my favorite accessory

This is my favorite accessory. Period.

My fabric knot necklace.

I wear it at least once a week- usually two or three times.

It goes with so many tops and colors.

I always get complimented when I wear it.

It adds a pop of color to any t-shirt, cardigan, tank or sweater I wear it with.

I wear it in all seasons.

It's lightweight.

It's simple, yet makes a statement.

It's a quick and easy accessory choice- when I'm running late and don't have to time to fool with a scarf, I throw an outfit together that goes with this and it wastes no time!

It's the best piece of accessory to have with babies & small children- on days I won't wear a scarf because I know it'll get in the way with the kids crawling all over me, I'll wear this.

It's durable- I wore it to Norah's baby dedication for the specific purpose of keeping her entertained while we stood up front! This necklace has been pulled on, stepped on, chewed on, etc and is as good as new!

Did I mention, I get complimented every time I wear it? 

And I want to share it with you!

This fabric knot necklace is made out of a turquoise & floral cotton fabric

It's available in my shop right now!

Purchase for yourself or gift someone else with it!

Use coupon code SPRING10 at checkout for 10% off your entire order!

{50% all sales are donated to Women At Risk International to fight Human Trafficking around the world!}

a mama's easter outfit

Since I've had kids, I feel like I'm now past the stage where I get a new Easter outfit every year. Maybe that's not the case for you, but I just get so into planning for the kids outfits that I don't even think about mine until the week of. And honestly, there's just not usually a whole lot of extra money for me to spending on a brand new outfit for myself every year. Plus, when would I even have time to shop!?

But I still do want to wear something cute and new, and bright and colorful on a Easter Sunday.
So that moment the week of Easter that it hits me that I need something to wear too, I start racking my brain for ideas of:  things I could make + things I already own + things I could buy cheaply.

And when I put all three of those things together, it usually comes out a newly assembled outfit for me that's a mixture of freshly handmade, purchased at the store and scrounged up from my closet!

Easter 2010- I wore the same outfit from the previous Easter (the last Easter outfit I bought brand new and at full price :) )
Nothing homemade that year, because I was just starting to sew.

Easter 2011- Made Titus' outfit (vest, pants & bowtie) and decided at the eleventh hour (literally!) to make myself a skirt.
My outfit- homemade simple skirt, already owned top, and previously handmade pom pom necklace hanging in my closet.

Easter 2012- Made the kids outfits (Again, made Titus a vest, pants & tie). It was my first Easter with a GIRL! So I made Norah a pillowcase dress, diaper cover, headband and booties. Then I decided (early enough!) to make myself an outfit to match the kids!
My outfit- homemade pillowcase top, already owned skirt, and purchased a light sweater

This year I didn't bother so much with us all matching each other, but we coordinated well enough. {Read about the kids' outfits here}
As in usual fashion, I didn't plan anything for myself. I probably would've just pulled some "old thing" from the closet and not felt springy or fresh and new all day :/

So one naptime during the week of, I got an idea in my brain, and spent the next hour putting ideas together in my brain, and running to my craft room then to my closet and back to my craft room. I stared at all my fabric for minutes on end, and waited for a huge inspiration. I put fabrics together and matched them up with clothing, and finally formulated an outfit that I wasn't even brave enough to wear at first. But after trying it on for my husband, having a few days to mull it over in my head, and my husband encouraging me to wear it.... I DID! :)

Here's what I came up with: {sorry its not a full body shot- its the only picture of just me from the day!}

I purchased this Target brand dress a couple weeks ago from a local grocery store that also sells closeout deals. Wanna guess how much I paid for it? ..... $2.99

At the same store, I found some red ballet flats (also Target!) for .... $1.99

I paired the dress with the same cream colored sweater I purchase for my Easter outfit last year

I added a brown belt that I bought last fall.

Added some red dangles made by a friend

And the final accessory I needed to add was a scarf... but I was being pretty particular about the style, color, etc it needed to be... I wanted a lightweight, navy scarf...

