a quick pic

I had no problem getting a "Photo of the Day" yesterday being Memorial Day and all... so here is just one of my favorites!!

Two of my girls loving each other at the Parade!!

Linking up to Sweet Shot Tuesday with My3Boybarians

Got my mojo back!

Apparently, I just needed a good dose of sunshine and some specific orders for cards for me to find my mojo again!!  I have been a card making machine over the last two weeks!!  Here are some pictures of my most recent creations!!  :)  Do you like them?  Do you want one??  Let me know and I will get a special order up for you on my artfire shop!!

I am giving thanks for ...

628. creativity, a gift from God
629. all my crafting supplies
630. A dedicated table to making cards, so I can easily come back to my card-making in between all the children's needs
631. A husband who helps entertain the kids so I can get lots of cards made
632. Anniversaries to celebrate

 633. Teachers at Summit Christian Academy, who invest in the lives of my little ones. (these were the cards I gave them to say thankyou ...6 of one color to each teacher)

 634. fun scrapbooking paper that makes cute cards

635. glittery spray to make "sparkling" candle flames

 636. a friend of a friend who wanted a variety of Birthday Cards.

637. having a card idea come together for me... not just in my head, but on paper, too!

 

638. working on my blog post Sunday night, because I know that I am going to be super busy tomorrow!
639. anticipating a family day for Memorial Day
640. giving thanks for those who sacrificed for me to have FREEDOM!!!


linking up with

forgetting

So is it too late to jump into Five Minute Friday... because today was a busy day, I didn't FORGET, I promise! :)  So because it's late and my brain isn't working (I went to Walmart on a FRIDAY night... who does that???? oh wait, the whole town!)  in honor of the prompt "On Forgetting" here's a little story that happened a week or so ago that I keep FORGETTING to share, mostly because it doesn't fit into 140 characters on Twitter!  :)

Just a little conversation I had with my sweet three-year-old!!


3YO: Why did Jesus take our sins away?
me: because He loves us
3YO: I love Him, too.  Jesus is in my heart
me: How does Jesus get in your heart?
3YO: He jumps!

apparently, we have a little bit of work to do!! :)

So, it might be too late for this week, but be sure to jump on the bandwagon next week with The Gypsy Mama and Five Minute Friday!

Selling Handmade

I know I have a few artsy/crafty people that read my blog. and I originally started this blog as a way to promote my handmade creations. However, God must have had other plans because it really hasn't happened.  My favorite blog posts are Multitude Mondays and Five Minute Friday, but occasionally, I do post pictures of my most recent card creations.

Making handmade, handstamped notecards has been a hobby of mine for some time now!  Here is an old picture of a collection of some of my earliest creations.

I stocked up on all sorts of fun supplies through Stampin Up!  My friend was a demonstrator for a while. The time I spend on making cards has ebbed and flowed depending on my life circumstances. I always saw it as a nice affordable gift... multipacks for birthdays and Christmas, thank you notes for teachers, new brides, and new moms, etc... but lately I have been trying to turn my hobby into a business.

When I started selling on Artfire over a year ago, I went with the Basic membership, because I was afraid to put any money into a venture that I wasn't sure was going to succeed.  Then in the fall, I jumped on the bandwagon when they had a lock-in rate promotion! Here are FIVE things I like about selling on Artfire!

1. No listing fees --this is a no-brainer!  If I had my act together I could list as many items as I wanted without my monthly price going up!
2. Promotions through Collections --I always feel so special when people choose one of my handmade notecards for a collection of items that they like!  And I have so much fun creating collections and seeing what other people are selling!
3. Linked to Google Shopping --it's so exciting to see my cards show up in Google searches for specific cards
4. Great interactions with the Guilds --connecting with likeminded people
5. They have a Referral Program --if you visit Artfire and like what you see, sign up using my Referral Link and we will both get a free month!!

Like most things, you get out of it what you put into it! So as soon as I get my act together and create some new cards... get them uploaded and listed on Artfire, I look forward to it being a profitable venture!!  I would love to have you join me, with whatever fun crafts, or homemade gifts you make!

