Simply Sari

do I trust...

2012-02-10T07:25:00.000-08:00

Do I trust when Him when He says that He has the whole thing under control...

That He loves my children more than I do and knows whats best for them,

or that He is helping my husband become who he was always meant to be from the inside out so I don't need to be in control of every situation.... that when everything feels like it's spinning out of control that I truly can grab for dear life to the One that created me..... unique and individual and only one of me.

Do I truly believe it when I tell everyone that He can do anything.....that I trust whatever He has in store for me is better than anything I could ever aspire to dream?

He is slowly teaching me that I can trust Him and the only way to find true rest is in Him.

There's nothing that comes even close, even though I try to find other ways to rest, it's empty.... never fills the hole that I need to fill up so I can love others the way He says we all can.

You can't love others if you don't have a well to draw from....if you let the well run dry then you start spitting dust and muck and then you're in trouble. Let Him fill you up, Trust that He knows you best, knows exactly what you need, and can truly provide that for you if you only ask and are willing....

I'm writing along with the Gypsy Mama over at her place for Five Minute Fridays, won't you come check it out and perhaps even join us?

We write because we want to, not because we have to. We write for fun, for joy, for discovery.

On Fridays we just write without worrying if it’s just right or not.

Wonderings

2012-01-29T10:17:00.000-08:00

I woke feeling that artistic pull mixed with the urge to delve into things I haven't made time for much lately... it doesn't quite mesh well with the needs of my kiddo's and what we have planned for the day though. I know God made me just the way I am with the pull towards playing in clay and painting and creating and wandering, but sometimes it's hard to not be selfish.

My melancholy mood today tends toward the selfish while God asks me to find ways to nourish that part while caring for the blessings he's given me in my children and my husband.

To be patient and wait for him, to know that He knows the yearning of my heart and soul and knows what is best. To rest in Him.

That maybe what I need isn't to hole up somewhere and indulge my feeling of wanting to be alone as it may leave me hungry and empty still. Maybe I need to bring out the messy stuff and create alongside my kiddos, or sing and the top of my lungs in the car driving to Him that created me. Perhaps it's moving and talking with other people, getting to know them on a more personal basis, admiring the work He did in creating them and all their nuances.

Taking a moment to slow down and truly appreciate what someone is saying to me instead of thinking about what I could be doing if I just had some "me" time.

We made it to church this morning, late, but still. One of the points was that "me" time is over-rated...your soul and mind are fed more by doing something for someone else, reaching outside of your comfort zone to touch someone's life, sacrificing for someone that you may not even know, taking the focus off of yourself. I have to agree.

There is a time and place for quiet communion, for enjoying the gifts He has given you, but you must dig deep to see what the motivation is.....

Color

2011-12-09T08:58:00.000-08:00

Linking up with the Gypsy Mama, won't you join us?

Each week she has a five minute friday, gives a topic and then you just write whatever comes to mind, no editing, no worries about whether it sounds right...just write.

Here we go:

Color is what I love, from the brightest of blues to the warmest of yellows, the earthy browns to reds that span the spectrum of fire, cool greens to funky purples, from the light of white to the dark of black.

There is a color for every mood you have, no matter if your sad or happy, joyous or angry, or bubbling with excitement. There's always a color that fits just perfectly.

I'm always amazed at how He created everything and that to study the colors he used can boggle anyone, as within each tone of color there are so many different shades and tonal differences. Crazy to think that with the exception of black and white that every other color can be created from 3...red yellow and blue.

Can you imagine life in black and white, I can't, I'm so grateful that He created such a wonderfully beautiful color palette and used them all in His creation.

Awesome Idea for Making Your own Fabric!

2011-10-13T13:34:00.000-07:00

This is so fun, you have to go check it out Here!

pattern for herringbone knitting, a cowl in particular

2011-10-03T10:12:00.000-07:00

I was moseying around in blogland and found this awesome blog you have to come check out...

it has all sorts of patterns for making wonderful knit things, Here's the one I like!

Need to make fabric flowers?

2011-09-07T19:11:00.000-07:00

Here's a fantastic list of links for 40 different kinds!

Happy Sewing!

An easier way to silk screen (at home)

2011-09-07T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hop over Here and check it out! So going to do this soon!

Sharing: DIY Cabinet/Wall Decals

2011-08-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hop on over Here and check these out then make some for yourself!

What are you Full of?

2011-07-22T07:30:00.000-07:00

What comes to mind when you think of Full? Do you see things as "the glass is half empty, or half full?"....

Looking over the last few months I realize that I am learning to live life day by day and truly appreciate every blessing down to the tiniest. There's something about uncertainty that really can magnify things in your life. Are you looking for the blessings and realizing how full your life is of truly magnificent wonder, or are you always looking for the next thing, wanting something new, craving something you feel is better than what you already have? Culture seems to say that everything revolves around self and that you should never be "satisfied" with what you have, creating this atmosphere of unrest and unhappiness that will never be satisfied.

I'm by no means perfect and don't do this as much as I should, but having a purposeful mindset to look and seek out the blessings and truly realize how full my life is with God's mercy and blessing really helps me in my daily journey. It is an action, not just something to conjure up...something you ask God for help with, get a journal to write them down, talk with your friend and have someone there to remind you even when things don't seem great that there are still so many blessings to come as God can use any situation even the mucky ones.

What do you fill your life with....your mind with? Are you choosing to be purposeful or are you just riding the wave as far as it will take you, with no thought about where you'll end up and missing out on all the little joys? Are you choosing things that really truly make life full or empty hollow things that will never fill the void every one of us has?

This is part of Five Minute Friday, I'm linking up over at The Gypsy Mama

Make your own buttons!!!

2011-07-22T07:13:00.000-07:00

These are really awesome, and if I ever get a minute and the supplies I'm totally doing this!

It would be a fun project for older kids too and then you can preserve their artwork too!

Hop over Here and check it out!

Five Minutes Of Grateful

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

Here's all the info over at The Gypsy Mama's page!

This week is all about Grateful for Five Minutes....

Have you ever really thought about what you are truly grateful for? Really chewed on it and mulled it over for a bit?

We tell our children all the time that they should be grateful for things...if they're not grateful then they might as well not have the thing. Is gratefulness and attitude of the heart or an action word?

I really wish we as a society would learn to be grateful...how many times I've heard that we need a bigger house from "strangers" because we "only" have a 3 bedroom house and we've got 5 kids....we do just fine with what God's given us provided we have the right perspective. Moving to a bigger house just makes more room for more "stuff" that needs taken care of and therefore uses time that we could be spending on much more important things like playing with our kiddo's, having people over, helping someone else or whatever God sets in our path.

I've been pondering lately about how there's almost always a blessing to be grateful for in every situation, whether the situation is fantastic or really not too great. If it's great you really don't have to look to hard, but the worse the situation is the harder you have to look but even if it's just that God's there with you holding you through the muck that is still a blessing. The muck makes you ever more grateful for the better things that come as well.

I am so grateful for the blessing of a wonderful hubby and 5 littles, especially "bean" who is finally growing and smiling lots and doing so much better!

It's your turn, leave me a link so I can swing by your "place" for a visit!

Embroidery Hoop Wall Art....Mini How To

2011-07-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

So, I've seen tutorials/pics for these in quite a few places and have been "collecting" embroidery hoops for my own set of them. I just pick them up at the thrifts store when I see them, usually for 30 cents up to 1.99. I finally had enough to get a good start and a few minutes to throw it all together.

Do you have fabric in your "stash" that you love but never gets made into anything...maybe you like it a bit too much? Or is that just me, ha. Here's what I put together, and I think I need to find some more itty bitty ones and one more big one to balance my wall out....we'll see.

