-power-nine-ways-build
http://babydustdiaries.com/2012/02/15-tips-for-raising-kids-with-a-positive-body-image/
http://www.mommamadeitlookeasy.com/2012/07/raising-strong-daughters.html
http://www.stepfaniesdesk.com/2012/10/how-can-we-raise-confident-girls.html
http://www.diapersdaisies.com/2012/08/raising-daughter-series-what-i-want-to.html

Here are a couple cute books on being confident as well

         


Also check out this awesome video.... Just makes my day

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Letting it Go

Jordan and I have been married for two and a half years. It as be great and we absolutely have been happy. We I can say have never fought! Now some of you probably wonder how this can be that we have never fought with each other. Well don't take it the wrong way but we do disagree but neither Jordan nor I have slept on the couch out of anger or said hurtful words to each other. I have been thinking and researching as to why this is. Is it because of our birth order, ( he being the youngest and I the oldest) our age difference of 4 years, personality profile, our love language or what and upon researching I came upon this great article here, that talks all about letting the little things go. I feel that this is why Jordan and I don't fight.

There are many things that Jordan does and I as well that are NOT how the other would do it.

 I for one, fold all of my socks like this

and Jordan folds his socks like this

I must point out first that there is no "right" way to fold socks. Both ways of folding socks accomplish the true task of getting the clean laundry out of the basket and into a drawer. Do I like how Jordan wants his socks folded? No, not really but it is a mute point. The fact that the socks are being put away is really all that matters. Right?

If you know me then you know that I have a type A personality. My characteristics include these 

Hostility, impatience, difficulty expressing emotions, competitiveness, drive, PERFECTIONISM, and dependence on external rewards such as wealth, status and power. (take the test here).

I must admit that it has taken some time to come to this point in our marriage where neither one of us 

(mostly me) has dwelt on the small things. It used to really bug me when the hubby would just throw the socks in his drawer. I folded them for him once and he was all sorts of confused as to why I did that. He didn't get mad at me or anything. (I have gotten mad at him a couple of times though, OOPS sorry babe.) But it was then that I realized that it didn't matter how the socks were put aways or how the clothes in my closet were put away that fact still remained, Jordan was the one putting the clothes away and he was going to do it how he wanted to even if it was different then how I wanted them done. We have both compromised on things in our marriage for each other. This is another great thing we have done. More on that here.

I have been able to witness many many relationships from the people around and learn from their mistakes. Some couples I have come in contact with understand this concept and do really really well at letting go of the little things others have had such a hard time with this that there have been many "battles" in their marriage. Those marriages that have a battle constantly struggle with getting basic things done. They can't get things done together most of the time. If they do the task separately things get done but there is always one in the partnership that goes back through and either changes how the other did it or makes a comment that it was done wrong. This type of relationship can go both ways most of the time it is the wife who is annal but sometimes it is the husband. Or the outcome I have seen is that there is one spouse who just conforms to the wishes of the other and accepts the dominance. I don't think either one of these ways are a way to have an eternal marriage. 

Now i'm not saying that everything is always going to be gumdrops and rainbows because that is life and we all have bad days and blow a gasket. And I do believe that there are certain situations that call for a particular way of doing things as well as accepting dominance of another. But here are some suggestions that will help you on your path to letting the little things go.

1. Remember what the true task at hand is

2. Take a deep breath and count to 10

3.  Have gratitude

4. Say thank you no matter what

5. Compromise , compromise, compromise

6. Start out small and then grow from there

7. Ask for clarification of why they think it should be this way

8. Say I LOVE YOU

I have a certain ways of doing things that work for me. I plan lists and have a schedule of what should be done. And the hubby has his way of cleaning and organizing his things, But in the last two years I have come to realize that it is ok if the towels are folded differently and they are not all facing the same way in the drawer. Or that the man cave is messy and I cant find anything in it. Do I wish that everything was organized in my home how I would like them to be that is a big YES! But I would rather have a home full of love and a bond with my husband that surpasses all. I want to wake up every morning knowing that my husband and I TOGETHER can accomplish anything even if we have different ways of completing the task. I want to let the little things go and compromise the small issues in life that have no effect on what eternity will be like.   Dishes done a certain way, laundry folded one way, shirts hung up all facing the same direction or even how to put on your shoes are all trivial things that don't matter one way or another. 