I searched my fabrics and mulled over lots of options to make one... I had decided I was probably going to have to go to Joann's to find something...
But before I did, I remembered my Goodwill box that's just been sitting around. I wondered if I had anything in there that I could re-purpose (this thought was kind of separated from my scarf dilemma). I pulled out all kinds of clothes I had thrown out that I now thought I could re-fashion into something for Norah... As I walked away from my new pile of ex-Goodwill clothes, I noticed something Navy-colored sticking out... I pulled out a skirt that I'd bought like 12 years ago. It was a good quality, brand name skirt, but the elastic was all stretched out. It really was a shame to throw this out just because of some worn out elastic. It was still good fabric- light weight with great movement. And it was the perfect color, Navy with tiny red and yellow flowers that went perfectly with the other colors in my outfit...

So I cut the elastic + 4 inches off the skirt.... And came away with an infinity scarf!

Would you ever guess that was once a skirt? :)

I love that I can breathe new life into a n old piece of clothing that I've loved a long time!

 

So there you have it!
A mama's Easter outfit that cost a total of $4.98 and included a re-purposed skirt-turned-scarf!

had to throw in a pic of the shoes!

easter outfits

I hope all had an amazing Easter!
So I had to take a break from my blog break to share with you our Easter outfits!

I enjoyed making their outfits, as I usually do! It has just become the one time a year that I make them both an entire nice outfit, so I get really into designing for a month beforehand what I'm going to make, in what fabrics, and what color palette, etc.

I had lot of ideas floating around my head, but I decided this year to use fabric that I already had, since I have so much, to keep me from spending money! I'm happy to say that I didn't spend any money on their outfits, because every part was from fabrics and accessories that we already had! :) This year we didn't all match, but we coordinated quite nicely!
 

 

Titus LOVES to wear Ties like Daddy!
He wore an Argyle Tie from  Little Londyn Patterns!
I made him two and let him choose which to wear on Easter. :)

Norah wore this beautiful dress from Little Lizard King patterns, with an added waistband and elastic inserted, in Amy Butler Lotus Morning Glory fabrics.

 I also made Norah this felt flower headband! It made the outfit look complete!

 And we all (except Daddy! hee hee) wore our red shoes! :) So fun!

We took our annual family picture, and I realized how this is the first year we had to do it in a different spot! Here's to new beginnings!

It was fun to look back over the past 4 years of family pictures since we've had kids, and watch our family grow! Here is a collage of our family Easter Pictures:

I hope you all had a Blessed Easter celebrating our Hope and Victory because of Jesus Christ!
 

Shop and Blog Update

 
For those of you who have noticed my blogging absence, I just wanted to explain that I've been taking a break for a little while to refocus myself and my blog. I plan to take another month or so, but I still plan to post from time to time. Believe me, I still have loads of things to share just coming out of my ears! :)

Thanks for understanding, and also for your readership and encouragement to me on here!

 

In the shop, I've added two Beautiful Ruffled Scarves crocheted by a lady in my church, with 100% of the proceeds going to support Women At Risk, International in their fight against human trafficking and sexual slavery!

I wear two scarves like this, and they are incredibly soft, go with so many outfits, and have a hint of sparkle!

Please support us in this fight to end human trafficking either by purchasing one of these beautiful scarves, or by sharing this with others!
SHOP NOW

“The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.” Psalm 103:6 

A couple of the scarves have already sold, but my friend Terri who made them, said that she's willing to make more if anyone wants one. Let me know if you're interested in a different color!

Did you know that Oak Street Studio already donates 50% of all sales to Women At Risk, International?

To learn more about human trafficking and sexual slavery around the world, watch this eye-opening video:

hidden back-tab curtains

Remember all that fabric I bought a few weeks ago? Well other than my table runner, I have finally sewed the rest of it all up into curtains for each of our bedrooms. The style I settled on was panels with a hidden back-tab and did that for all of them. It was pretty easy design but also would give a more professional/finished look at the end. I LOVE these fabrics! The modern designs and bright colors are just perfect for our family and how we're decorating our new home.

Here are pics of all of them!

