Pursuing the Calling

Change

2012-01-27T12:22:00.000-07:00

We went from this....

To this....

And he did so well his first night in a big boy bed! I can hardly keep him out of his new bed. I guess he was ready for the change.

White board saves the day!

2012-01-24T10:27:00.001-07:00

I don't know why it is, but this little white board hanging on our refrigerator has been the best thing for our family. Things go so much smoother and the hubs and I end up working so well together if I keep it up daily. I've always kept daily to-do lists but they have always been on paper, in my circa, in my home management binder, etc. Is it because this is so easy to see? Is it because it's so easy to change? Probably some of both and more.

Here's a quick overview of how we do this:

Every evening, after Carter is in bed, Jon and I sit down in front of the TV and work on projects or just veg - it's our little quiet time. At some point, I'll grab my home management binder which includes a calendar on which I write pretty much anything going on and my daily to-do list. I transfer all the information for the next day onto the white board and add anything else we need to do including all the little things that I don't normally write in my binder - like unload the dishwasher or a detailed list of the trash needing to be taken out, just so Jon is aware of EVERYTHING needing to be done, even the little things in my head and can help if I get behind.

We start the next day by trying to get everything done on the list, starting with the most urgent. Usually by lunch / nap time I can see where we are at and how the day is going and can start prioritizing by what I think we can reasonably get done by the end of the day. I put an "E" for evening next to the items we can do after Carter goes to bed, an "A" for things to finish in the afternoon and an "N" for things that are not necessary and can be moved to the next day. The little spot in the lower right corner is for items we run out of that I need to transfer to my grocery list. As you can see, we don't get everything done in a day. But that's ok, moving forward is still progress!

For whatever reasons it works, we'll keep it up. I like seeing all those little red checks at the end of the day!

A Christmas Ornament

2012-01-01T07:59:00.000-07:00

For lot's of reasons, I made several Christmas gifts this year. Here's one of the ornaments that I made for my aunt.

I just love the delicateness of the snowflake! Several of these were supposed to go up in my Etsy shop before Christmas but never made it. I do have 4 or 5 hanging around. If you are interested in purchasing any, drop me a line via the comments or email and I'd be happy to send one out to you!

MIA?... Yeah, pretty much....

2011-12-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick run down on what's been happening with our little family and then on to new posts about the recent Christmas celebrations and new projects!

In case you didn't notice the oh so small change in the "About Me" box - we are expecting another baby in April! This will be our 4th baby, the 2nd (Lord willing) to be placed in our arms and care. Needless to say, dealing with pregnancy woes and a toddler running around has moved blogging to the back burner. Baby bump pictures forthcoming!

The most life altering event (yes, even more than being pregnant) happened over the summer / fall. You may have noticed random posts about Jon's grandparents, I never really did say much about what was going on.

Grandpa on his last birthday here on earth.

Right after Carter was born, Grandpa went in for open heart surgery. After starting the operation, the Doctors found lung cancer and closed him up without performing the heart surgery. He did fine for a little over a year, but early this spring he started to decline along with some health problems for Grandma. It's a very long story about what happened, but it was one of the most difficult and most touching times in our lives. We spent a lot of time over there taking care of them, the whole family pitched in, it was amazing. Grandpa passed away at home in October and to the very end he never complained and only showed love and concern for his family. I've only seen one other testimony to the power and work of the Lord Jesus in someones life like that. Anyone who knew this man was privileged indeed.

Grandpa's last time outside - we made him breakfast.

48 hours after Grandpa died, the whole family got on planes to Wisconsin for Jon's brothers wedding. Anyone who has dealt with a family wedding (especially one that involves major travel) knows how stressful the months leading up to such an event can be. Because we were all dealing with Grandpa at the same time, it became quite an emotional few months. Then add in 2 pregnant women - one of them dealing with the fear of a third miscarriage (me and Jon's cousins wife) and you have a recipe for disaster! Amazingly, the entire family walked away relatively unscathed.

(Yes, tiny baby bump here!)

We were so blessed to be able to rent an entire house for the week where the whole family plus groomsmen stayed. It was (even with the stress of the wedding) a relief to have the week between Grandpa's death and the funeral together having a little bit of fun. Sadly, Grandma wasn't with us.

P.S. Carter did GREAT on the plane!

So that was our summer and fall in the smallest nutshell I can get it. I have several posts in the works, most of them about projects I've been working on and some about Christmas and some of them covering both topics! So I hope you all with stick with me as I get back into the blogging swing, there will be some really great stuff and lots of changes coming up!

Stampin' Royalty challenge #87

2011-09-02T09:06:00.001-06:00

I decided to join in on Stampin' Royalty's card challenge this week, back to school! I just love fall and back to school, new clothes and "office" supplies! Ok, maybe I'm a geek. Anyway here's my card and the list of supplies. To me, this would be a card that I would give a teacher - I just love the notebook paper look.

Image © Stampin Up!

Cardstock: (I actually just used some old paper I had on hand, but here's what I would have used if I had gone "true" SU!) Soft Suede, Whisper White, Garden Green, Cherry Cobbler, Pumpkin Pie

Stamps: So Happy for You (Sale-A-Bration), School Lines

Punches: Eyelet Border, Spiral Border (retired)

Big Shot: Floral Fusion sizzlit, Little Leaves sizzlit

Accessories: Brads (this was one I had on hand)

Let me know via email if you would like to place an order for any of the supplies to make this card!

PPA108 Card challenge

2011-08-29T18:10:00.000-06:00

Pals Paper Arts card challenge for this week was to soften the edges. Well, that challenge is perfect for the card I had to make this week!

Image © Stampin Up!

Jon's grandparents 55th wedding anniversary is this week and I wanted to go with something soft and elegant. It's a very special and emotional time for everyone as this is their last anniversary together on this earth. We are praying right now that Jon's grandpa makes it till then.

