Friday Love

Happy Friday! I am reading my Bible and blogging outside on a blanket while the littles play 'Super Heros' again. This weather is amazing!

Today I'm loving:

~This verse: "The Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The Lord protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me."  Psalm 116: 5-6

I have been thinking a lot about this verse lately and about what I feel has really been God's call on our family to live more simply~ To take away all the excess and live with the singular focus that is loving God and serving others. That is how I read 'simplehearted' in this verse; not as in simple or naive, which are often used in place of each other in Proverbs. I also love that last part: "he saved me.". It is not our great wealth, which we have, that saves us... not our knowledge of trivia, but the grace and compassion that only God has. And I am so thankful!

~Russian Tea.  I thought I would share this recipe with y'all, though as I searched online I realize that it is certainly not unique to me. My mom always used to make this in cooler months when I was young, and now it seems that every time my throat is scratchy I crave it. It's super easy to make and would look pretty in Mason jars for giving as a gift, I think.

The recipe is terribly simple: 1 1/3 cups Tang (I have tried other brands and none seem to do it for me... but experiment if you dare!), 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 1/3 cup instant iced tea, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves.  Mix it all together and store in a closed container. For serving just put several tablespoons (more or less to taste) in a cup and add hot water. Delicious!

~That the kids are playing together with less and less direction/stepping in from me. It's such a miracle the way their little minds work and play, and I love to just be a bystander. As I type, Cowboy Remy and his horse, Tornado (aka rake), are saving Halle, who is indeed tied to a tree... "YeeHaw!"

~That I burned about 600 calories at the gym and am definitely starting to like working out.  I made a pact with myself to not look at the scale for 2 weeks (today marks one week), and while it's been hard, I love that I am just feeling better. We are eating cleaner & healthier than we ever have before, and for the first time I really see this as a new way of life for us that encompasses every area.  It sounds pretty cliche, even as I type it, but it's true! An I also think it falls right in line with the simple living that God desires of us, which is pretty awesome!

Well, Remy is telling me that I 'get to be his Super-Duper Side Kick' for a while, so I have to go. I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of the people and things you love! Be blessed!

Adventure Awaits!

Well, I had planned something a bit more philosophical for today, but this cold/cough has made its way to me, and I just didn't have it in me to think. The kids are finally starting to make it to the other side of it, and we spent a good part of this morning out in the yard. I think the fresh air in our lungs does us a world of good! Both littles donned their capes (and Remy added a few other accessories...) and were saving me & our yard from terrible 'bad guys'.

This girl tries hard to not get her cape dirty!

Super Remy shows some moves.

See you tomorrow! And don't forget to enter my Twirly Skirt Giveaway!

Happy Spring! It's a Giveaway!

Good morning, sweet things! I am so excited about this post that I can hardly stand it~ I love giving stuff away, and today's giveaway is especially fantastic to me because I am soooo in love with it! Remember this fabric? Well, it came, and is more lovely in person that I thought it would be. (Okay, so those of you without a serious obsession for fabric may think that I am just being a tad bit flowery with my language today, but I know there are those of you that just get it...) I had some time at my little machine yesterday evening and whipped up this pretty little confection of a twirly skirt and because I love it so much I have just decided to give it to one of you.

I love that this fabric is pretty much seasonless~ it's brown but mixed with tons of great bright colors and will look as great with flip-flops and a tee as it will with boots and tights.

Here's the fine print: There's just one way to enter, so only one entry per person will count. Simply follow my little blog here and leave a comment on this post stating what size you would like (Toddler Sizes 12-24 months, 2/3, 3/4, 4/5). Please also leave your email address. This will run until midnight next Monday, May 3rd and is open internationally. Good Luck!

***COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED! THANKS A BUNCH FOR ENTERING!***

Home again

Happy Monday, lovelies! I am back after a whirlwind trip to Indiana. All went well, I think, but I brought home two sick kids, which isn't so great... runny noses and coughs all around! We are taking it easy today after a few rough nights.

I got the following pics while eavesdropping on Remy, who was playing in my mom's yard trying to climb her tree with that green chair. He was determined to get up there, and the conversation he was having with himself about the climb was hilarious. Nice, isn't it, that I take pictures rather than spot him under the tree? I love just watching him play!

(These were taken when I was done spying.)

