wiww

I hate writing the first sentence to this post every week! I never know what to say. It usually goes something like this...well, this is what I wore. lame.

But I found this on pinterest:

                                              Source: etsy.com via sewfunbymonique on Pinterest

I thought it went really well for wiww:)

This last week was ka-ra-zy! So I've only got one pic to show you:)

I'm really digging the scarves this year. This one is from Old Navy. It's a circle scarf. I wrapped it three times so it would be up around my neck...cuz you know, I don't want the Target fiasco to be repeated!

I just paired it with a brown sweater and my jeans and my new red boots:) 

I promise to take a better picture but I love these shoes:)

I wore this get-up to Slone's school Thanksgiving play. Here's my little Indian reading his part:)
Lexi thought he was a turkey:)




linking up to the pleated poppy and real momma.

Thankfulness Recap

I think it's really awesome when you start focusing on one thing in the Bible, for me it's thankfulness lately, and everywhere you look there is something about it.

You've all heard my spiel about giving thanks. How it all started with that book...One Thousand Gifts. I even gave a little devotional about it at MOPS two weeks ago. And we made Thanksgiving journals.

Oh yeah, and it was Thanksgiving!

By the way, did you have a good Thanksgiving? I did! We headed over to Matt's family on Thursday. Ate turkey, played scrabble. Then I stayed up all night with my sisters, sister-in-law, and niece and went Black Friday shopping. Oh my, I will never do that again. Well, I will stay up with my sisters but never deal with those crowds again. I think the best time to go would have been around 7am on Friday.

This is Lyn and I hanging out in her van while the rest of them shopped Toys R Us. Hey, we are crazy, but not quite as crazy as the ones in the store! Charity got kicked out of the line for cutting:)
(and that, my friends, is a whole other blog post, lol)

Laura getting her stash of Christmas goodies for her coworkers:)



And as Michelle pointed out, yes, we are in the panties section. We are in line! It went all the way around the perimeter of the store. But we had a great time laughing and acting crazy in that line. We were quite the entertainment for the ladies behind us:)

Back to my original thought....Michelle was kind enough to send me this verse when I was getting ready for Christa and Matt's wedding (which, by the way, pics will be posted soon!) It is amazing how God used her to remind me in my nervousness of thankfulness.

Philippians 4:6-7

 (MSG)

 ^6-7Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. 

Ever feel...

like this?

I'm the one getting choked:) And Life is laughing about it! Those cuties are my nephews by the way. 

Sorry for the lack of posts this week! I've been busy taking lots of pics, getting ready for the holidays coming up, sewing:), and enjoying some time with my family! I'll be back this coming week with some goodies for you:) 

I am thankful for: 

my life 

my family

good food 

a forgiving Savior 

and you:) 

Oh and a friend posted this on facebook so it's what I'm jammin to this Thanksgiving morning!
 I like "was it ever really mine"

Happy Thanksgiving!

wiww

Today started off rough for me. I get some nasty sinus headaches, especially when the weather changes. It was just one of those mornings. But I have so much to get done that I decided to get up and take a shower. I am working at home today, but will have to take the boys to church tonight so I can't just wear sweats.

How do you tie your scarves?  Did I ever tell you the story about when I was in Target and could feel something in between my legs? I couldn't for the life of me figure it out and was almost too scared to look down! When I did look, my scarf had worked its way in between my legs and was sticking out the back like a tail...mmm, cute.

I'm trying to tie them differently now. At least so they are shorter and not crotch length!

I really like this short way. You just wrap it around your neck twice then tie the two short ends together. Then bunch it all around to cover up the little knot.

And I like the figure eight style too...



To do this one you fold the scarf in half and drape it over your neck.

 Then just pull one end through the loop.

Then twist the loop like an eight and pull the other end through it!

 

Wha-La! A funkier way to wear it.

So what are you wearing this week? 

linking up Pleated Poppy :)

Sharing the Beauty {Creative God Series}

Last one, people!

We've talked about all these great things...What a creative God we have, what a beautiful world we live in, and how to be joyful in our creativity. But really what good is it, if we don't share it!

