.destash fail.

.destash fail.  I have bought many, many more craft things this week.  I blame it on limiting myself throughout the entire summer.... But hey, on the bright side I have started making little Coptic books which does use up some of my paper stash.  And I am in love and addicted. .destash fail.

.all systems go.

.all systems go.  As we enter September all systems are a go for us.  This weekend we finished up some essential baby things. We packed our hospital bag and put the car seat in the van - it's not installed, but in there.  Now all we have to do is wait for baby.  This pregnancy has been completely different then with Miss. L and I am more excited then ever to have it over with.  With less then two weeks officially left until the big day (although we are prepared to have it be more like three because baby has always been a little off track & Miss L was late), life seems to be on slow time around here, just waiting.

This pregnancy has been different and difficult.  I am not myself and that is crazy hard.  Usually I am go, go, go, get things done.  That attitude ended with the heat of the summer and I have wanted to do nothing these past two months unless it involves a smoothie or trip to get ice cream.  In all seriousness I am ready to get this baby out and start putting my family on some kind of regular healthy diet again.  Not just pizza and hot dogs. 

With Miss. L, I was nesting for the majority of my pregnancy.  I cleaned like I was a merry maid and our house was spotless.  With this one, that instinct has not come yet & I am wondering if it will at all.  Our house has never been this messy.  I should clean but once again that doesn't have the words smoothie related to it, so I might just let it be.

I will let you know when baby two decides to come.  And in advance my blogging will slow down once the wee one arrives.  At least until I get life figured out with two.  Well, as figured out as you can.  .all systems go.

.menzer's adoption.

Mandie at an orphanage in Liberia

.menzer's adoption.  This has been an amazing week full of God's love.  My best friend Mandie and her husband Dave are adopting right now through Ethiopia.  They just got their dossier (paperwork) in at the beginning of the month, and expected to be waiting for 8 -9 months to get a referral for a little one.  Well, after waiting only 20 days they were chosen to be parents of a little boy!  To read their full story go to their blog: Menzer Adoption.  It is an amazing story that gets me teary-eyed just thinking about it.  I would love it if you could pray for the Menzer's as they have to now wait to go and get him.  I am sure that this waiting game will feel like an eternity for them.  Thank you so much, and praise the Lord for his great LOVE.  .menzer's adoption.

.project - texas mini book.

.project - texas mini book.  Currently I am working on my Texas mini book.  You would think this would be easy, since I had the book in order before our vacation.  All I really have to do is add little reminders of what we did & pictures..... not too hard, right?  We will see.  Goal for the day: pick out pictures and order them. .project - texas mini book.

.she.

exploring the world

.she.  Little Miss. L is growing so fast!  I can't believe how much she has developed in the past couple of months.  She has definitely grown out of baby stage and is now a walking, talking destroyer toddler.  She loves to read, which is an understatement, explore, play with her bear, and look at anything animal.  She also has an independence to her that must have come straight from her father me.  Picking out her own clothes and deciding what she wants and when.  She also loves to mimic everything I do, from cleaning to caring for her bear like I do her (she fully believes there is a baby in her belly too).  I am excited to watch her grow into a new role as a big sister in a few short weeks.  She captured my heart the moment she was born and I love her fully.  .she.

looking at ducks with me this past weekend

petting goats at the zoo with daddy last week

.prayer request.

Tina and I - two days before Miss. L was born.

UPDATE:  Tina delivered a healthy baby girl.  Thank you for your prayers.  Praise the Lord above for this new life, welcome baby Alizah!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.prayer request.  Hi friends!  I have a favor to ask of you all today.  Will you pray for my best friend Tina?  She is getting induced today & if all is going according to plan then she is in labor right now.  She is being induced a little early because she has Rh Disease/Incompatibility & its safer for the baby to be born now (at 38 weeks) then to wait for her body to go into labor on its own.  Plus, this way her and her baby's doctors and specialists are prepared to deliver and make sure the baby is A ok.  Tina has been going to specialists since half way through this pregnancy and as far as they can tell the baby looks strong and healthy.  I would love it if you could all lift her and baby up in prayer today.  Please ask that she has a fast and easy labor.  And that this baby will be born healthy and well.  Thank you! .prayer request.

.musical birds.

.musical birds.  With my destash project going on I have sorta felt like I can't be creative.  I mean it's great that I am trying to use up the materials and supplies I have.  I love creating new little books and fun jewelry.  But I have felt like this was me inside the box, not being able to explore new areas of art.  How can I grow, if I limit myself?

