with humility, thankfulness, and rejoicing

Last Post!

2010-01-04T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hello sweet friends- This will be my last post on this blog! I haven't decided to quit blogging... but I have decided to move my blog! I blog so infrequently on here, and I just don't have that much time to craft anymore (which I'm so thankful for!) I really hope you'll follow me over to the new blog...

Thankful for Every Moment

I think I'll be posting more about homekeeping, recipes, mommyhood, meal planning, and just a bit of crafting. I never could figure out how to remove my old email address that was in my maiden name from this blog, so it always looked like it had two authors, and plus I just love a fresh start :) May you all have a very blessed day! Here's to a fun new year and a fun new blog!

P.S. I'll be leaving this one right where it is, just in case anyone has a favorite recipe or post bookmarked, not to worry! :) And I think I'll probably move some of my things over, like Evangeline's birth story and such.

Christmas Season

2009-12-22T18:13:00.000-08:00

We've been having a very merry Christmas Season! Here is a little picture update...

Even if you don't "do" Santa... its a lot of fun to dress your baby up!

Evie got to meet her Uncle Joey... Hubby's "little" brother who has been stationed in Iraq the last year. They hit it off :)

Evie hiding among the presents underneath a friend's tree.

We went with some friends to see the lights on the Riverwalk and the Alamo. It was beautiful, and Evie was very patient while I read all the signs. I just can't be there without being moved by the valiant sacrifices those men made.

SO pretty!

Uh oh. Someone rolled out the cutout cookie dough just a little too thick. :)

I know what this nativity scene needs... a baby.

We had a chance to participate in a live nativity scene. It was so much fun playing Mary and Baby Jesus.

Gigi and Grandpa's oh so cute Christmas Card Picture.

I hope you are all having a very blessed Christmas season, and enjoying the preparation! The big day is almost here! May we all remember truly what this day is really about.

It's been a while!

2009-12-04T11:40:00.000-08:00

But I'm back :) Here's to being better about blogging in the new year...

But for now, here are some pictures of Miss Evangeline's baby dedication! For the first time, I tried my hand at cake decorating! I really enjoyed it, and I read up a lot on how to make the perfect cake. I jokingly have been calling my research and new meal planning techniques "wife college" :-D

Our little family!

This one ended up being our Christmas card picture.

With family.

Grandpa loves Evie!

With Hubby's parents at my parent's house.

Great-great Aunt, Uncle, Great Grandma, and Grandpa :)

Hubby has been working very hard on our home- he de-popcorned the ceilings and painted all the walls such a pretty light gray color. As soon as he finishes installing new lighting in the kitchen and we get some things hung up on the walls again, I'll be posting pictures of that! May you all have a very blessed day as we prepare for Christmas!

Evie's Room

2009-09-27T18:04:00.000-07:00

I've finally finished Evie's room! It's taken me quite a while, but excepting a rug, I have it just right now I think :)

We hung a butterfly mobile above her changing table. She is much more amenable now to having her diaper changed. We got the changing table off craigslist for $20. Hubby just spray painted a few touch ups, and its good as new! The baskets were shower gifts. In the corner is the "diaper champ". Same price as the diaper genie, but you don't have to buy the little bags. Any old trashbag will do.

I absolutely love this quote. I saw it on a *very expensive* frame, so we had a friend calligraphy it and then I framed it. I think it turned out so lovely! She is so talented.

We bought her a dresser from an Aunt of mine who was moving. Quite a steal at $25! The painting and framed scripture were gifts, and the lamp I've had for quite a while. You can see her little laundry cube on the floor... this child generates a lot of dirty clothes :)

And of course, her really cute crib that she doesn't sleep in :) It was mine when I was a baby, so we were very blessed to have my parents give it to us!

The toy bin I've had for a while. I used to store my fabric stash in it!

Here is Evie's ...and any guests... bathroom. :)

I painted the sign, and we got the shower curtain at Target.com.

I got the pretty frame at Hobby Lobby, half price, and they marked it down even more since it was scratched :)

This is an old frame I had... revamped with wedding pictures.

So the moral of the story is... decorating on a budget takes a while longer and some creativity... but is very do-able! :)

Blessedly busy!

2009-08-26T09:09:00.001-07:00

I find myself blessedly busy these days! My little one keeps me very occupied, and I am so very happy about that. But I thought I would do a quick blog post while my darling naps, and write down some of the things that I love about being a mother, and don't want to forget about my sweetie when she was just 7 weeks old.
She loves, loves, loves to snuggle with mommy. Whether that's napping together in the big bed, or being held while she naps in my lap- she's definitely a snuggler!
She always ends up tucked right next to me when we sleep together. It's so precious to wake up with that little body tucked right into yours. How wonderful!
She makes the sweetest little cooing noises now. She loves to sit on my knees and smile and coo back and forth.
She loves to have the Bible read to her in the morning.
She really enjoys being swaddled and riding in the moby. Sometimes its the only way she sleeps!
It is so wonderful to see her with her daddy, and watch him being such an amazing father and provider.
I am so thankful, and this is an answered prayer, that she is a powerful little nurser! I call her my little eating machine. When we went in to the pediatrician for the 2 week check up, she had already gained a pound. Amazing! The Lord really provides, and it is so beautiful to see how the Lord changes your body to provide food for your little one.
She definitely does not like it when I eat spicy foods. I learned that one quickly...
She does not like her car seat. I call it her "angry seat" :)
Her favorite thing in the world is to be outside and she loves to take a walk before her bath at night. I was surprised that she likes to be outside so much, since its over 100 degrees here almost every day!
She absolutely adores my parents :) They have been so amazing and I just love seeing them love little Evie. I never realized how much I needed my mother until I had a baby!

Here is a picture of us on the porch together- I love matching my little girl :)

Evangeline's Birth Story

2009-07-19T13:55:00.000-07:00

As I sat here with this sleeping bundle of beauty in my arms, I realized I definitely needed to write down her birth story before I start to forget all the details. The last two weeks have been quite a blur for me- I think I entered some sort of baby focused time warp! I have never been so thankful for my wonderful husband, who has taken such good care of me while I recovered and took care of baby. When he returned to work, my momma took over helping me out :) It has been such a blessing to have her here each day- she can comfort a crying baby like you wouldn't believe! So here is the tale of our sweet baby girl, given to us by God...
Since we were overdue, I had to have a sonogram and a fetal non stress test twice a week. The first one was on a Monday, and the sonogram said she was 8 lbs 8 oz. This made me panic a little bit, and they checked me for the first time this day. I'd been having so many Braxton Hicks contractions, I really thought I'd have some signs of... something! Needless to say, it was a miserable experience being checked, and then my midwife told me my cervix wasn't even softened yet. I bawled like a baby. We'll just blame that on the hormones :)
Thursday I went in again for the next round of sonogram and fetal stress testing. This time hubby could stay the whole time with me, and I was *so* much more calm. The midwife laughed and told me she thought I'd go into labor on Sunday, but no one threatened to check me again! No tears this visit. They went ahead and scheduled us for an induction on the day we'd be two weeks overdue. We prayed and prayed she'd come on her own.
Friday we decided to have family over for a little pre baby get together. I cleaned like a crazy person (hubby thought it was funny and even took a video of me scrubbing the floors in the kitchen...) and had a wonderful time with family that evening. The Lord really sustained me through the waiting, and I felt more and more peace that there really was a "time to be born". :)
Saturday morning (July 4th) I woke up with contractions before 6 am. I was SO happy and elated that I practically danced! I waited to wake hubby though because I wanted to be certain. I woke him up at 6 and asked him how he felt about holiday babies! I had contractions on and off, mostly 10 minutes apart all day. Hubby and I watched movies, played games, and kept my family updated on the phone, since my momma was going to be there for the birth. The contractions really weren't so bad at all until around 5-ish. Then they got serious, and I needed to not talk, and I needed to sway, or walk, or hang out on the floor (not sure why I spent so much of labor on the floor...) I used the birthing ball a bit, but really not much. At 6:30 or so, I called the midwife to let her know I was headed to the hospital. Not asking if I should... I was TELLING. By this point something in me just knew it was "go time". It was a bit unpleasant of a drive. Laboring in the car= not fun. We got to the hospital around 7, after text-ing a couple of friends and asking them to pray for me! :) They admitted us right off, and I remember sitting on the floor three times on the way into the Labor and Delivery area. I also remember those admitting nurses asking me what my due date was, and through gritted teeth I said "9 days ago" :-D
They asked hubby to wait in the waiting area while they admitted me (ridiculous in my opinion, but I guess they assume you keep secrets from your husband and don't want him there for the "question" part of admitting, sigh!) I ended up on the floor again. I think I scared the nurse, because she called for help... but really I just liked being on the floor. Turns out the bed is the *last* place I wanted to be during labor! They blew three veins trying to get in a saline lock IV (to be used "just in case") I still have the bruises :-p And it turns out I was 5 cm dilated. I cried when my midwife got there, I was so happy to see her. I absolutely love that woman. She was amazing, and so comforting and supporting. I was definitely a quiet labor-er... I didn't want to talk, I didn't want anyone talking to me, and as things got harder, I didn't want anyone looking at me :) I really only snapped once... or twice maybe ;) and told someone to "Go away!" Lol. Hubby said the nurse or someone would ask me a question, and I wouldn't answer. I remember thinking it wasn't really like pain that I was experiencing- it was something beyond pain, that wasn't on the same scale. I know that sounds strange, and labor is "painful"... but it's not the same as regular pain. It's really quite different. I ended up laboring on the potty (strange, but the only place I was "comfortable") and had to be lured back to the bed multiple times with my midwife threatening me to not push on the potty, because she was NOT delivering the baby there. Tee hee. Well, I was eventually lured to the bed long enough to have the baby- wow! I have to put myself in the camp where the pushing part is "better" than the labor part. Burning, yes... but a lot better than just waiting and biding your time through contractions... I think. Hubby helped, Momma helped, the midwife helped, the lovely L&D nurse helped- and (hubby tells me 30 minutes later- but it definitely didn't seem that long) they placed a wonderful, beautiful, amazing gift from God on my chest. Natural childbirth may be ridiculously difficult, but the feelings afterward? Elation. I've never felt like that before. Like floating on Love.
The whole birth experience taught me so much. I had to rely on the Lord- truly. I don't know how anyone would do it otherwise. And I learned SO much. Thanks be to God for so many answered prayers- innumerable prayers. Prayers for a child, prayers for a healthy pregnancy, prayers for a natural birth... I could go on and on. Thanks be to God. Truly. At 2:41 in the morning on July 5th, we happily went from two to three in our family :)

Baby Pictures

2009-07-14T16:51:00.001-07:00

A few quick pictures of baby, daddy, grandma and me :) Now back to taking care of Evie!

Praise be to God!

2009-07-05T12:30:00.000-07:00

We are so very blessed to welcome Evangeline Isabella Miles into the world... 8 lbs, 4 oz, and 19.5 inches long!

Moments after the big moment :)

Daddy loves her so much!

We are so thankful and so happy to be holding this blessing in our arms. So many prayers have been answered! More updates to come, for now Mommy must take a nap, after being awake for 36 hours straight :) Those wonderful endorphins that come with a natural labor really provide so much energy!

waiting for baby...

2009-07-01T07:05:00.001-07:00

Still :)

The midwives are estimating possibly this Saturday or Sunday, but no signs of anything yet. To keep myself busy, I've been able to finish some baby projects!

The dress (Simplicity 4709) is finished, and so are matching mary janes (made from this pattern) and a burp cloth.

And some more soft and pretty burp cloths :)

Grocery Bag Keeper

2009-06-23T19:04:00.000-07:00

I've gone a little crazy with the crafting today, I know! Two blog posts about crafting in a day is definitely a record for me :) Ever since I saw this great tutorial on Shannon's blog, I knew I needed one! I was using only reusable grocery bags for a while, but we need the disposable ones for when hubby cleans the kitty box. I think they will also come in handy for bringing home dirty cloth diapers from when we're out and about. I used the leftover fabric from the wall hanging I used to cover the fuse box in the apartment (you can see it in the second picture down), and added some ric rac for a fun touch. It was a great tutorial and I highly recommend it! Thanks Shannon!