Really, I didn't do a whole tutorial, more likes tips and tricks, cause all you need to do is google embroidery hoop wall art and you can have pages and pages of tutes, how to's, for sale and such.

This is my wall after I took all the pics off of it I had hanging and patched and painted...just excuse the mess on the back of the couch please {:o)

Those are all the pics I had on the wall that I moved to the stairwell, ha!

I missed taking pics of spray painting the outside hoops.... you can choose to leave the hoops alone, but I got them from the thrift store so the dark paint covered up marks and prices and such, and also made them all the same tone. Take the screws/bolts out of the tops and the inside hoops out before you spray paint them....

Those are the "insides" and the bolts and such. I missed the stretching of the fabric too, but it's pretty self explanatory....just stretch the fabric in between the outside and inside hoops and tighten the bolt and keep doing that till your fabric is taught and then trim the excess off around the backside

For some reason I couldn't get a decent pic of the whole wall...or at least one that showed some of the detail of the fabrics so I took two...one of the right half....

and one of the left....

I pushed the inside hoop beyond the outside edge, as shown in this pic cause it helped curve the excess around the back in toward the center of the hoop....plus I just like how it looks

I just hung the first one in the "middle" (over the biggest patch in the wall, ha) and then branched out with no rhyme or reason really, although I tried to keep the color scheme balances a bit.

Would be fun to get like 25 small ones and do a square grid of 5 rows of 5 in different fabrics!

Or get 4 big/small ones and 5 of the other size and alternate in a straight line vertically or horizontally...

Have you done this? If you have, or do, send me a link so I can come see!!!

You Are Welcome

2011-07-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

Crazy to think the week has flown, seems like just yesterday I wrote about wonder...oh well, life's been crazy at our house for a while now and I'm just trying to go with the flow! I do have pics of some tutorial type things taken I just have to find time to do the blog posts, hopefully I can get to them next week. In the mean time I'm joining in again over on five minute friday and this weeks theme is Welcome.

Hop on over Here and check out the rules and such and join in the fun!

Here we go:

I am always amazed to think of how God welcomes us all into His family whenever we decide we are ready. He knit us together and formed us, had dreams and plans for us before we were ever created. He loves each more than anyone could fathom and is with us ever step of every day walking along on our life journey, if we let Him.

He cries with us and loves on us, He finds joy in us and give us wonderful blessings, He will always be there through thick and thin. Even when we decide we don't "need" His help, He waits patiently ready to extend grace and mercy and Welcome us back into a loving relationship with Him.

Even in the middle of the muck when it doesn't "feel" like he's there, when you can't see His hand in whatever is going on, He says be still and know that I am still here, through all things I can bring glory, I love you and am with you even when you can't see to put one foot in front of the other I am here to guide you.

Time's up...leave me a link to your five minutes so I can come visit!

Cool Idea.

2011-06-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

Hop on over Here and check this out!

New Stuff in the Shop!

2011-06-27T10:13:00.000-07:00

I had a small bit of time and there will be new stuff hitting the "shelves" this week starting today!

Come on over Here and check it out, then let me know what you think!

Wonder....Five minute Friday

2011-06-24T05:35:00.000-07:00

Hop on over Here to get all the info about how to play along!

Here we go!

I am in awe of the many blessings You continue to pour out even in the midst of the muck we've dealt with lately. Even when I don't know where to turn or if we'll ever figure out what's going on with Ari, whether she'll get better or whether she'll only have a short time here. You show me daily the miracles all around me, and teach me how to appreciate the smallest of them.

I am so intrigued at how different each of our little's are, they have threads of being family woven through, but are truly each unique and individual. Each bring something totally unique to our family dynamic. I am filled with wonder watching their wonder at things too, loving their perspective and learning to look anew at things normally taken for granted.

I am filled with wonder at the work You've done in my marriage, we are worlds away from where we were when we were first married and I am so grateful. Helping each of us to grow closer to You and learn how to love the other more...helping us to "become one"...

I am amazed at how even when I take steps in faith and am so fearful You are there right beside me, leading me ever so gently and reminding me that You love me and my family more than I ever could. Knowing You have everything under control and have a plan for each of us, even the smallest, is such a wonderful thing and I am so grateful that I can rest in that and know that in everything You can use it for your glory.

There, now it's your turn! Leave me a link so I can come stop by too!

Simply Sharing: Book Strap Tutorial

2011-06-14T16:48:00.000-07:00

Another to-do for my list!!!

Hop on over HERE and check out how to make this fabulous carrier!!!

"Stained" Glass Tutorial

2011-05-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

So this is one of those things that kids can do or you can do, and the results will vary accordingly....might be a good teacher/bus driver end of the year gift, or you could make some to add a little extra to a graduation gift!

You'll need small bits of colored tissue paper, a glass vessel of some sort (vase, bowl, candleholder, glass ect) and glue/modpodge and a small paintbrush!

put a small bit of glue in a dish and add some water and mix with your paintbrush, I eyeball it at a bout a one to one ratio

If you use mod podge you can add a bit of water or just use as is

The consistency should be kind of runny but not so much that it runs when you paint your glass object with it...work in sections and start applying your glue "glaze" to you glass item

You can either do like I did and just use strips/shapes that are smaller that your glass and over lap the lip of your glass, or you could also put the straight edges of your paper about a 1/4 inch below the rim of your glass like is shown in the other example down below on the bowl at the end of the tutorial

Start laying tissue pieces and then layer another layer of your "glaze" and then keep alternating. You could let one layer dry before adding another, or not....I don't get much time to "wait" around so I just kept layering till I like the look of it

work your way around the glass and fold the pieces that go beyond under and over your piece...the top ones will get gently torn after you're all done

Here's the example I was talking about at the beginning where I started the tissue paper about a 1/4 inch below the rim of the bowl.

You really can get into this as much as you want, even going as far as to do a landscape/picture type deal...someday when I have more "free" time I will play around with it

When your glass is completely covered how you like, find something to rest it on while it dries

When it's dry, if you overlapped the rim of your glass, gently put a bit of your glaze on your finger and smooth down the edges after you have cut/torn the excess off....using an exacto knife would be good then you don't worry about haphazardly making the tissue pull in the wrong spot

Put a tealight in it and your ready to roll...well if you did a candle holder that is

If you just use the glue mix as your glaze you could modpodge over the whole thing if you want to make a more finished exterior, or perhaps a coat of varnish would be easy enough.... although I just used the glue and water on the bowl with the squares and it's been my "junk" bowl for at least 4 years and has held up pretty well!

Hope you have fun trying this out, and if you get pics of your finished project, leave me a link so I can come see what your spin on it was!

Lastly, would anyone be interested in a tutorial for this sort of skirt I made for my girlie? I know there are a lot of similar tutorials but if there is interest I will throw one together, just let me know! It's got a flat front waistband and an elastic gathered back waistband and strips of fabric...

Sharing Rainy Day Fun

2011-05-18T10:39:00.000-07:00

We've had a rainy day streak in our neck of the woods, but I just found this blog/tutorial and thought I'd share!

Hop over Here to see how it's done!

Upcycled Toddler Dress How To

2011-05-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

So, finally I've got a new tutorial for you, although I realized after I was done and going through the pics that some were too blurry and not worth including so hopefully I can explain those steps without the pics. This is my first time doing something like this and having it turn out, and I apologize up front as I kind of fly by the seat of my pants when sewing and such and mostly don't pin or iron like I'm "supposed" to.... so if you like to pin and such you are more than welcome to, hopefully I don't drive you too nuts. So here we go.