Over the weekend I thought of a new project I wanted to make... if we have a girl.  The more I thought about making the project the more I want to make it.  So, yesterday I went to Michael's and bought a couple new art supplies.  Then during Miss L's nap I got dirty painting and cutting and painting. 

The picture I made turned out much different then I pictured it in my head.  But different in a better way.  I would love to hang it up in the baby room if we have a girl.  If we have a boy I will just have to hang it up where I make all my crafts, which I can live with too. 

Making the picture was so much fun.  I felt like I was back in elementary school and had been handed a paint brush for the very first time.  I have been in the habit of telling myself I am not this or that and I think by labeling yourself you start to believe you can't do anything other than what you have been doing for a while.  It was great to explore a new area of art and to have fun with it.  And I didn't even care if I messed up.  Because that was kinda the point.  To explore, have fun, and grow. 

To make this picture I first ripped out pages from an old book, Prince Caspian (the cover is a journal in my shop).  Then I mod-podged them to a canvas board.  After the glue dried, I covered the papers with two coats of off-white acrylic paint - smearing it with paper towel after I coated.  This made the paper show through a little, just enough to notice it was there.  I also added a drop of pink to swirl around on the white.  

When the background was finished I worked on the main picture.  To make the birds I found pictures online, printed them off, transferred them to the old book paper, and cut them out.  Then I painted them in different shades of pink using the smearing technique to make sure the book ink showed through.  I did the same for the musical notes.  The branches I just tore straight from the book, added purple paint, and glued them in place where I wanted them.

finished!

The quote is my own and I typed it up in photoshop using French Script size 250.  I printed it off on book paper after inverting the image.  Then I carefully cut out each letter (this took the longest).  I painted them, like I did to the other images, and glued them to the canvas. 
The saying itself, "Every bird sings its own song" means that everyone is different and it is alright to be, were suppose to be, created to be.  I came up with it after thinking about how different this baby will be from Miss L.  I am growing more anxious to meet him or her and see how different they really are... or how similar. 

It was a fairly easy process that explained sounds harder then it was.  Overall I am pleased with it and can't wait for it to dry completely and hang it up somewhere.  I also plan on spraying it with a matte finish, so that it lasts longer.  I am so glad that I decided to jump out of my comfort zone and have fun painting.  You never know how creative you can be if you never try.  .musical birds.

.sneak peak.

.sew mama sew's back to school giveaway.

.sew mama sew's back to school giveaway.  Wow I love the site sew mama sew.  Seriously, if you have not been there you don't know what your missing.  It was one of the first blogs that I started reading on a regular basis & once you go there you will know why - if you love sewing and crafts that is.  I love getting inspired by them throughout the year.  However, that is not why I am writing this post - although you really do need to go there if you have never been before. 

Anyhow, now that that tangent has ended I will explain my real reason for this post.  Sew mama sew is having one heck of a huge giveaway this month.  They are going to giveaway a new serger to one lucky entrant - a Husqvarna Viking 21 Serger to be exact.  All I can say is who ever wins is one lucky mama (or papa, not discriminating).  To enter yourself go to this post on their site, and good luck - although I will be uber jealous if you win & I don't.  .sew mama sew's back to school giveaway.

So, sew mama sew, here is the answer to your question.  How would your life be better with a serger?
*sorry for the awkwardness of the video... it was my first time recording myself & I am not that confident in being in front of the camera.*

I am going to write down my answers as well.... in the totally predictable case that the video I shot is not working.  (Seriously, I am really not good at the video uploads, and transfers, and whatnots... although since it has taken me all day I am hoping they work).
So, sew mama sew, here are my written answers:

1.  Faster sewing: 
I have a 17 month old and a baby due Sept. 17th.  - With two children who will be under two it's a miracle I find enough time to sew at all.  With a serger I think I would be able to crank out a couple more projects within a month.  Right now my average is about three - I could maybe up that by five.  I know that I would definitely be able to sew faster on that sucker & that would make my life better in itself. 

It would totally help with the hemming and save a ton of time that way.  I would no longer have to sit and press hems the way I do now.  I am trying to get over being a perfectionist and I think this little lady just might help me.  Also, the cutting feature sounds amazing.  AMAZING!  I am very particular about my fabric and seams being cut evenly with no extra strands (seriously I am working on getting over my fears of stray threads).  This would totally speed up that process and get me moving.

