Art. Poetry. Laughter. Love.

"Maggie" from start to finish

2012-01-09T23:49:00.002-06:00

This is a painting I did of one of the sweetest little girls I've ever met :) Here is the original sketch.

...painting the face and adding the background...

...adding some details...

...this is just some yarn rolled up with beads and glitter...

...the words...and the beeswax...

...the completed project.

"Princess"

2012-01-06T00:06:00.002-06:00

"Rest"

2012-01-03T14:23:00.001-06:00

This was a custom order I did back in December. She chose the verse Psalm 116:7 "Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you." Isn't that such a great verse. I loved working on this piece so much because it ministered to me so much. God knows what He is doing. He knew I needed to not only hear this verse but to meditate on it for days.

Here it is before I added the words.

Again, I couldn't get a good shot of the completed project because my camera is being weird. It won't focus on anything that's not up really close.

How I dye paper...

2011-12-29T13:56:00.002-06:00

Here are some super quick instructions on how I dye the words I'm going to put on my canvases. The reason I do this is because I started out solely using vintage books to write little poems or saying on my art. I still use them occasionally but sometimes it's just way more practical to type out exactly what I want and then dye it so that it still has that vintage look.

Step 1: Type out your quote, poem, verse etc.

Step 2: Make a pot of coffee. (I use leftovers from breakfast or I re-brew the old grounds from breakfast)

Step 3: Place your paper in a cookie sheet and pour the coffee on top.

Step 4: Wait. I let mine sit about 20 minutes or so depending on how deep of a shade I want.

Step 5: Take your paper out of the coffee and place it on a paper towel or hang it out to dry.

For really fast drying you can blow dry it.

The End.

Sunshine and Sunflowers

2011-12-19T00:11:00.003-06:00

"Sunshine and Sunflowers" 16x20
This was inspired by a quilt given to me by one of my best friends. If I remember right it is from her great great grandmother and has suns like this all over it. It looks like pure joy and reminds me of this verse.

"Lu"

2011-12-16T00:15:00.002-06:00

Orange and Pink Mercy

2011-12-14T00:17:00.002-06:00

Love Shack

2011-12-12T00:20:00.001-06:00

"Love Shack"

7x14

This was made with hand stitching, an old key, a photograph I took in Florida, and lots o' love!

Night Owl

2011-12-10T00:25:00.002-06:00

C.S. Lewis Quote

2011-12-08T00:28:00.002-06:00

Tiny Canvas Giveaway!

2011-12-06T07:57:00.001-06:00

I am having a giveaway over at my Facebook page for these little cuties...

Want to win one of my tiny canvases (easel included) for Christmas? It would make a great Christmas gift for someone! Just tell your friends to "like" my page. Each time you refer someone to my page I will enter you and your friend's name in a drawing for the tiny canvas of your choice. Make sure to have your friends say who sent them. I'll announce the winner Friday.

(the link to my Facebook page is on the left)

Butterfly Home

2011-12-05T23:41:00.002-06:00

"Butterfly Home"

12x12

This collage was made using copies of some photographs I took at a butterfly museum while visiting my family in Florida.

What To Do With Tons Of Basil?

2011-10-10T17:01:00.001-05:00

I love growing basil. It is a very simple plant to grow and it is a BIG producer. Plus unlike a lot of herbs, it can BE the main course and not just used to season the main course. The picture above is only one harvesting. Each plant produces this much several times over the spring, summer, and fall. There are so many ways to use basil too. Many people use it for it's medicinal effects. It has natural digestive and anti-gas properties. It is also used as a mood enhancer and to help with anxiety. Here are a couple of my favorite ways to use it.

First, pick the leaves off the plant and rinse in cold water to clean off dirt. Then pat dry with a towel.

Pesto:

-Large handful of basil (about a two cups)

-A few garlic cloves (I use 3 but you can use more or less depending on your taste preference)

-A handful of pine nuts (I used walnuts above and the taste was just as good and for less than half the cost of pine nuts)

-About a 1/4 cup of olive oil

-Salt and Pepper to taste

Throw all the ingredients into a food processor (in that order) and blend it together until it's smooth. Serve on top of pasta as a main dish or on garlic bread (my favorite).

Tomato and Basil Bake:

This recipe is so easy and can be varied in so many ways I'm not going to write it in a recipe format. Just slice some tomatoes (however many you want), top each slice with a basil leaf, and then drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste, bake @ 350 for about 20 minutes and enjoy. You can also bake it with parmesan, feta, or mozzarella cheese. This is really good side dish for white beans or a roasted chicken.

You can also dry your basil to make your own tea. However, I like the taste of fresh basil so I throw a bunch into a blender with some water. Once it is pretty smooth I pour it into ice cube trays and freeze to be used in the winter. That way I can just grab a basil ice cube out of a bag in the freezer and toss it into soup, broth, beans, or pasta sauces and it tastes like I just picked it from the garden.

The other great thing about basil? It is just plain old free food. I bought a basil plant several years ago and have never had to purchase it again. In the winter you collect the seed (from the flowering tops of the plant pictured below) and save it to be planted again in the spring.

Each of these little pods has about 4-5 seeds inside and as you can see there are a lot of little pods!

So you will have plenty of seeds to share with friends too.

A Hopeful Painting

2011-09-26T15:28:00.004-05:00

She detested cynicism, arrogance, cruelty

She believed there would be an end to suffering

She had hope beyond measure for all creatures great or small

So she started a garden and loved them all

Marie Antionette Painting/Jewelry Holder

2011-09-24T19:32:00.002-05:00

I have long had a fascination with Marie Antoinette. I grew especially fond of her after watching the documentary Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France.

Because she is known for her lavish hair styles and her love of clothes and jewelry I decided to use an extra canvas just for her hair that can also be used to hold jewelry. I also used quite a few cupcake liners in her hair for that famous quote, "Let them eat cake." Which she may or may not have said.

For the love of home

2011-09-23T08:25:00.003-05:00

I made a little set of canvases about home a while back using recycled phone book pages, modeling paste, acrylics, and some favorite quotes.

"What can you do to promote world peace? God home and love your family." -Mother Teresa

It is always sad when someone leaves home, unless they are simply going around the corner and will return in a few minutes with ice-cream sandwiches." -Lemony Snicket

For the Love of Reading

2011-09-05T13:29:00.002-05:00

Oh, the friends I've made and never met. The silence and the smell of the library. Coffee and a cozy chair. The lessons learned in comfort and humility....

Brown Eyed Girl

2011-08-02T07:07:00.002-05:00

I had a special order from a man for his wife recently. How sweet is that? He said he wanted sunflowers and some of the lyrics to the song Brown Eyed Girl. I had a lot of fun creating this one. You can't really tell in these pictures but you can see the music sheets showing through in the painting.

Sisters

2011-06-01T14:24:00.000-05:00

I received an order not long ago to paint two sisters for their Birthdays. It was such an honor and really very fun! Their mom gave me some information about each girl's personality and I was able to do whatever I wanted from there.

I wrote up something based off of the information given to me by their mother. I tried to use as many of her own words as possible.

This was such a special project to me. I prayed for each girl as I painted layer by layer. I don't even know these two precious little girls but I felt as if I did by the time I was finished.

For the blond sister I used a morning glory seed packet in her hair, modeling paste, old book pages and acrylic paints.

For the sister with brown hair I used an old map from a phone book, a button, old books, and acrylic paints.

These girls will always be special to me.

Quiet Peace

2011-05-02T09:47:00.000-05:00

O Lord, my heart is all a prayer,
But it is silent unto thee;
I am too tired to look for words,
I rest upon thy sympathy
To understand when I am dumb;
And well I know thou hearest me.

I know thou hearest me because
A quiet peace comes down to me,
And fills the places where before
Weak thoughts were wandering wearily;
And deep within me it is calm,
Though waves are tossing outwardly.

-Amy Carmichael

More Girls Faces...

2011-04-01T13:54:00.003-05:00

A Springtime Prayer

2011-03-24T08:10:00.000-05:00

God stir the soil,
Run the ploughshare deep,
Cut the furrows round and round,
Spare no strength nor toil,
Even though I weep.

In the loose, fresh mangled earth
Sow new seed.
Free of withered vine and weed
Bring fair flowers to birth.

Titled "Prayer" by Anonoymous

My Top 10 favorite (fiction) books...

2011-02-20T19:50:00.001-06:00

1. Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

3. The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

4. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

5. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A new journal inspired by a sweet friend...

2010-12-11T09:42:00.002-06:00

My sweet friend Laura introduced me to her AMAZING journal a couple weeks ago. It was one of the most inspiring things I have ever seen. It inspired me to create my own (smaller less gorgeous version). Here are some pictures of the outside...