Strange that I didn't get any pics of my girl~ She just moves too fast! (hint, hint to my husband that I need a faster camera)

I am hoping to get that giveaway I mentioned last week ready to roll in the next few days. I'll have to chain myself to my sewing machine, but that's hardly torture. I would also love for you to check out the lowercase letters blog by my blogging friend Carissa. She was sweet enough to feature 2 sweet things today, but it's a terribly good read even if I weren't on there~ she is hilarious and always has something wonderful to say!

Have a great day, y'all! I am hoping to get back into the swing of things and get some sewing done on this lovely sunny day!

Doing Our Part~ Earth Day!

In years past Earth Day has come and gone with a lot of guilt in my gut... I have always felt that there is so much we could do, so much I want to do, but haven't. This year I feel like our family is really making strides in this area. It's all baby steps, mind you, but any steps forward in this area are good ones, right?! We are making simple choices like shopping with cloth bags, recycling, drying clothes on the line, eating more consciously, our newly started compost bin... All those add up, I know, but I think the biggest strides are being made in the learning that is taking place. Remy and Halle are diving head-first into our garden 'experiment', and we are all learning together how things grow and how to take care of the earth. Rem is also my chief recycler and is constantly chattering about how we can recycle this or reuse that. I love that!

My plants, by the way are still doing great. (I know you were just dying to check in on them...) I moved them into larger pots and have definitely become a bona fide 'crazy plant lady', checking on them and taking them out for a little sun.

My girl eating breakfast in her Princess garden gloves... that's normal, right?!

So what do you have planned to celebrate today? enchantedlearning.com has some great Earth Day printables, so Remy and I may do something from there. Other than that, I think we will just try to get outside a bit, if the Indiana weather permits. God created this earth, so we should enjoy it! Have a great day!

Indispensable

Today I thought that I would introduce you to one of, if not the, most used tools in my sewing arsenal. Gingher Knife Edge Thread Snips.  Even the name sounds fantastic, right? My mother gave these to me after I began sewing regularly last year. I had hinted to her that I loved them, asked where she got them, etc., and she was kind enough to let me have them for my own. These little clippers are razor sharp (as the name implies), and after a bit of awkward practice, they fit into your hand as you work, making quick work of clipping threads, notching seams, clipping curves, whatever! I am almost never without these little babies! I was thrilled to discover that you can still buy them at several places online (thrilled for you, of course... I'm keeping mine!) including here.

So what is your favorite thing in your craft room? Do you have one tool you couldn't live/work without?

get your CRAFT on!

 It's pretty quiet on the homefront today... laundry and packing for our trip. Plus I moved my little sprouts into bigger pots~ Yay! (Although I'm not sure why I decided that the kitchen table was a good place for this project- the mess was all over!) I'm excited to connect with Today's Creative Blog today. I linked up with my quilted burp cloths, which are on their way to a new home today. I have more piles of scraps waiting to be sorted for more string quilting escapades....

Be sure to head on over there and take a look at the other amazing projects. There are several that I am already itching to try!

Have a great Tuesday!

On My Gym Nemesis and other Monday Random Thoughts

So I have had several conversations this weekend about the 'old dude' that I mentioned in my last post. Let me just elaborate a bit on my new enemy: He is truly old. Not old like my parents (just kidding mom and dad!), but like several decades past that, which is why I find it so funny that he kills me on the elliptical and treadmill. He also works out in jeans or trousers and a button-down shirt, buttoned all the way up. I see no sweat on him and am amazed at his endurance and stamina. Honestly, it is in good fun, and I hope you took it that way. Contrary to what some of my twitter pals think, I would never try to trip him or hurt him in any way.=) He is rather darling, and the best thing is that I am so competitive that he really fuels me to do more. He wasn't there this morning, and my workout just wasn't the same...

Remy had soccer practice on Saturday morning. For anyone that may have been in a five mile radius of the soccer field, I was the one with the baby girl screaming bloody murder at the top of her lungs while her brother played. Note for next time: Taking Halle and expecting her to stay in close vicinity at the soccer field leads to my feeling suicidal within the hour. Leave her with daddy. A little back story: Remy likes to check in during practice. Just visually, but I must remain in the same place at all times because he needs to see me occasionally and panics if he doesn't. Halle, on the other hand, does not like to remain in the same place. I tried the stroller with a snack, but that wasn't doing it when all that grass was just calling her to run. My arms were killing me from wrestling her!

