Pleasant Places

Why I Blog

2012-01-18T09:30:00.000-08:00

I looooove a good Before & After makeover. Whether it's a dingy basement turned into a magnificent crafter's retreat on HGTV or a dowdy housewife turned into a stylish vixen in a magazine spread, the 'after' isn't nearly as dramatic without the 'before' shot. You have to know how the project started out to fully appreciate the transformation that took place.

In my early blogging days, I published this 'BEFORE' picture of an organizing project {read the post HERE)...

...and had a commenter that said, "I could never publish a real 'before' picture!! I'd be too embarassed!" It gave me pause to consider why I blogged and what kind of blogger I wanted to be.

I realized that, as in real life, I have learned that hiding my flaws or pretending to be perfect doesn't do anyone any favors.

That 'before' picture would likely illicit one of two responses:

1. "Ugh! I can't believe anyone can live that way!" They probably work very hard to maintain a magazine-worthy life and have it all figured out (or are committed to pretending to), so I'm not really blogging about or for that person.

OR 2. "Wow, that looks like MY life!" and they are inspired to tackle their own project and are encouraged that they're not the only one dealing with whatever their 'before' happens to be. THAT is the woman I can relate to and THAT is who I write for.

By the way, bloggers are usually not the first type of person, showing off their idyllic existence to throw it in your face and make you feel inadequate. Bloggers are typically people who are trying to improve the quality of their life and pass along their tricks and tools to their readers.

Do bloggers edit what they publish? Um....yeah. Do I edit here? Of course. I don't go around in real life airing my dirty laundry or telling everyone I meet what I'm frustrated by in my life. Sometimes I may move the errant Lego parts, make the bed or give my dining room table an extra scrub-down before snapping a picture to post. I will, however, tell you honestly that with this...

comes THIS.

I blogged about my miscarriage, anxiety and fear, too. Go ahead and do a search on it, it's all there! :)

Authenticity, in the blogging world and in real life, is key. When I'm real with other people, it gives them permission to be real, too. And that's how we all grow and move toward the life we want. Seeing the 'before' just helps us appreciate the 'after' all the more.

Consider this blog a gigantic Before & After scrapbook of my life. I hope you'll find something useful here to aid your own transformation.

And if you need anything in 'real life,' feel free to e-mail me at tabandrew@hotmail.com

When Direct Sales Calls {part 3}

2012-01-16T16:05:00.000-08:00

Read part 1 HERE and part 2 HERE.

Where we left off, I'd realized that I need a REAL job that made actual money. I'd always loved direct sales--and even Mary Kay in particular--but had never really "made it" yet. It was still a dream in my heart, though, along with leading and inspiring other women, networking with other women in business and living the life of my dreams (which included a flexible schedule so I could be with my family).

Sherrian (my Mary Kay trainer and director) says now that she saw the potential in me as soon as we met. After attending her makeover class, looking at the catalog, thinking about the particulars of the company and the business, my heart began to soar. I had to be realistic--I didn't WANT to start a new business from the ground up! I wanted something tried and true that would give me a simple formula to success that I could follow.

Come to find out, Mary Kay herself, when she founded the company, wanted a way to give women a chance to own their own business, to make their own way, to be successful and to be celebrated. The cosmetics was just the vehicle. I felt the same way. I want to lead and inspire women, work with women, encourage women to live the best life they can and help other women with their own businesses--and Mary Kay will be my vehicle. It just so happens that the vehicle is something I love--skin care and makeup! My dream is that it will also be a way for me to pour money into a charitable organization as well.

Just deciding on a job was an enormous relief. I had my "It" thing--and all the dreams and heart desires that went with it. My husband sat down with Sherrian and her husband the night I signed the contract to become a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant--on my birthday, November 29th 2011.

Some would say that starting this new venture over the holidays was crazy but I enjoyed getting my feet wet before plunging in in 2012. I've already had several sales and have been able to practice on about ten women. The business really suits me and it's a blast. Plus women walk away looking and feeling GREAT!

Sherrian and I just sat down together last week to look at my goals and dreams and to come up with a plan for me to follow. It is so simple: do five faces a week. That means that I need to just have to do five facials every week (whether one-on-one or in group settings), showing women the four-step skin care routine that suits their skin type, including the amazing satin hands treatment and the microdermabrasion. It may not be easy, but it is simple.

Direct sales had been calling my name for a long time. God had been putting this desire on my heart for many years. I feel like I am just beginning to fulfill my life-long destiny. I am so grateful that I finally answered the call. I know I have just started the ride of my life--now I'm just going to hang on and see where God takes it!

Do You Take Pictures of Your Dinner Table?

2012-01-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

We've done it for as long as I can remember. Whether it's a birthday, a holiday or any other family celebration, if there is a meal involved, we set a lovely (usually themed) table and take a picture of it. We often take a picture of the spread of food and/or our plateful of food, too. It's what we do in my family. If there's a cake involved, we take a picture of that, too.

Some people make fun of us for this, asking, "What are you going to DO with hundreds of pictures of tables and food and cakes??" {"some people" being my brother and my husband}

We're just capturing the moment and trying to remember how much fun we had. This is how we celebrate LIFE! And each other! It doesn't matter about what becomes of all the pictures.

Some recent parties:

November 20th: My mom's birthday brunch.

Our brunch food, prepared by a local chef. It tasted as scrumptious as it looks.

November 29th: My birthday party table with a winter/snowflake theme.

The spread of food.

Christmas Day, Ethan at my mom's table. He loves to check it out, to see what we did. He already appreciates a fancy table. It doesn't hurt that he also matches the tablecloth.

December 28th: The winter/nature-themed table for my grandmother's going-away dinner.

We had the ham my husband's company gives out for Christmas (with a fabulous apple compote) with scalloped potatoes, green bean casserole, biscuits and iced tea.

I duplicated it a week later for our New Year's Day dinner in our back yard.

When we were house hunting, I saw a picture of this tree in the yard and envisioned eating under it. It's so cool to literally be "living the dream."

It's dreamy, isn't it???

This time the menu was pork tenderloin, a black-eyed peas gumbo kinda thing and corn muffins (with iced tea, of course).

We try to dress up according to the theme when possible, too.

At mom's party, which had a Julia Child/cooking theme. Evidently I forgot I was still wearing my apron.

Me, my mom and my grandmother WITH the table at my birthday party. I asked my guests to dress festively. My mom was Mrs. Claus and I was a snow princess. I'm tellin' ya--we have fun.

Say what you will about "going to all that trouble" or spending the money but I don't care. It's all about celebrating life and enjoying good food with the ones you love and I'd have it no other way.

Now to think about our Valentine's Day table and food...

When My Husband Gets His Craft On

2012-01-03T18:05:00.000-08:00

He was in the garage most of Christmas Eve and Christmas Eve Eve.

From our closet where I was fetching the boys' present to wrap, I could hear sawing and hammering on the other side of the wall. There was some cursing, too. And there were multiple trips to Home Depot and Hobby Lobby.

I knew it would be good.

But I didn't know it would be THIS good.

He constructed and stained the frame, cut out the openings, and printed and matted the pictures (including that one of us from two weeks ago, BIG, right in the middle).

I ADORE it. Talk about a labor of love. Evidently I'm not the only crafty one in this family!

The Pressure For a Good Picture

2011-12-20T13:37:00.000-08:00

Phew! We got everyone dressed and out into the greenbelt behind my folks' house inbetween rain showers on Sunday and got ONE decent family photo for this year.

BEHOLD.

{Andrew is now 6 and Ethan is 2.5}

And it all started when I found those adorable argyle ties at a craft show.

COMING SOON....our 2011 family newsletter!

Turns Out, the Grass IS Greener

2011-12-14T08:24:00.000-08:00

We've been in our new place in the southeast Phoenix valley for over four months now and are finally (mostly) settled in.

I'd wanted to live closer to my folks for a long time, probably ever since our first son was born six years ago. We'd lived 50 miles away, which meant a lot of long drives home late at night, often with a baby on board.

I had done a lot of fantasizing about what it would be like to live closer together. {cue dream sequence music} I imagined dropping by for a cup of coffee in the morning or to smoke a cigar with my dad on the back porch at night. I figured we'd shop at Costco and split our purchases. I'd be able to leave the boys for a couple of hours so I could go shopping. My mom and I could consult each other on our makeup and wardrobe for special events and borrow nail polish and jewelry from each other. My dad and I could talk business over lunch. We could go on impromptu outings and celebrate holidays without spending the hour-and-a-half on the road. I thought it would be marvelous.

Beyond that, we hoped that our move would mean more career and ministry opportunities for us, an excellent school for our son to attend kindergarten, neighbors we could build relationships with, more fun things to do as a family and so much more.

But you know how it is: reality often does not live up to the fantasy. The grass is rarely greener on the other side.

But, in the four months since we started this new adventure, as my husband often points out: we ARE "living the dream." Our life here is amazing and we are thrilled with our home, our neighborhood and my son's school. I have found a wonderful church home where I can do what I love: write. Being closer to my parents is an absolute blessing, even better than I'd anticipated. It is everything we had hoped and prayed for--and more! God is so good. As my mom posted on our fridge when we first moved in: "He has done all things well."

Our new home has grass in the front and back yards. It's partly why I was so drawn to this house when we were shopping around.

I haven't had grass in the yard since we lived in Florida in 1998. Just being barefoot on the grass makes me feel like I am truly home.

I imagined how much fun the boys would have on it, running through the sprinkler, playing football and wrestling. They have done all of that.

My father-in-law recently brought his dog for a visit and seeing the boys play with the dog on our lawn made my heart so happy.

I love sitting on my swing and looking out over the grass, watching the birds in the trees and gazing at the Arizona-blue sky. It just feels right. Like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be.

Turns out, the grass IS greener here. I had always known it would be.

When Direct Sales Calls {part 2}

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

{To read part 1 of how direct sales called my name, click HERE}

....About a month ago, I realized that I HAD to find a job. I didn't have the luxury of treating another business like a hobby. I knew that whatever I did next HAD to be "it!" Even if it wasn't really "it," I was going to MAKE it "IT!" So I started soul searching and praying and trying to figure out my next move. Even as I started to pursue launching a brand new business idea of my own, I could still hear it....direct sales was calling.

So I started looking for a job. Not just any job....but a job where I was the boss and could write my own ticket, as they say. I wanted it to utilize my talents and abilities and make good use of my past experiences. For days, all I did was brainstorm ideas. What am I good at, what do people tell me I should do, what gets me excited, what would really make money?

Around that time, I attended a Christian Women in Business conference at a local church. My parents own a home painting business and I went representing them as their "color picker" but had an open mind as to other doors that God might be opening. In one of the break-out sessions, I was struck by the man who introduced the speaker. He was a long-time Arizona native and one of his many jobs was as a "business developer." I had a strong feeling that I needed to talk to him so I contacted his secretary and set up an appointment. Beforehand, I talked to my husband about my "dream job" and when I met with this gentleman, Jim, I told him about it. I told him that I love supporting women with their own businesses, I love planning and hosting events and I love networking. I also told him that I was ready to narrow my focus to ONE thing and really make a go of it.

Jim came up with a brilliant idea that involved me creating and launching my own business--something no one else was doing. I started telling people about it, making phone calls to set up my first event and pitched the idea to my family. I followed Jim's advice and read the books he recommended and purchased the domain name, too. {I hope, by the way, that someone would like to run with my idea someday because I'd be thrilled to give it away.} Ultimately, creating a business from scratch was terrible intimidating and when I told people about it, they were confused by my idea. I realized that I was even confused about what I was doing! So, I put it on the back burner and decided to wait a while before putting any more money into it.

In the meantime, I was still praying for God to open doors for me. At that Christian Women in Business conference, my mom and I shared a table with a realtor who belonged to a local networking group and she invited us to attend the next meeting. I wasn't able to go but my mom did. Besides having a great time, she met a lady who was also attending for the first time. This woman, Sherrian, happened to be THE Mary Kay lady of the retirement community only five miles away from our neighborhood.

My mom met with Sherrian soon after that for a Mary Kay skin care session and reported to me that I would love her when I met her. When she described Sherrian (a national trainer for Mary Kay who gave back to the community, had a beautiful home and happened to have her OWN networking group), I instantly thought, "She is who I want to be."

Mom and I attended Sherrian's networking group that next week. When they introduced me to the other 40-plus women in the room (all with a variety of businesses they owned), I told them about my business idea (the idea Jim had given me). Afterward, I met and chatted with Sherrian. She wished me luck with the business idea and said, "I can see you having your own networking group," and I told her that I actually wanted her life and that she was doing what I wanted to do! I told her about my passion for women and how I'd always dreamed of being a leader. I told her that I was going to pursue my other business idea...but that I definitely needed to make money in the meantime. She said, "Well, you need to do Mary Kay," and handed me their promotional flier for the business opportunity. She would later tell me that she just 'had a feeling' that she needed to share the business opportunity with me that night. Interesting.

So I mulled over the Mary Kay idea and when I went home and told my husband about what Sherrian said, he laughed. He'd heard that story before. I'd been tempted by the Mary Kay opportunity many, many times over the years, partly because I love their products and the company philosophies and partly because of the 50% profit. But I knew my husband was thinking, "Here she goes, launching yet another 'it' business," so I didn't pursue it any further. It almost seemed too obvious to do Mary Kay.

After that, my back-burner business idea still didn't take off. I was still searching. I attended a makeover event at Sherrian's house (which she used to help train the women on her team) and, once again, left thinking, "I could've done that better" and that I had an edge over all the consultants in the room. I knew direct sales, I knew skin care and makeup, I knew women and I even knew a lot about Mary Kay. My mom and grandmother also attended, and echoed my thoughts. "You could SO do that," my mom said.

Then I started thinking more and more about Mary Kay. I mentioned it again to my husband. I journaled and prayed. I studied the catalog. Was this really IT?!? Maybe just because it was obvious didn't mean it wasn't right.

{continue with part 3, coming soon!}

When Direct Sales Calls

2011-11-30T13:05:00.000-08:00

Tupperware, Mary Kay and Creative Memories were among the first home parties I attended and that was back in the 1990s. There would be a cute display of fun products. Women would eat, talk and visit with each other while flipping through the catalog. The consultant, all dressed up, would tell us about the company and the items she was selling. We'd play games, she'd give away prizes and she'd try to book more parties or recruit new team members. I realized that this woman was running her own business, with the benefit of being under the umbrella of a big, well-known company.

"Direct sales," as I discovered it was called, appealed to me from the beginning. I loved everything about it: shopping, hosting, meeting new people, eating, playing games and finding out about fun, new products. Even as a teenager, I could see myself being a consultant for a direct sales company.

In my twenties, I was known for hosting a home party several times a year and I rarely turned down an invitation to attend a friend's business launch or home party. I felt passionately about supporting these women and their businesses. Often, I would go to a party, observe the consultant the entire time and go home thinking, "I could have done that even better." I saw myself building a team, becoming a leader, earning prizes, making money and helping other women start a business of their own.

In fact, after having my first son in late 2005, I dabbled in a few direct sales businesses with some success. With Tupperware and Blessings Unlimited, I was happy just to get the starter kit. BUT, with Arbonne, Southern Living At HOME, and especially Cookie Lee jewelry, I told my husband each time, "This is THE company" and I set out to "work my business." I would get excited about it, have a launch party, hold a handful of big shows and even recruit a few people. I dreamed of moving up in the ranks and becoming a leader. But eventually, I always lost momentum and then got distracted and moved on to the next thing.

Still, my heart was in direct sales. From 2005 to 2010, I helped a friend with her daughter, did some writing, launched a ministry and ran an Etsy shop, all the while thinking, "Gosh, I just always thought I'd make it big in the direct sales industry."