Keeping busy while waiting for baby

2009-06-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

While we wait patiently for the little miss' arrival, I've had a few projects going!

I finished the sheers for the kitchen window, and even did a little "mock up" of how I want the window seat to look. I used every red placemat, napkins, and even some dishtowels since I didn't have any red fabric to drape over the cushion. This is definitely a "rough" version :)

Is this the cutest thing you've ever seen? Hubby practiced the moby wrap newborn carry with a little bear. I love this man so much!

I made a nursing cover with some pretty pink and white fabric, following this tutorial. (The description is slightly... crass, but I'm thankful for the good tutorial)

This took me a really, really long time! Poor hubby had to put up with all my painting supplies being out for a while :) We received a cookie jar as a gift for our wedding, and it didn't match our kitchen. Since I never used it, I tried my hand at painting (again!) I really like how it turned out, and now it matches our kitchen exactly! It's becoming a counter top staple!

Last, but not least, Simplicity 4709 in the works for the wee one :) I used the leftover fabric from this skirt I altered. I can't wait to wear it and dress baby girl in the dress!

Also, I would like to ask for everyone's prayers that the delivery be quick and easy for mommy and baby. We are due Thursday, and I would love for baby to come very soon and on her own. My midwives won't induce till 10 to 14 days overdue, but I'd really like to avoid the "post date" testing that would start Monday. I would really appreciate prayers that she not be jaundiced (a few factors make her more at risk for this) and that we might be able to have a healthy birth without intervention of any kind, and that she would be a good nurser! Thankyou so much for your prayers. Most importantly, may God be glorified in the process and by this little life He has created!!

"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." --Isaiah 26:3

Swagbucks

2009-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I did it, but I did. I never sign up for things like this- I'm usually too wary of "too good to be true" things. But Heather kept raving about how much free stuff she got, so I *had* to. And it's been great free fun. I already have 10 swagbucks, just from searching a few times and signing up. It's 45 swagbucks for a $5 amazon gift card... and I've only been signed up for a few days! So in my humble opinion, you should definitely sign up... I'll admit that I do get credit for when you do :) I heart amazon.com... and I'm sure y'all do to. Who wouldn't enjoy a wee little gift card every once in a while just for switching their search engine?

If you want to read more about it, here's the link to Heather's explanation. Hers is a lot more funny and explains it a lot better, I'm sure!

Now off to make that rising dough into bagels...

Getting Ready for Baby

2009-06-02T11:46:00.000-07:00

As I get bigger and bigger...

We are getting everything ready for baby! Less than a month to go, Lord willing.
She now has a crib to sleep in for when she is a bit older... (this was my crib when I was a baby!)

And a co-sleeper that converts to a bassinet to sleep in mommy and daddy's bedroom for now.

Look at those pretty pink walls that daddy painted!

Decorations for her room- this one painted by mommy...

This one from a dear friend :)

Lots of toys to keep baby entertained.

A baby bouncer to keep baby busy while mommy cooks dinner...

And lots of burp cloths, some made by mommy, some made by friends, some store bought :)

Pretty, feminine clothes to wear...

Baby blankets for snuggling!

Needless to say, I'm getting really excited! The Lord has really provided for us and baby during this pregnancy and while getting ready for her arrival- we are so thankful.

Our new home!

2009-04-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Here are all the "before" pictures of our new home. We are so excited, happy and blessed to move out of the apartment in time for baby, Lord willing! So here's the sneak peak...

Our office/ sewing room...

The view when you walk in...

Living room...

Kitchen...

Breakfast room...

I love him so much!

The baby room! Of course, this room is the *first* to be painted... the color is called "blush delightful". It's a lovely shade of pink!

Our bedroom. We think they ran out of baseboards :) Not to worry, the bed will go there! This room is the second to be painted. The color is called "Rain Drop"... a very light and fresh blue.

Our new front porch!

South Carolina Trip

2009-04-07T18:34:00.000-07:00

I was very blessed to enjoy a wonderful trip to Charleston, South Carolina with my momma last weekend. My brother moved there in May, and I hadn't gotten to see his new town yet. Since I'm 28 weeks (well, 29 now...) this was the last chance to fly anywhere for a while! We saw some unbelievably gorgeous sites- there were flowers everywhere. We enjoyed walking around a plantation home, with beautiful gardens, that really reminded me of Pemberly. :) We also walked around the battery, where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, and saw many historical sites. I was absolutely exhausted by the end of every day, but it was worth it to see so much! Here are a few picture highlights...

There are lots of alligators in Charleston. Thankfully we didn't see any *too* closely...

At Middleton Plantation. Can you believe all the flowers... and how big I am?? Lol.

A lovely park with such beautiful wisteria flowers.

The oldest Baptist Church in the South... Est. 1672!

The entry to the gardens at Middleton Plantation.

And of course, one with brother in his complete Doctor ensemble... the Lord has truly blessed him with the amazing ability to be a surgeon.

In other news, Lord willing, we are closing on a house April 16th! We are *so* excited, and I just can't wait to have a room for baby to get ready. Stay tuned for more pictures... I think I'll take some "before and after" shots. Thankfully, we don't have to do much to the house to get it ready for move in- just some interior painting and a few kitchen upgrades.

Baby Burp Cloths

2009-02-27T18:42:00.001-08:00

Because every sweet baby girl needs soft, fluffy burp cloths :)

I bought some more of the polka dotted strawberries I used for a project a while back, since that particular fabric held up *really* well to repeated washings. The other is a little elephant chasing a pink butterfly backed with pink polka dots. I can't believe how long its been since I sewed anything at all- I guess I've got the "bug" again! And it makes me so happy to have a growing little pile of things for baby girl.

Baby at Five Months

2009-02-14T10:59:00.001-08:00

We are so blessed and happy to know that we are having a baby girl! :) I am really enjoying feeling her wiggle around and give me good strong kicks- what a wonderful joy it is!! Here's a picture of baby...

And one of Mommy and her growing belly...

I've already picked up some sweet pink and yellow flannels from JoAnn's to make burp cloths and such... and I'm really looking forward to dressing her in this... and some of these!

Baby Bump at Four Months

2009-01-19T14:13:00.000-08:00

Well, I've become quite the bad blogger :) But I've been busy... building baby! We heard baby's strong heartbeat again at the midwife this month, which is always a joy :) The heart sounds so strong and loud! We are looking *so* forward to February 5th, when, Lord willing, we will find out whether we are having a Miss or a Mister. I can't wait to know so I can start on some baby projects... I've happily gotten back most of that pre-pregnancy energy, so I now feel I could handle a few crafty things again. We recently took a ladies' beach trip with my family, and Momma sweetly snapped a 4 month bump picture. It may look small, but it feels big to me!

Miracles

2008-12-08T15:15:00.000-08:00

We heard baby's heartbeat for the first time today. God is so good! I'm still tired, very tired... and sick in the mornings... and sometimes at night... but it is *so* worth it. I can't imagine anything more wonderful. Thanks be to God. Truly, truly, truly. I am thankful for every single moment.

Happy Thanksgiving to All!

2008-11-27T13:22:00.000-08:00

May we all remember that our bounty comes from God's hand- and no other place!

Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
Psalm 124:8

These are a few...

2008-11-15T15:38:00.000-08:00

of my favorite things! Emily inspired me to write my very own "favorite natural things" list- and being as that I am *so* exhausted all the time, and I'm certainly not crafting anything lately... here goes!

1. Origins Organics Foaming Face Wash
My sometimes fitful skin that can't decide if it's oily (with breakouts) or dry (with eczema patches on my eyelids!) loves this stuff. It's expensive, but I use one pump a night, and I think the bottle with last me at least six months. Which makes it LESS expensive than the other stuff I was using!

2. Origins Totally Pure Organic Deoderant
Lets just say... I need deoderant. I've tried other natural brands, like Tom's of Maine. They don't touch me. So I switched back to the regular stuff- but when I found out about our wee one, I decided to give this a shot- and I *love* it. It works. It really, really works.

3. Tom's of Maine Lavender Body Wash
The most cost effective natural soap I've found out there, and a lovely smell. :)

4. EO Lavender Hand Soap
Nice and foaming, too! I was convinced to buy this after reading a regular hand soap label. Ew. Yuck. Chemicals galore!

5. Seventh Generation Kitchen Spray
This has hydrogen peroxide in it, which helps with those icky white countertops they feel the need to put in apartments. One drop of tea or juice will dye the countertop in approximately 4 seconds.

6. Seventh Generation Dish Soap
Lemongrass and Clementine, and it works like a charm. I didn't have alot of luck with the dishwasher soap though... it may be because our dishwasher is older and apartment brand... but it didn't work out.

7. Pure and Basic Lavender Body Lotion
Hmmm, I could only find a link to the body wash online, but you get the basic idea :)

Today I bought my first natural shampoo and conditioner. I guess my nose has gotten more sensitive because of baby- but my other shampoo... the smell now makes me sick. So, I'm going to give this a shot too! It's the Whole Foods 365 brand and it's the natural mint scent. I have my first midwife appointment on monday- I would really appreciate prayers! :)

Baby!!!

2008-11-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

We are so thankful, and so blessed, and so happy to announce...

that we are expecting our first blessing!!!

Praise be to God!!! :) I've been feeling a little unwell in the mornings, but I really don't mind that much. I am so happy to be pregnant!

Psalm 117

O praise the LORD, all ye nations: praise him, all ye people.

For his merciful kindness is great toward us: and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD.

Come What May

2008-10-26T15:14:00.001-07:00

This is a wonderful, pro-life movie made by a group of homeschoolers. I was so impressed by the whole movie! The storyline was great, and I thought the acting was very professionally done. May I recommend you watch it for free online? And spread the word!!

Tag, you're it! :)

2008-10-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Oh, my poor neglected blog :) It's been very busy- and very blessed around here- but I really do need to keep this up more!

I have been tagged by Alli, Amy, and Tiffany to write six random facts about myself!

The rules are:

-Link to the person who tagged you.
-Post the rules on your blog.
-Write Six Random Things about yourself.
-Tag six-or-so other people at the bottom of the post.
-Leave comments on their blogs, letting them know they've been tagged!
-Let the person who tagged you know when you've written the post.

Here we go! :)

1. I love watching the sun rise on a cool morning.

Living in Texas, and not being a morning person (who now officially drinks no caffeine) makes this a rare event... so it's even more special when it happens :)

2. I can watch a few movies over and over and over again.

These movies would be: Sense and Sensibility (either version), Pride and Prejudice, Emma (with Kate Beckinsale), Northanger Abbey, and You've Got Mail.

3. I have all of my teeth... including 5 wisdom teeth!

Poor hubby doesn't get to keep his though... out they come next week. Eek!

4. I own four pairs of the same tennies. In lilac, blue, brown, and grey with pink.

Don't worry... I bought them mostly all for less than half price. Who can resist a cute little feminine tennis shoe? :) Even though I don't play tennis... lol.

5. I love wraps.

It's rarely cold enough here for a coat, so a pretty little wrap is just right on Sunday mornings.

6. I speak more French than I understand, and I understand more Spanish than I speak.

Sigh... I must work on my Spanish more. Living in South Texas, it's really important to be able to at least carry on a basic conversation in Spanish. As long as no one speaks *too* quickly, I'm usually okay- but I'm no where near where I'd like to be!

Now for tagging. I think *everyone* I know blog-wise has been tagged- but if you haven't been... consider yourself tagged as of now! :)

Very Easy Muff: My First Tutorial

2008-10-07T19:27:00.000-07:00

A long time ago, I was given a lovely fur muff to match my Samantha doll. Paired with a winter dress coat, it was the most feminine thing in the world! :) It no longer fits me- so I was inspired to make a new one. Of course we must remember that according to Anne of Windy Poplars, a muff is only to be worn when its Zero degrees.

