August Fields

a glittery 9th birthday.

2012-02-11T08:20:00.000-06:00

happy 9th birthday to my sweet little girl.

keeping with tradition at least 3 themes were chosen by my creative little one.

this year: 1. glittery 2. princess 3. colorful

you got it. :)

the pantry door was properly adorned.

glittery favor boxes for the girls from hobby lobby.

glittery paper circles hanging from the chandelier and the easiest decor ever...balloons.

when there is time for nothing else......go get some balloons.

i love that one of her top gift requests was a belle dress.

her other favorite gift? a new camera. endless pictures like the ones below being captured.

happy birthday to my beautiful daughter. :)

christmas 2011.

2012-01-11T07:28:00.000-06:00

christmas was wonderful! we lacked any snow on the ground (which was unusual) yet loading and unloading the car and carrying stuff inside without worry of anyone slipping was sure nice. :)

i continued the tradition of matching pajamas for the kids this year. they opened them on christmas eve. the iron on letters are from hobby lobby, the tshirts were $3! at the hanna andersson outlet this past summer and the bottoms are from children's place.

little dubs especially got a kick out of saying "i'm number 5!" :)

someone asked me about how to handle simplicity of gifts when it comes to extended family. my answer to that is.....i let grandparents do what they want. i figure when i'm a grandparent i'll want to do it my way, and if they want to purchase gifts for my kids and watch the excitement i'm good with it.

its a blessing that all of our parents are still with us and the kids can add memories of christmas with them to their hearts.

this was THE cutest / craziest / best photo op moment of the day...... american girl bonanza! my adorable nieces along with my girls, all expressed their delight and surprise carrying much emotion....

nana was toppled with hugs and 'thank yous'.....

oh yes we did. boone's 'want' this year was a red ryder bb. there have already been walks out to the woods and target shooting with daddy. i'm pretty sure the two of them were shooting of the back deck the other day... :)

we went to our church christmas morning, and spent the weekend with our families.

i always enjoy the unrushed days of conversation, visiting and making memories with our family.

merry christmas to you!

2011-12-23T22:20:00.002-06:00

click the banner below for a guest post i did over at erin's blog 'someone in mind'.

cozy nights of christmastime

2011-12-21T19:00:00.000-06:00

the gifts are starting to appear under the tree.

anticipation of christmas is growing in this household!

we are continuing our tradition of 4 gifts per child plus stocking stuffers.

1. want

2. need

3. wear

4. read

i hung the stockings on our front staircase this year. i like it. they have always always hung on our

mantle...but change is good. and its an excuse to use some cute ribbon.

the kiddos are fully aware that daddy and mommy fill their stockings. not santa. and they love it!

they still get filled on christmas eve. personally, i don't understand the big dilemma of saying 'no to santa'. believe me, there is no lack of excitement in this household!

are those stockings not fabulous?!? my neighbor (a single older lady) hand made each one for each of us last year. she could use some extra income and i told her i could probably find some people who would order one for next year (wink wink). if you're interested email me. i'm thinking $40.

she is so sweet and has no idea i'm putting this on here. we'll see. it could bless her socks off.

outside we put two blue spruce trees from lowes out front and i strung 100 lights on each.

we'll plant those trees in the spring. perfect.

lowes also has swags of fresh greens in their garden area. i just tie them up with floral wire under each light and add a red ribbon. easy and classic.

so tonight was totally a grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner night.

everyone likes it. its easy and the sandwiches can go on paper plates. an easy clean up is a bonus!

chunks of cheddar cheese melted on buttered bread? a simple indulgence really. and perfect for a cold, rainy night.

the grilled cheese must be paired with this soup though. we're a two box family.

just pour it in a pot and warm....it is seasoned perfectly. so good. it has become a pantry staple.

since this post is full of random goodness i must add....today i stopped by the fabric store.

i decided 'sara, why don't you make a little handmade present to give to each of the ladies of the family?'

two days. i can totally do that. right?

it was a good excuse to go peruse the fabric store and pick up these lovelies.

winner.

