bandanna day

Life is like Coffee - a little movie for you

2011-03-24T08:46:00.000-07:00

Life is like Coffee Movie:

this little movie describes my life intentions so well... enjoy... it's just a few quick minutes long :)

before. after. then. now.

2011-01-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

before.

after.

then.


now.

It's Finished!

2010-09-07T02:43:00.000-07:00

made from a vintage sheet and napkins, with some 'new vintage' prints added in, I LOVE THIS BABY QUILT! now if i would just have this baby girl...... (11 days overdue)

Did I Really Do This?

2010-08-31T16:38:00.000-07:00

Just wondering if I really pieced and pressed this quilt top in one day? I mean, I did it on my due date, August 28th....so I'm thinking I was hormonal or something- it just isn't like me to actually get a project done in one day. I think it took longer to lay out the pattern than sew the thing together. However, I LOVE IT, and I can't wait to give it to our baby girl, who, by prediction from her Grandpa, will arrive tomorrow, September 1st.

We'll see!!!

quick-n-cute baby gift

2010-08-10T18:06:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, a friend contacted me about making a baby shower gift. She wanted some burp diapers and a nursing cover. These make for super cute gifts and are very easy to make too! The hardest part was picking out gender neutral fabric; I think it all turned out super cute!

I use this great tutorial anytime I'm asked to make a nursing cover.

For Baby Evan

2010-06-29T04:12:00.000-07:00

Here is just a quick glimpse of the baby gifts I made for my dear friend Traci who is welcoming baby Evan into this world in a few weeks. I used the pattern for the booties out of this amazing book that my friend Teresa gave me (I will be forever grateful). Traci and Kenny aren't your typical Baby Blue parents.... I would have to say they are more of Rocker Red! So I tried to find fabric that reminded me of their style and I think it works well.

Congrats girl-I can't wait to meet him!

The Great Goodwill Find and a matching clutch and shoe re-do!

2010-06-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

I found this amazing little yellow silky dress at Goodwill a couple months ago. It being a size 14, I knew it would eventually fit my big baby belly, hopefully in time to attend a friends' wedding. I spent a lot of time thinking about what shoes would look good with yellow, and even looked a few places only to find nothing. Also, I really can't imagine spending more than $10 on shoes for a one time event, so I started to brainstorm on how I could transform something I already had....then it hit me! MOD PODGE! I love that stuff! I have never used it on shoes before but I knew my faithful crafty friend would come through for me once again. My sweets surprised me one day with some of Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane fat quarters and they just happened to match the yellow perfectly! I started by making a ruffle clutch first and loved the fabric so much I knew I had to attempt the shoes. It took me a few days to finish; I wasn't sure if I could do it.....but I finally finished! And I couldn't be more happy with the outcome! Check it out!

The $4.99 Goodwill dress of inspiration:

BEFORE:

AFTER!!!

The Whole Ensemble:

Friday is our 11th anniversary....I never got to go to the wedding mentioned above, so I think I'll have to wear this out with Joel. I LOVE IT!

(oh- here we are on our date!)

(no- that's not a yellow umbrella- it's my baby belly!)
:)

A Day in the Life of Me

2010-05-22T20:32:00.000-07:00

Today was quite a day. I can't seem to slow down these days! Being almost 7 months pregnant I understand the nesting thing...but do people really nest for say, 3 months straight? I just keep going and going and I hope the energy never ends. This morning, while Ellie was at a friends, I took the boys out for a couple of hours. Our first stop was at Starbucks for some white hot chocolates, then onto a few garage sales. We scored big time at the first one we went to and the rest were bombs. I let the boys each pick out a toy and they were thrilled at what they finally decided on. Ezra quickly spotted a little Buzz Lightyear, as if he doesn't have enough of those, while Avery picked a remote control airplane that we weren't sure worked even if we put new batteries in it. It was a price he was willing to pay as he promised not to be disappointed, so I agreed. Kole of course picked out this little set of rockets you could put together and launch; it helped that it had never been opened so all the parts looked extra cool through the plastic. I found Avery a pair of run-around shoes, and myself a cute hat I'm going to embellish with a ruffly flower, and a pair of New Balance tennis shoes for 50 cents! All together we spent a whopping $3 and the boys and I even got a yummy cookie from the church ladies upon checkout! I was thrilled and Avery was nervous the whole way home as to whether or not his plane would work upon our return. We ended up finding another yard sale on our street and got a bunch of teenie socks for the baby as well as some like-new bibs and burp cloths each for a dime.