I wasn't sure what colors to use, I even thought about their wedding colors (but I don't know what they were). When looking up the "meaning" of the 55th anniversary on google the result was emerald. So... the color of the card. I also decided to try a new technique I learned in which you partially emboss. I will provide details and instructions on how I made this card later. But for now here is the supply list, all items are SU! unless stated otherwise. Any of the Stampin Up! items you can order directly from me, just email me with what you would like to order.

Cardstock:
~ Green (not sure what brand)
~ White (Whisper White)

Tools:
~ Framed Tulips embossing folder
~ Perfect Polka Dots embossing folder
~ Itty Bitty Shapes Punch Pack
~ 3/16" corner punch
~ Stylus (available through SU! September 1st)

Accessories:
~ Basic pearls

Of course adhesive as well.

Farewell to Summer Stamp Camp!

2011-08-22T16:29:00.003-06:00

Come say farewell to summer and hello to back to school with these late summer / early fall inspired projects.
We will be making a watering can decoration, 4 cards (2 each of 2 designs) and a kitchen towel.

There will be two options for you to take the class:
1. Saturday, September 10 at 2pm
2. Monday, September 12 at 7pm
The fee is $20. Below are details about how a stamp camp works and why I am charging a fee.

Please R.S.V.P. by phone, text or email so I can have enough kits and food!

*Please note that the colors of the cardstock will be slightly different. I made the samples with the cardstock I had on hand so that I could place an accurate order. If you would like samples of the actual colors we will be using, please let me know*

Stamped images © Stampin Up!

Why a stamp camp?
I've had a lot of feed back from my customers saying that they want to make things but really don't have the time to, the space to store the supplies or the money to purchase all the tools. This way, for a small fee, you can make cards and gift items using my tools and pre-made kits.

Basic idea of a stamp camp:
I will have all materials provided for you (except scissors and adhesive - please let me know if you need to purchase these through me so I can order them and have them available at the stamp camp). Everything will be cut out and put together in kits at each table. Each table will have the kit and all the stamps, inks, punches, dies, etc. used to make the project. You assemble the project at the table and then move on to the next table / project until you have completed all items. Of course there will be snacks and drinks in the kitchen which you can go and get when you are feeling to weak to finish your project ;)

Why the fee and how much?
The fee for the stamp camp is $20 and covers the cost of the cardstock, buttons, ribbons, towels, etc. used in each project. But $20 for cardstock? Yes, there is a little more built in to cover the cost of the tools, stamp sets, ink, dies, punches, etc.

Is this a "party" and am I to place an order with you?
No. There is no obligation for you to place an order. Because I am placing an order for the supplies, I am "making my own quota" so I can stay a Stampin Up! demonstrator and provide you with more great cards. If you would like to place an order for something you need or just really want I'd be happy to put an order in for you.

Hand Embroidered Cards

2011-08-19T15:24:00.000-06:00

Etsy was unable to accommodate all the photos I had wanted to upload of the hand embroidered cards I made. So enjoy some detailed photos of each card! If you are interested, the cards can be purchased here.

All 4 cards come in the set

The back

The cards come with envelopes that are stamped and lined

Stamped images © Stampin Up!

Cards for a busy weekend

2011-08-09T09:18:00.001-06:00

It was a busy weekend with an outdoor wedding on Saturday and a going away / birthday party on Sunday. I didn't have a lot of time in the previous week to do extremely detailed cards, so here's what I came up with.

I tried to go with a nature inspired card to go along with the outdoor wedding theme (the backdrop during the ceremony was the Continental Divide!)

A simple inside

The back

And the birthday card for our friend who is being deployed to Kuwait for a year. He will spend his 21st birthday over there - so we had a surprise party 7 months early!

The back

Currently I am working on "tickets" to my brother-in-laws wedding (they are getting married on a boat) and a simple dress using sheering at the neckline. I'll be posting the results of these projects soon. Have a blessed day!

Stamped images © Stampin Up!

WIFD - Day Seven

2011-07-30T17:29:00.001-06:00

Today was the last day of garage sale stuff, so I wanted something light and easy to wear. Enter Parfait again! I do believe that this pattern is the perfect summer dress. This was the first version of the Parfait dress I sewed, it was the "muslin" made from a sheet from the thrift store. I decided that I wanted to make the muslin from a piece of inexpensive fabric in case it turned out and I could still wear it - and it worked! I did decide to make some changes on the second Parfait, raising the neckline over 2" (hence the pink cami underneath - from either Costco or Sam's), making the next size up, etc.

On this dress I skipped the shirt-tail hem as the instructions called for and decided to try the rolled hem on my serger - perfect! Fast, easy and looks sharp too!

I've been wearing the same necklaces all week but haven't done a close up or talked about them at all, so I thought I'd mention that real quick. The bead necklace is a Brighton from my Mother-in-law. It has the three birth stones of my children, January for our son, August for our first miscarriage and November for the second miscarriage. It's just a nice way to have a tangible memory of my babies. The heart necklace was a mother's day gift from Carter (via grandma), engraved on it is "Mom, I love you always".

Other WIFD participants:

~ Quietude

~ Romantic History

WIFD - Day Six

2011-07-29T21:46:00.001-06:00

Today was spent helping my friend with a garage sale (in which she generously let me put a bunch of stuff in), so excuse the sweaty, tired look.

The blouse is one of my new favorites, I got it at Kohl's this spring. The tank is another white Jockey (yes, I have a lot of these). The skirt is from Christopher and Banks. I wish I had gotten a close up of the pockets, they are so cute - just patch pockets with a flap and buttons.