2. Professional look:  I have made a couple of Studio Cherie's perfectly designed duffel bags.  Due to the fact that I do not currently own a serger I have had to use the zig-zag stitch around the whole bag.  By having a serger I would be able to make more duffel bags with a more professional look.  It would also help me make other items look better, such as the dresses I make for my daughter and myself.

3. It matches my viking:  Right now I have a Husqvarna Viking Emerald 116 & he is in need of a friend.  This is pushing how it could make my life better.  I know.  In reality it would just be cute to have two machines from the same company be able to work out together.  Maybe they could fall in love, who knows.

4. It would save us money:  I have wanted a serger for a while, yet I know the cost is too high for me to even think about getting one.  In all honesty I would have to save for a number of years to get one.  And, I don't think I would spend that much on one even if I did save for it.  There are other things in this world that are way more important.  Such as sponsoring children, or donating money to adopting couples.  Not trying to pull your heart out or anything- I just really don't think I could justify spending that much on something for myself.  Ever.

5. It would get me pumped to sew after I have my baby:  Like I may have mentioned, I am due Sept. 17th.  It took me a long while to get back into my creating mood after I had Miss L.  I know that when I am not crafting & sewing I get a wee bit stressed because I don't have an outlet to go to.  I believe that winning a serger would get me pumped up enough to get back into a creative rhythm sooner.  Therefore, I would be less stress and my family would be all the better for that.  They would love you! (I did record my thoughts on this... but blogger won't let me put two video's on the same post.  So this separate video is here.)

6. I would be able to try my hand at different fabrics:  I have sewn a couple of items using knits (mainly one, cotton knit blend), but with a serger I could use knits and not worry as much.  Right now I am afraid to use knits because Mr.Emerald himself has not had a good showing.  I would also give lace the opportunity to shine in my craft room.  I have not worked with lace, but I love it's vintage beauty and believe that a serger would help get some in our house.

7. Here is a list of what I would make with a serger.
   *quilts - a little birdie told me that you can make big quilts with a serger.  I think it would be fun to try.  Right now I am limited to small ones.
   *baby hats & little clothes - I have yet to make anything for our new addition because I want to know the gender.  But, when the baby is born I would love to make it some clothes to welcome it into the world and our family.
   *skirts - I love making little skirts for Miss L. and believe that I could make a ton with the help of a serger.
   *pants/baby tights - I want to make some baby tights and or pants from Made by Rae's tutorial's.  I  have a bunch of knit tank tops saved up but would rather make them with a serger then my Emerald.  As stated above, Mr. Emerald has trouble with knits.  It's probably more me then him, but yes I will continue to pass the blame.
   *clothing for myself - I would love to make something for myself with the help of a new serger.  I don't make enough just for me.  This nightie set would be the first item I would make for myself, most definitely.
  *embellishments - By owning a serger I would be able to make more professional looking outfits and I would be able to add the perfect accents to them.  Specifically, I think it would help me out in making ruffles and floral accents.  Who doesn't adore a little flower love on a dress. 

Once again thank you sew mama sew for the chance to win!

.sew mama sew's giveaway, video 2.

Here is the second video I shot on why I would like a serger & how it could make my life better. 

First one can be found in this post.

ps: Isn't my face paused hilarious... can't stop laughing about this one... haha.

.with Him.

Picture taken while in CA

.with Him.  Last week I confessed that I have been struggling lately, this spring and summer my walk with the Lord has been meger at best.  I am both encouraged and sad that many of us share in this struggle.  It is encouraging to know that I am not alone fighting to keep the faith.  It is encouraging that we can all relate to each other, help each other out, pray for one another. 

But, I also have a heavy heart that so many people are in this exact same spot.  It is disheartening to know that the world can so easily overtake.  Sometimes I wonder how anyone ever stays pure and true in His word.  The truth to that last statement is they don't.  People don't.  We wander.  Only He stayed true, only Jesus is pure.  And it is ok that we admit it.  It's ok to be to be honest and say, "I have failed".  In doing so  we can work on our relationship with Him, we can hand it over and start to grow.  By admitting our weaknesses, our struggles, we can ask Him to help us.  And He will. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This week I have slowly started to get back into His word.  Not everday mind you, but a couple of times - and that is better then the months prior.  I have been reading a little from Acts.  I am facinated by the boldness of the diciples and believers during the early church.  I am intreagued by Paul's faith after one divine meeting.  I have noticed too that my curiosity is growing the more I read.  God is at work. 