She writes her "To-Do" lists and whatever else is going on in her life on her beautifully decorated pages. I have kept art journals in the past (pictures here, here, and here) but this is so much more personal and practical. You can write prayers, scripture, phone numbers; or keep tokens from the day. Plus, it is so fun to write mundane chores on such pretty pages. It's kind of like a journal/art journal/prayer journal/to-do list/scrapbook all in one. My pages do not even compare to Laura's. Each one of her pages is a piece of art. Most of mine are seriously sloppy but it's still so fun.

I love it. Thank you Laura.

Now I can focus on Christmas!

2010-12-06T20:47:00.000-06:00

I had my last Holiday Arts and Crafts show for this year. I had a lot of fun and as much as I am looking forward to doing some more shows after the new year I am very excited to be done and focused on Christmas.

Holiday Arts and Crafts Show!

2010-12-01T09:13:00.002-06:00

I have the pleasure of being able to participate in the Holiday Arts and Crafts Show in West Homewood again this year. This is such a fun event! There are so many original one of a kind gift ideas. Plus this is just such a neat artistic venue. You won't want to miss it!

Shades Valley Community Church

160 Oxmoor Road

West Homewood, Al 35209

Starting Friday evening from 5-9pm

All day Saturday from 10am-5pm

Do all your Christmas shopping and support local artists!

(a percentage of profit also goes to support local and overseas missions)

Below is a very small sampling of the types of items I will have for sale at the show.

antique book magnets,

vintage hymnal Christmas ornaments,

an assortment of vintage hymnal and book candles,

house shaped boxes with original poetry (great for unique gift wrapping),

and of course, bird and book paraphernalia.

Hope to see you there!

Seashells

2010-11-26T09:37:00.002-06:00

A Challenge

2010-11-24T08:51:00.003-06:00

After making several paintings for By Hand Boutique this year I ran out of my staple colors. So, I forced myself to make do with some of the darker colors that I would not normally use. I ended up liking the combination of colors so much that I made a few small canvases that were inspired by the first larger one. And now some of these darker colors are new staples :)

I had fun really setting the mood before painting. I lit candles, and played a haunting song by Keren Ann called End Of May. It's eerie and spooky and I think it makes a perfect "End of October" song. You can listen to it in my playlist to the left.

I used a lot of layers in the larger one for texture including: oil paints, acrylics, tissue paper, magazine pages, and glaze. The scripture on it is from Hosea 6:3. "Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth."

It was a fun challenge and definitely encouraged me to try new things more often.

Zephaniah 3:17

2010-11-22T10:16:00.010-06:00

"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."

This has always been one of my favorite verses. It was also a fun painting to make because I love to play with molding paste and glitter :)

A Kind Message

2010-11-20T10:25:00.001-06:00

The writing says, "It is a kind message, indeed. When the others heard they began to laugh and to sing."

bird painting

2010-11-18T09:09:00.001-06:00

By Hand Boutique

2010-11-16T10:28:00.004-06:00

This was my favorite year so far at By Hand Boutique. It gets better every year and this year Virginia from Blackflipflops Designs did an incredible job with all the details. You can go to By Hand Boutique's Facebook page to see more pictures of the event but here are a few pictures of my booth.

His Mercy Endures Forever....

2010-11-15T09:59:00.001-06:00

A very simple reminder of how faithful God is to forgive His children.

I had such a great time at By Hand Boutique this past weekend. I'll be posting pictures soon.

By Hand Boutique

2010-10-27T08:40:00.001-05:00

If you live in the Birmingham area come on out to By Hand Boutique: A Market of Homespun Goods! You can do some Christmas shopping and get original gifts from local artists. Or, if you don't want to buy anything it's a great time for the family. There's face painting and crafts for the kids. Plus they have a delicious cafe with homemade soups and breads for a very inexpensive price.

The fun starts Friday, Novemeber 12th from 7pm-9pm. Then again Saturday morning, November 13th from 9am-4pm. By Hand Boutique is hosted by Community Presbyterian Church in Moody just one exit past the Bass and Pro Shop and the new Shops at Grand River.

For the love of books...

2010-10-22T09:04:00.001-05:00

I've been making these "book" boxes for the up coming By Hand Boutique. They're so much fun to make. I think I am going to make one for Nick with a quote from his favorite author to put our receipts in.

If you live in the Birmingham area you should definitely come out to By Hand Boutique. You can go to the blog to look at some of the items that will be for sale. Even if you can't buy anything it's always so much fun just to come walk around. There's face painting and crafts for the kids. Plus a really inexpensive DELICIOUS little cafe with soups. I look forward to it all year. It's become my favorite autumn tradition.

No one's laughing at God

2010-10-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine and I share a playlist, which I highly recommend. It's such a great way to interact with each other even when life is busy. Anyway, one of my favorite songs on our playlist has become a song by Regina Spektor called Laughing with God. She basically says it's easy for the world to think God is a joke when He's treated like one. She says very tongue in cheek, "God could be funny when told he'll give you money if you just pray the right way. And when presented like a genie who does magic like Houdini or grants wishes like Jiminy Cricket and Santa Claus. God can be so hilarious."

Last night I read in Hosea, "But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt. You shall acknowledge no God but me, no Savior except me. I cared for you in the desert, in the land of burning heat. When I fed them, they were satisfied; when they were satisfied they became proud; then they forgot me." (13:4-6)

And I thought of this song because the rest of the song says, "But No one laughs at God in a hospital. No one laughs at God in a war. No one's laughing at God when they're starving or freezing or so very poor. No one laughs at God when the doctor calls after some routine tests. No one's laughing at God when it's gotten real late and their kid's not back from the party yet. No one laughs at God when their airplane starts to uncontrollably shake. No one's laughing at God when they see the one they love hand in hand with someone else and they hope that they're mistaken. No one laughs at God when the cops knock on their door and they say we got some bad news, sir. No one's laughing at God when there's a famine or fire or flood. No one's laughing at God"

It's so true. When we are humbled and our pride is stripped from us and all of the sudden we acknowledge how great our need, our pain, our dependency is. God is not a joke then. Then we hope, and we beg, and we plead for deliverance. And He heals our waywardness and loves us freely.

In the end. No one's laughing at God.

Life Is A Little Vapour

2010-09-02T22:28:00.001-05:00

"WE WERE ON A BREAK!!!"

2010-09-01T22:33:00.001-05:00

(Those of you who watched Friends will get my title)

I felt the need for a sabbatical of sorts. I stopped blogging, got off Facebook, and took a time of quiet for myself over the summer. Sometimes you just have to take care of yourself even if that means not doing some of your favorite things. But, I am back and happy to be so. I miss the blogging community. My sweet friend Virginia introduced me to blogger several years ago as a way to practice being open. I tend to care too much about what others think of me. So I have a hard time being really raw, truly me, not just what I think is acceptable to others. She was right, this is a really good way to be open. To write what I feel or believe with no one else in the room to sway or shame me. I feel like God and I revisit this same topic over and over. I am His. He created me with a purpose and I need to be who I was created to be. Not what I think others want me to be. I know it's very elementary. These are things I should know but I am still growing...publicly.

Habakkuk

2010-06-02T09:47:00.003-05:00

I come downstairs to read my bible and talk with God about some overwhelming stresses in my life. I sit down, pick up my bible, put my bible back down, and call a friend. No answer. Sigh. I hear a voice inside me say, "You were going to talk to me. Remember?", in which I respond, "I know but you don't talk back".

This is were I am in my faith. Nothing is going well in my physical life and I wonder, "Has God abandoned me?" Nothing is going well in my spiritual life and I wonder, "Is God even there?" I want to believe, so I go to His word to see what it says about my God who seems so far away from me. I see that the questions are age old. Habakkuk says, "How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?..." (Hab 1:1). And of course the answer is always the same. God is in control. No matter what happens (or doesn't happen). He is always working on me, never giving up on me even as I struggle to hold on to Him. He is faithful. He is there. My senses are deceptive. I can't always see what is right in front of me. So, I humble myself and, in my weak pitiful faith, I agree to wait on Him and rejoice that He is in control just as Habakkuk did.

"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (Habakkuk 3:17-18)

In my own words tonight...
Though we struggle,
Though I don't understand what He is doing,
Though my present situation is nothing like what I had hoped for,
And though it may never be,
Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.

PS. After reading and talking to God my sweet friend (the one that I tried to call in place of Him) called me back. And of course God reaffirmed, through her, what He was saying all along.

Blow Away

2010-05-26T05:06:00.001-05:00

While I'm sharing songs, here's another one of my favorites by A Fine Frenzy...