Other WIFD participants:

~Quietude

~Romantic History

WIFD - Day Five

2011-07-28T22:19:00.002-06:00

This was one of my favorite outfits last summer, I wore it about once a week and yet this is the first time I've worn it this year. And why, you might ask? Because my jean skirt doesn't fit any more. I borrowed this one from my Mom. I did just fine getting back into my clothes when Carter was born (back in my jeans within 3 weeks - ok, maybe not fully zipped up, but those c-section scars are rough). Once I had the first miscarriage at the beginning of this year, things started to change. Then the second miscarriage happened right on top of the first and my body forever changed - well, maybe not forever but at this point in my life I certainly don't have the drive to work overly hard to fix it. I am hoping to make another jean skirt that fits, but it didn't get done in time for WIFD.

Sorry for the really bad picture tonight. Jon is at work and my Mom and sister couldn't figure out my camera. Also, I really should stop taking pictures at night when I am tired and worn out from the day, duh.

Other WIFD participants:
~ Quietude
~ Romantic History

WIFD - Day Four

2011-07-28T22:05:00.000-06:00

Today was supposed to be cooler so I decided to wear a maxi skirt that I got a Kohls a few months ago and a blouse I made that has to be layered with a cami / tank. Well, it wasn't any cooler and I roasted!!

Like I had mentioned, the skirt is from Kohls, the undershirt is just my staple Jockey white tank top and the blouse is one I had made before I had met my husband - that's more than 8 years ago!! It's Simplicity 5683 and the fabric is a quilting calico from Hobby Lobby which they still carry. This was my first garment sewing project that turned out and the only item that I've made that I'll actually wear (until now since I've found Colette patterns).

Other WIFD participants:

~ Quietude

~ Romantic History

WIFD - Day Three

2011-07-28T21:49:00.000-06:00

I have to admit, I "cheated". This is what I wore for day three but I didn't feel too good, it was hot and I was working hard getting ready for the garage sale that I never did my hair or put on makeup. So I just put these clothes back on the next day and snapped a picture before putting on the clothes for day four.

The t-shirt is from Costco about two years ago, I wore it as a maternity shirt but love it so much that I still wear it. I made the skirt from a man's t-shirt using this tutorial. It is the MOST comfortable skirt I own! Next time I would make it using an XXL shirt just because it's tight across the back and it's too short for me. So to add some length I cut up the remainder of the shirt into 3 1/2" strips (4 of them) and sewed a ruffle. I might go back and add some hand embroidery to the ruffle for some decoration. Here is a close up of the ruffle.

And here is the reason this skirt is so comfortable - the waist. It would be perfect for maternity and post as well.

Other WIFD participants:

~ Quietude

~ Romantic History

WIFD - Day Two

2011-07-25T22:12:00.001-06:00

Today's goal was to be cool and comfortable (something you'll be hearing a lot of this week). The skirt I got from Coldwater Creek 2 or 3 years ago on clearance - it's a really comfortable skirt and very cool. The only thing I don't like about it is I have to wear a slip under it when I am out and about. The tank tops are 2 Jockey brand tanks, layered for modesty. I have some other colors that go with this skirt better but they were in the wash. The sandals are the same ones as yesterday, just in a light brown color.

Today's list:
~ Take care of Carter (big duh here and an all day task as my 18 month old in particular is VERY active)
~ Hang load of diapers on clothes line
~ Trash day (long list of little things here)
~ Wash / dry Carter's clothes
~ Go to my aunts to have her help hem a dress and get her Stampin Up order
~ Take a nap so I can get over this cold
~ Phone calls
The rest of my to-do list didn't get done today so I'm not even going to post it ;-)

Other WIFD participants:
~ Quietude
~ Romantic History

WIFD - Day One

2011-07-25T21:59:00.001-06:00

I am finally getting to wear a dress I made for WIFD (Week In Feminine Dress)! This is the Colette Pattern's "Parfait" dress that I mentioned wanting to make in this post. The fabric is from Denver Fabrics (not the online one, the local one in Denver, Colorado). Thankfully, Denver Fabrics isn't quite close enough to be too dangerous for me - JoAnn and Hobby Lobby is much more accessible. I am really quite happy with this dress, although I do need to make one adjustment as I got the "neckline" too tight to make this dress ideal. I have been so happy with the results from this dress that I am anxious to try another one of their patterns, perhaps the "Crepe" next?
I'm going to be doing a tutorial on several adjustments using this pattern soon. If you would like to see what I did and how I did it, please "follow" me. There will be several posts so you don't want to miss it. Some of the things I'll be covering are:
~ Raising the neckline
~ Adding 5" to the length
~ Using 2 different sizes (one for the bust and one for the rest for the dress)
~ Taking in the back
~ Altering darts
~ Getting a dress that calls for 2 3/4 yards of fabric out of less than 2 yards (even with adding 5")
~ Binding the neckline instead of facing (not sure about this one yet, I'm going to see how it goes first)

Only other note is I am wearing black sandals from Sam's Club, although you can't see them because of a fluffy dogs tail!

Other WIFD participants:

~ Quietude

~ Romantic History

Thursday's Stampin Up Party

2011-07-23T09:05:00.001-06:00

Here's a quick peek at what we made Thursday night at the Stampin Up party. Enjoy!!

Everyone made a box

Melanie made gift tags

Teresa embossed and punched

Jacque did a spin on one of my Etsy cards

And I did a quick 3" x 3" card to fit in the box

Stamped images © Stampin Up!

Stampin Up "Class"

2011-07-16T22:12:00.000-06:00

Come join me again for another time of stamping and drooling over the new catalog that just came out!

This time we will be making an easy and adorable card holder and then it will be "open stamping" where you can make as many 3" x 3" cards as you would like to fill your card holder. These cards are the perfect size to attach to a gift bag. Feel free to make two card holders, one for you and one for a friend (because you won't want to give yours away!).

See? You know you have to make one!

