tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33516058142245601672024-03-04T20:05:23.156-08:00UpsideDown GypsyJennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-77015615820239674262010-07-02T12:06:00.000-07:002010-07-02T12:34:50.637-07:00Getting to know me...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyOKr7B5lmU5Anhf-rc2VVftgzauDEMB-cXgH3EHLaEhvwFPQPO506lkVRPyz_BW2UFztKOZgtzqMqz2AdfFlBaE6KHKL7C7YSVhUrHrpswlfFjoKaRDGgkPWrjyKeXJbW-UxwskPuqY/s1600/christmas+friends.bmp"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEyOKr7B5lmU5Anhf-rc2VVftgzauDEMB-cXgH3EHLaEhvwFPQPO506lkVRPyz_BW2UFztKOZgtzqMqz2AdfFlBaE6KHKL7C7YSVhUrHrpswlfFjoKaRDGgkPWrjyKeXJbW-UxwskPuqY/s200/christmas+friends.bmp" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5489392798581035362" /></a><br />Yes, I know, I don't blog enough. BUT...I recently read Disney's post on rufflesandstuff.com and it was all about getting to know her. Love it! Some of the things that she said really inspired me to share a little of who I am, maybe even my "unlovely" side.<div><br /></div><div>So, about me, let's see...</div><div>*I definately like to stay busy, it's a sickness really. If I don't have a project to do or somewhere to go, I might lose it (and it might get ugly). I have this innate sense that I need to be doing something and not sitting still, otherwise I feel not good enough, like I'm not doing all I should be - does that make sense? </div><div><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNXWzhe3iNKG246pqR02KXXuJqVabIrcg4Fiahg4mRYJN_YOuej8PySKXAng1KGwC1Ed4Viqy8xllBz6FvJSiXICCkVJnEpiHm98gsfJUrq-VEb5KDQX6J_zJAXfK_kEU-NZ5KX_jJIODC/s1600/busy+mom+2.jpg" /></div><div>This tends to lead to extreme burnout and <i>bad attitudes. </i>All of this tends to make for a very sad, and tired, husband, because I married a man who likes to do nothing but be at home (which definitely is cheaper and has it's good side too). My husband's motto is "I pay good money for this house, we should be here more often)...well said.</div><div><br /></div><div>*I tend to be very spontaneous! Sounds fun, right? It is, but just not when it includes my friends who are less than spontaneous. I think every one of my friends knows that I could show up at their door, at any time, for any reason. While this makes me happy, I can see where it could add some stress to someone who isn't programmed that way. I'm honestly trying to get better at "planned visits". :-)</div><div><br /></div><div>*My fave radio station on Pandora is "Melody Gardot", it's awesome! They play some Norah Jones, some Amos Lee, but one of my favorites is Madeline Peyroux. She mostly sings in french that I've heard, but she's so relaxing and fabulous! I love music that really speaks to my soul, even when I have no idea what she's saying! he he</div><div><a href="http://s0.ilike.com/play#Madeleine+Peyroux:J'ai+Deux+Amours:93239:s7114339.13761931.34687.0.2.216%2Cstd_18e4289076ed4f2892ea63151ea75430">http://s0.ilike.com/play#Madeleine+Peyroux:J'ai+Deux+Amours:93239:s7114339.13761931.34687.0.2.216%2Cstd_18e4289076ed4f2892ea63151ea75430</a></div><div>Isn't she fabulous?</div><div><br /></div><div>*I love to create!!! I don't care if it's not practical, I just feel this overwhelming urge to make the everyday things in life a little more beautiful! I lay in bed every night with a million creative ideas going through my head on how I can cover that lampshade, or make that table runner, or redo that tshirt, anything! And the part that tends to drive my husband crazy is that I love to give it away. I've tried Etsy, and taking orders from friends, but it's not half as fun as making something (like an apron - which is my favorite to make) and then showing up at their house (probably unannounced) and bringing them a gift. </div><div><img src="http://www.chickensense.com/images/valentineApron.jpg" /> So cute!!!</div><div><br /></div><div>*I love the Lord, and I love my family and friends...those are the things that get me through those times in life when I feel that I can't go any further. You know those times? Then you remember that you're not alone, that He never leaves you, and that He has a plan for you, and in that plan are some beautiful, talented, awesome sisters to stand by you! I'm thankful for each and every one of the people God has put in my life!</div><div><br /></div><div>Have a great holiday weekend everyone!