I'm hoping that you realize that is what I'm doing here...with this little blog. That I want to share with you the beauty that God is creating in my life. That I might be reminded not to take it for granted, like I so often do. That it truly is the little things that matter.

Romans 12:1-2

 ^1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. 

Side Note: That's the Message Bible again, I guess I'm going to have to buy one. I've had that verse memorized in the King James version for a long time and it was like reading a new verse!

Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him.

Did you read that? Oh, how He works. Yesterday, I gave a little devotional at MOPS. I talked about the One Thousand Gifts book. How I so want a bigger, better house, but evidently God is teaching me patience. An outlet burnt up, the sink is leaking, I have no closets...and the list goes on and on. But if I can't be grateful for this little house, how am I going to be grateful for a big one? If I don't know what it is to do without, how will I ever appreciate it when I do get it? If I can't keep this one clean...let's just stop right there;)

I'm going to use my chores as an offering, use my talents as an offering. It says right up there in that verse that that is the best thing that we can do for Him. Quit worrying about our peers, and quickly respond to Him. 

I hope that this little series has been a blessing for you! I know that it has shown me a lot more that what I bargained for! 

He works like that a lot, doesn't He?

wiww

So this is just a comfy one....oh, if I were on What Not To Wear you know Stacy and Clinton would be yelling about "comfy" right now!  But I just got home from the gym and took a shower and amstaying home. So I get to be comfy.

sweater = old navy

red/orange tank = target

jeans = target

Oh, I love that bracelet too! It looks like a Joel Dewberry print. I got it at Pier One:)

I think this pic is funny...I'm checkin out my butt. 

But look how much better my legs look in this one! These jeans were always a little tight, a little muffin top. But no more! Thanks to Michelle for getting me to the gym!

I just got an email about these cute sweater dresses from target...I might just have to get one or two...or five.

Source: target.com via Heather on Pinterest

Source: target.com via Heather on Pinterest

linking up to the pleated poppy and real momma.

Growing More Amazing Everyday {Creative God Series}

By choosing to do things that are pleasing to God, we can more fully and deeply grow in faith and creativity.

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I really like how this verse translates in the Message Bible. It fits perfectly in what I have been stressing all along....we can be creative/inventive! And lets do it to encourage love and to help out!

I really don't think I can add anything to that!
Maybe you should join this though:



It will definitely encourage love!

toothless

That's right, we, I mean Slone, just lost his first top tooth. He officially looks like a grade school kid.

I love this photo and his egg head. He's not really an egg head. I also adore that little freckle on his eyelid. He has one on the side of his nose too.

This pic was taken probably 15 minutes after the tooth came out. If I would have taken it right after, you would have thought I punched him in the face with the blood on his lip, missing tooth and tears streaming down his face. 

I convinced him to let me tie some floss around his tooth and the other end to the door. Then I slammed the door. The tooth went flying! His face was priceless when he realized that his tooth was gone! I'm kicking myself for not taping it! He was a little startled by the little bit of blood and kinda freaked out on us. He kept yelling that his tooth hurt. Matt kept yelling that he didn't have a tooth so it couldn't hurt.

Matt and I laughed and laughed (after Slone calmed down). Especially while I was crawling around on the floor looking for the tooth. It's times like that (the laughing with Matt) that I really like being a mom. Like we have our own little private club with our own little inside jokes. 

I'm excited to see this kid grow up! Seven is just around the corner! We are getting ready for a party and a sleep over!

Baking and Pinterest

This post is in response to Kinze's post yesterday:)

I regularly spend time on Pinterest and pin and pin and don't get up and do!

But yesterday I got it in me that I was going to make this bread:

                                                                                          Source: farmgirlfare.com via Heather on Pinterest

Let me tell ya, bread has never worked for me. I've tried probably a half a dozen times and it's always been way to hard or dense or it's not raised (or risen?).

But yesterday it did! And it was wonderful! This girl's instructions were very easy to follow and gave tips along the way on what to look for. I couldn't believe it when the bread was actually rising:)

The boys loved it and so did I! It's going to be so yummy with soup and chicken and noodles!

I'm not really sure why there's that break in that loaf though. It was only there for that cut? Whatever/ it still tastes awesome!