"'The old porch thermometer says it's zero and the new side-door one says it's ten above,' remarked Anne, one frosty December night. 'So I don't know whether to take my muff or not.'"

Well, I might not stick to that- since it almost *never* gets that cold in Texas! With no further ado- here is my very first tutorial.

Using two different yarns (Lion Chunky Wool- for warmth- and Lion Cameo- for softness) and my trusty 9 mm crochet hook.

I then made a large square piece- about 25 single crochet across, and then the size around you'd like your muff. Not too large, so it won't be drafty... but you don't want it to be too small, either!

Then I stitched it together, making a tube.

...and drew up the sides with cord elastic.

You don't want to make it too tight- it should fit around your wrist comfortably, but once again... don't let any drafts in!

Now you'll need to make a matching hat and scarf. I hope you enjoyed my first tutorial! I'll post a picture of the whole set when I'm finished :)

Sweet Babies

2008-09-30T18:19:00.003-07:00

I was thrilled to spend the weekend with my darling, darling nephew, Noah.

Trying to get a picture of five brothers... and the newest member of the next generation... all on one couch... is difficult.

From Right to Left is Danny, Noah (Danny's son), Charlie (the youngest), Steven, Hubby (the oldest), and Joey.
Poor Charlie is squished terribly! :) But what precious memories.

Phooo, Phooo

2008-09-30T18:10:00.000-07:00

(thats the sound of me blowing the dust off of my sewing machine) :-D

It is my opinion that every girl should have a plaid circle skirt to wear with tights in the autumn.

Buying organic fabric? Way out of my crafty price range.

Buying organic cotton sheets on clearance at a discount store? *So* in my price range.
Oh, the plans I have for these queen sheets... I think they'll have a much more exciting life than just clothing a bed!

Fireproof

2008-09-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

We were very blessed to attend a free screening of Fireproof (from the same church who made Facing the Giants) last week. It was a *wonderful* date night for me and hubby- and how great to be able to see a wholesome movie with a great message... for free! I would encourage you all to see it. It is a movie that deals with adult subjects though, so I would exercise some caution in bringing wee ones.

A bowl of cherries...

2008-09-15T19:14:00.000-07:00

I've been really enjoying doing a wee bit of "redecorating" around our home. Mostly my efforts have been focused on "finishing out" the kitchen... and our bedroom shall be my October project. I long ago happened upon this pretty little clock. I adored it. I wanted it. But alas, it was too much! So I waited and waited, and the waiting ended up being worth it :)

I love saving my allowance for things around the house. It's the little things that make the difference, I think!

I painted a few more things for the kitchen- this magnetic clippy was free because it had an advertisement on the top. A little primer and some paint fixed that right up! Perfect for those sweet invitations to baby showers...

That of course inspired me to be a little more bold. My sweet momma had bought me a jewelry holder a long time ago, with pretty roses painted around the edges. After time I noticed the roses beginning to flake off, and since this jewelry holder lived in my kitchen (for holding rings and such while washing dishes) I primed... and painted... and I am oh so happy I did. It's the same color as the clippy- it just photographed darker since I wasn't using the flash.

I better put away my paint now!

The New Chair

2008-09-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

That we want for our living room. It's petite enough for an apartment... and the price is oh-so-right. Too bad Ikea is two hours away! Sniff. And what's funny enough to be a joke? I checked it out on the site- shipping for this pretty little chair is 230$ extra. Lets just say... that's not gonna happen! :)

Autumn

2008-09-04T20:34:00.000-07:00

This morning, joyous morning, was quite cool (to me). I was thrilled. Granted, it reached 99 degrees later in the day, but its been months and months since I felt anything even resembling a cool crisp morning. Thanks be to God for the beautiful change in seasons. I know I'll be happy to say goodbye to summer! Here are some of my favorite autumnal quotations-

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns."
- George Eliot

"Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all."
- Stanley Horowitz

"Listen! the wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves,
We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!"
- Humbert Wolfe

"Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."
- Albert Camus

"No Spring nor Summer Beauty hath such grace
As I have seen in one Autumnal face."
- John Donne

And my absolute favorites:

October's Party
by George Cooper (1838-1927)

October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came -
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."

Psalm 67:6

Then the land will yield its harvest,
and God, our God, will bless us.

A much needed centerpiece

2008-08-28T19:48:00.000-07:00

I can't stand to throw the little Smucker's jelly jars away. The organic grape jelly comes in these wee little jars that just beg to hang around long after the contents have been eaten. As such, several of these jars wait patiently in the cabinet, soaked free of their labels, just waiting for that moment of creativity to strike.

After our previous centerpiece met a very tragic end- (which revealed just how easily glass vases are broken) I realized I would like something this time that is small, unobtrusive, can be left on the table during conversation and not impede anyone's view! Of course, the polka dotted plates helped with the inspiration.

I used some of my glass primer from another project (free), some red and white paint I had from another project (free), and some lovely daisies I had left over from an old flower arrangement (free). And I just adore the outcome.

...Of course, once I start priming and painting, it becomes very difficult to restrain myself and not paint everything that will hold still. :)

Shuffling!

2008-08-26T19:43:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, we've been moving our furniture around... our decorations around... and the cat around. :) Monday I was blessed to have a wonderfully fun day at the outlet mall that is about 45 minutes away. My momma and I had quite a good time, and even found some wonderful trinkets for our homes! Here is our "new and improved" dining room.

Momma found the pretty tablecloth for me a while back, and I picked up the oh-so-cute polka dot plates at the Pottery Barn Outlet... I think I paid 7 dollars for all four. I adore them- but I think I'll save them for decoration and special occasion use only. They're just too cute to risk chipping!

I moved around these things that were originally crammed into our wee kitchen. I think they'll be more visible here- and I could use the extra counter space. And well... I have quite enough cherry things in the kitchen as it is!

We were recently given this sideboard, which used to be hubby's mother's. I love the butterfly handles, and it fits perfectly underneath the painting my brother made for us. I also picked up the sign at the outlet mall. Originally, I was planning to paint it aqua... but I think I like it red. And that's not a tv... that's a digital picture frame (not currently on) that hubby made from several computers his company was throwing away. He's so handy, its amazing!!

Reason # 8,972

2008-08-24T13:34:00.000-07:00

...why my Momma is the best Momma in the whole world.

She read my blog, saw the wreath on sale at Target, and bought one for me. Isn't she amazing?!

In other "house-y" news, I took the garland from the living room and tacked it onto the top of the headboard we made. I love the way it looks!

We also spent last night moving almost *all* of our furniture around in a big shuffle. I think we've ended up with a lot more room, a much better "flow", and a much cleaner apartment! (I got to vacuum under furniture that had been stationary for a year) I'm so thankful for my big strong hubby who can move furniture so well! Pictures to come this week as I get the little things all straightened out :)

This Week In Crafting

2008-08-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

I remember long before we were married wondering how it was anyone ever neglected decorating their bedroom. I would sigh and think how I would never be one of those wives :) Hee hee. Well, I admit, when decorating funds were limited, our bedroom was what suffered! I've decided now to fully commit myself to searching out for the little, inexpensive, and hand made items that can spruce up our bedroom. Of course, the throw I am knitting will hopefully help alot with bringing color into our room. I am almost finished with the first skein... just nine more to go!

Lets see, at this rate... I'll be done in... late October/early November. I must knit faster!! :)

I also painted a sign for above our bed with a lovely scripture. It reminds me of how as a married couple, our bedroom should be a place where we can come away from the world and be together. The wood I pained it on was only 1.99 at Michael's, and I think I spent another dollar or so on purple paint! The ribbon was from my stash- so this made a wonderfully frugal way to place a splash of color on the wall. I think now I'll start looking around for some other touches, like candles or flowers. Target has a *beautiful* purple flowered wreath right now... but its FORTY dollars. Maybe I'll try to make my own version!

Proverbs 31:22

2008-08-09T18:06:00.000-07:00

Today I've enjoyed a wonderful afternoon spent with my momma, and now I'm spending this relaxing evening painting and enjoying the Olympics with sweet hubby. I've also stocked up on my yarn for the throw for our bed. Let's just say I was very blessed to find it on sale this week!!

"She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple."
- Proverbs 31:22

A silly way to show hubby you love him

2008-08-05T20:39:00.001-07:00

Tiny heart shape cakes made from your grandmother's recipe! ;)

Yum.

(Much crafting to come soon.)

Finally, a Pretty Coat Pattern!

2008-07-29T16:56:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited to find one I like. A coat with a ruffle! I think I might have a new project for this winter.

Though I definitely won't be wearing it with any aqua stockings. Sheesh!

A Beautiful Baby, a Finished Shawl, and a New Project

2008-07-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

I was so blessed this weekend to meet my darling friend's child. It was truly amazing to hold a little someone in your arms who you had prayed for and hoped for. What a miracle little Luke is! His sweet momma is one of my closest friends, a Godly woman who is an inspiration to me and such an example to look up to. I may not have any sisters by birth, but I consider her to be my Sister in Re-Birth :) What a gift from our Heavenly Father to have such friends!

I hardly stopped holding him all weekend- Rachel was so sweet to share her little one with me!

Daddy and son.

That's just precious.

My own hubby with baby Luke. Luke just smiled and smiled at my hubby :)

And I finished the Never Ending Shawl last monday. Whew! What a relief :) I can't *wait* to wear it this winter. Too bad I finished it in the middle of hot summer! Lol.

I'm so happy to be done.

You can see the pattern a little better on the back. Please excuse my bedraggled hair, I spent most of today feeling not so great!

But how could I go without a knitting/crochet project for more than a couple of days? Here is the throw for our bed in the works. I love knitting and crochet because you can just pick it up and work on it, as opposed to hauling out the sewing machine and ironing board! Rachel helped me pick out the yarn this weekend in Fort Worth. I think it's such a pretty color- and I'm knitting it on connected needles so I won't have to do it in panels. I'm excited about making something for our bed!

Washington DC Pictures!

2008-07-20T12:58:00.000-07:00

These are mainly for the benefit of my momma :) But for anyone else who would enjoy, here's the DC pictures!

Miss Faye and I outside the fancy Ritz Carlton.

The capitol building was by far our favorite spot!

We just got soaked by a surprise storm. So sad! :)

We waited and waited, but George and Laura never came out to wave.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial.

It's a REALLY big statue!

My first ever Subway ride. Staying in DC made me wish Texas had better public transit- I would LOVE to sell our cars. Sigh! You can read, crochet, or just relax while someone else does all the driving. And it makes you walk *so* much more- I think we'd all be a lot more fit here if we walked so much!

The Lincoln Memorial is so beautiful at night. And so big!

Cushy beds are nice, but sleeping without your snuggly hubby is not.

I took this one especially for momma. She loves buntings!

The subway tunnels were so neat. And they stayed pretty cool for it being so hot outside- it was a nice respite!

I think we took about 300 pictures or so (!)- this is just a small sample. I would love to spend days and days and days there- there is so much to see! I hope to go back someday. In case I do, I will be remembering these 6 Washington Commandments:

1. Thou shalt never store thy cell phone next to thy Metro card.
(This swiftly makes your cell phone crazy and demagnetizes your Metro card, leading to a kink in your easy traveling.)
2. Thou shalt always wear thy most comfortable shoes.
(Even in my most comfortable shoes, I am covered in blisters.)
3. Thou shalt ask thy congressman for House and Senate passes.
(Otherwise they turn you away at the door. Luckily, its just a short walk over to your friendly obliging Texas Congressman who will quickly aright the situation.)
4. Thou shalt carry a Metro map with thou every where thou goest.
(Otherwise you might accidentally get on the correct color train... going the wrong way. Ahem.)
5. Thou shalt arrive at the capitol building before three P.M.
(They stop giving tours at four- and if you don't happen to run into a friendly federal agent like we did, you won't get a tour! Thankfully and Providentially, we got an even better one that we would have. You can't say no to an after hours guided tour from a federal agent!)
6. Thou shalt travel with an umbrella.
(See above pictures-lol!)