Returning to Heavenly Father as a Family to share in Eternal glory is all that is really important. 

Your challenge is to let the little things go this week. See what this simple change can do to your relationships in life. Comment and tell me what you have done and how it is working. 

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Wall Demolition

Nice and old paneling was in our living room until my wonderful husband and father and law took it out and made me a new wall.

We tried to just leave the paneling there are cover up the grooves with spackling and a coat of paint but this is what happened...

Lets just say that it didn't work. So as I entertained 8 little munchkins for a little while my father in law began ripping off the paneling. Ill let the pictures explain the rest.

.

Now the wall is all painted and my husband made a beautiful rock fireplace for me as well. Those pictures to come.

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Thursday Thoughts

Well I decided that every Thursday I was going to give my two cents on anything and everything. I figured it would give you the reader something to comment on and ponder throughout the weekend.  I apologize now if I can't make it every Thursday but I will try.  Now as a for warning these thought I have will be many and are only MY thoughts. It is pretty much the world according to me. Please comment to your hearts content and enjoy....

I'm a Mormon, I know It, I live It, I Love It- Ann M Dibb General Conference Oct. 2012

photokapi.com

Now let me start out by saying that General Conference was great and I was able to listen to all the sessions. Of course there is always a couple talks that stand out to me and make me think. In the first saturday session Sister Dibb gave this Talk. At first I was really on board with the talk but as she continued on I became frustrated and confused. She talked about being a mormon (if you haven't gathered it yet... I'm Mormon) and how we are supposed to exemplify the teachings of Christ and not be ashamed of the religion.

Now, I'm all for this concept but I'm confused as to where the line is. At what point do we stand up for what we believe in is it going to far? My confidence in the church and it's teachings has no limit. I love the church and love my Heavenly Father and the Savior but I don't go proclaiming it to everyone that I meet and forcing my beliefs on them. To Me ( again only the world according to Caitlyn) this statement,
 "I'm a Mormon, I know it , I live it, I Love it", is similar to shoving it down my throat that you are Mormon.

I feel the same way when I see anything pertaining to one's religion whether it is good or bad. Do we really need to stand at the grocery store and yell our beliefs for all to hear? Has the world become become so far from what religion teaches that we must use bold proclamations to show our love for what we believe? I know I live in a region where there are many members of the church. (There are also many members of other churches as well.) Has this great abundance of members tainted my view of what Not being ashamed really is?

Now let me make this clear I don't care what race, color, religion, short, fat, tall, skinny, purple hair or green that you are or have you are still  a son and daughter to not only the King in Heaven but also to your family here in the earth. You are a mother, father, brother, sister, son or daughter to someone who cares very much about you.You are important to someone. I see you as you. We may not agree on things and have different views of the world but your opinion still matters.

Sometimes I feel members of the church have a "God" like attitude when it comes to others who don't believe the same things that they do. They have little tolerance for others and quickly jump to the conclusion that they are a bad person because they are different. This thinking unfortunately causes much contention. When I here this statement, all I hear is i'm better than you and I know it.

So where is the line? How do I get over this feeling of inadequacy in such a simple statement? I'm not ashamed of the church and I love it with all my heart but I'm confused! Can anyone Help?

 What do you think about this statement? 

"I'm a Mormon, I know it,  I live it, I Love it."

Please post your comments and thoughts.

Until next Thursday. 

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made my day!

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Dreams

Ever since getting pregnant I have had some really weird dreams. Now I don't remember any of these dreams but I do however remember the feelings thy induced upon waking up. For about a week straight I woke up furious with Jordan. I have no idea why I'm so furious but man was I mad at him. I would wake up and just want to scream at him but I don't know what I would say seeing as I don't remember what made me mad in the first place. After these wonderful dreams (ok maybe not wonderful) I had a dream that was so terrifying that I woke myself up crying. I thought for sure that Jordan would be awakened by my crying but he slept right through it. Last year I had a terrifying dream that caused me to wake Jordan up. I guess he is not so much of a light sleeper anymore.

So to top things off last night I had two crazy dreams. Which to my surprise I remember. The first went a little something like this...

