Stealing Like an Artist

So, I feel like I shouldn't mention the fact that I haven't been on here in almost a month... that I should just jump right in like nothing has changed. But that fact of the matter is, I've lost my drive to write ... but I had an urge tonight and I thought I better grab it before it faded away again. The last time I was here was for Behind the Scenes, so I thought I would join in again! I always love a good writing prompt. So thank you, Crystal Stine for hosting such a delightful gathering! If you want the scoop, go check it out here!!

While I haven't been writing much (at all), it doesn't mean the creativity isn't flowing! I've been having loads of fun in my card making area of late... You can check out some of my creations at my esty shop... please do, I'll even ship anything you order ASAP... there is still time to get something before Christmas.

But just this week, I saw a card idea on the internet... I can't remember where... but it stuck with me! And while I was busy working on a special order... (YES, I love special orders... message me anytime) I decided it was time to "Steal Like an Artist" and here is what I came up with...

A partial green wreath accented with a bright red bow... what's not to be merry about?!??! :)

Sometimes it takes me forever to get a card idea to come together and look right... but this one, it just flowed. It still makes my heart smile to look at it! I didn't put it up in my shop because it's too close to Christmas... but if you want this set of 6 for $18 +SH, feel free to drop me a note!!!

I think that's why I gave up on writing for a bit... it was too much work and I couldn't get it to come together right in a way that I liked, so I kinda quit. But I also think that a break is good, even when it is unintentional.

And, I just remembered that I have a handful of "Seasonal" Dove Chocolates that might just help me finish out my 31 Days of Dove Promises... so stay tuned!

Community Conversation: and now for you, my dear reader friends... what have you been up to? I've missed you all!

Behind the Scenes of a quiet blog

The blog has been quiet for two weeks. I didn't mean for that to happen, but I knew it was inevitable. #31days of Chocolate in October burned me out, as well as life in general. ... and I had other things on my to-do list and no motivation or discipline to prioritize.

Blogging hit the bottom of the list.

I did however, write the following for Five Minute Friday a few weeks ago... and it's still how I'm feeling. I wrote it out in ink on paper on that Friday and never got it posted on the blog. So I'm typing it now to remind myself of the TRUTH...

The truth is I almost wrote to say I was throwing in the towel and just quitting on blogging. It's not working for me right now. My writing, my dreaming, my thoughts are all a-jumble and I can't make sense of it all and I can't tell what is truth and what is lies.

I seek the truth in which direction I'm supposed to go, which dream I'm supposed to pursue, and then fear and doubt and busyness creep in and make me wonder if I'm doing the right thing. Some days it feels like I'm drowning and I can't catch my breath.

And then I hop in the van for kindergarten pick up and turn my radio on --it's a gift, this radio, because music is a gift and I heard this song... and these lyrics resonated with me...

"Whatever you do, just don't look back,
Somebody needs the light you have.
Whatever you do, just don't lose heart.
Keep on pushing back the dark."

Because the truth is, I've been pushing back on the dark for years now ---and it's that season when the dark comes fast and hard and long and my arms are tired of pushing and I'm not even sure my light is big enough to share with someone, I don't even know who needs it.

And on Monday, I'm all ready to choose joy and count the gifts and the devil comes in and says "no way, not on my watch" and he reminds me of all my failures and how I should be doing this and I should be doing that and when I strain to find the light and give it to others, he pushes back with more dark.

Maybe I'm supposed to stop blogging entirely.
Maybe I'm supposed to take a break for two weeks, 4 weeks, 2 months...
Maybe I'm supposed to leave this blog behind, forget about it and start a new work...

Truth is, I just want somebody to tell me what to do ... Can I be a kid again?


So behind the scenes of this quiet blog has been some canning (applesauce, pears, apple pie filling), card making (delightful Christmas card making), time with friends and family, and a whole lot of wasting time, too.

And still the counting of the gifts...

