A Watermelon Thief

Their seems to be a thief in my house. A thief who enjoys watermelon and sneaks it every chance he gets.

A thief whom I hear tip-toeing on little toes to and from the kitchen leaving a sticky watermelon trail on the kitchen floor as evidence as to where he's been and where he is going.

A thief who, I am guessing, makes it easier on himself by leaving the refrigerator door wide opened after every visit waiting for his return.

But, his little antics will be no more, for I have caught him...red handed with the evidence written all over his face!

 

Found not guilty due to extreme cuteness!


But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. ~ Galatians 5:22-23

Being Inspired

I had the pleasure of spending a few days earlier this month in Berlin, Ohio. The beautiful countryside and slower paced lifstyle is so inspiring to me. It felt like I was taking a step back in time.

I love the freshness in the air as well as in the fruits and vegetables, breads and pies! {mmm...the pies!} If you love to sew or enjoy craftiness of any kind, this is a dangerous place. If I had the money to spend, believe me, my trunk would have been filled with fabrics and notions and wooden handmade goodness!

The life lived here is one I admire and try on a regular basis to achieve here at my little home in the suburbs. It's a simple life filled with hardwork and togetherness, but much appreciation and gratefulness comes from it. This is why my family thinks that I should have lived during Laura Ingalls Wilder days! {huge fan of Little House on the Prairie for those of you who didn't already know!} Days spent just being at home baking, cooking, washing, sewing, knitting, playing, laughing, are all I need and have ever desired.

I have said it before about how fast paced life is and how I try each and everyday to slow it down, just a bit. To savor and enjoy these moments together as a family with these two small children. For one day, I fear too soon, they will be on their own and these moments of being their mama here at home will be gone. Sure, I will still be their mama, but obviously things will be different.

So, whatever I need to do to capture and hold onto each and every one of these precious, worth more than a million bucks, moments I have, you better believe I am already trying to do it!

For these child{ren} I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him. ~ 1Samuel 1:27 {emphasis mine}

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. ~ Romans 12:2

Summertime Thanks

In this past week of intense summer heat, I've been enjoying these simple, most wonderful things!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving thanks for,

• Ice cold sweet tea on a very hot day
• Trucks, dirt, and a little boy to enjoy them both
• "Big boy" muscles
• Two grandmas with backyard swimming pools
• Cousins to play with
• Someone to soak up and enjoy this blissful life with

How are you enjoying your summer?

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. ~ Colossians 3:16

Christmas in July

Last year, I came across what quickly became one of my favorite blogs to read each day. Smalltown Simplicity. Much inspiration and encouragment can be found here. Lydia's post about making a Waldorf doll for her daughter inspired me to do the same for my little girl.

While browsing around on her blog, I found a post talking about a handmade Christmas and quickly became inspired to do the same. I decided to try my best at making this year a handmade kind of Christmas.

I've been brainstorming, trying to decide what to make for everyone. The kids will be easy! I am thinking of making them some PJ's, little wooden dolls, painted wooden trains, a car roll and crayon roll,

Photo Courtesy of Gluesticks

Photo Courtesy of The Pleated Poppy

and these awesome floor pillows:

Photo Courtesy of  Living With Punks

For my mom and mom-in-law, I was thinking of making them smaller versions {lap size} of this Stacked Coins Quilt:

Photo Courtesy of Moda Bakeshop

As far as my sister and all the men, well that is where it gets tricky. They are all rather picky and trying to find handmade items to make for them is proving to be rather difficult.  I was, however, thinking of making my sister one of these bags and stuffing it with some gift cards to her favorite stores.

Photo Courtesy of Made By Rae

I just need to keep brainstorming for the guys!

Have you ever done a handmade Christmas? What did you end up making?

Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. – John 17:17

Embrace Your Gifts

I started reading a wonderful daily devotional recently called Jesus Calling by Sarah Young. The readings are written as if Jesus is talking directly to us, which is why I love reading this little book so much.

It seems to never fail that every morning when I open it up and read the devotional for that particular day, something applies to a situation in my life that I am going through..good or bad!

