If I could ...

How can I hate something and love it all at the same time?  I look forward to FiveMinuteFriday every week, but when I see the prompt that Lisa-Jo provides, I panic and I spend the next 3-4 hours stewing it over in my head, stressing about what to say, which angle to take, how to say what I am feeling without being negative (I am working on the pessimism, I promise) ... sometimes I think about how I can make it all "spiritual" and then other times I just skip it all together because I can't handle the pressure (I only did that once) ... but that's not what Five Minute Friday is all about ...
it is (in the words of Lisa-Jo) ...

"throwing caution (editing, revising, and worrying) to the winds and just write. Without wondering if it’s just right or not.   For five minutes flat. You're welcome to play along. The rules are easy.

1. Write your heart out for five minutes and show us what you’ve got.
2. Tell your readers you’re linking up here and invite them to play along.
3. And most importantly, go visit, read, and encourage the fellow five-minuter who linked up right before you.{Pretty please turn off word verification for the day to make this easier!}

Easy peasy."


This week's prompt is  If I knew I could, I would ...

START

The problem with this week's prompt is ... I DON'T KNOW!!!  A friend and I were just discussing this yesterday.

I would ... be the perfect mom... no yelling, always smiling, lots of fun, but still disciplining as needed... biblically of course!

I would ... have a clean house

I would ... be selfless in my marriage

I would ... have chickens and a garden and enjoy getting my hands dirty (okay not really, but I wish I was like this)

I would ... return to my childhood dream of being an architect and designing house plans

I would ... be successful in an online handmade stationery shop. I would make beautiful handmade handstamped cards that everyone would want to buy... to support my habit to buy more papercrafting supplies. (and send cards to those around me to encourage others...working on my #3in30 goals)

I would ... be a famous blogger ... using the extra income to love on those around me

I would ... be a photographer

I would ... not stress about life

I would ... be a better friend, listener, encourager ... maybe even a mentor, now that I am not so young anymore

STOP

Spring Green Rag Wreath

2012 update: Are Rag Wreaths still in!?!  Cause I love mine! I was so excited to take down my Valentine's Door decor and put up this wreath again! I am sharing it with The CSI Project's Spring Decor theme this week!!  And it makes me give thanks again for my Red Door, perfect background for this wreath!

 

So rag wreaths are a dime a dozen on the internet, and they should be because this project didn't cost me a dime!!  Here is my "tutorial" for my Spring/St. Patrick's Day Rag Wreath! Go make one!

STEP 1: Call your crafty sewing mom (or any friends you have) because you don't have a lick of fabric in your house! Wait until your sister comes to visit and brings a stash of green scraps from mom!!

STEP 2: find an old wire hanger in your house and make it into a circle shape... the delightful thing is that it doesn't have to be perfect!! .. also a ruler can be helpful unless you like to eyeball it.

STEP 3: cut a bunch of 4-5 inch strips of fabric about 1 inch thick.  Mine were actually 6 inches long, and while it worked fine and I still love the end result, I think if I do it again for another season/holiday, I will make them shorter. (no picture of my strips laid out)

STEP 4: (this step is the longest) Have your girls attempt to tie a few strips on the wire hanger so you can take pictures for blog tutorial. Discover that they can't tie a knot to save their lives, but they had fun helping you.

 They get tired quickly and then you can move to step 5.

STEP 5: (okay this is really the longest step) Randomly tie little strips of fabric all around the wire hanger until it is very full looking.

STEP 6: choose a long strip of plain fabric and tie it into a long bow to hang your wreath
STEP 7: Then hang your beautiful rag wreath on your door and enjoy!!

... here are some close up shots of the variety of prints I used to make this wreath! this was great for Spring/St. Patrick's Day, but I think I might make it again with some other colors/themes!! (but first I have to get more fabric from my mom! :)

Thank you to The CSI Project for inspiring me!  Go check them out

Ten Psalms... for the soul

When you are a young mom  (I don't feel so young anymore... I mean, when you are a mom with lots of young kids), sometimes 10 minutes is all you have, but what you can read in 10 minutes can be so soothing to the soul, and great for meditating.  So today, I am going to share 10 Psalms passages that feed my soul!