When we got home, we checked the plane with new batteries, and sure enough, much to Avery's dismay, the thing was a no-go. So I ripped the antennae off the thing and took it outside to hurl it into flight and it worked! The boys took turns tossing it back and forth and getting it stuck in trees, but it was definitely worth the 50 cents we spent on it.

Ez hasn't put his Buzz down yet, and Kole spent the day experimenting with all the little rocket parts and ways to launch them...it was so cool to see how happy those boys were over nothing. I love that we have raised them to be content in the small things and they don't need expensive things or the latest craze to keep them interested and happy. It's how it should be.

The rest of the day consisted of helping Joel get ready for his gig, then back out to pick up Ellie and get some groceries. Joanns was on the list as well, as I needed to pick up the pleating tape I need to make the living room curtains I've so desperately been wanting to do since we moved in 2 years ago. We also made a stop at DQ so I could introduce the kiddos to crunch cones! Oh my, did licking those crunchies bring back memories! I finally got to plant my lettuces this afternoon; the rain didn't stop all week until today! I also cut and screwed together some 2x4's as a frame to put around the 5 bags of topsoil that will become my little garden tomorrow. Thanks, Mom, for sending me the Mother Earth mag with that idea in it! A peaceful part of my day was when I spent a few moments with this little guy, John Duquesne. He cuddled up to my leg and tried to eat my pants. He's such a weird thing, but I'm starting to love the little turd. (He became a turd after he got out of a gap in our fence and our family had to chase him around the neighborhood while everyone watched!)

He's our new 4 week old Shetland Sheep that I am seriously considering bringing back to his previous owner...he stresses me out- kind of like having another child to take care of and worry about all night.....sigh. Last night I dreamed a fox got him and for two hours this morning I layed in bed listening for his little baaaaa...and nothin! Guess he felt like sleeping in for the first time in the 3 days since we got him. Wondering what in the world are we going to do with him when he's full grown- even as a Shetland, they still get pretty big. The only thing I can think of that he would be good for is his wool, and I did love spinning, dying, carding and felting wool in college....so we'll see what happens. Maybe I can make these to go with these that I made last year:

I'd have to say the low-light of my day was shoveling the gobs of chicken bedding and poop from their pen. It had gotten so high in such a little space. I had some serious flashbacks to shoveling manure in Grandpa's barn.... then I hauled several wheelbarrows back to the corner of the fence. Maybe that will become my new compost pile. I need one of those too. Joel gave me the welcomed news that a friend of his is coming on Saturday to help him build the chicken coop. I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when he told me. I really didn't feel like doing it-well, I did and I didn't. I'd rather have a professional builder in on the thing. The night ended with showers for the five of us, tomatoes on toast, corn on the cob, and baked beans, dishes....oh, and 5 of the new pretzel M&M's for each of us before brushing our teeth and a game of Mancala to end the night- that put us at a 10:00 bedtime, and some seriously tired and pooped out children- not to mention me.

So here I sit, relaxing with a tall glass of lemon and lime water, waiting for Joel to get home from the wedding he DJ'd tonight. I feel wiped out, but blessed to have so much to do to keep me busy. I love my family, my home and life. My cup runneth over.....again.

Baby Belly

2010-05-11T14:58:00.000-07:00

This is me on Mother's Day looking super plump....however, I've only gained 10 pounds so far and I'm 24 weeks along. Not too shabby seeing I gained 40 pounds each with the other 4! I gotta say,

I'm a bit proud of myself!

This isn't your typical baby belly picture, but I wanted to capture the perspective I get to see everyday. It makes me smile and thank God this is happening to me.....again.

not your average dandelion

2010-05-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ezra discovered these amazing flowers were blooming in the yard.....far cry from the dandelions he normally brings me with a smile. So happy to have some fresh homegrown flowers to brighten up my day.

Freedom Fighters!!!

2010-04-22T14:17:00.000-07:00

My dear friend Nicki is part of an amazing opportunity, Freedom Fighters, that helps free women from the sex trade industry....please check out her facebook page and do what you can to support her in this endeavor.