We will be using the Big Shot and a die to make the box. I'll go over how to use "red line", a special adhesive used in dimensional projects. There are lot's of stamp sets available to use for your cards and a nice selection of border punches and regular punches. Also, I now have every collection of Stampin Up ink pads and markers! There will be cookies and drinks and lot's of good fellowship. So please join me for one or both day's!

Where: Chelsea's home

When: Thursday, 21 July 7:00 pm

or Saturday, 23 July 3:00 pm

Please RSVP by email, Facebook or telephone

This Week's Inspiration

2011-06-09T10:26:00.001-06:00

During my daily Internet surfing, I came upon these posts. They are providing me with lots of inspiration this week, I hope they give you some inspiration too!

Writing on Water by Leigh Reyes - Something I'd like to try. My flex nib pen is in the mail and should arrive today! I'll post pictures of anything I accomplish.

Men's Dress Shirt to Woman's Blouse (Tutorial) by Hannah - I love this idea! The collar isn't so much me, but I'm looking forward to trying the basic concept. Hubby say's I have to go to the thrift store for a shirt because I can't cut up one of his.

Ikat Maxi Dress by Laura - Beautiful dress, but then I love everything Laura makes.

Parfait by Colette Patterns - Ok, this one isn't so much inspiration as a project. I have this pattern and I bought some fabric yesterday while I was picking up my machine from Denver Fabrics from being repaired. I already call it my "4th of July" dress. The fabric is navy blue with red flowers and cream swirls. I'm really hoping it will turn out, but I'll post pictures of it no matter what way it goes.

Perfection

2011-05-23T11:04:00.000-06:00

I've been having a hard time lately, a lot of it dealing with perfection.
I look around my house and see dirty dishes, papers piled on the kitchen table, floors with crumbs and dirt, bathrooms and kitchen badly in need of a cleaning, piles of laundry in various stages and miscellaneous items in all sorts of places and it upsets me.
I remember growing up and the house was always clean, vacuumed every day, hardly anything out of place, bathrooms and kitchen got cleaned once a week with a wipe down mid week, laundry was done twice a week and finished the same day it was started, homeschooling was accomplished, dinner was on the table. Mom was a good housekeeper.
I talked to Jon last night about it, expressing my frustration with my lack of house keeping ability. He pointed out some "complications". Carter is a busy, exploring, mess making 16 month old BOY. Sydney, our pooch, is quite a messy handful herself - and we've got discipline issues with her. Both Jon and I have auto-immune diseases that complicate matters. We've lost 2 babies this year. We have both sides of the family close, so there is more activity and some of them (grandparents) have needed help. Jon works 2 - 24 hour shifts and is home the rest of the week, both being gone and being home cause their own set of complications. We have an older house that needs lots of work. And the list goes on.
So why, then, do I feel like such a failure? Why do I feel like I have to keep everything in a constant state of perfection no matter what my circumstances are? Some of it is the way I was raised, I'm sure. Dad demanded perfection no matter what and you were in trouble if you didn't - probably part of the reason why my mom was such a good house keeper. Some of it may be pride (no explanation needed on that one!). Some of it is the culture - have it all and do it all. But no matter what the reason, or combination of reasons - I need to stop. Stop striving for the perfect house, perfect family, perfect ability to do things for others. And that's not to say that I shouldn't try. But I shouldn't become discouraged, upset or angry when it doesn't happen. There is a lot on my plate, I tend to forget that.
Another thing that was pointed out to me by both Jon and my mom - enjoy life, enjoy my family, my son. Children are precious and grow fast, you only have one chance to make memories and if you are spending all your time cleaning and stressed, that's all they'll remember. I should know, I grew up that way. There was very little fun or joy, just chores. Mom tried in small ways - I remember watching Little House on the Prairie during breakfast and lunch. Reading "The Youngins", laughing so hard until we cried. Once we got older and Dad retired even that was gone. Hopefully I'll remember (if not I'll just have to come back and read this post) and try to make fun memories with my family.
So with that in mind, I just called my sister to see if she wants to go to the park with Carter and I. We haven't showered or dressed yet, but we can do that later - "It's ok to re-arrange the day", I am reminding myself. Kashia is home NOW and the weather is nice NOW - let's make the memory NOW before the moment passes.

Anniversary Card

2011-05-20T09:10:00.000-06:00

I'm going through old photos this morning, trying to get them organized. I came across this one of an anniversary card I made for Jon's grandparents last fall. Perhaps the last anniversary card I will ever make them.

I don't like to put medical related news on the internet, especially if it's not mine - but, please pray for them, the family and the Dr's and nurses involved if you feel so inclined - it's been rough on everyone, both physically and emotionally and a lot of people are hurting right now.

Carter with Great Grandpa and Grandma

Thanksgiving 2010

The Family

Thanksgiving 2010

Jon's parents, Grandparents, brothers and us

Ring bearers pillow

2011-05-19T09:50:00.001-06:00

As I am still trying to recover and get things organized after the second miscarriage, please enjoy some more pictures of some past projects - new posts coming soon!

A ring bearers pillow made for my friends wedding in February.

Their names and the date are machine embroidered in a circle around the ribbon.

Here's the back showing the strap to hold it.

This post is included in White Wednesday at Faded Charm

Vote for Pursuing the Calling!

2011-05-19T09:33:00.002-06:00

Simple Cards

2011-05-15T08:18:00.001-06:00

Life has been interesting and blogging has been not high on the priority list, but things are settling down and I have several projects that I've been working on that need posting.
Here is a peak at some of the card's that I've been making. Quick and simple. More detailed ones to come!

Target this week

2011-04-05T11:37:00.000-06:00

Ok, I gotta admit - I haven't been able to find great things at Target. What's wrong with me, right? Not sure, because I see everyone else getting great stuff! But this week I was able to get a couple of things we needed and use a gift card so it was only $1.47 out of pocket for me :)

Here's what I got:

This stroller was on sale for $10 this week - definately will need for our trip to Wisconsin this summer for my brother-in-law's wedding. Our regular stroller is just too big to pack.

