Yarn art

Fun thing on Pinterest that I copied this week.  Cheap too!  I just kept winding yarn around until it was  covered.  The A was tricky, but still theraputic and fun.  I got a B too, but I may put that out in the living room instead and start a B collection.  These are on our dresser in our room for now.  (also a piece of furniture that I either want to paint soon, or completely take out of my room and get a brand new dresser at Ikea!)

I would love to make words in our kitchen out of these little letters once it is done.  We are getting closer.  =)  For now, I am learning about Islamic art for my 4th grade art class, Habitats in 1st grade, and buzz and woody with Luke and the sounds that all of the letters make.

And it was really sunny today, which makes me really happy and in a creative mood. So, more creating to do this week!

creativity week

So Tim has been gone all week for a firefighter conference in Disney.  (not fair!)  In between, school, parent teacher conferences, playing with Luke, and doing life, I have managed to squeeze in a little time this week to truly be creative!  YAY for that!

My first project is stuff I have been working for a while on for a company called JK3 softwear here in town. Go to here for info on the store.....really cool things happening with them! http://www.jk3softwear.com/  I met with the manager a while back and she approached me about doing some hairtie and headband stuff that I have designed with some of their leftover scraps.  I LOVE recycling scrap fabric and paper.   So this week I will be taking stuff over to the store and leaving it there to see what happens. It's not going to pay the bills, but might help buy something to put toward the kitchen fund......which ALL art money has gone towards this fall and winter.  GPS camp this summer blessed me by hiring me for 2 weeks and I was able to buy cabinets with that money.  They are currently beautiful and are still sitting in my basement.  I can't wait to use them.  We are almost there.  Tim and I were talking about how exciting this year has been with fabric and elastic helping us get closer.  God has a good sense of humor.  

elastic headbands and felt getting ready for the cute stuff to put on it.

 Some of the headbands I worked on today.

 I love this one.  This fabric came from a pile in a yard sale for a quarter.  It wasn't very much, but very beautiful and thick.  I love knowing the story behind fabric.

 This project is still in the works.  I bedazzled spoons!  It was so much fun and so easy!  These are for a project that is for V day with some other things that Luke and I made together.   More to come!

 I love the daintiness of the spoons.  (I never thought I would say that either...)

More to come.  My cycle of creating comes in spurts.  Once all of the hair stuff gets put on etsy, put in the store, then I want to get my sewing machine out and try it out again.  Hopefully I won't throw it out the window.  But I might.  =)

vintage memories

Remember these?  These were some of my favorite things to play with as a kid when we went to our grandparents house....they were my dad's and uncle's toys.  Little People.  Ivey and I would play with these things for hours!

Mom brought them home the other day and we were helping her organize what goes to the lakehouse.  Luke was so excited to see these and play with these, so I sat down and we played for a while.

Priceless!

Some baby present love...

So, I went to a good friend's baby shower this past weekend. For a month I have been mulling over what to make for her baby's room, and by Thursday, I was down to a plan C and not knowing what that even was. My sewing skills and the machine have not made much progress yet.  This is where I need Jessica Kent to sit with me and make stuff at my house to inspire me to actually sew.  As of now, I am a poser and I haven't really done much.

So, I wanted to do some fabric flowers and I really like Pinking shears too.  With EVERYTHING.  They are so much fun to use.  I didn't like any fabric that I had for this project, so I used the fun paper from Hobby Lobby that I got recently.

Here is what I came up with:

 I kept cutting until I made all of these little flowers.  Then I had cute buttons that I still haven't used yet.  There was a cabinet door in my art stash too(not OUR cabinet door, but one Tim brought home for me to use a while ago) and I have been saving it for something good.  Used a little craft glue, and you have gerber daisies!

 I wanted to add some more bling to the picture, so I cut these little things out and glued them to the outside edge.

 I don't know why this picture is upside down, but here is the final prodcut!

I decided they were happy and I want to make some for my hallway.  One day!  I have a lot on the list that I have checked off thanks to Luke and I having a sick day this week and being motivated again!  More posts to come.

Lessons on a Saturday

This morning I woke up to my sweet boy telling me that his clock had turned yellow and that it was time to wake up.  I made a 4 a.m. purchase a week ago.  One that literally has blessed us beyond belief with bedtime battles.  We have had bedtime battles for over 6 months with Luke.  "one more.....I need a little bit of milk (only he says it cuter....I need a wittle bit of milk!), etc, etc.  After being up last week for 6 nights prior, my eyelids hurting and my eyeballs blood red, I asked a friend to send me the website of a clock that i heard that her kids use that make bedtime for everyone enjoyable.  SIGN ME UP!  So, at 4 am, with another Mommy, i NNNEEEEEEDDDDDD YYYYYOOOOUUUUU, I pushed BUY.  My tot clock.  It has 5 colors- wake time, bedtime, naptime, encouragement time, and discipline time if you want to set that timer.  It plays a bedtime story, lullabies, and then white noise.  Each night this week, instead of being exhausted thinking about bedtime, I have been the one excited.  Once that thing turns blue, Luke has told ME it was time for bed, no whining, NOTHING, and we have cuddled in bed and he has gone to sleep in about 15-20 minutes.