Also during soccer, the little ones take several water breaks during. Remy has decided for the last several practices just to stay on the field and talk to the coaches. We were fine with this thinking that he does like to chat, and it's only an hour practice, so who really needs a water break?! After practice, though, I asked him what they were talking about, and he told me that he has been telling them that he doesn't get anything to drink. Those coaches are probably considering turning us into DHS or something! Even stranger is that he asks me 72 times before practice if I have a drink packed. Leave it to my child to work the sympathy angle... and this also opened us up to a nice lesson about lying. So many lessons, so little time...

This week will be a little nuts~ I'm taking the kids to Indiana for a long weekend, leaving Wednesday, so I'll be in and out. It's my first time making the drive from Illinois, so it's a bit of uncharted territory, but I'm praying that it goes well (and that everyone arrives sanity in tact...)! On Friday evening I will be sharing with a group of ladies at my mom's church, which is another kind of unmapped territory for me. I'm a feeling terribly unqualified for that at this point, but Trace tells me that's a good way to feel, as that's when it's easiest to just let God in and do his thing. That is exactly what I want, and your prayers would be appreciated!

Hope y'all have a great Monday!

Friday Love

Happy Friday, y'all! I am so glad it 's the weekend, though I'm not quite sure why I get excited about it... all my days are pretty much the same...  I am in the middle of a major craft-area-overhaul today, so I'm just taking a quick break to say hello. I have so much to love right now, and I know I wrote to some of that yesterday, but I will add a few.

Today I'm loving:

~That my little man was having a circus at school today. The teacher's note said that the wee ones could be any kind of performer that they wanted, so when asked of course Remy said he wanted to reprise his role of 'Dragony' from Halloween. I didn't realize that dragon was the obvious choice for a circus. Even though we knew that the costume would be terribly hot, Trace went into the attic space above the garage to fish the costume out of our boxes of garage sale items and became the hero of the day. Remy put on the suit and marched right into school today, telling his teacher 'Don't worry I'm a friendly dragon, and my circus talent is breathing fire.'.

~This fabric! Freebird by MoMo for Moda. I love everything about this bundle! Rest assured, it is heading my way from one of my etsy faves, Fabric Shoppe. I am thinking about whipping up something when it arrives for a giveaway. Do you love it as much as I do?

~These results: I have lost about 3 pounds! I am becoming a bit of a gym rat. We joined our local gym last week, and I'm determined to make it worth the extra expenditure. I've been there all but 1 day in the last week and am starting to get in a groove. The littles even love the kids room, so total bonus! The only negative to this point is that there is this really old dude that sometimes works out next to me, and he totally out-does me. That's some motivation!

~This verse: Ephesians 2:22 "And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his spirit." I think as a crafter I'm always drawn to verses that talk about building/making/etc. because I can readily relate to the pictures words like those conjure up in my mind. This week this especially hit home while continuing my study of the Fruit of the Spirit. I am so thankful that God is continuing to use me though I am not a finished project! I look at the UFOs (unfinished objects) on my work station and sometimes am frustrated, but this verse reminds me of the enormous potential that abounds even in me, though I am hardly 'complete'.

Have a great weekend!

Signs of Life

Happy Thursday!  I know you are going to get tired of these shots, but the thing is that I'm not yet... =) so here they are! I am completely amazed at this gardening thing. Remy and I have been 'oohing & ahhing' several times a day over the growth of our little seedlings. I don't know who is more impressed.

This is yesterday morning

Then this morning~ Impressive, right?! It really is causing me to reflect on God's marvelous work in a way that I hadn't before. I am feeling very attached to my little plants. (and I'm also beginning to wonder whether or not I'm a little more crazy than I originally thought.)

Other signs of spring things are popping up all over around here. Storm windows have been removed and windows flung open. I love hearing all the mowing and smelling the neighborhood grills in the evening. The littles are spending more time outside with less clothing (It's been in the 80s here, I think!).  I am spending my time working at the kitchen table, just off the back yard, and I love listening to their imaginations come alive and the narratives that ensue outside. Much drama takes place around the bird bath~ soup is made, parties are held for birds who have been away for the winter, and many things get lost in the ocean that must be rescued.