Ellie's 10th - Our 1st

2010-04-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

Well, it finally happened...we threw a 'real' birthday party for Ellie's 10th. Like, with invites, food, games, prizes and all. I can't believe it myself, actually, that we pulled it off. 15 kids total, including ours. Ellie had decided to have a dance party and her Dad would DJ. All but 1 friend from school were able to come, which I was excited about for Ellie. So I cleaned and baked, and we arranged the house to accommodate all the kids and everything came together perfectly! Ellie had decided on a menu of pizza rolls and fruit salad and I added lots more treats and goodies. I made punch in an amazing Goodwill find, (see pics below) and even made my first ice cream cake, at Ellie's request (which was waaaay easier than a normal cake).

Here's a breakdown of the night:

~ guests arrive at 6

~ intros and b-ball

~ in for dancing and food

~ game: guess that song

~ dancing and food

~ game: balloon stomp

~ dancing and food

~ outside for freeze tag and b-ball

~ back in for dancing

~ game: singing contest

~ game: bubble gum blowing contest

~ more dancing

~ Ellie's cake and presents (wow, kids and their parents are generous!)

~ more dancing!

~ dancing

and

~ dancing

~ then collapsing!

I was proud of us, and the kids- everyone got along so great and they all danced and sang. If I heard "this is the BEST birthday party I've ever been to!!!" once, I heard it 50 times. We even had one girl call and asked if she could come back and spend the night- when she got there she told us she had never been able to stay away from home but that she felt comfortable with our family....needless to say, she woke up with no issues, and even had a 'good dream' as she put it. I was so proud of her!

We really do have amazing children, who show kindness and love and respect to others and I can't begin to explain how proud of them we are.....I think we are doing something right. I think this will be a place their friends will always feel good about coming to...and we've always wanted that.

WHAT A NIGHT!!!

dipped doughnut holes, my amazing enamelware Goodwill find ($6.99) and my first ever ice cream cake-YUM!

cotton candy sticks- how FUN!

I can't WAIT to do this again when Kole turns 10- next year!

We're goin' PINK!

2010-03-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

I can't begin to tell you the rush of emotions I felt as Joel came to me several months ago, and told me that he had been thinking that all of the reasons he didn't want another baby all these years, were selfish ones. He told me he didn't want to be the one to stop God from allowing another child into our already big family. He already had his 'surgery' consultation scheduled, but we gave it a shot for one month just to see if God had other plans for us. Of course He did! We found out we were expecting the morning of that consultation! God's timing still makes me laugh! I knew when I gave birth to Ezra, our 4th child, I just didn't feel done...and I was right. With all that Joel and I have endured in the last year and a half, it was a complete miracle that we were about to embark on a new journey of a fifth child. It took Joel buying me 6 pregnancy tests to convince him that it really did say 'positive'! He just couldn't believe it! He was actually excited!

I grew up with a sister, just one sibling, and always wanted Ellie, our oldest, to experience the joys of having a sister....and today, we had our ultrasound and we found out that dream is going to come true! Although I was prepared either way, I just flipped when the tech told us that she was 100% sure it was a girl.....could it really be, that God would answer our prayers? Of course...because that's the kind of God we serve, one who is in love with the details of our lives, and knew exactly the joy having another girl would bring us.

She should be born around the beginning of September, so I'll get to be big and hot all summer, and sportin' some cute summer preggo wear, which I'm excited about! It's been almost 5 years since I've been pregnant, and it feels so good! I just knew our family wasn't complete! Tonight I am thanking the God who put that conviction in Joel's heart, and for letting me hang on to the dream of having another little girl....

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
      you formed me in my mother's womb.
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
      I worship in adoration—what a creation!
   You know me inside and out,
      you know every bone in my body;
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
   The days of my life all prepared
      before I'd even lived one day."

Psalm 139: 13-16

Trash to Treasure

2010-02-08T19:04:00.000-08:00

One of my all time favorite places to shop is Goodwill. I always hunt for stuff I can re-purpose and I never come home empty handed. Whether it's a pile of khaki pants for the kids' school uniforms, or a dress I love and may never wear, it's the best place to find amazing deals. I found this small cork-board the other day for $1.99 and new I could dress it up to use near my computer. I brought it home and found the perfect scrap of fabric and matching craft paint and I LOVE how it turned out! It was super easy to make cute...I will definitely be buying up all the cork-boards I come across from now on. You should too!