I also started reading the book Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur.  It was a Birthday gift from my mother in law & 15 pages into it I am excited to keep going.  After all there are some pretty extraordinary women in the Bible and I want them to become my role models, my encouragers.

My question for you is this:  Have you started reading your Bible again?  Have you decided to start?  If you don't struggle in this area, do you have any tips?  I hope your walk with the Lord continues to grow, like mine.  Go spend some time with Him.  Have fun diving back in.  And thank you again for your comments and sweet words of encouragement  .with Him.

.shop update.

.shop update.  I have been on a huge paper kick lately.  I don't know what it is about paper but I love it and have been manipulating it into various forms of mini books lately.  My paper loving spree also helps a ton with my destash project and that is Awesome. 

At the beginning of the summer I got a package of vintage flash cards from a garage sale for way cheap - that was before I vowed not to buy craft items until my stash was under control.  I turned a bunch into flashcard notebooks.  I used book rings because I love being able to add or subtract pages, the notepad has 50.  And with book rings you can change the cards around too.  They are simple, clean, and fun.  They are also now listed in the shop.  Go check them out!  .shop update.

.4 simple goals.

.4 simple goals. 
Here are my four simple goals to work on before 2011.

1. Take more pictures of our family.  I have found that I am taking more pictures of items I make then of the ones I love...
2. Make something just for myself, once a month.  Not to sell, not for others (although I should do more of this too), just for myself.  Period.
3. Get dressed up for fun at least one day a week.  Being a stay at home mom, my look has seriously been laxing. 
4. Start & Finish our vacation mini books.  I most definitely need to get these together.  Two vacations (Texas & California) need to equal two mini books.

Inspired by Elsie.  To participate go to Elsie's post for the meaning behind the goals.  I would love to know yours! .4 simple goals.

.swagbucks.

.swagbucks. Have you ever heard of swagbucks?  I have read, for months, that I should sign up for swagbucks.  I have heard of people using it to get cool new gear such as cameras and little gadgets.  I have even heard of a lady who saves all her swag bucks to get amazon gift cards, so that she can do her Christmas shopping (great idea).  So, I finally decided to join.  I have only had swagbucks for a little over a week and I already have close to 300SB - I am going to save up for something really cool, like a camera or gps system.

If you have never heard of swagbucks it is a rewards website.  It allows users to earn virtual currency (SB) by doing everyday things like searching the web, shopping online, and much, much more.  Seriously check it out, sign up today, and start saving for really great gear.  .swagbucks.

.happy birthday, aaron.

.happy birthday, aaron.  Yesterday, we celebrated Aaron's Birthday as a family.  During the day little L and I baked a cake.  It was a lot of fun, and L felt like such a big girl helping me.  Tonight we are continuing the celebration by going to a brewer game, hopefully they can put their game faces on and actually win.  Happy Birthday Aaron - We LOVE You!!! .happy birthday, aaron.

*photos are from yesterdays baking activities*

ps: she has gotten so much bigger since last years post.... wow!

.a confession.

.a confession.  I have had a hard time reading my Bible lately.  since we moved to be honest.  I use to be in a routine of reading it, alternating between good Christian books and books of the Bible.  Lately it has been nothing.  This is due to the lack of discipline in my own spiritual life.  I can blame it on moving, having a toddler, being pregnant, etc, etc.  But to be honest, everyday I make the choice to read or not - and lately it has been the latter.

On Sunday, our pastor talked about how we need to be disciplined in our own spiritual lives in order to pass the same values to our children.  In being disciplined, He talked about how we all need it, how it gives hope & encouragement, how it is a sign of love, and how even though discipline is not pleasant or easy it does bring righteousness and peace.  The sermon really convicted me and showed me that I need to take time out, every single day, in order to obey God, in order to pray, in order to maintain my relationship with Him.

It is so easy to stop reading the Bible, to let one day change to two, let one week turn into four.  It is so easy to say I need to clean my house, I need to catch up on my emails, I need to craft.  And then, suddenly you find yourself not reading at all, you feel lost.  Almost ashamed to start reading the Bible again.

Let me tell you a secret though, God forgives and forgets.

If you have stopped reading the Bible, or never started,  I am encouraging you to pick it up again today.  God lets us start over, how amazing His grace and love is, AMAZING.  .a confession.

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."
2 Timothy 3:16-17

*How do you stay disciplined in your faith walk?
*Is it easy for you? Or is it something you struggle with too?
*Do you have any great Christian books or devotions to share?