I was in the park which just so happened to be Alameda park (park around where I live) where there is a pathway the runs along the outside of the park and huge trees line the path. In my dream I was running from something or someone but instead of running I was jumping like a squirrel or monkey from tree to tree. Now I have to admit that is pretty awesome right! I would not just barely jump I would take leaping bounds from one tree to the next flying through the air. It was pretty cool. Sadly this dream ended due to the fact I had to go to the bathroom. So as far as who was chasing me, why and how long the chase lasted, those questions will still remain a mystery  (almost like a good book but not quite)

Dream number #2

After using the bathroom and tossing and turning for another hour to two hour or so I finally fell asleep again (it was well after 4:00am). In this dream I was flying. I would bounce of the ground similar to the other dream and fly high up into the air not having anyone or anything holding me down. I didn't have to flap my arms awkwardly nor did I have wings I could just fly. Now looking back on the dream It kind of reminds me on the disney movie.....

This is such a cute show if you have not watched it yet you missing out. The love story in it is so cute but the humour is even better The story goes to follow an old grumpy man who lost his wife and is now being kicked out of his home. He fills his home with big ballons so that he can take his precious belongs to paradise. In the process he meets a dog that can talk, a cub scout boy doing his good deed,  an extinct animal. Very very cute movie it also has a bad guy like every other disney movie. Anyway.... coming back from my tangent this last dream didn't last that long because again I was awoken by my full bladder telling it was time to get up. I don't know where I was flying to or why but it was pretty cool to be able to fly. Maybe one day i will be able to.

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Here is a little somethin somethin

This is our little one at 13 weeks. She is already sucking her thumb. The ultrasound proved her to be quite the little dancer. So So excited to find out what were really are having in October. Already love this little one and it is only as big as a navel orange.

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Guess What.....

http://babyscow.blogspot.com/

check it out

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as of lately

Well it is official Jordan will be..... Interviewing with the Idaho State Police at the end of this month. Hopefully he is able to pass the PT test and then continues on with the rest of the hiring process. He is really excited because he wants to have a take home vehicle and the awesome guns that come with it. But really what man doesn't like fast cars and gun power. I have not met any man that doesn't, But that is probably because Idaho is so redneck!

The only down side of this opportunity is the fact that we may have to move! YIKES! I don't think I'm ready to pack up the house and get it ready to move! I feel like I just did that. Which  I did. But I guess we will jump that bridge when we get there. I think it would be really exciting to move somewhere else but it will also be sad and present it's own challenges too. But either way I'm very proud of my husband. He has been the only one from the Jail that had passed the written test to even get an interview. He is one remarkable man! I'm so grateful that I married him. I don't know what I would do with out him.

In other news I will be starting to teach dance classes at the beginning of September. If you are interested in taking classes click here to find out more information. I'm kinda excited because I get to teach a mini dance and cheer class. Now like I mentioned here I'm not a true cheerleader but with my two years of Bengal Dancers I learned how to cheer like nobody's business. So hopefully I get a great turn out and I'm able to have a successful class year.  I love teaching dance classes those little kids are so much fun. The stories they tell and things they say just melt my heart! Our little kids are for sure taking classes! LOL

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Photography

Check out all the Scow family in the latest family pictures

http://www.scowphotography.blogspot.com/

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In the Garden

Jordan and I decided to plant a garden so that's just what we did. We made some raised garden boxes and got to planting. Since this is Idaho and there are still going to be freezes we have not planted everything but so far we  do have carrots, peas and potatoes planted and they are doing very very well.

The truck filled with only half of the soil we used

Gettin them in place

Removing the grass for a better garden

Finally leveled and ready for all the dirt

garden box 2

Carrots

Lots of potatoes

Peas

Cucumber

Sunflowers

Corn

Beans

More Beans

Pumpkin

Watermelon

So far it looks as if everything is going well. we have only had the dog run though the garden a couple times. She was heavily scolded and has not done it since. The neighborhood cat has only mad a couple ventures into the garden but pepper stopped her. ( the dog and the spice) 

Hopefully everything tastes delicious! bon appetit

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Cheer coach in training maybe?