Birthday Bag

2009-11-01T10:55:00.000-08:00

So, Heather, my sweet sweet friend who I owe many bags, and some hemmed jeans to, had a birthday last week. I wanted to make something for her that would reflect her style....this is what I came up with.

I really liked how it turned out, especially the ruffled handles. I think I fell in love with ruffles with this project. You'll be seeing a lot more ruffles in the future! Stay tuned.

For an Amazing Cause

2009-10-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Last month I had the wonderful honor of creating a Wonky Star quilt block for a quilt that was to be given to Quilts of Valor. Crazy Mom Quilts asked several people to donate a block so she could piece them together and present them to QOV. (If you click on Crazy Mom Quilts, you can see my block in the center of the top row of the middle quilt.) This great cause sends handmade quilts to military men and women who have been wounded in battle. This organization pulls on my heart strings since my sister and her husband are both in the USAF. It was an honor to play a very small but significant role in such a worthy cause.

Vintage Snacktime!

2009-06-26T07:32:00.000-07:00

Look at this beautiful vintage glass tea cup and saucer set! I have acquired 12 sets from my sweet friend across the street, Eileen. She has such a giving heart and I love that woman. We are going later today to sign her lease at the apartment which means she'll be gone soon, and I'll cry. Then we'll visit her sweet husband in the nursing home and I'll joke with him and he'll stun me with his elderly wit.

I made Warm Maple Nut Blondies (like Applebees) with yummy sauce to plate up on these cute dishes...and now my mouth is watering once again.

Are you kidding me?

2009-05-29T22:38:00.000-07:00

Ok...so the other day, Miss Eileen called me over to her garage
to ask me if I wanted ''these ol' chairs''....
"Are you KIDDING me?" was my response. Of course I jumped at the
chance to own these very vintage pieces of lawn-sweetness! In fact, my newest favorite blog just discussed these chairs! Our front yard
may now just be in competition with our back yard.
MY FAVORITE COLOR TOO!!
WHOOOOPPPEEEE!!!

Last minute gift

2009-05-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

I have had the privilege lately, of being able to sew a lot...not for me, however, for people who are calling me and asking me if I can make things for them..lots of things. Everything from gifts, to clothespin bags to scarves to aprons to bags! I am BUSY and loving it! My goal was to have my Etsy shop open on June 1st, but I barley have time to work on it...and people keep buying everything I wanted to put online! What a bad problem to have huh? That pumps me up! I am so grateful that people like what I am creating, enough to want it! I am blessed to have the gifts I do and to be able to share that with my little corner of the world is exactly what I want at this point in my life. Once again, my cup runneth over....

I got a call from a friend who needed a last minute graduation gift for a family member who loves to travel. I needed some fabric with some international flare. Without time to search the local shops for fabric to use, I decided to recycle a shirt-dress to make a large bag. This was also the first time I tried 'pin-tucks' and I love the outcome! This bag was hard to part with!

Ezzie's 4

2009-05-07T19:23:00.001-07:00

100_1041
Originally uploaded by sewwhatseamstress

My littlest, my not-so-baby baby.....i love this little
firecracker....and he's now 4. Ezra Dean Nowacki, you light my world on fire and i love you so much. Happy Birthday you little 'wickp-weep!'

Blueberrie Buckle Bags...custom clutch

2009-04-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

Let the customizing begin!

I was given the job of creating a custom clutch to match this prom dress from Rae Lynns Dress Boutique. The girl who ordered the bag, wanted it to be small, turquoise and have a magnetic closure. Other than that, I had free artistic license make it great! I had so much fun coming up with the design for this handbag...I wish I could keep it for myself!

I added the leopard spots on the outside as well the little painted flower on the inside for a special touch (the center of the inner flower has one seed bead sewn on it :)

I absolutely LOVED this project! Stinks I have to sell it!

FINALLY! peep peep peep!

2009-04-11T22:08:00.000-07:00

I have been waiting for this day for about 4 years. It was then that I bid goodbye to our chickens, or at least their feet! Let me explain...growing up, our family always had chickens. I hated the work then, but as an adult, have so much more appreciation for the responsibility of them. Joel and I were fortunate to live way out in the county in Wisconsin when the kids were younger, and someone, knowing how much I missed having them, gave us organic chickens to raise. We had so much fun with them -just watching them peck around the yard free-range style was amusing in and of itself. I had to go away for the weekend, and with Joel having to work late, he wasn't able to get the chickens in the coop early enough in the evening. I came home to chicken feet and beaks strewn about the yard. As it turns out, fox like chickens, just not those parts. I really missed them beauties. They were so black, they were dark iridescent green! I knew I would someday have them again...and well, just so happens that today is that day! What a great way to celebrate Easter- the sweet sound of peeps all day long!

