Fresh Start Sunday

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
~
Philippians 4:6 (NIV)

Love...

this post.this magazine.
arrived in my mailbox this week.
isn't it pretty???
can't wait to read it.
he's a stud.
and I love everything he designs.
and Eric is okay with me referring to him as my boyfriend.my new Arbonne.
I get so excited about washing my face.
and it leaves my skin feeling great!this blog I just discovered.
so pretty.

~

Enjoy!

The Paint Store

I LOVE the Sherwin Williams commercials that are out right now featuring a whole bunch of people asking really funny painting questions:

Is there like a shower paint?
Which one doesn't show fingerprints, footprints or bite marks?
Do you have a paint that matches this?
Isn't stinky?
Wont peel?
Dries really fast?
Water proof?
Slobber proof?
What is primer?
How much primer?
Do I really need primer?
Flat?
Or Matte?
Flat and matte...are they the same thing?
If you're going from corner to corner, and it's really high?
~
Maybe I like those questions so much because I feel like I've been quite a regular at the paint store lately. Only my questions have been more like:

Why did my Dove White paint mix up lavender?
Why is this magnetic paint so goopy?
Does chalkboard paint really work?
What about those metal paints?

I know I keep talking about my million of projects, so soon I'll try to get some pictures up of what I've been working on!

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
~
1. The million projects that were almost checked off my list last week are now officially checked off!
2. Our bathroom gut-and-remodel project is going smoothly...so far!
3. A freshly groomed dog.
4. Lots of plans made to help me survive my single-parent week coming up.
5. Safe travels for Eric.
6. A husband who works really hard every day to provide for us.
7. Blogger auto-post. Hee hee!
8. My Arbonne which I saved for forever and finally ordered is going to arrive on my doorstep tomorrow!
9. Health has been restored to our family.
10. Lots of health improvements being seen in our friend's twin daughters.
~
What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don't be impressed with yourself. Don't compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.
~
Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message)

Goodbye, Dear Purse

A year and a half ago exactly my husband bought me this great red purse. (Happy half birthday to me! What? You don't celebrate half birthdays?!?) With the exception of a day here or there, I have carried this purse exclusively ever since. It's perfect. It's big. It holds a ton. And I love the bright red color.
Sadly though, my red purse is getting tired. Even though it's looking a little rough, if it wasn't for the fact that a few of the handles are ready to split in half, I would keep carrying it. But a purse with broken handles probably isn't a great look.
~
Lucky for me, along just came this beauty.With all of her teal, ruffle-filled goodness.And I'm thinking she was destined to be my new mom-purse.

Small Hostess Gift

A girl from my MOPS group hosted us last week for dessert.
(side note: she had NO kids and NO husband for a week,
she wasn't even knowing what to do with herself by Tuesday!)
~
I wanted to bring just a little something along to thank her for hosting us.I put together a little gift of candy using a mason jar, and a 5 inch square piece of fabric. Simple, but a nice gesture none-the-less.
~
Hopefully she ate the candy up before her family returned home!

I Heart Faces : Bundled Up


This is my very first time entering a I Heart Faces contest!
Woo hoo!

These pictures from out in the snow on a sunny day were one of the first times I realized just how much I was going to love my new Nikon D3000!
~
Head on over to www.iheartfaces.blogspot.com if you want to enter your own photo!

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
~
1. A great night out with girlfriends Friday night.
2. A few hours spent late at night chatting with a girlfriend.
3. My little girl who is finally on the mend, although it seems as though the germs might have spread to her mumma and daddy. Ugh.
4. My parents are home!
5. Claire's music class teacher. She's so sweet and nurturing, and I just really appreciate how she interacts with my child.
6. A MOPS play date tomorrow morning.
7. Making plans for a little overnight getaway with Eric!
8. A million projects that are so close to being checked off my list.
9. Construction on three houses surrounding ours is almost done, it's time to have our neighborhood quiet and put back together.
10. A free chai today at my favorite coffee shop.
~
What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

Sow for yourselves righteousness,
reap the fruit of unfailing love,
and break up your unplowed ground;
for it is time to seek the LORD,
until he comes and showers righteousness on you.
~
Hosea 10:12 (NIV)

Quilt Top FINISHED!