That was silly... but you really might want to remember those things :)

Random Thoughts Meme

2008-07-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you, Tiffany, for the tag! :)

I am: a daughter of the King and a happy wife.
I think: that I don't update my blog nearly enough lately :)
I know: that Christ is coming back again.
I have: a neatly and nicely organized closet, since I just finished taking EVERYTHING out, going through it, and placing it back in, in a wonderfully organized fashion.
I wish: I hadn't told my husband I would *never* need another skirt again (said while cleaning the closet) LOL!
I hate: it when people use my Lord's name in vain. (I stole this from Tiffany- because I agree SO much!)
I miss: my parent's house.
I fear: nothing but the Lord. (As in reverence and awe of our Great and Mighty God)
I feel: happy to be home and catching up on wifely duties. I'll post pictures of DC sometime soon!
I hear: my busy hubby in the background, and the hum of our fridge :)
I smell: chopped celery. (I just made a veggie plate for a church gathering)
I crave: more time at home.
I search: for keys, sunglasses, and pretty much anything else I'm prone to losing!
I wonder: at the gift of the human body, and how amazingly and intricately it works in concert.
I regret: oh... sigh. Lots of things. Thankfully, regret leads to repentance.
I love: my Saviour and God, my hubby, my family, my friends, and my baby kitty.
I ache: for a child of my own.
I am not: very good at sticking to any exercise plan.
I believe: that God knows the desires of my heart.
I dance: pretty much never, unless I'm *really* excited about something.
I sing: ALL the time. I *love* to sing praise with others, especially without accompaniment.
I cry: every time I'm really touched by something. Happy or sad!
I don't always: remember to watch my tongue until too late.
I fight: my sinful nature.
I write: on this blog...
I win: all rhyming games. Muah ah ah ah ah. (thats a cackle, by the way)
I lose: most everything involving sports.
I never: want to see another roach. Yech!
I always: have a cup of coffee in the morning.
I confuse: my poor hubby sometimes :)
I listen: to my hubby, my friends, and family.
I can usually be found: with something Vera Bradley. From purses to bible covers to wallets, I've usually got something with me!
I am scared: of taking a shower when no one else is home. I'm such a baby!
I need: to finish my black crocheted wrap.
I am happy about: being home with my hubby here.
I imagine: what life will be like if and when the Lord gives us children.
I am wearing: a blue and white striped cotton shirt and a ruffled long blue skirt I made.
I look forward to: everything the Lord has planned for us!

A few more photos

2008-07-13T19:43:00.000-07:00

And then I really need to get back to crafting! I'll be visiting Washington D.C. this week, and I *really* hope to finish the black crochet never ending wrap while I'm there. I'd love to start on a throw blanket for our bed, but I just can't justify starting a new project until I'm all done with my wrap!

So now to prove Hubby can be crafty too... He made a potato gun. The general principle is that compressed air propels out whatever it is you put in the other side. We found prickly pears to go the farthest. Note: only do this on a farm. Not in the city!

That's my daddy and my husband... enjoying the potato gun fun, and loading it with compressed air.

Ready, Aim, Fire!

I only shot it once. And I was the only one to hit the target. Tee hee.

Okay, I admit, my uncle helped me aim it :) All credit goes to him!

And how could I forget- Who can resist a rooster that loves to be petted and sit in your lap?

Hubby and I decided...

2008-07-13T19:40:00.000-07:00

The blog needed a new look! I really like the new template... and it was free. The link is at the very bottom of the page, so go check out her really pretty free templates.

A Behind the Scenes Zoo Tour

2008-07-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

While out of town for the Fourth of July, we were blessed to take a "behind the scenes" tour of the Zoo. It was such a joy! And what a learning experience. The zoo director showed us all the feeding rooms, the veterinary room, and all the animals not on display. Even though it was quite warm, and I got a *little* sunburned, it was one of the best experiences of my life! Here are a few pictures...

Here is the very kind zoo director showing us his sweet kitty... Hee hee. This cougar is not on display and was a rescue animal. She's just beautiful in person and purrs like a kitten- a big kitten!

In the background you can see the baby cougars too young to be out in the zoo.

It was so sweet how the cougar purred and nuzzled the director's hand.

A close up!

A funny little fox.

I only wish we had gotten more pictures! It was so nice to have someone there to answer all your questions. I learned so much in such a short amount of time, and had some unforgettable experiences like petting a rhino (!) and getting inside the "outer cage" of the cougars!

Making your Swiffer All Natural

2008-07-01T17:01:00.000-07:00

After my sweet hubby sent me this funny pie chart he made of my postings, I decided I needed some more "granola" in my blog.

Okay, I'm just kidding, I've had this post planned for a while. But I thought it was a funny coincidence :)

First let me say the reason why I do love all things "granola". I believe God our Heavenly Father put lots of wonderful things on this Earth that He created to help us live healthy lives and help in healing many things. I don't believe we're made for loads of chemicals and pesticides to be put in our body daily! Also, I believe this planet God made was a gift, and should be treated with thankfulness and care, just like we treat all gifts from our Heavenly Father.

Now onto Swiffer-ing. I have a love-hate relationship with my Swiffer... I love how it makes the floors squeaky clean, but I hate that chemical smell and the EXCEEDINGLY expensive floor pads and fluid. So I poked around a bit online and found some tutorials to help one out- but most of these were aimed at "sticking it to the man" and such things like that. So I thought I'd make my own to save you the sifting through :)

First ask hubby, very nicely, to cut you a hole in the TOP of your swiffer bottle. Swiffer has ingeniously sealed the cap at the bottom to where you can't get in without breaking the bottle. Hmph. This should be about the same size as the neck of a water bottle. Rinse out the remaining fluid and dry the bottle on the outside.

Now cut the "neck" off of a water bottle. No need to ask hubby, this can be done with a plain old pair of scissors :) Unscrew the top of the bottle off the neck and get your hot glue gun warmed up. If you want a water tight seal, you'll need some fancy glue. If you want one that just makes sure no evaporation is happening and you can easily access the inside, hot glue works just fine! (If you put the bottle into the Swiffer it holds it with the access you made UP) Now glue the neck to the hole in the bottle.

I filled mine with half Vinegar, half water, and a few drops of Lemon essential oil. When I run out of pads for the bottom, I plan on using some Microfiber towels we have. Just toss them in the wash when done! :)

Red Velvet Cake and other Doings

2008-06-28T11:54:00.001-07:00

Its been a bit of a crazy week around our parts. Between my sweet hubby's 24th birthday and general busyness, hubby's car... imploded. Of course, that's my non-technical female term for some very serious bad happenings inside of the engine that led to hubby's old (but faithful) car totalling itself. After paying a pretty penny to get this car fixed to a certain point, the mechanic then discovered that many other bad things (insert technical terms here) had happened. Sigh. The car was kaput. What began as an inconvenience turned into a bit of an event. So, long story short, even though it wasn't what we had planned on, we ended up purchasing a "new to us" car for hubby. Even though this might seem like a bad thing, the Lord provided for us in many ways, guiding this, and I am convinced that this is a good thing the Lord had planned for us. These are the ways the Lord provided for us:

1. Hubby's car died right outside the apartment complex, as opposed to on the highway or at his workplace. Two nice men helped him push it into a spot.
2. Our car insurance covered the towing to a garage.
3. The mechanic who was working on it bought it for the amount we owed plus a wee bit more. (Such a blessing!!)
4. We found a great used car quickly and the Lord has provided for us financially.
5. Hubby's car was quite old and took up a lot of his free time fixing it. Now that free time can be used for things like... oh, I don't know... dates with his wifey :)

We've had a wonderful Saturday so far, and I've made a Red Velvet Cake for a little family party we are having for him. Something about making a red cake in a red kitchen wearing a red apron makes me blissfully happy!

Many thanks go to Momma for reading me her great recipe over the phone. I made my own buttermilk (see the note at the bottom on how to do that) and I think it turned out great. No since in buying buttermilk when you have vinegar and milk on hand! The icing is doubled, not 1 1/2'd like I originally wrote, so use the numbers to the right.

Note: You must, must wear an apron, unless you wear all red while baking this cake:)

It's a yummy three tiered treat when you're all done.
I'll try to post pictures of the finished product when I ice it all!

The finished Polka Dotted Dress

2008-06-22T09:05:00.000-07:00

I've been quite delinquent lately about posting pictures of the actual *finished* products of my crafting :) Without further ado, here's the navy polka dotted dress I made for a friend's wedding. The picture is a little out of focus, but it will have to suffice, since I didn't take any others!

Sadly, I was more than a little disappointed with the quality of the fabric. Even though it was more pricey than I would normally pay in the store, it was thinner and more cheap feeling when it arrived than anything I've ever bought. Sigh... once again, I was struck by The Perils of Online Fabric Buying. I think I'll stick to JoAnn's from now on... and this time I mean it!

Questions we Need to Ask

2008-06-22T08:59:00.000-07:00

As summer is approaching (or is already here, like in Texas) :)

Do God's standards on modesty change because I approach a body of water?

Who are we trying to please- God? or man?

Here's a great read.

1 Year Together

2008-06-14T13:07:00.000-07:00

It is AMAZING to me to think we have been married for a year! Sometimes I feel it was just yesterday- and sometimes I feel like we've always been married :)

(This post is a few days late since we were celebrating and I didn't have time to blog on the real day) :)

On our sixth month anniversary, I posted about my top ten favorite things about being married. This time, I thought I'd write about my five favorite things I've learned *while* being married.

1. I remember a sweet friend telling me once, "You'll never know how sinful you really are until you get married." At the time, I was completely puzzled about what she meant. Boy Howdy, now I understand :) Being married is like looking in a mirror and seeing yourself as you truly are- I think a lot like the way God sees us. It has truly helped me grow in my walk with the Lord EXPONENTIALLY!

2. That things will not always turn out the way you wanted them to- and that's OKAY! In fact, that's GOOD. Looking back, I would have thought our lives one year into marriage would look completely different from how they look now. But Praise be to God for His Perfect Plans. And thanks be to God for teaching me contentment, and helping me realize *my* way isn't the best way.

3. How being young and being married is one of the best gifts the Lord has given me. So many people questioned and told us we were too young. My favorite reply to that, of course, was "My grandmother had been married for 6 years and already had 4 babies with another on the way by now. The way I look at it, I'm way behind." I was joking... mostly... but I loved to watch people's faces when I said it :)

4. How much more a supportive and loving family means to you. I've called my momma probably a billion times in the past year, with questions ranging from, "How in the world do I get x stain out of y fabric?" to "Now how exactly do I make this pie?". All the silly things I really thought I knew before I got married... that I apparently didn't know. I think while you live at home, you don't really appreciate all the little things.

5. That love can grow and change in ways completely unexpected. I love my husband in so many different ways now- not just the silly girlish love that is desperate for his attention (of course, that's still around sometimes!), but also a steady kind of love- a kind of love I believe can only come from the Lord. The kind where you would lay down your life for one another, and I don't mean in the dramatic "Romeo and Juliet" kind of way. I mean the daily, silly, sometimes ridiculous way. Like laying down desires and needs to make room for the other's way. The same sweet someone who once told me how I'd see my own sin better when I was married also once spoke to me about living for the Lord. I remember her saying, a lot of people would say they would die for the Lord. The kind where someone holds a gun to your head and asks you if you are a Christian. But how many people can LIVE for the Lord? The kind of life where you daily lay down your needs, your desires, and your wants. It's a lot harder to die every single minute. And that's how I see true married love. It may sound completely ridiculous, but dying to your need to fold tee shirts a certain way can be hard. Dying to your need to wash the dishes a certain way can be hard. Silly? Yes. But I don't think anyone but a happily married couple can understand how much those little things mean.

Thank you to everyone who remembered our anniversary even though I didn't post about it. It *truly* warmed my heart.

