Radiating Elegance in a Culture of Magazine Cover Beauty

I love to look at fashion magazines. To see the latest fashions from all the famous designers and how they are being worn. I also love to wander the mall 'window shopping' the latest merchandise. And what woman doesn't like to get 'fancied up' {as my husband would say} to go out on the town. I would also venture to guess that most people love a great bargain! I know I do. Thrift store shopping is one of my most favorite past times. But do the clothes in the mall or in the fashion magazine define beauty? Does the price of something decide what kind of person I am? Who am I aside from the clothes I wear and the price I pay for them? 

Well... I am a child of the one, true God. I am an observer, a listener and a helper. I like simple and traditional looks. I love stripes and polka dots, glitter and ruffles. I strive to be respectful, thoughtful, graceful and elegant.

Let's talk about that last word: Elegant. The dictionary defines Elegant as showing good taste; graceful & attractive; simple & clever; classy & fine. As a woman, these are all descriptive words that I would be taken aback if someone used them to describe me! What a compliment that would be, no? But does that elegance come from what or who I wear? Does it come with the price I paid for what or who I wear? Or does it come from somewhere else? 

I believe elegance radiates from the inside out. I believe you can be the most elegant person in a room in a tee-shirt and jeans if you have grace and class and love on the in side. For those are things of the heart that shine through and people take notice of. 

This is why it is something I strive for ~ elegance ~ and something I will try to pass on to my daughter. What is elegance to you? 

Change is coming in my 2014

Well Hello There Friends! 

It's been a while since I was on here. Welcome to a New Year! I hope your holidays treated you well. Ours was fun and exhausting, full of friends and family and yummy treats. And gifts....! 

So.... 2014

Here we are a couple days in to the new year. Do you create resolutions or goals with the new year? Some say, 'bleh!', to making goals with the new year. I love it! I need it. I am always revisiting it, adding to it, marking things off and rolling things over to my new Goals list. I think it is good and healthy to think back on what you can improve on and to look forward to what you would like to do and learn and invest energy into. And, I like to pick a word for the title of my New Year's Goals. This year's word: 

Change. 

First change that came for my new year: we turned off our Dish service and are going back to bunny ears. That change came two days early! Why? Well, looking back over the past year, I realized God was talking to me through different avenues telling me that it was becoming too important in my life. I realized I had become addicted. I loved my television time. I have my favorite shows and would even watch reruns over and over again, wasting precious time and getting angry if my T.V. time was interrupted. My addiction was effecting our family life negatively. 

Second change to work on this year came to me after I read a post at Hands Free Mama. In her post, About Hands Free, Rachel writes, 

"Finally after years and years of over-commitment and meaningless information overload, I began to see those things for what they were: Daily Distractions. And with much regret, I realized I’d been holding on to “distractions” tighter than I had been to my own family, my own health, my own happiness–my own “things that matter.”

After reading this post and others on her site, I broke down in tears. God was speaking to my heart. I needed to hear this. I had to take a hard, close look at my daily life and swallow that I am not allowing much time for God or what He desires to be important in my life. And no matter how hard it was to read it and admit it [to myself and others], I needed to make some big changes in my life and choices. Thank God for people like Rachel to share these things and Thank God for his perfect timing!

So.... 2014 for me is Change!

Change how I spend my time. Change who I spend my time with. Allow Change to happen naturally and gracefully. Change.....

What is this New Year for you? What is your word for the year? Let God speak to you and stop long enough to truly hear what He is saying. 

Matthew 6: 19-21

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

30 Days of D.I.Y. Gifts & Decor: Homemade Advent Calendars

Welcome to the weekend of the 16th & 17th of 

Hi All! I have switched my focus onto the up-coming holidays that will be filled with family and friends, love and laughter, giving and receiving! For me, some of the best memories and gifts have been what is handmade and from the heart. And, I love giving and receiving handmade and locally crafted gifts. So, I am going to share a new project every day for the month of November to get y'all (and myself) into the spirit of the holidays! I hope you enjoy the next thirty days with me! I would love to hear if you try any of the projects and how they turned out. <3 Erika

A collection of Handmade Advent Calendars

One of my favorite Christmas time family traditions growing up was the advent calendar. We always bought the chocolate piece filled ones from the store. And that is one of those family traditions I have wanted to pass on to my kids. Granted, I have not been good about it every year but when I saw some of these great ideas on Pinterest, I got motivated!