</div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-62405317052350581722010-03-10T19:19:00.000-08:002010-03-10T19:55:57.794-08:00<span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;">Ya, ya...it's been a while, <strong>8 months actually</strong>, but here I am now, doing my best. I wanted to get on here and let you know of a few ideas on the web right now that I <em>really love!</em><br /><br /></span><div><div><div><div><div><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;">Someone made me one of these recently, and I can't tell you how much it touched me! As someone who sees the love in a handmade gift, to receive one is the "icing on the cake" to a great gift! the funnest part of this project is coming up with rules that fit your family! And the combinations of paper/fabric, font, colors...well, it's endless!Since my camera's currently not working, here is a picture of one I found online -</span><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsU2YiHC4WWYi9Hxmvy_iWrzszlNIbmXurOoioB-R3KU_Za3-NFov_e6o-09HTW9YgbwOriTBf8aBmALuVD3iuwZWTyap7wlL4w4_QOUWEOXMQO1gcHi1PyniY96o3PqNPsCRSfw3O_k/s400/family+rules+pleated+poppy"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 121px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 172px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFsU2YiHC4WWYi9Hxmvy_iWrzszlNIbmXurOoioB-R3KU_Za3-NFov_e6o-09HTW9YgbwOriTBf8aBmALuVD3iuwZWTyap7wlL4w4_QOUWEOXMQO1gcHi1PyniY96o3PqNPsCRSfw3O_k/s400/family+rules+pleated+poppy" /></a><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div></div><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;">Also, rufflesandstuff.com is my FAVE blog right now, she is so amazing and talented! And, she's a pastor's wife with a really great attitude about family and ministry, who doesn't love that? Here's something she showed how to make recently which is adorable! You will definately see me wearing this very soon -</span></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6wTqUW-z-Px6UZrAUX-6Wz2s7M3-06zWhOrIrU0HhZvoIQf8qTSue8SE6l4LPp2IMCt17LlbRE6_2prpO6Nxmdht1Mg3XXi51UISzy_dZJy-X0swc2UiYZ3u7nXJEcRiDqdVFvoORxs/s1600-h/handkercheif+flower.jpg"><span style="font-family:lucida grande;font-size:130%;"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 134px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447218301866634418" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis6wTqUW-z-Px6UZrAUX-6Wz2s7M3-06zWhOrIrU0HhZvoIQf8qTSue8SE6l4LPp2IMCt17LlbRE6_2prpO6Nxmdht1Mg3XXi51UISzy_dZJy-X0swc2UiYZ3u7nXJEcRiDqdVFvoORxs/s200/handkercheif+flower.jpg" /></span></a><br /><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;">One thing that I've been loving lately also is pearls...pearl necklaces, pearl trim...and it's been fun to go thrift shopping to find antique gold/silver necklaces and watch faces to pair with a pearl necklace for a different look. Although this is somewhat different than what I have, you get the general idea -</span></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 177px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 203px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447217314142917666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTcmETdBacX2qjtqfVHbzNUL3WzJWacUaw0nKjhrWxXb6nAc1c2BNAhEUI0rOFAs_qpukYIcIfccV3_ImR0Jza_2ZK0-_dFWe960JOz6cgC_DG_gkAOIaAhjNdpm4r37prHP_EOfLO-8o/s200/pearl+necklace.jpg" /> <span style="font-size:130%;">Anyway, just some ideas for now...maybe some of these will inspire you like they do to me! </span></div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"></span> </div><div><span style="font-size:130%;"><em>p.s. One friend is going to start teaching me to knit, and another is teaching me to make homemade bread (I currently have a fear of making bread, it never turns out right!), so I'll try to have pics of that later! <br /></em></span><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-6757616554292107062009-07-10T08:06:00.001-07:002009-07-10T08:12:19.686-07:00Summer time woes...Here we are only 1/4 of the way through the summer and it's already 105 with all that humidity! How does life survive here in Texas?! By getting in a swimming pool each and every day, or else not leaving the house, that's how! <br />I've been sewing a lot of odd projects around the house lately, I will try to post some pictures up soon; from fabric coasters, to matching dad/son "tie" tshirts (which turned out pretty good by the way), to burp cloths - which I am most proud of! Due to the number of new babies coming here in our church, I have a feeling that more and more and more burp cloths are in my future. They are my favorite kind of project...quick, easy, and beautiful! I love it when you don't have to do much, not even cut exactly right, and it looks like you spent a lot of time on something, that's definately a fave of mine.