Halle has also discovered 'flop-flops', which are necessary every time she goes out the door. She is my girl!

I am trying to just take in every lovely, time-standing-still moment that seems to be happening all around me. I have fleeting seconds of guilt for not tying myself to my sewing machine and making some more for the shop or get to making Halle's curtains for her poor bare windows, but then I see or hear or smell something fantastic literally in our own backyard and I forget about my guilt. I just enjoy... and I hope you do too! So what are you enjoying about spring right now? I'd love for you to share!

Tuesday

Today is seeming just a bit 'daily'. Nothing major to speak of, but we're loving this sun, especially the kids. I had to find the sunscreen, which was no small task, but I did, and fortunately it's still good. They are in the newly filled sand box at every spare moment. I love that they are happy, but it is proving that this is going to be one dirty, sandy warm season. I have swept twice already today and the sand just keeps showing up. (Sigh.)

Then, I guess there is this bit of GIANT news:

Upon inspection of my seedlings this morning, I discovered that a handful of them are showing sprouts. I am doing the happy dance over this~ There is hope for this garden yet!

And one last picture. This is Halle in the new Bubble Suit that will be in my shop later today. My mom gave me a bunch of vintage patterns, and this is adapted from one that I adored. I did change it to that the shoulders would simply tie at the shoulder (eliminating buttons) and took out the snaps at the bottom. Simple, easy dressing is definitely my key to summer wear, and I am assuming y'all feel the same way. You can bet that she will have bunches of these this summer!

Something to Prove

"She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks." Proverbs 31:17

Let me begin by saying I have the most wonderful husband. He supports me in every crazy thing I do... and I'm sure you realize by now that there are many. I like to try many new things like infomercial work outs, new craft projects, fad diets and plans, etc. and each time he lets me do what I'm going to do with very little being said. (Okay, for those of you that know Trace know that he does usually have a few sarcastic things to add, but he always supports me...)

So let's just say that with this garden I am feeling some pressure. Not necessarily imposed by him, but I don't have what anyone would call a 'green thumb', so I am really wanting something to grow here. After several years living in an apartment, it's like I am just stretching myself to the limits in this beautiful back yard of ours. It feels almost like I am rebelling against everything I have thought of myself before, being an 'indoor, prissy, city girl', and maybe it's what I have always thought that others, including Trace, think of me too. Does that make sense?

I truly would be happy with anything growing at this point! This weekend we went and bought a bunch of seeds (my ambition is showing... 16 varieties at this point!) and I got my little greenhouse thingy (yes, that is the technical name) to start them all. Remy loved this part of our little 'experiment'. If all goes as planned, we should start seeing some sprouts in 7-10 days. I also spent quite a while out back trying to get the dirt ready. Man, that really works your arms~ it's no wonder the Proverbs 31 woman's arms were strong!

I would love your help on something~ I am attempting to go the organic route on my garden, from seeds to soil, to whatever comes next (can't you tell I am so well-informed!?). I'd love to know of any resources y'all might have for organic gardening: websites, books, whatever. Please leave 'em in the comments!

I really am feeling like a pioneer woman or something. This prissy girl loved digging in the dirt and seeing my clothes hanging on the line. And by the way, seeing sheets drying on my new, husband-built, clothesline is one of my favorite things in the whole world~ isn't it so lovely!? Add in the rockin' way the sheets smell on our bed, and this girl is positively in heaven!

And one more picture from a different angle~ isn't she pretty?

Bare

"If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth." 1 John 3:17-18

Yesterday was eye-opening, to say the least. I didn't really think that One Day Without Shoes was going to be that hard for me. Important yes, and I didn't mean to minimize it, but on most days we stay around here... and I didn't think it would be hard to go barefoot around here. Then along came the day. Early on I remembered that one of Trace's students was coming over to help me start my garden. And it was colder than it had been in a week. And it was wet out. And did I mention we were digging?

So I know that my feet don't look too rough in this picture, but believe me, they were filthy and hurting. It was an extremely sobering experience. I cringed as I tried to push the shovel down into the dirt with my bare feet~ it was so hard! And it had me thinking of those who live in conditions in which this is their normal. Later in the day I also worked out, which was rather uncomfortable without cushioning. Just off the top of my head I can think of 30 pairs of shoes that the four of us in our own, and that is likely forgetting some. Man, I'm spoiled! 