We showed the kids the chicks today and shared our plans of fixing up the shed into a coop, and how in about 6 months we should have eggs...they were sooooo excited! First thing Ellie said was: "MOM! You don't have to get us Easter baskets tomorrow!!! Ok?"

So, Joel, thank you for 'surprising' me! I love you and we are going to have so much fun with them! Promise me you'll make your famous scrambled eggs with the first batch of eggs? HAPPY EASTER TO US!

Here is the box of goodies...brought straight home from HERE.

This one is pecking at the hardwood looking for bugs!

The kids were SOOO excited!

I used this antique wash-tub from Miss Eileen for their first home.
I got the idea from this great website.
We'll be moving them out to a coop in about 8 weeks!
Then we wait patiently for 6 months and we'll have eggs!

They were so hungry and knew just what to do with the food dish.

Leave it to Joel to pull an Ozzy!
(no chicks were harmed in this process)

Thank you Joel, for making my little dream come true!

my vintage friend

2009-03-28T20:15:00.000-07:00

When we first moved into our home little over a year ago, I met our neighbor Eileen who lives across the street. She met me at the mailbox one morning and we began to introduce ourselves. A few quick exchanges and before we parted, she asked me the question that would forever connect our lives. "I see you leave Sunday mornings....do you go to church?" she asked. "Yes we do!" I replied. And throwing her hands up and looking to the sky, she said, "Praise God! I was praying for Christian neighbors!" I knew from that moment on that we really did hear from God when He told us to rent this house.

Over the months, we have really gotten to know each other. She is a spry ol' woman, 86, with a heart of gold. In the recent months, we have spent almost every weekday morning having coffee together. I bring her her morning paper after the kids get on the bus and we sit and shoot the breeze. Lately, things have been hard for her, as her husband is going to be placed into a nursing home after falling and breaking his hip. He just celebrated his 91st birthday. I enjoy running errands for her on occasion and even had a chance to take her up to see Ed at the rehab center a few weeks ago. I joked with him and told him he needed to hurry and get well so he can come home and cut our grass....of course I was just joking around, and he quickly responded by telling me he wants a Dixie-Chopper. It's sad that he really thinks he is going to get to come home, and he isn't. Eileen has decided to move to an apartment June 1st, and I get tears in my eyes when I think of her not being across the street anymore. I will be going to see her a lot when she's gone. Who knew one of my best friends could be 30 years older. I love her.

Her son, Mark, was here from Boston for a week helping her prepare for the move. He worked hard at cleaning out all his father's belongings from their shed, and found so many treasures in doing so. Elieen knows how much I adore antiques and treasures, and set aside many things for me to have, including some cute furniture that I am refinishing, and toys for the kids. She even saved out a bag of old fabric scraps she thought I may like, and boy do I! I don't think I would have ever bought polyester, but these scraps are so great! Inside this big dusty trash bag of pant suit remnants, was an old JoAnn Fabrics paper shopping bag, and an old robe pattern. As I was leaving the other day, Mark pulled out this beautiful quilt and looked at me and said, "you wouldn't have use for this old thing, would you?" He was about to put it in the pile to go to Goodwill. I about fell over!!! He didn't know who he was talking to! Me? Want a vintage quilt? Are you kidding me? Uhhh, YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I took it home and washed it up well and it came out of the dryer smelling beautiful, feeling soft, and looking brilliant!

Look at how old this JoAnn bag is!!!

I refinished the small five drawer table and painted it a cute turquoise. I am really thinking of turning my kitchen turquoise and red...and this would be a great addition to the workspace. The old black desk is going to be fixed up for Ellie's room.

We have been so blessed to get to know our neighbors. God sends the right people at the right time, that's for sure. I am so thankful for all she has done for us. I will miss her dearly.
This is my little tribute to my friend and prayer partner, Eileen.