For instance, todays reading was based on the Bible verses found in Psalm 42:1-2, Psalm 3:4-5, and Philippians 2:15. I am only going to quote part of what she wrote...the part that most stuck out to me and really plays a role in the dealings of my heart lately:

"Do not be afraid to be different from other people. The path I have called you to travel is exquisitely right for you. The more closely you follow My leading, the more fully I can develop your gifts. To follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your desire to please other people. However; your closeness to Me will bless others by enabling you to shine brightly in this dark world." ~ Sarah Young, Jesus Calling

I tend to worry a little too much about what others opinions are of me. I tend to keep thoughts, ideas, interests, and opinions to my self for fear of being put down or ignored. But, after reading this today, it made me realize that all I am doing is delaying His good work and His plan for me! I have talents given to me, by the Creator of all things, that I may not have even discovered yet!

So, Father, I ask that you will help me to be more of who I want to be; who you created me to be. May my light shine ever so brightly for you in all that I do. May I embrace the gifts and talents you blessed me with more proudly and may they bring honor and glory to your kingdom bringing others to know and love you! Thank you Jesus for holding me in the palm of your hand and loving me so much! In Your Precious Name I pray...I Love You Jesus, Amen!

A Fun {and easy} Mason Jar Craft!

I came across this cute Mason Jar Craft while browsing Pinterest. {full original tutorial can be found here} I love taking things that are just lying around the house and turning them into something beautiful, which is why this particular craft was perfect for me.

Here is what you will need:

• Various shapes and sizes of Mason Jars and as many as you would like to make. {i used 5}
• Various colors of Spray Paint. {i used three different colors}
• Potting Soil
• Flowers or plants that you would like to fill your jar

I started by gathering my supplies.

I used three square shaped jars and two circular jars.

The pink was not my first choice, but Emma wanted it, so in the cart it went!

Look for plants that do well in small jars and do not need to be replanted to a larger area.

Now the fun begins. I shook my spray paint cans and began spraying.

Make sure to place your jars on either a paper bag or piece of cardboard so you do not ruin the surface underneath the jars while spraying them.

I applied a thin first layer, waited about 10 minutes, then sprayed on a thicker layer. Wait a few hours, I waited about 4 hours, for the paint to dry completely.

Fill the pots about halfway with the potting soil.

Next, remove the plants from their pots taking some of the dirt with them, and add them to your mason jars.

That's it! Simple and pretty, don'tcha think?

You can use them to decorate a windowsill, your porch, dining room table, or your front steps. The possibilities are endless!

Have you made anything crafty this summer?

I cannot take any credit for the craft project. The idea was not my own. Original idea can be found here. I just made some myself and wanted to share it with all of you!

Linking up at Sew Much Ado:

 

She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. ~ Proverbs 31 {the message}

Appreciation for the Little Ones

Why does it seem that people truly no longer value the life of a child? Not that this is entirely something new, but it is something that has been brought to the spotlight a lot lately. From being neglected, banned, abused, and sadly, murdered, their little lives are no longer sacred.

I had two experiences in the past week where my children were targeted for basically being children. I was in two different restaurants the past two Sundays after church and heard comments from other patrons that they wish more restaurants would start a no child ban. Heads were shaking and sighs were loud enough to be heard across the restaurant. The commenting went on pretty much the whole time we were eating at the restaurant(s). My children are 4 and 2 years old and act like normal 4 and 2 year olds in a sit-down restaurant. They are little children and I plan on letting them be little for as long as I can!

I was angry, to say the least. These are my children and like any other mother, I am pretty protective of them. I am not the type of person who likes confrontation, so I just sat there and kept my thoughts to myself. But it bothered me for quite awhile afterwards and I am still a little upset about both situations.

Instead of letting their ignorance get to me though, I am going to enjoy my children and show my appreciation to them as much as I can each and everyday! Children are a gift {Psalm 127:3} and gifts are meant to be enjoyed!

"For this child I prayed." ~ 1 Samuel 1:27

Children are a gift from the LORD; they are a reward from him. ~ Psalm 127:3

Quilting is No Joke!

I have loved quilts for as long as I can remember. I get it from my Grandma! She always loved the look of a gorgeous, well-made, quilt as well.

Since learning to sew a few years ago, I had always wanted to try quilting. I have been reading different tutorials on-line, watched a few videos on You Tube, and checked out a few books from the library on how to quilt, but I am just not a self learner. I do better when I have a human being, in front of me, to ask all the questions I want to!