I posted the video because I thought it was cute but honestly I think she sounds even better live. You can watch her live here. Here is another amazingly artistic video called Lost Things you must watch.

Ten Dead Dogs

2010-05-25T04:36:00.002-05:00

OK, so that's a morbid title but please don't dismiss the beauty of the song by Wild Sweet Orange. It has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years now. The honest beautiful writing, music, and vocals never get old to me. Just read some of these lyrics and let me tempt you into listening to it if you haven't already.

"...I've never felt this way before. Am I running away from what I've always been running towards?
Belief, believe in me, cause I don't know if reason's ever gonna see why love would come to die, to leave.

O my God, is this really what you want? Would you tell us if it's not? And could you rewrite the plot and come and get us? Cause we can't stop doing what we think we want, even though we know it's not. This place is merely a subplot to come and get us.

I watched the sky turn from blue to black to red and yellow too before the purple dawn was filling up my room. And for a brief moment, I heard the whole earth groaning like there was something that it needed me to do."

Now, if you thought that was good you HAVE to listen to it. (you can click on my playlist on the left)

I can NOT wait to see this in person :)

2010-05-23T10:16:00.001-05:00

This is my adorable nephew, Jackson. He is coming in a couple weeks to see me. I am going to kiss him and hug him and make him laugh.

Terrariums

2010-05-20T09:31:00.002-05:00

I'm becoming a little obsessed with terrariums. I seem to want one in every room. But before I did that I wanted to make one for the kids. Summer break is coming and they love catching bugs, lizards, snakes, frogs. You name it, we may have had it as a pet at some point. So I thought we would go ahead and make a nice home for all our summer friends now.

We filled one side with sand and the other side with soil (we already have many earth worms in the soil side). Then we decorated it with rocks, moss, shells, sticks, etc..

Now if only summer break would hurry up and get here.

Succulents

2010-05-18T05:24:00.002-05:00

It all started when Nick and I decided that we should have some aloe around this summer for burns. We couldn't stop with the aloe. Now I am in love. I've been going outside for weeks now just to sit and stare at it. We also planted some tomatoes, jalapenos, wild flowers (hoping to bring the butterflies), some ferns and irises that my friend Abbey gave to us, and doctored up our herbs that were still producing but needed a little attention. And yet, I still can't take my eyes off of those succulents. Oh how I love my aloe and friends.

Clearification

2010-05-14T18:50:00.005-05:00

I just love this video. Although I am probably the complete opposite of this guy, I can definitely relate to the stress of life. Oh how I wish there was a place like this to go and remember what my passions were before I got tired and bogged down in responsibility. A place to daydream and wonder and be childlike. It would be nice to return to my children with a renewed hunger for life. A better vision. I may just have to make a little more time for some of the things I love doing. Sigh.

Happy Stories Told In The Dark

2010-05-12T07:10:00.005-05:00

Do you ever feel completely weak and inadequate? I spent last night tossing and turning asking God to bathe me in His grace. How is this irresponsible, sinful person supposed to raise up human beings? I am overwhelmed with my failures. I look back at my life though and remember that God pursued me and has provided for me, forgiven me, and loved me faithfully. I really believe He will do the same for my children. I just wish I could FEEL that. To really rest in it. Instead I feel worried, guilty and ashamed, constantly having to preach the truth to myself. I am weary of this same old fight. But then, I am lightened by God's goodness towards me. My children come to me with bright eyes and explosive smiles telling me they built a fort in their room. They have a flash light so they can tell "happy" stories in the dark because neither of them likes scary stories. My mind is silenced and I can't help but smile with them. And now I sit here typing, moved to tears with gratitude beyond measure for my children, such undeserved gifts. I pray that God uses me mightily in their lives to teach them the gospel that I so struggle to grasp myself. I hope that I am His voice telling them when they sin that they are not slaves to it. That no one can accuse them more than God can redeem them. That there is no sin that can hold them captive. That they are free to hold their heads high because they are loved fiercely. Defended fiercely. And forgiven eternally. I hope they keep those bright happy eyes and smiles. I pray for their innocence. That God would protect them from themselves and this world. But because I know they will sin as long as they are alive I pray that they will fight a good fight and not grow weary in doing good. And I hope their lives are always full of "happy stories". That they grow up telling the good news of redemption and defeat over sin and death with God sized compassion and humility. That their love will be a light pointing hurting people to Christ.

The Fort

Telling "Happy" Stories

New Books at the Bookshelf

2010-05-07T16:53:00.002-05:00

Stop by and pick up a book from The Bookshelf. Pick out a book while I make you a cup of coffee. Feel free to stay a while and unload. Or if you're in a hurry I can always have your book and coffee ready "to go".

Easter Weekend Pictures

2010-04-12T09:42:00.002-05:00

Dying Eggs...

Napping...

And Aldridge Gardens...

People Pleasing

2010-04-07T15:33:00.006-05:00

I've always been the kind of person who lets other people make decisions for me. In fact I often say, "I like to be bossed." And while I suppose there is a measure of laidbackness about me I am learning that for the most part it is just another way I fear man. Do I care which restaurant we go to? Not really. What I really care about is that you are completely pleased with me. Whatever you want. That's what I want to give you. I really like you and I don't really care about the details of how we spend our time together but now I realize just how desperate I am for you to like me too. It's not healthy. It's not safe. It's not right. And it doesn't work.

If you get what you want you'll like me right? If you always get your way you'll never feel slighted or angry with me right? In the end I'll never know if you really like me or if I'm just easy. It's insatiable. It's a god. I have trapped myself. In the end the whole point, to make sure you like me, can't truly happen because you don't know me. And because I can't be perfectly likable. In fact, I can be downright hate-able.

You shall have no other gods before me. The first commandment and my biggest stumbling block. How could I possibly keep the rest? I haven't. I have not kept one. I have not done one thing to make the Holy God of the universe like me. The one who makes my heart beat. But He does like me. He stays with me always. He saves me and brings me back to Himself. He takes great delight in me when I think no one can. He comforts me with His love when I feel unloved. Unlovable. He rejoices over me with singing. I am His child and I am wanted. I want to cling to Him and never look away from His face. In Him I am whole and secure with no worries. Inevitably I will turn my face from Him again. I will sink and reach out for him again and again. His mercy endures forever.

And I wanted to add a song to my playlist. It is a new favorite of mine but I can't find it to add it :( Anyway, here is the link to a youtube video of it if anyone is interested.
http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=WGBVMIlcBe0&feature=related

***You'll never believe what I found at the library right after posting this. I brought the kids to the movie section and on the way we passed the music so I thought I would see if there was anything good. I looked down and TA-DA! Switchfoot. The exact same CD that has the song I couldn't add to my playlist. I love it when that happens. It also has another really good song called "Yet". ***

The Bookshelf is officially open!

2010-04-07T05:22:00.004-05:00

I posted a list of the books I have on the "Bookshelf" page (click on the tab to the left). This is something I have been wanting to do for a long time but I keep letting my chaotic work schedule keep me from planning it and actually doing it. The idea is very simple (even if I don't do a very good job describing it). How do you get a book?

1. Stop by my place with a book you've already read. Call me first just to make sure I'm home.
2. Browse through the Bookshelf. Or if you already know what you want you can just call me and I can bring it to you the next time I see you.
3. Swap the book you brought for the book you want.
4. The End.

When you're finished you can keep the book or come back and exchange it for another one. My hope is to keep the Bookshelf continually changing so there will always be something new to read. I would also like to eventually be able to take requests and call you if I get a book you want. Check out what we have so far and see if there is something you would like to read.

Faces

2010-03-28T00:24:00.002-05:00

This is a very old page out of one of my journals. Wow! Anger much? I do love reading through old journals though :) The writing says, "Fake, painted faces. Stop pretending! Your insides can't be any uglier than your fake painted face. The arrogance that paints your face ugly."

poem

2010-03-27T05:19:00.003-05:00

Make it so the poor are no longer

despised and thrown away.

Look at them standing about-

like wildflowers, which have nowhere else to go.

-German Poet

2010-03-24T05:35:00.000-05:00

A friend of mine introduced me to a great blog called Grace Is For Sinners. I LOVE it. I am always so encouraged and inspired by what I read there. Here is a little clip of something I read recently. Check it out.

"You’re not here to be a doll on a shelf, in a pew. You’re here to learn and then teach what you’ve learned. Life is not perfect. People will fall in the same traps you’ve fallen into and when you come out, turn and help those who are where you were.
Where you are now is absolutely crucial to your purpose. You haven’t messed up God’s plan for your life, you’re living it. God has not made a mistake in allowing your sin or your suffering. Suffering destroys the ’self’ in you. Thank God. You go through the hell so that you can become something that God can pour out for others."