~robins in the backyard... in November
~making cards... and listing them in my shop
~sharing a gingerbread latte with Wes
~fresh sheets on the bed
~"grace like rain falls down on me"
~music, music, music
~fresh bread (from the bread machine)
~free pears (which I finally canned)
~the beauty of dried corn fields
~counting pennies with my baby girl for homework
~sipping hot tea
~bacon
~purging my closet space
~Rotiserrie turkey
~apple crisp for breakfast
~talking to my dad
~praying with a friend
~laundry, laundry, laundry
~pre-registering for another semester of higher education...
~quiet in the library
~glorious sunrise
~real maple syrup
~free earrings
~making more cards!!!

Community Conversation: What's on your to-do list today? and What are you thankful for?

#31Days of Dove Promises-Fifteen

So, I never actually unwrapped this promise, but it's such a good one... and it inspired me, so I just wanted to talk about it for a little bit...

because Behind the Scenes of my new #31Days blog button is a friend that totally rocks!!


My friend, Debi, totally rocks! Have I mentioned that before? I don't know if you saw the pathetic little blog button I created for this series, but it wasn't much.  Well, Debi is a little blog cheerleader... seriously, you should go check out her blog if you want to get started, or improve, or just be encouraged in your blogging! ... go, I'll be here when you get back, just promise to come back!

and somehow she came up with a little bit of free time and used some of her awesome creativity to create me a little button that is SOO much more Pinterest-worthy than mine was!

Now, I will be honest... races (ie. running) and I do not get along. Not interested one little bit!! But, this whole blogging for #31days straight, it's kinda like a race and right about day 14 I started crawling. But then I looked at this awesome little blog button and it inspired me to keep going, because while the comments are few and far between, I have quite a few friends that are stopping by occasionally to read my mostly short, sometimes funny, occasionally serious, but always full of my heart blogposts! And they will cheer me on when I finish because that's the kind of bloggy friends I have! So, here I am pounding out two blog posts in one night... and eating more chocolate, too!

Community Conversation: just for fun, are you a runner or no? and what "race" are you running that you need some cheering for?

Yes, I hope to share one promise every day. To see all my #31Days of Dove Promises head to this page and bookmark it. So bookmark it, , or just subscribe to my blog and we can enjoy a little bit of chocolate together every day this month.

and if you have lots of time to spare, check out all the #31Days topics at The Nester!

Behind the Scenes: My Garden

So, I may be cheating just a little bit in today's Behind the Scenes, but I just have to add more than one photo... Please take note: these are the garden items that are producing, because I can't "SHOW" you the failures, I just have to tell you about them! :)

I am a first year gardener! This is a big deal because I am a girly girl and don't like getting my hands dirty. The biggest thing that has held me back from having a garden is dirt... and weeds! I don't want to have to deal with them. Enter my garden gloves (I used them profusely for the one year we had chickens). I also am kinda lazy, not really a fan of hard work... but when you have four kids, work is a given, so God's working on me in this area.

But back to my garden... some of my successful items are tomatoes and zucchini... but can't just about anybody grow those?  I told my husband the other day that zucchini were a best bet when starting a garden because you just can't kill them, they just keep multiplying! To which he replied, "Doesn't that make them a WEED?" ... isn't he funny?



And tomatoes, I have soo many, but not many red ones!





But in reality, I have no idea what I'm doing. My dear husband bought me the book Square Foot Gardening, and I have been trying to follow that method for the most part. It was a huge investment in dirt and set up, but the good news is there is hardly any weeds!! Even when the garden went unattended during the first 2 weeks of July when my life followed God's plan instead of my plan.

Another tiny success in my garden is the strawberries... they are supposed to be "ever-producing" or something like that! My daughter, who has been begging for a garden for some time now (years) also begged for strawberries, so these were planted for her.  But the behind the scenes is the birds that I love so much were caught picking at them the other day! I'm not sure how much fruit WE will enjoy from this plant, but it was still fun... and I *think* they come back every year, so who knows!



And then, Watermelon... also one of those, "I doubt they will work, but we will try it" plants! and they are growing and there are at least 4 of them already and lots more flowers, so I might even have some to give away!!



What I'm not showing you are the pea plants that never happened, the green beans that have maybe THREE beans hanging, the lettuce that bolted, and the pepper plant that is being crowded by the weeds... I mean, zucchini! I also have some pathetic looking grape tomato plants that I'm still holding out hope for!!

