A SHADOW BOX

It has been some time since I've shared a little project with you, so this is a special day! Mostly, I've been painting trim, baseboards, and doors in our house bright white, but here's an idea that grabbed hold of me after watching the movie Miss Potter. Behold! A shadow box.....

About a month or so back I had found a shadow box at a garage sale for $2. (insert choirs singing here) It was a bit dusty, but that's an easy fix. I covered the back in leftover burlap. I used one large piece to cover the entire backing and then three strips across to give it some visual interest. I didn't need to glue it or pin it, because it fit nice and snug when I pressed the backing back into the box. After watching Miss Potter, I was inspired by a quote I heard, so I looked it up to make sure it was an actual Beatrix Potter quote which it was. The quote: "There is something delicious about writing the first few words of a story. You never quite know where they'll take you." It seemed rather appropriate for where Mr. N. and I are in our lives right now and since we do love Beatrix Potter all systems were a go. 

I typed up the quote in a fancy font and printed it out on normal, white, copy paper. I cut out the quote leaving extra space around it, and then carefully burned the edges of the paper over a candle, allowing the edges to keep an organic shape. I only pinned it to the top, since I was afraid the hot glue would leave grease marks on the paper. I then used a little bird's nest party favor that we received at my brother-in-law's wedding. The eggs in it are Jordan almonds coated to look like Robin's eggs, so I sprayed a coat of polyurethane over them (we all know they last forever anyways, but a little extra coverage isn't a bad idea) and then hot glued them into the nest. I found two charcoal pencils from my days at art school and hot glued them at the bottom.


It's simple, but whimsical, and is now hanging proudly in our bathroom. =] Sometimes, less is more, and it's always fun to see what can be done with things you already have on hand.

HARD NOT TO BE THANKFUL

Have you ever wanted something so badly that it hurt? I'm not talking about that pink, stuffed Unicorn when you were 5 (you know who you are), but something that your heart actually aches so badly for it's physically exhausting sometimes. I'm in that tugboat right now and taking on plenty of water, let me tell you. 

When I was growing up it seemed that all the world made sense. I mean, there was God who I loved, obeyed, and prayed to. There were rules to follow. There was mom and dad to guide me. There was my brother to play G.I. Joe's with. Yo, Joe! There was our Cookie Monster wagon and episodes of MacGyver were on after school if a baseball game wasn't interrupting them (don't even get me started on that one). There was also a pretty clear cut picture of what I was going to grow up to be and do........Wife and mom first, then maybe a career of some kind. But when becoming a wife took far longer than I'd anticipated, seeing as I didn't meet Mr. N. until I was 28, it threw me for a loop. And now we find ourselves waiting for a baby and just passed the point of one year of trying, well, needless to say I'm pretty floored and find myself scrambling to make sense of it all. It has certainly taken it's toll, the waiting, but it has also given me a chance to see more of who God truly is. Meaning I've come to understand that this time of trial is not some cosmic punishment sent from on high. It's a time to remember that God is good ALL the time, that He can see the big picture of what is going on, that He promises to work all things together for good and for His glory, and that I need to put my whole trust in Him knowing that He hears our prayers and knows our hearts. Yes, we rejoice for those we know who have been given this gift before us, but we do still struggle with the pain. However, I know that in the same moment that tears are pouring down my face when I hear that yet another couple around us is expecting, I can run to my Heavenly Father and know that He understands. And I can thank Him for loving Mr. N. and me enough to never leave our side during these times of refining and for everything He has so graciously given us. 

My Mr. N.

Merry

Pippin

Fred

It's hard not to be thankful when I get to look at this bunch every day. =]


My prayer for you is that whatever you may be going through right now, no matter how difficult it may feel at times, that you would find the breath to give thanks even in the midst of the pain. We're not promised that things will make sense, but we are promised that God is faithful. Don't know about you, but that is a tremendous comfort for me.

Set The Way Back Machine

Meet my dinosaur friend, Washburne. He keeps my ipod cozy and the music flowing, and was an incredible etsy find here. Remember what I said about naming inanimate objects? Friends, he is no exception. 

This morning whilst running errands, Washburne and I were rockin' the tunes, sipping on a tasty Peet's beverage (me, not Wash), and I started getting incredibly nostalgic. We all have those specific songs that take us to another dimension faster than you can say, "Beam me up, Scotty!". My trigger seems to be 90's Christian music and Christmas music. This morning it was my boy, SCC, that started the trip through way back machine.