Stephanie Lynn has a great Pottery Barn inspired one filled with handmade ornaments for everyday. Check her post HERE.

A wrapped children's book for every night that you open and read together!

From Elle Keeps Moving

As a card maker, I really love this idea from Real Simple! Mostly because it would be so easy for me to make since I already have all the items needed!

Cute clothes pins on a simple board with small gifts and/or candies......

At The Life of Jennifer Dawn, you will find this advent calendar tutorial made with little tins that are filled with bible verses and manger pieces. 

This lovely and simple advent is filled with different family activities to do together. Check out the rest of the post by Lindsay at passionate homemaking. 

And, finally, the calendar we are going to make for this year! I love this idea by Erlend at Morning Creativity. I have been saving up our toilet paper rolls for a while now and I think the pile up is starting to bug my hubby. : / I am going to use red and green tissue paper to cover the ends. I think that will look more festive and be more fun for the kids. (But mostly because I have a BUNCH of it from over the years!) And, to go inside each day, along with the small prizes, I am going to put in a bible verse to read with the kids.

Here is the list of bible verses I am going to go by that I found on

Sassy Sawdust by Kim. 

What do you do for Advent? I would love to hear about your traditions! If you stop by an of the sites listed above, let them know you heard about them from Erika at MishMashedMe. Thanks!

You can find all these pins and more on my Pinterest board: 

The most Wonderful time of the Year

Tomorrow: Homemade Marshmallows

30 Days of D.I.Y. Gifts and Decor: Our Thank 'Fall' Mantel

Welcome to day 13 of

Hi All! Now that Halloween is over, I am switching my focus onto the up-coming holidays that will be filled with family and friends, love and laughter, giving and receiving! For me, some of the best memories and gifts have been what is handmade and from the heart. And, I love giving and receiving handmade and locally crafted gifts. So, I am going to share a new project every day for the month of November to get y'all (and myself) into the spirit of the holidays! I hope you enjoy the next thirty days with me! I would love to hear if you try any of the projects and how they turned out. <3 Erika

Our Thank 'Fall' Mantel

This year for our Fall mantel, I thought it would be fun to do an Autumn-themed collage with the kids. We went to the dollar store and bought a foam poster board and some glue sticks. Then we stopped by the thrift store and bought some old magazines that were all published during the fall months. The kids and I sat down and all flipped through the magazines, tearing out the pages to put on our board. The kids had fun gluing the pages to the board. At the center, I put together this message, "Thank Fall for home, where life and love happens." Our handmade picture sits in-between the kids' pumpkins that we grew in our garden. And I filled my glass candle holders with leaves from our tree. Trimmed it off with beaded garland that I bought at a craft store's after-Christmas clearance. All in all I think our Thank 'Fall' mantel turned out quite nice and all for only a couple dollars and time with the kids. Do you like to make collages with your kids?  



Next: Scarves with a Purpose

Capturing Joy and a Fairy Princess

 beautiful Fairy Princess dancing

twirling 

running

laughing

joyfully gleaming in the sun

sprinkling fallen leaves 

mommy loves you and hopes your 

joy continues in this life

Ephesians 6: 1-4 ~ 

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

4 Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.

Happy Birthday Brycen!

 Today is my little man's 6th birthday! And how very fast have those six years gone! 

 

My little Portland Trail Blazer's fan!

Of course, there have been up's and down's. Things as parents of this wonderful young man we have done well and things we have royally screwed up and had to ask forgiveness for. I would not change how it has gone these six years but I will learn from it all and, with God's grace and help, improve as a parent. 

Bryce with his little sister, Lauren.

Graduating from Preschool!

From that precious little baby boy to this handsome young man, I can't wait to see what God does in your next six years. 

Happy Birthday my little man! 

I love you most. 

Ready to take on the world. Take your dreams and soar, Bryce!