I found this womens XL knit shirt at the thrift store and bought it for 2 dollars... I knew I could do something with it for our 4 year old that loves Mickey, she says "he's my favorite guy"

Lay your shirt on a flat surface and match up the bottom hems as best as you can and smooth out the wrinkles in the shirt

match up the sides and top seams

Grab a tank top that fits your girlie and fold it in half and lay it on top of the way too big shirt

Cut out around the shirt leaving a bit extra to allow for seam allowances

This is your new shirt now looking more like a dress....

turn it inside out and smooth and match hems again... and this would be one of those times where if you'd like you can pin the side seams in place ahem

Sew the side seams together with the right sides of the shirt touching

This is the setting on my machine for almost the widest zig zag stitch it will sew.... It's good to use a zig zag on knits so it will stretch a bit if you tug on the fabric, if you use a straight stitch it won't stretch at the seams and may lay funny

Here's where there's a gap.... after the sides are done I decided I wanted to do a ruffle for the bottom hem. I found some light weight cotton fabric and decided how wide I wanted the ruffle and cut the length roughly 2 times the length of the bottom of my dress. Next time I will double the width as well and fold it in half so if you see under the ruffle it will be the same print instead of white underneath... I had to cut 2 pieces for my length, one for the front and one for the back, which was great cause since I don't pin I could just line the side seams up which I will show you later.....

So here's where I hemmed the bottom edge of my "ruffle"... either fold and press and fold again about 1/4 inch to encase all your raw edges, use pinking shears or forgo the hemming by doubling the width and folding in half which is what I will do next time....

I then lined up the other side seam of the ruffle and sewed it and now I have a loop of fabric

At the top edge (not hemmed) sew the widest zig zag that your machine has but do not backstitch at the start and end and make sure you leave your thread tails pretty long.... we're doing a basting stitch to make the ruffle, and I'm sure there are videos and such on youtube or tutorials if you google it if this doesn't make sense... let me know if you need help and I will try to find a good one

once you have run the zig zag around the whole top of the ruffle, find one of the ends to hold on too and gently pull on it to ruffle the fabric. I've found this works best (i.e. doesn't break the thread) if you use decent thread, or do at least 2 rows of zig zag stitch. once you have the ruffle looking very ruffley start eyeballing it against the bottom hem of your shirt...

Once it looks close to the same length as the bottom of your shirt match the side seams up (and pin if you'd like) with the right side of the shirt and ruffle touching.

Space out the ruffles a bit so you don't have "clumps" and so they are spread out across the whole length of the bottom pretty evenly.... you could pin every couple of inches here as well....

since this is the bottom hem and I don't need to worry about the stretch factor I used a straight stitch and sewed right above the zig zag on the ruffle so you wouldn't see it... plus in order for the ruffle to stay you need to use a straight stitch so they don't all move to one spot

and I guess I assumed this but every time (except the gathering/basting stitch) you need to backstitch a couple of times to "lock" your stitches in place at the beginning and end of every "line" of sewing you do so your seams don't unravel... just wanted to clarify...

turned right side out

you could just leave it as is now or turn under and zig zag around the arm holes

but for some reason I felt compelled to add a bit of ruffle to the arm holes as well

I cut out some pieces about 2 or 3 inches longer than the arm holes

you need 2 pieces... and next time I will double the width and fold again so you only see the cute dots, not the funky underside of the fabric...

This time though I hemmed the edge, although if you do it this way either use pinking shears or press and fold and repeat with 1/4 inch seam to hid the raw edge...

here they are

hem the short ends together

and again I'm missing the step where you baste again... I did the whole unhemmed edge but next time I will just do the top part of the sleeve, then pull one string again to make the ruffle and eyeball it against your armhole in the shirt

match up your center under arm seam... and pin if you'd like with the right sides together

Using a straight stitch sew above your basting stitch again

Turn right side out and show your girlie

She wasn't too enthusiastic about modeling because she was trying to watch Dora, but she was thrilled with it and so excited... she's determined to wear it to school tomorrow as well.

The neckhole was a bit big so I ended up making a pin tuck in the back and sewing a ribbon to tie in a bow in the back... I think I will need to do on in the front as well so it doesn't dip so far down, but I will off center it to her right. Here you can see why next time I will double the width of the ruffles so you don't see that icky white underside at all...

Here it is when I finally managed to get it off of her after she went for a bath...I think I will be making more of these for my other girlies, as it turned out fabulously and it will last for a while because it's knit so it will turn into a shirt when it's too short for a dress. Try it out and leave me a link so I can come see please... and leave me some feedback as to what you think about this tutorial, was it easy to follow and clear enough?

I did get something else to do a tutorial with at the thrift store as well, just have to find the time to do it and take pics...this time it's something for your home, and more of a crafty thing, no sewing involved!

New Shop Stuff!

2011-05-13T17:39:00.000-07:00

Come check out my shop blog for more info!

Five Minute Friday: If you met me

2011-04-08T10:51:00.000-07:00

Hop on over Here to see what it's all about, and be sure to leave me a link if you decide to play along!

If you met me,

you might think I'm a little crazy. My hair might not be the same the next time you see me, I have a cosmetology license and it doesn't take much to have the urge to change the color or cut or style at any time. My hubby and I have 5 kiddo's under 10 and I wouldn't mind having more if God chooses to bless us in that way. Our house is always somewhat crazy and noisy unless all the kids are sleeping, but really I like it that way. I love each of them and how different they are, and it's difficult sometimes don't get me wrong but I truly feel God matches kids and parents up for a reason and I am fascinated each day.

you would find me wanting to know all about you, I love meeting new people and seeing the work God's doing in their lives. Sometimes it's easier for me to listen than it is for me to talk about what's going on in my life, at least when we're face to face.

you'd see that I am learning to love life and all it's imperfections and oddities. God is taking me through a season where I'm learning to find the blessing in every situation and giving me some perspective as well about what truly is important. Our youngest babe is in the hospital and has been off and on for the last 3 months and she is still only 9 pounds after being 7 pounds when she was born 5 months ago. She is awaiting heart surgery that will most likely happen in about 2 weeks. It's not been easy but I know that we've done all we can and that God has her (and us) in his hands and loves her more than we do which gives me some peace and helps me not to worry too much.

you would also probably find me in bare feet or mismatched socks....I gave up matching socks a long time ago and I prefer to not wear shoes at all when possible {;0)

Okay it's your turn!

I always wanted to "make" an umbrella

2011-04-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I've always wanted a cute umbrella and can't ever find one that I really like and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.... found this tutorial that shows how to recover your existing umbrella so you can use whatever cute fabric you like and end up with an umbrella that puts a smile on your face every time you get to use it on a rainy day!

another Awesome thing on my "to-do" list

2011-04-06T04:52:00.000-07:00

Found this tutorial today,

I am making plans to make this dress for each of my girlies...I have been hoarding fabric and such for a while but haven't had time to sew with our baby so sick, but hopefully after surgery this month we will have a few months to just be a family again and I will have a bit of time to sew for my kiddo's. I have some fantastic Dr. Seuss fabric I will pair with red for my Rue, and some fantastic mod fabric for my Raven, some funky eclectic fabric for V and some sweet soft fabric for our Ari. This looks easy enough that it shouldn't take me forever and they will each have something fun for the upcoming summer months. I will post pics whenever I get them finished, be sure to leave a link if you make one so I can come see!