<br />I'm having my husband work right now on some designer cards to put my paperclips/clothespins/etc. on to maybe add onto Etsy. Etsy has become my FAVORITE website in all of the internet! Problem...I could sit for hours and look at it, just browsing and getting ideas and thinking how brilliant some of these people are who can make these beautiful things! It's not very productive to sit for hours and do this, I do not recommend it. :-)<br />So, that's all for now, and as I said earlier, I will try to post some pics of these items later! Thanks for reading!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-77528289827878450742009-06-05T13:41:00.000-07:002009-06-05T13:46:17.412-07:00Back again...Wow, how long have I been gone? At least 3 months or so, whew! What a whirlwind, good news is we're now homeowners! Got a little crazy there for a while putting offers on houses and then waiting, getting our offer accepted and then waiting even longer in underwriting. Not my favorite word this year by the way, underwriting. A horrible place to be for 2 months!<br /><br />But now I'm back, and hoping to start getting more project on here. I've done so many little decorating projects; some spray paint here, reframing there, painting a fireplace here, new bedspreads there...needless to say there were no "before" pictures taken in the midst of all this, but we'll see what we can do! <br /><br />My eldest daughter, K, just graduated from 8th grade, and she had such a great graduation! I could not be more proud. My friend, Emily, came to see her graduate with us, and let's just say there were some tears, happy ones.<br /><br />Better go for now, more to come! Bye ya'll!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-25707479464639689622009-03-12T07:43:00.000-07:002009-03-13T12:02:49.188-07:00Another successful dollar store trip!Ok, so it's spring break, and yesterday my husband says "why don't you take the kids out somewhere fun and spend $30 or so, how about Chuck E. Cheese?" Immediately my brain starts racing with pictures of kids running and screaming this way and that, and germs - oh wow, the germs that are in that place (in case you don't know this about me yet, I have a bit of a germ problem, I am always on the lookout for any germs that might attack myself or my family - but I'm not weird about it or anything :-) ya right)! So, I put my Mommy thinking cap on and decided, what's funner than Chuck E. Cheese? A trip to the dollar store where they can pick not one, not two, but 3 items each! Wow, were they happy, I was Mommy of the hour! Of course, while there I saw their family "plan it" calendars on sale for $.39/each! Amazing, these are great calendars! So needless to say, I got some for my friends.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ja4LzFBG8ojLM8WbVYBpQ8rn5JIL_8Cr3ks_yzF5jDiIvJxYYIgIQbH4lZeGSrXRiB093ExrxhMm5o453YGB5mInQAoTu1yq6gkNwhC7DuWScI7PYBhmiPOPancFp-B5C32ST2ZVj70/s1600-h/decoupage+clothespins.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312315443796275234" style="WIDTH: 141px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 96px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Ja4LzFBG8ojLM8WbVYBpQ8rn5JIL_8Cr3ks_yzF5jDiIvJxYYIgIQbH4lZeGSrXRiB093ExrxhMm5o453YGB5mInQAoTu1yq6gkNwhC7DuWScI7PYBhmiPOPancFp-B5C32ST2ZVj70/s200/decoupage+clothespins.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>What's even better than this, is that there was a little money left over for me to walk down the sidewalk to Michael's and look into their dollar section (which is now larger than ever before and in the BACK of the store now), and wow, the deals I found! I found some paper to use for my clothespins I had been wanting to do, some cute "farm" magnets for my dear friend Tasha who is GOING to be a farmer some day, and some VERY cute recipe cards to match the paper I had gotten. This got me thinking (you should know first off, that my love language is gifts, this will help you understand my constant thinking of who I can get something for next), I could throw a quick gift together for some friends that I am seeing for lunch today.....thus, an afternoon of crafting was born! It was so wonderful, and here are the fruits of my labor!