the flu

the flu has invaded our home.
it was all manageable until...
I
GOT
IT!

there is just something that happens when the mama gets sick.

But today...
I am still weak.
I need to get lots accomplished.
I am here to take back the house.
It's time to muster up
ALL
the energy I have
And
Get my clean on.

Wish me luck'

Monday...Monday...

today...
is Monday.
that equals a busy day.
Mondays are my planning day for the week.

i make our meal plan.
get the needed groceries.
clean up from the weekend.
usually wash bed sheets.
and try to tackle the majority of the deep cleaning.
it doesn't always happen.
but 
i try.

i feel like i have a pretty good weekly cleaning schedule.
when i stick with it.
that really does make a 
BIG 
difference.

i am trying to find out how & when is a good time to blog.
it is never the same.
and 
sometimes...
as you know...
never gets done.

throughout the day i think of all these 
WONDERFUL
things to post about.
i have so many posts in my head.
i need to find out how to get them all on here.

one day.
it will happen...
maybe!

so today is MONDAY. 
MONDAY.
which means...
my verse of the week day.

Deuteronomy 6:5-9 (NIV)
"Love the LORD your God with all your
heart and with all your soul and with all your
strength. These commandments that I give
you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress
them on your children. Talk about them when
you sit at home and when you walk along the 
road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind
them on your foreheads. Write them on the 
doorframes of your house and on your gates." 

i want to be a good mother and example for my boys.
i want to saturate their hearts with God's LOVE for them.


This weeks to do...
in case your curious...

1. paint one canvas order
2. paint 5 canvas for my church's ladies workshop 
(i am over the artsy segment)
3. sew a few baby burp clothes
4. and a handful of other things i can't remember right now. 

ha.
i will have to make another list.

enjoy your week
 


 

a duck party

my oldest son, Jack Jack, turned EIGHT in November.
i am finally getting around to posting pictures.

i do have to say in advance...

i am thrilled with how it turned out.
he requested a duck hunting party.
NOT Duck Commander
(which we LOVE and would have made my job easier)
but he just simply wanted
a
duck hunting party.

and it was.....

simple.
camo.
mallard ducks.
nerf guns.
pinata.
friends.
family.
ice cream.
balloons.
and
candy.

 here is the invite i created on the computer!
and
then
the
cake.
he requested a
duck cake.
made
out of
cake. (meaning no fake duck/toys on top)

i have watched my fair share of cake boss
and
other shows
so
i made a base out of a sheet cake.
then stacked
layers
and
layers of cake
and
sculpted
the duck shape with a knife.
for his head i used
rice krispie treat.

i have never used the "spray" food coloring before
but i tried it
and
i liked it a lot
it worked great for the
water and green head

 

and 

i used a chocolate chip for the eyes

added a little extra detail

and 

wha' la

a

duck cake!

 

and to keep things simple.
we served it with ice cream cups.
simple.
single serve.
no dipping.
PERFECT.

I didn't get a good picture of the table decor
but
you can see I used a simple camo table cloth
a strip of burlap for a table runner
a porcelin duck we had
a mallard picture
and
duck calls
and lots of balloons!

 

 for the game

i made a duck hunting room

i guess you could call it 

real life Duck Hunt

(like the old Nintendo game)

 

i used our dinning room

moved the table to the window

placed blue "water" table cloths down

moved 

ALL 

our house plants on top and around 

then 

the place camo colored balloons to the plants

taped pictures of ducks to the balloons

added a few

of the hubby's decoys to the water

and 

then its get duck hunting time

(with Nerf guns of course)

the BIG kids enjoyed it more than the little ones.

it was pretty cool when the Nerf bullets would hit the balloons.

all and all it was a GREAT party.

the previous weekend

he was able to go hunting.

and he is hooked just like his dad.

we made the pinata too...
which means....
my first ever tutorial post...
HURRAY!!!!

Sew! Sew! Sew!

I am in the midst of sewing a few pillows.
Whimsy
Owl
Pillows.

I love to sew.
But just like painting....
It goes in waves.

Sometimes I jut can't get into it
And
Other times...
It's
All
I
Want
To
Do.


My to do list is growing!
And growing!
And growing!
With Crafting.

Sewing & Painting.

I am excited to get it ALL done and show my creations to you!

I have 6 canvas to paint and a few bibs and burp clothes.
I can't forget about the valences for a friends new home.
And...I am patiently waiting for some fabric to sew a little ones bedroom/crib set!!!

Lots to do!!!

a NEW year

its a NEW year.
i am sure you have gotten the memo.
it is finally soaking in that is
2013

i have A LOT of things to accomplish this year.
some inwardly
and
some outwardly

i am going to do a weekly bible verse/verse' this year.
i am going to share them here
here on this blog.
i hope by doing so this will
HELP ME
and
KEEP ME
accountable.

No matter how hard I try.
nor
How GREAT my intentions are.
i am pretty good at failing....and just doing...just enough.
this year
i want to be better
better than
just enough.

so here is my weekly verses' i am going to be reading over and over this week.
praying over
digging into
and hoping to
implement it ALL in my daily life.

A Full Life in the Emptiest of Places

^9-12 “If you get rid of unfair practices,
    quit blaming victims,
    quit gossiping about other people’s sins,
If you are generous with the hungry
    and start giving yourselves to the down-and-out,
Your lives will begin to glow in the darkness,
    your shadowed lives will be bathed in sunlight.
I will always show you where to go.
    I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places—
    firm muscles, strong bones.
You’ll be like a well-watered garden,
    a gurgling spring that never runs dry.
You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew,
    rebuild the foundations from out of your past.
You’ll be known as those who can fix anything,
    restore old ruins, rebuild and renovate,
    make the community livable again.

As i was drinking my coffee this morning...

i looked at my cup. 

its one of my favorites.

its from my little sister 

and its a tall cup

so it holds more coffee.

But then I read it...

and 

it spoke to me.

Be the Change...You wish to see in the world.

and 

that is just what i am  going to do.

who is with me??? 

 

 

FB give-A-way DAY

Today over on our FB page we are having a FREE 8x10 give-A-way!

TheCraftyPie

All you have to do is comment on a picture.
That's it!!!
Then, at 10 o'clock tonight.
i will randomly choose a
WINNER!

I LOVE give-A-ways!

Check out
TheCraftyPie
On FB today
And
LIKE
Our page.

You will be glad YOU did!!!

Here is a couple custom 8x10's I just completed!

Hello 2013

I guess I decided to take all of December off.
It was a great stress-free month...
enjoyed my family and the blessing i
have been given.

All of December i have been doing a lot of thinking and praying.
Trying to figure out my place in this World and
not just living for me
and
the right now.
But..
believing and having Faith in God's plan for my life.
And
For my family!

I'm not a big new years resolution maker but I have set some goals for myself...

Here are a few:
Get my nose in my Bible every day.
Savor every minute I'm with my kiddos.
Be more organized.
And
Be the best me I can be!

Do you set resolutions/goals?
(I guess they are really the same thing.)
What are a few of yours?