I found these swimming trunks for Carter for this summer on clearance, a little over $5. Little pricey, but needed.

With our $15 gift card it was $1.47 out of pocket and I didn't even have to think too hard for this one!

Of love and of loss

2011-01-17T10:01:00.001-07:00

My sweet little boy is one today. I am miscarrying our second child today. I am happy and sad at the same time.
As I sit here, I am holding Carter in my arms (he fell asleep without even having breakfast this morning) and waiting for my other child to leave my body. Fullness and emptiness.
Two years in a row I have experienced contractions on the same two days, one time it brought me a healthy child and one time it left me with no one to hold. Two children, two very different outcomes.

One I have gotten to hold, nurse, watch grow and learn, and yes, discipline. The other I haven't seen, I'll never hold or see grow. One the memories have pictures, sounds, events. The other the memories are in my mind, my heart, my body. I love both of my babies, each one has a special place in my heart even though their lives are vastly different. Each one has changed my life in its own way.
I am thankful for both of my children's lives, I have been blessed by being their Mama.

2010-12-04T22:56:00.000-07:00

It's finally quiet, the little man is asleep and hubby is at work - for two day's this time. I've picked up my knitting, trying to finish my sisters socks that I was making for her Christmas gift last year, maybe they'll be finished by this Christmas. I've been trying to turn on music more instead of the tv, but I found a Hallmark movie and instead opted for the tv. The movie was nice, typical Hallmark. A little cheesy, but heartfelt none the less. After, I turned on the 10:00 news and almost instantly noticed a change in my knitting and the way I was feeling. I'm fluid in my knitting and I usually let my mind wander to my family or other projects I'm planning, but not tonight. I started to get frustrated with my knitting, I noticed I felt achy in my back and shoulders. I have no other explanation other than what I was listening to... This person is missing, this person was killed by the cops after a robbery and people are saying the cops acted harshly, 40 some people died in Israel's worst forest fire in history, now on to the weather and then sports where they are arguing about who should be fired because "our" teams are loosing. Death, tragedy, followed by the weather and then the highlight of people's lives, sports - all the while we act like it's not an eternal soul that has been called to answer it's creator.
I will go back to turning the tv off more, it's just too depressing and it's not something that I want to teach my children - that death is just passing. God has given me the responsibility to raise children and I feel that part of that responsibility is teaching them that death ends in eternity...
"...choose you this day whom ye will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."

Joshua 24:15

Winner!

2010-12-04T09:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry about being gone for so long over the holiday, but I'm back and with a winner!

I used random.org's number generator and it gave me comment #2

Evelyn said...

I didn't even know you had a blog...Shame one me:(
I am a follower now :)

Tuesday, November 23, 2010 3:24:00 PM

Congratulations Evelyn!!!
Send me your address and I'll get the dishcloth set out to you.

I'm working on some more giveaway's so stay tuned and spread the word to your friends, the more followers I have the bigger and better the giveaway's (I'm already in contact with several companies about sponsoring giveaway's) I'm so excited!

FuzziBunz Cloth Diapers

2010-11-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

I got an email on Friday from The FuzziBunz Store saying that they were having a sale on their perfect size cloth diaper, $10.95 each!! I headed straight over (on the internet, of course) and they were out of mediums in the colors I needed :-( I even called to see if I could order them by phone, but no.
Late Friday I got another email from them saying the diapers were re-stocked. I wasted no time and was able to get Carter 4 new diapers for $43 with free shipping! Is it wrong / weird to be this excited over getting cloth diapers on sale?

P.S. Don't forget to "follow" me so I can bring you a really awesome giveaway!

Beware of some Black Friday deals

2010-11-25T07:51:00.001-07:00

We still haven't decided what / if we are going Black Friday shopping. We'll probably hit Costco as we do every year (definitely need a new pair of slippers!). But I thought I might mention the importance of researching the deals before you go because, often, you can get those same deals or sometimes even better throughout the rest of the year. For example...

WalMart has an 8gig iPod touch going for $224. Get on Apple's site and you'll see that the regular price is $229 - you're only saving $5! If you belong to Costco, they will have instant rebates sometimes that brings iPods down as much as $40 depending on what you buy - plus they have a concierge service so when you need tech support you don't have to pay for it.

Hobby Lobby has Cricut cartridges at 50% off. They often go 50% or more. Joann and Michaels offer them throughout the year for $32.99 and if you get the more expensive ones ($89.99) that's way more than 50% off.

There are some really good deals out there - but please, let me encourage you to do your homework before going.

P.S. Don't forget to enter the giveaway and "follow" me. The larger my readership, the more chance I'll have to bring you all a really GREAT giveaway! I'm so excited I'm having a really hard time not telling you what it is - let's just say it's a really expensive gadget!

Giveaway!

2010-11-23T14:56:00.000-07:00

So I just had to use my embroidery machine to make another dish towel set. I don't have anyone to give it to right now, so I thought I'd give you all a chance to win it!

Set comes with two hand knitted cotton dish cloths, one burgundy and one salmon multi, and an embroidered tea towel. All items are machine wash and dry.

Just leave me a comment under this post if you want to be entered into the drawing. If you'd like an additional entry, click the "follow" me button on the left side of my blog and then leave a second comment telling me you did so.

Giveaway ends Friday, 26 November 2010 at midnight MST.

On my wishlist

2010-11-23T09:20:00.000-07:00

I finally had the opportunity to get my embroidery machine out and play with it for the first time in, well.... quite a while - I had a blast! I got on the great WWW to try and find some more design cards only to discover that they are around $100 to $150 each!!! I did some research and found this...