Thought Provoking Tuesday: The grass is always greener over there

2011-04-06T02:44:00.000-07:00

I meant to post this yesterday, but things were a bit nutsy here at the hospital with my baby so I'm just a few hours late. I found this gem of a read yesterday and thought I would share. I'm sure a lot of us have this problem in at least one or more area's in our lives, I know I do. It's really easy to get sucked in to seeing all the nice in someone elses life and/or blog and not consider that they have their own issues to deal with and that no one is perfect. There's no such thing as a "perfect" life or situation, no one has it all together all the time, and if they appear to then they are putting a whole lot of effort into their facade. They aren't being "Real", and eventually it will all come crumbling down and be worse for them in the long run. Plus, it's no good comparing ourselves as God made us each unique and gave us all different talents and gifts to use for his glory.... Yes, you do have talents and gifts, you are just overlooking something if you try to tell yourself that you don't have any. It's that thing that comes so easy for you that doesn't come so easy to others, the thing s that give you great joy when you are able to do them. Just because it doesn't fit into the "mold" you think it should or doesn't look like "everyone's" doesn't make it any less important or special. We seem to have this problem where it's always easier to see their gifts and covet them rather than rooting out our own and figuring out how to best use them, and then we are wasting all our energy on coveting instead of using our talent and being content.

Anywhoo, hop over Here to read the fabulous posting at InCourage and let me know what you think!

When keeping my eyes on Christ and His calling on me, I find my confidence.

It is then that I can rest and enjoy the gifts I see in other people. And on other blogs.

Let us have faith that, in Christ, we are far beyond average.

Another Gem Of an Idea

2011-04-03T02:58:00.000-07:00

Here's another fabulous idea by itself or to bounce off of for some inspiration,

if you make one leave me a link so I can see your fabulous fabric (I think I have a fabric addiction)

and what you come up with!

Here's the Link!

mmm....something good to eat

2011-04-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

These look awesome... if I get a moment when I'm home I may even tinker with an egg/dairy free version, as the docs feel that Ari may have a milk protein intolerance and since she is getting my milk that means no egg/dairy products for me {;0) Luckily I have found dairy free chocolate chips and margarine/butter and a fantastic site on substitutions for eggs, so we shall see what I can come up with.

I never really new all the things that contain some sort of dairy or egg product until I had to cut it out....

Anywhoo, here's the link, go check it out and let me know how they turn out

Something to Share

2011-04-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

So, here's the first of many yet to come of some projects I have found that I want to try or use for inspiration... this is a blog that I have just recently stumbled upon but has many awesome idea's so be sure to check it out when you have a moment!

Click Here to head over and see how she made her own batik fabric with crayons

Update

2011-03-31T04:41:00.000-07:00

So, I've obviously been neglecting my blog over the last 4 months... Our newest addition is having some continual medical issues that have been ongoing and I really haven't had time to do much blog wise, or even etsy shop wise. Here's a link if you want to know what's been going on, it's a site I created just to keep family and friends updated on what's going on so I don't have to call, post on facebook, email and such to everyone I can just do it all in one place. We are currently in the hospital, but she is much more calm today so I may be able to post some of the good finds I've been saving in my folders for whenever I have time to create.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/arianarose

She's Here!

2010-11-16T22:30:00.000-08:00

Ariana was born yesterday at about 5 via C Section

she weighed 7 pounds 10 oz and is 19 inches long

She is a true miracle blessing

Watch out world!

Long time no see.....well....and a fun Christmas idea too

2010-11-14T10:42:00.000-08:00

So, I just realized I haven't posted since July.....crazy. So much has been going on, mostly centered around our newest addition that hasn't made her appearance just yet. I went into preterm labor in early October and the doc's were able to stop it with some nasty meds, but it worked and then I was put on bedrest for 3 weeks. Luckily we have lots of family and friends around to help, as I don't know how we would've done it with our other 4 kids and my hubby working and going to school full time with me not able to do much. I must say though that God is so wonderful and showed me a few things as well as strengthened my marriage in the process...... I've been off of bedrest for almost 3 weeks now and our girlie still hasn't decided it's time, although I thought for sure she was coming last wednesday, and even this morning. I have a few hours of contractions or several hours of contractions that come and go. The doc said I was 5 cm dilated last monday, and the babe is big and I have almost double the amount of amnio fluid that's normal.....so the doc said she's really surprised my water hasn't broken and that I'm still prego. So, needless to say I'm sort of in limbo and I don't really like it. Ugh. Oh well, God knows what he's doing, right? Anyways, being on bedrest for that long I had plenty of time to find loads of fun projects I want to do and so I thought I'd start sharing them with you......this is one I haven't started yet, but really do want to do before Christmas this year as all we have now is a plain feltish red skirt that isn't really that fantastic. Let me know if you make one, or if you find a template to sew the skirt part and how it goes. Thanks for hanging with me and we'll see if I can get a project posted every week till Christmas, some with pics of the finished product of my own {;0)

http://www.smockityfrocks.com/2007/12/christmas-tree-skirt.html

A New Giveaway!

2010-07-07T14:38:00.000-07:00

Hop on over to my Etsy shop blog, Whisperblossom, to enter to win a pair of these

Would you like to try cloth Diapers, or just add to your stash!

2010-06-02T04:26:00.000-07:00

I found an awesome giveaway to share with you....we are making the decision to switch to cloth now that we have two in diapies and one on the way. I would love to try these on my babes, how about you?

Chubby Cherubs Cloth Diaper Naturals is offering a chance to win a $425 cloth diaper package!

Become a fan of them here.

You can make Soap in your Crockpot!

2010-05-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

I was looking around over at "A year of Slow Cooking" and found this fantastic idea for gifts (and many good recipes I want to try soon, especially in the heat of summer who wants to turn the oven on?).....you could use all sorts of different things to put inside the soap shapes....stickers, little toys, plastic flowers, really your imagination could take you anywhere. So, I thought I'd share, and if you give it a try let me know how it goes! Oh, also if you go to Michaels or Joanns for supplies, be sure to check your local sunday paper for the store ad and see if they have coupons as that will lower your total out of pocket dramatically!

http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/2008/12/how-to-make-soap-in-your-crockpot.html

Happy Mom Day!!

2010-05-09T09:56:00.000-07:00

In honor of my mother, I thought I'd share two cookie recipes that I grew up with...my mom made them often, and every time I make them for my kids I think of her.

Here's the recipe link for Oatmeal Scotchies,

and here's one for the czechoslovakian bar cookies she used to make.

I hope Mother's day finds you well, and that you are surrounded by those you love!

New on BlogFrog

2010-05-07T04:31:00.000-07:00

Come check our new forum out over on BlogFrog.....I've created a new community so we can chat about all sorts of different things. The newest topic is "What Artsy thing would you like to find a tutorial for?"....I figure we can help each other out to find the info we're looking for. So, if you get a moment hop on over and check us out!

Thought Provoking Tuesday.....ugh a day late again

2010-04-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Someday I will get my crap together and get posting when I should, but for now I'd like to leave you with a few verses a friend shared/reminded me of. I've been having a rough time of it lately with my marriage, and being tired from being prego again, and running after four other littles.......but, these verses are holding me up and helping me through it, so I thought I'd share and see what you think.

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9, 16-18

I am hoping to share another craft/recipe later this week or early next week, but we'll see how life goes for the next few days.....{:0)

Just a quick hello....

2010-04-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say a quick hello, and apologize for the slim (no) pickings as far as blog posts go the last few weeks...... We are having another baby some time in November, and this time the pregnancy is draining me. I've been really tired and such, although I suppose it could be having the other four munchkins too. Anyways, hopefully I can get to feeling better and back to "normal" soon. Oh, my puter is acting as a paperweight at the moment as well, which doesn't help anything. I'm hoping my hubby will take it in soon to have it fixed, and then I'll be posting up a storm....or at least a few times a week. Thanks for hanging with me.