I grew up listening to a combination of oldies classics, 1940's gems, and old school Christian music. Think Beatles plus Nat King Cole plus Steven Curtis Chapman. I remember my dad dedicating special songs to my family on the radio when he worked as a DJ. The Beach Boy's "Kokomo" never sounded so good. I remember religiously reading CCM Magazine and being the resident "expert" on all Christian music related questions at the little Christian school we went to. Hey, every kid has something. My mom and I would stay up until midnight on Saturday nights to watch the only Christian music video show that aired in our area and would get soooooo upset when they'd show re-runs. We would record the Dove Awards (Christian Grammy's) every April and cheer and jeer with an intensity that could only be compared to the cheering and jeering we would dish out at WWF matches. Oh-ho-ho, that's right, friends! (Remember when PFR sang into a Styrofoam cup?! Don't even get me started!) My family would go to any and every Steven Curtis Chapman concert near us, period. And after attending enough Christian concerts, we learned to embrace two words, "Reserved Seating". Don't they sound like the unmistakable ring of pure crystal or like the gentle beating of angel's wings? Hearing the phrase "General Admission" was like a four letter word that we tried to avoid AT.ALL.COSTS. I still won't go to any concert that has those two words attached to it, much to Mr. N's chagrin. (Seriously, anyone ever go to a general admission Carmen concert? No? Consider yourself fortunate for missing that vortex of pain and despair. I still have nightmares and bouts of dry heaving.) 

Christmas time was all about our sweet Chevron compilation cassette tapes. Those were the days when even the gas stations wanted to help you celebrate the sounds of the season. sigh. My brother developed an incredible Judy Collins impression from one of these tapes that he'll still share with us from time to time to our great amusement. Shout out, Judy! Being bundled in the back of my dad's Dodge Colt, driving around looking at Christmas lights, and hearing a little crooning from Bing or Nat was like breathing for us at that time of year. John Denver and the Muppets on vinyl was tradition, and it never seemed like Christmas until the music started. 

I look back and realize how much things have changed. My favorite artists of the past are older now and have had to redefine their music and audience. CCM itself isn't as relevant as it used to be for whatever reason, not to mention the fact that a lot of the artists are more concerned about being an alternative for a specific "secular" band then walking their own, unique musical path. I find myself rediscovering a lot of my favorites and looking to see what they've been up to for all these years....if I still can embrace their newest endeavors like I did back then. I'm discovering new artists that are marching to their own creative drummer and finding those songs that seem to speak to my journey, rather than listening or not listening because they fall under certain labels.  I'm appreciating that the classics of the past are classics for a reason, and Christmas still doesn't start for me until I hear Nat King Cole's version of "The Christmas Song".  Maybe things haven't changed quite as much as I think.

It's fun to revisit such music and remember. It's nice to have moments where I'm not afraid to kick it old school and sing at the top of my lungs in a secure vehicular type environment with only a dinosaur ipod cozy to hear me. Oh that we allowed ourselves to really embrace more moments like that. 

So, on this Thursday afternoon, turn up the music! Drive safely, of course, but do sing out loud! Go out and party like you're at a 1990's, reserved seating, Christian concert!     

   

Let's Get Creative!

A very happy Wednesday morning to you all! Today feels like a much brighter day than yesterday was for me, and I feel a renewed sense of determination to tackle a few larger projects around the house. My mom and I were talking yesterday about our great need to be creative and how important being creative truly is, especially if God put that desire in you in the first place. So, I thought I'd show you a little project I just finished and a new one I'm going to be working on.

My Mr. N. is an Eagle Scout. That was one of the things that impressed me right off the bat about him and earned him MAJOR bonus points with my Grandparents, especially. =] He had quite a few pieces of memorabilia from those days placed in a box, but I really wanted to see them out and about considering how much work each precious patch represents. I looked into buying a large shadow box, but those are EXPENSIVE so I looked around to see what I had on hand. I started with an ordinary collage picture frame:

I removed the picture insert portion, but saved the cardboard backing. I then wrapped the cardboard backing with burlap (two layers worth, since you can see through it) that I'd purchased at JoAnn's Fabric (with a coupon!), cutting the burlap to be about an inch and a half or so around the edges. You'll just need to make sure you have enough to glue to the cardboard. Our cat, Pippin, was helping, as you can see.

Then I hot glued the burlap to the cardboard. The burlap is pretty thick, so I had to press down to make sure it was all sticking properly.

After hot gluing, it looked like this:

I then set out all of the memorabilia Mr. N. wanted to include, leaving room for any additional pieces we will need to get from his parents later on. It was a perfect time to let me move things around to fit properly before gluing.