I love rain...

2010-03-21T07:32:00.002-05:00

"Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain."
Author Unknown

Born Into Brothels

2010-03-17T04:49:00.002-05:00

Wow! This is a must see. A photographer teaches children born into brothels about photography with the hope of saving them from their otherwise certain futures. Here are a few of my favorite quotes from the children:

"I never really think about being rich. Even if I was poor I'd have a happy life. One has to accept life as being sad and painful. That's all." So heartbreaking coming from a child's mouth.

"This is a good picture. We get a sense of how these people live. And though there is sadness in it and though it's hard to face, we must look at it because it is truth."

Job

2010-03-15T04:00:00.004-05:00

(an old page out of one of my journals)

I love the story of Job. His humility.

The Message translation says, "I babbled on about things far beyond me, made small talk about wonders way over my head...I admit I once lived by rumors of you; now I have it all first hand-from my own eyes and ears...I'll never again live on crusts of hearsay, crumbs of rumor."

I have learned to believe that Jesus truly is a friend to sinners. Not only because the bible says that he said in defense of a sinner "He who is without sin cast the first stone" but because he has loved and defended this guilty heart. I have learned with my own eyes and ears that He is who He says He is. He is a friend of all friends to this sinner and I can't wait to fall at those beautiful feet and kiss them.

The Good Earth

2010-03-12T08:37:00.009-06:00

I recently read The Good Earth by Pearl S Buck and it quickly became one of my new favorites. It was one of those books that hit home for me. All throughout the book, you see the main character's constant striving to provide a better life for himself. And he does succeed in many ways, but he is never fully content. In fact, you see how the more he is physically provided for the less he is inwardly satisfied. You see all his intimate thoughts - sometimes honorable, sometimes not - but all having to do with finding contentment. Peace. One of the main themes that is repeated continuously is this idea that once he has accomplished this one last thing then he will be at rest. But, of course, he never is. Here is a quote from the book, "...and with that over there was nothing left to trouble him in his life, and he could be at peace. But there was no peace." and then it goes on to tell of the next hardship of life. Isn't that so true of this world? I can try and try but I will never be able to control what is going on around me. I can not create calm. Only God can bring order to chaos. I HAVE to put my hope in heaven.

God always seems to use whatever I am reading to teach me spiritual lessons. This book reminded me of Deuteronomy 8:11-18, "Take care lest you forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments and His rules and His statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, who led you through the great and terrifying wilderness, with it's fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna that your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may confirm His covenant that He swore to your fathers, as it is this day."

Have I forgotten the Lord my God? When did I start believing it was the power and might of mine and Nick's hands that provide for us? We can stop striving. There may never be perfect peace for us here, but He has promised to do us good in the end.

I wish I was doing this right now...

2010-03-11T05:48:00.002-06:00

This time of year is my favorite time to go to the beach. It's cold and windy and you can bundle up and listen to the peacefulness of the waves without anyone else around. When I took this picture a couple years ago I was the only person on the beach as far I could see. I just stared at the waves and prayed for hours. I even sang a little because I'm cheesy like that. I am longing for that kind of solitude right now. But soon it will be summer and the beaches will be full and I can always run away to the mountains for a good hiding spot.

Not so sweet dreams...

2010-03-07T17:34:00.000-06:00

Mercy

2010-03-06T10:51:00.004-06:00

"For since I sought by prayer the offended deity to appease,

kneeled and before him humbled all my heart,

methought I saw Him placable and mild, bending His ear,

Persuasion in me grew that

I was heard with favour;

peace returned home to my breast."

-John Milton's Paradise Lost

"Prayer allows me to admit my failures, weaknesses and limitations to One who responds to human vulnerability with infinite mercy." -Philip Yancy
"However history settles out, it will settle on the side of justice tempered by mercy." -Philip Yancy

Happy Valetines Day!

2010-02-14T10:01:00.008-06:00

...and even though we ain't got money,
I'm so in love with you, honey,
and everything will bring a chain of love.
And in the morning, when I rise,
you bring a tear of joy to my eyes
and tell me everything is gonna be alright.

(It's called "Danny's Song" but it's really our song)

Although, I'm sure sometimes we both wish we could sing, "Even though we ain't got honey, I'm so in love with your money..." ;)

Happy Valentines Day Everyone!

Ich bete wieder, du Erlauchter

2010-02-06T22:21:00.005-06:00

Rainer Maria Rilke, from Rilke's Book of Hours: Love Poems To God

I am praying again, Awesome One.

You hear me again, as words

from the depths of me

rush toward you in the wind.

I've been scattered in pieces,

torn by conflict,

mocked by laughter,

washed down in drink.

In alleyways I sweep myself up

out of garbage and broken glass.

With my half-mouth I stammer you,

who are eternal in your symmetry.

I lift to you my half-hands

in wordless beseeching, that I may find again

the eyes with which I once beheld you.

I am a house gutted by fire

where only the guilty sometimes sleep

before the punishment that devours them

hounds them out into the open.

I am a city by the sea

sinking into a toxic tide.

I am strange to myself, as though someone unknown

had poisoned my mother as she carried me.

It's here in all the pieces of my shame

that now I find myself again.

I yearn to belong to something, to be contained

in an all-embracing mind that sees me

as a single thing.

I yearn to be held

in the great hands of your heart-

oh let them take me now.

Into them I place these fragments, my life,

and you, God- spend them however you want.

How to Host a Trading Party

2010-01-30T09:26:00.011-06:00

A Trading party is a party where people bring the things they don't want anymore in exchange for other people's unwanted things. Kind of like the old phrase, "One man's trash is another man's treasure." Not only is it a lot of fun, but it is also really practical. In fact, I have never been to a trading party where I did not hear, among the laughter, sentences like, "I was JUST about to buy this!" or "I have been wanting one of these for a long time!" It is a great way to recycle all those perfectly good things you just don't have a need for anymore all while "shopping" for things you could use or want.

Step 1: Set a date for your party.
You'll want to make sure it's not a very busy time of year because it takes time for your guests to clean out their closets and find all those hidden treasures. After the New Year and in the spring when people like to do their spring cleaning seem to be great times.

Step 2: Decide who to invite.
Keep in mind the size of your house and the amount of stuff that will be cluttered throughout. Don't worry about it too much. It's going to be messy. As long as you and your guests can relax (and move), you should be fine.

Step 3: Send out your invitations.
This can be extremely casual. I like http://www.evite.com/ It is a great way to keep your list organized, send reminders, plus it's interactive layout lets your guest know who all is coming and what they are saying about it. Make sure to send out your invites well in advance to give everyone ample time to clean out there closets. This is also a good time to schedule a donation pick-up for the day after the party.

Step 4: Plan your menu.You will want something for your guests to snack on until all the guests have arrived. This will also give you time to organize incoming items as they arrive.

Step 5: Plan your decorations.Think of this step as the opposite of decorating. You will want to remove as much of your own decor as possible from the room before the party starts. A friend of mine once had a nightmare before one of my trading parties that people were taking my decorations and I felt too bad to correct them.

This is also a good time to imagine where you are going to put items as your guests arrive. You should have a system before hand to cut down on some of the chaos. If you can, try to empty a bookshelf, clear off a coffee table, put up a card table etc. It helps if you can make "sections". I have always wanted to put kitchen stuff in the kitchen, bathroom stuff in the bathroom, etc., but that wouldn't work in my small apartment. Be creative and do what works best for you.

Step 6: During the party.
As people show up, have them set their stuff down and offer them some snacks while you set out their items in the designated areas. You may need a helper. Don't spend too much time on this. It doesn't have to be perfect. Like I said, it will be messy.

Once everyone has arrived and everything is in place, find out exactly how many guests you have including yourself and put that many numbers in a hat. Let everyone pick a number. The one who chose the #1 will go first and so on and so forth.

The shopper can choose one item (or group of items if they go together), and then sit down. I like the rule that no one can say what they are going to get before their turn just so that no one feels bad to pick an item they may also want.

Once everyone seems to be finished shopping, you can pass out bags for their "new" stuff if they need one. They can also pack up any of the items they brought that did not get taken, if they want to. Or if you scheduled a pick up and they want to donate it, they can leave their unwanted items there for you to take care of.

Now go ahead and plan your party! Get creative with it.

Ideas for themed trading parties:
1. Books, movies and Cd's
2. For a girls night out theme, have everyone bring make up, perfumes, lotions, accessories, purses, etc. You could also do pedicures and serve fancy drinks.
3. Christmas ornaments or other holiday decorations.