By the way, since I took these photos last week, the watermelon has almost tripled in size, I found 2 tomatoes actually turning red and fresh strawberries that have NOT been pecked... yet!

Community Conversation: Do you have a garden? What are your favorite plants? Any gardening advice for this newbie? 

Behind the Scenes: just like mama

Behind the Scenes is a weekly linkup with Crystal Stine... in her words: 

Social media and online relationships can make us feel like everyone else has it all together. We're edited, proof-read, Pinterest-perfect versions of ourselves  (or so some might think!) when - in reality? There is an unfinished pile of laundry around the corner. That cute toddler smiling for the camera just had a massive meltdown seconds ago. That yummy breakfast-for-dinner you just showed us on Instagram? It's because the cat licked the chicken that was supposed to be for dinner. 

"Behind the Scenes" is a fun link up where we show those photos - but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it.  

 I'm a paper crafter--I love to make cards. I get much satisfaction over a card well done (maybe a little too much). When I am working on cards that I am hoping and praying might sell (whether in an online shop or at a craft fair), I want to be all alone--no kids, no distractions, no "help," no interruptions.

But you see, God gave me some girls ... and my eight year old, she has a little bit of that crafty gene, plus the fact that even though I'm a less-than-perfect mommy, she still thinks I'm the "Best Mommy in the World" and wants to spend as much time with me as possible. 

So, when I posted this on Instagram last night, you might have seen a good mommy who loves when her kids make a mess with arts and crafts, and shares all her tools and paper and stamps, and always encourages her kids to follow their dreams...

what really happened??!?! it looked a little bit like this...

I'm sitting in my craft room (Saturday) happily cutting, stamping, gluing, designing cards. I can hear the happy nosies of kids playing together above me... and then the basement door opens! Oh no, I'm going to be found and she rounds the corner, "Oh, can I help, Mommy? What can I do on your cards?"

My answer is always, "No, honey, these cards need to be 'perfect' --or at least obviously crafted by an adult." The answer this time was still "no," but I was able to show her a box I had been working on of craft supplies for the kids--older ink pads, a box of various stickers so old that I'm not even sure they will stick, miscellaneous paper, and stamps that have seen better days.

She immediately wanted to dig in and make cards, but I put her off...

... not right now, it's almost dinner

... and then it's bath time

... and then it's bed time

... and then it's time for church

... and then we are having company

ooh and now they are watching daddy play video games and I sneak away again 

...till bedtime and she's begging again... and I say "tomorrow"

In the morning I say...

... after I read my Bible,

... after breakfast,

... after my shower,

... then go outside and play for a little bit--

"but, Mommy, you said..."

I know, I know... after lunch when the younger two take naps.

and then, Finally she digs out her stuff and creates a card... fit for an eight year old.

This is getting way too long, so I will wrap it up by saying, She wants to sell her cards... just like Mommy.  I tell her she needs to practice more (and we obviously have to work on spelling, too).

We talk a little bit about the difference between her cards and mine. You need a design plan and a card theme, and sometimes it's helpful to make multiples of the same card... and she gets to work, but I still won't let her use my scissors, my tape runner, my paper cutter, etc.

I make dinner, daddy comes home, I sneak back down to my craft area, again! ... and at bedtime she comes to say good night and she brings me some of the cards she made earlier and I'm amazed!

She has a theme for her cards and a design (even if it's not what I would choose), she's making multiples, she watched how I make cards and tried to replicate it... with the pathetic supplies I gave her.

She wants to be just like me...

Community Conversation: Would YOU buy these cards at a craft fair? :) Any readers with a handmade-at-home business, how do you involve your kids without affecting quality?

Behind the Scenes: with Mickey

I'm pretty sure I haven't done much (if any) blogging about our trip to Disney. I can't believe that was over a month ago now... It has been quite the month! I thought it would be a perfect "Behind the Scenes" post today.

"Behind the Scenes" is a fun link up where we show those photos - but tell the real story behind them. The sneak peek behind the scenes, a look past the edges of the photo to the real life behind it. Read more here!

