Survey says.... (Baby girl name edition)

Well, I know everyone is dying to know what name we have chosen, but you won't get that from this post. Sorry. That's one little tidbit we like to keep to ourselves, plus, I'm not 100% sure yet either. I think I will have to hold her first to know that it fits. With that said, the survey was very interesting and quite amusing to read some of the responses. It's so fascinating how we each have personal baggage with certain names, whether that's love or hate. I definitely have this with former students' names, or historical figures or celebrity figures.

Let me break down some of the highlights for you.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the name.... 
Amelia- Earhart, airplane flyer lady, goes nicely with Ansel, Bedelia, sophisticted, Grey's anatomy, no, flower, adventurous
Denna- Jersey shore, my friend, Jenna, not sure, smart, dinner, weird, Dennis, denim jeans, Denny's restaurant, and old person
Elionwy (ay-lon-wee)- an elf, Welsh fairy, can't know for sure how to pronounce, unique, why would anyone name a kid that?, Ellen-we?, exotic, oh heck no, can you pronounce that again?, Africa
Estella- princess, witch, Marlin Brando, fat lady, rich, stately, classic, clothing, Mexican, stars, old
Freya (fray-uh)- another elf, yogurt, fry a hamburger, muppet, foreign, bewitching, a hobbit movie, Fritos, interesting, sounds like a foreign food, frayed material, lingerie, African, no
Mabel- makeup, cutesy tooties, fabel, solid, older, grandma, old woman, elderly, a housekeeper, granny, sweet, my alter ego in a skit, old lady
Marlowe- business, Psych, Raymond Chandler's novel, energetic, determined, gangsters, old man, Trump, cute, different, drunk, Barlow girls, Merlot, a boy's name
Maureya (muh-ray-uh)- Povich, maria spelled wrong, how do you pronounce this?, Indian princess, delicate, why?, new spelling?, never heard of it, unfamiliar, Go Murrary!, Maureen Ohara, one of my students, who was adorable
Mia- Fast and Furious, a dog, cats, Princess Diaries, nice, happiness, Sophia, Anne Hathaway, mamma mia, Farrow,
Sadie- Duck Dynasty, another dog, Hawkins, aunt, happy, homely, peppy, cute, dog, blonde ponytail, Love!, my dog, my cat, like
Waverly- Old Disney show, a town in MI that is ghetto, Ohio, fabric, snooty, precious, TB hospital in Kentucky, curtains, bedspreads, seductive, Wizards of Waverly Place, like the crackers

Over 90% of you didn't know anyone personally with these names:
Elionwy, Freya, Marlowe, Maureya, or Waverly

Over 75% of you knew someone personally with the name of Mia.

Around 50% of you knew someone personally with these names:
Amelia, Mabel, and Sadie 

Over 75% of you knew someone from pop culture with these names:
Amelia, Mia, and Sadie

The names that gave a creative, artsy vibe were: 
Waverly (50%), Maureya and Elionwy (38%) and Freya, Marlowe and Amelia (around 30%)

The names with a girly, princess feel were Amelia and Mia.

The trendiest names were Mia and Sadie.

The classic and timeless names were Amelia and Estella.

In rank order, with your favorite choices listed first: 
Amelia- 24%
Waverly-18%
Mia- 15%

Below 10% of you favored....
Denna 
Sadie
Elionwy 
Estella
Marlowe
Freya
Maureya 
Mabel

So there you have it! Now you have to wait another few months to hear the name announced when she's born. :) Thanks for participating; I enjoyed reading your responses!!

Re-purposed Pumpkin Snowman

You gotta love an easy craft that uses what you already have! Lo and behold, the pumpkin snowman. It's so simple too. I set mine up in front of my tomato cage Christmas trees for a nice little trio on my front porch.

Here's what you need:

• Two or three leftover pumpkins from Thanksgiving, still in solid condition
• White spray paint
• Black paint for eyes, nose, mouth
• Ribbon or old scarf
• Old hat

To make the pumpkin snowman:
1) Choose the biggest pumpkin to be the base or body of the snowman. Level off the stem if needed.
2) Paint both pumpkins white. Let dry.
3) Use black paint to add details on the snowman's face.
4) Stack the pumpkins. If they aren't sturdy together, you may need to find some kind of stick or wire to hold them together.
5) Tie the scarf around the snowman's neck and add the hat. Ta-da! You have your never-melting snowman!