From August 2009 to August 2010, my family took a break from life. We sold our home and rented near my husband's job. We stepped down from leadership at church, I shut down my Etsy shop and we enjoyed a slower pace. I did sign up for Melalueca and still enjoy ordering from them, especially their natural cleaning products. Other than writing, I didn't "work" and it was marvelous to take a break.

That summer, we fulfilled a long-time dream of living closer to my parents and moved into their neighborhood in Chandler, Arizona in time for our oldest son to start kindergarten at the nearby elementary school. After we got settled, bills began to pile up and reality set in: I needed a job. I had to make real money.

Looking back, I realize that being a stay-at-home mom to a young kid (or kids) meant that I could only dabble in direct sales as more of a hobby. It would have been nearly impossible to have treated any of my direct sales businesses as a real "job," without a nanny, personal assistant and/or maid.

Nevertheless, about a month ago, I realized that I HAD to find a job. I didn't have the luxury of treating another business like a hobby. I knew that whatever I did next HAD to be "it!" Even if it wasn't really "it," I was going to MAKE it "it!" So I started soul searching and praying and trying to figure out my next move. Even as I started to pursue launching a brand new business idea of my own, I could still hear it....direct sales was calling.

{keep reading in Part 2, coming soon!!}

Happy Birthday, Mom!

2011-11-20T05:00:00.001-08:00

{me & my mom yesterday, having a girls' day out}

When I found out that my one of my devotions for our church website was being published today, on my mom's birthday, I knew I had to pay her a tribute. Here it is.

Colossians 1:9-10 “For this reason we also, since the day we heard of it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Today, November 20th, is my mother’s birthday. My mom is one of the most extraordinary women I know and I am incredibly blessed to have her for a mother, friend and neighbor. Anyone who knows her would agree that she is creative, giving, fun-loving, beautiful, humble, gracious, godly and the best kind of nice. My mother throws quirky themed parties, gardens in her gorgeous back yard, gives thoughtful gifts, always looks put-together and exudes calm and happiness everywhere she goes. She can find the humor in any situation and lives every day to the fullest.

Sometimes people say that she lives a charmed life. We all know these people—the ones who seem to ‘have it all’ and whose life is rich, unique and maybe even enviable. But I know her secret.

My mother’s life is charming because it is by GOD’S design and because she pursues God’s will and God’s wisdom for her life at all times. She not only diligently prays and studies her Bible every day but she actually lives it out, too. One of her many life mottos is “Make your plans in pencil then hand God the eraser” from Proverbs 16:9 that says, “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” She seeks God’s will for her life first and trusts Him to take care of the rest. She asks God to lead her and she looks for guide posts everywhere, saying, “I’d rather be guilty of believing too much than too little.” She often says, “Life is good,” her paraphrase of John 10:10 where Jesus says, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” She is a living example of the fact that achieving a truly charmed life is not possible apart from being sold out to Jesus Christ and maintaining a moment-to-moment relationship with Him.

My mother has taught me the art of living well but it doesn’t end at hosting parties, cooking or accessorizing. Today we will be celebrating her at a Julie Child-inspired cooking class and brunch, wearing aprons and pearls and competing for a ‘best apron’ prize. I will make her a handmade card and inside I will write, “Thanks, Mom, for teaching me the real secret to living a charmed life: Jesus.”

I love to give these as gifts

2011-10-17T16:35:00.001-07:00

I enjoy having a small bowl or "dish" to place my rings and other jewelry in. I use one on top of my dresser for my wedding rings and frequently-worn earrings, one next to my kitchen sink for my rings when I'm washing dishes and I like to have one for guests when they spend the night.

They're also lovely for paperclips on your desk or to hold lemon slices at a tea party. You could even use one at each place setting at a dinner party to hold a pat of butter or a condiment.

When I started looking for them, I found them at Goodwill and other thrift stores for anywhere from 75 cents to no more than $3 each.

These make lovely, thoughtful and inexpensive gifts. They're easy to collect and keep on hand for a gift-giving occasion and they're small enough to tuck into a gift bag. See? The one I just found was only $1.49 at Goodwill.

Just check the bottom to make sure it isn't cheap ceramic or "made in China." It's fun to hunt for one in a friend's favorite color or that matches her decor.

The hard part will be not keeping them for yourself {and keeping your mom from stealing them from you--that's what mine did!}!

Everyone loves punch

2011-10-08T20:49:00.000-07:00

Here I am with my two dear friends, Chrissy and Rebekah, at Rebekah's baby shower today. We're so excited--she's having a GIRL!

My mom and I found her this funky outfit--no pastels here!! I made the flower (with a little touch of WILD) to go with it.

And where I come from, a shower just isn't a shower without punch.

I made this one with a can of raspberry lemonade concentrate watered down with a 2-liter of 7 Up and a bottle of raspberry sparkling water, with two containers of rainbow sherbet spooned over the top. That's ice from Sonic, by the way. Did you know they sell bags of ice for $2???

The soda and sherbet can be changed to achieve a different taste or color. For St. Patrick's Day, I do a can of limeade concentrate, 7 Up, a lime sparkling water and lime sherbet. It's hard to do punch wrong so just go for it!

Everyone loves punch. Make it for your next get-together and watch it disappear!

A tour of my new studio/craft room

2011-09-14T20:31:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my studio/craft room!

Let's enter the room to the left and move around clockwise, okee dokee?

Bookcase with my most-used books, including my NEW color theory and interior decorating books. The bookcase is the Billy from IKEA.

Teacup and apron collections.

Seating area. Scored the wicker chair at a garage sale for $7. The garden stool is my favorite color, I got it at Ross for about $30 (I was thrilled).

Artwork wall above the seating area, BEFORE I added more fun pieces! :)

And AFTER! "More is more" in this case! I scored the rose artwork for $5 on clearance at Target and the metal bike for $10 at Hobby Lobby to round out this wall. Yeeesss, the shadow box is still empty.

Another angle. With the 10-foot ceilings, we hung everything high. I think I like it! The little white shelf closely resembles my white chairs, I got it at Goodwill for less than $3.

Dresser and hutch. I took it out of the boys' bedroom. They don't need display space (or an excuse to climb up on the furniture).

Close-up of the tea station. I want to get a French press for my coffee-loving friends, too.

Hutch, screen and work table.

Day bed, temporary side table and new quilt. I was so happy to find a quilt that's pink and turquoise with a hint of green....WITH owls! I found it in the kids' department at Homegoods.

I love my IKEA day bed! It retailed for $99, is no longer available and I scored it on Craigslist for $75. I'd been eyeing it for several years and my husband got it for me as an anniversary gift in August.

Workspace and craft supplies. This table was a freebie from a friend that I painted green, then re-painted white. It's nice and big to spread out my projects, and to craft with a friend. I'm getting a lot more use out of my Southern Living at HOME silverware caddy now that I'm using it to hold art supplies and crafting tools. My boys enjoy sitting with me and coloring and drawing while I work, too, so I always keep their stuff accessible.

Crafting area with fabric and card-making supplies and Ott lamp. My photo storage boxes are indispensable for storing my craft projects (I've since added more). The framed cork board is from Homegoods. I'm going to use it to show clients potential color schemes.

I love the wicker "shelf" I found to display my favorite rubber stamps! It's easier this way for my friends to find the stamps they need for their projects, too (without digging through the ten pencil boxes I keep the rest of them in).

If you came in and closed the double doors, you'd see my bulletin board. This one will be purely functional so I wanted it to be hidden. As much as I'd love every square inch to look like a magazine, it DOES have to WORK!

And this room definitely WORKS!

I adore my new room! The wall color is "Tame Teal" by Sherwin Williams for anyone interested. Any other questions, just leave a comment!

Studio Sneak Peek

2011-08-25T17:25:00.000-07:00

My space in our new house is going to be soooo much more than "just" a craft room so I'm trying to get use to calling it..."My Studio." Wait 'til you see this room! When we toured this house, my heart skipped a beat when I saw this space.

My wonderful hubby trimmed out the ceiling paint last night (while I was out galavanting with my mom at the mall!) and I'm waiting on him to do the baseboard before I load up my big pieces of furniture.

In the meantime, however, I am making some progress! Here's a sneak peek!

{studio seating area}

{fabric}

{tea tray}

I hope to reveal the whole thing (as a work in progress, of course) VERY soon!

Paint Matters

2011-07-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

We moved.

Our new place is AMAZING. I feel like I'm living in someone else's beach house for the weekend (and enjoying every minute of it) but Monday, I'm gonna have to go back home. It's a little surreal.

In a new place, you get a lesson on accentuating the positive. This place has 10 ft. ceilings, a reeeaaalllly wide front hallway, fabulous 18" tile floors, lovely kitchen counters (granite and Caesar stone!) and big, light-filled rooms. I told you--lots of positives! And the previous owners painted it...Dog Puke Yellow. It was a dirty, mustard-y, lifeless, brownish yellow. No redeeming qualities and didn't do this beautiful house any favors.

So! My first order of business: PAINT.

Thankfully, my dad is a long-time professional painter and my husband has a lot of practice painting interiors. I did not hesitate to put them to work. I just could not abide the yellow. And our time-frame allowed us to paint for two days before the actual moving process started. Painting an empty house is the way to go.

And now for some before and afters!

I will be tweaking this house for...well, probably for as long as we live here! So this is just the 1st of MANY "afters!"

{paint color details appear at the end of this post}

The dining area, BEFORE. I knew I wanted to give this space a little "wow" because it gets nice light and frames the backyard view. Our rental had no back yard so you know I'm appreciating this one!

AFTER. My only accent wall, painted in "Aqueduct," with our dining room table and chairs. I envision bamboo shades for these windows. Someday I may paint the table and chairs black.

A different look. These were the cookies waiting for Andrew when he arrived home from school after his first day of kindergarten!

My baby started school! Sniff, sniff. As cute as he is, all I'm looking at are the wall colors behind him!

Kitchen BEFORE. To me, the paint color just makes the cabinets and counters disappear.

(almost) AFTER kitchen. Our new color makes the taaaallll cabinets stand out and compliments the Caesar stone counters. It wasn't trimmed out yet, nor was the ceiling done. I'll add that "after" ASAP!

Pantry was just dingy! BEFORE...

...and AFTER. Just gave it a cleaning and two coats of "Swiss Coffee" white. The paint was trimmed out around the outside at this point, too, which really helps.

Looking from front door, BEFORE. This was from the MLS listing.

...AFTER. I envisioned our turquoise sideboard here, I think it will stay. Just needs some artwork above and accessorizing.

The hall looking toward the front door, BEFORE.

The hall, AFTER.

I adore the bright, light, airy feel! Plus it's still very neutral, so we can add more fun colors to the mix. I'm very excited about personalizing our space! Stay tuned!

INTERESTED IN THE PAINT COLORS? "Sea Salt" walls (eggshell), "Crystal Clear" ceiling (flat) and "Swiss Coffee" trim (satin). All Sherwin Williams.

The three paint colors together.

And in natural light.

More to come!!

Moving On

2011-07-23T00:24:00.001-07:00

My dear friend Chrissy keeps asking me, "Can you believe it!?? Can you believe what God did??? Can you believe you're finally moving?!!?"

The short answer? NO.

My dad is helping us paint the interior of our new house and he put a sign advertising his business in our front yard then he and my mom secretly attached two balloons to it. One balloon says "Welcome Home!" and the other one has the verse "Nothing is Impossible With God."

That pretty much sums it up.

Obstacle after obstacle has been overcome to bring us into our new Pleasant Place. We will be moving in this weekend (not to mention preparing for Andrew to start kindergarten on Monday!) so I'll save the whole story for next week.

Moving in July in Phoenix during a heatwave. God sure has a sense of humor. Maybe He likes to see us sweat.

*photo from fivestrideskateshop.com

Beat the Heatwave Summer Strawberry Facial

2011-07-18T12:28:00.001-07:00

Got some strawberries "on their way out?"

Put them to good use! Overly-ripe, mushy (but not rotten) strawberries work best.

This is one of my favorite facials--it leaves your skin tingly and refreshed. Fabulous after a long day in the heat! You could even make it in the morning then store it in the fridge to apply later in the day. Aaaahhhh. Perfect to pamper yourself or for a girls' night in.

You will need 4 very ripe strawberries and 2 drops of peppermint essential oil.

The fruit enzymes will slough way dead skin while the essential oil will refresh and perk up your complexion. The peppermint oil is so invigorating!

Instructions: mash the strawberries and press through a mesh strainer or squeeze through cheesecloth or (clean) panty hose. Catch the juice in a small bowl. You could even use the leftover pulp in a smoothie while you're at it! Then add the essential oil to the juice and blend. Apply to face and neck with a saturated cotton square and massage into skin for about 1 minute (avoiding the eyes!). Rinse with cool water. Enjoy!

I Heart Turquoise

2011-07-08T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've been wearing turquoise for most of my life. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, I've always loved it. I think it's because it's beachy (I grew up in Florida), clean and vibrant. It makes me feel relaxed and energized at the same time. It's fun that it can go with green, orange, red, pink and a variety of other colors.

At the house we lived in for seven years, however, my color scheme was taupe, paprika and sage green (as you can see here).

No turquoise. My earth tones needed some sky!

Then my husband was working for a Chinese imports store and brought THIS turquoise sideboard home. HELLO!!

(see my old "paprika" wall??)

"But that doesn't go with anything!" I despaired. I thought he was nuts-o but it quickly grew on me. Now it's one of my favorite pieces of furniture EVER. Eventually I started adding more turquoise to our decor.

Like this Southern Living At HOME (now Willow House, which I am currently a rep for) painting that I got on clearance. I adore the colors.

Here they are together in our former dining area.

I like the turquoise piece better in the rental with the "fresh guacamole" paint! That's more of the direction we'll be going in our next place. I love the turquoise pitcher, too, of course.

I also spray painted my patio set turquoise. It really jazzed it up!

AND did a DIY artwork trio in shades of turquoise to brighten up our living space.

You can find the artwork tutorial HERE.

I FINALLY got my true turquoise fix when I went CRAZY and painted my former craft room Glidden's "True Turquoise."

With Glidden's "Orange Slice?" Divine! And inspiring for a creative space!

I am DEFINITELY looking forward to showcasing my love of turquoise as we decorate our next house--which we will be closing on two weeks from today! Wahoo!!

Looking for a MAJOR turquoise fix and oodles of gorgeous design inspiration?? Head on over to House of Turquoise. Talk about eye candy!! I've spent hours on this site. You'll be addicted, too!

QUESTION: What color do you looooove?? How does it make you feel?

I'm a Fertility Nut + giveaway

2011-07-03T19:07:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the FREEDOM to be myself and pursue my passion. Published today on my God Knits blog.

I'm getting used to the Fertility Nut title. It's a little strange, being "known" for something. I've recently come to a point where there's no turning back. And now, I don't want to. I want to embrace it.

Friends often introduce me by saying, "This is my friend, Tabitha. She's a fertility nut." Women typically respond in one of two ways: they stare blankly, nod their heads politely and try to change the subject...OR, they blush a little, edge over to within whispering distance and begin a question with, "OK, I just have to ask you..."

Hardly a week goes by that I don't receive an e-mail, Facebook message or text that starts with, "Sorry this is TMI, but..."

I get so excited when messages start out that way. Really.

I can be innocently eating cake at a family birthday party, pushing my son on a swing at the park or rolling the dice at Bunco and I find myself learning details about a woman's sex life, menstrual cycle or cervical fluid, answering questions about birth control, breastfeeding or ovulation and hearing stories about someone who is pregnant, had a miscarriage or just had a baby.

And I enjoy hearing stories and fielding questions.

"Should we be having sex every day I'm fertile or every-other-day?"

"How long did you nurse your boys?"

"What was your first postpartum period like?"

"What're you supposed to do about a clogged milk duct?"

"How far along were you when you miscarried?"

"How long do sperm survive?"

"Did you ever use an ovulation predictor kit?"

"How long does it take to get back to normal after I stop taking the Pill?"