2011-12-18T10:26:00.000-06:00

congrats kate!

your cabbages and roses pillow cover will be sent to you shortly!

thanks to all who left a comment and welcome new friends.....more christmas posts to come

soon.

cabbages and roses pillow cover giveaway

2011-12-14T09:59:00.001-06:00

hello lovelies. i have a fun little giveaway before christmas for ALL of you (even my international readers!)

i recently was contacted my cabbages and roses and given a sampling of their fabric. i decided to make a cute pillow cover (envelope style in the back) and give it away to one of my readers!

the fabric was wonderful to work with. and these florals, mixed with straight line ruffles? love it!
this cover is made completely using cabbages and roses fabric by yours truly.

it was great to be at my sewing machine again.

its usually in the winter months when my crafting and sewing pick up.

the pillow cover will fit a 16" inch pillow insert.

this giveaway is for the pillow cover only (made from cabbages and roses gorgeous fabric)

- giveaway closes saturday, december 17, 2011.
- this is open to ALL my readers! yay!

To enter leave ONE comment for EACH:
1. Follow august fields (if you already follow, awesome! just say hi :) )
2. Tweet about the giveaway.

THAT'S IT!

I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog!

christmas 2011

2011-12-09T16:56:00.001-06:00

christmas cheer is filling our home over here at august fields!

downtown disney.

2011-12-01T15:43:00.000-06:00

the week before thanksgiving our family went down to orlando florida with my parents. it was delightfully not busy and the weather was awesome!

the first night we hit downtown disney. this area is free to the public. free parking.

we contemplated taking the boys to the new legoland themepark but honestly the reviews were so so (probably due to the fact that it is new) and we had to be realistic with our time as we were already going to be fitting disneyworld and seaworld into our week.

my mom knew that downtown disney had amazing lego structures set up outside and indeed they WERE amazing! this fulfilled my boys' lego fix for sure!

the girls had fun choosing a little charm for their "charm it" necklaces. this was not planned but looking back this is a great idea. it steered them away from wanting uber expensive frivolous purchases of wands, dresses and other paraphernalia.

we let them choose a charm at three different stores. cute!

oh boy. dubs was a riot! he loves toy story.

temporary tattoos.

high school musical (for the music note), belle, finn, shu, and mater.

my parents took us to fulton's crab house in downtown disney. it was delicious!

a waiter went around doing magic tricks :)

we did not go up in this balloon (it was too windy) but it looked fun!

the night ended with some ice cream! cookie dough for me. always.
this was day one of our trip. more to come!

thanksgiving 2011.

2011-11-26T14:37:00.000-06:00

thanksgiving 2011. what a wonderful day it was!

we hosted my husband's side of the family.

i made a few dishes using recipes i found on pinterest (check out my thanksgiving board). including this a.maz.ing. pumpkin pie!

boone requested it. i wasn't a fan of pumpkin pie....until now. this one won me over.

the kid's table was super simple :) i did pick up some cute pilgrim hats from hobby lobby that they enjoyed coloring.

the adult beverage table.

i shamelessly had deanie snap a picture of me and my cute husband. :)

a few more pictures of the yummy food.

rye bread appetizers.
*recipe*
one loaf of mini rye bread (found by the deli counter)
mix chopped onion (i use sweet vidalia), mayo, and parmesan cheese. broil for 2-4 minutes.

oreo turkeys. the kids LOVED these! but please note....i had planned on making them with the kids. so glad i didn't as these are pretty laborious. my kids were disappointed at first, but when they saw how long it was taking me they were fine to go play and leave me with the turkeys.

oh, these were good! marinated mozzarella wrapped in prosciutto, topped with sun dried tomato and basil.
check my pinterest thanksgiving board for the pie, oreo turkeys and mozzarella appetizer.

the official turkey carver! this is my father in law slicing up the turkey that my mother in law prepared and brought over.

and here is my favorite Bible passage to read for thanksgiving. psalm 100.

the four big kids read this for part of our dinner devotions (hank was cut out of the picture...sorry buddy.)

mr. daddy followed this up with a reading from c.s. lewis called 'the necessity of tribulation'. it is a daily reading from "The Business of Heaven".