 

Master Bedroom: I am in love with this fabric- it was exactly what I was looking for to finish off our room! Now all that needs to done in the room is some stuff on the walls and an accent chair by the windows! :) Loving the way this room has come together and the curtains just add SO much!

Kids room: Believe it or not, this is the same room! The kids are sharing and room that has a half wall in between, so they each have their own space and can't see each other when sleeping. We plan to paint their room soon, probably a light gray, but I love that these fabrics give them each a unique take to the room. Because of the layout of the room, we can decorate each side specifically for each child with the paint color to unify.

Now I just need to hem up all these panels! :) (that's after we paint and reposition all the rods though!)


Here's a little peek at how the hidden back tabs look from the back (this is one in process)
Maybe I'll do a tutorial sometime...

Love that half the curtains in our house so far are handmade... if I have another $500 or so, I'd do the rest of the house! :) Maybe another time!


Are any curtains in your home handmade? What style do you make?

little joys

staring at little feet and chunky thighs quickly turning from baby to little girl...

holding on to morning and evening bottle feedings simply so I can enjoy the cuddles and stare into those blue eyes a few days longer...

sharing a sweet look between my son... that boy melts my heart like no other person!

hearing sweet voices play, and sing, and talk, and laugh, and say "mommy"...

waiting in anticipation and then catching the next funny or interesting thing that boy will come up with...

making the decision to apply a bandaid for the 4th time in the same spot

pushing fine baby hair out of eyes...

stroking the softest baby skin that will too soon not be

being constantly surprised by the next new thing learned

snuggling while reading

holding that long boy close and knowing the days are growing short where he'll still fit on my lap

the boy's hugs and kisses and i love yous are cherished, each one. For one day he won't be so free with them.

not feeling guilty about procrastinating on dishes and laundry, because playing on the floor is always more important

choosing to find them adorable and the moment precious during an early morning wakeup call

watching them sleep- still, soft and warm

crazy dance moves those two can break out with

heart swelling at their good behavior in public

little prayers

precious voice reciting Scripture

the love between them growing

two pairs of big blue eyes, both the most perfect shades

squeals of delight, times two

wiping tears, and comforting hearts

confidence in knowing my job is the best in the world

snuggle day & seeking first

It's a sad day when I have to miss our local mops group to stay home with a child who's not feeling well! Its a difficult decision to have a snuggle day when he seems fine, but at this age you kindof have to take him seriously, especially since he's been up on and off since 4:30am!

So we're snuggled on the couch watching episodes of Curious George on netflix and I'm reflecting on life as mom.

It's hard for my heart to be "into" a snuggle day when I have to say no to something that I've been looking forward to, and something that would be good for me as a mom. I would get a break, have an encouraging time, and meet other moms. (And when you're new and the moms only meet twice a month, that's really not alot of chances to make friends.)

So I want to sit on the couch and feel bad for myself. At the inconvenience of it, at how once again for the sake of motherhood I'm asked to give yet something else up.

But if there's something I've learned since we've begun this new adventure and new life, is that I can trust God to meet my needs.

 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -Matthew 6:33 

This verse seems to be the theme verse for our year so far! It's a constant reminder to simply do what I know God wants me to do for today and leave the rest up to Him! Although some days I may wonder, there's nothing better that I can do with my life, with my time, than take care of these two precious children, no matter what I may miss out on. And God will bless me for being faithful to what he's called me do to right now if I seek him first!

Inspired You

A few days before my birthday this month, I received a package with my first birthday present- a book, called Inspired You. I was getting dinner together, but I flipped through a few pages and checked out the table of contents. I was immediately excited to sit down and read through the entire book. So as soon as the kids went to bed, I sat down on the couch and spent the rest of my Friday night reading this book!

Inspired You is written by Marian Parsons from Miss Mustard Seed, and is a book about finding your God-given creativity to create a beautiful home! The book is full of gorgeous photography, decorating inspiration and spiritual encouragement. I particularly love the subtitle: Letting God Breathe New Life into Your Heart and Home.