I think the most revealing time for me was when I showered, trying to wash my feet. I scrubbed and scrubbed, trying to remove the evidence of a hard day, and they wouldn't come clean. The harder I washed, the more I started to sob... I didn't want to just wash it all away and forget!  Fresh from the heartache and joy, mixed emotions that accompany Easter for me, I didn't want to erase the humbling realization of how blessed we are. 

Trace was my real hero of the day~ He had planned on walking to work before committing to going barefoot, and he kept with the plan, walking the mile commute without shoes. I am so proud!

Halle getting in on the digging action

The little people (Remy, Halle, and their friend, Parker) were amazed at all the worms!

We did in the end get a good start on digging up the plot for my garden (Thanks in HUGE part to Zeke, a student from Trace's youth ministry, who did most of the hard work!). I am so excited about getting it going! Remy sees the world as this giant science experiment anyway, and I think this will be a great way to add to that. The only problem is that I have only killed everything I have ever tried to grow, so we'll see how this goes...

One Day Without Shoes

I wanted to let y'all know about an awesome thing happening today! Today is the TOMS 'One Day Without Shoes', which is raising awareness about children who lack the basic necessity of shoes. If you haven't heard of TOMS, or haven't heard me going on about mine, you should check them out. They are absolutely my favorite shoes, not only because they are sooooo comfortable, but because of their One for One campaign, which donates a pair of shoes to a child in poverty with every pair you purchase. 

So today is the day! We started the day by talking with the littles about what life would be like if we didn't have shoes. Remy couldn't believe that there are kids who don't have them. (And if you know of his attachment to a certain pair of 'light up shoes', you would understand his amazement!)

Some facts:

• In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to school, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
• Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
• In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• Podoconiosis is 100% preventable with basic foot hygiene and wearing shoes

I hope you'll take a few minutes to check out their site, and even shed your shoes today, if possible. Trace had planned on walking to work today, so he's doing it barefoot! 

Piece of Mind

When making things, I am constantly plagued by feelings of guilt for not using the scraps. I have blogged about it before, getting some fun ideas from y'all about what to do with my scraps. Last year I ended up with a book from the library about string quilting (sorry, I don't remember what it was called, but it was really old...). It is thought to have begun in the depression era, when homemakers used every piece of fabric they had to make quilts out of necessity.  I immediately loved the idea and put it on my list of things to do. But as we all know, sometimes that list gets too long and lost and forgotten. So the scraps pile up in drawers (above) and in bags (below) and on tables and in containers... 

Finally last week I decided to try it. I gathered a bunch of scraps from the gorgeous Riley Blake fabric that I used for Halle's Easter dress and several things for the shop and put them together in sort of a random pattern to make two one-of-a-kind burp cloths. I am so excited about the way they turned out!

The pieces went together fairly quickly, and I feel so happy about using up some tiny pieces that might have otherwise been trashed! Wise stewardship is something that I believe God has called us to, and I think this is another way of being 'green'. These should be in my shop, along with some matching bibs later today. Have a great day!

Weekend in Pictures

We had a wonderful FULL weekend with my mom here, and I have about a zillion pictures to sort through. Our first order of business was to color eggs. I am constantly torn between celebrating the holiday versus buying into the mass-media secularized machine called Easter... I know I talked a bit about this at Christmas, but it still haunts me at Easter too. I don't want to not celebrate~ after all, this is the biggest, most important holiday of the year for Christians! I just get so frustrated that everything associated with the holiday is about eggs and rabbits. But I digress... I caved a bit and we colored eggs and participated in the egg hunt at church.

Remy also 'helped' Trace build the frame for the new sandbox. We just have to wait now for the sand.. Yippee!

I don't know why I try to get a posed picture of the two of them... They seem to have a penchant for saying 'cheese fries' which doesn't necessarily lend itself to the best picture faces. 

And then 'crazy pirate guy' shows up... (which Halle thinks is hilarious!)

As good as it gets

And this last one is of 'Super Halle'. My mom made Halle a cape, similar to the one she made for Remy. It has a crown and the letter 'H' on the back. As soon as she put it on, Halle said 'Duper Halle' and seemed to walk like royalty. The boa and fuzzy slippers really completed the outfit!

I hope you had a great weekend~ Happy Monday!