this was the only picture i took that shows all the food. :) that's moz, my super stylish sister in law and on the left is my dashing, smarty pants brother in law.

games galore. euchre, pictionary, scategories, chess and speed scrabble.

we settled down and pulled the computer monitor into the family room and streamed in a movie from netflix.

and when everyone had gone home just me, moz and susie put hair styles on pinterst to the test. this braid is super cute no?
at 1am i finally gave them a hug and went to bed. happy thanksgiving!

thanksgiving eve

2011-11-23T21:21:00.000-06:00

thanksgiving eve proves to be a favorite day of the year.... prepping, cleaning, baking, the anticipation of delicious pies that will be arriving to my home shortly.....

this year i'm contributing mashed potatoes (pioneer woman recipe)

classic green bean casserole

vidalia onion dip

onion cheese on rye bread appetizer

mozzarella ball appetizer

pumpkin pie

and little oreo turkeys for the kids.

earlier today this was going on in the kitchen......

the turkeys are almost done....

and the table is set

i'll have a more detailed post this weekend. but now i'm ready to hit the hay.

happy thanksgiving!

giving thanks - always and corrie ten boom's strength.

2011-11-22T08:32:00.000-06:00

as i begin to busily prepare for thanksgiving i feel the Lord preparing my heart.

lately, i am being reminded in various circumstances to be thankful. always.
and not just for the good stuff.

many lists and prayers of gratitude (including my own) go something like this:

thank you for my family, for a warm home and clothes.

thank you Lord, for all you have given us.

how often am i thankful in ALL circumstances? for ALL things? even the mundane or bad?

a recent reminder #1

our wedding verse from 12 years ago.

1 Thessalonians 5:15-16

Be joyful always; Pray Continually.

Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

oh how these precious words have carried me through. when i can open my eyes and heart and receive the truth that God loves me....plain, ordinary, me....i realize that HE WILL work ALL things to HIS glory.

i have seen this in my life over and over and over. finding the strength to be thankful (through continuous prayer), brings me joy.

a recent reminder #2

the true story of corrie ten boom and her sister betsie. revealed in the book "the hiding place"

please find time to read this book. it will soften your heart and strengthen your soul.

in this book corrie unravels the story of her family hiding a jewish family in her home, being sent to scheveningen (a dutch prison) then on to vught (a dutch concentration camp) and finally to ravensbruck (a women's concentration camp).

throughout her life corrie struggled honest struggles of "why?"

from the book the hiding place, corrie writes:

"It grew harder and harder. Even within these four walls there was too much misery, too much seemingly pointless suffering. Every day something else failed to make sense, something else grew too heavy."

such raw, vulnerable truth into her soul. corrie does not sugar coat her struggles and the strength God gave her to see them through. she continues to share how the Holy Spirit gave her strength to be thankful in ALL circumstances. hardly comprehensible to even think about amongst such cruelty.

as thanksgiving draws near i am praying, earnestly, to give thanks in ALL circumstances.

Friday favorites: toys

2011-11-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

With Christmas quickly approaching I've decided to have couple of Friday favorites designated to toys. Look at previous friday favorites which include more toy reviews.

These are all toys that we have and really like! It's got to be good to make it to Friday favorites.:)

Keva blocks
Boone just received these for his birthday and they are awesome! Great for ages 5 to adult. Possibly younger if there are older siblings or adults to play with. We have the 400 piece set that cam with a canvas storage bag. I recommend this size set to allow building the bigger structures and to share with siblings and friends.

We have other wooden blocks but it's the uniform shape and weight of keva blocks that allow you to build amazing structures! Another bonus is that they're made in the USA.

Perplexus epic
This is like the original perplexus but more difficult. A small metal bead is housed in a hard plastic ball that is filled with a numbered, maze-like track. I would say ages 7 and up. Adults even like picking this up and having their hand at it! A fun toy to play independently.

Dump trucks with a big bed to carry things. John Deere has a nice big plastic one but I'm not brand specific with this toy. Ages 2-6 for us. My little boys love to push a dump truck around the house or outside if it's nice. They will fill the back bed up with little trucks or blocks and haul it around.