You get the idea. There is no such thing as TMI anymore. I'm like a doctor: I've heard it all.

And I LOVE IT.

Every new question or situation is a challenge and gets my heart pounding. It's a thrill to teach women about their bodies, read up on the latest fertility research, give out "how to get pregnant" tips, share my miscarriage or pregnancy stories, decode fertility charts and advise people on breastfeeding issues.

It's just as much fun as crafting (which is what I USE to be known for)...except it's better, because it really truly helps people and has the potential to change lives forever.

When someone approaches me with, "We're going to start trying to get pregnant and I wanted to ask you..." I actually get chills.

I told ya, it's nutty.

This IS my passion and I want to grow into the Fertility Nut title. It's a bit surreal, being branded and being the "go-to" ANYthing. It's a lot of pressure! And it's personal--for them AND for me.

As a niche, or a "thing" in life, it's kind of...weird. Fertility involves bodily functions, intimacy between couples, birth, hormones and all sorts of private information. There are still people who think these matters should be kept hush-hush.

But I have walked side by side with several women courageously trying to get pregnant after a miscarriage. I have had the priviledge of being asked to pray for a baby even before it was conceived. I have witnessed births. I have heard the stories of abortion, sexual abuse and struggles with PCOS and the way God has used those situations to bring about redemption.

This stuff matters. It needs to be talked about and addressed. Women need the support, encouragement and camaraderie that comes from sharing our stories and our experiences.

Women need ME and what I have to offer. God has allowed me to walk this journey and it is time for me to honor that by taking God Knits to the next level. That is all at once humbling, thrilling and terrifying.

This is important. This is who I am. This is part of the Pleasant Place God has placed me in (Psalm 16:6).

I'm Tabitha and I'm a Fertility Nut.

You better get use to it.

........................................

{Read my Becoming a Fertility Nut story HERE}.

If you want to maximize your fertility or need one-on-one fertility coaching, e-mail me at tabandrew(at)hotmail.com for more information.

GIVEAWAY!!!! I will give away one copy of my favorite fertility-related book, "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" by Toni Weschler {on Amazon}.

TO ENTER, simply leave a comment to this post answering the question "Which area of fertility interests you most: pregnancy, the Fertility Awareness Method, birth control, breastfeeding, miscarriage, nutrition...{or one I didn't name}?"

Applauding Today

2011-06-25T17:51:00.000-07:00

I JUST found out that it's Applause Day!

I discovered Join The Applause on Holy Experience and it sounded cool, so I dove right in!

It's all about giving thanks to our Creator and having gratitude--one of the biggest parts of living in my Pleasant Place.

I love their tagline.... "Gratitude Changes Everything."

I'll be snapping a picture or two at sunset today in Laveen, Arizona...stay tuned!!

EDITED TO ADD...I just returned from snapping these pictures and while I was at the end of my block, I noticed a stone wall at the corner, PERFECT for watching the sun set over the field! I am inspired to do that more often!

1,000 Gifts: #587-638

2011-06-20T12:54:00.001-07:00

I visited the Pacific Ocean for the first time this past weekendin the San Diego/La Jolla areas!! Our family went with my mom and two of my sisters-in-law. We had a perfectly wonderful time! It was such a blessing to "get away from it all" and make new memories.

587:: Andrew's first time in the ocean at 11 o' clock at night right after we pulled into town.

590:: Ethan is his giant sandbox

593:: Dad helping Andrew be brave

599:: The whole family building a sand castle

604:: My mom coming along, foot loose and fancy free!

610:: Sisters-in-law

615:: amazing views

616:: Making a homeless man's day when we asked him to take this picture.

617:: toes in the sand = bliss

620:: time for Thomas Uno

623:: Drew with his boys on Father's Day

625:: my handsome beach bum in his hat

626:: Ladies' lunch at a charming beach cafe

630:: Making memories with my son

632: Andrew's appreciation of the small things. He wanted to find a feather for the tower on the sand castle like he'd seen on Max & Ruby.

633:: Ethan's appreciation of the small things. It was seaweed but he thought it looked like a lobster claw and was chomping us with it!

634:: Thinking maybe I helped teach my boys to see and appreciate the small things, like feet in the Pacific Ocean for the first time.

635:: The van making it there and back perfectly. That was after a driver's side window problem the night before that Drew banged with his fist to fix it.

638:: Having a mom who is also my best friend and a wonderful travel companion.

The best part is, everyone was healthy and well and everything went smoothly. It's a miracle and I will appreciate it as such. AND, my writing job made it all possible. Thanks, Boss!

Visit more entries here: Holy Experience

My First Virtual Inspiration Board!

2011-06-13T00:19:00.001-07:00

This was my first attempt at creating a virtual design inspiration board and it was a blast!! This will definitely help me plan my future craft room space in our next house. I think I'm addicted to Polyvore!! ACK!!

Tab's Craft Room by proudgrits11 on Polyvore.com

SOLD 6601 - Shabby Pink Linen French Slipper Chair - $625 - The Bella...
$625 - thebellacottage.com

ikea EXPEDIT
$129 - ikea.com

Crystal Chandeliers | LampsPlus.com
lampsplus.com

1,000 Gifts: #550-586

2011-06-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Just another mothering clique that I discover is true (over and over and over again): the time goes by so fast.

This week, I took Andrew for his kinder testing (a quick, informal skills assessment to help the teachers create the class lists) and watched him walk down the hall, holding the hand of a strange woman as they chatted about Star Wars and Legos like old friends. It gave my heart a little practice run for that first week of kindergarten.

This was him, just five-and-a-half years ago:

And this weekend after he pulled out his first tooth, ten minutes after discovering it was loose.

I was telling my mom on the phone, "He was eating pizza and said, 'Mommy, this pizza made my tooth wobbly!'" when he came bounding down the stairs WITH the tooth! "He pulled it out!" I exclaimed. My mom later commented what I had been thinking: wasn't I JUST calling to tell her he CUT his first tooth?? Where does the time go??

This is why we take pictures. And why we record gifts.

554:: still tweaking out grace-based parenting philosophy

555:: not constantly pining for a night out...but getting one, and enjoying it, anyway

559:: housework done and time leftover to play

564:: Ethan climbing into my lap with a book and saying, "Mommy, I wanna book."

567:: finally scoring the exfoliating orange blossom/apricot body wash I'd been wanting

570:: yummy, fruity popcicles

572:: a husband who encourages me to take some time to myself

574:: Andrew pulling his first tooth

577:: brothers playing together

579:: losing an hour when I dozed off next to Ethan on Sunday afternoon

582:: "coincidentally" having an extra flower with me to donate to the church youth group raffle

584:: Ethan's first Sunday in the 2s class at church. He went right in like he owned the place and reportedly had a great time!

586:: Ethan saying, "It's time for bed, Mommy" with his pouty little lips {and hoping I'd stay}.

View more entries at Holy Experience

1,000 Gifts: #226-500+ Catching Up

2011-05-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

My list has grown and grown and grown {even though I haven't been posting them here as often}.

I've already reached the half-way point!! {I'm actually up to #550--wow!}.

Here are some highlights:

261:: sleeping with the covers pulled all the way up

285:: introducing Andrew to the Star Wars triology

314:: Divinely inspired ideas: rain, rainbows & sun!

347:: having a fellow Etsian make crocheted flowers for my God Knits event

370:: a hot cup of orange jasmine tea on a damp, cold day

381:: A Day Out With Thomas and riding in the front car--magical!

393:: Ethan's first hair trim {and baby curls that come back}

413:: covering my craft room chairs in "Happy All Over" fabric

416:: closing down my Etsy shop for good. Aaaah, freedom!

430:: a reliable mechanic within walking distance

453:: trying out vegetarian recipes

468:: no anxiety!

475:: getting hired to make "real money"

488:: Drew's weight loss

505:: an Easter gift of undies tucked into a green coffee mug

511:: putting in offers on TWO houses in my parent's neighborhood

526:: having mature friends who don't escalate an already-uncomfortable situation

545:: embracing the waiting-to-hear-news-on-the-house phase

For more entries, visit Holy Experience

Living to Tell The Tale

2011-05-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

See this gal? Her name is Chrissy. She's even more adorable in person. She gives people (women) underwear as gifts. She treats people (again, women) to pedicures on a weekly basis. She lives her life FAST but would drop everything to help a friend.

We were neighbors for five years, have played Bunco together for over six years and have worked together off and on for three years. She is one of my dearest friends and favorite people, is a blast to spend time with, is authentic and down-to-earth, is an amazing woman of God and is THE MOST giving person I have ever known. My kids adore her. I call her my Fairy Godmother.

This was us at the baby shower she threw for me in May 2009.

What you can't tell from this picture is that, earlier that day, her son accidentally hit her in the head with a soccer ball and she almost blacked out. She was miserable the rest of the day. It was just one of many early clues (along with persistent migraines, flu-like symptoms and vision problems) that landed her in an MRI machine a few weeks later, afterwhich she received the news that would change her life forever: she had a brain tumor the size of a racquetball and it was fatal.

Her greatest fear was dying young and leaving her kids to be raised by someone else. Thirty years old and she had to face her biggest fear.

Later the same day, she learned that it was not fatal after all and two days later, she underwent an operation to remove it. What took place over the course of those two days (and during the months of her recovery, and beyond) could fill a book. And she's working on writing the book right now!

Her diagnosis and surgery was two years ago. She celebrates life every day and feels honored to have walked the path God chose for her--and she is just starting to tell her stories.

This is her brand new blog that I helped her with. I think it's adorable (just like her)!!
Chrissy Calderwood.com

I hope you'll check it out! I encourage you to leave a comment--it will make her day!

A Wake-Up Call

2011-04-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

It was one of those moments that I remember every once in a while and it still gives me a knot in my stomach.

It was about 1997 and I was driving home from the community college I was attending in Jacksonville, Florida when I turned onto a busy highway. Next thing I knew, a truck with a very angry man driving was motioning for me to put my window down. He proceeded to yell at me as his wife sat in the passenger seat, avoiding eye contact.
"Wake your a@$ up! You ran me off the road back there!!!" I apologized profusely (as he continued to berate me), rolled my window up and cried all the way home, part embarrassed, part shocked.

I had no idea I'd cut him off.

I am a careful driver, never aggressive. I've never intentionally cut someone off or run them off the road! Had my wind been wandering?? Had he been in my blind spot?? Had I glanced at the on-coming traffic and just not seen him??

I look back at my life almost three years ago and how God started shining His light into my darkest places.

Before that, I spent a lot (A LOT) of time obsessing about what people thought about me. I mentally re-played past conversations and rehearsed future conversations. I ran possible future scenarios through my mind (which some may call "worry"). When things got tough, I absorbed myself in fixing my friends' problems, entertainment, fiction writing or anything else I could to not face what was really bothering me. I was great at running away from reality. I kissed a lot of boys but never had a boyfriend. Why? To stay in control and keep everyone at a distance. I played the part of the "nice girl" but was screaming on the inside.

When my friends and I took a psychology class in high school and heard about "repressing" memories and emotions, we actually joked about how much we did it. "Oooo, I'll definitely be repressing THAT one!" Ha, ha, haa....a-hem. Not funny.

I didn't really know myself. I wasn't confronting my emotions. I went through life following protocol and trying not to upset anyone. And I wondered why my stomach was always in knots and why my hands and feet were outrageously sweaty all the time.

Three years ago, I started a very slow waking-up process. What should have been a cut and dry miscarriage turned into a spiritual crisis and a major turning point in my life. Unexplainable fear and anxiety became a way of life. I didn't feel like myself anymore. At first it was because I felt anxious and fearful. Eventually, even once the anxiety had passed and I felt better, I just felt like I was on sensory overload, or like I was extra-sensitive to EVERYthing. I couldn't turn my mind off and looked for the spiritual in every moment of every day. Getting over my fear and anxiety became my obsession. It was all I thought about.

God was taking up residence in every part of my life. He was leaving no stone unturned. No more repression, no more denial. Changing my mind . Facing the truth.

There were times that I wished I could have turned it off. Can't I go one day without a spiritual revelation?? Can I just go to Target or take a shower without feeling like God is trying to teach me something??

I'd say something like, "I just want to feel like my old self again," and I'd be reminded that I didn't really WANT to ever go back to feeling like my old self. My old self believed lies. My old self was a people-pleaser. My old self obsessed and had "theories" and was an opinionated, insecure jerk sometimes.

One of my major turning points was realizing that by obsessing over how to overcome fear and anxiety, I was still focusing on fear and anxiety. So I started focusing on joy, peace, freedom and happiness instead. I obsessively focused on the grace, goodness and kindness of God. Instead of reading scripture about persecution, trials and fear, I read stories of redemption, power and healing. I started focusing more on gratitude.

And suddenly, I started feeling better, too. I was sweaty less and my stomach steadied. Amazing.

Looking back, I probably was lost in my own thoughts that day as I pulled into traffic and cut that guy off. I really did need to WAKE UP.

Being awake means feeling more, making more mistakes and reprioritizing your life even if it makes some people unhappy. It also means living in the moment. And I wouldn't trade that for anything.

"The Crafter's Haven" {feedback needed!}

2011-04-08T15:55:00.001-07:00

Over the course of almost 15 years, I've dreamed of starting my own "brick and mortar" business, from opening an herb store to starting a Montessori preschool with my mom to running a tea room and gift shop. I think I've finally settled on a good idea, and I think there's a need for it.

Lately, I've been noticing a trend. Women NEED a place to go.

* Moms need a quiet place to go (that doesn't obligated them to spend $10 on food or $5 on a drink) to use their laptop, read a book, meet a friend, chat with a client or business associate, knit or just unwind.

{like this}

{or this}

* Crafters love to craft but rarely have a designated crafting space so they never get a project going or commandeer the dining room table for weeks on end with their project. Plus they may not have the tools they need to do what they want (like paper punches, a Cricut, a sewing machine, etc.).

{the one below caters to quilters and is located in Toronto}.

* Women want to teach something they know or learn something they've always wanted to know but don't have a place to do it. Someone loves teaching couponing but doesn't have anywhere to do it, or she's always wanted to know how to get her family on a cash budget but doesn't know where to go to learn.

* Ladies want to do things like host a direct sales home party, start a Bunco club, throw a kid's birthday party, etc. but don't want to use their own home because it means all the prep work of cleaning and preparing, plus kicking their family out for the night.

* Talented women are already crafting but don't have anywhere to market or display their wares. Or maybe they want to set up an Etsy shop but need someone to sit with them to teach them.

I want to offer a place to accomplish all of this!!

{like this}

Here's my vision.

"A Crafter's Haven."

It would be girly, bright, colorful, clean and welcoming.

This space resembles what I have in mind (a conveniently-located store-front in a strip mall, easy in and easy out, where you could drop in for ten minutes to grab a gift or spend an entire Saturday working on a project).

I've been inspired by designer Heather Bailey's studio for a long time. I would model my space after this clean, bright, colorful, girly look she has going.

I could help support fellow craftswomen with a consignment area of carefully selected handcrafted items, too {similar to picture below}.

To start with, we'd have a monthly calendar of events, from craft how-tos to practical classes on a wide range of women-specific topics.

The rest of the time would be "open studio time" where crafters could come in to work, using our supplies and machines, or bringing their own from home. We'd have plenty of space for cutting and piecing quilts, spreading out scrapbooking layouts or working on a craft project with a friend.

It would be a woman's home away from home. A spot to craft (paper crafts, needle crafts, sewing, quilting) and a place to sit and read a book (possibly like this)...

{except mine would have a blue tufted chair!}

...enjoy a beverage, chat with a friend, meet with a client, hold a meeting, host a party, teach a class or take a class.

{like this...and notice the coffee station on the right}

There would be a small semi-contained area for kids, too, so that moms have the option of bringing their children with them while they work (or play). Imagine something like the picture below, only with the picket fence around the perimeter....

...and lots of kiddy craft supplies!!

