ranunculas & a giveaway

We're on spring break which required a drive to San Diego to visit Mimi & Pa.
Lots of beautiful pictures today of the ranuncula fields in Carlsbad.
I just love those hills.. it feels like you're somewhere far, far away.
My quest for the perfect pic did get me a bit in trouble.
More on that when we're home and I can upload the pictures.


But in the meantime, I thought I'd share this awesome lisa leonard giveaway at shabby nest.
I love her work and really love her new home decor line.
This metal pennant banner would be really cool on the mantle wouldn't it?

picture courtesy shabby nest

Happy Friday

Oh this picture just makes me happy.


I'm helping with the stationary for my daughter's preschool class.


At the mommy day celebration each mom will get a pack of stationary with their child's artwork and photo.


The instructions were to have them draw an outdoor scene 
and that they should be doing something active.


I found this cool rainbow twirly streamer.  Audrey loves these and was mesmerized.


I've been playing around adding some embellishments.


The frame and tape are from www.pugleypixel.com.  


This is my little Audrey in her flower garden.


And, life is definitely brighter with her around. :)


Happy Friday.

Project Life Tuesday - April 19

her creative eye -
arranging a pattern at the moulding store

This week's community bible study she learned how to serve others.
She took the ideas very seriously, sweeping the floor & bringing me breakfast.
(two grapes, yogurt & string cheese)

decoupage fun making a pegboard to hold ribbons & tools

her best friend Ryan turns four...sheer girly bliss

bringing flowers & a card for her teacher's birthday

an interesting sky after running errands with the family

an antique mall road trip... lots of vintage goodies

silhouette cutter at I (heart) Nap Time (take two)

I'm trying again...to win one of these.
The tool seems simply amazing to me.
And this invitation, right up my alley.

photo from silhouette blog

Check out this tutorial from the silhouette blog...
What I love is that you can use your own designs and create all kinds of custom things, printing on paper, fabric, vellum.  The things people come up with using this tool are amazing.


So I'm entering the giveaway at i (heart) nap time.
Check out all the amazing things she has done with her cutter.


Happy Monday!  

Weekend Road Trip

Sort of...
It was a little one.
But I sold it as such to my two little ladies.
Who're always game for a road trip.
Especially if it's looking for decorating things with mommy.


The entire way there we sang our hearts out to the
Veggie Tales version of "Hear The Bells Ringing."


The lyrics, this time of year, this reality... literally brings me to tears.


Does it you?


Really it should.


There is no greater love than this.


As we drove through the green rolling hills along the 101 to Agoura to find a cute
string of little antique shops, I couldn't help but smile inside to see my girls practicing
the song all the children will sing at church next week.


"Hear the bells ringing, they're singing that we can be born again.
Hear the bells ringing, Christ has risen from the dead.


The angel up on the tombstone said He is risen, just as He said.
Quickly now, go tell his disciples that Jesus Christ is no longer dead."


Can you imagine being around at that time and receiving that news.


It gives me chills.


Even more amazing is that the newness and excitement of Christ dying for us and
rising from the dead is still there every single day for every single one of us.


All we have to do is believe, surrender, admit we fall short and turn our
whole heart towards God.


This life is rough, I can't imagine going through it without God, without
His assurance that He goes before me and behind me and He is working
all things for good.  And that one day I too will get to be in paradise with Him.


Amen.


Ok...with that said... now back to our little road trip.


You know how blog land can take you on a virtual rabbit trail.
In my spare moments I find myself traveling down them as I'm doing research
for some of the home remodeling we're doing.
I love that I can gather ideas without leaving my home.


But then while reading around Velvet and Linen I discovered "A Beautiful Mess"  owned by Kymberley Fraser of "3 Fine Grains."
So often when I read about someplace cool I find that it's far away.
But not this time.

photo from velvet & linen

I love that she has these old vintage vellum books.  Just absolutely beautiful.

photo from velvet & linen

Unfortunately I think too pricey for our budget.  But they're amazing.
I had to take a picture of this bible from the 1700's.  It's the really thick book on the bottom.

And this lamp shade caught my daughter's eye.

Which then led me to notice this very cool cross.  Talk about making a statement in your home.

Each of my girls picked out a darling vintage looking burlap embellished egg.

I was in much need of a keychain and treated myself to this little cutie.  Reminding me
in the midst of life's craziness, that I am blessed.

A Happy Place

That's what my sister named this room for me ... 


well it's a closet really.


But it doesn't matter.


It's a space to create.


And it's coming together.


I'm letting myself take risks and have fun.


I chose an aqua blue for the walls.


And tested out Emily Jones' painted wallpaper technique 


on the table top.


I chose a different design though.


I was actually inspired by a generic screensaver option 


found on the iphone.

It went much more quickly than I thought it would.


I've found lately if I just don't think about things too hard, 


they come together.




I traced the design while my kids played during the day


and was able to paint the whole table top in a little over an hour one 


night.

My next labor of love is a decoupage pegboard that will go on the 


inside of one of the doors.


I decided to decoupage copies of vintage hymnal music to it.


They were more yellow so I adjusted the color to make it 


look like newsprint.  And when it was all done I used a dry brush


of a martha stewart paint called newsprint to give it an even softer, 


vintage feel.


My daughters and I went crazy ripping and making a mess.


I really think there's no other way to create is there?


They were so excited to help and took such pride seeing


our progress and the finished product.

I very intentionally chose some of the words and numbers I wanted 


to stand out.  But much of it was like fitting in pieces of a puzzle.