Ripider360 bike by razor.
It's like a big wheel bike in front and a razor scooter in the back.

shabby apple giveaway winner!

2011-11-10T07:39:00.000-06:00

what a very exciting giveaway!

when shabby apple contacted me to host a giveaway i jumped right on board....the only thing is i wish ALL my wonderful readers could win.

THANK YOU to all who participated and WELCOME to all my new readers!

Shabby Apple continues to offer discounts and i will keep those posted and updated above their link in my sidebar.

drumroll please.......................

the winner of the amazing black boogie woogie dress from shabby apple is............

Congratulations callie....enjoy your new gorgeous dress!

stay tuned, my friends, more giveaways coming soon :) how fun!

Operation Christmas Child: Fill a Shoe Box! part 2

2011-11-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

See our first post about filling a shoebox here.

For complete instructions and more insight to the purpose of filling a shoebox please visit

Samaritan's Purse

you still have time to fill up your shoeboxes!

November 14-21 is Collection Week.

Samaritan's Purse website will help you find a place locally to drop them off.

we switched to plastic containers after one of my readers commented that plastic containers can be reused by the recipient of the gift. these are sterilite containers from target and were $1.49 each.

the kids absolutely loved this project!

hank is showing you how to double bag all candy. i'm pretty sure picking out the candy was his favorite part.

5 boxes ready to go!

Each box needs a $7.00 donation (which is so minimal when you think about the impact). we chose to donate our $35.00 online and Samaritan's Purse emailed me a confirmation with barcoded labels attached.

I tape the appropriate label to each box and the barcode will be scanned and tracked so we know where our boxes go!

how cool is that??!

here is one of our "boy" boxes.
stickers, ball, washcloth, harmonica, cars, markers, combs, candy, tissues, paper, toothbrush/paste, crayons, jump rope, jacob's ladder, chinese yo-yo, socks

here is one of our "girl" boxes.
doll, candy, washcloth, hair clips, socks, toothbrush/paste, wand, harmonica, jump rope, tissues, tiara/wand, markers, crayons, paper, jacob's ladder, chinese yo-you, pony, combs, ball, stickers

fill a shoebox!

birthday boys.

2011-11-07T22:32:00.001-06:00

***shabby apple dress giveaway here***

this is birthday season for our three boys!

h a p p y b i r t h d a y

boone turns 7.

hank turns 5.

dubs turns 3.

the themes they chose were legos and john deere. very similar to last year but that's okay with me!

we had two parties. one for each side of the family. one party i focused on yummy food (since there were no little cousins)

and the second party had more games and decorations for all the little cousins.

boone received perplexus epic the morning of the party. this toy is definitely on my list of favorites.

highlights from party #1:

dancing. dancing on chairs.

rody. he holds up to 400 pounds. so there.

hank received the razor riprider 360. this bike is loads of fun!

other fun gifts were the lego kingdom castle, playmobil hand launch jet gliders, creationary, john deere tractors .......

and a special john deere silky that grandma made for dubs.

dancy and hank prepping for party #2. as the kids get older throwing parties gets waaaay easier. i have so much help!

we held this party on october 31. we don't celebrate halloween so this was a super fun way to spend the evening!

fun and games with cousins. yummy food. and those little stinkers still ended up with lots of candy!

donuts on a string ready to eat.

no hands allowed!

red velvet cupcakes. yum.

plenty of green and yellow candy.

this was a fun game. can you believe there were over 500 legos in this bowl!

carmel apples.

we threw two big bags of candy and a roll of nickels into a pile of hay and had the kids search for it.

this was so much fun!

since all the games and activities were outside i decided to have the whole party outside.

food was set up in the garage.

time for a hayride.

this was a highlight! the kids all wanted daddy to take them around again.

my handsome birthday boys.

shabby apple dress giveaway!

2011-11-03T14:04:00.001-05:00

*****contest closed. thanks so much to all who participated! *******

hands down cutest dresses ever are over at shabby apple.

if you have not been to this a.dor.able sight please take a moment to take it all in. such unique and cute dresses!