My passion is "putting women in their place" and I love the idea of helping women accomplish their goals and pursue their dreams, just by giving them some help, some tools and a place to do it. My business tag-line could be, "It's my business doing pleasure with you." Talk about mixing business with pleasure!!

{my space would be painted turquoise with plenty of white, too!}

As for me, this idea would incorporate every job I've ever had, all of my favorite things and all the stuff I'm already doing--just on a much bigger and more official scale!! I'd like to offer craft classes, of course, and fill custom craft orders but beyond that, I can see myself using the space for my own projects, like offering instruction on how to set up and run an Etsy shop, small business networking events, community fundraisers, party planning and much more!

Our biggest challenges now are finding a place, getting funding (duh!) and figuring out how to have the place actually make consistent money on a daily basis. I'm working on my business plan now and have already gotten prices on a few different store-fronts in south Phoenix. I'm excited! :)

I am looking for people to fill out an informal market survey for me! Interested?? E-mail me at tabandrew(at)hotmail.com with "survey" in the subject line. Thank you!!

My craft room!! {and Spring fabric flowers}

2011-04-01T12:13:00.000-07:00

Seven months after moving in and with my Etsy shop in "vacation mode" so I can have a breather, I FINALLY have my craft room how I want it!! And I get to use and enjoy it just for ME!!

The bookcase of crafting supplies:

My craft table, with actual space to WORK! {but why do I usually end up working on the couch instead??}

Bookcase & SPRING banner I made {and, yes, I usually have company in there!}:

My helpers!

{notice that I re-covered the chairs in "Happy All Over" fabric, which matches the two fabric bins!!}

I enjoy working in here to much more now!!

SO MUCH in fact that I went on a little "flower making binge" last night!! A veritable garden!!! {under my Ott light, so the colors are very "true"}

QUITE CONTRARY fabric {love the pink and green, especially gingham}

{fun polka dots!}

From Raspberry Creek on Etsy Such yummy fabrics!!

SPRING STREET fabric {rain drops, birds, flowers--love it!!}

From Venezie Designs on Etsy Delightful to buy from!

E-mail me if you'd like to purchase anything, all flowers are $6 and can be made on a hair clip or brooch pin! tabandrew(at)hotmail.com

BRING ON SPRING!

1,000 Gifts: #201-225

2011-02-08T11:33:00.000-08:00

I haven't done an official list of gifts since late November but my gratitude journal has surely grown!

I also finally picked up

"One Thousand Gifts" and read the entire thing in a day. It is AMAZING. I have joined the book club through {in}courage as well. Ann's book is truly transforming. I highly recommend it.

I have started a new journal to go along with the book, so I can add to it with my gifts as I come and go. By the end of the day, I have already forgotten some things! But now I'll be writing it there AND publishing it here.

201:: downy blond hair on a pudgy, pale baby body

202:: a well-equipped guest room for my hubby's friends

203:: nursing snuggly under a blanket

204:: Andrew's adventures with Nana and Papa. "Nana, you have the best ideas," he tells her. McDonald's and Target ARE great ideas.

205:: new monkey pajamas for my monkey

206:: an all-pink, girly baby shower

207:: browsing stores and not spending any money

208:: Superbowl Sunday at Sarah's

209:: an impromptu visit from a friend

210:: a friend to talk to and a friend who listens

211:: extra dishes to wash

212:: a house full of people, noise and laughter

213:: winter in Arizona

214:: a woman at church who wants to share her miscarriage story

215:: an unexpected "I love you" from a friend

216:: texts with pictures of my 8-week-old nephew

217:: lots of laundry

218:: winning a contest that allowed me to buy Ann's book

219:: my fortune: "You will soon see a miracle."

220:: Ann's book, addressing JOY

221:: how God plants ideas in our minds before we can ever guess why

222:: Andrew noticing beautiful women (one in a head rap and sari, one in a long dress, one wearing red high heels)

223:: Ethan saying, "Hi, Mom! Hi, Baby! Hi, Dad!"

224:: kabobs on the grill, oven fries, stuffed mushrooms and rootbeer

225:: Etsy customers that understand mistakes

For more entries, visit A Holy Experience "Multitude Monday"

My first snow!

2011-01-13T10:10:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that I went 33 years without ever playing in the snow??

My first time was this past weekend in Flagstaff, Arizona and it was marvelous. The best part? I could sled without worrying about falling because the snow was so soft that it didn't hurt! And fall I did. Sometimes I fell down just because I was laughing so hard. It was enchanting.

My hubby made this gigantic snowball. This was the view from the back of the cabin!

It was Ethan's first time, too. He liked walking in it but wouldn't wear gloves and HATED having snow on his hands. He stayed inside with my grandmother a lot.

Andrew (in back) must have gone down the sled "run" 200 times. Mostly the cousins rode together. We're so pleased that they will always have this trip as a fun memory.

The only downside was the loooong walk back UP the sled run and trying to hold the darn string while wearing gloves!

They caught some serious air!

Andrew got Drew with a few snowballs, too.

Ain't much cuter than a baby in footy pajamas eating pancakes for breakfast! I can't believe my baby is 20 months old now!!

I think the snow looks good on me. I was excited to get to wear the J. Jill coat I bought on clearance last year. Drew picked out the teal boots for me :)

The boys with the snowman my mom and I made.

And the best part? Quality time as a family.

Put me down as a big snow fan. Especially when we could play in it for two days then return to the 50-degree weather in the valley!

Christmas songs that aren't {but should be}

2010-12-23T16:10:00.001-08:00

While not officially "Christmas songs," they certainly tell the Christmas story! Enjoy.

"How Many Kings?" by Downhere. "All for me...all for you."

"How He Loves Us" by David Crowder Band. Christmas is truly all about the loooove. Let this one sink in, sisters. His affections are truly great for us.

Less talk, more pictures

2010-12-21T16:30:00.000-08:00

We are just loving life these days! Besides being in a new house, the perfect Arizona winter weather, the boys being at wonderful ages to really enjoy the festivities, my nephew being born, my grandmother being in town...we are feeling extraordinarily blessed!!

So rather than yack about it, here are some of my favorite pictures from this holiday season so far.

Andrew telling Santa what he wants for Christmas at my friend Chrissy's annual Santa party.

Our family at the party.

The hubs and me, headed out for his company Christmas dinner. It was a fantastic, and much-needed, night out.

My mom and I fulfilling our new goal: to cook and bake together more often!

The boys decorating their gingerbread train on a rainy day (before it collapsed and we ate it).

The JOY pillow I scored at our church women's ministry Christmas party. Yes, I actually took this right off the host's couch. She insisted. Joy is, after all, my WORD for 2011.

My mom and grandmother toasting with the monogrammed wine glasses I got them. Andrew joined in, too.

We're just loving every moment of this holiday season!

More to come....

1,000 Gifts #151-200 Happy Birthday {to ME!}

2010-11-29T13:35:00.001-08:00

I think 33 sounds like a wonderful age to be!

I have so much to be thankful for this year. I am feeling extraordinarily grateful for the year behind me and VERY excited about what my 33rd year holds!

I am, as I always do, throwing myself a birthday party tonight to include lighting wood in my NEW fire pit, enjoying Chinese take-out food, eating pies (yes, plural) from Village Inn (I don't like Thanksgiving pie, so I waited!), playing Yahtzee and just hanging out with a few of my loved ones.

As much as I love celebrating my birthday, I'm super-excited about getting on with the rest of the year!

I've decided that my theme word for 2011 (11 is my favorite number!) is JOY and I asked my guests to bring items for me that will bring me JOY. Tonight begins Advent, too, so I'll be kicking that off at my party with the first installment from the "Jesse Tree Advent Devotional" from Holy Experience

I love this time of year!

November is THE CRAZIEST MONTH of the year for us. Of the 21 people that came to my son's 5th birthday party on Saturday, NINE of us have November birthdays. That's almost half! Wow-za. So, while I've kept up my pen-and-paper list, here's the latest for my cyber version:

151:: my vision for Thanksgiving coming to life {my mother-in-law and her sister just relaxing and being together}

152:: ladies' brunch for nine going perfectly

153:: pink gerber daisies from Drew, just "because"

154:: footie pajamas on my 18-month-old

155:: Grandma time for the boys

156:: crafting with my mother-in-law and sister-in-law in the treehouse room

157:: using Andrew's blue watercolor artwork to make bookmarks

158:: a new pink jacket

159:: staying in one booth at the antique store for half an hour

160:: a doily embroidered with a "D"

161:: milk glasses

162:: cousins having a blast

163:: a messy house

164:: The Dumas siblings, spouses and children all under one roof

165:: celebrating nine years ago, when Drew and I met at Aunt Sharon's and Uncle Charlie's the day before Thanksgiving

166:: goody bags for the ladies, paid for with my writing job

167:: getting all the shopping done beforehand

168:: 62 degrees in the house and wearing my pink fuzzy robe

169:: not throwing up like I did a year ago

170:: praying over my 5-year-old son, thanking God for 5 perfect years and expecting amazing blessing in the next 5

171:: coffee, coffee and more coffee {thank God for our Kuerig!}

172:: marrying into a family with three sisters, and adding another one this year

173:: being appreciated for working hard at making people feel special

174:: accepting that God created me to enjoy making people feel special

175:: thanking God for giving me the resources it took to pull this week off

176:: being a list maker who can get it all done

177:: feeling perfectly well, despite every reason to feel stressed

178:: football, Taco Bell and a nap on Sunday

179:: Andrew's birthday gifts being a big hit

180:: Drew and his brother orchestrating the party treasure hunt

181:: Lego creations

182:: group hugs with Ethan

183:: deep, peaceful sleep

184:: a warm, cozy home

185:: new make-up and feeling pretty

186:: Andrew's arm just being a sprain

187:: two rainbows in one day

188:: NOT spending our refund money on getting Andrew's arm casted

189:: a Gators birthday party

190:: a successful family photo shoot in beautiful weather

191:: three lovely handmade scarves from Mrs. Braddock

192:: the boys bouncing and bouncing

193:: A&W rootbeer floats and Long John Silver fish

194:: surrender

195:: trust

196:: serving a faithful God

197:: not living by a spiritual check-list

198:: freedom from over-analyzing

199:: freedom from fear

200:: free to live in JOY

For more entries, visit Holy Experience

TLC Creations grand opening & giveaway

2010-11-23T14:41:00.000-08:00

Introducing...my new Etsy shop!

I partnered up with my dear friend, Chrissy. She does EVERYthing...I just do the Etsy part!

This is us at the baby shower she threw for me in April of '09. She's on the left, obviously.

This was about two weeks before she underwent surgery to have a brain tumor removed {no kidding}.

Her story is amazing but we'll save that for another time! :)

Suffice it to say, she is an amazing woman and a person I aspire to be more like. I'm glad she's here and healthy and I am thrilled to be working with her again!!

TLC Creations stands for Tuesday & Logan Calderwood, her two kids. I love those kids!!

She has this amazing vinyl machine called "Roland."

She creates just about anything you can think of and prints it on the vinyl to use as a decal, sticker or label or to apply to clothing with her heat press.

Here she is, working at the "studio."

We used the "Grimes" above for this newborn hat for my nephew-to-be. Precious!

These name labels can be used for a million things. The vinyl sticks beautifully to paper, of course, but is also great to use on your laptop, ipod or cell phone case.

They're great for a baby shower gift, too, for moms to use to label their baby's bottles, wipes case and other belongings.

Kids love to use them to personalize their school supplies and water bottles.

These can be done in ANY team colors and with a soccer ball, baseball, football, etc.!

The possibilities for shirts are endless. This is Andrew's birthday shirt (my son, who turns 5 on Nov. 26). He's Andrew IV so I couldn't resist adding the 4!

The listing has all the details for the choices you have.

custom number shirt

We can do ANY number or letter. Tons of fonts are available, and tons of colors.

I happen to love these black onesies, for a boy or girl, with an initial inside a circle. So dadgum cute. Colors are totally customizable.

White is available, too. These are a HUGE hit at baby showers!

There's even a blue camo onesie available. My sister-in-law liked the one we made for my nephew-to-be!

CHRISTMAS ITEMS WERE JUST ADDED!!

How cute are these address labels??? Cactus or snowman.

And I LOVE these customized "To & From" labels for your Christmas gifts! Can be applied to presents or goody bags, or even right to a bottle of wine, bubble bath, you name it! Just write in the recipient's name!

Snowman...

Ornament...

Christmas tree.

These modern and stylish address labels are great for Christmas or year-round use. I love the design! We can add your kids' names, too. These make a great gift!!

~~ GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! ~~

Our shop is brand new to we'd love it if you visited TLC Creations on Etsy, glanced through our listings, then left a comment about what catches your eye.

We're also open to suggestions on new offerings or ways we can improve the shop or our designs. We'd love your feedback!

As a thank-you, we will give away a $10 credit toward any purchase in the shop, plus FREE SHIPPING on your entire order! Drawing will be held at midnight on Wednesday, December 1.

Each person who leaves a comment will be eligible. Please leave your e-mail address so we can contact you if you win!

Thanks for checking us out and we hope we have the opportunity to make something wonderful for you!

1,000 Gifts: #123-150 Cuz it's breast Cancer Awarness Month

2010-10-24T20:53:00.001-07:00

Two years ago, I was two months pregnant and at the office of a breast specialist (ok, surgoen) to have a "spot" looked at. I remember the nurses sighing, "Oh, you're pregnant??" 31-year-old pregnant women don't belong there. After one biopsy, I weaned my firstborn milkaholic son to have a second biopsy done before I was told I was in the clear. Thank you, Lord.

Now I had found another spot, more like a lump, two weeks ago, but I called it a "knot." I didn't want to give it a name {I am careful with my words}. It's just a little knot, probably milk related. Yes, I am still nursing my 17-month-old son, the one I lovingly patted two years ago, though he was barely a bean, when I was wearing the paper gown, waiting with tears in my eyes for the sonogram to start, and later, for the needle to go in. "Your mama is going to be fine," I told him. I was amazed when the anxiety didn't register, when my heart didn't race. Peace.

So "the knot."

I scheduled to go see My Breast Guy again.

"Lord, I don't want this. Take it away." I prayed that prayer every time I felt my hand lingering over "the knot." Every day, the same prayer. "I don't want this, Lord. Take it away." By God's grace, when I thought about what "the knot" could be (my mom is a 15-year breast cancer survivor so those thoughts are never far from my mind), again the anxiety didn't come. Only peace. I would pray it every morning then check....but the knot was still there. Yet I felt peace. "Maybe tomorrow, it will be gone," I would think, then go about my day.

Then the morning of the appointment arrived.

My baby, who usually nurses himself slowly awake, woke up like a shot and was bright-eyed and smiling, unusually chipper. I smiled as he toddled into the hall to find his toys. Then I thought, "Today's the appointment. That lump will be gone today." I tentatively felt around. No knot. I felt around some more, then sat up, stood up, and felt around some more. No knot.

So I cancelled the appointment.

I smiled all day long.

I texted my mom, "No lump, no doctor! Praise God!" She knew I'd been asking God to take it away. "Standing on the promises!" she texted back.

15 years ago, when my mom learned the news that she had breast cancer, she told people, "God said no" of her request to take it away. That journey has changed her life, and the lives of hundreds of people who know her and know our family, for the better. God used cancer to positively impact countless people and we are grateful. This month, we wear pink and our pink ribbon pins and we remind people, "Get your boobs checked!" because we are grateful.

God gives and He takes away. His promises never change. He is ever faithful. He works all things together for good.

I am grateful that I don't have a knot to deal with. I am grateful for the peace that I can't explain. I am grateful for this journey, the journey of learning to trust Him more and rest in Him. He never ceases to amaze me.