In the comments, let me know what you love to create!!

Kindergarten

My sweet little six year old, CASSIA ROSE, is graduating from Kindergarten tonight... I am not one of those moms that cries at milestones like this!!  I am looking forward to it.  I just wanted to celebrate her a little bit today. So in honor of her graduation, here are some words that describe her (it was originally just going to be 10, but I couldn't stop) and 10 pictures to reminisce the last few years of my little girl's life!  So Proud of her!!

 April 2005

1. Courageous, creative, compassionate, cute

 June 2005

2. Artistic, athletic, angelic

 May 2006

3. Sweet, student

July 2006

 4. Silly, sister, smiley

 June 2007

 5. Independent, Individualistic
 

 March 2008 (photo credit -Darker Shades of Brown) 

6. Affectionate, adventurous

 June 2009 (photo credit - Kim Winey Photography)

7. Reader, real 

January 2010

 8. Outgoing, Outdoorsy, Outstanding

 September 2010 (first day of Kindergarten)

 9. Sensitive, strong, speedy

 April 2011 (6th birthday)

 10. Energetic, enthusiastic, expressive


linking up to Top Ten Tuesday, and Sweet Shot Tuesday

A good thing!

Psalm 92:1

IT IS A GOOD THING TO GIVE THANKS UNTO THE LORD, AND TO SING PRAISES UNTO THY NAME, O MOST HIGH:

1 Thessalonians 5:18
In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

Today, I am giving thanks... Here are some of my #1000gifts that God gives me every day, even when I don't notice them all!



603. Joining up with the Good Morning Girls group... looking forward to reading The Ministry of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson
604. a little more crafting at my card-making table... easy and fun invitations!

605. Throwing out our diaper pail... after 8 years of continuous use!!
606. Taking my 2 little ones to the local library story time
607. watching their creativity come out in making butterflies

608. snuggling a sleepy and feverish 3YO
609. putting away the to-do list for 40 minutes to do so

610. eating my hubby's great chocolate chip cookies!
611. spending time in God's Word DAILY with the help of the SOAP method and #GoodMorningGirls summer reading
612. A chicken coop for my chickens... here's hoping they produce some eggs!!

613. watching the fog roll in... still excites me (as long as it doesn't stay too long)

614. catching a peak of sunshine and blue sky in my travels one day during an otherwise extremely dreary week!!
615. at least one of my kids enjoying swim lessons!
616. Painting my toenails in anticipation of the sun actually returning to my neck of the woods someday before June.
617. baking cookies ...

618. neighbors filling in my missing ingredients!
619. 3YO fever finally breaking!
620. Author's Day with my son's 2nd grade class

621. listening to my little boy read aloud a book he wrote and illustrated!
622. my daughter playing with my camera...

623. fun socks on my little girl

624. sweet smiles

625. serving at the local rescue mission with church family
626. little girls with long blond hair ... they want haircuts, they are tired of the snarls! :( what should I do???

627. church... I've got a great one!

Keep counting!!

When Seasons don't seem to be changing

This week's topic ... "When Seasons Change"

START

I confess, I did a little bit of research before I started my Five Minute post today! :)  I wanted to get the Scripture references I had in my mind!

A friend updated her facebook status with Genesis 9:11 "And I will establish my covenant with you, neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth." She was glad that she believed God's Word, or she was gonna wonder about the whole flood thing... apparently she is experiencing a lot of rain!  and while we have had a lot of GRAY, DREARY, CLOUDY, RAINY, depressing days, it hasn't been flooding rains! So I guess I can be thankful.

The other verse that I thought of in regards to seasons is Genesis 8:22  "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."  This is the verse that I am taking God at His word for... because I am beginning to wonder where the heat is... although I might complain if it really hits in July!  So I am looking for some heat and summer.  The seasons don't seem to be changing very well around here ... but I am going to give thanks that it isn't snowing anymore! 

STOP

PS... I also wanted to talk about all the seasons in Ecclesiastes 3, but that would take more than 5 minutes.

Wanna know what #FiveMinuteFriday is all about? Go visit The Gypsy Mama... and then try your own five minutes!