Renewing My Mind

2010-01-24T17:45:00.002-06:00

I have felt a real need lately to spend some time renewing my mind. My head hasn't been in the healthiest place lately. Some of the things that are plaguing me are...

1. What people think of me.
2. Shame of my past failures and the feeling that they are too detestable for God to use me in the future.
3. Our circumstances are especially chaotic right now. We just have so many needs. I am typically a pretty grateful person, not expecting things to go my way which leads me to #4...
4. Guilt for letting our current situation (which is legitimately trying) cause so much inner turmoil. Help my unbelief Lord.
5. Because of how demanding our lives are right now I am also battling the guilt from the lack of time I have to put into the things I enjoy doing as a mother, friend, wife, etc.
6. Loss of some of my dreams for my life.

I'm sure there is more but the point is that I am in bad shape spiritually. Here is a list of some of the ways I have been trying to renew my mind. Keep in mind that none of this is done legalistically but in an earnest attempt to let the truth speak louder than the lies I have been hearing. So that my insecurities would be replaced with security in Christ, sorrow replaced with joy, shame replaced with freedom, fear replaced with peace, and so on and so forth...

1. Setting aside time to really read and meditate on God's word. "The world can wait. I want to drink the water from your well. I want to tell you things I'll never tell" -Over The Rhine
I have become so inconsistent about this but I know how desperate I am for it and why it should be greatly prioritised especially in times of busyness and chaos. I decided to set a time and make it special. Us moms are good at multitasking and I long for times of peace and quite. So why not combine the two. I actually put a coffee pot in my room so that I can close the door, make some hot tea and read.

2. Narrow my book selections to books about the bible. I have been an avid reader since 5th grade. I love all kinds of books! While I may not be proud of all my book choices in my life I certainly do not have a problem with a good fiction book. I love The Scarlet Letter, Anne Of Green Gables, Jayber Crow, and The Last Sin Eater to name a few. However, right now I am thirsting for books that are non-fiction and preach the truth when I am not reading my bible.

3. Music. If you know me at all you know I love me some music. I have never been especially fond of the christian music I hear on the radio though. I don't know why. I just don't. (please feel free to introduce me to some you think I may like) I do have some classical, which I love because it doesn't have words at all so I can concentrate or pray with out getting as distracted :) I also have some CD's with Hymns that I love. This is great for me because it's just being force fed to me. So easy!

4. Prayer.

5. Exposure. Continuing to be open and real with the tender hearted and compassionate friends God has put in my life.

This may all be very obvious but sometimes I find my self having to go back to the basics. And here I am...

Book Swap

2010-01-14T18:59:00.001-06:00

Hello ladies. Anyone in the area interested in a free bookstore? I am hoping to start one for you :) The idea would be to have a bookshelf that you would all have access to. You could call ahead to see what I have or come by and look through the shelves for a book of your choice. You would never have to pay for or return a book. It would be a great way to get a book for your book club or go to the library when you have a late fee ;) etc. The only thing you would have to do is trade in one of your books. It would be a continual book swap. I have several books that I would donate initially. Then I would host a book swap party where you could come with a book you've already read to trade. No pressure! If there is not a book you want to trade for no problem just take your book and leave (we won't be mad at all). After that come by anytime (well perhaps call first) and trade it out for another one. I could even meet you at the Hoover library. You do not have to come to the book swap party to be involved. This is for anyone. You're friends are my friends. If they're interested, they're invited. Let me know what you think.

A squirrel in our house...

2009-12-08T06:41:00.000-06:00

I think our little friend Stuart remembers us. And we remember him. Very fondly. We look at squirrels every where we go now, Nick usually giving his special whistle, in anticipation that he will come home...that he remembers us. Here is our little baby squirrel all grown up...

(go here, here and here to read about our adopted squirrel, Stuart)

Sorry I was holding the camera sideways. I was just so excited I wasn't thinking clearly!

Arts and Crafts Show

2009-12-05T18:35:00.010-06:00

I was able to participate in another Arts and Crafts Show this weekend at a really neat church building. The old Ice Skating rink in Homewood is now Shades Valley. They have turned it into an eclectic, artsy, modern, rustic piece of art. They have recycled and used everything they could again. They even used the old lockers to make the stairs. Talk about turning trash into treasure!!! This place is a treasure. The building represents the people well too. It's a perfect example of how being a good steward of your money and some hard work can be just as good, if not better, ( I think better) than just going out and getting what you want.

Anyway, I had a great time and made a little bit of money. I also brought some of my friend Virginia's stuff which everyone always loves. Here are some pics.

I Heart Swagbucks!

2009-11-29T21:45:00.001-06:00

I just made $15 just for searching the web. Seriously people you should check this out. It is SO simple and you are already searching the web so why not get paid for it? It's really coming in handy right now with Christmas on it's way and Nick only working part time. Click on the little banner to the left of this post and check it out. Or click here.

Bazaar Pictures

2009-11-29T11:21:00.002-06:00

I had a great time again at the Community Presbyterian Christmas Bazaar. I shared a booth with Melissa, a very talented artist I met online :) Sharing the booth together was only the second time we ever even saw each other! We had a great time.

Here are a few pictures of Melissa's art. (I love love love her stuff)

Doesn't she need to start an Etsy shop?

And here's my stuff... some random girlie stuff

east & west sign

entrance wall hangers

numbered advent garland

pine cone garland

more signs

and lastly, some birdhouse ornaments

I forgot my camera so a special thanks to Virginia for taking most of these pictures.

Wash Away

2009-09-19T14:46:00.002-05:00

Well, I think Chad has the H1N1 flu (or as my friend Virginia says, the "hini" flu). He said some of the kids in his class had it and now he has a fever and is throwing up. We had our old friend Andy visiting last night too so say a prayer that he doesn't get it. Chad is quarantined to "the sick room" but he has tried to sneak down a few times to sit with Andy whom he adores. I'm trying to make a pretty nice set up since he will probably be in there for a while. Right now he's watching the chipmunks and asking me in hopeful anticipation if this means he will not have to go to school Monday.

Needless to say I am cleaning and doing laundry today. It's such a nice day for cleaning. I am enjoying the rain and the lit candles. It feels renewing. On that note I have to leave the lyrics to

the first song on my playlist just because it seems appropriate.

I've got troubles oh, but not today

Cause they're gonna wash away

They're gonna wash away

I have sins Lord, but not today

Cause they're gonna wash away

They're gonna wash away

And oh, I've been cryin'

And oh, No more cryin'

No, no more cryin' here

Wash Away by: Joe Purdy

Spicing Up Something Old

2009-05-07T06:06:00.002-05:00

I don't have a before picture but these were those basic wooden salt and pepper shakers. I took off/taped up all the hardware, spray painted them and now they are new. It took less than 10 minutes. I love them and it was so easy and free because I already had everything.

When Nick and I first got married I had visions of an all white kitchen with gobs and gobs of salt and pepper shakers and a sign that said "You are the Salt of the Earth" ;) Maybe this can be the start of that old dream? All I know is they make me happy.

I've posted this poem before but I could use the reminder

2009-04-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

(the grass in my back yard is over grown and it makes me smile)

Drop thy still dews of quietness,
Till all our strivings cease;
Take from our souls the strain and stress,
And let our ordered lives confess
The beauty of Thy peace.
-John Whittier

tick tock...a constant encourager

2009-04-28T06:00:00.001-05:00

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I had a friend who once told me her story and she said that when she saw a clock she thought of that verse and was comforted with every tick tock that went by because right NOW, and NOW, and NOW she was not condemned for her sins. I think of that all the time and finally made a clock for myself. I fear death a lot. I fear that I will be remembered for my sins. This clock is a reminder to me that I am not condemned for my sins and I am still here. I am not done yet. I have a story about redemption to tell. I am still growing in grace and in holiness. I am being transformed to his image. Being made new. Tick tick. Praise God. I am free from my past and I am one day, hour, minute closer to Him. My story is not yet done. I still have a story to tell.

This is a very simple project that anyone can do. I used an old clock we had already and opened it up. Then I measured the face and cut my premade art to the right size. I then cut that circle in half, sprayed the back with adhesive and slipped each side under the hands. You can't see where I cut it in half at all. This is an especially fun project because you will be looking at it so often.

kids

2009-04-08T11:35:00.001-05:00

I am very grateful that God has put these two wonderful creations right in my home. They are always a reminder of why I want to be more full of the Holy Spirit and less full of my flesh. They help me feel more depth of sorrow in my sin. I have come to hate my sin so much more because of these two. Because lets face it, you never feel more like a monster than you do when you sin against a little child.

They make me laugh, and think, and want to be better. They make me understand how utterly helpless I am and how much I need God's help. They teach humility. How to serve. Patiently. They make me grieve over the world and long for God to make all things new.