123:: standing on His promises

124:: cancelling a doctor's appointment because I have no reason to go

125:: waking up to a happy, fuzzy-headed, Thomas-pajama-wearing baby

126:: showing off our new house

127:: wine and noshing

128:: trading my mom a pedicure for lunch

129:: shopping for my nephew-to-be

130:: a day spent with an old friend

131:: tears when we talk about the goodness of God

132:: amazement at how God writes our stories and intertwines our lives

133:: my mom telling Ethan "I love you" and him giving her three kisses

134:: "Guy" pajamas

135:: feeling 100% well for days at a time

136:: Etsy sales so I could buy food for the party

137:: cool mornings with the back door open

138:: my "Mulled Harvest" candle

139:: winning $10 at Bunco then using it to buy groceries for the family in line ahead of me

140:: sunflowers in my Verde Vase

141:: Daddy & Son day at the Super Chevy Show

142:: a ridiculously delicious mushroom swiss burger, steak fries and root beer

143:: not being bothered by a bad dream

144:: the power of being able to control my thoughts

145:: having God at the center of my thoughts

146:: homemade pumpkin Bundt cake with whipped cream

147:: realizing I'm ahead of the curve in some ways

148:: nursing two boys for a total of 52 weeks...and counting!

149:: the occasional material blessings

150:: being rich in all the ways that matter

For more, visit Holy Experience

1,000 Gifts: #113-122

2010-10-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

Besides watching the nightly news, nothing threatens my peace more than sickness--especially stomach troubles.

The night after my hubby's birthday party last Sunday, our 17-month-old started throwing up. It was his first time. It broke my heart, partly because by the time I heard him, he'd already thrown up all over our bed. I'm almost always right next to him when he sleeps so what are the odds?? He must have been so confused. I was so sad.

I braced myself for the heart racing, the sweating, the knot in the stomach. Mine, not his. But he slept almost the entire time, was consoled just being next to me, wasn't feverish and by 3am, was able to nurse again and settle down for the night.

Grace. In any "it could have been worse" scenario, all I see is grace. God comforted him and comforted me. I held it together and was grateful the entire time for the grace in the moment. Our older son slept through it, my husband was there to wash the sheets and towels and hold the baby while I changed and I was able to catch up on my DVR'd shows from the futon in the guest room. For what it was, it was a best-case scenario. I've come to see that as grace.

Three days later, it was my turn, though my body handled it differently. I was on the couch most of the day but was still able to take care of the boys and even do some dishes. The boys played, the discomfort was tolerable and I was able to eat normally by that evening. Grace. No anxiety, either, which was just more grace.

This is why now, when I think I might be coming down with something or I wonder if the boys were exposed to a bug and my mind starts to wander to the "what ifs," I quickly change my line of thinking, thank God that we are well in that moment and move on. I don't want to waste a moment of my life on "what ifs" and even when we were sick, there was still so much to be grateful for.

Moving on!! :) This is why we opted to GET OUT this weekend and take a trip to the high desert for some nature and family time. It was just what we needed and it could not have gone more smoothly.

113:: Picnic by the lake

114:: Escaping with my boys

115:: fearlessly feeding feeding the ducks and geese (and saying "duck!" in wonder the whole time, like, "They're real!!")

116:: sons with their daddy

117:: playing in Lynx Creek while Daddy pans for gold

118:: making memories

119:: still needing Mama's help (every once in a while)

120:: not needing Mama's help

121:: beautiful sky on the way home

122:: the best kind of tired

Read more at Holy Experience

1,000 Gifts: #101-112 Birthdays

2010-10-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

101:: birthday parties

102:: using two containers of icing on his cake

103:: 33 candles

104:: The favorite Aunty and The Cousins

105:: The Siblings {who'd hardly ever see each other if I didn't get them together!!}

106:: Kids crowding around for present-opening {even when the present is bullets and a gun cleaning thingy}

107:: Getting a present on your dad's birthday

108:: Throwing him a party....more for me than him

109:: Enjoying his baby

110:: Never taking another year for granted

111:: Opening presents of my own on his birthday. My "Blessings Unlimited" consultant kit arrived!! Everything was BIGGER than I expected--a pleasant surprise!

112: Ethan thought the blocks were toys.

For more, visit Holy Experience

When you go....TAKE NOTE OF THE LOVELY ITEMS IN HER PICTURES....THEY'RE FROM BLESSINGS UNLIMITED (mentioned in #111 and #112, above)!! How cool is that!?! Ann is a BU fan, too! :)

Fashion: love it or hate it, I have the book for you! {and GIVEAWAY!}

2010-10-08T16:43:00.000-07:00

I have a new favorite book. I keep telling people about it and I'm carrying it around with me practically everywhere I go now so I thought it was time to write a proper review.

I've e-mailed back and forth with Shari, the author, a few times and she is absolutely delightful. She is NOT, by the way, compensating me for this in any way. I'm just a big fan and happy to promote her in any way I can!! :)

Here's my story.

I am by no means trendy, a fashionista or a style maven. I do, however, like to look as good as I feel or, frankly, look good even when I don't feel good! Plus I was tired of wasting time and money on more "stuff" (clothes, make-up, accessories, shoes) that didn't work for me.

So I ordered this book called "Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad" by Shari Braendel.

She has truly inspired me!! There's a chapter dedicated to each of the following topics:

* your body type (I'm a 'b')
* your true colors (I'm a "clear")
* accessorizing (including the "16 Point Accessory Rule")
* undergarments
* swimwear
* jeans
* hair and make-up
* jeans
* shopping
* modesty

There is a TON of useful information.

You'll learn how to dress your body type, what colors look great on you (plus your best neutrals), what size purse to carry, what style you tend toward and SO much more!

The format is easy to read, the tone is down-to-earth and all of the advice is very practical. You'll find yourself taking lots of notes! I'm going to create a cheat-sheet to laminate and keep in my purse to refer to when I'm shopping.

I could write pages but I'll just stick to the major ways the book helped me immediately.

Shari has tips for choosing a hair style and the right eye glasses, based on the shape of your face (mine is heart-shaped). Shari asks, "When was the last time you got a compliment on your hair?" My answer of, "I can't remember!" prompted me to make an appointment with a new hair dresser and try a chin-length bob to flatter my face. I didn't get highlights, either, based on Shari's recommendation to keep my hair as close to my natural color as possible, to bring out my eyes.

I took these pictures from my camera phone before and after my appointment.

Before (very "blah" and definitely not doing me any favors):

and after (wow!):

It's easier to style, it feels great and I think it even flatters my neck and shoulders.

And, yes, I have gotten compliments!!

Speaking of compliments, this book got me thinking about the times in my life when I felt great, at least partly because I knew I looked great. A family wedding when I was 17 came to mind. I wore a purple sheath dress and black high heels. People commented that I should be a model but what I also remember is that I felt like a million bucks.

It turns out that bright purple is one of my "pop colors" (you'll find yours, too) so it's no wonder.

I saw a similar dress on the rack recently and tried it on, just for fun. It looked sensational. I went home without it but after mentioning it to my husband, he insisted that I go back and buy it. Barely a week later, I was invited at the last minute to a swanky fundraiser at a resort hotel and was thrilled to have the perfect dress to wear. Sure enough, I knew that I fit right in and I felt fantastic. It was so nice to not be in a panic over not having anything to wear.

It got even better. I had the opportunity to buy a few new pieces of clothing with my mom this past week and was amazed at how much easier it was to shop when I knew what styles and colors would flatter me. I passed up entire racks because I knew the items wouldn't work for me and everything I took into the dressing room DID work--I just had to make sure to get the right size and colors. AND, I found such an amazing pair of jeans that I got them in two colors!

Saving the time, hassle and money in that one shopping trip more than made up for the cost of the book.

Lastly, I had to mention this.

One of my favorite parts of this book is how Shari addresses the meaning of Matthew 6:31-33 that says, "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (NIV)

There is a lot of truth to unpack from this passage but here's the insight that struck me: how much time do we waste, "worrying" about what we wear?? Nothing fits, nothing works for our life, nothing makes us feel good and our pieces don't go with each other, let alone say anything about our personality...so we worry about what we'll put on that day, we worry about what to wear for a special occasion, we worry about the money we're wasting, we worry about what people think of us, we worry about the impression we're giving people about who we are...worry, worry, worry.

We owe it to ourselves to take the worry out of looking good every day. We need a wardrobe that is as effortless as possible, we need to learn how to accessorize so that it becomes automatic and we need the ability to shop efficiently so that we're not wasting time or money anymore. We need to learn how to look our best so that it's a not a worry, but a pleasure.

Shari's book does that.

Want to learn more? Here's her web site, which highlights everything she does (she's a part of Proverbs 31 Ministries). If you can attend one of her events, I'd highly recommend it. Don't miss the FREE on-line color analysis, too!!