Brother PED Basic for around $100

What this does is you can purchase generic embroidery designs for considerably less and then load them to your computer and transfer them to the blank embroidery card via this neat little gizmo. Definitely on my "to save for" list.

Sometime this week I'll be sharing what I made with the embroidery machine that prompted all this, maybe I'll even do a giveaway!

Windows!

2010-11-22T08:47:00.001-07:00

Over two years ago we moved into a 1970's house with original windows. Winters are cold, summers are hot. Most of the windows don't even open, or if you do get them open you might not get them shut again! All of them let the cold air in to some extent. The one in the dining room is so bad because of a 1/2 inch crack in the window frame. I could go on and on about how bad the windows are, but I won't.

Over the last two years we've looked into getting them replaced several times, and in several different ways. Yes, we even contemplated doing it ourselves (what were we thinking!). We finally came to the conclusion that we can't do the entire house in one shot. So we chose the most "important" windows - Carter's room and ours. His because the seals are cracked and there was no screen so I couldn't open it in the summer and ours because our room is the coldest in the entire house. We spent a fortune heating it last winter when I was up nursing Carter.

We (in theory) are paying cash for the windows (something that's changed for us, no more debt - but that's something for another post). So anyway, back to the "theory" of paying cash. We have the majority of cash in hand, we get a tax rebate of 30% on the windows come tax time. That 30% back will pay off the rest of the windows. Needless to say, we are going to file our taxes in January so we can pay off the windows sooner.

Now on to the fun part - pictures!!

Carter's room before

After - sorry, don't have the curtains finished. I'll add those pics later

Our room before

From the outside

Our room after - look at those nice, tight seals!

And with the curtains I made

The room is significantly warmer now! It has been such a blessing to have the windows. I'm really looking forward to finishing the house, after we save cash for it of course.

What I've been up to lately

2010-10-17T08:42:00.001-06:00

My shawl. After a year and a half it's finished!

I doubled the width of it. Might be why it took so long.

Pattern:

Madli's Shawl

From: Knitted Lace of Estonia

Yarn:

Misti Alpaca from A Knitted Peace

Even finished it in time to wear it to my cousins wedding!

P.S. I love, love, love blocking wires

Anniversary Card

2010-09-02T09:07:00.004-06:00

Jon's grandparents celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary this week! Here's a peak at the card I made for them.

I tried a new technique using embossing folders. Since I don't have a die cutting machine that can handle embossing folders, I used a rolling pin and just rolled over the folder to get the impression. I then used some of hubby's sand paper to scuff up the raised dot's to get a little more texture.

All the shapes are cut using my Cricut and only 2 stamps were used - pretty quick and easy!

~Chelsea

My House is a Disaster

2010-05-09T07:16:00.003-06:00

My house is a disaster. There are dirty dishes in the sink, clean dishes in the dishwasher, miscellaneous food items left out on the counter, unsorted papers on the desk, a whole litany of items on the kitchen table, over a dozen skirts hanging over the banister waiting to be ironed and put away, wrapping paper strewn on the floor from our Mother's Day celebration with Jon's family that took place Friday night. The bed's are un-made, the floors are un-vacuumed and the dust is an inch thick. But although I feel shame on my housekeeping skills at the moment, or rather lack there of, all this pales in comparison to the fact that I did two important things this weekend.

1) I spent time with my son. I played with him, I watched him, I even took some videos. He's growing so fast and if I don't pay attention he's going to grow up and I'm going to miss it.

2) I went to a graduation ceremony for a very close and dear friend. She's missing part of her family, the Lord took them to heaven. I was there, not because I could replace them for her, but because I'm proud of her and her accomplishment. She and her family mean the world to me. The families have known each other even before most of us "kids" were born. There were only 2 when our parents met, now there's 7 of us plus a few extra in spouses and now a third generation started. We have a bond even stronger than the family relationship. Blood. Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and that's what ties us together. We get the blessing of spending our lives together on earth and the great joy of spending eternity together in heaven in the presence of our Saviour. That's what makes my friend and her family so special to me, and I am honored to call her "friend" for even more reasons than that and blessed to call her "sister" because God is the Father of us both.

Back to blogging

2010-04-20T10:11:00.003-06:00

Well, I'm finally back at writing random thoughts online for everyone (or no one) to see. It's been a busy year or so for us. We now have a wonderful, healthy, beautiful son who is 3 months old. Count them 3 months!!! I can't believe it. He has been such a joy and blessing. Admittedly, some days are hard - so hard I just want to crawl back into bed and cry. But the moments of being a witness to the miricle of a small, fragile, eternal life far out weigh the "bad days". I haven't found anything that compares to being a Mom, it's the BEST job I've ever had.

Thrifty Thursday: CFL Light Bulbs

2009-05-07T20:42:00.003-06:00

A couple of months ago we switched from using regular light bulbs to CFL light bulbs. This change alone has saved us $15 to $20 a month on our Xcel bill, and we still have the kitchen and porch light's to switch out. It didn't cost us that much to switch out, Costco had the light bulbs at a good price and then Xcel was offering an instant rebate bringing most of the bulbs to about $1 each. The flood lights were a bit more, but it did make a difference with how often our security lights over the garage come on. An easy change.

For more thrifty ideas, visit Generation Cedar

Morning Routine

2009-03-23T09:13:00.002-06:00

Tammy is now hosting Crystal's Making Your Home a Haven. It's a simple one so I thought I'd join in this morning.

Here's my "Morning Routine"

1. Get up, let dog out, make coffee.

2. Check email and blogs.

3. Drink coffee while doing devotions.

4. Shower, dress, make bed (been sorely neglectful of making the bed lately).

5. Eat breakfast ON TIME (important for me being diabetic and something I struggle with) while making the day's to-do list and updating calendar. Also feed Sydney dog while I get my breakfast.

