Shout out to my sisters!

I have been having quite an eventful couple or days! I am busy getting ready for my hubby to come home for Christmas break, and that includes pampering myself with some beauty stuff! :)

I am a VERY lucky lady to have two sisters in the beauty business.

Wendi did my nails...

(Army colors for my man)

Then Rhonda gave me a waxing treatment on my eyebrows, face, legs, and arms! I always like having an occasion to get all fancy, and I think 10 weeks away from my hubby certainly qualifies! Somewhere during our waxing session, I ended up bursting with laughter because of the face Rhonda gets when she finds a pimple. I had to make this for her:

The point is, my sisters are AWESOME and I am SPOILED and I wanted to share. :)

Thanksgiving Decor

It's almost time for Thanksgiving!
I've been busy making creations :)
Please check out my wood signs and home decor pages.

Countdown & "Daddy Mail" for our soldier

I've been wanting to make a countdown so that I have something to help me eagerly count down the days until my hubby is back home. There are a lot of cute ideas on Pinterest. (Follow me on Pinterest here) I made a very simple one, but maybe I'll add to it soon.

I used a small clipboard that I already had, but wasn't using. I mod-podged some patriotic scrapbook paper over top.

Then I used a scrap piece of wood for my countdown sign. I painted it with chalkboard paint and then used a paint pen to write out "__ Days Until Our Soldier Comes Home!"
Here's the finished product:

The concept can be used for pretty much anything. Countdown to birthdays, holidays, etc. Enjoy!

DIY Witch "spices"

I've been having a lot of fun getting ready for my Halloween party. Although I would love to go buy all the fancy schmancy stuff at Target for interior decor, I just don't have the cash. So for those of you who enjoy DIYing and want to make a fun, cheap Halloween decoration, here goes...

Supplies you will need:

• Old bottles of different shapes and sizes (pill bottles, spices, etc.)
• Hot glue gun
• acrylic paint
• paintbrush
• clear glaze

1. First, gather supplies. I used old pill bottles, spice bottles, a parmesan cheese container, and an olive oil bottle. Use whatever you have! It's free!

2. Next, Get out your glue gun and get creative! Use it to draw eyeballs, write out ingredient names, whatever works. Make sure, if you are writing out letters, to keep the glue thick, otherwise it won't pop out so well. Before moving on to step 3, make sure that everything is dry and take all of the stringy pieces of glue off. (I made that mistake and you can see little strings through the paint on one of mine.)

3. Glue "knobs" on the top if you would like to give them an extra-fancy apothecary jar look. (I thought of this idea after I had already painted and used different shaped beads) Then paint your bottles. I used a combination of grey and green to make them look extra dingy and spooky. You can use whatever color you like. Do another coat if necessary (I did). Let dry completely.

4.  After your paint has dried, use the dry brush method with white paint. This gives it a dusty sort of look. (To dry brush, use a brush that is completely dry and dip it into a small amount of paint. Use a paper towel to dab off most of the paint before applying. You need very little paint and it will highlight your newly-added pictures.)

5. Using a clear glaze spray paint, lightly coat your finished bottles. Let it dry, then TA-DA! You're done! Spooky Halloween witch spices. (I made Dead Man's Blood, Tongues, Bat Wings, Eye of Newt, Toad Stool, Snake Oil, and Powdered Spider.)

Trick or Treat!

Hey my friends!
I am excited about my new sign and I wanted to share. It's double-sided to let trick-or-treaters know whether or not the candy is ready!
These signs are for sale, so please check out my wood signs page for purchasing info.

Happy Halloween!

Fall is my favorite time of year. I love the sweaters, the scarves, the crisp air, the beautifully colored leaves, pumpkins, hot chocolate, and best of all--HALLOWEEN!
I just finished making a sign that I think turned out pretty awesome :)

Check it out on my wood signs page for purchasing info!

The Passing of a Wonderful Man

I just got home today from a drive to Canada for my grandfather's funeral.

It was a beautiful service and a wonderful tribute to an amazing man. The amount of people that attended was staggering. It just goes to show how many lives he has touched throughout his time here.
Grandpa was kind and honest. He was honorable and strong and talented and wise. We didn't see one another often, due to the distance, but he had a quiet way of showing his love.