Now, what I didn't take a picture of was that I used safety pins to pin both the sash and the scarf to the burlap. I didn't want to hot glue those particular items, so I was careful to get everything in line first and then pin it. I also pinned the corners of the scarf to the back where the burlap was glued. I hot glued each patch to the burlap. As for the pin at the top, I just pushed the pin straight into the cardboard, which was enough to keep it steady.

Fitting it into the frame was tricky, since it was so thick. However, after a bit of time, I was able to get it in there snug as a bug and still press the tiny metal brackets on the frame down around the cardboard piece to secure it in place. Here is the finished product:

 
Spiffy, no? The back doesn't look pretty, but we know what the Nester says, "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful", and it's not about the back, it's about the front, right? =] 

For another project I did that was similar, I used a flour sack dish towel for the fabric. There are definitely lots of inexpensive options out there.

The next project I'm going to start working on has to do with this little beauty. Behold!

Front

Back

We found this crate on the side of the road. Shocker, I know. Even though it's a tad beat up, it's going to look pretty epic once I'm finished with it (or so I tell myself along with playing the song "Eye of the Tiger" in my head). haha.

Hope you're finding ways to be creative this week, too! I'd love to see/hear about some of your projects! Happy creating! 

Tis the Season

I don't know about you, but it's a tad warm here today. Summer is upon us, it seems. Thank God for sandals and a cool-ish breeze. =]

In looking over my friend's blogs and facebook pages, I'm reminded of the reality that it seems to be the season for babies. Baby bellies, babies being born, baby pictures, baby showers. Even our church right now feels like a scene straight out of Bambi, or National Geographic, depending upon how I'm feeling on any given Sunday. Just kidding....sort of.

Here are some excellent tutorials I've found lately for homemade baby gifts. They're adorable, they're personal, and they're incredibly useful. You can walk proudly into the next baby shower you're invited to bearing your homemade homage to baby. =]

From Jessica at How About Orange here are some brilliant Pacifier Clips made from ribbons:

Photo from Jessica at How About Orange

These are adorable and inexpensive to make!

From Emily at Jones Design Company here are a few tutorials:
Custom burp clothes:

Photo from Emily at Jones Design Company

I absolutely love these and have heard that a new mom can never have enough burp clothes.
Hair clips for that fine baby girl hair:

Photo from Emily at Jones Design Company

And a sweet flower mobile/wreath for your little lady's crib:

Photo from Emily at Jones Design Company

Not to mention that Emily has a ton of great flower tutorials at her site, as well, so be sure to check it out.

And there are tutorials that you can download for a small fee for little dolls, or bunnies from our very own Martha Stewart. Emily at Jones Design also has her own versions of these two which I like better. =]

And Mr. N.'s talented cousin, Kristin's site has lots of sweet quilts and other fun things like this baby wipe holding pocket to try on your own.

Photo from Kristen at Simply Classic

In any case, you now have a little more of an arsenal for the baby season. Enjoy!

Anatomy of a Playlist

Meet Fred. He is the oldest of our Middle Earthlings at a whopping 8 and 3 quarters years old. I mention Fred, because he and I took a drive to the vet's office this morning so that he could have his teeth cleaned. Fred has had more visits to the dentist than I have since I got my braces off in 1997, which is impressive since he wasn't actually born until 2002. Lucky boy! He would disagree. Fred has a bit of a split personality. He's a lover at home. He loves a good nap, and by love, I mean he understands and respects the deep layers of brilliance and reverence that naps deserve, like I do. He's playful and, when he wants to, he'll actually fetch his toys when you throw them to him. But at the vet's office, he's what they call a "Hugs and Kisses Kitty". That little phrase stands in for one big four letter word, "RAGE". Oh yes! I can't really blame him. I mean, it must be frightening to go into an office filled with other animals that you've pretty much only seen from the living room window and have strangers poke you with needles and such. Like people, each animal handles the fear differently. Our girl, Merry, will purr, especially if she's with Mr. N., and remind the doctor and the staff of just how enchanting she really is. Pippin tends to embrace the fear and channel his anger into a rigid body, toothless hiss, and taco rolled tongue. He looks like a cobra ready to strike. It's pretty impressive, actually. Anyways, while Fred and I were in the car, I turned on my ipod and chose my favorite play list to calm his nerves. 

My favorite play list is entitled "Little Miss Sunshine" after the Richard Hargreaves children's book with a little bit of Alan Arkin, from the movie titled the same, thrown in. It's compiled of my most favorite songs. Not the ones that are just enjoyable, mind you, but the ones that make me feel AMAZING (thanks, dude!). The songs that I actually hope will come up next and start a mental dance party during (the only place I look good dancing. *tear). This play list is kind of like an explosion of 1940's big band meets The Swell Season with bits of shrapnel from the Steven Curtis Chapman mullet days, Mumford and Sons, and my favorite Christmas music. It's like a diet cherry coke with crushed ice and tater tots on a hot summer day. It has soothing properties. Fred seemed to calm down as soon as "Footloose" came on. I'm not sure he was visualizing Kevin Bacon dancing the same way I was, but that's his loss my problem okay. 