Learning to take things in stride

2008-11-18T20:55:00.003-07:00

On pretty much a moments notice, Jon and I decided to take a trip to Missouri to visit Jon's grandparents and with me being the way I am it was a mad dash to get everything done before we left (I am determined not to leave town without everything being done, part of my "being responsible" rules).

Yesterday things didn't go as well as I had planned. My body didn't cooperate and so I didn't even begin to get packed, devastating to me (we wanted to leave first thing in the morning when Jon got off work). When Jon got off work we both worked together and finally got out of town about noon.

Okay - only 4 hours behind schedule we can make up the difference, so I drove while Jon took a nap and ended up getting pulled over by a State Trooper - no ticket just a warning, thank you Lord we didn't need to spend the money on a ticket and yes, I did stay under the speed limit after that.

Got gas and got back on the road again, this time with Jon driving. A few hours later he starts to notice something wrong with the car, RPMS really high and speed dropping, funny smell too. So we pull over in a small town where the gas station is closed and start trying to figure out what is wrong when a gentleman, who apparently works at the gas station, pulls up and helps Jon determine that it's the transmission and puts some tranny fluid in and sends us back down I-70 to a town call Oakley where there is a Chevy dealer with a hotel right across the street. As it turns out the dealership is closed and the hotel is full. We were sent back down the road to another hotel and this time there was vacancy. The lady at the front desk asked us why we were there and ended up giving us a number for a guy who is better and less expensive than the dealership. So we are settled in for the night and waiting to hear in the morning what repairs are needed. We already talked with Rod and it sounds like he really knows what he is doing and that the problem isn't as serious as we were wondering.

It's definitely a learning curve for me, trying to go with the flow and not panic, knowing that God is in control. It has been amazing though, seeing God work through this whole situation, each person He brings into our path which turns into a blessing. It certainly could have been a lot worse.

"The" Call

2008-09-18T16:33:00.005-06:00

God blessed us with the blind appraiser that we were praying for - he found NOTHING wrong with the house!!! Not the missing shingles, crack in the furnace, broken window seals - nothing! So, beings as there are no conditions, we close on Tuesday the 23rd and take possession on Thursday the 25th. We probably won't be able to move until the following weekend, but at least I can get in there and start cleaning. God is good!

Busy Summer

2008-09-09T12:32:00.006-06:00

As you can tell from the picture, it was busy this summer. It all started the first week of May when Jon found a condo for rent at an amazing price. We got him moved in by mid May and he settled down to study for his last firefighter test to be taken the end of May. Come the first week of June we decided on a wedding date - the 26th. That's right, THREE WEEKS AWAY! Somehow (I really still am not sure how at this point, so don't ask) we got everything together and the whole rehearsal, ceremony and reception came off pretty much without a hitch - invitations, chapel, cake, dresses, flowers, hair, make-up, and 6 bridesmaids too!!

The rest of the summer hasn't been much slower. We spent the first month or so trying to get me moved in, things set up, and health insurance changed - the worst nightmare of my entire life, which is still in progress. Then we really put the pressure on ... we found a house we liked. We put a contract on the house mid-August and then went to re-new our loan from the past spring and found out that we had to re-submit all our information and records. So between my health insurance and contract and loan all we've done for the past month is paper work (this will teach me to be better organized! ).

We still don't know if we'll get the house (I guess no one ever does for sure until closing), but at least our contract was accepted and it passed our inspection. The appraiser has to give his say and then we can proceed to mitigation. It's so comforting to know that God has the outcome in His control, because this process would send me to the insane asylum - every time we get a "yes" from someone we find out that there is someone else who has to give their opinion and we keep hearing that the next person is going to be even harder to please.

Thank you Lord that You are in control of each persons decision.

Happy Birthday to Me?!!

2008-04-16T17:41:00.004-06:00

Jon showed up with a brand new Bosch Universal for my birthday, I am SOOO excited!

My mom has had a Bosch for over 10 years now and all of us love it and last year someone lent Jon's mom a Bosch and she loved it and went and got herself one, so I knew that someday I would want one too, I just didn't know that it would be so soon! Last week I finally got the opportunity to try it out - I decided to make bread sticks, a recipe I got from Jon's mom. Here is the yeast proofing (I just love the bowls and measuring cups I got from Pfaltzgraff!).

The new Bosch is so enjoyable, it is considerably quieter than the one my mom and Jon's mom has, the bowl locks into place and has a new design that is easier to lift and carry, and the actual unit is smaller, lighter, more compact, and has suction cups on the bottom to keep it from moving while it's mixing.

And here are the finished bread sticks.....

...Don't ask, it's still a work in progress.

House Hunt

2008-03-23T18:07:00.002-06:00

After four weeks of looking, we finally found a house in our price range that we liked and is in a good area. Added blessings are that the house has all the things I really wanted plus extras (and I didn't think I was asking too much until we started looking at houses and found that I really was asking for a lot in the four things I wanted. By the second or third time out I was content for a house that was in a safe neighborhood).

- Attached garage - bonus it's a 2 car.
- Front porch so I can hang a porch swing- bonus it already has a porch swing (although it looks as though it will have to be replaced)
- Fire place (that will need to be replaced too)
- Area for a garden - bonus really good sized yard for a large garden!

And then a list of all the other extras that this house has that I didn't dare dream of hoping for:

- Two story (I really don't like bi-levels, but a tri-level would be ok and bi-levels are the vast majority of house styles in our price range)
- Open floor plan to accommodate entertaining
- Large windows in the basement give a lot of natural light for working on the drapery business
- Backs to open space, a park and a trail
- Faces East so snow will melt better
- Huge deck in the back yard but it will need replacing
- In good enough condition that we (Jon) could move in without gutting the whole place

We put a bid on the house two weeks ago and haven't heard anything yet. All we know is we were the 9th and highest offer. Both of us are trying not to get too excited or attached to this house but Jon already has remodeling projects planned and I've already got ideas for decorating and window treatments.
I know the Lord's way is perfect in making us wait, but sometimes it is difficult to have the humbleness of heart to conform to His will.