I would place them down with modpodge first and then let my 


daughter's slather the modpodge on top.

Yes, it was messy and yes, more than one of us had glue in our hair.  


But it was fun and really how badly could we mess it up.  


It's supposed to look shabby.




I love the finished effect.  It feels more like a cool frame than a 


pegboard with a bunch of holes.

now that i figured out where i'm using the ikea baskets... i have to head back to buy two more

I kept waiting to get the good camera back in order to show you 

these things.  But it still isn't in my hands so these cell phone

photos will have to do. ;)

The 'room' is still evolving and I don't yet have a proper chair, but


once I'm all set up I just can't wait to start really creating in my 


"happy place."

embrace the camera - april 14

April 14th... already.

Man the weeks are flying by.

I see the last post I did was last Thursday.

Sorry guys.

Lots going on.

Lots of home improvement.

Lots of sick kiddos.

Lots of sleepless nights.

Lots of not having the energy to stay up later on here.

And still no camera.

So this is a cell phone embrace. ;)

My daughter took this as she was running around the 

house snapping shots from her pint sized view.

I think those are the best.

She caught me making dinner.

Again, something I never take the time to capture.

embrace the camera - april 7

I'm camera-less.

Ouch.

Never realized how much it feels like a missing appendage.

My husband took it with him on an out of state job.

I didn't realize it was leaving too.

There are pictures I didn't download to the computer yet.

So I feel a little like something is missing.

Of course I'm missing my husband too.

Especially because out of nowhere this afternoon

the little one developed a 103 plus fever.

The middle one melted down 

and wouldn't stay at ballet with a friend of mine.

And the oldest, is pushing boundaries and losing privileges.

Isn't that how it always happens when Daddy leaves?

Mommy needs a calgon-take-me-away moment.

Do you remember those commercials?

I know I'm dating myself. 

But I do.

Ok.. so here we are leaving church on Sunday.

My husband was inspired to capture this moment when he turned around and saw us all together.  So fortunately he emailed it to me and now I have a photo to 
'embrace' the camera with.

Mirror Of God's Eyes

If you could have one wish for your daughters, in addition to their salvation, what would it be?

• Do you pray for a long life with good health?
• That the Lord is preparing the heart of a young Christian man that will love and adore her?
• That she has a family of her own?
• That she is happy and fulfilled?

My wish, for my girls, is that they have their identity strongly rooted in Christ all the days of their lives.You see them in that picture. They love the person God made them to be. They don’t have doubts or insecurities.  They are princesses of the Mighty King.  Getting ready for ballet they were twirling and singing.  With great bravado, they were shouting out “You are beautiful and I love you” to themselves in the mirror.  There is an absence of insecurity.  They don’t see flaws.  No internal voice echos negativity.  They see the beauty of God’s creation.  This innocence reminds me of the garden of Eden, before the fall

How much I want to protect their hearts and preserve that innocence.  How much the world wants to tear it apart.

Little by little as they grow, they’ll be bombarded in subtle and not so subtle ways with billboards, airbrushed photos, critical comments and comparisons.

When we got to ballet that day, my three-year-old with her tiara in place informed her teacher, “You know I’m a real princess, because my Daddy says so.”

Her teacher replied, “You have a very smart Daddy.”

We all have a Daddy whose words of wisdom speak this same amazing truth. Our Heavenly Father who calls us His princess, His beloved.  He is enthralled by our beauty.

“The king is enthralled by your beauty;

honor him, for he is your lord.”

Psalm 45:11

Have you felt this, known this all the days of your life? I know I haven’t.  The enemy has whispered, and some days screamed in my ear voices of inadequacy and insecurity.  I believe it’s one of the strongest ways he tries to cripple us as women. Because those negative voices can become so ingrained, so instinctual we don’t even realize they’re a lie anymore.

When we catch ourselves or our daughters letting the negative thoughts creep in, we literally have to STOP and recognize that we’re criticizing the Almighty God who formed us.

I want to be pro-active for my daughters and consciously fight the enemy with the truth of God’s word. Every chance I get, teaching them, leading by example, and reaffirming that their identity is in Christ and Christ alone. I pray they can grasp at an early age that Christ’s Holy Spirit is within them and that they have His power and strength to draw upon.  But with this, comes a big responsibility to treat our bodies with respect, to be modest and pure because our body doesn’t belong to us, it is a home for God’s Holy Spirit.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.”

And I pray that they see themselves in the mirror of God’s eyes. Like a potter with clay, he formed every part of them by His mighty hand.  He made them unique and special and has a divine purpose for their lives.

“I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,”

Psalm 139:14

I don’t profess to have this all figured out and know I’m just beginning this journey as a mother of daughters. I will daily get on my knees and ask for the Lord’s guidance in protecting and guiding these precious gifts He has entrusted to me and my husband.It is my prayer that all women can know the love of the Lord and can guard our hearts and minds, knowing the truth of how special each of us are to Him

“He will rejoice over you with gladness.”

Zephaniah 3:1

**Further Resources: At this age we like using the devotional “His Little Princess” with our girls.  The version for women “His Princess” is great as well.  I also recently came across a homeschool program, that even though we don’t currently homeschool I want to look into using at some point.  It is called “Who Am I? (And What Am I Doing Here?).”  The description says it’s a Biblical Worldview of Self Image by John Hay & David Webb.

I’d love to open this up to comments for resources you’ve found for teaching God’s word and helping it resonate in your daughter’s lives.