Life... busy, busy life

Hello All! I couldn't believe how long it's been since I wrote last when I logged in! Life...busy, busy life. That's the reason. Lots going on lately. I have been getting ready for the Pick Pocket Molly Event. A weekend consignment sale of women's clothing. I consign items {this year over 130 items!}for sale at the event but I also work at it with my friend, Alice, who puts it on! Man, she can put on a great event! Check her out here, http://pickpocketmolly.com/.

Also, I got a very part time job. I am an Operations Assistant with Fit2B Studio. It is an online gym with a workout video library of over 50 videos and she also is trying to spread Diastasis awareness. I love that I can work from home and help a friend grow her business while she works from home! And it is nice to contribute to the household budget again. : ) Learn about Diastasis and Fit2B Studio here, http://fit2b.us/.

And then there is all the everyday, in-and-out's of a stay-at-home mommy of two young children. Household chores, gardening to do, birthday parties to attend, meals to cook, friends to connect with, basketball to watch { : D }, church to attend, parties to host, small town parades to participate in, workouts to do, wife to be to husband, sunshine to enjoy. It's a good {and busy} life that I love to be living. I try to remember how blessed I am and not take it for granted. At the end of the day, I may be tired and may not get to lay in the hammock like I wanted but I wouldn't trade it in. 

Whatch ya been doing?

Reflecting on Mother's Day ~ the love and pains

Some were concerned about me yesterday after reading my post. What I want to tell you and what I told them is this - 

First, I am good. Please don't worry about me. (But thanks for checking up on me.)  : ) 

Second, what I said was to not only clear my head so I could regroup and move on for myself but for others who may be feeling that same way. I wanted to be open and honest, especially as a stay-at-home mom, so others could see they are not the only ones feeling that same way. I wanted them to know that even with all those thoughts rolling around in their heads and the feelings in their hearts, life does and will go on and it is still good and lovely. 

Third, I hope that some will read it and realize there is so much more going on inside people than the "I'm good." you get when you ask, "How are you?" We all have stuff we are processing through, not wanting to burden others with every single thing but it is especially heavy on Moms, who not only process through everything for themselves but for their children too. Erin at The Humbled Homemaker wrote about remembering not only Mom but the other ladies in our lives in her post, Rejoicing {and Mourning} with Mothers on Mother's Day.  Erin writes beautifully about the balance between rejoicing with the rejoicing and mourning with the mourning. (Romans 12:15) 

"When I think of my {many} friends who have had miscarriages, friends suffering with infertility–and the mom of my friend who went to be with Jesus at age 17 13 1/2 years ago, I realize this: No doubt, Mother’s Day isn’t very easy for them.

At best, it is probably bittersweet, as some have other children along with those they have lost. But with those around them receiving cards and gifts and corsages and hand claps, it’s likely not a day they can ignore.

And as a Christian, I am called to compassion. Even when I can’t understand their pain, I am called to mourn with those who mourn–even on Mother’s Day.

But should our compassion for those hurting supersede our rejoicing with those who rejoice? For those who can revel in the fact–one day per year–that they have birthed babies and help shape souls daily within the four walls of their homes?" 

Erin goes on and lists ways to love on ALL the ladies in the different stages. It is beautiful and encouraging and grace-filled. On this Mother's Day weekend, I encourage you to consider what I have written and what Erin wrote and see how it might change your heart and mind on how you celebrate not only your Mom but the other ladies in your life. Happy Mother's Day all!

To my Mom ~ I love you! Thank you! for everything I know you have done and the things I don't know about that you have done, Thank you. Thanks to God that you are my mom and my kids' Nana! 

My mom and I in Paris in '09.

To all the other beautiful ladies in my life ~ Those that love on me and my kids like their own, Those that want to some day be a mom, Those that will be mom's soon and Those that have been mom's for little to many years and shared your knowledge ~ I thank God for you. I hope God blesses you for being a blessing to me. I love you all too!