Picture in "Stained Glass" sans the glass..

2010-03-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

So, most of the supplies you need for this project you probably already have at home. You will need: Saran Wrap, Aluminum Foil, a sheet of cardstock (or three if you want to "frame" the masterpiece), tape, markers, and a Black Sharpie (probably brand name, as the ink seems to show up better), and something to trace if you want to. Off we go......

First you need a sheet of saran wrap a bit bigger than your cardstock,

and if your child wants something traced, have them pick the picture out now....

My son decided he wanted to do Batman.....

Gently stretch the saran wrap over the picture you're going to trace, and start taping the corners

and maybe a couple of the edges to the table or whatever surface you're working on...

try to have it end up as smooth as possible without wrinkles as it will

make your life much easier with the tracing.....

With a black Sharpie (a skinnier one would work way better) that is not

dried out, i.e. the ink comes out really dark, trace over the outline of the picture underneath...

or draw whatever picture your heart desires but just the outline....

(this was not dark enough...I had to go dig another one out that was much darker.....)

Let the little one have at it with their markers to color it in.....you can either leave the original picture underneath, or slide it out and put a piece of white paper underneath.....

cause then it doesn't lead to as many "wayward" lines if you have plain paper underneath....oh well, it adds character, right?

Gently slide the book/paper out from underneath the saran wrap

take a piece of foil a bit bigger than your cardstock, and gently crumple.....but not too much, because....

you need to "uncrumple" it gently and stretch it a bit, but you want to keep all of the texture....

Turn the shiny side of the foil down, and place one piece of cardstock in the middle, and gently fold all the edges of the foil over the cardstock.....

turn it over and it should more or less look like this.....

Gently unstick the taped edges of your saran wrap, this might be a good time for an extra set of hands....

Line up the picture how you want it over the foil wrapped cardstock.... and flip it over and tape an edge to the cardstock and gently stretch the saran wrap as you tape to the back, flipping from back to front as you go to make sure you don't have any major wrinkles on the front.

Now, if you want to stop here, you're more than welcome to be finished....or you can add a bit of frame for your childs masterpiece.....

Take two pieces of cardstock in the same color and measure/spread out behind/against your finished artwork and where they overlap put tape where you won't see it. You can glue the edge where it will be visible....

Then Glue ( you can just use regular glue, or whatever you have, I just had my glue gun out for something else) the artwork to the "frame"....

Here's the finished Stained Glass....

He, of course, had to find the "perfect" place for it, on his Batman wall....

I think he nailed it.

So, that's it for this one, I hope you can enjoy this with whatever munchkins you have in your life, and let your imagination soar with it...... If you'd like after you're done, come back and leave me a link so I can come see a pic of the masterpieces you've done with the little ones in your life. Thanks for hanging out with me for a bit, I hope you enjoy this with your kids as much as I did with one of mine!

Thought Provoking Tuesday

2010-03-23T19:33:00.000-07:00

So, I heard this a few weeks ago while listening to a "teaching" on the radio, while I was driving, and I've really been chewing on it the last few weeks.....The woman was talking about her reaction to her husbands "sin issue", and how her reaction was to go tell her friends and chat about how horrible it was. Even her thought process revolved around the fact that she couldn't understand why he couldn't have sin issues more like her, cause hers weren't so bad (at least in her mind). Then she talked about how God really convicted her about the fact that Jesus died for her sin too, that he died for us all.....

I must admit I have gone this route many times, as my hubby tends to be in your face about everything, if he has a sin issue, it's right there for everyone to see. So, I've been guilty of saying many times to myself that I must have to go through all of his muck to learn to rely on God.....and why does he have to do everything the hard way, why can't he be more like me?

It's really the same thing the woman on the radio was talking about.

God sent his son to die for each of us, so that some day we can be with him for all of eternity.....just because my hubby seems to wear his sin on his sleeve, and mine is more of an internal thing, it doesn't make any difference. Sin is sin, and Jesus died for it all. My sins aren't any better or worse than any other persons....

Do you have an issue with this....does it resonate with you? Share your thoughts and feelings, please.....

Tomorrow is the day for the "stained glass windows" barring no great distractions....Thanks for being patient!

Found a cool idea for your little girlies

2010-03-23T06:37:00.000-07:00

I saw this, and so wanted to share with you.....go check it out!

Pretend Makeup at the Polka Dot Daisy

I will be posting a craft for the munchkins of my own later today or tomorrow......It's kind of like a stained glass window of sorts that the kids can make, with things you already have....no glass involved!

Apology and New Offerings

2010-03-21T05:05:00.000-07:00

I first want to apologize, as I've been promising you a new craft/sewing project and haven't got it done yet. We've had a crazy few weeks, our oldest had scarlet fever and the two year old an ear infection, the hubby was off work for four days with a bad back, and we found out we're expecting again this fall which seems to be the reason for my exhaustion......Oh, I've also been working furiously to try to get the new Spring line ready for my shop.

So, if you haven't yet, stop by Here to check out our new line "Fancifree", we'll be posting new offerings every day for the next few weeks. Be sure to check back often to see our new stuff.

Don't forget to stop by Here to enter our Giveaway for one of our new Spring Blossoms, I want to help you celebrate that Spring has Sprung!!

Giveaway on the Etsy shop Blog

2010-03-18T17:52:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let everyone know to go check out my Etsy Shop Blog.

You can find out how to enter to win one of the blossoms from the upcoming spring line....

Thought Provoking Tuesday

2010-03-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a new artist my friend recommended, and I love her stuff. Check her out here.....

JJ Heller "Your Hands"

I'm still learning.....

2010-03-12T03:56:00.000-08:00

I was catching up on some blog reading, and found this post on Gypsy Mama's website...so I thought we could play along together.....

I’m still learning to let my husband be my husband, and God be God.

I’m still learning that it’s okay to say “no” sometimes, when asked to do something.

I’m still learning to quiet my thoughts and the business around me, so I can here God’s quiet whisper.

I’m still learning to just say thank you when someone compliments on something of mine, instead of explaining it away.

I'm still learning to let my kids be kids, and not little adults.

I'm still learning to treasure every moment like it's my last,
instead of getting so caught up with the "things" I have to do......

Okay, it's your turn.....

Whisper Blossom Give Away Coming Soon

2010-03-11T18:09:00.001-08:00

When you get a chance, meander over here to see when I'm having the next giveaway for my shop.

You can also visit here to see the shop facebook page.

Thanks for your for your time and support!

Stay tuned for some info on how to make some cool looking curtains!

Thought Provoking Tuesday......a day late

2010-03-10T10:58:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was really crazy around our house, I apologize for the delay.....anyways, let's get to it.

I was listening to the radio on the way home from dropping the munchkins off at school, and the speaker was talking about a story out of Luke 10. The story of when Jesus and the disciples were having dinner, and Martha was getting peeved at Mary because she felt like she was doing all of the work and Mary was doing nothing important. Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus' feet, while Mary kept herself busy (and anxious and upset) in the kitchen doing what she thought was important and necessary. What did Jesus say? I thought the speaker made a good point that Jesus pretty much said there's really only one thing to be anxious about in this life, and it's whether or not you've accepted Christ and his payment for your sins and therefore have salvation. That Mary was doing the right thing in trying to follow Jesus and listen to what he had to say. Following what Christ has for you needs to be the most important thing in your life, your focus as you go about your day.....

How many times do we get caught up in all of the things on our "to do list" that we forget to count our blessings? How many times are you willing to stop when God puts someone in your path that needs you're help and God's love that can shine through you? Are you willing to get down in the muck of other peoples life for Jesus? Are you willing to follow God even if it leads you off of the path you think you should be going down? Do you feel like you're doing everything you're supposed to, but are still feeling like you're missing something? Where is your focus today?

