where it comes from

Do you know?

No, not babies.

The milk in your fridge.

What does that matter you say? Well, my dad hauls milk for a local dairy near the town where my kids go to school. And he hauls it to Prairie Farms in the town where I do all of my shopping.  So when I buy milk, I buy Prairie Farms milk if they have it. And not all the stores have it.

Not Sam's Club. It's called Member's Mark and it comes from Harvard IL. 

But Target, yeah, Peoria's Target sells it straight from Peoria:)

You wanna know how I know?

I found this website:

http://www.whereismymilkfrom.com

Oh yeah, I know I'm a dork. I probably wouldn't have ever really cared except for my dad.

That's him at the beach with Taylor, my niece. 

He is the best. dad. ever.

You might not ever think about where your groceries come from, where your meat comes from and your veggies too. But I think it is important to be aware. Just aware, not crazy. Just like the whole craze on organic foods. Not always sure that it's the better choice (my opinion).  I still buy the strawberry milk but it comes from Indiana. I grow my own tomatoes and peppers, but any other veggies I buy from the Red Barn down the road or at the Farmer's Market. Of course in the winter, I'm subject to the grocery store. But I still think veggies and fruit are better (organic or not) than junk food.

I just think that it's great to support the local families. And if I can, I will. That's why I love handmade things so much. Especially things made here. Especially when I know the person.

Ok, I'll get down from my little soapbox!

Have a terrific Monday! Thanks for the feed back last week too! I love hearing from everyone:)

Crazy Life

Things were a little crazy this week! Everything seems to be coming down at once! I started last week a little down in the dumps, feeling sorry for myself. Same old, same old way of thinking. Then I started reading One Thousand Gifts, thanks to Hannah and her lovely blog:) (more on this book and blog later)

Anyway, from that book I started my thankful list. And my attitude has changed. I'm happy, energized, encouraged, just better. Oh, and I ran my first 5K with Michelle, then she convinced me to go to Body Pump! And I finished my projects for the week! Here's a look at them!

This awesome messenger was a special order for my new friend, Margie! She is a photographer over in the Macomb area. She takes some beautiful pictures! Check her out at G. Jean Photography.

Hi Margie!

 

These were another special order from Cassie. They are little ballet bags for her two girls! Cassie is married to Matt's cousin. Her girls are the cutest and they look like they could be my boys' sisters.



I finally finished Brady's IH quilt! It turned out great! I'm really glad that project is over:) and Gretchen and Nick are all moved in and their new house looks great. I'll take some pics next time I visit!



And I had an engagement session last weekend too! Molly and Caleb are great and I think their wedding is going to be super fun! {Molly, you can expect your pics to be up by tomorrow morning!}

And I also have a question for you all!  

What would you like to see more of on the blog? 

 Let me know! I know that wiww is pretty popular...I know, I missed it this week but I'll do it next week! Still like the Creative God series? Just taking some suggestions:)

 

Celebrating Community Creativity

This week's Creative God series focuses on creatively serving God with or in your community. I think this is something that is extremely important. There are tons of non-profits and ministries that you can be a part of.

                                                        Source: samaritanspurse.org via Katherine on Pinterest

This year we are doing the Operation Christmas Child. I'm sure you've heard of it. It's from an organization called Samaritan's Purse. Basically, it's a shoe box that you fill with little goodies to send to a child overseas...a child that probably doesn't have much. 

                                                      Source: thekrazycouponlady.com via Gina on Pinterest

You can pick if you want the box to go to a boy or a girl. I picked to give two boxes to two boys. I'll have the boys help fill them. Hopefully, it makes them think about someone else instead of what they are getting for Christmas. Anybody else's kids talking about that yet? 

The more we are focused on helping and blessing others, the better off we are. 

Just look at these kids in this video:

Source: youtube.com via Teah on Pinterest

I hope you are encouraged to help! If you need a box or info you can contact me or click the link! We are off this morning to fill ours!

{favorite accessories} inspiration workshop

The best way to spruce up an outfit is with accessories. And I love most accessories...bags, scarves, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, you name it.

Some of my favorite ones though are the ones that mean the most to me.

Such as my wedding ring. It's white gold and a square cut. Exactly what I wanted but never mentioned it to Matt. He picked it out. I asked him one time why he didn't pick yellow gold. He said something about it looking better in chrome. You can take the boy out of his truck...

The middle ring is an old one from my mom. It's hand-painted ceramic. Jil did it. {Hi, Jil :)} Did I mention I just saw Jil at the Spoon River Drive. She was carrying a moreygirl bag! I love Jil!

And the third one, you've seen before in a wiww. It was Mom's too.

I've also been wearing my felt flowers. They will be going on my coat and purse for the winter. Did you see them in the shop?

Inspiration Workshop from Gussy.

have you checked out the holiday gift guide yet?

wiww

Today might be a little boring. It's cold here today. Like 50. Yeah. Laura tried to tell me how cold she was in SC with like 65-70 degree weather...uh huh.