Where this woman's heart and mind are at at this moment......

sad                            depressed                     joyless         

      

heart-aching                  lonely                    hurting               

unmotivated 

  

angry                 overwhelmed                  tired

         

I want to cry                I want to yell                    

I want to curl up into a ball with a blanket and movie and not be bothered                          

I want to scream out my every thought about every thing on my mind with no care what other people think

                          

I want to do nothing                    

I want to actually enjoy something                     

I want peace                            I want to feel joy                                      

I want to feel beautiful                                 

I want to feel needed                             I want to feel appreciated          

 I want to be respected                       I want my soul to be on fire               

I want to accomplish every thing I dream about doing and enjoy it                          

I want to be a good mommy                       

I don't want to screw up my kids                                                      

I want to be 'that' good wife                                   

I want to not feel all of this at the same time, all the time, every day                                       

I want to stop complaining about my great life and be able to truly appreciate what I have                                      

I want to be joyful                   I want to be happy 

I want to unabashedly love and be unabashedly loved back

Television Wisdom Wednesday: Babies and their Momma's

From the show Bones:

Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan -
"Just because I have breasts doesn't mean I have magical powers over infants!"

I feel like I can relate to this. Just because I am female and a mother doesn't mean a can calm any and every fussy baby. Babies need their own momma's. That is how God designed it. 

Marriage - as God designed it

Male and Female. 

There is no question they are different. Physically and emotional, God has made each sex uniquely opposites. Your gender has been given to you by God and, I believe, by no accident but for a divine purpose on this earth. And in our humanness, we can become upset by the opposite-ness of the opposite sex. It can drive us crazy trying to figure out just why exactly they (the opposite sex) do what they do. But we were made opposites so that we may become ONE when we are married. This is how God designed it.  And still, we fight against the maleness and femaleness that God has given to us. 

Women - Stop! 

Stop trying to do everyone's job. Do you think you will lose your independence and voice if you become a submissive wife as God said to be? Do you desire to follow the plan God made for your marriage? We need to let go of the reigns and give them to our husbands so they can lead the family, as God designed them to. We are not doing the job as the wife and mother that God gave us to do if we are trying to control the reigns which God did not give us to control. This doesn't mean that you lose your independence, opinion or voice and it doesn't mean you are to be walked all over or abused either. To be the head of the house and the family, they (husbands, fathers) are ultimately responsible to God for all God gave them. That is as God designed it for them. God called on Adam, not Eve, when they were in the garden and had eaten the fruit they were told not to. Adam was responsible for what his family did.

Men - Step up! 

God made you to be the head of your family and the example of Christs love to them. Take the reigns but be humble enough to ask for help from your wife, your helper. 

The man God gave to me and I, his helper in this life.

God, 

I pray that we would reflect you and your love by being what you designed us to be and not fighting it or being scared of it. I pray that we would be able to speak openly to our spouse about where we could improve in our own roles in our marriages. I pray we would listen intently and react with truth AND grace. I lift up all marriages to you and pray that you would heal the wounded and broken ones and that they might all be centered on you and bring you glory. In Jesus' name, Amen!

Birthday Card Collage Posters

As I was cleaning the girls room a while back, I noticed a large pile of cards tucked away in a basket. Cards given to her at birth and birthdays that I didn't want to toss. Letting them pile up, however, was no good either. 


Soooo......... 

I went to the dollar store and bought two white poster boards. When I got back home, I sat down with the white boards, some glue and all those cards and got to work. I didn't use all of the cards; some I cut down and some I toss because they were duplicates. I overlaid  many of them to get in as many as I could. I also glued them shut so they weren't all flying open when I hung it.

When they were finished and dry, I clipped them up on the kids' Dignitet curtain wires that we bought from Ikea. They are perfect for displaying the kids' artwork. (And mommy's in this case!) What I really love about this project is that we can all enjoy the cards instead of having them hidden away and they add wonderful color and joy to the kids' rooms.  
  

And, bonus, none of the cards have come unglued and they have been hanging up for about six months. What do you think about this project? What have you done with your kids' cards from over the years?

Bulk Spices meet Mini Containers

Yesterday, as I ran my errands, I went to my favorite local health food store, Chuck's Produce, and they had their bulk spices on sale for 30% off. I jumped at the opportunity and stocked up on a few spices that I am out off. I love getting my spices this way because most spices I don't use up a whole bottle worth before the suggested throw out time. This Food Network article states pre-ground spices should be replaced about every six months, which is what I try to stick to. 

Spices hand bagged from the bulk section of my local grocery store. 