I read this quote by Mother Teresa today and it was just what I needed to hear.

"I pray that you will understand the words of Jesus, 'Love one another as I have loved you.' Ask yourself, 'How has He loved me? Do I really love others in the same way?' Unless this love is among us, we can kill ourselves with work and it will only be work, not love.' Work without love is slavery."

I needed to hear that because at some point along the road I have stopped serving my family out of love and started doing things just because they needed to be done. Again and again and again. Somewhere along the line I developed this idea that "I need to get all this done so that I can spend time loving my family" instead of humbly serving them with the time I have in love.

And with faces like these, how can a mother forget how serious a role she plays in all eternity?

Hee Hee! I am truly thankful.

Real Life Day 7, Friday

2009-03-06T22:21:00.001-06:00

I am going out of town for the night. So this morning I said goodbye to my family, got some work done, and packed. As I was packing I thought, "I must show my fellow bloggers the coolest thing ever that my mom got me for Christmas." She is an excellent gift giver. She listens to you all year and remembers everything. I had mentioned that I like the sloppy look of sack purses but I hate how unorganized they are. So she, being the amazing gift giver that she is, found these awesome things that you can put in any purse to keep them organized. They are also handy for switching out purses and they would be THE BOMB for a diaper bag. It came with a set of three this is the medium sized one.

and here is how it looks in your purse...

Nice huh? I LOVE them. Thanks mom. OK, moving on. Then I ate lunch. I have found that when you make a baked potato one should always use the exact portion of sour cream to potato ratio. It gives it just the right yum factor and also helps if you are trying to have a heart attack which it appears that I am indeed trying to have a heart attack...

Then I left Nick and the Chad some notes. Hope is spending the night at her friends house for a birthday party. I won't post Nick's but here is Chad's. I think I covered any of his questions he may have while I am gone...

Here I am officially packed and ready to go. Just a little bored. Reading...Waiting (in my slippers)...

...getting dangerously bored...Oh no. Here I am taking a picture of myself giving a nice, hearty, very sarcastic smile and thumbs up to J.K. Rowling

OK, I am out of here.

And that my friends and family ends a week in my "Real Life". Thanks for reading :) Have a good weekend.

Real Life Day 6, Thursday

2009-03-06T08:53:00.000-06:00

OH NO! I accidentally erased yesterdays pictures off my camera. I was going to press "erase selected" but instead I pressed "erase all". Oopsie daisy. Oh well. I have some pictures that I took a couple weeks ago that very much represent my evening so I will post those even though they are not actually from last night :(

OK, here goes...

Woke up, made coffee and lunches, blah blah blah...

(imagine inserted picture of lunch boxes here)

worked, called in applications, rented an apartment (yay), blah blah blah...

read, finally ate that spaghetti I have been drooling over all week...

(imagine inserted picture of my family eating spaghetti here)

signed test folders, helped Hope pack for a slumber party on Friday, watched American Idol

(and here are the pretend pictures of last night...although any night of t.v. would pretty much look the same around here)

I just loved these photos because they were all taken in a matter of minutes and as you can see Chad can NOT sit still. He doesn't really like t.v. but if he watches it he needs to be doing something else that involves moving :) Hope on the other hand is so engrossed she can not even hear us talking to her :)

Here he is interested...

getting a drink...

back...

interested...

taunting a very sleepy daddy...

aaaaaaand, I think he's done...

THE END and that was Thursday...well, um...sort of anyway.

Real Life Day 5, Wednesday

2009-03-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

6:30ish- woke up, made lunches, made coffee. The time on my coffee pot is never right, which annoys me (although I usually am still drinking coffee at 2:56pm).

7:15ish-12:00- said bye to my family, got out my spicy marinara sauce that has been simmering since Monday :) smelled it, drooled into it (not really), got ready for the day, did my work rounds, made some huge cookies about the size of my hand, got attacked by the rooster, (JK, this is a rooster we have hanging in our kitchen right above the trash can. That was a bad place to hang it apparently because we all are used to reaching around the corner to throw stuff away and we hit our heads on it. So now we say, "Did the rooster get ya?" I should move it but I like it there)...

...did some laundry, unloaded the dishes, added to my big basket of things I refuse to throw away because I am sure I can use them somehow (it really does come in handy)...

Noonish- went to lunch with my sweet friend Christa, had some good laughs

2:00ish- went to the library with my other sweet friend Virginia. Yay! It's like everything is sunshine and roses today :)

3:00ish- got some more work done, read, waited for my family to get home

5:00ish- got too hungry and ate a sandwich

6:00- still waiting :(

7:00- my family finally got home (we only have one car so I can't go pick up the kids when Nick works late), I had already ate a sandwich so I fed them leftovers and we will have that delicious spaghetti Thursday :)

8:30ish- put the kids to bed, took a bath, went to bed, talked to Nick about J.K. Rowling some more, and read until I dozed off...

THE END.

Real Life Day 4, Tuesday

2009-03-04T09:03:00.001-06:00

6:00ish- woke up, packed lunches, rolled my eyes at my Chad's favorite outfit that he wears once a week summer or winter, took a picture of The Dude (he is not grouchy, I asked him to be serious)...

decided I was at least glad that he had gloves on even though they didn't match,

tried to get a picture of the kids and my smart Alec husband thought it was funny to mock their pose...who's laughing now Nick...who's laughing now...mwahahahaaa!!!

7:15ish- said goodbye to my family, unloaded the dishes...

...got a call from a tenant who needed to explain her ADT alarm to me, threw some clothes on, threw my hair in a pony tail, and went to her house, came home ate breakfast (the most important meal of the day)...

9:00ish- did my morning rounds while listening to music, had someone honk and yell at me to get my attention because they wanted to see an apartment, scared me half to death, showed the apartment, finished picking up trash, took a picture of Hope's snowman...

worked, had to go clean out an abandoned apartments refrigerator that was packed full of rotten meat, gagged loudly, got teased by neighbor for gagging loudly, ate lunch, finished Harry Potter The Half Blood Prince, talked bad about J.K. Rowling (even though I love her really...but don't mess with me J.K. And what's with that name? I wish she was jk sometimes), reluctantly and begrudgingly started the last Harry Potter book...(I'm serious J.K. Rowling...I will mess you up ;)...

5:00ish- my family came home, talked bad about J.K. Rowling some more even though I really do like her, ate dinner (chili), watched American Idol with Hope (nick and Chad fell asleep)...

Hope tried to fall asleep...

...let Hope vote for someone, put everyone to bed, played on the computer, took a hot shower, got in bed. The End. And that was Tuesday.

Real Life Day 3, Monday

2009-03-02T22:37:00.000-06:00

I normally like Mondays even though they are such busy days. I am usually ready for some time alone and the house is always ready for a good cleaning. As I was cleaning this morning I realized this is a normal thing...

Chad's toothbrush stuck to the bathroom mirror. This is where he puts it every morning as if it belongs there :) It's one of those things I automatically put away when I see it with out thinking. This morning it caught my eye and made me smile :)

Overall today was a pleasantly productive day. I cleaned the down stairs, the upstairs is still a wreck but I made 3 meals for the week this afternoon. Only because I had to brown some ground beef for tonight's beef stroganoff anyway and since chili is always better the day after I went ahead and fried up all the ground beef and made the chili today. Then as I was doing that I realized I might as well go ahead and make the spaghetti sauce for later this week too. I love it when that happens! It makes the evenings so much easier. Well, that's all for today :)

Real Life Day 2, Sunday

2009-03-02T07:13:00.001-06:00

No church this morning because it SNOWED!!!

I had to get this picture because it is so typical of Alabama. The spring Daffodils pop up one week and it snows the next :) LOVE it!

Hope after a good snowball fight...

Chad during one of his many trips inside to warm up...and sugar up.

It was such a relaxing morning just hanging out and talking while Nick made breakfast.

Here is a video for my family in Florida. Thought you guys would like it. I couldn't get any of the kids because my camera batteries died. Sorry. I wish you were here :(

We were able to buy some groceries later which was nice. I was afraid the roads were going to be too bad. Then I brought Chad out for a little bit, which was so opposite from mine and Hope's day. He barely talked at all. All I need to do to make him happy is feed him sugar and laugh at all his jokes :) We ended the day crashed on the couch watching The Little Rascals. We are pooped from such an unusually busy weekend.

Real Life Day 1, Saturday

2009-03-01T20:16:00.000-06:00

(I'm starting on Saturday instead of Sunday because I forgot I will be gone this Saturday)

Saturday was a pretty exciting day for us. I brought Hope out for some girl time in the afternoon. My mom gave me a gift certificate to the Olive Garden for my birthday so Hope and I went there together and then out to a dollar movie. I love times with just Hope. She talks the whole time and tells me all her secrets.