So there you have it! Some pins are worth the try. I've also made the cheesy garlic strips that are in my foodies folder. They are pretty good too. I used a different dough recipe for those. I just googled a no-rise pizza crust and found one that worked. I also posted about these that I found on pinterest too!

                                                                                 Source: moreygirl.blogspot.com via Heather on Pinterest

So what have you made? Share your pins!

wiww

I'm running out of inspiration on this, people! I am not as confident as I seem! And I have realized I don't generally break out of the box on my outfits either.

wha-wha-whaa

So here we go! Outfit number 1. 

I have not actually worn this outfit out in public. I'm not sure about the whole skinny belt on me. I feel like I have pregnant boobs again. The whole look is maternity. And I'm not going to the gym to get the new mama glow!

Maybe a wider belt? I don't know. I'm just not feeling it. I don't really have much of a difference between my hips and my waist.

Do you like my necklace? I made it. I found the huge wooden balls at Joanns and just strung them up. 

Number 2

This sweater is so comfy, I could live in it. I probably will this winter. It was wide, almost bell sleeves on it. I feel like my mom when I wear it. Not in a bad way. In a "I'm gonna be like my mom when I grow up way".  I'll dress it up a little with some jewelry. And when it's really cold I'll wear a long sleeve shirt underneath it.

Number 3

why yes, I'm a photographer...why do you ask?
focus much?

But you get such a good view of my messy couch and left over mug:)
But this is something I'll wear out for a MOPS meeting or something fun like that. It's just a tank and a cardi from Old Navy.

Whew. I'll try harder this next week. I wore a couple of cute outfits this week but I forgot to take pics!

What'd you wear this week?

linkin up: the pleated poppy

{Creative God Series} Knowing God

God is continually drawing us to himself in everything we experience. 

~Gerard Hughes

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We are getting close to the end of this little series. Only two more after this!

This week's focuses on Knowing God. Really knowing God. And the only way to really know someone, anyone not just God, is by spending time with them. We spend time with God when we are in His word. 

I know, it's hard. It's hard to keep up. It's hard to get up to read it early. It's hard to keep from being distracted. I get it. Hebrews 5:11-14 talks about it.

I have a lot more to say about this, but it is hard to get it across to you since you've picked up this bad habit of not listening. By this time you ought to be teachers yourselves, yet here I find you need someone to sit down with you and go over the basics on God again, starting from square one—baby's milk, when you should have been on solid food long ago! Milk is for beginners, inexperienced in God's ways; solid food is for the mature, who have some practice in telling right from wrong.

 Well, just punch me in the gut. 

So the last week, I've been going to the gym with Michelle. I love it. It's fun. It's new. But I am so sore. I bought a heating pad...that's how sore I was. I was trying to "eat the solid food" when I was really just ready for the milk. 

So it's ok to not be the big body builder-read my Bible for an hour everyday saint. 
 We'll get there. 
We don't start there. 
We start by giving thanks and reading a little at a time. 
Baby steps.
 

This is a peek into my gratitude journal. We'll be making them at MOPS this month:) 

post-game halloween

So halloween was more of a success than I thought! I had to be one of the room moms in Slone's class this time. I signed up for it, he asked me to. Otherwise, I would've picked the Christmas party but whatever.  So I had to head to school at two. They have a parade in the school and walk up and down the hallway and get to show off their costumes to the high schoolers.

The star trooper and Bumble Bee are mine:)

Then they came back to the room where we did crafts (I was in charge of that) and games and had a pizza party! Here's the little craft I found at Hobby Lobby. It's just a coloring puzzle and little felt vampires, witches, ghosts, and bats.

I packed them up in the stripy bags and wrote Boo! on the stickers. If they didn't get them all colored at school, they got to take them home.

This was our best star trooper pose. So of course this is our best transformer pose...

Then we headed over to Uncle Chick's and Aunt Chelle's for trick or treating since we live in the country! Thanks for inviting us Michelle! We got to hang out with Cinderella and Woody.

Forget the glass slippers, this Cinderella rocked her leopard print shoes!

I'd say my boys had a great time. They really got the hang of it this year. It was a fun day!