She shares tutorials, like how to make pleated curtains, build an ottoman and paint furniture. She gives lots of ideas and tips on shopping for decorations (think thrift stores and auctions), and helps you evaluate your perspective and attitude towards your home! It not only inspires you to create a more beautiful home, but gives lots of encouragement and confidence boosting along the way! You'll walk away from this book viewing your home in a different way, and you'll feel more motivated and capable to make some changes! As I read, I felt like I was flipping through a magazine because of all the beautiful pictures, yet it was easy reading like a blog. (You definitely can’t get the full experience of this book through the Kindle version!)

Since we've made our big move and have started to decorate our big house, it was encouraging to hear her articulate things I've already been thinking and feeling. I decided that when we moved, I wanted to take a different route with setting up and decorating our house. I wanted to be as frugal and homemade as possible- not just to save money, but mainly to create a home that reflects more of who we are as a family. We wanted a house with character and creativity. And if we put a little extra effort into everything that we add to our house, we will find more satisfaction with it and enjoy our home more! When I got this book, I was at a pretty discouraging point with decorating our house, but as soon as I was done with it, I was really inspired and had a lot of ideas, some of which I could do pretty inexpensively and quickly. (Did you read about my newly painted gray kitchen? yeah, that happened the next day!)

She debunks the idea of creating a perfect, impressive, or magazine-worthy home! That’s not the goal! She says the goal is:   

Home. 

Not a perfect home. Not a impress the neighbors home. 

Just home. A home that was made, not bought. 

A home whose walls and rooms tell the story of the family who lives there. 

 Create a home for your family's needs and decorate it to reflect who you are, and it will be the perfect home for you!

What I appreciated most was her emphasis in the end of the book on being content with the home God has placed you in!
If we find ourselves constantly wishing for and wanting more, perhaps we need to close the catalog and focus on all the things we have to be thankful for...
When our focus is on being thankful, earthly treasures start to lose their importance. 

I love that she shares some spiritual aspects of decorating, like recognizing our urge to decorate and create a beautiful home is because of our God-given creativity and characteristics of being a woman. Also, developing the skill of seeing potential in something old and worn out that we could give a second life to, and carrying that skill over to "hopeless" people in our lives, to see the potential that may still be there! And then to learn to be content and thankful in the midst of our journey toward a more beautiful home!

Inspired You has really helped push me along to the next step in making a beautiful home for our family, and came at a good time to motivate and inspire me, while speaking some truth to my heart as well!

Beautiful homes start with inspiration and a willingness to try.

diy $5 table runner

Today I'm sharing a simple tutorial on The Copper Coconut for a table runner that you can make for about $5! I'm so excited about the opportunity to guest post on Katie's blog! She is a very talented, creative lady who is a young mom and interior designer, and blogs about lots of great tutorials and has an Etsy shop offering custom graphic design and stained glass!


So many of you know how we recently made a big move from MI to OH! 
We now live in a big farm house turned church parsonage circa. 1873 on 5 acres of land. 
We’re excited for a big garden this summer and being outdoors letting the kids run free. 
But inside, there’s lot of stuff we need to do. Large rooms and large windows and high ceilings mean any change costs a little more. And we are usually pretty limited with funds, so we do little things here and there as we can. You know how it goes! We slowly keep moving down our list of home projects, although we are still near the top- a couple rooms have been painted, some curtains have been sewn up and hung, and decorating is beginning to happen.

I decided that when we moved, I wanted to take a different route with setting up and decorating our house. I wanted to be as frugal and homemade as possible- not just to save money, but mainly to create a home that reflects more of who we are as a family. We wanted a house with character and creativity. And if we put a little extra effort into everything that we add to our house, we will find more satisfaction with it and enjoy our home more!

Now head over to The Copper Coconut to learn how you can make this table runner for about $5!

these kids are killing me!