</div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312314746389470354" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYEFhpsoI4R4Mid-YVIQOXXpa5emlayO7pjzQYeEwJllXhWQm0i0UmS40R1vNsU5_CA3ifXYTyCs31mdDbSORioNbtqvJk1CAYq5yv1LzlXYP_C3KKtyVBgyOGDPFTuyLRRcZ6jbLk2Pg/s200/green+clip+gift.JPG" border="0" /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLfvoGFEdu7rDKNAihUC3V_1K_R3hI-LvioF7IR7qUuopx4RRKbXer6Ozajh5s-SDm3beMmQAcKdWzYM4agqW8ekCDINMZyNdxhHo2aZ0TdDkV2U9J66B8zMUHzkXlHQb-1BRt-Muzzw/s1600-h/pink+clips+gift.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5312315443398083970" style="WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLfvoGFEdu7rDKNAihUC3V_1K_R3hI-LvioF7IR7qUuopx4RRKbXer6Ozajh5s-SDm3beMmQAcKdWzYM4agqW8ekCDINMZyNdxhHo2aZ0TdDkV2U9J66B8zMUHzkXlHQb-1BRt-Muzzw/s200/pink+clips+gift.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-18172025756757323522009-03-10T13:23:00.001-07:002009-03-10T13:44:57.155-07:00Button Paperclips!?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid-vDsxEjR6HTMXDDkc-XBFxwJ3_dYb4FKXhW-x2JB1IFDgeYvr81YJHjM-zeSFPseRMyQ9YRdIUYbjiuY6bfeSqMrQYmNkbluPHNhEMfREHKumudvD1EdecY2gEeYE90J3T7uRkM0BE/s1600-h/button+clips+3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311662796544580002" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 127px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 84px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhid-vDsxEjR6HTMXDDkc-XBFxwJ3_dYb4FKXhW-x2JB1IFDgeYvr81YJHjM-zeSFPseRMyQ9YRdIUYbjiuY6bfeSqMrQYmNkbluPHNhEMfREHKumudvD1EdecY2gEeYE90J3T7uRkM0BE/s200/button+clips+3.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkSNyF0D0Ghv8MCx9xb_AA8EUt_izLN8NRDfFU2efc5SIAikl8uZIJWZY4LLoXkA-1jCMfDTzV2AFtaQkK0bo1J3w3bnZxrc-La04lefKU2-wrJbpYl-ZclE7x7N1goWfjKjkM_L03nk/s1600-h/button+clips+1.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311662556145142546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 148px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 126px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkSNyF0D0Ghv8MCx9xb_AA8EUt_izLN8NRDfFU2efc5SIAikl8uZIJWZY4LLoXkA-1jCMfDTzV2AFtaQkK0bo1J3w3bnZxrc-La04lefKU2-wrJbpYl-ZclE7x7N1goWfjKjkM_L03nk/s200/button+clips+1.JPG" border="0" /></a> Yes, the name explains it all...I am very pleased at how these turned out. I made these when we recently went camping (we had electricity inside our shelter), my husband was taking a nap, the kids were all playing, so I had time to get hot glue crazy!! I started out only wanting to make a few, but then I got a little carried away, and now I have about 40. Not sure what I'll do with them all, but I think I'm about to make some matching decorated clothes pins and some recipe cards and give them away as gifts. Sounds cute anyway, we'll see...<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><div>So anyway, I used some vintage buttons I recently bought at a local estate sale, and I love the way they turned out. My favorite thing about crafting is taking something you see everyday and seeing it in a whole new way! Why can't something practical be cute too? </div></div></div></div></div></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-6495047359054007712009-03-10T13:12:00.001-07:002009-03-10T13:39:33.191-07:00Finally...some craft pics!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2r_zAy5izGNE8QeaSM2BwQmNLniTfW-X6YHRSSShG3G3dC-uxt4lyJi5UJv5IPFAmdUs8ieDZ-lxqeegD8Qj4QyUv74FqVVOtI4bryFRiPq4bUMTQCsgQIuL3ozPxATmMws7jxIvgH8/s1600-h/sierras+magnetic+words.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311656394902411282" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 190px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 154px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi2r_zAy5izGNE8QeaSM2BwQmNLniTfW-X6YHRSSShG3G3dC-uxt4lyJi5UJv5IPFAmdUs8ieDZ-lxqeegD8Qj4QyUv74FqVVOtI4bryFRiPq4bUMTQCsgQIuL3ozPxATmMws7jxIvgH8/s320/sierras+magnetic+words.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmlkaM41ba63J6qJ1TcpOyetfKmsZqO-6b6gf-A8ZWQBY527rmJl3JTQViUTHMXtWchkCayL2JHQ797XviNPJP5bTVCFEjaIqm2Wg5L_VWPrjfznJ54FDisIHkOKLaYBL6AI_MwfPkXA/s1600-h/sierras+magnetic+board.