Lets start at the beginning.....
For the last 4 years I have taught dance classes with the Community Recreation Center (click here for classes offered) in town and I have loved every minute of it. I have taught ages 3- Adult and in the styles of Ballet, Tap, Jazz, and Hip Hop. Until recently these have been the only style of dance that I have taught. Starting last year I became a gymnastics teacher and team taught  classes ages 3-8. It was so much fun! Now keep in mind I dont know anything about gymnastics except what I have taught myself. And lets just say I can do a wicked somersault (forward roll) and some pretty dang good cartwheels. But my knowledge is very limited. But nevermind that I was asked to team teach in a gymnastics class and to my surprise the class was actually very enjoyable and I really liked teaching those crazy kids! I even learned how to do a cartwheel correctly! After teaching gym classes last year, this year I was roped into teaching a Power Cheer and Stunting Class. Now lets just say that my cheer skills have been acquired from many years of dance and are therefore subject to criticism. I know how to do the following:

Half T                   R Bow and Arrow
Full T                    L Bow and Arrow
Daggers                Hands on Hips
Candle Sticks       Cleaning  Position
Buckets                Clasp
High V                  Low Touch down
Low V                  Box    
R Check mark      Left L
L Check mark      Right L
W                        Punch
R Diagonal           R Herky Jump
L Diagonal           L Herky Jump
Goal Post             Hurdler Jump
R K                     Pike Jump
L K                     Straddle Jump

           Now you make say wow that is actually a lot of different arm movements but really.... there is so much more. I have no idea how to do any tumbling nor any stunting. But I played it off cool as a cucumber and demonstrated what I have seen on TV and in observing Cheerleading at the high school and college level! I'm very proud to say that I now know how to do a back hand spring and a standing back tuck!
 (Thanks to my dear friend Mrs. Cohlee). I also know how to do these two stunts now!

Stunt 1
Basic Cheer Stunt



Stunt 2

Liberty Cheer Stunt


The girls in are class were so wonderful and I loved being able to teach them! They did a fabulous job at their recital last night and didn't even drop a stunt (that is really bad in the cheer world)! Im so glad that I got the opportunity to teach cheer this year! I got to fulfill my wildest dreams an be a Cheerleader even if it was only for a little while!
Check out the video of our cheer dance and cheer side line on YouTube. ( still to come)

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DIY Photo Canvas

I decided that I should probably hang some pictures of the Hubby and I around the house seeing as we haven taken family pictures recently and we needed to spruce up the place a little bit. I LOVE the look of canvas photos but didn't want to spend and arm an a leg to get them  done. Pinterest to the rescue! I found a wonderful  tutorial online here if your interested in looking or you can follow along here.

Things you will need:

Mod Podge (made here)
Scissors
Canvas
Pictures to size
Paper cutter
Paint color of choice
Wax Paper ( to keep the table clean)

Things needed

• First measure the canvas for sizing. Unless you can remember the size of canvas you bought after you have taken off the packaging... OOPS :)
• Cut (more like trim) the photo so that it is barely smaller then the canvas . About an 1/8"- 1/4" Enough that it will sit on top but not hang over the edge. If for some reason you are a smidgen off on your cutting don't worry you will paint over that in a latter step.

•  You must paint the canvas and the photo with the modge podge first in order to make the picture stick to the canvas. DIY Mod Podge here. 
• Place photo on canvas and center. You can kind of move the picture around to center on the canvas but be very careful because the glue will dry quickly making it very difficult to move the photo. 
• Use a towel to press the photo down firmly to avoid finger prints and smudges on your beautiful photo.

• Allow the photo to dry in place at least a half hour. probably closer to 15min 
• Next cover the entire photo and canvas with a layer of mod podge. Try and keep even strokes to allow drying time to be even. 

Obviously my skills in painting glue evenly are lacking and I need some practice.

• This drying process will take the longest amount of time. I left my first photo to dry for about an hour and it was just about dry. Make sure you hold the photo up to the light so you can see where the glue has completely dried and where it has not. 
• Put on another couple two three coats and call it good in the glue department. 

• Now the fun part. Painting the edges of your canvas photo. For some reason I love painting and this part was my favorite part. My first photo I painted the edges a little too far in and have more black then I wanted. But it still looks great.
• You can either do a little sponge painting or just sweep it on whatever look you desire.
• After painting put on another couple of layers of mod podge and your finished.

as you can see my paint is not all the way dry. allow time for your paint to dry.

These beautiful pictures are now hangin up on the wall in the master bedroom and ready for when we redecorate the master bedroom. Which is hopefully very very soon.

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