Women's Dresses from Shabby Apple

so much cuteness right?

well you have a chance to WIN this amazing black dress!

the boogie woogie dress is from the "all that jazz" line at shabby apple.

perfect for the holiday season coming up. super flattering. the wide satin bow......so cute.

beautiful vintage inspired dresses and chic skirts from shabby apple

did you know shabby apple also has maternity !?! i mean really. where was all this cuteness when i was pregnant?

shabby apple is offering all my lovely blog readers a 10% coupon code for the next 30 days!

coupon code: AUGUSTFIELDS10OFF

****giveaway details****

giveaway closes wednesday, november 9, 2011.

this giveaway will have one winner chosen by random, on november 10, 2011, to win the black boogie woogie dress shown above.

shabby apple requires the winner must have a US shipping address (so sorry to my international readers....here's a shout out to you!)

no exchanges can be made with the winning dress.

HOW TO WIN THE AMAZING BOOGIE WOOGIE DRESS:

1. simply "like" the shabby apple facebook page.
(for special promotions and exclusive discounts!)

then....

2. follow my blog (there is a follow icon over in the right margin)

then.....

3. leave ONE comment telling me you did both those easy things!

edie's kitchen, happy reformation day, and birthdays!

2011-10-31T08:29:00.001-05:00

three things that i'm excited about.

1. edie's kitchen it's finished. it's glorious. do not be surprised if you see similar layers (read colors, accents, etc.) coming into my kitchen. the girl knows how to finish a room! which happens to be my downfall. actually, in all honesty, edie has beautifully finished several rooms which in turn has totally inspired me to add some final layers to some of my rooms! confession: i went to pier one and bought the same pillows in my music room that edie put in her porch. really, edie's entire story of building their house is worth reading. so happy for you and your family edie!

2. happy reformation day!
today is a GREAT day to celebrate the freedom we have to go to church, to be open about our love for Jesus Christ and his grace that saves us, NOT our works. for our family, this is something to celebrate!
this is a book i purchased and have read to the kiddos. it is a beautiful, hardcover picture book that clearly tell the history and importance of martin luther.

we also celebrate this time of year with the pumpkin patch, fall harvest festivals, and birthdays!

which brings me to number three.

there will be a more detailed post on the birthday parties later.

3. tonight we are celebrating the three boys birthdays! boone will be 7, hank will be 5 and dubs just turned 3. we will be hosting the party outside with a lego/john deere combined theme. we're looking forward to carmel apples, donut eating contest, candy hunt, hayride, presents, yummy food and visiting with family. the boys are PUMPED! probably due in part to the fact that this party number two. again, cheers to large families!!

this is boone on the night of party #1. he received the lego kingdoms castle.

he finished it and it is awesome!

operation christmas child: fill a shoebox!

2011-10-29T14:35:00.000-05:00

How to fill a shoebox for Operation Christmas Child

do you fill shoeboxes?

if you have never filled a shoebox we would love for you to join our family this year!

i am going to do a series of posts that show how and why we fill our shoeboxes.

but hear this: they need to be ready for your local drop off NOVEMBER 14-21!

for all the information right from the organization checkout and save the following website:

SAMARITAN'S PURSE

we are filling five shoeboxes with toys, candy and toiletries to be sent to children around the world.

this has been such a great way to prepare our hearts as we head into the season of Christmas.

to fill a shoebox you need:

1. a standard size shoebox or small plastic container similar in size

2. decide if you want to fill a shoebox for a boy or a girl

3. choose an age range 2-4, 5-9 or 10-14

go out with your children and start choosing small items that fit the criteria.

some of the items we've purchased so far:

socks

combs

stickers

small ball

jump rope

individually wrapped hard candy

hair clips

toothbrush/toothpaste

crayons

markers

pad of paper

some items we have yet to purchase:

small cars and trucks

small dolls

tshirts

we're just getting started so there is plenty of time! will you join us??

"go, fill a shoebox!"

mudroom decor.