Psalm 143: 8 Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.

Psalm 1:1-3 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standing in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not whither and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

Psalm 18:19 He brought me forth also into a large place: he delivered me because he delighteth in me.

Psalm 130: 4, 7 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. ...for with the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption.

Psalm 107: 1, 8-9 O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good; for his mercy endureth forever. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Psalm 27:13-14 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living: Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.

Psalm 30:11-12 Thou has turned my mourning into dancing: thou has put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness; to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent, O Lord my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever.

Psalm 40:1-3 I waited patiently for the Lord: and he inclined unto me, and he heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, o my soul, and forget not all his benefits. Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Psalm 61:1-2 Hear my cry , O God; attend unto my prayer. from the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

Hope these encourage you as well... it took me all day just to get these typed!
Linking up to Top Ten Tuesday, Word Filled Wednesday, WFMW

500 --halfway there

 My Monday is not complete until I have reviewed my gifts from the previous week... so although I should totally be sleeping right now, I am sharing with you my list!! :)

Used the fabulous little booklet from Ann Voskamp again!

Sunday
451. celebrating The Lord's Supper on Palm Sunday
452. holding my wonderful husband's hand in church
453. our evening service prayer time
454. taking the time to enjoy some coffee
455. a rainbow in the sky on the way home

456. sharing combos with Wes
457. clear sky with moon

Monday
458. my little girl turning 6
459. last minute birthday prep... at Target
460. having a friend volunteer to maker her cake... it was fabulous

461. Grandma buying Easter clothes
462. Skyping with the cousins
463. thrilling Cassia with a "Tangled" birthday gift

464. setting the coffeemaker timer for the next morning

Tuesday
465. little girls in new rainboots
466. my 3YO saying "Mommy, you have "water polkadots" on the windshield" (Rain)
467. saying YES to splashing in puddles
468. story hour at the local library
469. another round of antibiotics to work on her ears
470. serving my kids' favorite dinner
471. having my husband home in the evening

Wednesday
472. a warm weather day
473. packing, packing for a family trip
474. Adventures in Odyssey... most peaceful 5 hour trip EVER!!!
475. hubby buying me an Oreo frosty during one of our potty breaks
476. kids excitement over windmills (modern ones)
477. safe arrival to family
478. chatting with my sisters... till late!

Thursday
479. a hug from my Dad
480. My 4YO helping with baby shower set up
481. taking the kids to Vidler's for 10cent popcorn and pony rides

482. being the "photographer" at my sister's baby shower

483. seeing a long time friend!!

484. watching my little girls' excitement at my sister's baby shower

485. hubby purchasing plane tickets for trip to Florida (for just us)

Friday
486. free coffee at Starbucks for earth day
487. more sister time
488. Pasquale's Pizza and Wings... nothing like it!! best ever!!
489. Celebrating 6YO's birthday again with family

490. my 3YO singing in the van!
491. watching Sabres hockey... and having them win
492. my kids' love for their uncle!!

Saturday
493. Sweet 3YO can't get enough of her Uncle

494. leftover Buffalo Wings
495. fun at Dave and Busters
496. DATE NIGHT at PF Changs!
497. buying some new dresses... my DH has great taste!
498. Wesley's hand on my back while walking around the mall
499. spending some time at Starbucks ...a long date


500.  501.  502.  503.  That God saw fit to gift me with these four treasures... every single day!!  May I be worthy!

Halfway there in my #1000gifts!  Come count with me!

Hard Love

START

I hate it when I look at The Gypsy Mama's blogging prompt and think... that's too hard for me! :)  and that's what I did this week. So I was going to skip it this week because we are visiting family this weekend, but then I asked my family for some help and my 2nd sister so quickly reminded me of the baby shower we were at for #4 sister, where our oldest sister shared a devotional... Point #5 being "Be a Mean Mom."