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5311656389469840834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 197px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUmlkaM41ba63J6qJ1TcpOyetfKmsZqO-6b6gf-A8ZWQBY527rmJl3JTQViUTHMXtWchkCayL2JHQ797XviNPJP5bTVCFEjaIqm2Wg5L_VWPrjfznJ54FDisIHkOKLaYBL6AI_MwfPkXA/s320/sierras+magnetic+board.JPG" border="0" /></a> OK, so that took a lot longer than it should have, but we lost our SD card from our camera (along with all of our pictures that were on it), and had to purchase another one. My husband, the techie wizard, was amazed to see how inexpensive they were now!<br /><div>So, these pictures are of a project I did for Valentine's (I actually did one for each of my kids with different sets of words), this one is Sierra's. I first took a cookie sheet that was no longer being used and spray painted it black. Then, I decopauged some cute scrapbooking paper onto the front and put together a little "thing" with their name; Sierra's says "Sierra's Silly Sentences". Then I printed off the words onto 8 1/2" X 11" magnetic sheets that I got from Hobby Lobby (very inexpensive - about $6.00 for 3 sheets). Then I cut out the words and put them onto the back of their tray. It turned out really cute and they seem to be enjoying them, especially in the car. The thing is, you could really make these cuter and embelish them more, so versatile!</div></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-86235829457261002792009-03-02T19:24:00.000-08:002009-03-10T13:39:55.586-07:00Good friends are hard to come by!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bjMz6FBeB43Up5YhDwfjHpNHKRu7qDcX7ZcCOiM-V_OJbrDPKpDR9AJMyyrJgoC5eOus9XhoRYhUylK52HS9GLJyA2h2O_lK4gypXl78gdiIjtvgfM-nmjPh9yB2-QVfv4sdoegVg6c/s1600-h/us.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308798706907402050" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 235px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 158px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-bjMz6FBeB43Up5YhDwfjHpNHKRu7qDcX7ZcCOiM-V_OJbrDPKpDR9AJMyyrJgoC5eOus9XhoRYhUylK52HS9GLJyA2h2O_lK4gypXl78gdiIjtvgfM-nmjPh9yB2-QVfv4sdoegVg6c/s320/us.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, although the title may seem a bit obvious and cliche, I just want to say that this is ever so true. With so much going on in my life right now with my children and family, I daily thank God for the "support crew" that holds up my arms for me each day and is continually encouraging me to go on. What a blessing to be able to share your good, and bad, times with a few close people and know that they in return trust you with their ups and downs as well. How would we survive this life any other way??<br /><div></div><br /><div>Speaking of one of these friends....we were recently celebrating my good friend Heather's birthday at my friend Emily's home, and she (as usual) was taking snapshots of us while we were around the table. My first inclination is to say "wow, I can not take a good picture", but you know what, I'm trying to be more positive in my life, so I say "awesome, this is a great picture, and I'm glad that she took it and I have it to look back on". It really does make me smile, and it reflects pretty well our relationship with eachother, fun. I love this man! </div><div></div><div>Coming soon....I have done quite a bit of crafting lately, and I plan on posting some pics of these soon!<br /></div><div><a id="myphotolink" href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2249747&id=1047764772"></a></div>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-39426493181804963392009-02-26T09:20:00.000-08:002009-03-10T13:47:15.828-07:00My favorite fabric!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FFDD5k2gkCI7Qwe2A5C6Zl8IkkZjxm4Li27P7q3YsrvPyLN23vxmu2VRT1aihyphenhyphennfCNxdApvYAgQeuK9YjxKlipn8yv4n0Rj7PAYR6LIXa59nXa8ARpuuVTnvwxi4aXGvfUfv52XDtyA/s1600-h/BIRDIE_bag.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307159311953491442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 126px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 212px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7FFDD5k2gkCI7Qwe2A5C6Zl8IkkZjxm4Li27P7q3YsrvPyLN23vxmu2VRT1aihyphenhyphennfCNxdApvYAgQeuK9YjxKlipn8yv4n0Rj7PAYR6LIXa59nXa8ARpuuVTnvwxi4aXGvfUfv52XDtyA/s320/BIRDIE_bag.jpg" border="0" /></a> BTW, I'm sure many of you know of Amy Butler fabric and patterns by now, but just in case, I would like to tell you - wow! These are my favorite fabrics and bags anywhere! But, the downfall is that I am not a very "knowledgable" seamstress, so I am unable to make these on my own. But....they do sell them all the time on Etsy.