Thanks for hanging out with me for a moment, and feel free to leave me anything you'd like to add or comment on. Oh, I'm thinking I'll have a post soon about either making playdough at home, or making some simple curtains for your window....or maybe both if I get the chance, which would you prefer?

Do you love your Dots?......Thought Provoking Tuesday

2010-03-02T09:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry about missing last week, I've been getting stuff ready to put in my etsy shop, and the hubby has been getting ready for his finals on top of working.....Anyways, I ran across this today, and thought I'd share and invite you to share your thoughts as well.

Becoming Real....at InCourage

Do you accept your "dots"? Or are you forever trying to change them, or pretend they're not there in order to please others?

It seems so easy just to "stuff" the yucky stuff down, or hide it somewhere. But, we all know how that ends up....well, at least when I do that, it rumbles around for a little bit and looks all neat and clean on the outside, and when you least expect it, it comes bubbling out uncontrollably and profusely.... If you talk about it with some one you trust and they have the light of Christ in their lives too, then it usually ends up so much better. You can talk and cry and pray together, and let God do his part. Seems so much harder at first, but then when you actually take those sorts of steps everything is better in the long run....and those people close to you don't get covered in the muck of life that comes from the end result of trying to hide and be something that God never created you to be.

Fun and Funky Placemats for Every Day

2010-02-23T07:03:00.000-08:00

So, I'm apologizing for not getting this done and up last week like I promised, but I've been under the weather and life goes on anyway. But, here we go.

You'll need whatever size of cardstock you'd like for the backround (I've found that it makes a heavier duty placemat, although you could just use construction paper too. You could use a larger size for larger mat, my kiddo's are still small, so we just used standard size.), contact paper (I found a roll where the width is just a bit longer than a sheet of paper/cardstock at Walmart for about 5 bucks), and markers/crayons/tissue paper/glue/paint....really whatever sort of medium you want to play with (well, maybe not playdough.....just stuff that will lay flat, unless you're not planning on using your piece of art as a placemat, lol), oh and a pair of scissors.

Let the munchkins go to town decorating their papers how ever they'd like.

and, yes, my 2 year old can't draw hearts and flowers yet, she had some mommy help.

Rue decided she wanted a "hodge podge" of things, while the boy was drawing where all of his

meal things should go....he even went as far as to get the fork and butter knife out

to make sure he "drew" them the right way.

Rue wanted to add some tissue paper, so we spread a bit of glue and she put a thin layer

of tissue squares on top.

Now we're ready for the contact paper

Peel the corner of the paper off of the contact paper and then just one side and lay the contact paper over the top of your creation, and gently press down, smoothing any bubbles out as you go.

I did find out that if you start in the center and smooth outward then the bubbles go away much

better, but the boy wanted to help, so we just went with it.

Then flip and repeat.

Then cut around the edges with your scissors to make a seal so that water and mess

can't get in to ruin your design (and the contact paper makes for easy clean up)

Ta da! You're finished, and have some cool lookin' mats to protect your table from

food mess, and they're so inexpensive and fun to make you

could make one for every meal, lol.

Thanks for stopping by and hanging out with me for a bit, I hope that you and your kids will have

tons of fun making some place mats that you both will love.

If you want, leave me a link in the comments section, so I can see your

artsy mats in action.

Thought Provoking Tuesday

2010-02-16T20:14:00.000-08:00

At least I think that's what it's supposed to be.....not thursday right? We've been snowed in here for two days, again, so I'm a little jet lagged I think. Anyways, I wanted to share about what the teaching was on sunday when we went to church, and I had the bulletin to reference the passage right up till about an hour ago. I think one of the munchkins made off with it. So, the teaching was out of Luke, and I'm going to try to set up the story for you, as I've misplaced my bible as well. Anyway, Jesus and his disciples decided to go across the lake as they were tired, and wanted rest. So, they came to the "non-jewish" gentile side of the lake, and found a man that had been demon possessed and shunned by all of society. Long story short, the demons begged for mercy (even though they'd given the man none), ended up going into some pigs which drowned themselves, and the townspeople came to see the man who had been "cured" and was now calm, and because they were afraid they wanted Jesus and his disciples to leave. The man wanted to stay with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go tell everyone who would listen about what happened and how Jesus had saved him. So, he did.

Now, the parallel the teacher was on, was that Jesus only had to speak, not ask God for help, therefore showing that he was God incarnate, and also that there are such things as demons and that they do exist. They are not figments of imagination to be blamed away by silly excuses like maybe they didn't know what they were talking about way back then because they didn't have the diagnostic tools necessary to really figure out that it was just some mental disorder.....Really. But, God pointed something else out to me along the way, on a different parallel. I got stuck on the fact that Jesus left when the people were afraid so they told him they didn't want him to stay. Our teacher also shared another story about another time where Jesus did a healing, and the townspeople welcomed him (that's something to think about to, would you be readily willing at the drop of a hat to have Jesus over? I only say that cause most of us would say lets go somewhere else, because we're worried about being judged......) and didn't want him to leave.

The thing I thought was interesting, is the fact that God is right there waiting, from the first time you decide to let him in and accept his forgiveness so you can have eternal life, all the way till the end. But, if you don't want him, he will not barge in. He patiently waits for you to invite him into whatever you're doing at the moment, and will always be there when you decide that you need him, and he does know you and knows whats best.

How cool is that?

What do you think about this? Please leave me a note and share what you've been chewing over this week...

Oh, sometime this week, I will post a cool idea/tutorial for some easy placemats for the munchkins to make.

Tissue Paper Rainbow Catcher

2010-02-12T11:18:00.000-08:00

So, today I'm sharing something that my 2 year old especially likes, but it's also something my 8 year old enjoys as well.....You need different colors of tissue paper, scissors, clear contact paper (we found some in the aisle with the shelf liner paper at walmart), and some construction paper (if you want to cut out shapes to add in with the tissue paper)....

Before the fun begins, you need to roll out a square/rectangle of contact paper, cut it off the roll, and peel the paper off. I usually try to just peel one end of the paper off at a time so I can tape the corners to the table the kids are working at, just make sure the contact paper is sticky side up. You can either cut out squares (really it doesn't matter if they are all uniform, or really square) before or after you get the contact paper fixed to the table. (This would also be a good time to do construction paper shapes if you decide you want to do them)

Then the kids can put the shapes and tissue squares wherever they want on the contact paper. Just try to help them not put a pile of them in one spot, just spread them out.

Like that pile up there to the right of Rue's hand....don't worry we fixed it.

I just love watching those tiny fingers work their magic....and how every piece has a specific spot.

This part can be a bit tricky, but I've found that if you (once again) only unroll one end at a time it goes a bit better. This time you want the sticky side of the contact paper down, so the layers sort of stick together. Oh, I usually try to cut the top piece a bit bigger than the bottom piece underneath so it will overlap, and then it doesn't matter so much if you get all the edges lined up and perfectly matched.....trust me mine aren't....

As you continue peeling the paper from underneath, gently press on the contact paper so you don't end up with bubbles and lines in your finished project.Then you can either fold over the sticky edges to encase the masterpiece, or you can use your scissors to trim the raw edges off.

Rue decided that she wanted to hang her masterpiece in her big brothers window, because he did something to his blinds a few months ago and they ended up on the ground and they can't be fixed. So, long story short, he's not had any sort of "window treatment" for a bit now. So, we got the tape out and decided where it would go, and also that we were going to make another to go beside this one so the bottom part of his window would be completely covered with her art. (I should've just rolled out a longer piece for her to work on, but you know how hindsight is 20/20, right?) Sorry for the funky quality of the pic, way too much snow outside, and his light bulb had burnt out..... but you get the gist....