So, I began my search of trying to find quilt shops in my area that offered classes at a decent price. Not only did I find one, I found several. The one I chose just happened to be offering a quilting class the soonest.

The class started at the beginning of July and runs every Thursday night through the month of July. I was all prepared and excited to go. Not only was I getting a chance to finally learn the basics of quilting, I was getting a night out,by myself!

The first class consisted of just basic information. Items we needed to have to complete our first quilting project. We were given a homework assignment to have completed before the next class and then sent on our merry way.

I was very excited for this part of the class because it meant I was able to pick and purchase the fabric I wanted to use for my project.

This is what I chose:

I just love the gray and aqua combo together. I have high hopes that this is going to make a lovely quilt!

I gathered all the items I was going to need to start cutting out my squares for this lovely quilt and immediately got to work!

This picture should also show my cutting mat, but I forgot to photograph it!

The process itself of cutting out, oh roughly 300+ squares, wasn't as painful as it sounds! Once I got into a groove, the process went rather quickly!



I was so excited for the next class, since I thought I had done such a great job at getting myself prepared!

Well...much to my dismay...I got a little ahead of myself and ended up not being as prepared as I had thought!

When I arrived to class...10 minutes early might I add...I started laying out all my supplies-sewing machine, fabric, pins, ruler, pen, paper, and plug...uh oh! Where's the plug?

Yep...I left the plug for my sewing machine at home! Talk about being embarrassed!

But that is just the beginning of my embarrassing night! I ended up having to use one of the shops sewing machines, and for those of you who do not sew, using someone else's sewing machine when you are used to your own for so long is like trying to learn a different language! I literally had no idea how to use the darn thing! I felt like I had never sewn before! I started to feel my face getting hot and little beads of sweat forming on my brow! Luckliy the ladies in the class, including the teacher, made me feel so comfortable and not like a beginner at all! I quickly got the hang of this foreign object other sewing machine and was ready to start piecing my squares together.

Oh, but the story doesn't end there. I started pulling out my squares, matching them up to start sewing them together only to find that roughly 50 or so squares were way off on size. I am not talking just a smidgen of an inch...I am talking like 1/2 inch! The lines on the ruler must have started to make me go cross-eyed for staring at it so long because I seriously have no idea how I got my squares to be that off on size! *sigh* At this point I gave up and said that I was just going to go home, cut out more fabric, and work on sewing my squares with my own sewing machine and have them ready for the next class! The teacher reassured me that everyone makes mistakes and that what I did was actually not the worst of them. I appreciated her encouragement, but I still just wanted to crawl under a rock and hide!

Through all this I learned a few things! First, always double check my sewing bag before leaving the house making sure I have everything I need for the class! I may even write out a check list for next time. And second, quilting requires patience and lots of time. It is not a process to rush through. I, unfortunately, learned that the hard way. I need to look at this as a way to relax...not just rush to get it finished. I need to enjoy the entire process for what it is worth. Isn't that the idea of quilting anyway?

This week, while my daughter is at VBS all morning, I plan on working on cutting more accurately, piecing my squares together, and getting excited about the next step! Stay tuned...

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. ~ Romans 12:12

Reaping the Harvest

This year, my hubby and I wanted to plant a small garden. We had big plans for cucumbers, tomatos, squash, zucchini, peppers, carrots, and beans. The thought of being able to walk outside, mid-summer, and pick fresh produce from my very own garden was so exciting.

Well, that dream never came true. One thing or another happend, time got away from us, and it became too late in the season to plant our little garden.

However, we did manage to plant two pepper plants and seven tomato plants and we are finally starting to see some results.



Green Pepper




Green Pepper




Looks like weeds, but these are tomato plants!

Nuturing these little plants to grow by watering them daily and weeding them out has been very enjoyable. Then, seeing the product start to grow has been so rewarding. I truly never thought I would enjoy gardening this much. Looking forward to giving our little garden a try again next summer...and trying early!

Now I just have to figure out when the best time to pick peppers off their plant is and then start eating them! Yum!

Did you plant a garden this summer? If so, what did you plant and have you been able to enjoy any of the harvest yet?



"They sowed fields and planted vineyards that yielded a fruitful harvest;" Psalm 107:37