Yes, you can shop at Bath and Body Works

2008-02-08T06:53:00.000-07:00

I often hear people tell me things like, "Oh, I could never afford to shop there" ("There" meaning, Coldwater Creek, Bath and Body Works, Levenger, etc). Well, it is possible to shop "there" even on a budget. For example, here is what we got at Bath and Body Works for $2.02. Yes, you heard right -$ 145.50 worth of products for $2.02!

Here's how we did it -

1. We went when all signature products were $5 except the body butter and other items were 50 to 75% off.

2. We went on a Saturday when there is usually, on sale days, a lady giving $10 gift certificates if you take a 10 minute or so survey (my mom, sister and I all took the survey so there is $30).

3. Because I shop there I am on their email list so I had coupons for a free travel size product with any purchase (one for me, one for mom, one for sis). I also got in the mail a $10 off your purchase. So just by being on their list I saved $28.00 from coupons, not to mention being alerted about the sale.

So there you have it, an easy way to save and still come out smelling like a rose - sorry, "Midnight Pomegranate"

4 Inches? I don't think so!

2008-02-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

The weather report called for 4 inches of snow in our area. Tell me, does this look like 4 inches to you? It sure is pretty though.

This is the first "spring snow" for us. It sure does start early in Colorado. For those of you who don't know what a "spring snow " is - it's a snow that comes in wet and heavy and is gone by the afternoon (well, when it's this deep it does take more than just an afternoon to get rid of but it doesn't stay around long once the sun comes out).

This is the only way to move a Colorado snow! and it still took almost an hour to clean off the cars and clean up what Dad couldn't get with the snowblower.
Later in the morning Jon came over and sharpened my sewing scissors for me and had lunch with us.

Isn't he a nice guy? Since I didn't have any work we decided to go look at furniture this afternoon. It's really hard to make a decision on furniture when you don't know what size rooms you'll have, so I guess we'll have to decide on the house first. It's amazing because I had this idea of what I wanted our home to look like and all the furniture we kept choosing was really rustic - not a bad thing, just really different than I had imagined (and doesn't exactly match with all the accessories and linens I have bought already, but then it might go better than I'm thinking).

Well, I think I'm going to go spend a quiet evening by the fire knitting and watching "Hogans Heros" and "House". Jon, his dad and his youngest brother went up to camp to work more on remodeling the bathrooms. I could have gone, but it's way too cold and I didn't get much sleep last night and it's going to be another late night for them. I didn't get before pictures of the bathrooms, but I'll take some after pictures and post them. The guys have really worked hard and done a beautiful and precise job. I gotta admit it was fun tearing out the drywall, not that I did much tearing out, more like carrying out, but you could tell Jon and Justin were having a lot of fun with it.

Finished Projects!!

2008-01-31T14:14:00.001-07:00

Well, it took me forever, but I finally got some pictures of some of my finished projects from this past fall.

Here, my sister is modeling my shawl made from "Lace Style" by Pam Allen and Ann Bud. It is the Lily of the Valley pattern made from Jagger Spun "Zephyr" in mulberry, I think. Wonderful yarn to work with - I've bought three more colors to make more shawls.

Here is the close up, I made the shawl longer than the pattern called for (13 and a half repeats, I think), but now I wish I had made it wider instead of longer. My sister took my advice and is making hers an extra repeat wider. I don't have the book yet, but I am dying to get it. I got the pattern from the class I took.
And the best project ever - Home Made Socks!! The most comfortable socks I have ever worn. It was well worth the effort it took me to make them. I was so nervous trying to make my first pair turn out right that it took over a year to knit them. The next pair shouldn't take me long at all now that I'm comfortable doing the heel turn and gusset and so forth. The pattern is from "Interweave Knits" Fall 2005 issue page 134, Rib and Cable Socks by Nancy Bush.

Update - finally!

2007-11-21T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Lord has worked so many changes in my life in the past year - so many of them hard to bear. It still is a time of unrest and uncertainty. I don't know where He will lead me or what choice will give Him the most glory. I know that His Will will be revealed in time, but we as humans are always more concerned with our timing and I am certainly no exception especially at this point (now, Lord)!

The bright spot this year has been a new love for God's Word and and interest in Reformed Theology. If anyone reading this post has the same interests, I'd love to hear from you. The Reformed Baptist are scarce here in Colorado and fellowship is well, pretty much non-existent.

So please bear with me as posts will be all over the map as the Lord in His graciousness continues to work (and as my sin nature continually gets in the way).

Blessings in Christ,
Chelsea

Sooo what am I talking about when I say "the calling"

2006-09-13T20:28:00.000-06:00

"The Calling" to me is the Biblical calling that God has to all women, stated in His word in passages like Proverbs 31, Titus 2 and 1 Peter 3.
This is the most noble and true calling of a woman, to take care of her husband, children and do good works in the community in the name of the Lord.
Admittedly this can be difficult for young women in my position who aren't married and must provide for themselves. There is no husband or children to take care of and because the duty of financial provision falls to the young woman, after a long day of work there isn't much gusto to go out into the community and perform good works.
But where there's a will there's a way. If you want to serve God and fulfill your role as a woman, the Lord will provide the means.

Blessings,
Chelsea

New blog

2006-09-03T20:30:00.000-06:00

My intention for this blog is to be first of all for the Glory of God, then for it to be an encouragement to others, young women in particular (although I'm not very encouraging at the moment). To be able to let people know that anyone can pursue a higher calling, the Divine calling, even me. And lastly I'd like it to make me accountable, to see if my life is reflecting what I am saying.

Blessings,
Chelsea