Shari's web site

And don't miss her blog! TONS of great information!! I recommend that you subscribe to her "Faith Meets Fashion" E-newsletter. Shari's blog

~~~ GIVEAWAY!!! Just leave a comment about what kind of fashion help YOU need most and you'll be entered into a drawing for a FREE COPY OF "Good Girls Don't Have to Dress Bad." Just make sure to leave your e-mail address if you don't have a blog, so I can let you know if you win!

Winner will be chosen by the random number generator at midnight on Friday, October 22nd~~~

You can also snag a copy
on Amazon.com

Seeing Him in the Sky

2010-10-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

Into every life a little rain must fall. The Bible promises that we will know trouble.

My storm of fear and anxiety raged off and on for almost two years. Sometimes the rain fell in a gentle sprinkle, sometimes there was heat lightening but no rain and other times the rain fell and fell and I wondered if it would ever end.

It's so easy to focus on the darkness, the rushing water, the sound of hail pelting the windows, the howling wind...and be afraid.

But in Arizona, storms never last long.

Even the worst storms in my life have been mercifully short.

And eventually the storm passed. Suddenly, not very long ago, I realized that the rain had stopped falling.

That storm is over. The sun finally came out again. I am in a new season, a season of gratitude, rest and reflection. I'm in the rainbow phase.

When my husband returned from work yesterday and pushed open the front door, there was a peachy tint to the sky that I recognized. It was a rainbow sky. I pushed passed him, barefoot, camera in hand. I got to the end of the driveway and looked up and there was a rainbow, arching directly over our street.

God's promise of a new beginning, displayed across the sky in technicolor.

Had I not been paying attention, I'd have missed it entirely.

My stormy phase taught me a lot about fear, trusting the Lord, getting to the end of myself, priorities and much, much more. I am grateful.

Now I am grateful that I am enjoying this new phase, as a new creation.

Now I can appreciate {and even enjoy} the storms...and the rainbows that come after.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV): "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

To see how others see Him, visit Holy Experience

1,000 Gifts: #61-100

2010-09-27T00:07:00.000-07:00

First I saw that Angie from Bring the Rain was doing this book with the Bloom Book Club and THEN I saw that Ann from Holy Experience was doing it, too, so I decided to jump in.

The book is called "Sabbath: Finding Rest, Renewal, and Delight in Our Busy Lives" and you can get it on Amazon.com.

This is exactly the book I need for this new slower, more restful phase of life we're starting. This was our first "real weekend" at our new house and boy, did we enjoy it!

61:: an iced caramel coffee drink on a Saturday morning

62:: getting a pedicure with my mom

63:: the perfect shade of burgundy-red nail polish

64:: a baby shower with pink, ruffles, cupcakes, Winnie the Pooh and great good food

65:: not being pregnant

66:: a big-bellied mama, all smiles and glow

67:: giving the perfect gift

68:: buying that purple sheath dress at Drew's insistence

69:: size 8

70:: getting my hair to (almost) look like it did when I left the hair dresser

71:: Drew and Andrew going to get pancakes together

72:: the boys' outing being ruined by a poop incident--and no one really minding

73:: laughing about my grandmother, age 84, who has to put her lipstick on before she can go to Walgreens to pick up pictures

74:: a chubby 16-month-old sitting on the munchkin potty, proud as punch

75:: trying to type quietly

76:: inspiration from my dad

77: cracking up over chapter titles for my future book

78:: Angus burgers & tater tots

79:: an uninterrupted evening with my parents

80:: Sunday football

81:: a leisurely trip to the store

82:: a happy husband

83:: leg scratches

84:: the boys playing chase

85:: the actual pitter patter of little feet you hear in a two-story house

86:: figuring out why there was a screw in my cookie batter

87:: enjoying a new phase of life

88:: knowing I'm fertile

89:: being happy to gain 5lbs.

90:: posters and maps for the boys

91:: more sex

92:: being happy with doing less

93:: seeing both sides of the coin

94:: knowing that sometimes you do have to look back, to see how far you've come

95:: appreciating how very far I have come

96:: choosing to think positively about the future

97:: deciding what not to use in this house

98:: a new appreciation for "normal" days

99:: the occasional extraordinary day

100:: knowing tomorrow will be another amazing day

For more entries, visit Holy Experience

This Day

2010-09-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

Now more than ever, I appreciate "normal days." Normal is so, so wonderful and never to be taken for granted. When I feel well, everything flows smoothly, I'm home with my healthy kids all day and there are no crises, that's not just normal, that's a MIRACLE.

Focusing on living each day in God's grace (not dwelling on the past or worrying about the future) is also an excellent anxiety-preventer.

Here are some of my favorite quotes about "this day:"

"Nothing is more important than this day." -Goethe {the quote on the front of my gratitude journal)

"Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve." (NKJV) Joshua 24:15

"This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." (NKJV) Psalm 118:24

Today has been an amazing, blessed, one-of-a-kind day. Thank You, Lord, for normal days. May I always see them for the miracle that they are.

{I'm always adding to my list...do you have any favorites??}

1,000 Gifts: #41-60

2010-09-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

We talk of little else except where the furniture will go, whether to order cable or Direct TV, the stuff we still can't find, what we forgot to get at the store and how glad we are to finally be in a new place.

I want to get to the accessorizing phase but there is still work to do, still boxes to unpack.

I want to meet the neighbors, host a play date, plan a tea party, stamp all my books with "This book belongs to:" so I can start loaning out my favorites.

But the craft room needs organizing. Artwork needs hanging. Toys need bins and cosmetics need baskets and clothes need washing and dishes need homes.

I want to make a difference in this community. I want to impact lives. I want our family's presence in this neighborhood to be felt.

But I must wait.

So far, we're just "the people who finally moved in to that rental." No one here knows us. No one has come to visit. I feel guilty, that I haven't "done anything" yet.

But I feel the familiar whisper, that whisper to a woman who is a border-line legalist, who likes to-do lists and rules, who doesn't feel like she's earning her keep in this world unless she's working and working and striving and striving.

He says, "It's ok to unpack. It's ok to nest. Take your time. Make your home the haven on your dreams. Make it your own. Make it wonderful. Your mission can wait."

Sometimes it's my husband's voice saying, "Would you just relax??" My mother asked me last night, "Have you even sat on your new couch yet?" No. I've barely sat down at all.

One of the goals of this whole move was for me to stop DOING so much. Yet all I want to do is DO. I have to work at not doing all the time.

So I'm nesting now. I'm rearranging and beautifying and making this place feel like I actually live here. And just doing that, for now, is enough.

41:: Pirate Andrew, third in line for face painting.

42:: enjoying an afternoon with my son without being behind a camera the whole time.

43:: attending a lavish birthday party.

44:: a new fall wreath, after I'd just hung te empty hanger on the door the day before and wondered what I'd put there.

45:: knowing God is real. Really knowing.

46:: chocolate cake, homemade by my mom.

47:: feeling "lighter" at church.

48:: fantastic worship.

49:: people who are genuinely interested in how I'm doing.

50:: getting the date wrong for a party and it working out for the better.

51:: Reading "Good Girls don't Have to Dress Bad" by Shari Braendel in one morning in my new Morning Room.

52:: resolving to stop apologizing for wanting to look fashionable and amazing.

52:: making a hair appointment with a new gal.

53:: looking out at my tree-lined street from the laptop.

54:: boys wrestling on the bed.

55:: leftovers from On The Border.

56:: sweet iced tea.

57:: Saturday McDonald's breakfast with my boys.

58:: being a minority sometimes.

59:: buying beer for my dad.

60:: Andrew's love of birthday parties.

Read more at Holy Experience

We who are loved much

2010-09-15T11:20:00.001-07:00

At 11:11, I was face down on the floor in this room, the Tree House Room, the office/craft room in the new house. The room where I will read, craft, pray.

I was listening to this song...

...after reading

this post at Holy Experience.

I was praying for these people...

...and all the people in our new community. The people we will be serving in this new season.

"We who are loved much, serve much."

My Tree House Room has been christened in tears of gratitude. I have never felt more loved.

So I have a lot of serving to do in this new place.

Moving {surprises}

2010-09-09T23:51:00.001-07:00

Tonight was the first time I went to our rental house since we toured it last weekend. My hubby had been taking loads of boxes over in the van all week then tonight we took over all the kitchen boxes I packed today.

Can I tell you how many times I've opened the drawer for a spoon or fork to find it empty?? At least five.

My hubby did it tonight, too. "Huh. No utensils? I was about to say that it seems like the stuff you'd pack way at the end, but....I guess it is way at the end."

Exaaaactly.

The Big Moving Day is Saturday so, yes, we are at the end. SURPRISE! It's here!!

The reality of the new kitchen being half the size of my current one is hitting home. There are several more boxes to unpack and my cabinets are full. And I didn't even unpack my pots and pans yet!!

SURPRISE!! I have waaaay too much kitchen stuff. I also have two boxes just of coffee and tea that have no home! I've got to do some re-prioritizing.

Then there's the stairs. I only went up to turn off the lights my son turned on and coming down, it hit me: this is my new home.

Stairs are my reality now. SURPRISE! I'll be doing the up-and-down routine hundreds of times in the next year.

But the highlight of the night was arriving at the house to discover painting supplies in the dining area. "Uuummm....Hoooneeeey??" I inquired.

"What??" My hubby asked, feigning innocence.

"Are we painting??"

We had decided to leave the red wall in the living room/dining room red. There was too much time, money and effort involved in changing it when the red was perfectly fine, especially just for a year.

"I told you we didn't have to paint that wall!" I reminded him.

"It's my new house, too, y'know," my hubby reminded me, mostly kidding. He knows I love green. He knows I wasn't overly enthusiastic about the red wall. But I was willing to work with it, rather than inconvenience anyone.

So my precious husband went to the store and picked out the perfect shade of green. The color? "Fresh Guacamole." It will go perfectly with my avocado posters in the kitchen. It is an amazing shade of green.

My husband didn't want me to settle, even for "just a year."

SURPRISE!

I need to stop settling so easily. Life is sure full of pleasant surprises and I get the feeling that I'm in for a lot of them this year. Let the adventure begin!!

1,000 Gifts "Moving On"

2010-09-06T21:30:00.000-07:00

We're moving.

We're actually moving out of our house, the house we had built as newlyweds seven years ago. It's the house my sister-in-law lived in with us for six years, the house we brought our babies home from the hospital to, the house where we've hosted Christmas dinner and a dozen tea parties and made a million memories.

And we're moving. Like...this week.

Wow.

A week from now, we'll be spending the night in a different house.

And it hasn't sunk in yet.

I am excited! I really am.

I am looking very much forward to starting a new phase of life for our family. I know that God is leading us along and He has blessed our journey immensely in the last few months.

We asked for God to lead us, to open and close doors. The house we fell in love with on 3.25 acres that backed up to a mountain? Was rented out to someone else. Door closed. We only had one family see our house and they put in an offer and are so excited to move in. Door open. My friend's rental a block away? It won't be vacated in time. Door closed. A rental 3 miles from my husband's job, with four bedrooms and 2.5 baths that even has a "morning room" like the one I have now? Available, adorable, affordable and move-in ready. Door open.

Turns out the door He opened on our next home is green, my favorite color.

God has answered our prayers. We know He is directing our steps in this process to simplify, down-size and refocus on what's important.

And at some point, probably very soon, I will realize how much I'll miss this place. It will eventually hit me.

But for now, I decorate the new house in my mind. In my imagination, between wrapping tea cups in newspaper and stacking books in diaper boxes, I choose paint colors, I accessorize and I move furniture. I think about where we'll put the Christmas tree this year and the beachy artwork I'll hang in the downstairs powder room and the neighborhood ladies that will come over for playdates. I picture crafting upstairs while the boys play in the loft. I think about hosting Andrew's birthday party in the "tot lot" at the end of our block.

I know it will be amazing because God is in it.

21:: free boxes from friends

22:: my sister-in-law offering her guest bedroom and garage as storage

23:: my next craft room feeling like a tree house

24:: knowing how many people have prayed for us during this process

25:: praying for our future neighbors

26:: having a whole new neighborhood in which to spread the Gospel

27:: knowing there are no coincidences, only God-incidences

28:: thinking about how little "stuff" we actually need for the next year

29:: my grandmother being excited about seeing our new place when she visits

30:: not feeling stressed during a stressful time

31:: moving 70 avenues away, which isn't that far

32:: being just far enough away to really be "getting away"

33:: the prospect of a fresh start

34:: going where no one knows you

35:: being closer to my folks

36:: deepening our trust in the Lord

37:: decorating with a new color scheme

38:: a rental that's move-in ready

39:: parents who come to see our new place

40:: knowing that with God, there's no such thing as a downgrade

Check out more lists at
Holy Experience

Beginning my list of 1,000 Gifts

2010-08-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

I've been reflecting lately on my struggle with anxiety and fear over the last two years. I hadn't had "an episode" for a while....until two nights ago.

"I'm not over this yet," I told myself in the midst of my chest tightening and my body shaking. "God is still working on me."

And I turned to one of my favorite tactics for getting the anxiety under control: thankfulness. The only thing that worked that night was laying in bed and focusing on what I'm thankful for. My thankfulness turned to prayer and before I knew it, I had drifted to sleep.

I feel that I am a grateful person by nature. I have written thank you notes to people since I learned how to write. I go out of my way to thank people for taking care of my kids at church, for their service, for thinking of me or just for being someone who blesses my heart. I keep a journal where I list what I'm thankful for before I go to bed at night. I often drift to sleep thinking about everything I have to be thankful for.

But it's a work in progress.

I've been following Holy Experience for a while now and have considered joining the Gratitude Community and beginning my official list of 1,000 gifts.

Realizing that God is still working on me with the anxiety issue, I thought I still need to be intentional about preventing the anxiety in the first place, including living in a place of constant gratitude.

So I'm finally taking the plunge.

1:: my fourth annual leadership retreat

2:: being inspired by amazing women of God

3:: being cold in August

4:: fuzzy pink socks that smell like peppermint

5:: being given a new book

6:: new insights from The Book

7:: sleeping alone

8:: giving a devotional about shoes

9:: walking by faith

10:: anxiety returning and the reminder that I still have growing to do

11:: knowing my boys are left in great hands when I'm gone

12:: finding perfect peace by resting in Him

13:: repentance and healing

14:: chamomile tea

15:: coming home to a clean house

16:: sleeping with my baby and my hubby

17:: re-connecting with an old friend

18:: my milkaholic baby

19:: my huge 4.75-year-old

20:: M&M cookies

Read all about the art of Joy Finding
here

Peace Part 1: "The Method"

2010-08-27T10:41:00.000-07:00

{INTRODUCTION: In May 2008, I suffered a miscarriage, which was the beginning of a season of fear for me that lasted for about two years. For four months of that time (March '09 to July '09, during the end of a pregnancy and postpartum), I battled feelings (and physical symptoms) of anxiety and it was one of the hardest things I've ever had to deal with. My husband wisely advised me to embrace that season to learn about PEACE and now, two years later, I am a very different person as a result. I promised God I'd share my story so here I am.}

PART 1: "The Method"

We're selling our home. We love our home and we don't really know where we are going from here. I could easily (and justifiably) get stressed, worried and anxious about the moving process, where we'll go next, where we'll end up and all the details involved in each step....but I refuse.

Being a former anxiety sufferer, the #1 thing I do now to prevent it from sneaking back up on me is focusing on the here and now and taking life one day at a time.

In one day, however, a million things can try to pop up on my stress radar. Is he judging us for short saling our house? Is she offended that I postponed our play date again? What if our closing costs are more than we planned for? What if I get pregnant again? What am I going to do if we move far away from all of our friends then the kids get sick then I get sick....who can I call??....and on and on and on.

Pop, pop, pop. Blips on my stress radar, blinking red.

What do I do? I already posted about
my tendency to run everywhere but to Him.

But I have discovered a method for when stress starts to rear her ugly head. The solution comes from Philippians 4:6-7 which says "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (NKJV)

Peace doesn't come automatically. There's a process for getting to a place of peace. These verses suggest a method.

1. "Be anxious for nothing." NO-thing. Even if it's something minor, if I'm feeling anxious about it, it's something. And a lot of little somethings add up to a LOT. If it's a blip on the radar, it counts.

2. "In everything by prayer and supplication...let your requests be known to God." Supplicating just means praying, or asking God for something. All the "things" above? Big or small, life-altering or seemingly insignificant, I talk to God about them. EVERY-thing.

There's a lot to this concept but I often think about the idea of asking God for peace in the storm rather than asking Him to end the storm. I ask Him to help me handle what is going on, to give me wisdom to work through whatever I'm dealing with or to bring resources my way. Sometimes I just ask Him to be present.

3. "...with thanksgiving..." was nestled into that verse, too. This is very important!

Psalm 100:4 says "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name."

In other words, when I approach God, He'd like to hear some praise before I start firing off my requests. It's the "Gosh, Mom, you sure look pretty today. Can I have twenty bucks?" tactic.

Besides God wanting to hear me proclaim how good He is (and rightly so), there's another important component to this: when I start with thanksgiving, it gets my heart and my focus into the right place.

My requests change when I "get into a place of thankfulness" first.

At the height of my anxiety, when I was feeling especially off-kilter, my husband would instruct me (ok, force me) to go somewhere quiet and "get into a place of thankfulness." It made a world of difference for me. I just started naming everything I could think of to be thankful for and before long, I was smiling and feeling hopeful again and, oh, look at that--my heart and mind aren't racing any more!

Besides running down the list of things in my life that I was grateful for, I would also thank Him for the very thing that was causing me the stress because I knew He was working it out in my favor.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose."

And once we've been thankful and have made our requests, and no-thing is on our radar anymore....

4. THEN..."and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." I'm so peaceful, I can't even comprehend it or explain it! It's when we say to people, "I should be stressed but I feel so at peace." That's the peace of God that surpasses understanding and there's nothing like it.

Peace isn't automatic but God offers His method to bring us into a place of HIS inexplicable peace. And there's no better place to be.