We read our vows again to celebrate- and to remember. It was very convicting to remember all the things I vowed before God. May He give us, in His Everlasting Mercy, many more happy years together, and many more things learned.

GROOM

I, Colin, covenant before God and man, to you Lauren Christine to
be your loving husband, and to lead you, to protect you, and provide for you in devotion to the Lord.

I vow to love you as my wife as Christ loved the church, to lay down my life for you, to wash you with the water of the word, to love you as my own body and to nourish and cherish you as the Lord does the church; to render unto you the affection due you, knowing that I do not have authority over my own body but you do, to dwell with you according to knowledge, giving honor unto you and living together with you as heirs together of the grace of life.

You alone will be my delight as the wife of my youth where divorce is neither a threat nor an option. I will fight for you and for our family. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow; in times of failure and in times of triumph till death do us part. I pledge to you my life as a loyal and faithful husband.

BRIDE

I, Lauren Christine, covenant before God and man, to you Colin, to be your loving wife, and to obey you, be faithful unto you, and care for you in devotion to the Lord.
Just as the Church is subject to Christ in all things, so will I be unto you in everything. I will live first for God, and then for you. I vow to always build up our household and seek to crown you by nobility in my character. I will discretely and chastely keep our home, working with eager hands, and always seeking to bring you good, not harm, all the days of my life.
If the Lord so chooses to bless us, it will be my delight to be the fruitful bearer of your children, and I will help you teach them the commandments of the Lord as we talk of them in our house, as we walk by the way, when we lie down, and when we rise up. Wherever you go, I will go. I will not separate myself from you. Wherever you lodge, I will lodge, your people will be my people, and your God, my God. The Lord do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph, till death do us part. I pledge to you my life as your loyal, obedient, and faithful wife.

Tag! :)

2008-06-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

I was tagged for a fun meme by sweet Tiffany, who I had the pleasure of meeting (along with her lovely sister Shannon) at the SAICFF Sense and Sensibility get together. (They are on the far right in the picture)

Who is your all-time favorite author and why?

Too Easy :) Miss Jane Austen. I love that *every* book ends in a happy marriage. And every love story is so sweet. The families are endearing, and none of the "modern" problems plague those gals! I'm now in the process of finishing up Mansfield Park- I decided to try to read all of her books this year.

Who was your first favorite author and why? Do you still consider him/her to be among your favorites?

First Favorite Author... definitely Beverly Lewis. I still consider her to be among my favorites to be sure. I love the stories of Amish communities and families- the lives in the book are simple and yet complicated. Wonderful stories!

Who is the most recent addition to your list of favorite authors, and why?

Hmm... I'd have to say L.M. Montgomery. I hadn't read Anne of Green Gables or the rest of the series until earlier this year (I know! Shocking) but I fell in love with them when I began the series. I've read the first three and I have plans to continue on with them as soon as I'm done with my last Austen.

If someone asked you who your favorite authors were right now, which authors would first pop out of your mouth? Well, the ones listed above :) and Debi Pearl since I'm slowly making my way through Created to be His Helpmeet.

Thanks for tagging me! Lots of the blogs I read have already been tagged, so I'll just tag Jaimee and Jennifer (if they'll play) :)

Back to our Regularly Scheduled Craft Programming

2008-06-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Our local Pottery Barn outlet has the greatest "bargain bins" in the whole world (in my humble opinion) :) Everything in them is marked half off, and an additional 70% off of that. Of course, it takes me a while to do that math... but its worth it!

You have to be really committed to digging. And washing. Because nothing is in its original package, and there is a lot of junk in those bins.

I was so excited to come across two different window sheers, and I paid about 3$ for each of them. All this white one needed was some serious trimming and hemming (about 29 inches too long!) and some serious washing and ironing. It was so worth it though!

Shown here is the other one I picked up. I have *no* idea what to do with it!

Here's the options:
1. It's about 15 inches too short. I could add fabric to the bottom (using what I cut off of the other and maybe adding some purple ribbon to cover the seam)
2. I could make a contrasting valance to go above it.
3. I could make it into throw pillows for the bed, and bite the bullet to pay full price for the matching sheer that goes with the door.

Any advice or better recommendations??? :)

The Road Trip, Part Two: Creation Museum

2008-06-02T17:28:00.000-07:00

As my dough rises in the kitchen, I have the perfect opportunity to finish the trip post! We absolutely LOVED visiting the Creation Museum- I've been wanting to go there since they opened a year ago. It was truly awesome to watch Scripture applied in a museum! The planetarium was great, and the gardens were beautiful, but the museum was by far the best part. Please excuse the fact that the pictures are in kind of a reverse order- that's just the way they uploaded.

One of the neat things we learned about is that before the fall, the dinos were herbivores in Eden. And you could pet them. (Maybe)Beautiful gardens outside- very Eden like :)
The bridge is a wobbly bridge though, so be careful!!

Oh no! This dinosaur has just realized that meat is good to eat. This is after the fall, of course, since all dinosaurs were herbivores before. Run, hubby, run!

I would not have wanted to be around when T Rex realized that he was now a carnivore.

Biblical History is the KEY to understanding dinosaurs.
Learning all about dinosaurs!

Grumbly workers helping out Noah. And the explanation of Gopher wood, if you have very good eyes!
Noah in the background, chatting with a carpenter.
Uh oh, should have listened to Noah...
Where Shem, Ham, and Japeth went after Babel.
I love dinosaur statues!

The museum is laid out following the "7 C's". I love how EVERYTHING points to CHRIST!
The Garden of Eden.
Hubby watching a dinosaur eat a pineapple. Yum!
Uh Oh, the tempter is coming (look at the tree)
Everything ends with an awesome movie explaining the cross and Jesus' sacrifice. I loved how they used biblical creation to help people understand how the Bible is completely true and Jesus is Lord!

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

2008-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time on our vacation- from fellowshipping with wonderful friends to enjoying the Creation Museum and God's wonderful, beautiful earth. Here are some fun pictures from our trip!

Our first stop was Dallas, where we stayed with my beautiful pregnant friend Rachel. Isn't her belly gorgeous?? I just loved feeling little Luke wiggle and hiccup.

Next we drove to Hot Springs, Arkansas. We went on tours of the springs and bath houses from the 1900's, and then camped... while it stormed :) It was a little... damp... but fun. Hubby said I'm a real prairie muffin.

The bath houses were very neat- a little reminiscent of Titanic. Touring the showers was a little weird...

The piano lady, dressed in the newest of fashions.

Hubby enjoying the promenade.

After enjoying some *very* hot spring water, we headed to the Gardens. They were majestic, breathtaking... unbelievable. The chapel there was truly amazing. Alas, the camera died before we reached the chapel and the bridge.

Even when one is enjoying the outdoors, one must stay connected. :)

Hubby took some beautiful pictures of flowers.

To give you an idea of how big the trees were!

I absolutely *loved* Arkansas- I was so sad to leave! We were there for only two days- sniff! I want to go back, definitely. The people were so nice, and the trees were enormous!!

On to Tennessee...

Memphis was... disappointing. Here is the most fun we had: imitating the giant statues. I guess Memphis would be more fun if you liked that kind of music...

Hubby posing like Elvis.

Me doing the best air guitar I know how to do (terrible).

Allright, onto Nashville to see our friends!

One can simply not go to Nashville without hearing some country music. Some was good- some was... not.

We ate crackers and cheese at a vineyard. Upon reflection, the vineyard looks a lot like a graveyard in pictures. Hmph.

Awww, we love each other. :)

To Kentucky!!

The most Providential meeting of friends from Texas in Louisville, Kentucky. Amazing!

Bethan is the Hostess with the Most-ess. Isn't she adorable?

Menfolk.

Such a sweetheart! And one of the best wives I know. What an inspiration :)

From there we headed to the Creation Museum. But I must break from blogging... my hands are tired... and we took about a million pictures there. :)

The Trip so Far!

2008-05-24T09:17:00.001-07:00

Just a few pictures of our trip in progress - we are currently in Nashville, TN - and loving it!

Hugging sweet Rachel's belly. I completely cried when I felt little Luke Allen move inside his sweet mommy. What a wonderful, beautiful, amazing moment!

At the Arkansas State Line. The people in Arkansas were SO friendly and welcoming! Who knew that Arkansas is a breathtakingly beautiful state.

At the bath houses in Hot Springs, Arkansas...

At the Tennessee State Line, hugging the "Egg" that birthed Rock n Roll (?)

More updates and LOTS more pictures to come! :)

Mix and Match Packing at It's Best

2008-05-20T11:17:00.000-07:00

*Everything* is green, blue, and pink. *Everything* matches Everything!

Modifying for Modesty

2008-05-18T15:20:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've got one of these somewhere in your closet... lurking in the back. I know I did. For almost a year an old ex-favorite denim skirt hid away, waiting for its time to shine. Somehow, someway this skirt became too short. It used to be below the bottoms of my knees... and worked its way up above my knees. Now I know I haven't grown any taller in at least 5 years or so, so I must surmise that this was due to improper washing procedures :) The skirt was then exiled until further measures could be taken.

My original idea was to sew a ruffle on the bottom, but the style of the skirt made that seem like a strange afterthought. A straight piece across the bottom would be better, I thought... but upon asking the advice of my sweet momma, we agreed that it would be worth the teeny amount of extra work to inset the fabric addition above four inches into the skirt.

I found the perfect piece of fabric in my "newer" stash. A lovely Mary Engelbreit fabric meant to accent another project... that didn't end up matching. Alas, the Perils of Online Fabric Shopping! (Place hand against forehead and sigh dramatically)

With no further ado, here is the finished product! A new favorite to be sure, and now perfectly tea length.

Finally!

2008-05-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

A picture of the finished product, which I happily wore to church on Sunday:

I ended up just making a skirt out of the pattern, since I wear my skirts SO much more than I wear my dresses :)

Now I'm busy working on some *new* projects (lol) and trying to make a list of everything I need for our 10 day trip! I don't think I've ever packed that many clothes before. Does anyone have any good tips for packing well for a long trip? I'm trying not to take too much... so I'm thinking some "mix and match" will work well...

Sewing and Modesty

2008-05-09T12:29:00.001-07:00

I'm so thankful for the ability to sew... more now than ever before. I recently ventured on a shopping trip with a sweet friend who is getting married in June to find a dress for the wedding. She had only one desire: that it be blue! We searched high and low, long and far, ending up with only exhaustion and no dresses. Truly, I found not *one* single modest dress. Not just no modest blue dresses, not just no modest inexpensive dresses... literally not a single dress that met my standards. If it had sleeves, it was too short. If it was long enough (just a few inches below the knees people! I'm not asking much here...) it was strapless, backless, low cut, or all of the above. How disheartening! I came home and googled modest dresses (that was the level of desperation!) And found this.

I was happy... but that dress was just too overpriced when you added in the 15$ shipping. Not to mention they were out of my size...

A few minutes on www.fabric.com, and I found some material that matched closely enough to the ideal. And now I'm stitching away, combining my favorite dress pattern with my favorite sleeves from another pattern. I just can't imagine what I'd be doing if I couldn't sew! Sigh. (Thanks again to my sweet momma for teaching me) :)

My nephew...

2008-05-08T07:17:00.001-07:00

is officially precious. Look at those eyes!

I can't wait to meet baby Noah for the first time on our road trip at the end of the month.

He hath made every thing beautiful in his time....

2008-05-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

I am very much enjoying the happy blooming of our balcony flowers. This lovely earring plant had a very rough winter... it got a little frozen, and what was left kitty ate until it was just a brown stick in a pot. I thought I would have to throw it away. Can you believe how it has come back to life? A little like Lazarus, I think...

And here is "The Lemon". Now it has five wee competitors, but it's still the biggest by far!

A gift from my momma, pretty pink impatiens.

The beginnings of a pretty passion flower vine, started by my brother.