.indie artisans.

.indie artisans.  Have you ever heard of Indie Artisans?  I hadn't until they recently contacted me about being in a collection.  Indie Artisans is a website that is always changing with new collections of handmade goods.  It is a great resource if you want to find new shops & charming products.  Right now they have their newest collection up, a back to school edition.  My clare journal was chosen to be featured along with some other great products.  I am really excited to go check out all the other cool shops.  Go check it out for yourself & get some great back to school gear.  .indie artisans.

.shop update.

.shop update. I have been trying hard not to buy more items to make.  Instead, I am trying to destash a little and clean things up around here.  In the process I made a number of button hair pins, which I love.  I added them to the shop & more are on the way. .shop update.

How do you destash? and how often?  I am guilty this is my first attempt to clean things up....

.my desk right now.....

.one pretty thing.

.one pretty thing.  I have mentioned her before & am doing it again, I love Rachel's website, one pretty thing.  It is my go to resource guide, no joke.  There are simply hundreds of links; free printables love, cute DIY projects, and categories for every occasion, every.  Yesterday, I submitted a couple tutorials and by night one was featured in the Daily DIY post!  Go check out the site, it's a must, SERIOUSLY.  .one pretty thing.

.baptism cards.

.baptism cards.  This month or month and a half I will be preparing for our second little one.  Baby is due to arrive mid-September and I am already thinking that will come before I know it.  With Lydia, I was way over prepared as far as getting things done; I had the house cleaned, baptism invites/birth announcements ready to be mailed, diapers lined up, clothes hung, food stored, blankets handmade & washed, and more.  With this baby I simply have not had the time to do all that, and now feel a little behind as d-day approaches. 

I started to check items off my list yesterday starting with picking out a pattern for our baptism invites/birth announcements.  With Lydia our baptism invite was our birth announcement and it worked fine.  I think we will do the same type of thing this time around as well.  Maybe, I will send a bigger picture with it.... maybe.  .baptism cards.

For the invitations I went to Anna Skye's Download & Print website.  She has great FREE designs you can use for just about anything.  I narrowed it down to four selections, then after printing and playing around with what I want to add I chose a girl one and a boy one.  (Since we don't know the gender we have to be prepared for either.)  I want to give a personal touch to the card, so if we have a girl I am going to add a doily to it to make it even more feminine and cute.  And, if we have a boy I am going to make a bunch of garland to add. 

What do you think?   Is it too much?  How prepared can you really get for life with a little one?

.friends.

.friends.   Let me just say this: I LOVE MY FRIENDS!  On Sunday, I finally got to see a handful of them while I was in Madison.  It always amazes me that even though we go months without seeing or hardly talking we get together and are always the same - like we were never apart.  Only, our children have grown from babies to toddlers and were in new homes (congrats again Jenny & Chase).  I love how comfortable we are with each other and how even with our distance we can still be so, so close. 

Then on Monday, two of my friends surprised me & just dropped by.  I LOVE MY FRIENDS!  I live in a dead zone, my phone works as soon as I exit the driveway... but I have a little one and travel is tough around naps and such... so I don't get my messages much & phone talking is at an all time low.  Anyhow, even though my friends couldn't reach me they came - driving for over an hour, to a new place that neither have been, taking a gamble on whether I would be home or not.  Thank you Jess & Kim for taking that risk & coming to visit.  It means more then you know. I LOVE MY FRIENDS!  I have missed you girls tons, and think we should do this way more then we have in the past year.  .friends.

Oh and get ready for it... there is a picture coming of us in High School, when we did hang out everyday....

seriously, we look so different

.changes.

.changes.  I don't know if you have noticed.... but, I have made a few changes to the blog.  I added many new buttons and I took out a couple as well.  I have added all of my tutorials, a section for browsing by topic (more coming soon), and buttons for where you can find me (flickr, facebook, and 1000 markets).  I also put up a couple Amazon links (just testing it out), and a Compassion International button (because I truly feel honored to be able to share stories from them to you).

So, the question is... Do you like these changes?  How can I make the blog better?  Is it all too much?  I would love to hear what you think of the new layout because I would love for this to be a great blog.  All suggestions and comments are welcome & much appreciated. .changes. 

I would also love for you to become a fan of my facebook page, it is also new & I plan to use it to offer more discounts & information on the shop.

Thank you, lovely blogger friends, for all your input. -dez