Where do you go?

2010-08-14T00:00:00.000-07:00

When life isn’t working for you, where do you go?

A friend comes to you with a BIG problem. Where do you turn?

Even daily…
I’m feeling blue, so I pick up a magazine to distract myself with throw pillows, the current fashions or skin care tips.

When my marriage hits a rocky spot, I call a friend to talk things out.

When I don’t know what to do about a problem with my kids, I go to my favorite web site or post a comment on Facebook to see what suggestions I get.

When I’m frustrated, I have a cup of tea.

When I’m sad or lonely, I craft.

Then what am I tempted to do when I’m in a spiritual slump? Or, better yet, when a crisis hits? I do what I always do. I turn to magazines, a friend, a web site, Facebook, food or crafting. I may even open my Bible and find an encouraging verse to bolster my spirits.

And I may feel better for a while…especially if my temporary solution involves chocolate.

But before long, I find that I’m right back where I started. I'm still frustrated, blue, lonely or sad.

When I was dealing with anxiety at the end of my last pregnancy and postpartum, I tried everything to help alleviate my symptoms. I found some temporary relief from reading good books, talking to friends, getting advice from doctors, deep breathing and eating well. But it didn’t last. Not really.

Now I’ve learned. I have to go to the cross. I have to run to God. I have to sit at the feet of Jesus.

Matthew 11:18 “Come to ME, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Get that. Where are we supposed to go??

Jesus doesn’t tell us to go to church. He doesn’t even tell us to go to the Bible.

Wow.

He asks us to come to Him. We can find rest in Jesus. We can rest in Him.

But that's so simple!

I’m a doer. I’m a striver. I’m a rule follower. I’m even borderline legalistic. I’d have made a great Pharisee! So I like formulas and check-lists. I really like checking little boxes with a blue or black ball point pen. I’d kinda like it if God gave us a to-do list!

But God isn’t into that. Jesus told us to come to HIM. Stop doing “STUFF…” and just COME. And rest.

So simple. Just go. Maybe we'll run into each other on the way there.

The Story of My Life

2010-08-12T14:14:00.000-07:00

I heard myself say it recently when my husband and I were having yet another late-night talk about our financial challenges. My husband mentioned (in strictly practical terms and NOT trying to condemn me) another one of MY debts we weren't able to pay and I said, "Well, that's the story of my life."

My husband, thankfully, doesn't let me get away with much of that nonsense.

"No, it's not." He said.

I replayed what had just happened in my head.

It all started when I was 18. I got a gym membership with a three-year contract.

We moved to Arizona and the closest gym was 19 miles away from our house, 1 mile within the limitation of the contract that kept me obligated to continue paying, despite the fact that I never intended to drive 19 miles to go the gym. I wasn't working at the time and couldn't afford the payments so I defaulted on it. It would be many years later before I paid it off and only after a substantial ding to my credit.

I did learn a good lesson. I don't sign many contracts anymore. And I always advise people to be careful about gym memberships.

But that wasn't the last time.

There was our first son's birth, which we planned to be a home birth but ended up being an emergency hospital transfer.

We got to not only pay the midwives for not delivering our baby but we also got to pay enormous hospital and doctor bills, too. Why didn't anyone suggest that we get insurance, "just in case?"

Then a few years ago, I signed up for a credit card service so I could run credit cards for my home-based business. Unbeknownst to me, it also had a three-year commitment attached to it. I only used the services for about nine of the 36 months I was under contract for, but I paid the bill every month, along with other monthly processing and credit card company fees. It's no wonder I never made a profit.

Since then, there have been other minor financial hiccups and more less-than-successful home-based business ventures. More money failures, as I saw it.

The last straw was falling victim to a teeth whitening scheme that I should have seen for what it was.

I wasted many hours and about $20 to set that one right but it could have been worse. If you see an ad about "A stay-at-home mom discovers the secret to whiter teeth!" I implore you to read the fine print. Please.

That brings us up to the present when my husband mentioned my student loans.

Siiiigghhhhh. Here we go again. Just another reminder of the pattern of financial failures that have defined my adult life. And to think...my poor husband (Mr. Perfect Credit, always-pays-his-bills-on-time, ACCOUNTANT husband) knew what he was getting himself into when my dad said, "You can marry her but you have to take over payments" married me, anyway. Bless him.

"No, it's not," my husband said that night.

Wow. To think that "The story of my life" is defined by one financial mistake after another and all the guilt, regret and self-loathing that goes with it.

When I thought about it, it went deeper than that list of "Tab's Top Five Big Money Blunders." Every time I wished I hadn't bought that lipgloss because we ended up short on grocery money that week...every time I let lettuce go bad in the fridge...every time I accidentally broke a plate or a glass...every time I gave something away to Goodwill that was a "can't live without it" purchase at the time...I felt the condemnation. I could hear the lie being whispered in my ear: "It's just like you to waste money like that. You've never been good with money and you never will be. It's just who are are."

And that became the story of my life.

But no more.

My husband said, "The story of your life is redemption. It's blessing. It's God working in and through you. THAT is the story of your life."

So I made up my mind that night. I would only use the "That's the story of my life" phrase in a positive context.

So now I try to use the phrase any time I can.

"Your team pulled off another wonderful event!"
"That's the story of my life!"

"Look at that beautiful baby! And after you had that terrible miscarriage, too."
"That's the story of my life!"

"That post you wrote really spoke to me."
"That's the story of my life!"

And when I hear the whispers, as I inevitably will...I just remind him (the father of lies) that "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." Romans 8:1 (NKJ)

Everyone makes money mistakes. Everyone fails to read the fine print sometimes. Everyone screws up every now and then...or even multiple times before breakfast. But that doesn't define who we are.

Or whose we are. We are "Children of God" (Romans 8:16). We are loved, forgiven, righteous and highly favored.

And THAT is the story of my life.

If you are a human....

2010-08-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

...then this should be required reading.

Nie Nie Dialogues

And required watching.

Little has touched my heart--and made me more grateful for my family--than this woman's story. It is truly inspirational.

Does God pursue us?

2010-07-27T08:00:00.000-07:00

I certainly believe He does.

It was the summer before my senior year of high school. My last summer of freedom!!! It was supposed to "The Summer of Tab." Then one word changed everything:

CANCER.

My mom. Breast cancer.

The summer became HER summer.

A diagnosis. A mastectomy. Recovery. Healing.

My mother became....human. She became mortal.

My mom's cancer rocked my world. And I was angry as hell about it.

Why would God mess with MY MOM of all people??? Why cancer? Why at so young an age? Why during MY SUMMER??

Dealing with all of that put me in a baaaaad spiritual place. I was giving God the silent treatment. I held back a lot of tears and frustration, trying to be strong for my mom. Meanwhile, I felt very far away from Him....and guess who had moved??

"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love." {Come Thou Fount lyrics}

But all the while, He was beckoning me back. He was silently wooing me.

He allowed me some time to pout and feel sorry for myself. After the summer was over, I was walking the beach one afternoon, lost in my own little world. There must have been a recent memorial at sea because as I walked along, I came upon dozens of fresh flowers strewn across the sand. I smiled....it was beautiful. I didn't think much of it.

I continued walking. Then...all by itself was a single rose, resting on the sand. It was like God had set it there, just for me. Just as a gentle reminder. "I'm still here. I see you. I know the pain you're going through. I've never stopped loving you."

So I picked it up and took it home. That moment was a turning point for me. It was like God turned the lights back on in the darkness I had been living in and flooded my soul with peace. I knew we were all going to be ok.

God pursues us. He doesn't let his sheep wander for long, even if we're the ones who insist on being left alone.

Have you wandered away? He can take your doubts, fears and frustrations. He is big enough to handle it.

How is He pursuing you today?

David Crowder, "Come Thou Fount."

One Flower Every Day week

2010-07-25T15:29:00.000-07:00

I had fun coming up with new flowers for a whole week!

Monday :: music notes

Tuesday :: tuiti fruit

Wednesday :: peacock organza

Thursday :: red bandana

Friday :: deep waters

Saturday :: pink lemonade

Sunday :: teal and black

All available in
my Etsy shop

Where the magic happens

2010-07-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

I looooove to see other ladies' craft spaces, whether it's the kitchen table, the corner of a room or an entire basement! It's fun to see how people organize their STUFF and where they work. It's always so inspirational!

So! For anyone who is curious....here's a tour of MINE!

{P.S. For anyone who loves to know paint colors, the turquoise is Glidden's "True Turquoise." I think it's perfect for a creative space! The orange is Glidden's "Orange Slice" and the green table was spray painted "Apple Green."}

I occupy a bedroom at the end of our hall that previously belonged to my sister-in-law, who lived with us for over six years (almost my whole married life). When she moved out, I was eager to transform this room into MY creative space. Granted, I often end up working at the kitchen table, BUT...I do love to go in here, close the door, crank up some tunes and "get my craft on."

My dad painted it for me and my husband moved in the furniture, put up the shelves and built shelves in the closet. Now it's soooo organized and a pleasure to work in. My family all gravitate toward this room, too....I think it's just a FUN place to be!

OK. Here's the view from the door. It also serves as a guest room when my mom spends the night. The futon is nice for a friend to nurse her baby, for someone to sit and flip through one of my idea books or just a nice place to relax.

My boys usually join me when I'm working, so I added an easel for them. Plus I always have paper, crayons and kid stamps at the ready.

Here's looking back at the door. I love having a bulletin board to post my calendar, inspirational tidbits or reminders.

Here's my work space. The table was given to me by a friend (when I just came right out and asked her for it!) but was a shabby chic white. I thought I should jazz it up a little! I love it!

Items of note: the IKEA jewelry tree I use for ribbon...the IKEA tray I use for an even stamping surface...

...my decorative file folders (in "Cosmo")...the mail sorter I use for my pretty papers...and my Ott-Lite lamp.

My friend Jen gave me the fabric owl bin.

I ended up corralling my stuff in this cute Southern Living At HOME basket. It limits me as to what I can keep out on my table!!

And here's my best stamps organizing secret: school supply boxes. Most of these were less than $1 and stack nicely. I label them with a paint pen. I also can't get enough of the stacking drawers for ribbon scraps, glitter and a million other things.

I hope you enjoyed the tour!

Come tour my home!

2010-07-08T20:53:00.001-07:00

Yes, we just put our home on the market. Know anyone who wants a great deal in the west Phoenix valley?? :)

Take a tour

HERE

Looking in the mirror

2010-06-28T12:57:00.000-07:00

You've undoubtedly heard it before. You may have even said it yourself. The "anything-but" statements.

"I'd do ANYthing to lose weight...but changing my diet or exercising."

"I'd do ANYthing for more time with my family....but cut back hours at work."

"I'd do ANYthing to fit exercise in....but get up earlier."

"I'd do ANYthing to have a clean house...but work all day at it."

Yup. Been there, done that.

We'd all love to change...if it wasn't for all the dadgum hard work that goes with it.

Recently, I was truly desperate to feel well again. I laid down with my son to help him take a nap and found myself exhausted and nauseated, my head spinning and emotions swirling--as usual. I was fed up with feeling "a little off." I made an appointment to see a chiropractor who also does applied kinesiology to help me with my nutrition and to help me get my health back on track.

Leading up to the appointment, I found myself telling people, "I will do ANYthing to feel well again." I really did want to know what I could change and I was willing to give up some things if it meant I could feel like my usual energetic, clear-headed self again.

On the day of the appointment, however, I found myself thinking, "I just hope he doesn't tell me to give up sugar. Or caffeine. Or red meat. Or Cheezits. Or tells me to start exercising. Beyond that, though, I will do ANYthing!!" I realized the absurdity of my thinking and actually laughed. I told my doctor about this and he had a good chuckle, too. It is, after all, so....HUMAN.

It struck me that we approach the Bible the same way.

We need help. We need to change something in our lives. So we do a Google search. We do some research. We talk to some wise friends. We read books and blogs about it.

Then when none of that works, we get really desperate. We may even be at a crisis point. So we turn to the Bible.

We brace ourselves. "Lord...I'll do anything for some help on this."

That's when the 'but' enters the picture.

"Oh, yes, Lord. I'll do anything. Well....anything BUT..."

Anything but change my way of thinking. Anything but repent. Anything but challenge the status quo, hurt someone's feelings, rearrange my schedule, reprioritize, risk my popularity, break a bad habit, forgive someone from my past, or even...GASP!..ask for help.

"Yeah, just not that stuff, Lord."

Changing is just too hard. God is asking too much.

So we do nothing.

James compared it to looking in the mirror, noticing something we need to fix and then walking away.

It's Friday and Drew and I have a sitter coming for a date night. It's an hour before we're supposed to leave for dinner and a movie. I stand in front of the bathroom mirror. There's yogurt smeared across my $3 Target clearance shirt from the baby's breakfast. Yes, that's right, I haven't bathed yet today. My pajama pants are too big, faded and don't match. Mascara is smudged under my eyes because I dropped into bed last night, too exhausted to wash my face first. My hair is sticking up in all directions. I look like a beast. But...I do nothing. I just...walk away. No problem. Drew won't mind and the people in the restaurant will just think I'm getting a night out from the mental hospital. No biggee.

It's ridiculous to think of, right?? But that's the comparison James makes. You see what you need to change--and you do nothing.

James 1:23-24 "Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like."

See, the person James is talking about DID look in the mirror. He just didn't do anything about what he saw. It's not ignorance! He couldn't say, "Oh, i didn't realize I had lettuce stuck between my teeth! Why didn't anyone tell me???"

When we see what the Bible has to say, we have to decide what to do with it: change...or do nothing.

Now, whether I go on a date with my husband looking like a weirdo is, at worst, potentially embarassing for both of us. But let's get real. There are times that, if someone held a mirror up to my behavior, I would look away, repulsed.

Case in point. I have discovered my angry face.

I didn't really know it existed until my second son was born.

I have never known anger like the anger that wells up inside when my older son does something to hurt my younger son, whether it's the physical pain of ramming a train into him or just hurting his feelings when he takes a toy away. It makes my blood pressure sky rocket and elicits sounds I never knew I was capable of making. I don't need to look in a mirror to know: it ain't pretty.

I know I have a problem. So what do I do about it?

I go to the Word.

The Bible has plenty to say about anger. The question is, once I look in that mirror, what am I going to do about it? Am I going to go on that date looking like a vagrant...or am I going to take a shower, put make-up on, style my hair, put on a pretty outfit, accessorize and make my date proud?

Am I willing to do the work?

Or do I just walk away, trying to forget what I saw?

I feel strongely about what our pastor mentioned recently in his sermon on this topic. We don't just change for us...we change for other people. We change for our kids, our spouse, our co-workers, our neighbors, our fellow church goers, even for people we haven't met yet. We need to step up to the plate, put our game face on and engage.

We need to undergo a makeover.

I need to overcome my anger problem for myself, yes. But, even more than that, I need to change for my kids and my husband. I need to change for my future grandchildren. If my kids grow up with an angry mom, it will become normal and they will think it's normal to treat their kids the same way. I don't want that. Not for me, not for them, not for my grandchildren.

So I will stand at the mirror for a while. I will take in what I see, even the ugly "angry face." And I will go to the Bible, knowing it will challenge me.

And I will be ready to change. I will do anything to change. No buts about it.

Flip Flop card tutorial

2010-06-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

It's about time I did a card-making tutorial, eh??

I'm addicted to these flip flop cards because there are a million fun things you can do to embellish them and you can use them as cards or invitations for virtually any occasion.

My five-year-old crafting buddy made these. Well, she chose all the "ingredients" and assembled them--I did the tracing and cutting.

Here's another variation....

I printed invitation info. four to a page in Word and used that for the top layer for these. Adorable!!

The flowers are just paper embellishments with a little bling.

First you need to print the template out on cardstock and cut them out.

Materials:
paper
cardstock
glue
flower embellishment
ribbon
scissors

{For these to be sturdy, I prefer card stock for the bottom layer but you can certainly use regular paper, then just add card stock onto the back for durability.}

Using your template, trace and cut the smaller shape out of a solid color IF you want to write on the front. Cut the larger shape out of pretty paper. If the back will be solid, feel free to use two prints for the front.

Before adhering the layers together, cut ribbon for the straps and adhere to the smaller (top) layer. I stapled mine at the top then glued them to the back.

If you prefer to use a silk flower and brad, adhere that during this step, too, so the brad will be hidden between the layers.

Adhere the layers together. If you're using a paper flower, adhere it now.

Viola!!

{notice the ends of the ribbon and the brad are hidden between the layers)

If you use a solid for the top layer, you can stamp a sentiment.

For a folded card, trace the larger flip flop on at the edge then cut. Add embellishments. You could do a double layer on the front, of course. You can use virtually any note card for this but one with a cute print is, naturally, ideal.

I used madras plaid note cards for this one.

Do a search on "flip flop card template" for a gazillion other ideas and templates. The possibilities are endless!

Use them for pool party invitations, birthday invites or just as a thinking of you card. They are so charming! Would also be a fun craft for girls. They love picking out their paper and do-dads.

Have fun!!

Elizabeth's "Going to the Zoo" fundraiser

2010-06-03T14:40:00.001-07:00

This is Elizabeth Pitts.

This is Hope For God's Children's fundraiser for Elizabeth.

The theme is "Going to the Zoo" so you'll see a lot of zoo and animal-themed items.

This is a link to Elizabeth's Caring Bridge page if you want to learn more about this special girl.

And THIS is how you can help raise money for her family:
1. Head to my Etsy shop and search "HGC Elizabeth" for the eligible items.
2. Go to ETSY and search the handmade category for "HGC Elizabeth."
3. Go to Ebay and search "HGC Elizabeth."

Now go shopping, knowing it's for a wonderful cause!!

The joy of laminating

2010-05-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

I love it when stuff is laminated. It reminds me of my childhood somehow. We probably used laminated flash cards in fourth grade or had laminated chore charts or something.

When I taught school, I thought up reasons to laminate stuff. It's sort of magical when paper starts out all flimsy and comes out stiff and glossy. Bliss.

So naturally, I gravitated toward my dad's laminating machine.