I wanted to show you what I did with the munchkins last summer. I had rolled out a long piece and had the kids go to town, and we also used construction paper shapes (the hearts and flowers and stars, which you just put in between the layers of contact paper, when you do the tissue paper stuff) which aren't as transparent. Really, for the older kids you could do a whole "scene" or picture this way.

I didn't have anything covering the window in our backdoor that's in the kitchen, which was sort of creeping me out, and I didn't want to hang a curtain because I was afraid it would stick out too far as our steps downstairs are perpendicular to the door. I tried that mylar sticky reflective stuff, which you're not supposed to be able so see through, but you can, and it's a pain in the butt to try to adhere or cut or mess with. Long story short, I cut up their tissue paper design and taped (shh, we won't tell) the pieces onto the glass panels in the door. It worked great, and I get that nice color which is so awesome about this time of year, with all the gray and snow and such. Again with the funky pic, but really the colors haven't faded as much as I thought, because we get full sun on that side of the house, and it's been up there for at least 6 months.

So, do you have any neat artsy craftsy ideas to share? Please do.....

Kaleidoscope colors in the midst of the Snow

2010-02-10T11:56:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to share some fun things to do with the munchkins in your life for a while now, but just now remembered to take some pics to go along with the words. Here's how to make beautiful tissue paper flowers that your munchkins will have tons of fun doing.

These are great for kids around age 5, prolly depending on the child.....my 5 year old son had a bit of difficulty with the stem wrapping part, but loved picking out the colors for his flower.

So, the supplies are relatively simple, you need tissue paper in many colors, and some pipe cleaners in green shades (or at least this is what my oldest insists on, really you can go as colorful as you'd like.) and some imagination.

Next, unfold the tissue paper and lay all the pieces on top of one another, and then cut strips about 4-5 inches wide (across the width, not the longest side.) and then cut those strips into 3 pieces.

Pick out at least 4 "squares" of different colors, but you can do as many as 10 or so. Then lay all the "squares" on top of each other.

Next fold the stack like an accordion....

Then, take your pipe cleaner and fold the top 1-2 inches over the fold you just made in the tissue paper stack, and then twist the pipe cleaner together so it's now "holding" the tissue paper....

So, the pic up there is not behaving and going to the center....but oh well....Next you gently pull the innermost layer of tissue paper upwards out of the "accordion"and do that again on the other side.....then keep alternating sides until there's no more layers left.

That's it you're done, although my oldest insists that you must have a ribbon to tie you bouquet together with...

In the next few days, I'll post on how to make an awesome colorful display for your window....or rather something your munchkins will love to do that will brighten up the gray dreary drab feeling of winter....

Thought Provoking Tuesday

2010-02-09T05:12:00.000-08:00

So, I've seen lots of idea's for different days of each week, and I've decided to try to devote Tuesdays to share things that have grabbed my attention lately. Particularly in the area of my faith and how God is working in my life. Okay, I heard this song around Christmas time, and it really pulled at my heart. It's one of those where if you really listen to the words it's very profound. I really wanted to share it with you, just in case you've not heard it yet. So, here goes......I haven't figured out how to import the whole little box to watch it here, so you'll just have to visit the link, I guess.
.
Downhere, How Many Kings

Season for Change

2010-01-30T06:42:00.000-08:00

I feel like the tides are changing, that maybe God's working to mold me into who he wants me to be, even if it's just a small piece that's being reworked. Like years of work towards one small goal might be coming to pass.....and man, it's not much fun. I feel like he's finally "killed the lizard" (from C.S. Lewis' book The Great Divorce) of my bargain-spending-money issue, although I know it may take quite a bit longer before I don't have relapses and twinges to spend when I don't need too. I feel like I finally (after my whole life) have the control (only through God's grace and help) to keep myself away from and say no to myself in this area.

Now, I feel like we've moved on to some key spiritual identity issues. I've always struggled with putting my husband in God's place, which we all know no man could ever measure up to those standards, right? So, I've asked God continuously to help me not do that, and to focus on Him instead of trying to control my hubby and what he does so I can feel "okay". Do you know what happens when you pray for something like that, or like patience, really any of those sorts of "virtues"? God gives you ample opportunity to lean on him and "learn" the very thing you've asked for. So, I feel like He has been trying to help me in this area for a very long time, and I am really wishing I could "get" it, so I could be done struggling with this.

What do you feel like God's trying to help you with lately?

Messy

2010-01-22T06:35:00.000-08:00

So, the kids are home today from school for "teacher work day", and the Hubs is at work and I've done it again. I've really been struggling this week with the yuck of depression, and Satan seems to be on me like some sort of slime....or well at least sitting on my shoulder whispering nonsense in my ear, because once you're a child of God you can't be of two masters, so S has lost the ability to get any farther. But, sitting on my shoulder does more good sometimes than one would think, especially if you're already down in the dumps. The last few days, I find I'm having a real struggle in my marriage with giving my husband words of encouragement, instead of words that tear him down in some way. Words that give him respect, instead of words that grate on his nerves or accuse and irritate him. Even when I try to do things the right way, they get all twisted and mooshed and come out completely the opposite of what I intended.

I guess I'm remembering that you can't "muster" up any of the fruits of the spirit, you can only give what you have, and therefore making me realize maybe I've been not so great at feeding my spirit lately..... cause heaven knows what I've been giving out isn't hope, peace, patience, kindness ect..well, at least not as much as I'd like..... But, I'm so grateful that God gives us all the time we need and that he's always there when we're ready to get back on track, and after almost seven years of marriage my hubs and I know this is just a rocky blip in the road. Now, I'm not saying if you're having depression issues there might not be a medical need there, but I'm on some meds and I know that my current issue mostly has to do with the fact I'm just walking a little off the path, and that the big G can meet me where I am and help me get back on track. I'm so glad that we have a Father that cares for us so, and will always be there, no matter what the screw up, ready to help and welcome us back......kinda like the prodigal son I guess.

This post is linked to Friday Fails at My Blessed Life.

Winter

2010-01-16T04:42:00.000-08:00

Over at Incourage a challenge was made to use the creativity that God has woven into us all, and stretch our "wings" a bit. So, I thought I'd give this a try, we'll see how I do, as I've never attempted Haiku before now.....

Winter

Soft, Crunchy, Crisp Snow

Glorious White, Clean, and New

Moment to Reflect

New Year, New Thoughts, New Idea's.....

2010-01-08T08:18:00.000-08:00

I'm not usually one to make a New Year's resolution, I don't know why, other than maybe it requires too much work and it usually brings up the thought of failure. Who likes failure, right? Anyways, this year I am going to try to start a couple of new habits to replace old.....sort of like that saying of out with the old, in with the new thing. So, here goes....

First and foremost, I would like to continue in my pursuit of a closer relationship with God, and choosing to say yes to allow him to work in my life and through me to reach others for him. Which also means trying to find time to study and pray more often, and purposefully doing so, rather than just doing it when I "have time".

Second, I want to continue to move towards my husband, instead of putting him where God belongs and requiring him to be more than he ever could be. I want to have the sort of marriage that is a blessing to our children, so that they can look and see what it should be. To have it be a light for Christ and and example for them, so that they base what they want in marriage and beforehand on what God wants rather how the world says it should be. I want to work for our marriage so that we are still giddy and in love when we are 85, rather than old and crotchety and tired with each other.