One year ago, my husband was on a missions trip to Togo, leaving me with a 2 year old and a newborn! Shortly after he arrived home I wrote the following on something the Lord taught me while Tim was gone. The Lord has used this to challenge and encourage me many times in the past year. I wanted to share it with you today and I hope it will encourage you as well:

Six weeks after I gave birth to Norah, Tim led a mission trip to Africa for 17 days! 

As the days and weeks crept closer for him to leave, my panic grew at being left with the two kids (including a newborn) all by myself. The day he left, I drove the three of us to my in laws house for a few days. On the way, the kids fell asleep, and I was able to have some time alone with the Lord! I told the Lord,

 It’s just you and me, God!  I don’t know what the next 17 days hold, but you do. And I am placing my rest in you! 

And in that quiet moment, I chose to rest in him and place my trust in his watch care and sovereignty and protection over us! I knew it would be a time of growth for me as I handled life alone and knew that my dependence on the Lord would grow, in areas that I would normally depend on Tim first.

There were many chances for me to exercise that trust in his absence:

I had to take Titus to the ER the first day because of a bad case of hives.

I had some confusion with our finances, which caused me some stress since I usually don’t handle them.

And I potty trained my 2 year old while nursing a 6 week old (thanks mom for the help!)

But the Lord sustained me (and I’m so grateful for our parents who stepped up to help me out during that time).

But there’s still no one that can replace your spouse and your kids’ dad.

While Tim was gone, life seemed to be tilted on its side, nothing seemed quite right with our family separated. I would get up every morning, go through the motions of taking care of the kids through the day, and go to bed at night completely exhausted, only to get up multiple times with the baby.

Then in the morning I would get up and do it all over again. I fell into a survival mode. Life had become about getting us all through the 2 ½ weeks until Daddy was home and all would be right again.

But God had lessons for me to learn, and this time away from Tim proved to the place He wanted me to learn them.

One particular day, I was struggling and wondering if I was ever going to survive, specifically that time apart, but also motherhood in general. I remember feeling incredibly panicked in that moment and thinking, 

This is going to kill me! I think I’m going to die!  I feel my life being sucked out of me! Will I ever make it through this? 

That night, Tim sent me an email and encouraged me to read 2 Corinthians 4, the passage of Scripture he would be preaching in Africa, and one that had been some good food for his soul. Little did I know how perfectly it would answer my melodramatic questions!

I grabbed my Kindle, settled down under the covers and read the words my heart needed to hear that were felt down into my soul.

Now we have this treasure in clay jars, so that this extraordinary power may be from God and not from us. ⁸ We are pressured in every way but not crushed; we are perplexed but not in despair; ⁹ we are persecuted but not abandoned; we are struck down but not destroyed. ¹⁰ We always carry the death of Jesus in our body, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always given over to death because of Jesus, so that Jesus’ life may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So death works in us, but life in you. ¹³ And since we have the same spirit of faith in keeping with what is written, I believed, therefore I spoke, we also believe, and therefore speak. ¹⁴ We know that the One who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and present us with you. ¹⁵ Indeed, everything is for your benefit, so that grace, extended through more and more people, may cause thanksgiving to increase to God’s glory.
¹⁶ Therefore we do not give up. Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. ¹⁸ So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (HCSB)

What I came to understand was that I was dying. My life was being sucked out of me and my body was slowly being destroyed daily. 

But what I was encouraged by as I read verse by verse and let the power of the Word wash over me, was that although my physical body is being destroyed, my inner self is being renewed! We know that because of the curse, our bodies physically are dying. They are wearing out! As we watch our physical bodies decay and feel the curse at work, we have the hope that no matter how difficult life is, our inner person (the part of us that really matters and lasts forever) is being renewed day by day!

What a hope to have that this life is not all there is! The struggled of this life is just for a moment! What’s done in this life does matter, but it’s for such a short time that we’re called to be faithful. And it is such a reminder to evaluate what around me has eternal value, because those are the things I should be focusing my energies on! All the stuff that I can get sucked into or desire isn’t worth my energy in the end. 

What matters most is the investment I’m making into my kids’ lives.
It matters eternally how I live my life before the Lord.
It matters how I serve and love my husband.
And my attitude toward the role that the Lord has given me as a full time mom, wife and home manager matters eternally.