Now, to keep all these plants happy takes quite a bit of water. I was telling my momma how I was making several trips back and forth from the kitchen with my coffee pot (biggest container I owned!) to water all of them, so she brought me an old vinegar container so I would only have to make one trip :)

I then decided a little decoration was in order. A bit of fabric left over from the window treatments and chairs, a little more puff paint, and Ta Da! I now water in style. What a fun free project.

Last Week's Birthday Project

2008-05-01T12:21:00.001-07:00

The sweet birthday girl :)

A wee little handkerchief embroidered with Proverbs 17:17.

This is when the quilting tools become very handy for getting your spacing even!

We Really Like Vera Bradley.

...I think that picture makes my purse look obnoxiously huge. But I always manage to fill it up! Tee hee.

Itty Bitty Baby Dress

2008-04-26T15:20:00.000-07:00

I knew I was saving those scraps for a reason...

Made from leftovers of a skirt (the polka dot fabric), a pillowcase (the red pleated trim) and some embroidery floss from who knows when :)

Since I was trying not to buy anything for this, I picked out the stitching from part of the pleated trim and ironed my little heart out to make the waistband.

I used this wonderful free pattern.

And I upped the size a little bit, because well, I weighed 8 pounds... and my husband weighed nearly 10.

(I had to edit this when I showed hubby. I had put that he weighed nine pounds, but he proudly corrected me he came in at almost ten. Scary...)

To be tucked away for my someday...

Progress!

2008-04-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

I may not have been posting, but I've been making progress!

Lots of gathering has been done...

And lots of crochet... (I'm finally down to the *last* skein of yarn! Yay!)

And a wee little baby dress in the works, with a touch of embroidery, inspired by Shannon's lovely projects.

Of course, most of my craft time this week has been spent on one certain project, but that can't be posted until a certain someone's birthday is over :)

(And no, I wasn't trying to get kitty in every picture, but he was following me around and sprawling over whatever I was trying to take a picture of...)

What Fun

2008-04-21T14:44:00.001-07:00

We went camping this weekend, and had such a great time. Here I am trying to be a "Real Prairie Muffin" (according to my husband) and set up the tent on my own.

A little help from the hubby, and we're ready to go! Its a small tent, but just right for the two of us.

Hubby surveying the dam.

Foil dinners don't look yummy in a picture, but they taste FANtastic!

Beautiful view!

We dressed our friend up as Eve in the Garden.

I barely made it across the river, but hubby caught me before I fell.

It was a wonderful trip, and such a blessing to get away from all the hustle and bustle for a few days. It's great to be outside of cell service and away from the laptops for a while, just listening to the birds sing as you wake up to the sunshine filtering through the trees. Of course, nothing like being a maiden sleeping sound on the dank and dirty ground* will make you appreciate your wonderfully soft bed.

*I admit, I borrowed that from Shakespeare. :)

Happy Tax Day!

2008-04-16T16:59:00.000-07:00

To the rest of the world, April 15th might be a bad day. To a "tax wife"... it's the very best of days! Thanks to the (very much appreciated) advice of fellow CPA wife Mrs. Lavin, I made a special meal to celebrate the day I got my husband back to myself for a few months :) This including one of his favorite things I make... Cream Cheese Pound Cake! (Note: I use the 1/4 cup buttermilk substitution in the butter for a more moist cake)

For this cake, You Must Use Your Stand Mixer. You Must.
I tried it with my wee little hand mixer to save time. I gave up when I was adding the sugar and my arm was quickly numbing with fatigue! So I switched 'er over to good old Red. I'm so thankful for this sweet wedding present from my grandmother.

I really know how to make a mess...

Mmmm, but the final product is *oh so* worth it!

Marriage and the Glory of God

2008-04-15T10:31:00.000-07:00

I hope if you are married, or someday want to be married, you'll take the time to read this great post by R. Albert Mohler, Jr. In a culture that so disrespects and discredits a marital union, it is refreshing to think of oneself as a "counter-revolutionary" :) Here are a few highlights:

"Our culture is so sexually confused that the goods of sex are severed from the vows and obligations of marriage. Thanks to modern technologies, we can have sex without babies, babies without sex, and both without marriage. For many, marriage has become an irrelevancy."

"The end of marriage is its beginning — the glory of God, the mystery of Christ and the church. The exclusivity and purity of the marriage bond points to the exclusivity and purity of the relationship between Christ and His church.

How does marriage glorify God? Tertullian, one of the early church fathers, offers wisdom: "How beautiful, then, the marriage of two Christians, two who are one in home, one in desire, one in the way of life they follow, one in the religion they practice... Nothing divides them either in flesh or in spirit... They pray together, they worship together, they fast together; instructing one another, encouraging one another, strengthening one another. Side by side they visit God's church and partake God's banquet, side by side they face difficulties and persecution, share their consolations. They have no secrets from one another; they never shun each other's company; they never bring sorrow to each other's hearts... Seeing this Christ rejoices. To such as these He gives His peace. Where there are two together, there also He is present."

(Pictured above is hubby's wedding ring- inscribed with "faithfully yours 6/9/07")

Amazing!

2008-04-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

Warning... this is another post about girl things. :)

I'm so amazed! Raspberry Leaf Tea is my new best friend. When I bought it a few weeks ago, I thought when I read the package describing the tea's "female benefits" that it would be really great if it actually worked. But honestly... I bought it because I thought Raspberry Leaf Tea would taste good. And it does! Which is the reason I've been drinking it quite a bit lately.

I was recently surprised by my first "on time" cycle for the first time since I've been plotting it- for 10 months now, since we've been married. This was a wonderful blessing, since having a one to two week late period every month can be a little... emotionally torturous.

Also, I was virtually cramp free. I've had awful back cramps for as long as I can remember- and I'm terribly allergic to painkillers. Every single one (even Tylenol, to the surprise of my doctor) I've ever tried has quickly ushered me into anaphylactic shock. Not a fun experience... so I have learned to just bear the aches and pains.

I didn't even remember that the Raspberry Leaf Tea was for this, until I was making a list for the grocery store and was adding tea to the list. I happened to re-read the box and I realized the only thing that was different this month than all others... I'd been drinking this tea. Wow! And don't worry... I'm not secretly being paid by the Tea manufacturer. But if you are having some of the same problems I had, give it a try! (And I don't drink massive amounts of this tea. Really more like one or two glasses every couple of days brewed medium strong.)

Here's the brand that I happened to buy, but I'm sure any organic brand would work just as fine.

A Trip Worth Taking

2008-04-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

I'm getting excited about the end of May...

A little Fun

2008-04-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Who are you in Anne's Circle of Friends?

2008-04-07T09:10:00.001-07:00

Today I thought I would share a sampling of quotations that I've happened upon over the past few years and jotted down in my "inspiration" spiral. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

"Lord, do Thou turn me all into love,
and all my love into obedience,
and let my obedience be
without interruption."
-Jeremy Taylor

“A good wife is Heaven’s last, best gift to man, his angel and minister of graces innumerable, his gem of many virtues; her voice his sweetest music, her smiles his brightest day, her kiss the guardian of his innocence, her arms the pale of his safety, the balm of his health, the sure balsam of his life; her industry his surest wealth, her economy his safest steward, her lips his faithful counselor, her bosom the softest pillow of his cares, and her prayers the ablest advocate of Heaven’s blessing on his head.”
J.R. Miller, Home Making

"Some people think God does not like to be troubled with our constant coming and asking. The way to trouble God is not to come at all."
-D.L. Moody

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is in the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit."
Jeremiah 17:7-8

"For they say when you marry in June... you're a bride all your life!" - Seven Brides for Seven Brothers

"Chastity is so essential and natural to your sex, that every declination from it is a proportional receding from your womanhood. An immodest woman is a kind of monster, distorted from its proper form."
A Letter of Genteel and Moral Advice to a Young Lady
Wetenhall Wilkes, 1741

"My greatest ambition is to have a successful, happy marriage." -Nancy Reagan

"She is grace herself. . . . That is what a woman ought to be. She ought to produce the effect of exquisite music." -George Eliot

"A woman's worth is to be estimated by the real goodness and sweetness of her character; and a woman with a kindly disposition and well-balanced temper, is both lovely and attractive, be her face ever so plain and her figure ever so homely; she makes the best of wives and the truest of mothers."
- T.L. Haines & L.W. Yaggy ('To Young Women', 1876)

"Thy husband is thy lord, thy life, thy keeper,
Thy head, thy sovereign, one that cares for thee,
And for thy maintenance; commits his body
To painful labor, both by sea and land;
To watch the night in storms, the day in cold,
Whilst thou li’st warm at home, secure and safe;
And craves no other tribute at thy hands
But love, fair looks, and true obedience-
Too little payment for so great a debt.
Such duty as the subject owes the prince,
Even such a woman oweth to her husband;
And when she is froward, peevish, sullen, sour,
And no obedient to his honest will,
What is she but a foul contending rebel,
And graceless traitor to her loving lord?
I asham’d that women are so simple
‘To offer war where they should kneel for peace,
Or seek for rule, supremacy, and sway,
When they are bound to serve, love, and obey.
Why are our bodies soft, and weak, and smooth,
Unapt to toil and trouble in the world,
But that our soft conditions, and our hearts,
Should well agree with our external parts?"

-Kate, “The Taming of the Shrew"

"Ladies should also remember that gentlemen look more to the effect of a dress in setting off the figure and countenance of a lady than to its cost. Very few gentlemen have any idea the value of ladies' dresses. This is a subject for female criticism. Beauty of person and elegance of manners in women will always command more admiration from the opposite sex than beauty, elegance or costliness of clothing."
The Scholars' Companion and Ball Room Vade Mecum
Thomas Hillgrove, 1857

"Father, I know that all my life is portioned out for me, and the changes that are sure to come, I do not fear to see; but I ask Thee for a present mind intent on pleasing Thee."
-Anna L. Waring

The fruit of my Momma's hands

2008-04-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my Momma and I organized and cleaned out some of her old maternity clothes and my baby clothes. I am so excited to know that when I am ready to put them to use, she saved lots of things for me! From little tees to lace trimmed shirts and a green silk dress, most of the maternity clothes she made will be happily worn by me, Lord willing! :)
I am so amazed at my her sewing skills, I had to share my little dresses she saved. She made all of these- and the details are breathtaking. Pictures just won't do them justice. All the insides are finished to perfection- bound with soft fabrics for sweet baby skin, trimmed with hand sewn cotton lace, and all smocked or embroidered by my Momma's sweet hands. I pray the Lord blesses us with a daughter so that these may all be worn again!

So here for your viewing enjoyment, is a sampling of her work. Nothing is store bought- everything is hand made. I'm hoping to learn how to smock sometime soon so that I can make things as lovely as these!

Thank you so much, Momma, for loving me so much and putting so much love into my clothes!!

A beautiful Christmas dress in red velvet, trimmed with lace and a deep ruffle at the bottom, covered by a smocked pinafore with little Christmas trees.

These are some of my favorites. Little rompers... I just love the sheep. And I love the unique touch of the little black sheep :)

A closeup of those cute little sheep :)

Hand painted little tulips over a seersucker jumper.

My "Little House on the Prairie" dress. And my flower girl dress, made with one of my Mema's handkerchiefs for a collar, with pretty little pintucks. Too bad I wouldn't actually walk down the aisle in it... :) Guess I was a little too scared at the last minute!

Little painted farm animals on my denim jumper.

Lovely summer dresses!

My Easter dress. Apparently I sat down the first time I wore it and picked off all the little bunny tails. Momma had to make new ones!

A closeup of the bunnies!

More summer dresses!

And last, a gingham dress with my initials.

A little Hint

2008-04-02T17:38:00.000-07:00

of projects in the works...

"How big should I make my petticoat?"

"Our petticoats were so big, we used to knock the pencils off of the desks when walking past!" -My grandmother in law, said with a little chuckle :)

What I woke up to this Morning

2008-03-31T08:41:00.001-07:00

Note to self: Never leave cat treats in reach of cat.