 
 My next stop was the dollar store. I was looking for party supplies when I spotted this package of ten mini storage containers. Light bulb moment! Before, I have kept my spices in the bags I bought them in but they lose their flavor faster because the bags are not air tight. The spices smell up my cupboard which is also no good but these.... These are perfect! Small, clear, and stackable so they don't take up too much room. 

Showing their size compared to a normal size spice bottle.

First step before adding the spices, hand wash and dry all the containers. Then, I transferred all the spices from the bags to the containers. I hand wrote the labels and taped them to the front as I went along. (If I only had a label gun, the things I could do!) I put them in the cupboard and I am so happy how little of space they take and how perfectly easy they are to read and find, I think I will be switching most of my spices to these wonderful little containers. Oh, the possibilities!   

So, what was going to be just another day of errands, turned into a wonderfully organized spice cabinet update. I can't wait to get to cooking something spice-tacular! I wonder what else I could organize with these great little containers.....

Crimson and White

dishes to wash

laundry to fold

floors to vacuum

As I flutter about my home, I glance out the window to see an unexpected site. I decide to go outside and take a few minutes to take it in. It falls, silently and gracefully, from the pale gray sky. Floating slowly down to earth, it lands on my robe. I take in the wondrous intricacies of this creation. It is pure and white; it is snow. And as it melts into a perfectly round sphere, I notice the starkness of my scarlet robe against it. And God reminds me.....  

Isaiah 1:18

“Come now, let us settle the matter,”

    says the Lord.

“Though your sins are like scarlet,

    they shall be as white as snow;

though they are red as crimson,

    they shall be like wool.

I thank God for this moment and go back inside to once again flutter about. Joy has come to me today in the form of snow. 

New Year Goals in One Word: Prepared

A friend of mine asked her Facebook friends to describe their goals for the new year in one word. For me, that word is Prepared. I had already been working on my goals list for 2013 before she posted the question. So when it was asked, I read through my list and that is the word that came to mind. I need to be more Prepared. 
For what, you ask? What ever might come. 
There has been a lot that has happened the last couple of months that has me thinking about if I am prepared for similar situations. Hurricane Sandy. Long black outs. Unexpected and sometimes extreme weather conditions. Shootings. Economic conditions. For me, to be prepared for these and other happenings that might come our way that we cannot foresee, I want to cover the bases. 
First, prepare the soul. Prepare the mind. This, for me, means getting back to the Word of God. Make it more a daily part of my life and my families. I am saved. I know where I am going when I die. What I want to carry more of with me everyday is how He says to handle what ever comes our way, good and/or bad. 

A bright new year is here!

Second, prepare my home life. As 
many have said as did the wife of one of my pastors, "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without." Declutter. Simplify. Waste not. Make more of the home space I am given: gardening, crafting, teaching my kids, cooking. Get the household debt down. Use more cash. Be more thrifty. Also, as a part of preparing the home, stock up on first aid and survival, self sufficiency gear. There seemed to be too many that weren't very prepared for all the different weather conditions and help was taking too long to get to people in some cases. I am taking that as a lesson to us that we need to be better prepared to fend for ourselves and not so dependent on help coming or the stores having enough for everyone.  
Last, prepare my body. Get physically fit. Walk more. Jog more. Play more. Use the resources available to workout from home. Eat less junk and 'boxed' foods and more from scratch, hand made, fresh foods. Take more vitamins. Learn more about essential oils and herbs; natural remedies. Learn to be more aware of my surroundings and the people around me. Learn how to protect myself and my kids if the occasion should arise that I might have to. 

Well, there it all is. It might seem like a lot but, really, when it is written down as a check list, it isn't a lot. A check list should have details under each category so the bigger goals are broken down to be more manageable and attainable. I like a check list, no matter how long, because I can choose one item a day or five, depending on how I am feeling, and mark it off when it is accomplished. Then, as more and more are marked off, I can look at how far I have come. I have proof that I am moving in the direction I wanted to. And, as I think of more, I add them. Just more that can be accomplished. 

So what do you want to accomplish this new year? What one word sums up your goals? I wish you luck in your adventures this year! I look forward to sharing mine with you.