Who doesn't love a picture with Mickey?! .. and it was at Hollywood Studios so the line was bearable... and it was in air conditioning.

There is really only good stuff to say about this picture, which might defeat the purpose of Behind the Scenes. But I was thrilled to get a family picture... and with Mickey--even better!  My husband couldn't believe that people (us included) actually waited in line to meet characters when you could be off experiencing the rides and attractions... But I think Mickey is worth standing in line for.

And no matter how hot you are, or how sweaty you look, or how much whining and bickering took place while you/they/we were standing in line... once you get to Mickey, it's all smiles!

One of the fun moments was the couple in front of us... He proposed to her, right there in front of Mickey! It was so cute, but I didn't get a picture of that one.

So thankful for my family, so thankful for a week at Disney with my inlaws, so thankful for sweaty, tired smiles!!

Community Conversation: Have you ever been to Disney? How do you feel about the "meet and greet" lines? What do you think is happening "Behind the Scenes"?

Behind the Scenes: Pool time

Just a little Behind the Scenes look at one of my recent Instagram shots. What does it look like when you take a picture?

So, I have four kids, which makes capturing a perfect picture ... Impossible!! And as much as I love candid pictures, and I even attempt to capture them in the moment... Occasionally I try to "pose" a candid and it just doesn't work. Like this cute picture of all my kids enjoying the grandparents' pool...

Behind the scenes there was a little bit of traffic direction by me and a little bit of me getting frustrated when I couldn't get them all in a square for the perfect Instagram shot. And a little bit of four kids swimming four different directions. And there may have been a few deep sighs from my husband as I tried to set up the perfect shot of my kids all in the pool together.

But life is not perfectly posed family shots, or even perfect candids. In real life, it is not so easy to get four kids all looking the same direction and smiling (unless they are watching the Disney Channel on TV). I used to want to be a photographer... and even had it in my blog profile (it might still be there--needs updating), but I've let that one go. Now I just want memories, preferably ones that aren't blurry and an occasional one where everyone is looking at the camera!

So I thank God for my four kids, each unique, each on their own path that God is directing. I thank God for my husband who lets me attempt to take "posed candids" until it takes too long.

And me, I will just keep learning patience and learn to let go of the perfect Instragram shot!

Community Conversation: Which do you like better, candids or everyone looking at the camera shots? Are you an Instagram addict?

This remarkable event of two blogposts, two days in a row, brought to you by the Ultimate Blog Challenge.

Behind the Scenes: Making Cards

One of my favorite things to do in the world is making handmade cards. But for some reason I don't do it as often as I would like. I seem to only do it when I have something specific to create... and I had a baby shower to attend. One of my favorite gifts to give is handmade thank-you notes. Every new mom (or new bride) has to write at least a few thank-you notes.


So I checked her registry looking for some color schemes. and I came up with gray/yellow (and I knew I had paper in my stash that would be perfect). So I spent a little time at my craft room creating and it came together beautifully and I made a set of 10 cards--cards that I loved so much, I almost didn't want to give them away.



This photo is just in the process, but you catch a glimpse of my cluttered work space... miscellaneous stamps from projects of yesterdays (really it's been over 3 months since I last created, I think), a well-stamped grid paper for protecting my workspace, even the little baby in the upper right that is part of my finished cards.

Zoom out even farther and the mess gets a little bigger... paper, paper, and more paper scraps, piles of stamp sets, more ink pads, markers, colored pencils, glue sticks and other adhesives... all the tools that help me in my craft.

I love it so much, I almost want to put my laptop down and head to the basement and craft some more, but it's already past my bedtime and I'm not sure I could create something useable this late at night... maybe tomorrow.

It's funny how just spending an hour or two in my craft area revitalizes my desire to make cards on a regular basis... I just need some accountability, or a personal cheerleader, or a kick in the pants once in a while... will you help me?

Community Conversation: Do you ever send "snail mail" anymore? Are you more likely to send a card from the Dollar Store, or a handmade note? Hypothetically speaking, if you were to buy my cards, give me some ideas for creating... Color scheme, Sentiment, etc!