After a quick Starbucks run, my mind wandered from how difficult it is to drop my sweet boy off for the day every single time I have to, to how scary it is for both of us, to fear, to risk, to needing to be in control, to getting my hopes up, to that SNL skit of Will Ferrell singing "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" Lawrence Welk Show style and projectile vomiting (Andy William's version is in my play list for that very reason). Doesn't taking risks feel like that sometimes?! There's so much excitement and anticipation that seem to wrap us up in the festive sweater and turtleneck of a 1950's holiday special, but there's also the intense anxiety and projectile vomiting in realizing that we may fail, we may lose, we may have our hopes dashed again, we may not be in control of what happens next, and knowing that we really have no idea what the bleep is going on. All the what-ifs. A friend of mine recently gave a new clarity to a very familiar verse. "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things." Philippians 4:8 She focused on the word "True" and said that the things we worry about, the what-ifs that we blow to king-sized proportions, the futures we worry about, all of those things are not truths. Yes, it's good to be cautious sometimes, to be informed, and to make the proper preparations for our futures, but creating scenarios of what could be, or what we think should be, means that we're creating an imaginary world of sorts for ourselves and not focusing on what we know to be true, namely that God has everything under control. From Fred's vet visit, to which job He has just around the corner for us, to when we'll meet our future spouse, or be given the gift of a child, to how we'll pay next month's rent, to the state of our country....He knows it all. It doesn't make the waiting any easier, it doesn't always bring clarity, nor does it take away the fear and anxiety of not understanding His timing or His ways, but we know that He hears us, He grants us grace in each difficult moment, and will keep us going. Sometimes it's about the faith of stepping out, sometimes it's about the faith of staying back, and sometimes it's just about the faith of taking our fears, our worries, our frustrations, our hopes, our dreams and laying them before Him admitting that we're at a loss. Turning towards Him rather than away from Him in the tough times.


It really is a process. I guess it's good that I have a swinging soundtrack on this crazy journey. =]


"....Everybody cut footloose....."! 

 

Silver Lining

It's a beautiful, gray day here. Is it the same where you are? We were expecting some thunder storms today, but it looks like all we're going to get is overcast skies. While we're pretty ready for summer (I know our poor pepper plants are and are cursing my name for planting them in March), we are so thankful for a few more days to enjoy cooler weather and stay cozy inside. 

I thought today might be a fun day to visit the outdoors, kind of a silver lining to remind us that things are still growing, and blooming, and thriving right outside. I know that sometimes all it takes to brighten my day is to clip a few flowers and put them in a simple jar inside. Won't you join me on a little tour of our garden? Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times. Thank you! =]

This is me and Mr. N. shortly after we purchased our home this year. Notice the socks with sandals, proving we were meant for each other. =]

  Hydrangeas out front. I am loving getting to bring a few of these inside to enjoy! I can take no credit for planting these. They were already in the ground.

 Here are my spoils from Green Acres (the most incredible nursery in the area!) this past weekend. I skipped dress shopping to spend more time at G.A. Can't wait to plant these this week, hopefully!

 And our vegetable garden. This is the first time we've tried planting veggies in the ground, so it has been a huge learning experience for us. Only the carrots (which you can't see off to the left), one zucchini plant (the one that looks like it's from Jurassic Park), and the beans were started from seed. All the others were purchased as plants. This year we tried a little of everything and ended up planting carrots, zucchini, green beans, peas, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, basil, rosemary, and thyme. We also have a little citrus tree that's trying hard to come back and a few apple trees that were already here. It has been a fun adventure so far.

The poles used for the beans and peas are actually iron garden hooks we purchased for our wedding. The metal in between the poles for the peas are from a china hutch we were given. Each one was set in front of a pane of glass on either side of the hutch as a design element that screamed 1980's.

 

And since I've kept you long enough, here's a rare sighting of our majestic Dr. Leo Marvin guarding the apple trees. (He is also another fun find from the previous owner.) 

 I hope that you've enjoyed your tour today and that you get a chance to step outside, breathe the fresh air, and bask in the beauty of God's creation around you. When you look at the plants outside your home and inside, just think about how the earth actually cries out in praise to God. That these little blossoms, vegetables, fruits, mountains, streams, etc. are glorifying God and His handiwork.

"....You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice...." Ps. 65:8b

"We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near." Ps. 75:1