My cup runneth over......

reveal

2009-03-26T10:16:00.000-07:00

new typepad blog reveal coming soon...as well as some goods for sale!!! stay tuned!

Weekender Bag

2009-03-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I decided late last night that I wanted to make something for myself...a weekender bag to take out of town this weekend to Brown County. So this morning I got up really early to start it. I was done by 10am! I used this gorgeous Amy Butler Fabric and even made my own pattern; it was a pretty easy design. I just love how it turned out and I can't wait to fill it up with goodies tomorrow for our trip!

Kids Art Swap

2009-03-10T03:45:00.000-07:00

My 8 year old daughter just finished receiving all the trading cards from the Kids ATC Swap this week! She loved participating in this and thought a lot about what she wanted to create. After the first batch of 'not so creative' cards, we picked another, more juices-flowing-kind-of-day, to start another round... i am LOVING these, and she is loving getting cards from Cali, Illinois, Oregon, UK, and Denmark! Thank you to WISECRAFT for putting this all together! There were over 900 kids that wanted in! It was so fun to see her in her element....just like momma! Visit the ATC Flicker Group here to see hundreds of childrens' card and creativity!

my sweets

2009-02-28T22:36:00.001-08:00

i cannot believe how long i have waited to blog. i used to have the excuse that i had no camera, but my sweets bought me a super amazing camera that i love; well he keeps saying it's for the family, but i think it's mine. i just have to say that i have a whole lot of blogging to catch up on. however, i wanted to write tonight about my husband and how much i love him. he is playing a show tonight (drumming) and i am without him. it's good sometimes to have time away even though i miss him terribly when he's gone. it's like i just don't know what to do with myself......but in a good way if that's possible. we have been learning so much about love and sacrifice and commitment lately, forgiveness and grace. i can't imagine what my life would be like without him and i am so darn in love i can't stand it! so i just thought i'd put him first in line of all the blog writing i hope to catch up on soon. i love you more than you'll ever know Joel. i can't wait to see you tonight...i've missed you.

Snow day!

2009-01-28T19:20:00.000-08:00

My friend Amy tagged me in this blog game to post 5 things you did today...here you go!

1. Woke up to all this snow and had to get some pics!

Growing up in Wisconsin, 11 inches of snow was the norm. Here in Indy, not so much...everything and everyone was shut down. It was a beautiful sight; one that I miss. It was a good day! The boys have off tomorrow too, so we'll see a snowman up tomorrow that's for sure! Today wasn't quite packey enough. I watched my sweets shovel the driveway. I think when he remembered that we have 4-wheel drive on our van, was when he decided to stop shoveling and just barrel through it...and it worked!

2. I had to rummage through the garage (a nightmare!!!) to find snow-pants and boots for 4 kids. I don't even think that they have ever actually used them, so they didn't know what to think. I have a system for getting dressed for snow, which is methodical, but works well. It always results in them sweating before they get out the door, and dry feet when they come in. It's the little red wrists where the snow gets between their mittens and coats that always makes me sad...

3. While I was searching, my sweets was online pricing DJ equipment for the business he is launching. It has been going on for weeks now. I hope that in the end he gets a great deal. (it's the bargain shopper in me- sorry). I think he needs something like this...

4. I had to come up with something warm and delicious for the kids to have for lunch after the snow-play. So I threw some chicken broth, carrots, onions, celery tops, and alphabet pasta into a pot and voila!

5. I printed the rough draft of the invitations to
our.....oh....wait, I can't tell you.....but I can tease you with a pic! More to come later!

So all in all it was a great day! Hope you enjoyed yours!
Ezra says, "OUT!"

New year, new me, new us!

2009-01-20T05:54:00.000-08:00

It has been an awfully long time since I posted; I don't have a digital camera unless I borrow one, so that explains it! A lot has happened in our home since then, and I thought I'd share a little. First off, Joel and I are on a road to building a better marriage which is a beautiful yet sometimes painful process. I encourage you all to keep your eyes on God and don't take them off of him for even a minute. Watch for any breakdown in communication with your spouse and fix it immediately! The enemy is like a roaring lion, and is out to destroy marriages, and fortunately in my case, he didn't win! We will celebrate 10 years of marriage this coming June, and have a special announcement coming soon.....so stay tuned!