Immediate gratification of time to do as I please, getting more sleep, having nicer things or living in more comfort are the things that are “seen”, not having eternal significance… If I’m blessed with those, great! I’m thankful for God’s graciousness. That doesn’t mean I don’t pray for them according to God’s will. But they don’t consume my energies and thoughts. 

What is unseen is developing my relationship with the Lord, raising my children to godliness, serving my family selflessly, growing in my character, loving those around me, and taking care of my responsibilities. 

What is unseen may be the future salvation of my children when I make praying and spiritual conversations a priority above keeping them "busy" so I can have a moment of quiet. 

It might mean falling deeper in love with Tim because I spent time with him sacrificially, rather than using my evening time spending it for myself.

It may also mean that I spend my few short moments in the afternoons with the Lord rather than choosing to spend them doing less important things.

I must keep my focus on the things that have eternal value, rather than letting myself get bogged down in the day to day momentary struggles that are temporary and not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. It’s also an encouragement to know that all these struggles I endure in this life as I trust and follow the Lord will be worth it in the end, when I finally see that “absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory” (vs 17)- say that out loud, I love how it sounds rolling off my tongue!

Trust God with your life! Focus on the eternal, on the bigger picture and be faithful to what He’s called you to right now! It’s just temporary! As you die daily, be encouraged that the inner, immaterial, eternal part of you is becoming more and more alive all the time!

I still have days that I think “These kids are killing me!” and I feel the life draining out of me as I pour my energies out. But this is the hope and encouragement that I daily hold on to. And I hope you do too as you follow the Lord wherever He’s placed you!

i am not creative

photo credit

I was with a group of ladies this past week, and like most times when we're together, we have a craft! The organizer planned a fun, easy craft which involved turning paint swatches into Valentine's themed bookmarks! As we were leisurely standing around tables cutting the swatches, hole-punching hearts and tying ribbons, I overheard this phrase a few different times: "I am not creative!"

It bothered me. And I had so many thoughts flood my mind as I tried to figure out why.

I hear this phrase a lot among women and I'm sure if you and I were talking about this face-to-face, you'd be nodding your head in agreement!

I know that many of you will be surprised at this next confession:
I used to say this phrase ALL the time about myself!

I know, I know! You're shocked,
Me- who sews and crafts, has a handmade shop, who is always trying new things in my home, and blogs DIY posts...
I used to say this phrase! And I believed it too! For a long time...

Here's are 3 reasons why I believe that statement is untrue for me, and for you to think:

1. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy! Sometimes just believing something about yourself, makes it become true. Then you stop trying to do new things, or exercise creativity! You also stop believing in yourself and rather than having confidence when an opportunity to be creative comes along, you become uncomfortable or unwilling because of what you believe about yourself.
And that leads to my second point...

2. It's based on fear! We become unwilling to try something new, or we try it with very little effort because we have such low expectations of ourselves! And of course all this is rooted in our fear of failure! But what most creative people know, is that there is no such thing as failure when it comes to the creative process. We may not always get the desired outcome, but we try again and do it a little differently! And if it doesn't turn out at all, we ask for help, appreciate the "art" that we produced as it is, or we move on to something else! But the biggest trap that we can get ourselves into is to compare our creativity to someone else's. Which leads to my final point...

3. We are created in God's image! Look around this world- it's an awesomely created world! God is so creative- I mean, c'mon! He's the Creator. And by that I mean, He's THE Creator! He is the most creative Being in the universe and because we are all made in His image, He's given us a part of his creativity! We're all creative! When we say we aren't creative, we are refusing to acknowledge a part of God in us, a gift he's given to us. It also shows how ungrateful we are to Him and even how disappointed we are with how God has made us! You see, God has also given us all special talents and abilities, along with a capacity to LEARN! We need to foster a desire to learn by trying new things, and deepening our knowledge of previously learned things! Skills have to sharpened and we can only grow in knowledge and creativity if we exercise our brains by learning! When we meet a really talented lady, we don't often think about the fact that it took her a lot of time and practice and trial & error for her to reach this level of skill, confidence and creativity!