Sometimes being a Mean Mom can be hard!!  We want our kids to like us... someday! But right now, while my kids are young, they aren't necessarily supposed to like me very much!  Life isn't supposed to be all about them.  They aren't supposed to get every toy or game they want.  I shouldn't let them live on junk food. They can't say whatever they want, whenever they want. and sometimes... LIFE ISN'T FAIR!!  But that's hard love.  Sometimes you have to do chores. Sometimes you have to sacrifice something you want for those around you. Sometimes you need to give till it hurts, and that's okay!  That's what LOVE is. It's a sacrifice and sacrifice is HARD!

The good news is that my kids still LOVE me, even when they don't like me very much!  And when they get to be my age and look back on life, I hope that they will say "Mom and Dad, thanks for being MEAN"  and I want thank my Mom and Dad for being MEAN when I was growing up!!  I think you guys did all right!!

STOP

Let’s just write and not worry if it’s just right or not. Here’s how we do it:



1. Write for 5 minutes flat with no editing or tweaking.
2. Link back here and invite others to join in {you can grab the button code in my right side bar}
3. Go and tell the person who linked up before you what their words meant to you. Every writer longs to feel heard. {And if you love us, consider turning off word verification for the day to make it easier for folks to leave you some encouragement}
It’s a great way to exhale at the end of a beautiful week.

God's Paintbrush

... makes the best "Sweet Shots"

here are two pictures from the last week... because I don't even have enough brain power for a Top Ten post... I am hoping to be back next week... pretty sure that I have my TEN different wildlife in my yard, just have to find the pics and write the post.

So today is just sharing 2 photos of God's paintbrush!  nobody can do it like He can!!

Sunset Thursday night

Rainbow Sunday night

So thankful for the ability to enjoy God's Creation.
It's been a while, but I am linking up to

7 gifts each day

So this week, I printed the lovely 7 gifts gratitude booklet that Ann Voskamp is offering as a free printable to her blog subscribers...(check out the "free gifts for you" link)  It made me feel more poetic just holding it in my hands.  Maybe soon it will end up in one of my picture of the day shots... when I remember to print it in color instead of black and white!

So here are my gifts for this week... as written in my 7 gifts gratitude booklet

Sunday
401. everybody read for church early
402. tylenol for a headache
403. singing in church
404. tacos for lunch
405. chatting with my sister on the phone
406. kissing my hubby with minty fresh breath
407. getting to bed on time

Monday
408. everything bagels
409. wild turkeys in the field
410. open windows
411. skipping naptime
412. running in the rain with my girls

413. phone call from a friend
414. Springtime subway art


Tuesday
415. laundry folded and put away
416. "I love yous" from my kids
417. first dandelion of the season from my daughter
418. kids devouring dinner
419. a garbage bag of clutter cleaned out of my son's room
420. a reminder from a friend to read Psalm 130
421. a bowl of ice cream

Wednesday
422. birds singing in the morning
423. getting the kids ready for school on time (by myself)
424. no injuries in accident today (minor fender bender, but emotional!)

425. Having a friend at Subway just when I needed her
426. Grands Biscuit pizzas for dinner
427. a quick stop at Starbucks
428. being able to cry

Thursday
429. solid night sleep
430. fellowship and prayer at Mom's Alive
431. being featured on another blog
432. coffee from the Underground Cafe ... love that place
433. a walk with a friend... while our kids ran around
434. watching a chick flick
435. making it through another day of "single parenting"

Friday
436. a day (6 hours) to myself
437. reading the Psalms
438. making handmade cards ...I haven't taken any pictures of them yet.
439. kisses from my 3 YO
440. the kids playing outside
441. Dove Dark Chocolate
442. fresh clean sheets

Saturday
443. long, hot shower
444. lunch at Wendy's with the girls
445. another quick visit with my friend while killing time in town
446. a warm dry house in the midst of a storm
447. a quiet afternoon
448. my wonderful husband arriving home safe after 4 days away
449. going to bed early! :)

and a bonus (450.)... An Eastern Bluebird in my back yard!!

so much fun to count with this booklet... looking forward to it again this week!

On Distance

It's Friday again.. and that means Five Minute Friday with The Gypsy Mama!!  which is all I have, because I have plans to spend in my "studio" creating notecards today!!