Lunch at Olive Garden: $5 (tip)
Movie: $2
Time with my daughter: priceless :)

That night we went to see The White Oaks. Hope was able to get all their autographs with a little help from our friend Abbey :) They are truly such genuinely nice, good men. We had a blast! How can you not when the lyrics to one of their songs says, "How funny do I look? Picked my nose and wiped it in your book, the one you said was too hard for me to read." :) Their lyrics are actually very deep and meaningful so I feel bad solely quoting that one :) but it makes me all giggle.

Hope dancing with Abbey...

Going home :(...

When we got home everyone was starving so we made waffles from some left over funnel cake batter. They weren't as soft as normal but they still hit the spot. We put waffle batter in old ketchup bottles so that the kids can squeeze it onto the waffle iron all by themselves (sometimes we put food coloring in there too just for fun:)

And here is the funnel cake from Friday...just because it makes me drool.

Play along with me if you want. Here are some of my fellow bloggers that are playing along. Sweet Brown Sugars

Plates A Spinning

2009-02-27T09:46:00.000-06:00

OK, I know Valentine's Day is long gone but I wanted to post some pics because we had a party and Hope worked really hard making heart shaped empanadas.

What you need:

refrigerated pie crusts
whatever you want to fill it with (we used leftover roast, green chilies, and mozzarella)

Just cut out 8 hearts from your pie crust...

Put your topping on...

Put another heart shaped pie crust on top of that and use a fork to seal around the edges...

Then bake according to the pie crust instructions and...

Enjoy!

Our after party mess...

A day at the park with Hope...

2009-02-08T15:27:00.000-06:00

Hope brought her art supplies and I brought a book and a blanket. However we ended up not spending as much time drawing and reading as we thought. We were both distracted by the gorgeous day.

Hope kept having to get up and touch the water "one more time".

Then the ducks came...

I thought it was so cute and very much in the Valentine spirit that they stayed in twos. They were like little boyfriends and girlfriends enjoying a day in the park. We made up conversations for them and laughed...

Hope took the picture below. Isn't it gorgeous?

I had to take these because I thought they were funny...hee hee :)

Neither of us wanted to leave but the sun went away and we got a little chilly. So we went went home and made some chili. I know, how weird to end such a sunny day with chili but I bought it last week when it was freezing outside :)

Poor little lonely bird...

Ewwwww and Hilarious

2009-01-30T08:45:00.000-06:00

Check out these lunch bags that are sure to keep your food safe from being stolen at work or school. Not sure I would used them but it's pretty funny. I must say. I must say.

25 things

2009-01-27T13:44:00.000-06:00

Melissa tagged me on Facebook and since I haven't blogged in a while I figured I'd post it here as well :)

1. I love the sound of trains!

2. I once counted how many times I said "sorry" in one day and lost count around 40 something.

3. I love routines and schedules...very much! I'm a dork.

4. I always wanted to be a personal assistant.

5. I worry habitually. It is so bad that I have pretty severe neck/shoulder/jaw pain but I've never been to a chiropractor or masseuse because I just can't imagine spending that much money on something that will be back the next day.

6. I would love to travel the world doing something fun and meeting people like that Matt guy does. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlfKdbWwruY

7. I wish everything in my house was white.

8. I used to be a vegan for several years. I loved it. That is just hilarious to me now.

9. I love to eat lunch at Costco where I can get a hot dog with mustard, relish, and onion, and coke for a $1.50...and a churro. YUMM!!! I love churros.

10. Any extreme emotion makes me break out in hives.

11. I love to laugh. There are not many things I don't think are somewhat funny. Well, except mean jokes.

12. I like gentle people because I am very easily intimidated. However, I am grouchy too much and wish I was way more gentle myself.

13. I like being alone. It's so peaceful and quiet.

14. I say, "You do what you do and I do what I do." about once a day. (from the movie Trapped In Paradise)

15. I am in love with the library. I go even when I have no reason or ideas of what to get.

16. I type too many smiley faces and LOL's. Although I don't like it when people type LOL if they are not actually LOL-ing :)

17. I would love to be a writer but I am terrible at spelling and grammar...and writing in general.

18. Despite my love of reading, I have a pretty lame vocabulary because I stick to the lazy basics.

19. In college I had a few friends I "talked in breves" (abbreviations) with. I miss that. If it can be abbreviated I will and if not I try to work something out ;)

20. Speaking of lazy speaking...I quite often do not finish sentences and/or start a story only to say, "Never mind, I'll tell you later. I don't feel like talking."

21. I love water. I want to live in an apartment on the water in Venice. Dreamy.

22. I can't stand for my apartment to be poorly lit. I like all the blinds open.

23. When I meet someone I wish they would tell me their whole life story.

24. I like hot air balloons and wanted to get married in one.

25. I don't like the tv or car radio to be on if anyone is talking. One at time for me :)

In other fish related news...

2009-01-13T03:34:00.000-06:00

and something I'm a little more proud of since the last fish related news was that my house smelled like one ;)

My sweet brother-in-law Morgan brought Hope and Chad fishing on his boat while we were in Florida. They had so much fun. They both caught three fish each. Check them out...

How cute are they?!

I also got to meet my adorable little twin nieces for the first time. They were so cute and had the funniest little personalities. I could have watched them interact all day.

Aren't they so cute?!! I want to squeeze them to pieces and kiss their little faces off.

You are invited

2009-01-07T14:50:00.000-06:00

who-YOU
what- A Trading Party
when- Tuesday, Jan.13 from 7:00pm - 9:00pm
where- My place (e-mail or call for directions)
why- Because it's fun and it's a really nice way to clean out all that stuff you don't use.
how- Just gather all those things you don't want anymore and bring them over here. When you get here you pick a number and we take turns picking one thing at a time. Whatever is left over you can bring back home with you or feel free to leave it here. I have scheduled a Hannah Home pick up.

Think of it as a free yard sale. It is very fun! I will be serving dessert and coffee. Hope to see you there.

Me no not can sleep

2009-01-07T02:31:00.000-06:00

That's what Chad used to say when we played peek-a-boo with him. Well, he would say, "Me no not can see." when I covered his eyes but since I can't sleep, "Me no not can sleep" makes more since. I wish me no not could see because that would mean my eyes were closed. I woke up because Hope and Chad's hamsters no not can sleep either. They're so loud.

ANYWAY... I was reading some blogs and joy to my night I found two prizes waiting for me from the lovely Mrs. Meet Virginia (better known as The Virginater). YAY! Thank you girly.

The first was this award:

Which came with this questionnaire I was supposed to fill out using only one word.

1. Where is your cell phone? table
2. Where is your significant other? sleeping
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? love
5. Your father? artistic
6. Your favorite thing? love
7. Your dream last night? scary
8. Your dream/goal? house
9. The room you're in? chilly
10. Your hobby? painting
11. Your fear? numerous
12. Where do you want to be in six years? house
13. Where were you last night? sleeping
14. What you're not? decisive
15. One of your wish list items? car
16. Where you grew up? Florida
17. The last thing you did? read
18. What are you wearing? jammies
19. Your TV? silent
20. Your pet? LOUD
21. Your computer? dreamy :)
22. Your mood? content
23. Missing someone? yes
24. Your car? stinky
25. Something you're not wearing? shoes
26. Favorite store? Thrift?
27. Your Summer? unknown
28. Love someone? yes
29. Your favorite color? white
30. When is the last time you laughed? yesterday
31. Last time you cried? Sunday

And the other prize was this cutie...

I pass these awards on to Sarah and Andy who are new to blog land because I love them. Thank you again Virginia. I love getting prizes! And I love hearts. They make me think of Valentines Day, which I also love. Love Love Love. All we need is love. Love is in the air. I just called to say I love you. Alright I think I hit that crazy sleepy point where maybe I should just try to go back to bed ;) Good night my darlings.

I stink at Blogging

2009-01-06T14:34:00.000-06:00

But not as much as my house stank this morning :) Seriously. We had fish and broccoli last night and the dirty dishes were still all over the place this morning.

Anyway, we had a really great Christmas break. It was so peaceful and relaxing. We went to Florida to see my family and we got so used to relaxing that we kept doing it. Just relaxing like crazy people all over the place. So, I was sad for school to start this morning. It has been nice just being able to do what we want with no schedule. I bought some really good smelling multi purpose cleaner yesterday just to get me excited about the kids leaving and having a day to clean. It worked. As soon as everyone was out the door I put in Norah Jones, made some coffee, and took pictures of how bad the house was for inspiration (because who doesn't love some good before and after pictures?) and as proof of just how much relaxing we have been doing around here. It's dark and rainy today so as I cleaned each room I lit a candle to make it pretty and to hopefully get rid of the stench. Here are some before and after pictures.