I have to head to the school today to pick up the boys. Slone has a bad cold and it's in his ears. So we are headed to the doctor's office straight after school. They get out early today so it's not that bad. Then tonight I have a planning meeting with my MOPS girls!

This is what I usually wear....when I want to be comfy.

Boring. But at least I put on a necklace and cute earrings:)

Oh, and the shoes...love these shoes. But they are killer hard on my feet. Like literally hard. 

So there you have it! Not a going out outfit but real life.

Celebrating your Creativity

Have you read this before? Do you understand it? Do you realize what it implies?

I'll give you a hint. It's the last line.

Do you love yourself?

Or do you tear yourself down? Do you have a running downgrading list in your head all the time? 

Are you not good enough? Smart enough? Pretty enough? Creative enough?

You see, before you can ever love another, you have to love yourself. And I'm not talking about a puffed up, conceited jerk. I'm talking about having respect for yourself. To know that {because of JESUS} you are worth loving.

So the next time you are tempted to say "I can't do this" "I'm just not that creative", try it! You might like it. You might just succeed at it! 

A little disclaimer here: I struggle with this too. I think so&so's better than I am at this and that. I get it! This is just a reminder to you and to me that we are worth it!

By the way, the reference for this verse is Galatians 5:14.

farm progress

I've been working all week on Brady's quilt! I have a little bit more done on this now but wanted to give you and Gretchen (Brady's mom) a sneak peek!

This is going to go in his bedroom perfectly with his red walls:) 

My boys think Brady is super lucky. It's just the wrong color for them:) They need green!

I'll have another update the farther along I get!

wiww

Well, this day is getting away from me! I think I better get my wiww posted! Or I might be in trouble from a few of my regular readers;) 

I bought this dress at Target the other day. I didn't even make it to Target when they brought out all the Missoni stuff. And by the time I did get there, it was all gone. Anyway, I was digging through the clearance section and found this dress...inside out...with a sweater over it. I think someone was trying to hide it. But it was my size and I thought it was really cute. oh, and I broke out the leggings:)

I think everything I have on in this shot is target. lame. With the exception of my necklace and bracelet. My mom gave them to me for Christmas last year. I did pick them out though. I love that black and white necklace, and I wore it all the time. Until one night at a pizza joint my niece Maggie asked me why I would wear a necklace with a skull on it! I didn't even understand what she was talking about! 

See him with his little rhinestone eyes? 

I wasnt' really happy about that. But whatever. I don't think it's really that noticeable when I'm wearing it. And nobody has asked me about it when I have worn it. So I'm going to keep wearing it! Here's my shoes. Those zipper flowers are clips from Target too. 

I have to help with Slone's halloween party this year at school. I'm thinking this and my orange sweater with my skull necklace:) That's about as into halloween as I get!

Linking up with Pleated Poppy and Momma Go Round!

Making Time for You {Creative God Series}

Time is what we want most, but what we use worst. - William Penn

Why is that? I know I do this. It's quite sobering. We all want more time...more time to do what? Work?

 Please. I'm not just talking about getting your work done. I'm talking about doing something that you enjoy and being creative about it. Maybe instead of watching a movie with the kids, you take a bike ride or search for cool leaves in the yard. Maybe make a small journal about a book you're reading. Maybe join a mops group and meet some new moms instead of just a playdate with your best friend.

While all of those things are fine on their own...maybe they need a little spicing up.

What about our routine chores around the house? Instead of just putting away the dishes, how about rearranging the cabinet where you keep the dishes? How can you make it more useful? I bought a keurig coffee maker last year when my old one gave out. I really didn't want it sitting on my counter advertising to everyone that I bought the expensive machine. 

So I got creative. 

I have this cabinet in my kitchen. It's tall and skinny. I am sure that it's a broom closet. But my broom is too tall and doesn't fit in it. So I store my extra baggies and paper plates and plastic silverware in it. But the top of the cabinet wasn't really being used.

There's my freezer list on the outside of the door.

Here's what I came up with. I attached a shelf and some mug hooks. I have my very own little coffee station!



Underneath in that basket is where I keep the kcups. It works for me.

But while all this work is fun work...Jesus calls us to spend some time with Him alone.

This way I make some more time for myself since all my coffee stuff is together. Then I can spend more time drinking my coffee while I do these devotions. The verse that spoke to me this week was:

Mark 6:31

{Jesus said} "Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest."

He wants us to spend our quiet time with Him. To talk with Him and worship Him.
Keep that in mind this week while you are rushing about and don't forget to take that time for yourself and Jesus!

moreygirl monday

We had another great weekend at the Spoon River Drive! 

Charity and I laughed and had such a great time together, that alone was worth it! It's rare that we can just do that. There's usually four little boys buggin needing us:)

I do have a few of my items left over, but a lot of my new bags that I made are gone! I'm going to be busy this week getting some custom work done. If you bought a special order hat from me over the weekends, I finished them! So they will be in the mail tomorrow! I also have an awesome messenger bag to make {Hi, Margie!}...I'm super excited about the fabrics she picked out...so excited I will probably want to keep it! Don't worry I'll post pics when I'm done with it!