So, why am I ranting and raving?  Because you need this if you have a little one.  I'm serious.  It's on the top of my Incredible purchases list, which doesn't have a lot on there....=)

Other than that, I got to use part of my gift card to Natural Body today.  YAY.  I got to have a facial and a massage.  I knew that I was a mess, but here were some of the things that came out during my time there:
"Do you spend a lot of time in the sun?  you have very sensitive skin and need to make sure you have SPF 30 or above on"  (my reply: I used to live in FL.  Yes, now I take better care of my skin.)

"Do you wash your face going up and out or with downward motions?   (I don't ever think I have thought about this. My reply is : I am good to wash my face!  )

"Oh wow.  There are a lot of gems in your back."(gems?  like gems to make me rich? or gems to try to get more and more knots out of?)

"Are you stressed?  Have you been under a lot of stress?  Your back feels like there are rocks in there.  This is going to be challenging!)  (My reply- not now, but have been.  Also, I was a goalkeeper in college and destroyed my body)

"Do you get regular massages, do yoga, or any chiropractic care?  That would be great for you to do weekly"  I am 31 and already I feel like I have aged 30 more years with my knees (i didn't mention that part) that ache and the rest of my body!  (My answer- yes to all 3, just not every week.  (I mean, all that stuff adds up you know!)


So......my lesson for this morning is- know ahead of time that playing soccer in college and working at one of the best schools in the nation for 5 years will destroy every muscle, bone, and wrinkle in your body and you will become a money pit to try to fix these things!  My time there was quite enjoyable, and I hope to get other gift cards there for the future.  These women that I was conversing with were great- just asking questions that I guess I haven't thought of in a while....hehe.

Oh January.  At least today there was a yard sale on my street which Luke and I walked to in the freezing cold, bought care bears and a beautiful vintage dress that I will wear over and over again, and walked home.  I was thrilled.  I can't wait until the pool again though.  It can't come soon enough.

Roller coaster ride of life....

Was studying tonight for my BSF (bible study fellowship) class that I do with my mom and about 100 other ladies on Tuesday nights...anyway, flipped back through my notebook and found these little gems.   This was from the study of Ruth chapter 4.....the quotes are from my teaching leader Suzy Belew talking about the sovereignty of God.  Very encouraging.  Very encouraging when this was taught- April 12, 2011- Hard spring!

"it's only when we get to the other side that we see that God was in that bog hill all of the time.....maybe you are not there yet- maybe you are just on that hill- its when you enjoy the view even at the top that you realize that it didn't take that long.  God is in control.  Hang on. Hold on. God is at work"

"Obedient, Ordinary people, who allow God to use them for his redemptive purposes, will be remembered and blessed."


Philippians 4  He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it in Christ Jesus our Lord.....

Some thoughts to mull over for the week....myself included.

Happy 2012!

A little something to start the new year off just right.  Thumbprint art with Luke!  (thanks mom!)

My natural instinct is to start the new year off by compartmentalizing it all and writing a whole notebook of goals for the next year.  Last year, I made my natural goal setting self just stop and not make goals on paper, but be open to what is ahead while bettering myself...and surviving the past year was really my only goal this time last year.  So, as I move on...I am reminded by what Pastor Frank said on the Saturday night service this weekend.....He began by asking us what do we want to do this year?  Who do we want to be?  What do we want to see this year?  (i LOVE beginning of the year sermons...gets me so pumped up. )  He challenged us to instead of writing down stuff like lose weight, financial peace, run more, etc. to just name GOD as the primary goal of this upcoming year.  GOD.  Thats it.  Why?  Because "he is looking  throughout the whole earth to find those whose hearts are fully his." (2 chron. 16:9)  I loved this quote from Mike Murdoch.

"We will never change your life until you change something that you do daily.  The secret of your future is in your daily routine."

Therefore, change the routine.  Read the bible.  Be aware of what the scripture is teaching you.  I have always been good about waking up early, reading the bible first thing with that delicious cup of coffee.   But it still takes a lot of work.  I love the internet and my ipod touch.  I don't have a cool iphone, but I love what I do have.  And I love Youversion.  It gives you a reading plan, you start it, and it tracks your progress on the plan.  Briliiant.  Encouragement right there and it stares me in the face and says "hey, you missed your reading!  Come back to me!"  =) So, I will start this again with a clean slate.

So, for this year, I want God.  All of HIM.  In my marriage.  In my parenting. teaching.walking.breathing. etc.etc.etc.  Sure, there are things that I have on my top ten list that I want too (baby!, continue AbbyArt sales, continue to  love st. peters and teaching period., etc. etc. etc.)

These are my jumbled thoughts.....I have to go back to school tomorrow and I am fully exhausted because I just had so much fun with my two year old the last two weeks.  My knees are throbbing (thanks to chasing L), but my eyes are not because I have truly rested this break...and I am so thankful.

Cheers to pursuing Christ this year.....and only HIM!