Bad Kitty.

Modesty in the Christian Woman

2008-03-28T11:20:00.001-07:00

After some sweet requests for a post on modesty, I have been trying to write this post in my head for several days. First, I would like to begin by saying that any modesty in my life is truly a testimony to the Lord changing hearts and having everlasting patience to bring His children to sanctification. Before I became a Christian, I had absolutely no thought about modesty. My only concern was what looked pretty and popular. I look back on so many of my choices with sadness and shame, but I remember that Godly sorrow leadeth to repentance. Which is a Good Thing. Even after I became a Christian, I didn't really understand modesty. It took many years, and many godly young women in my life to help me to follow the Lord's leading in this area. I think the biggest struggle was that I saw modesty as being unattractive. I saw young ladies not dressing feminine at all, and that was my picture of a modest woman! Well, I certainly didn't want any part of that. Thanks be to God, He led me, through a series of funny coincidences, to Ladies Against Feminism. Wow! What a great website. That is when I really *got* modesty finally. (I'm a slow learner!) And even now, every day, I learn more about what being modest is really about. So this is definitely not a "how to" post from a girl who "is completely there". This is just my testimony about my own personal journey, and the Lord's sweet forgiveness and lovingkindness towards me.
Believe this... it was a long journey. It involved a lot of struggle. It still does sometimes! Oh, that sinful nature. It does creep up on you! I had to throw out quite a bit of my clothing. I had friends and family members who slowly noticed the change, and began to think I'd gone completely out of my mind. But if someone asks me why "I wear skirts all the time" or why "I've changed the way I dress so much", what a great opportunity to tell them about the Hope that I have! And how my Saviour has changed my heart and my life!
Here's a little bit of the nitty gritty, so to speak. Some call "rules" legalistic. Now I'm not saying that being modest will save your soul. No sirree, it will bring you no salvation, and no joy, without accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour. So don't call me legalistic, thank you :)
I stick to "elbows to freckle to bottoms of kneecaps". Turns out I have a wonderful freckle a few inches below my collarbone smack in the middle of my chest. I think this was God's way of giving me a marker :) Also, OF COURSE, if you can see the outlines of your body or the contours of every feminine curve, it doesn't matter that it's a different color because your wearing clothing over it. So yes... I think skirts are more modest than pants. ( Eeek! Now people will really think I'm crazy! ) But also I believe there are times and places for looser pants (loose scrubs or along those lines) or a cute above-the-knees dress over jeans. I do have my trendy days....
My own personal thought? Err on the side of caution. When it comes to Judgement Day, I would much rather hear, "You were a little more modest than you needed to be," than "You led many men into sin by your appearance." Once again, this has been such a long road for me. By Grace the Lord has showed me and led me gently to where I am today. Never think that you can't change. Never think you've gone too far to return to modesty. Remember what the Lord says about the greater debter? May I love more for my forgiveness. For without that, I would be the greatest sinner of them all.
Now about my sweet hubby... He said he might guest post about this subject! But he is a very busy man, being the wonderful provider he is. So it might be a while before he does! I can say though, how unbelievably hard it would be to uphold standards of modesty if your husband did not support it. What a tragedy that would be. Praise God my hubby loves the fact that I save my feminine form for his eyes only.
Hear are some of the things that helped change my heart, my point of view, and just plain encourage me:
The Secret Garden, by Mrs. Jennie Chancey
Ladies Against Feminism Modesty Section
A Return to Modesty, by Wendy Shalit
Getting Used to Dresses
My favorite article about modesty, by Mrs. Jennie Chancey
If anyone has a question... or wants to add their own standards or a great link, please let me know!

Easter Dress

2008-03-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

The best laid plans... sometimes don't turn out like we thought they would! I had great plans for a Regency drawstring Easter dress made with some embroidered linen that I had gotten on sale in the winter. I cut out the pattern, laid out the fabric, and well... inspiration was no where in sight! As a gal who usually has to talk herself out of a new project, this was truly strange. I blame it on the fact that I've been really more into 50's dresses lately. So I decided to dig in the back of the ol' closet and see what I could find! Sure enough, I had a lovely dress from Target, worn only once to a bridal shower, which after seeing the pictures of myself in the dress, I had made up my mind to never be seen in again :) I'm sure we all have moments like that! Hee hee. After some puzzling, I decided to give the dress another try... this time with some proper undergarments. After some tweaks, a petticoat, and a sweater added, it fit like a dream and finally gave me the proper silhouette!

Here is a peak at the petticoat. I used eyelet that was from my momma's stash... passed down from my great grandmother's stash! I was terrified to use it, but momma assured me that someone really should finally use it, and my mema would be happy for it to be put to use :) I also wore one of my mema's handkerchiefs in my hair. I felt just delightfully vintage!

Making your own Magnets

2008-03-21T19:12:00.000-07:00

Today I was wonderfully inspired at the craft store. I happened upon some scrapbooking stickers that matched our kitchen and breakfast room *exactly*! I can only assume that the companies' artists must know each other... or be the same sweet gal. So I stood on the sticker aisle, puzzling over how I could possibly incorporate these stickers into my kitchen...

Of course, some of the stickers would have to be thrown away... the ones with the silly catch phrases on them. I've never been one for silly phrases.

...Thinking...

Ah! Magnets! I didn't have any matching magnets for my kitchen theme. I found a wonderful selection of magnet paper that is scissors friendly.

All you must do is trace the shape onto the paper, cut it out very carefully, and then peel off the sticky backing from the magnet paper. I bought the kind that was picture sized since it was most cost effective, and I had lots left over, so I'll put it away for future inspiration I think.

Now my fridge coordinates quite well!

Also, the Easter dress plans have been "revised". I'll post when I'm done! :)

I hope everyone had a blessed Good Friday.

Why World's Best Cat Litter should actually be called...

2008-03-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

World's Worst Cat Litter.

Maybe I was taken in by the fact that it was "natural" and "good for the environment". But mostly I was excited about the claim that it wouldn't track (yay! No more crunchy kitty litter on the bathroom floor!) and that it wouldn't poof. Supposedly also it would not be smelly... and it was flushable! Well, I was sold. I bought a bag, joyfully pondering my new litter, picturing myself happily flushing away.

Two weeks later, the honeymoon is over. World's Best is actually World's Worst. Here I list my grievances, to protect other cat owners from wasting money, and also to make myself feel the whole experience wasn't for naught.

1) Not track-able... should read... "Less track-able" at best.
2) Flushable. Sounds good at first. Really what this means is, "You used to clean your litter box every 2 to 3 days. Now you'll get to clean it 3 to 4 times PER day!"
3) Stinky. This should be on the box. Now... I'm not just talking about odor control. The actual litter, sans kitty surprises, is seriously stinky.
4) Your cat will hate it, and strike against the litter box. Enough said.

Alright, now I feel better.

And tomorrow, I'm going back to my old friend Fresh Step. I guess the "Fragrance Free" kind will have to be the most natural we go...

Girls Really Living

2008-03-16T15:20:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the wonderful blessing of helping out with a new 12-13 year olds bible study. It was so much fun- first we learned about how our God is a Jealous God for us and wants to be first in our hearts, minds, and souls. Then we learned about how to spend time with the Lord and enrich our daily walk with Him. And of course, this was followed by some lovely fellowship and craft time! Everyone made a journal (including myself) :) to take home and use for journaling during quiet times. I was so inspired by these young ladies, and so blessed to be involved in the day. Here are some fun pictures of our group at "work"!

Explaining the craft...

Alright everyone, let's get started!

Carefully trace the journal shape onto the scrapbook paper, cut, and glue away!

One of our lovely hostesses, and another sweet helper.

Putting on the finishing touches.

Everybody hold up your journal and smile!

Vintage Fifties Housecoat

2008-03-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

I've been watching Anna over at Pleasant View Schoolhouse sew beautiful things for a while now. I absolutely adore her vintage fashions. And I love her housecoats:

Inspiration

Inspired yet?

Want one for yourself now?

Here's where you start checking ebay for a pattern of your own...

Just in case you didn't guess it yet, I bought a pattern :)

I can just see it in flannel polka dots.

For Women Only

2008-03-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

If you are a boy... stop reading now. I have no idea why any male would read my blog, but on the .001% chance that one accidentally happens upon this blog, here's your warning.

Really. No boys allowed. Don't worry girls, its completely G rated for you- but no boys allowed.

Last warning.

Okay, Ladies! I was trying to decide whether or not to post about this. My momma thought I was a "little crazy" for this... and hubby thought I was "alot crazy". Lol. So I'll try to do this as tastefully as possible. As a girl who definitely wants to cloth diaper, I find this much along the same lines. If I'm not willing to put those nasty chemicals up against my, Lord willing, future babies' bums, why would I put them on me? Not to mention the fact that this will save money and save the environment :) I found this website that sells women's "monthly supplies" that are chemical free and reusable. But WOW! Those prices! Gasp! That was never gonna happen. So I tried my hand at making my own and found this tutorial that helped me figure out the logistics.

First I took some lilac flannel from the ol' stash that I bought a year or so ago. I would have loved to use a fun print like on the Glad Rags website, but I couldn't justify going out to buy something that I already had... hmph. :)

I traced the shape of some of my own "products" and added wings. I then used this as a template for the rest of the project.

I needed Ari's help, of course.

For the actual pads, make the bottom piece larger so when you put it all together, there is an overlap flap. I zig zagged the edges twice since I read it would add too much bulk to sew the outside and turn it inside out. A serger would have been great to have, but this worked just fine. Mine aren't very pretty... but that doesn't bother me!

Then I cut 2 flannel squares out, zig zagged them together, and did a little free form quilting (Ha!) Here you see my sad attempt at a heart. Wow. Terrible.

This you tri-fold to make an insert.

And of course, you must sew a snap on the flaps to make everything stay in place. After working on these all morning, I will say, hand sewing on snaps is the most, ahem, patience trying part of the whole ordeal.

For a pantyliner, just don't leave the back open- and only use the 2 layers of flannel.

Since I used stash flannel that I think cost me 2 dollars, and stash snaps that were gifted to me... this was literally a no -to extremely low- cost project!

I know this is a pretty personal subject, but I never would have thought about it before- so I had to share the inspiration.

Saving exposure to chemicals? Great!

Saving money? Fantastic!

Saving the environment at the same time? Fabulous.

Hubby's Homemade Bagels

2008-03-03T19:08:00.000-08:00

A little dough making...

A little boiling...

A little baking...

Mmmm, homemade bagels! I think next time we'll try them with whole wheat flour, and maybe some blueberries... I don't think we'll ever go back to store bought!

Who says cooking can't be fun? :)

Oh, Snow...

2008-02-29T19:33:00.000-08:00

A while back when visiting hubby's family in Colorado, I partook in eating some snow with hubby's cousin. We both that night were violently ill. We had some theories about it, but then I read this article.

It all makes so much sense now...

Ah, so funny looking back! So not funny at the time.

True Forgiveness

2008-02-27T19:47:00.000-08:00

Pastor James McDonald wrote about it. The clip on the post is true- and scary. I think most of what we hear about God in the media is *so* not biblical. May we always be ready to give an answer for the Hope we have.

Butterick B4685... Take Three

2008-02-22T18:31:00.000-08:00

The first time I made this pattern, I realized I didn't like the sleeves, or the lower cut of the neckline. The *second* time I made the shirt, I realized I couldn't make it out of a stiff cotton, and the sleeves just looked like lengthened clown sleeves. Hmph. Well, I was ready to give up- but decided to just adjust and switch, and try it ONE *more* time! I'm glad I did- I love the way it turned out this time. Whew, third try's the charm...

So, this time, I made it out of a lightweight eyelet I got on clearance during November or December. I switched out the sleeves from another pattern completely, drawing the lines from the tops of the old sleeve to the new sleeve. I'm so glad that worked! Then I used the back piece for both the back and the front to raise the neckline, and lengthened it a few inches. Finally, I made fabric ties out of the un-embroidered edge of the fabric to give the shirt some shape.