Today's Prompt is On Distance

START

I could take this the route of the distance between my husband and I right now... He is in Florida for a work conference and my kids and I miss him very much... hurry home!!

But instead, I am going with my current living situation... which I wouldn't change for the world right now.  We used to live in a 2 bedroom trailer, which wasn't a problem when it was just my and my hubby... then we had our son... and then a daughter, and then another daughter, and then another daughter!!!  and suddenly it got crowded!  The nice place about our trailer was that we were seriously 5 -8 minutes from ANYTHING!!!  Church, work, school, Target, Aldi, Wegmans, friend's houses, EVERYTHING!


Then God provided us a home... 3 bedrooms, finished basement, 2 car garage and ACRES of land to run and play on... it's in the country! :)  It takes me AT LEAST 15 minutes to get anywhere... 20 minutes for some things! and we drive our kids to school and one is 1/2 day kindergarten... so that makes for a lot of trips into town. Add in AWANA Wednesday nights, and Karate Thursday nights and I have been doing a lot of travel the past 2 days (normally, my husband handles some of those trips... I can't wait till he gets home... and the distance between us is inches (or less).

However, I am learning to love the distance... the scenery on our many car rides is gorgeous... country living! And I love it (except when I am running late)

STOP

Five minutes is not very long at all ... sorry for the ALL CAPS and exclamation points. does that mean I am passionate?  also... how far do you live from your "hub"??

Go, read some more 5 minute posts "On Distance" and then go write one of your own... it only takes 5 minutes! :)

Easter card

Do people send Easter cards?  I don't know... I only made one last year and in honor of CSI Project's theme this week (which is Easter, in case you were wondering), I am going to share it with you!

Made with springy greens and yellows, fun flowers, ribbon and a cute handstamped little bird, this card is perfect for any recipient.

Here is a close up shot of the flower and ribbon!

 and I love making a matching envelope, plus the bird is so cute!

and I am hoping to be inspired tomorrow to make another one maybe, so tell me, do you send Easter cards? would you send a handmade Easter card?  would you buy a handmade one???  if so, go here! :)

and check out CSI Project, for lots more great inspiration!

Card Making...

Top Ten Tuesday again... in an attempt to reach out to my crafty followers, here are my favorite Paper Crafting tools (in no particular order)! what are some of yours?

1. My paper cutter (and the all important black scoring blade)  This makes cutting and folding notecards a breeze!

2. Tape runner... I go through this WAY too fast!!  So I am not particular on brand, I like whatever is on sale or in stock.

3. Sponge daubers ... my most recent acquisition from Stampin Up!  it makes shading and edging my cards soo much easier and keeps my fingers from turning 10 different colors as I work!

4. My corner rounder, faithful for softening the corners of my cards or my sentiments, I have had this for AGES!!!

5. My stash of wooden stamps... mostly from Stampin Up as well, because that's where I started in the card making hobby!

6. My clear mount stamps... I am falling in love with clear mount, acrylix, whatever you want to call them! My first ones came from Close to My Heart...  love the alphabet sets, but I also have purchased ones at craft stores.  With the clear blocks, it is wonderful to be able to see exactly where I am stamping!!

 7. markers and colored pencils (not pictured) in my cute little dollar buckets!  Used for all my shading and the buckets are so cheery

8. Glitter... such a fun accent to my cards lately

9. Brads and my tiny hole puncher ... the possibilities are endless!

10. envelopes... you need envelopes to mail your cute cards, and I love to make them matching or coordinating in some way!!  Staples had an AWESOME sale on them a week ago, so I stocked up!

bonus... You need to clean your stamps when you are done, so this cleaner and scrubbing pad make it easy!

I like easy, which is why I like Top Ten Tuesday!  It gives me a starting point for blogging!  for more Top Ten, go here!!

If you want to help support my habit of buying more craft supplies than I need, or you would love some of my handmade cards, check out my shop here, or my facebook page here.  I love special orders, so if you see something you like, chances are I can make it again!
And please, leave me a comment with your favorite crafting tools!!