Have you signed up for my newsletter yet? I'm planning on offering special codes through the newsletter. You'll also get first notice of special order dates! (Because I don't offer special orders all the time...I would run out of time!) So sign up! You get a coupon for the shop if you do!

And you will want these when you see all the choices in the shop!

 

They come ready to give in these awesome little pails! 

They also come with these "To: From:" cards that read this:

I'll be adding them all to the shop tonight!

Happy Friday & Weekend News

Today was a fun day! I got to spend it with my friend Gretchen and I made her curtains for her new house! I'll definitely post some pics when she gets them all hung up! They turned out so awesome:)

Tomorrow and Sunday I will be at the Shed on Rt 116 again for the Spoon River Drive!

Come and see me! I've already met a bunch of my blog readers and I want to meet you!

Monday is MOPS!

I love my group. I tell you this all the time, but if you are a mother of a preschooler, you NEED a MOPS group! This month we are talking about adoption and foster care.

And we are making these:

Yeah, you get to make those awesome little acorns too:)

Join our group on facebook if you want more info there. And read our blog.
Well, just come! You'll love it!

{fall} inspiration workshop

Fall is here. It's really here. Summer rushed off. I miss it already. Oh, it's not that I don't enjoy fall. It's just summer is wonderful. I'm already missing the pool, the sunkissed skin, the pedicures, flipflops, and the beach.

But the last week of this fall weather has been wonderful. The sun has been shining. It's warm. It's comfortable. Life is good. The bounty is being harvested. The boys are in school. The husband is busy.

Yeah, life is good.

It's good when you get to burn candles like these.

And get mini white pumpkins from Aunt Joy. Thanks, Aunt Joy! The boys ask daily if we can eat them.

This is the few from my north windows. I'm thankful for the view. I'm thankful fall brings Thanksgiving. I'm not thankful for the other fall holiday. Yeah, I'm bah humbug about halloween. But I do enjoy the season. It's just second best in my book:)

linking up with gussy

wiww

Here we go. Another week. Are they going by faster!? 

I haven't really been very creative in the outfit department lately. I've been busy sewing and getting ready for fall shows.

But I did manage to get dressed. But it was long sleeve tshirts and jeans like this:

This is pretty standard uniform for me...I'm going to try to branch out.

Tell me...how old do you have to be before leggings are stupid?

I really want to know. I have some but no guts to wear them.

New scarf...made by me.

Do you ever feel like this?

Source: tumblr.com via Sheila on Pinterest

I do. a. lot. :)
haha
Have a great Wednesday!

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy!

being a mom is hard

I'm going to take a one week break from my Creative God series, since I spent the afternoon in the principal's office. 

Oh, yeah, you read that right. I've never been to the principal's office because of anything I've done. But Bo had some issues at school today. Nothing huge. Just a little testing of authority. You know, because he thinks he's in charge.

But I have learned through all of this that I really hate disciplining my kids. I realize that I have to do it. But I hate it. I don't think it's that I think they won't love me, because I don't have those issues and I was disciplined. But it's way uncomfortable. way. 

And the realization that my kids...and I...are not perfect. I felt defeated leaving the school. I felt like a bad mom. {waves hand} Yup, that's me, the mom with the kid that pinches his teacher. criminy.

But I can't dwell on that...I'm putting that out of my mind. I am a good mom. I do have good kids. I'm proud of myself and them. But being a mom is hard. And it takes patience and knowledge and wisdom and knowing "this too will pass". 

So I'm saying a little prayer for the other moms out there. The ones that have had a bad day...or week. It's ok, we all have em.

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven't stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you'll live well for the Master, making him proud of you as you work hard in his orchard. As you learn more and more how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

Colossians 1:9-12 

linking up:

Spoon River Drive 2011

We had lot of fun this last weekend! Moreygirl was all set up in "the Shed". Everything looked great!

Charity came over from Iowa and sat with me! She's been busy making the most awesome baby slippers and ruffle booties you have ever seen! 

I mean, just look at them!

I sorta wish I were having another baby, just so I could have them.

Did I mention that they are knitted out of organic yarn and packaged up, ready to give?!

These are going in the shop asap! I just got to take some pics of them and load them in there.

moreygirl also had some repeat customers!  Check out this bag from last year!

And as it's been for the last three years...another "moreygirl" has come to visit me! She's the sweetest lady and her last name is Morey:) She visits the drive every year and brings her grown up granddaughters. One of them just had the sweetest little baby girl. It's so nice to visit with them every year!

Here's part of my booth:

My little antique baby bassinet with cart...that I love! It holds the baby blankets and a couple of pillows. I also have my ruffle scarves again, but they are almost gone! Don't mind the wildlife photos...they are the next booth over. Don't ask;)

There is still some great stuff! So come out and see us next weekend! We are at the Shed on Rt 116 both Saturday and Sunday 8am - 5pm!