Claire's second quilt top is FINISHED!
I'm really happy with how it turned out. It was not a difficult quilt to do at all...my biggest challenge was simply finding the time to work on it! If you are looking to do a zig-zag quilt, I would certainly recommend this tutorial.
~
Now to figure out the back side and get it all sent out to be finished! Then it's on to the other million projects on my list, woo hoo!

Encouraging Spring

We've had sunshine for a week now and I am LOVING it!
~
Winter is so gray, so to see blue skies and sunshine is like Heaven and it's really putting me in the mood to get some Spring cleaning and decorating done!My favorite Spring touch so far: my new centerpiece.
One jar of lemons, one jar of limes.
Simple, but the color is amazing!

GRunveiled

Back in December, my favorite wedding and event planner/blogger Aletha from Pearls Events, and Joy'l from Fresh Nest Designs announced a brand new wedding show they were bringing to Grand Rapids.image copyright Jill DeVries photography
~
The show is called GRunveiled, and what an amazing line up of vendors they've brought together! A few vendors include Etsy shop Pixel & Hank who I've posted about here and here, and one of my favorite local shops, Art of the Table.
~
Oh how I would have loved something like this when I was a bride!
~
Congratulations Aletha & Joy'l on pulling together what is certainly going to be a very successful event!
~
GRunveiled
March 11, 2010
6-10 o'clock
St. Cecilia Music Center
Grand Rapids, Michigan
ticket info
here

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
~
1. Temperatures in the 50's this weekend, are you kidding me!?!
2. Sunshine for 7 days straight, let's keep it coming!
3. An amazing night out with our neighbors Friday night.
4. Another great babysitter.
5. The example our neighbors set for us of being fully-devoted followers of Christ, in spite of all the trials they've endured.
6. Our zoo re-opened this weekend. Not only has my little girl been talking about it ALL winter, but that must mean that summer is coming.
7. Seeing our bathroom gutted was not nearly as scary as expected. Now to start putting it back together.
8. My parents come home this week!
9. The girls in my MOPS group, we have such a blast together.
10. Two girl's nights out this week.
~
What are you most thankful for today?

Fresh Start Sunday

A good name is more desirable than great riches;
to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.
~
Proverbs 22:1 (NIV)

Mia Joie

We (well, let's be real here, mainly just me!) are loving these hair clips from Mia Joie. I knew I had hit the jack pot by actually being able to purchase them before someone else snatched them up, but they've really helped tremendously as we try to grow Claire's hair past this awkward in-between stage. We haven't tried out the headband yet,
but I'm thinking it will be perfect this Spring!

Ugh..

...my laptop keeps freezing, and my sewing machine keeps seizing.
I'm feeling a little like both my arms have been cut off.
~
Hopefully good things to report soon.

Monday's 10 Things

Here's what I'm most thankful for, right now!
~
1. Mercies on Saturday for my brother and everyone else in Hawaii.
2. A fun time having friends over on Saturday night.
3. After dinner, finding ourselves all sitting on our play room floor while our kids played...oh how our lives have changed!
4. A really nice Sunday. Church in the morning, a Sunday afternoon nap, and a worship service at night.
5. Starting a week feeling rested and caught up on life.
6. It's March, bring on Spring!
7. The sun is becoming a much more regular thing outside.
8. Good times watching the Olympics. It's kind of sad to see them done.
9. Puttering in my craft room this weekend. I've been so caught up in house projects, I haven't just crafted in quite a while now.
10. My baby is 29 months old today. (How long can I get away with counting months???)
~
What are you most thankful for today?