One example is one summer when I was about 7 or 8. I had brought my favorite doll, Brooklyn, along on the trip to Canada for the family reunion. We went out picking huckleberries and I insisted on bringing my doll with me. I ended up putting her down somewhere and couldn't find her when it was time to leave. I was a sad little girl. I'm not sure if it was weeks or months, (my memory is horrible) but my grandpa and grandma showed up in Soda Springs, Idaho for a surprise visit--and Grandpa had Brooklyn. He had gone back to the huckleberry patch and found her and brought her back to me. They didn't often take the long trip (about 12 hours!) to Idaho. I don't think I have to tell you how special that made me feel.

Grandpa had an amazing smile. He had a wonderful speaking voice. He took me and the rest of my cousins on "lion hunts" every year at the reunion. He gave us "whisker rubs" and made us giggle. He loved to make people smile. I am so proud to be his granddaughter. 

I love you grandpa.

I'm still here.

I know that since I have an insane amount of followers here on my little blog you are all probably seriously concerned for my well-being. I did not intend on creating this cute little page just to completely drop off of the face of the planet. Unfortunately, life happens sometimes.
Sometimes, your husband decides to join the U.S. Army. Sometimes, it's something that you find extremely challenging due to past experiences. Sometimes, what's meant to be is meant to be and Alanna has to deal with it.
So here I am, three days to go before my other half leaves for basic training for NINE weeks. Then AIT for another TEN weeks. See how fun this will be for me? I'm really trying not to be negative. I have struggled and struggled and struggled with this decision. I am finally accepting that this is what God has intended for my life, whether I like it or not. I am also pushing aside my fear and anger to realize that this will be a good thing. It is a very good opportunity for my husband to get skills training and free college. It's an opportunity for us to find our place in the world and meet new people and see new things. It is certainly an opportunity for me to strengthen myself and find my own independence. I really struggle with that, as I've told my loved ones over and over, I am NOT one of those amazing, strong, independent women who can handle being alone all the time. I am a worrier and I have anxiety SO bad. Today one of my new neighbors came to visit me and gave me a message that I really needed. She said that Christ was meek and humble, and that we strive to be like him in this way. She said that to be meek is not to be weak. It is to be kind and to have love for others. Being humble and accepting God's path for you empowers you to get through your trials.
To add to my struggles, I also lost my grandfather on Sunday. It is the first time I have really had to deal with loss. All of my other grandparents are still alive, along with a great-grandmother. I didn't get to see grandpa often because he lived in British Columbia, but he did mean a lot to me. He always took all of us grandkids on "lion hunts" and he would tickle me with his whiskers and make me laugh. He was always smiling, always joking. He was a kind, gentle man with a quiet strength and wisdom. I am so grateful to be one of his. I hope that he knows how much he meant to so many.
Although I'm going through a lot, I know that there are so many people there for me. All of you that are reading right now are supporting me and I am thankful for you. I have a wonderful family that will help me through. I have a sweet little boy that will keep me smiling. Thanks for joining me in my journey.

Baymax

Big Hero 6 was the first movie that my son showed interest when his cousins brought it home. Soon enough, he started saying "Baymax" in his own cute little way. He does a special dance specifically for the song "Immortals" by Fall Out Boy that plays during the movie. (It's an adorable swooshing arms side-to-side while he wiggles his booty thing) I think it's safe to say he is a Baymax fanatic. So, being me, I felt the need to create a little something for his room. It was fun and easy to make. I won't be selling any of these, because the art is copyrighted, but I wanted to share so that I can add it to my little portfolio :)

Wood Signs

Please check out my Wood Signs page on your right.  Comment if you have a favorite quote you would like me to create.

Welcome!

Welcome to Queen Bee Creations! Thank you for checking out my page. I'm excited for this new adventure and eager to get started toward what I hope will be a rewarding experience for all!

To get started, I thought I would tell you a little about myself. My name is Alanna Alofipo. I've recently moved back to my home state of Idaho. I'm married to the sweetest, most amazing man in the world and I have a beautiful baby boy who makes the whole world light up around him. I still call him a baby, but he's almost 2 now. My, how time flies! Life isn't always cherry pie, but I try hard to focus on the blessings and being grateful for what I have.
I've contemplated starting a blog for quite a while but never took the leap. So here goes! Bear with me; I'm new at this. We're going to talk about some fun and exciting and inspirational things.