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.