When we say we aren't creative, we usually do it as a response to someone else who seems more creative than us! I find there is a difference in saying, "I can't do this" and "I won't do this."
Usually we say the first out loud but the latter is what we really mean. We think to ourselves, (probably not consciously), "I don't know if I can do this, so I'm not going to try, or at least put much effort into this."

You see, we aren't all gifted in the same ways, and that's okay! We aren't all creative in the same ways and we all have different interests. I know there are some people who simply are more creative than others! But that doesn't mean you aren't, just because it may not be at the same level or in the same way. I believe they have worked on and developed their creativity. They've embraced it and exercised it and grown in it!

And at times you or I simply won't enjoy doing certain creative things we women associate the word "creativity" with, and that's okay!
Each of us is creative, but in different ways! And we all need to find the ways that we are creative in!

I finally overcame this false belief about myself because I decided to try something new and pursue a hobby that seemed totally foreign to me. I was all thumbs at first, my brain felt muddled, and I felt silly and stupid. But with time and practice, I got better and my confidence grew! Then I realized I enjoyed it, and it was no longer practice, it was the real thing! I decided to push the limits of who I was, or thought I was! And though this creativity discovery, I've also discovered a lot about myself along the way!

Which side of the "I'm not creative" phrase are you on?

Have you been here before? Are you there now?

 

 

Valentine's Roundup!

Happy Valentines Day! I hope that today you are celebrating the special people in your life and are thankful for the privilege it is to love them!

For today I wanted to do a round up of sorts of some Valentine inspired fun around our house!

Top Row- Heart Shaped Peanut Butter Sandwich, Red and Purple Goldfish Crackers, Heart Shaped Apple pieces,
Bottom Row- Heart Shaped Pretzels :), Salsa for dipping, and heart shaped string cheese pieces

This is a throwback to when I used to do these muffin tin lunches all the time with Titus!
We still do this occasionally, and this week I couldn't resist throwing together a Valentine-themed muffin tin lunch (however NOT on Monday haha). These are really fun to get creative with, and kids love them!

Norah has just started wearing hair clippies! I finally needed something more than the hairbands she always wears to keep her long bangs out of her face, so I went to my dear friend (and former business partner) Laura, from The Blue Ladybug! She made me a lovely set of Valentine's clippies, a Tiny Pink Boutique Bow (Seriously adorable!) and another set of pastel clippies. I'm thrilled that Norah is keeping them in (for the most part!) and I love having another option for her hair now that she has more of it! And I love all her new hair clippies- they are all sooo cute! So head over to Laura's newly re-opened shop The Blue Ladybug and check out some of her craftiness! She's super talented and is my go-to person for all things crafty. I don't think she has any hair things listed in her shop right now, but she's been making quality hair bows, headbands, clips, etc for years and loves to do it! She might create you a custom order if you asked her nicely :)

Fabric Heart Cards Tutorial
We had fun mailing these to some very missed friends and cousins, and handing them to some new friends we've made! God is good! :)

Valentine's Garland Tutorial
I decided I needed to make several more of these to hang around my new gray kitchen!  Of course I never got around to it, so maybe next year! I do love the one I have though! Did you make one?


Here are some pictures of the kids I took last Valentines Day when Norah was only about 6 weeks old! I have the most precious pictures of them from this time! Of course I couldn't resist getting a new one this year, although it was a little more difficult! Maybe I'll make it a tradition, although they'll probably get tired (or grossed out) of the ones where they're staring into each other's eyes! :)

I love having two kids! Yes, it is a ton of exhausting work! But there are those moments when I look over, and they're playing so nicely together, or they're loving each other, or Titus is so tenderly talking to Norah. And I know it's totally worth it! These are the greatest kids ever! I'm so blessed! And this Valentines day I'm enjoying focusing on how blessed I am to have these two (and their amazing daddy) in my life to love and take care of!

What love are you celebrating today?