<br /><a href="http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=amy+butler+bag">http://www.etsy.com/search_results.php?search_type=tag_title&search_query=amy+butler+bag</a><br /><br />Also, even if you just have a quick project to do that requires fabric, this is a great idea for that too! She is a little more expensive on her fabric, but it's totally worth it, there's nothing else out there that's like it.<br /><br />And, the great news, she has a lot of free patterns on her website in addition to the patterns that you can buy in her books or separately (also on ebay and etsy)! Here's the link to Amy's website, check it out!<br /><a href="http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/mainmenu.php">http://www.amybutlerdesign.com/mainmenu.php</a>Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-61867178221781265052009-02-26T07:48:00.000-08:002009-03-02T19:37:00.726-08:0024 hours??Wow, ok, so how is 24 hours in a day not enough to get done all that needs to get done? This is the question that I seem to be asking myself over and over again lately! It seems like there is always a birthday present to pick up, or homework to help with, or grocery shopping to be done, or appointments/meetings to make...you get the picture. It seems that every Monday morning I awake with the thought that "wow, I don't think we have anything going on this week that would be too hectic", only to find out within the next day or two that you do have a lot going on, you're just not going to find out about it until the day before (if you're that lucky!). So, is this just where I stop, I stop at the "being upset" part and never actually find an answer to these questions??<br /><br />No, because it seems like every time I start to get overwhelmed and out of sorts, God is always there to let me know that there is ALWAYS enough time to get done what HE has called me to do. Wow, how do I forget that every time? So where does that leave me? It leaves me sitting down with Him, going through MY to do list, and asking Him to turn it into HIS to do list. Not an easy job when you think that all these things must get done, or else! Or else what? What are we so afraid will happen if God says that we don't have to do all the things on our list? We need to remember that HE is in control, and HE knows what's best for us and where and what we need to be doing with our time. Thank you God for always providing the opportunity to come to you when we need clarity in our lives!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3351605814224560167.post-72019329895127028992009-02-25T09:48:00.000-08:002009-02-25T10:00:30.295-08:00Aaahhh...new beginnings!Wow, now that I've finally started to blog, I'm not really sure what to write. I want to start off by saying that if you're here, then I guess you must love me, but probably what's more true is that you're just interested in what I think I have to say. :-) So let's see...<br /><br />New Recipes:<br />For Christmas, a friend gave me a subscription to "Simple & Delicious" magazine (thank you Emily!), and it is now my favorite way to plan meals every week! I have started making at least 3 or 4 meals each week out of that magazine, and it has turned out to not only put a new spark on my meal planning, but it's been very affordable - and delicious! Last night we had fried breaded pork chops, herb mashed potatoes and citrus broccoli. Mmmmm! Here's the link to the website where you can find these recipes: <a href="http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes">http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes</a> Enjoy!<br /><br />Ongoing craft projects:<br />What's new in crafting...let's see. Decoupaging is still really fun, and it's always amazing how it turns something normal and every day (like a clipboard or a container) into something that's beautiful and makes you smile every time you look at it. I am currently working to finish a monogram letter "A" for a baby project for a friend, but my stapler broke and now I am looking for a new one (one that requires staples that you can find everywhere, and not just some odd brand you're lucky to find at Home Depot once in a while). So, I'll post pics of that as i get it finished.<br /><br />I guess I better be getting some work done, ta ta for now!Jennhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02487833890312785956noreply@blogger.com0