The things I learned were- Make a muslin. Really. And don't be afraid to try again (for the second time) ! :)

Home made Scarf!

2008-02-21T18:57:00.002-08:00

Store scarves are always pretty... and always pricey. I found a bit of pretty sheer fabric in the "remnants" bin at JoAnn's this week. I didn't know what I was going to use it for... but it was a dollar. How could I resist? The Lord provides for us always, even in the smallest of things. I realized tonight it would make a lovely scarf!

I wanted to finish the edges, but not lose the "floatiness" of the scarf. I thought about a ribbon edge, but I was afraid that might stiffen it and make it stick up funny. After searching the archives of my sewing forum, I found that you could just zig-zag the edges. I love how it turned out! Ready for church on Sunday. (Ignore the purple ribbon in my hair and the funny angle... this is the best I could do with a self-portrait since hubby is working late!)

Lemons!

2008-02-18T15:27:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, our sweet friends the Lavins gave us a wonderful fresh lemon from their tree. I was so taken with this sweet and tart treat that I decided hubby and I should have a lemon tree of our own. :)
In my mind, this entailed saving the seeds from the lemon they gave us and literally trying to grow our own tree. When I told my daddy about my new lemon project, he kindly chuckled at me, explaining exactly how many years it would take before I would have real lemons (read: 5 to 10 years), and offered me one of his lemon trees! I was thrilled, and he brought it over Christmas morning. Even though I come from a long line of citrus farmers (literally)- I was worried this little fellow would suffer under my care. Well, hubby might not come from citrus farmers, but under his loving care, look how well its done! The light green sprigs are new growth.

Daddy also advised us to graft onto the tree. The Lavins once again obliged us with a branch from theirs! With a little grace, we might get lemons this year or next. Thats much better than 5 or ten years!

And for a little fun, here are 34 things to do with lemons you never knew about!

Jersey Skirt Tutorial

2008-02-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Remember a long, long time ago when I said I would put up the Jersey skirt tutorial? Well, ahem, sorry for the long wait! I decided to just link to another tutorial, since it was such a great one:

Enjoy!

A word to the wise though- make the waist band A LOT smaller than you think you should- I don't really wear the one I made anymore since it's always working its way down! I need to pull it apart and rework the waist band :)

Vegetarianism?

2008-02-16T14:55:00.000-08:00

As an "ex-vegetarian", I often find myself questioning the small amounts of meat that do make it into my diet. I wonder if a lot of my "meat guilt" stems from being raised by a momma who loves all animals dearly. After eating half of a hamburger today, I felt a little ill. Did I feel ill because my body simply doesn't like beef? Or did I feel ill because of my internal meat monitor? Hmmm...

I then happened upon this article. Interesting. I know absolutely nothing about the author, and I can't even remember where I saw the link to it from.
I don't eat pork- and I can think of a million reasons as to why I would never touch the stuff. But beef I have allowed to sneak its way in. And now I am rethinking that. I definitely don't want to cause any controversies over what a person should eat or not- but this has just been weighing on my mind.

Here's another link on how beef cattle affect the environment.

Really I'm just left with a big yuck feeling about the whole process- which makes me think I'm probably headed back to a beef-less diet. And I think I'll be the better for it.

I do love my organic milk and organic yogurt though- but I feel a lot better about how they treat their cows.

An Animal Post...

2008-02-15T10:31:00.000-08:00

Thank you all so much for your prayers! Ari is doing very well- He is now on the mend from his little surgery. The one problem I am having is understanding exactly *what* the drug manufacturers were thinking when they decided to dye the antibiotic what I can only describe as day glow pink. And from what I can tell by sniffing, the flavor is cherry. ...Another thing I can tell is Ari HATES the stuff. So I have now learned how to clean day glow pink antibiotics out of the carpet. Hmph.

Since I haven't been very crafty this week, I decided I would do a little "meet the animals" post.

My momma's very spoiled orange Aidan... she also has little black Ala, who is our resident bug hunter. I need a good picture of her :)

My brother's cute little Ara and Eli... all snuggled up with my daddy when we went to go visit big brother.

And just for laughs, a very fat squirrel who took the ENTIRE tortilla up the tree.

I should add, every one of our kitties was either rescued or adopted from the shelter.

Some Happy and Some Sad

2008-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

Some happy:

Momma's birthday present...

I found some vintage postcards with birds and flowers on them a while back. I then bought a shadow box at Hobby Lobby for half off, and I was so excited when I found some little birds, eggs, and a tiny nest. A few fake roses and I was ready to craft! I copied the words from "His Eye is on the Sparrow". My momma loves little birds, so I thought she'd enjoy something like this in her kitchen.

Some sad:

Poor kitty is feeling awful. He didn't get his surgery since he was so sick. He spent all day at the vet being observed, and then came home last night. But he's still not well, and they don't know what's wrong. Here he is curled up with his lovey (mr. ferret). He hasn't eaten in days and is barely drinking any water.

Your prayers are much appreciated for my baby.

Prayers Please :)

2008-02-06T18:18:00.000-08:00

Sweet baby kitty is going in to be neutered and declawed tomorrow. I know some think that's terribly inhumane, but our vet does it with a laser, and so it's not so bad for kitty. My hubby and I both agreed that kitty is too free and wild with the claws- and its done out of concern for future babies, Lord willing, and not out of concern for furniture. Please say a prayer for him as he hasn't been feeling well the past day or so.

Making it through an Icky Cold

2008-02-01T11:11:00.001-08:00

Step One: When your kitty makes lots of mischief, remember the advice you read on a blog once, "If your kids every do anything very, very bad, don't get mad- take a picture and laugh instead", and apply it to your kitty. What you see below used to be a pyrex measuring dish. Hmph.
Step Two: Take a multivitamin... and Zinc. Eat some yummy organic probiotic yogurt. And drink lots and lots of water from your Klean Kanteen.

Step Three: Watch episodes of 'Cranford' on youtube.

Step Four: Wait for sweet hubby to come home.

And when he did come home, he brought the prettiest daisies for me. Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flowers? :) As you can see, kitty enjoyed them too.

Step Five: Curl up on the couch with a hot cup of tea, and get some good rest!

I'm already feeling much better.

Six Un-important things!

2008-01-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

I've been tagged by Jenny over at Back Woods Wife for Six Un-important Things!

The rules for this meme are: (1) Link to the person that tagged you. (2) Post the rules on your blog. (3) Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself. (4) Tag six random people at the end of your post by linking to their blogs. (5) Let each random person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their website.

Here goes:

1. I learned to knit LONG before I learned how to crochet- 5 years before! Yet I think I'm already better at crochet. Hmmm... does this mean crochet is easier? Or am I a natural with the hook? :)

2. I just love to watch the morning show on NBC. It reminds me of being home with my momma and drinking a cup of coffee watching together. I think this also stems from me being very much NOT a morning person and not wanting people to talk to me before a certain hour each day... tee hee. I'm getting better though- I can now hold a conversation with Colin before he heads to work.

3. I have a kitty curled up next to me, who looks like he's reading what I write. I wonder...

4. I usually have a "to read" list a mile long.

5. I hate tomato sauce. And pasta sauce. And pizza sauce. But I love fresh tomatoes and ketchup. Silly.

6. Finally... Having a completely disorganized house bothers me not at all, as long as the kitchen and bathroom counter are shiny, sparkly clean. Of course, I do think it does bother Colin, so I try to keep the *whole* house neat :)

I tag: Tilly, Sommer, Rachel, Emily, and Sara!

Stash Valentines Retro Apron!

2008-01-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

After being extremely inspired by the lovely aprons on the sewing board, I decided I *must* have a spiffier apron. I was determined to do it without spending any money, so this is a true stash project- every bit of it. I didn't have enough of any one fabric, so I ended up combining three- the white and black polka dots I squeeeeezed out of some scraps, and I was so happy to find both red and pink bias binding in my craft drawers. Once again, I didn't have enough of either, so I ended up using both. I really like how the finished product turned out. I used my Retro Apron pattern from McCalls, but changed it up quite a bit, taking out the back piece since I hate putting things over my head, and made the skirt full and longer instead of straight. I hope I can inspire someone else in turn. :) Here's a shot of the back:

Penguin Pants

2008-01-25T11:56:00.000-08:00

I'm almost ashamed to post the fact that I've been working on these for about six months. Terrible. I cut them out for hubby's birthday... in June. Wow. (Hangs head in shame) I finally sewed them up yesterday, after reading a very convicting blog post on a procrastinating spirit. I hopped up and away from the computer, freshly humbled about a project my very sweet and always giving hubby had asked me for. Here's the final product:

Isn't he just precious? Hubby's mom bought him penguin sheets when he was toddler. These are them. And yes, he slept on them. Until we got married and he had to give up his twin bed. :) He's both very frugal... and very much likes penguins. I cannot boast of ever keeping set of sheets so long.
So I promised I would salvage what I could from said sheets and make him some pajama pants to remember them by. I was almost afraid they would fall apart, but I was able to get plenty of solid pieces without holes or terribly worn spots for the pants. I'm so glad I read that post!

Delicious!

2008-01-23T18:07:00.000-08:00

Nothing smells quite so good as blueberry cobbler baking in the oven! I used a bag of frozen organic blueberries and halved the recipe- we don't need any more cobbler than this :)
It turned out very yummy, and topped with some rGBH free Ben and Jerry's "Fair Trade Certified Vanilla" ice cream, it was delicious. Tee hee.

Oh, Heather!

2008-01-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

I can't help but be inspired by Heather Bailey's blog. It's just hours of craft fun. So when I saw her newest project, the valentines topiary, I thought I had to try to make one for myself!

First I gathered some Valentines scrapbook paper. And of course, my best crafty helper, Ari.

A new little topiary ball to hang in the breakfast room.

A few touches of Valentines!

2008-01-20T13:19:00.001-08:00

I normally don't get that excited or decorate much for Valentine's Day- but this year I had to put out a few touches...

A heart shaped candy dish and Valentine's table runner- and yes, I actually picked all the red and silver candies out of the "Leftover Christmas Candy Ziploc". I'm thinking I'll put out the green and silver ones for St. Patrick's Day... :)

A little sign my momma gave me... hanging with the spoons!

And well, of course, a red rose wreath.

And this isn't "Valentine-sy" at all, but I redid our mantle to match the blue wall. Yay for Michael's craft store half off flowers! I bought ten clear glass votive holders at Ikea (2 for a dollar, I think...) a year ago or so, putting them away for later. It's one of the best ideas I've ever had- I use them for every holiday and it is very inexpensive to put different colored candles in them!

Cozy Koozie

2008-01-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

Here it is all said and done :) Not much for the looking though! Does anyone know how to dye cotton naturally? I'm thinking with a little color it might be more fun!

I just double crocheted and stitched it together in the back. If you want to learn to double crochet, I highly recommend the Lion Brand Yarn website! Sweet Rachel taught me the basic crochet, and then I learned the rest from the site.

"Klean" Water Bottles

2008-01-12T10:55:00.000-08:00

I've been drinking out of Nalgene water bottles for about 6 years. I thought they were a great way to make sure you got all of your drinking water in for the day. Not only did I drink water out of it, but I'll admit... a few times juice... and it definitely went into the dishwasher too. Recently I was reading on the Green Guide about how Nalgene water bottles have been shown to leach into drinking water. Eek! This was certainly bad news for me. And it turns out it's even worse to put them in the dishwasher and expose them to high temperatures. And it's bad to put juice in them too. Oh no.

Well... I've found a new water bottle! It's safe for even hot liquids and juice. I've been using it all this week, and it's been great. The only downside is when you put cold water in it... the stainless steel is very, very cold to the touch! So today I've started crocheting a cover for it. And what am I using to crochet a cover?

Why, organic cotton of course!

Here are some articles just in case you are a fellow Nalgene user:

Organic Consumers: Nalgene

The Green Guide: Nalgene