Wow, this one is embarrassing...

Much better! But I really wish you could smell the difference ;)

The bathroom...

My "office"...

OK, the lovely Nick picked this one up a little before he left. But now it's dusted and vacuumed etc...
and lastly, my lil' nook ;)

Maybe one day if I really want to shock and awe you, I'll show you the upstairs. Maybe.

I wish this was a tag blog. In fact, I make it a tag blog and you're it. Come on do it. Take before and after pictures of all your messes and show us. Please. It's fun!

Immanuel

2008-12-22T21:35:00.001-06:00

Here are some beautiful words from my favorite hymn we sing at church.

"From the squalor of a borrowed stable, by the spirit and a virgin's faith, to the anguish and the shame of scandal, came the Savior of the human race. But the skies were filled with the praise of Heaven. Shepherds listen as the angels tell of the gift of God come down to man at the dawning of Immanuel.

King of Heaven now the friend of sinners, humble servant in the Father's hands, filled with power and the Holy Spirit, filled with mercy for the broken man."

What a gift!

Merry Christmas

A Peek Into My Quote Book

2008-12-01T07:53:00.001-06:00

I know it's Christmas time but I have been so poopy lately :( I got nuttin' to say. So, I thought I would finally post this old blog I saved to drafts a long time ago just so you know I am still alive...as opposed to DEAD...dun dun dunnn...

I made this book a while back with help from the talented Mrs. Meet Virginia. Thanks girly.

P.S. I have been thinking of starting a Virginia fan club called the Virginators. Anyone interested? I thought our theme song could be "Like a Virginator. Scrap for the very first time"

JUST KIDDING!

Christmas Music

2008-11-30T20:03:00.000-06:00

What's your favorite Christmas Song? I want to add it to my playlist.

Thankful

2008-11-27T07:16:00.001-06:00

for laughter

for family

for rare, deep, beautiful friendships

i have never been more thankful

so, to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine...

Thank you

Twilight Movie Premiere

2008-11-21T06:07:00.001-06:00

Last Thursday at midnight I went to the opening of Twilight with such a fun group of women. I liked the movie but I seriously think I enjoyed spending time with all the girls even more. They are such a welcoming bunch.

Some highlights:

1. Meeting everyone at the restaurant.

Virginia and I got there late so we didn't eat there but I was so glad we went. It was fun talking to everyone and laughing. They had the greatest waiter too. He was hilarious (and he took this picture for me).

2. All the little extras.

Chrissy brought us all a Hershey Bar. Virginia sprayed everyone down with glitter spray. And Whitney and Virginia made these amazing little "I brought a Snack" boxes.

3. Waiting.

We got to the movie so early that Virginia and I made a Bingo game and had lots of laughs looking for "someone making out" and other silly things. We got all of them with the exception of someone with the book :(

Please excuse my hand writing...it was late ;)4. The movie.

OK, first of all I always play head games with myself so that I won't be disappointed. I KNEW the movie wouldn't be as good as the book. They never are. So, I just went to enjoy any version of such a fun book. I loved it. There were cheesy parts of course but overall I really liked it. I can't wait for the next ones to come out. Although I am glad I've got time to finish the series first ;) I'm just now starting New Moon.

Squirrel Update

2008-11-20T07:31:00.000-06:00

OK, I have had several people ask questions about the process of raising a baby squirrel. We got the squirrel from the Vine's at around 2-3 weeks. He did not have much fur and his eyes were still closed. We used puppy formula and gave him 4-5 mls about every three hours. He was so sweet at this age that even if you don't like squirrels you would have loved him. He was so helpless and precious. He didn't move around at all yet. He lived in an aquarium with a heated rock and an old t-shirt. Oh yeah, and we had to make him go pee and poop! That was weird.

Then at about 4 - 5 weeks his eyes opened, he was drinking a lot more and he was starting to move around a little. At this point we pretty much held him ALL THE TIME. He slept in Nick's pocket a lot.

From that point on it's all a blur. We watched him like any baby go through all those "firsts". He sat on his own. We said, "Awwwww..." He got his teeth. We said, "Awwwww..." He ate his first real food. Banana was his favorite. We said, "Awwww..." He started peeing and pooping on his own, we didn't say, "Awww..." to that but we were VERY happy.

He wouldn't play outside for the longest time. Everyday I would bring him out and he would act terrified and flatten his body to the grass and lay there with out moving. But as he got more active he needed more space to run around so Nick built him an amazing cage with tree limbs to swing on. The cage was really big so it of course had to be outside. We put his aquarium, blanket and heated rock all out there too. He got really good at being a real squirrel then. One morning Hope let him out of his cage to play and he liked it. I let him stay out of the cage all day and watched him out the back door. He stayed right in the back yard.

And that's where we are today. Squirrel does not live in his cage anymore he wanders freely coming back home and knocking on our door several times a day. We love him and he loves us. Here is what he looks like now... (he's the one on the right. tricky huh? :)

Here is his sweet friend Chipmunk. Yes, this is the chipmunk Nick brought home from school and set free in our back yard. We think he had stockholm syndrome. Chipmunk used to come get in the cage with the squirrel but we haven't seen him in a few weeks :( They were cute little friends too. You could almost always find them both on the back porch hanging out together.

And here's all my boys snuggled into one big mess of cuteness!

...and we all said, "Awwww..."

Bazaar-o

2008-11-18T22:41:00.000-06:00

I'm back! I know you guys missed me huh? hee hee. Just kidding. But I missed you! I really have missed reading all my blog friends sites and I have missed updating too. Blogland is very fun. I have been pretty busy though. At work I had 17 open apartments and now I have 4. And BELIEVE me I have to show the apartments several times and call in a lot of applications before one is actually approved. But things seem to be calming down around here...for now.

I have WAY too much to blog about but in order to keep this post from being ridiculously long I will pace myself :)

This past weekend was the Bazaar over at Community Presbyterian. Which first of all I have to say that I am in love with the church. Everyone I have ever met there is truly so kind and beautiful. Plus I just LOVE this event. As long as they will have the Bazaar I will be involved. It is so fun! It is such a talented group of artists so it's fun to go look at all the booths. They serve a delicious lunch for $1.50. And they have really good entertainment. I was telling a friend the other day that I honestly would go set up a table just for the fun of it even if I didn't make a dime. Honestly. It is just that fun. I did make a few dimes however ;)

Here are a couple pictures of my booth.

Thanks to all the girls over at Community Presby for all their hard work and for being such joys to be around :)

I year booked myself

2008-10-21T20:05:00.001-05:00

Go here to make your own. http://www.yearbookyourself.com/ Have fun!!!

Halloween Craft

2008-10-19T13:41:00.001-05:00

The day we were at Oak Mountain the kids and I picked acorns to paint. I found this idea in a Family Fun magazine one time. They turned out so cute.

wedding

2008-10-17T07:35:00.000-05:00

Nick's longtime friend got married a couple weeks ago. Look at the bride's fabulous bouquet. I was so in love with it! I couldn't stop taking pictures. So was Hope. She kept acting like she was getting married and picking it up.

I asked her to pose with her dad and got sweet feelings about one day her getting married and how I would be taking a picture of her with her real bouquet.

My mistake was to say these things out loud. I said, "Awwww, let's get a really sweet picture and we can put it in a frame on your wedding day."

This is that picture...

A true story

2008-10-14T13:44:00.001-05:00

Oopsie Daisy! I said, "okey dokey" again. hee hee. I friend of mine said that once and it always makes me smile :) Anyway, Oopsie Daisy! I forgot to post my Monday's Art. We went to Oak Mountain and had the most perfect day. (I have some video's and pictures to post of that soon)

This is a page out of my art/quote book...

This is a fun way for someone like me who has no vocabulary to write poetry ;) Also, I feel insecure when I share my real poetry but this seems less personal. It's fun and creative and feels kind of like a puzzle or riddle. Do it.

I painted over all the words and highlighted the ones I wanted to use. The original story is about a haunted house. Now it is about friendship...maybe that's a jinx? hmmm. Well, I will try not to think about that ;)

Anyway, now it reads...

A friend of mine I have discovered

All I know is this:

The situation suited us;

We entered the house, liked the rooms, engaged them by the week.

I have desire as a superstitious dreamer to accept affirmation;

What you would hold to be incredible.

Let me say only this:

It was not so much what we saw or heard...

The strangest marvel of all was that for once in my life I allowed the impossible.