I kept eyeing it and wondering, "What can I laminate??"

Then I got to looking at all my paper scraps from making my decorative file folders. I have amassed a huge pile of scraps, all beautiful, just waiting to be used.

Eureka!

Laminated bookmarks.

They're my newest addition to my Etsy shop.

I like holding them and looking at them. I wish I was reading more books at the moment. Maybe I'll just tuck them into the books I'm hoping to read, as inspiration.

Who wouldn't love getting one of these???

These are the first of many. I just laminated a dozen more and I'm itching to cut them out. Aaaaaahhhhhhh.

Happy 1st Birthday, Ethan!

2010-05-12T05:00:00.000-07:00

My baby boy is ONE year old as of 8:12am today!

I love you, Eipi Moo!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Ethan Ryan!

on PhotoPeach

Melt my heart

2010-05-08T15:54:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day 2009 I was 9 months pregnant and two days away from Ethan's birth day. I was eagerly awaiting Ethan's arrival while enjoying our final days as a family of three.

This year I am celebrating being a mother of two amazingly smart, happy, adorable boys that make my heart melt every day.

See what I mean?

And of course none of this would be possible without my mom and best friend.

I have a lot to celebrate!

Lesson from the orchard

2010-05-05T14:22:00.000-07:00

It's been two years.

Two full calendar years since I got a spiritual wake-up call. I knew God was asking me to change. One of the themes was "Figure out what you're afraid of and get past it."

Me? Afraid?

I wonder now...how can a person be scared out of their mind and not even know it?

That night, fearful thoughts clung to me like early-morning mist to a marsh.

I couldn't shake it. For the first time in my life, I felt fearful and scared for no good reason. I would have the "fight or flight" feeling come over me at the most odd times, when nothing scary was even happening. I could feel my heart race and my hands and feet flare up with sweat.

I didn't know it at the time but God was coming toward me holding a gigantic pair of pruning shears. At first, it looked ominous and threatening.

Little by little, I started confronting the feelings I was having. I looked my fear in the face. I stopped pushing away the fearful urgings and started asking, "Where is this coming from?"

I knew God wanted me to "go there," even though I didn't know where "there" was.

It was ugly.

My parents wouldn't love me if they knew the real me. If life ever got really difficult, I would walk away from God. My death would be a horrible experience, because that's what I deserve for what I've done.

The fear went even deeper than that. The lies went even deeper than that.

You are weak. Your faith is weak. You don't deserve anything good in life until you are perfect. The work Jesus did wasn't enough. God chose you and He can unchoose you.

I was even afraid to open my Bible, for fear that I would read about something terrible that God did to someone else, that would fuel my fear of what He was going to do to me.

The enemy knows where we are weak and he is relentless. But God is even more relentless.

Philippians 1:6 "Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

So we set about pruning the lies away, one by one. Snip, snip, snip.

Sometimes the lies came in a tidy little set. Other times, one would come out of nowhere and nearly take me down, back into the pit of despair. But I was learning to identify the lies and confront them.

I was being pruned. And it hurt.

Eventually, I saw God's pruning for the loving, tender guesture that it was. "Let's get rid of this ugly, gnarled thing...so something beatuiful can grow in its place."

The new growth is so lovely, so healthy.

Two years ago, I was too sick to attend an event called "Dinner Down the Orchard" with my mom, where you eat a gourmet meal cooked by a local chef in a peach orchard.

This year, I got to go.

The owner of the farm pointed out that the tress are only about six feet tall because they are a pick-your-own peach farm. He said that they trim the tops of the trees to prevent them from growing any taller than a person can reach.

But there was another reason they cut the tops off: to allow light to shine in the inner parts of the tree, too, instead of just the outside.

It hit me. That's what God did two years ago. He hacked me off, in what might have seemed like a vicious act...to let His light shine on even my darkest parts.

His light is amazing.

I am grateful for the pruning and for the new growth.

And I am grateful that this past weekend, my mother and I got to celebrate.

I still fight the fear, almost every day. But I am so much stronger now.

Gaining victory over the fear tastes sweet. Just as sweet as this peach cobbler that was the perfect end to the perfect celebration.

Thank you, Lord, for the freedom that comes from becoming more like Your Son.

John 8:32: "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

Redemption Baby

2010-04-28T10:30:00.000-07:00

God wrote the story and now I'm telling it.

I was eight years old when I asked Jesus to come in to my heart so I didn’t have a dramatic “before and after” story of the difference Jesus made in my life. Growing up, I was a rule-following “good girl” who aimed to please so I never had any rock-bottom moments or times of darkness. Aside from a few normal bumps in the road, life was pretty peachy. It was hard for me to grasp the concept of being depraved or wrap my brain around the concept of being a “new creation.” As far back as I could remember, I had always loved Jesus and had lived a life that reflected that. Even when I heard testimonies of the pits Jesus had pulled people out of, I never bemoaned my story. Sometimes, however, I wished I could appreciate my conversion experience more by understanding what God truly saved me from.

Fast forward to 2005. My husband, Drew and I had been married for three years when we decided to start a family. I got pregnant easily and was due on my mother’s birthday. My pregnancy was picture-perfect and we planned to have a home birth. I imagined laboring in our bath tub, having a gentle birth, Drew helping catch the baby and announcing the gender and basking in the love of our new baby in the comfort of our own home. That dream was dashed when, in the final phase of labor, I was rushed to the hospital because of complications and had nearly the exact opposite birth I’d wanted. Andrew was born fast and furious and I don’t even remember who told me he was a boy. He was taken away from me immediately and I didn’t get to hold him for over an hour. Thank God he was perfectly healthy and we bonded quickly, despite his somewhat traumatic birth.

It was over two years later when we decided to try for a second baby. I was shocked when I got pregnant on the first try in April of 2008 and we didn’t hesitate to share our news with friends and family. I wasn’t even five weeks along when I filled out a pregnancy journal with a December 28th due date. Before I hit six weeks, I started having complications. It was Mother’s Day weekend when we knew the pregnancy was over. I cried in the shower. I couldn’t believe I was having a miscarriage. The experience definitely had a spiritual component to it. I was reminded of John 10:10 that says, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy.” That’s what he had set out to do to me and my baby. But I knew God was bigger and had already won the battle.

That Sunday, I went to church because I knew that’s where I needed to be and I sang tearful praises to the Lord, reminding myself of Romans 8:28 that says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” I celebrated Mother’s Day with my family, hugging Andrew and my mom extra-tight. A few days later, when the miscarriage actually occurred, I assigned it a word: heinous.

Drew and I were blind-sided by the miscarriage. When I told other women about what had happened, I was astonished at how many had also experienced a miscarriage. As with the other bumps in the road I’d experienced in my life, I knew God would use my story to reach other women going through the same thing. I had a compassion I’d never known before for women who had lost babies, while knowing mine was, by the grace of God, fairly minor.

Drew as the one who was eager to start trying for another baby. After a few months, we decided that with the next baby, we would take nothing for granted. We asked trusted friends and family to pray for our future baby, having a new appreciation for how delicate those early days are, especially the ones before you even know you are pregnant. We knew God was up to something but even then, we were thrilled and shocked when we got pregnant on the first try again. A day or two after I got the positive pregnancy test, I calculated my due date as May 13, which would be the exact day I’d miscarried a year earlier. I saw it as an affirmation that God was writing an amazing story. We asked those same friends and family to pray for our tiny baby.

The first 36 or so weeks of my pregnancy were, again, picture-perfect. We’d found out we were having A BOY and were ecstatic. As my baby shower approached, I ran across a verse and knew right away that God gave it to me as a reassurance: Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing.” I claimed that verse and imagined the dancing we would do when our son was born!

The final month of my pregnancy brought anxiety and a loss of appetite. I was weak, drained and losing weight but I knew I’d be dancing soon! At almost 41 weeks along, I started having labor pains one night. By 3:00am, I woke Drew up to help me cope with contractions. We left for the hospital and were checked in by 6:00am. The nurses were amazed that I was in advanced labor and still smiling and joking around. I felt fantastic and marveled at how “easy” this labor was. It was so different than my first labor! Things progressed quickly. My family arrived at 7:00am and Ethan was born at 8:12am on May 12. His birth was exactly what I had wanted. They placed him on my chest and I held him for over an hour before they took him to take his stats. My family was there to meet him and marvel in his perfection. Everyone congratulated me on his by-the-book birth. My doctor even said, “I haven’t attended a birth like that in a long time,” and we thanked the Lord together.

Ethan, whose name means “strong,” came home on May 13th, a year after my miscarriage. May 13 now marks “the day our redemption baby came home.” Ethan has, since literally day one, been an amazing baby. He has been perfectly healthy, is sweet-natured, easy-going, cheerful, smart and affectionate and delights everyone he meets. Even strangers have commented on how precious and angelic he is. He seems to exude joy. Even when I was dealing with more anxiety postpartum, when I woke up to his smiling face, I was reminded of God’s goodness and the work of redemption that God did.

During a recent sermon from the Genesis account of creation, our pastor, Tim Jacobs, said, “God’s greatest work wasn’t creation; His greatest work is redemption.” I didn’t have a dramatic redemption story from my childhood but when I think of how heinous that miscarriage was and how perfect our baby is, I know I will always hold our story of redemption in my heart. God took something heinous and turned it into something beautiful. I know now what being depraved looks like and it is truly heinous. I am so grateful that God pulled me out of that pit.
That is how God works. He redeemed my first birth experience. He redeemed a lost pregnancy. He turned our mourning into dancing!

The enemy didn’t account for the second part of John 10:10 which says that “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus came to offer redemption and God is still in the business of redemption today. And I will dance for joy every day because of it.

Gift Ideas for Mom {or yourself!}

2010-04-21T17:34:00.000-07:00

Wondering what to get Mom for Mother's Day?

Need some ideas to pass along for your loved ones for what to get YOU??

Let's go shopping on Etsy!

First stop: Teri's Treasure. I ordered this fabric bin made out of my favorite "Happy All Over" fabric and it's perfect for holding my crafty goodies! The quality is EXCELLENT.

I adore her quilted table toppers & coasters. These tea-themed ones are so sweet.

These re-usable fabric labels are so cool!!

How about an eco-friendly cleaning mitt?? Cute AND practical!

She's got a slew of other nifty stuff, too--check her out!!

Next up: Crafty Addictions where you can get amazing personalized birthstone pendants for a GREAT price!! I love the "est." option! I ordered these for my mom with "Nana" (to the power of three) and mother-in-law with "Grandma" (to the power of five). They're sure to be a hit!

She's got lots of other neat personalize-able jewelry, too--don't miss it!

And #3: Moja Creations! This is where I shopped for my mom last year and she's still getting compliments!! If your mom takes her lunch to work or school like mine does, and/or carries snacks in her purse, these are a great alternative to throw-away plastic or paper bags! I got my mom one large and one small, in coordinating colors. Any mom will love these reusable lunch/snack bags.

Moving on to Nicole at Owl Naturals. She's new to Etsy and among the very FEW {I've checked} who use REAL natural ingredients in her products and doesn't use "fragrance oil." Her
soaps are delightful AND she wraps them in pages from vintage children's books!

I'm eyeing the mini bar soap sampler (just $4.50) to give to my favorite mom-friends.

She also offers beeswax candles from her local bee-keeper, which I adore! I can't tolerate scented candles while I eat so these are perfect.

We also have Distressed Designs for custom signs. Any mom would love to have this with her family name.

As a mother of two sons, this one is especially delightful!

Lastly is J Lynn Creations, which has oodles of hand-stamped jewelry and these nifty stamped spoons/garden stakes.

It would be precious if you gave it in a potted plant.

I hope you enjoyed this little "shop tour" and have fun checking out these lovely ladies' wares! Tell them I sent ya!

My boys

2010-04-18T18:22:00.001-07:00

Big sentences. Big imagination. Big ideas. My big son, almost 4.5 years old.

He does a little exploring. He's a little mischevious.

Brothers learning to play together.

My new glasses :)

Life is good and time sure flies.

Flowers for Easter

2010-03-30T15:33:00.001-07:00

I hope to see a LOT of flowers being worn on Easter Sunday! I'm still debating what to wear--I have nursery duty so it has to be practical AND pretty. Maybe floral capris....???

Here are my newest creations, perfect for Spring and Easter!! Can be on brooch pins, bobby pins or hair clips.

All eligible for the BOGO (buy one, get one 1/2 price) event, too!!

Go shopping in my Roots & Wings Etsy shop

BOGO event on fabric flowers!

2010-03-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Going on NOW in my Etsy Shop

BUY ONE fabric flower, GET ONE for 1/2 price!

Stock up for Easter, Spring, Mother's Day or just to have some last-minute gifts on hand.

{Free flower will be of equal or lesser value}

INCLUDES these new arrivals!

Now go shopping and snag yourself one, and one for someone special!

We sprung!

2010-03-21T19:49:00.000-07:00

SPRING HAS ARRIVED!!

Breakfast by my folks' pool {during my mom's Spring Break from teaching}...

Impromptu picnics at the park...{my dad happened to be working nearby and came to join us...and took these pictures}

Ethan's first trip to the petting zoo...

Sticky, messy, delicious snow cones...

Breaking out the short-sleeve pajamas {hand-me-downs from a sweet friend}...

Ethan's first Easter egg hunt party...

And wearing skirts!

What are you doing to celebrate???

NEW for Spring!

2010-03-19T09:16:00.001-07:00

My heart always skips a beat when I go down the paper aisle at my favorite craft store to find a set of cute, NEW paper!!

This is my current obsession, it's called "Poteeka Birds" and "Poteeka Butterflies." The colors are divine!

I did a set of four folders...

...and a set of four jumbo marble magnets.

I'm lovin' this paper, too, called "Maya." File folders...

...and marble magnets.

I also whipped up this black fabric flower. So cool to wear in your hair or on your jacket! I picture it worn at night for a fun evening out.

All brand new in
my Etsy shop.

What are YOU working on for Spring??

What's happenin'

2010-03-09T11:51:00.000-08:00

First of all, Monkey is now 10 months old!

He has been walking for almost two months, but now he walks everywhere, all the time. Check out that concentration!

And he almost always has something in each hand. Maybe it helps him balance?? {Yes, he's wearing Christmas pajamas in March}

He now has a total of five teeth, two on the bottom and three on the top. He looks so different!! Too grown up!!

Booter's new obsession is puzzles. He can do this James puzzle by himself, no problem.

He also went bowling for the first time this weekend. He even got a spare!

Nothing unusual for me these days, just crafting along. Here's me, sporting one of my fabric flowers, and the coffee cozy my friend, Jen, ordered from Etsy. Love it!

My new favorite thing is making fabric flowers for my Etsy shop. Here are the newest ones for St. Patrick's Day, whether you are Irish Catholic or Irish Protestant. They can be pins, hair clips or both.

And these are perfect for Spring! "spring garden" fabric.

That's about it from here...

Head to Roots & Wings on Etsy to check out what's new!

GIVEAWAY!

2010-03-03T20:57:00.000-08:00

I am thrilled to be helping Melissa out with her NEW product review blog,
Got a Lot to Give by hosting a giveaway. She's reviewing some of the products I sent to her from my shop, too!

I'm giving away this "Lily Pond" fabric flower, featuring butterflies, dragonflies and polka dots, perfect for spring! Retail value: $4.95. Will come with a brooch pin AND alligator hair clip so you can wear it however you want! Clip it onto a headband, attach it to a purse or wear it to jazz up your tee shirt and jeans. Adorable!

Plus the winner will get two bookmarks and some Amy Butler butterfly confetti. And a few surprise goodies, too! :)

Now hop on over there and enter to win!

Got a Lot to Give

Seeing Red

2010-02-25T11:06:00.000-08:00

I am trying my hand at my first Bundt cake although, actually, it's a generic "fluted pan" from Wilton so technically it's not a "Bundt."

I used a red velvet cake mix from Duncan Hines. Here's how it looked coming out of the oven:

Then flipped onto the cake stand,.. PHEW, it's all in one piece!!

With the glaze drizzled over the top.

And I couldn't leave well enough alone so I added some chopped pecans for a little Southern flair!

Drooooool....

Now I'm VERY curious as to how it will taste....will let you know!

Shop for Emily

2010-02-24T11:01:00.000-08:00

A sampling of the items in my Etsy shop that benefit Emily through Hope for God's Children.

Read more from my previous post here

Decorative file folders

Bookmarks

Fabric flowers

NOW GO SHOPPING!

Helping Emily {and seeing rainbows}

2010-02-21T13:28:00.001-08:00

I found out about Emily Schmidt through Polka Dot Mom.

"Hope For God's Children" is sponsoring a fundraiser for her family NOW through March 4. Just GO SHOPPING on Ebay (using search "HGC Emily") or on Etsy (using search "HGC" or Emily").

You'll see a lot of blue flowers and rainbows...read the blurb from her mom under the above rainbow to find out why.

I listed this blue flower brooch with $2 going toward HGC....

...and within an hour, saw THIS double rainbow right in front of my home. It was the first rainbow BOTH of my sons had ever seen! From my driveway, this was to the left...

...and this was to the right. Isn't that amazing???

Go to my Etsy shop and search "Emily" for the eligible items or check out this post.

You can read more about Emily on her web site
here

Now go do a good deed to help a special family and get t'shoppin'!!

Organizing paperwork with clipboards

2010-02-19T09:31:00.000-08:00

I loved this idea from my recent "Parents" magazine. To corral every one's paperwork, use decorative clipboards! They adhered paper to fit then added chipboard letters to spell each name. You can attach invitation, receipts, reminders, etc.

Here's the one I made for me, using a junky old clipboard I had sitting around. I also attached a pen and hung it next to our family calendar.

Drew's will be next {but more manly, of course}!

Push my buttons

2010-02-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

I just didn't have enough crafty stuff to do so I decided to start making fabric-covered buttons to go on my fabric flowers.

Not only are they fun to make but I think they are the perfect finishing touch to these "frayed flowers!"

In case you're wondering, I got the button-making supplies on Etsy from

Cutie Stuffs, size 36.

Seeing Red

2010-02-09T12:19:00.000-08:00

Red, red, red, red!!!

I added this "RED HOT" flower to my Etsy shop. I think it's perfect for Valentine's Day, although I think red and black are chic year-round.

I love how it dresses up even a simple denim jacket.

I liked it to much that I whipped these beauties up while I watched "The Bachelor" at my sister-in-law's house, while little hands weren't grabbing for my scissors. I tried doing several combinations of silver and red and added in some sparkly tulle, which I looove.

Knowing not everyone is into sparkle and glamor as much as I am, I did some red and white "frayed flowers" as well. I love the stripes and polka dots!

Are you wearing anything fun for Valentine's Day??