For Christmas, my parents gave us the gift of painting our home, via the help of my mom, who came to Indy from Wisconsin for a week of cleaning, painting, redecorating, and of course, Goodwill shopping! My beautiful-inside-and-out friend, Sarah and her funny-funky hubby, Dustin are often invited over for haircuts and the standard eggs-with-bacon, made famous by my sweets, and my biscuits-and-gravy, made famous by me.
She was kind enough to bring her camera over this weekend to take pics for me to blog. So she gets all the credit for the amazing pics, and I'll take it for the choice of color. My mom gets the credit for keeping me moving that week we painted and for her military like encouragement to finish painting 4 rooms in 3 days. We had a blast, and have to say, my home finally, after a year of living here and talking about painting, actually feels like HOME!

I bought these all-white curtains on clearance at Lowe's and painted this retro-funk
pattern on them with craft paint mixed with fabric medium....i likey!

OUR HOME:

My Heart is Yours

2008-12-01T21:48:00.000-08:00

Well, the smell of pine and the feeling of love is in the air; I combined the two for a heart shaped wreath-gift for my king (previously called 'sweets' or husband) when he returned home from a long day.... I love him so much!

Ellie's Paris Room

2008-10-27T05:46:00.000-07:00

ok- so i have been promising ellie i would paint paris shops on her bedroom wall since her birthday in april...i realized recently why i have been putting it off for so long....fear of failure. i was worried i wouldn't get the lines straight, the colors perfect, the proportion correct...
my sis encouraged me to just start- and a few weeks later, when ellie was in in pennsylvania for a week with her grandparents, i started. it went so well. no chalk lines, no level, just my eye...and it worked. the wedding cake is giant compared to the cafe table, but hey! shouldn't they be anyway? it's a work in progress, as i have to finish the boutique, clock/street lamp, and eiffel tower, hang her sweet little chandelier and take off her closet door to hang a pretty curtain. so far, i am really happy with the turn out. ellie was thrilled and feels so chic! -enjoy

Ezra's new 'FUZZY'

2008-10-22T10:24:00.000-07:00

this is the 'fuzzy' i made for Ezra yesterday! He loves it sooo much!

Ellie's first sewing project

2008-10-22T00:07:00.000-07:00

Ellie and I decided to study up on sewing for home school. We made a bag for her friend Sierra and this is how it turned out...not too shabby for no pattern. Just a wing and a prayer...she did great!

hidden blessing/treasure

2008-09-20T02:43:00.001-07:00

Alright, so being introduced to the crafty blogging world has completely lit a fire in me that will not soon burn out. You know, the kind of fire that keeps you up at night, laying in bed wondering what you are all up working on in the wee hours of the night, and planning your next trip to the quilt shop?
So I began yesterday by heading into the garage to look for a bag of old fabric scraps I had accumulated in college. I not only found the box, but I found a sewing machine that my sweets bought for me several years ago. I wasn't much into sewing at the time, so I don't even think I looked at it let alone use it. Of course, my curiosity took over, and I dug it out, complete with instruction guide and accessory box. Low and behold, I have had a beauty of a treasure within my reach for 4 years, and never new it. The thing weighs a ton, and is old, but a sturdy ol' friend for sure! It's a Montgomery Ward 'Signature' UR 277 sewing and embroidery machine-complete with 12 cams for some amazing stitch capabilities! I was in shock, that I didn't even know what I had! And I was thanking God for providing me with a way to start sewing again.
I got the instructions out, oiled up the machine (oil was included- may have been old packaging, but the oil was perfect!) and got to testing out my new find. WOW! Was I impressed- what a good quality machine. My daughter and I spent the morning sewing a bag for her friend and then on to make beanbags for my kiddos to throw around. (gives them something to do while I am checking out everyone's projects in bloggy-land!)
So needless to say, I called my husband to thank him for the sewing machine he had bought for me so many years ago, and apologized for never taking the time to use it. I owed him one for that!!! ;)
I can hardly sleep knowing what potential awaits in my corner of the living room that is starting to come alive with the sounds of scissors, sewing and smiling!

Finding Me

2008-09-18T04:13:00.000-07:00

There is this amazingly creative woman I knew so well once. I lost contact with her for so many years. I heard she was busy having 4 children.

I ran into her the other day, by no coincidence. Amazing how God brings you in the path of someone who can reintroduce you to people.

I met myself again the other day. I am so glad I found 'me'.

This is going to be a really good day.