Third, I want to continue to make strides in my housekeeping and money management skills, so that we have a schedule and have savings in the bank. This one may not seem like a big deal, but one of my biggest issues, and one that God is currently working very hard on, is money and saying no to a "bargain".....and housework and schedule's are not my strong suit whatsoever.....

So, I am going to attempt to make small steps, with God's help, towards these changes, and we'll see how it goes over the next year....with lots of prayer and help, I'm sure.

Dumplings

2009-12-28T07:05:00.000-08:00

So, I've never attempted to make the beloved dish that my Grandma used to make, and she never passed on the recipe to me. Now, years later, my grandparents were coming for Christmas to my Dad's house and Dad asked me to make chicken and dumplings and bring it to share with dinner. Needless to say, I was a little worried that whatever I concocted it wouldn't come close to my Grandmother's recipe from long ago. I was small and didn't pay much attention, and since then my grandma had suffered a stroke that has left her left side pretty much useless. But, long story short, I threw some chicken in a pot with some water and bullion and let it cook while we opened presents, and then skimmed the foam off and let the chicken cool so I could shred it. Then I found a recipe for dumplings that I hoped would not produce a chewy tough result, but rather a light and fluffy dumpling. Much to my surprise, they turned out wonderful, and I believe it will be a common dish for me to make to bring to the family gatherings from now on. I am also excited to experiment with other soup dishes to see what else the dumpling can add too.... Hooray!

Dumplings:

Ingredients:

    * 2 cups of white flour
    * 4 tsp. baking powder
    * 1 tsp. salt
    * 4 tbsp. soft margarine or butter
    * 1 cup of milk (or more)

Method:

   1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
   2. Cut in butter that's been kept at room temperature or use soft margarine.
   3. Stir milk lightly into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and adjust amounts to make sure that you have a moist dumpling dough. (not too much though, or you get "fluff" balls, as my kiddo's called them)

Dumpling Cooking Tips

    * Make sure your soup or stew is on a gentle simmer. The liquid does not have to be boiling to achieve tender dumplings. Remember that pot temperature rises with the lid on and you don't want the contents to stick and burn.

    * Drop dumpling dough into the liquid by teaspoonfuls or for larger dumplings use a tablespoon. Cover your pot with a lid so that the dumplings can steam.

Check your dumplings after 10 minutes. You can use a knife to cut a slit in one dumpling to check inside. Cook until dumplings are no longer raw in the middle. Ladle into serving bowls, including a dumpling or two per bowl.

The warmth in the leaves set the tree on fire

2009-10-11T10:11:00.000-07:00

It's such a wonderful day outside, the kind where you wake up and just know inside the it's going to be an awesome day..... We're driving out to help celebrate a birthday, and see those we've not seen in a bit. But, I love driving in the fall on a sunny day, to thoroughly enjoy the colors of the trees in the fall. It's one of those things that just amazes me about the wonderful God we serve, that he created it all, and yet took the time to decide the colors of the leaves, all the way down to the intricacies of each of our personalities. I love the fall, the pumpkin picking, the collage leaf making, the leaf pile making and jumping in and doing it all over again, and watching everything anew through my childrens eyes.......

Dad Dollars Endeaver

2009-09-24T12:35:00.000-07:00

     So, I had found this idea in a family fun magazine a while ago, but then proceeded to misplace the magazine and I couldn't remember the web address to go to to print these "dad dollars" out. Anyway, I googled it and found My blessed Home's Family Blog, and found the link, which is awesome. I had all these idea's, but then ran out of oomph for a bit after I got them printed out.....maybe I would say I got sidetracked by the other things going on in our daily life.   Anyway, I finally got around to cutting them out and making the list of what my kids could do to earn them, and what "prizes" they could turn them in for. Yesterday.

     So, we've been having trouble with my 5 year-old son sometimes in preschool. This is his first year going to "school", and most of the time he's great, but occasionally he does something....like poke a hole in the Styrofoam bowl and not tell the teacher before she pours his soup in. He's all boy, and I think has a bit of trouble harnessing all that energy. So, yesterday, I told him that he would get a dad dollar every day if he had a good day at school. Today, I went to pick him up, and he had a big smile, and said,"Hi mom, I did good, so I can have my dad dollar, right?" How cool is that? Time will tell whether or not the desired effect will last. What I am most excited about is that the "prizes" are things like an extra 1/2 hour of video game time, movie night, staying up a 1/2 hour late, and of course a few things like small candy, or some silly string I picked up for a dollar. So, the out of pocket cost is very minimal for the parents, which is an awesome thing!

     I am so hoping that this will reinforce some of the daily habits we're trying to get into the habit of doing, as well as lessening the chaos that tends to happen when you try to get four kids together before school, when 2 of them are completely capable of doing it themselves. Also, one of my stipulations is that the "job" gets done the right way, without the throwing of fits, which for some reason a few of my children think will work in getting them something. So, only one day in, and doing pretty well, I think.

A sort of Epiphany

2009-09-21T17:07:00.000-07:00

So, I think I've finally come to the point where I've realized I really do need to make some sort of cleaning schedule, much to my chagrin. This is coming from someone who is a "messy", so I feel like I'm making some sort of headway.....never mind it's taken me 8 years to get to this point. How long it has taken for me to reach this point doesn't truly matter, does it? Anyway, I'm in the middle of a true upheaval in the way I'm trying to do things around the house, as well as with our "budget" which currently is non-existent. I'm so hoping that I will be able to get my husband on board, as well as being self-disciplined enough to at least get to the part where we've figured what we've been spending and can make a "spending" plan. For now, I'll be happy with the fact that I've got to the place again where I'm not having a desire to be out all the time and always finding some way to spend something, justified or not. This is truly an accomplishment, and something I would've never been able to do without God's help. Shopping is my "thing", finding a bargain is even better. I've been struggling with this for a very long time, and God is slowly helping me through it, so I can be satisfied in every sense with what I have, and what he has for me, which is a truly awesome thing in my book. I do have to say that my husband thinks it's an awesome thing too, in a funny sort of way. So, we'll just have to wait and see how everything pans out.....and whether I can trust God and know that he has something way better for me than anything I could buy.

A Most Interesting Day

2009-09-16T12:36:00.000-07:00

I’m pondering how many other mom’s have done what I did at lunch today. I picked up my 4 and 2 year-olds from preschool, and decided we’d make a run through the drive through at steak n shake. I asked my 4 year old son what he wanted, and he asked if we could go in, as that’s a big treat for them, and his birthday is tomorrow…..I had to feed our 9 month old, so I thought sure, why not. So, we parked and in we went. Lunch itself went pretty well. It was the paying at the register that was a little rocky…..I handed the cashier my card, and she swiped…..and it was declined. Ugh, I had totally forgotten our ordeal last week that involved someone out in Cali using our card number to the tune of 150 dollars, and therefore we put a stop on our card. I’ve been really good at remembering this fact, until today at the restaurant when it was just me and three kids, and only 10 dollars in my purse. So, embarrassed, I ask if I can run to the bank, and bring her the other 5 dollars. She thinks for a moment and whispers “okay”. Off we race to the bank, and back……20 minutes go by, and when I rush back in to the restaurant, there’s another woman at the register, and she can’t find my check in the computer. I think shift change was going on, although at 1:00 in the afternoon would be a strange time for that, who am I to say. So, she says she can’t find it, but I hand her the money anyways. What a day……and I still have to go to the store for birthday salad items, as my boy wants salad with chicken on it for birthday dinner tomorrow….who woulda thunk it. We also have to go shopping for a pattern and material for Halloween costumes, and after I get them to bed some wrapping of birthday surprises must be done. I need some liquid energy I think…..