2011-10-27T08:00:00.002-05:00

it has been fun adding personality to the house over these past few months.

here are some updates we've made to the mudroom.

these vinyl numbers came from etsy and took mr. daddy about 30 minutes to apply.

its fun to count our way up the stairs. especially with the little ones.

we also decided to consolidate the kiddos artwork on canvas all into one place.

the mudroom walls.

i'm sure they like seeing their work proudly displayed as the best decor choice for that room :)
i can't wait to add more!

fall days

2011-10-25T20:08:00.000-05:00

this fall has been full of fun! i really really like all the different seasons and fall is no exception.

walks in the woods. crunchy leaves and changing colors.

trying for the world record of "biggest pile of leaves"

then settling for the thrill of burying their 2 year old brother.

harvest festivals with petting zoos.

and of course deeeelicious crispy, juicy apples dipped in warm caramel.

or for the particular ones, no caramel.

bobbing for apples.

changing out the window boxes to mums.

this time of year carries traditions, memories, yummy smells (spices and caramel!).

so much goodness. so much to be thankful for.

master designer.

2011-10-23T16:17:00.000-05:00

when we form words to speak from our mouth let them be purposeful.

when we put our hands to work let us do so with purpose.

when we place one foot in front of the other let us be purposeful in our steps.

when our minds process and create new ideas let them be fulfilled for purpose.

my friend, darlene, has boldly put out a challenge to each person who wants to stretch their purpose.
to those of us who appreciate a beautiful landscape, a well designed space, a passion for creating beauty.

let not these desires be meaningless or fruitless.

join the growing group of master designers.

thank you darlene for encouraging us to look deeper and give glory where glory is due!

in darlene's words:

“I AM A MASTER DESIGNER.

I LOVE BEAUTY;
I SEE POTENTIAL AND I WANT TO FILL IT WITH BEAUTY.
I AIM TO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL THAT IS WORTHY OF JOY.

DESIGN IS A HIGH CALLING, ONE THAT CAN IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS, BE A MEANS TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, AND ADD MUCH JOY TO MY FAMILY.

I APPRECIATE FINE AND LOVELY THINGS, BUT THEY ARE NOT MY TREASURES.
I KNOW WHAT IS TRULY IMPORTANT, AND
I DO NOT AIM TO “STORE UP MY TREASURES HERE ON EARTH.”*

I LIVE TO BRING GLORY TO GOD, THE ULTIMATE MASTER DESIGNER.
HE CREATED BEAUTY.
HE CREATED ALL BEAUTIFUL THINGS.
AND, HE CREATED MY PASSION FOR DESIGN, AND SET THAT JOY IN MY HEART.

EVERYTHING THAT I CREATE,
AND HAVE CREATED,
IS BECAUSE I MYSELF WAS CREATED BY A MASTER.

I AM A MASTER DESIGNER.”

*{VERSE REFERENCE, MATTHEW 6:19}

friday favorites

2011-10-14T11:27:00.000-05:00

this song will speak volumes. please listen. its beautiful.

adding a little gold.

2011-10-12T11:40:00.001-05:00

i am really appreciating the "mixing metals" trend in decor that is taking hold.

no need to do just silver or just gold or just black. mix it up!

i found this table at a local consignment shop this past summer... okay, look past
the gorgeous faux ivy and look at the shape of that topper! and twisted wood legs? yes please.

sans children, i folded the seats down and piled that baby into the back of my car.

along with a couple of other goodies.

hello gorgeous. this was such an easy and inexpensive solution. i spray painted the legs a gray
color that i found at lowes (so sorry i don't remember the exact color).

i first sprayed a gray primer. then two coats of the gray.

gray and gold? yup. it can work.

all you need is love. love is all you need.

2011-10-11T06:00:00.002-05:00

almost two years ago i spotted some wooden signs that had this saying on it.

all you need is love. love is all you need.

the quote is from a beatles song but i saw this through different lenses:

1 John 4:8

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.

all i need is GOD. GOD is all i need. (and i needed these signs!)

enter my dear friend, the super talented susie harris. the signs i spied so long ago showed up
on susie's blog, and i decided if susie will paint them i would buy them! i am so pleased.

susie does amazing work....i'm sure you can find a sign that will work in your home :)

right behind these love signs, on the wood behind the drywall we wrote our wedding verses:

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

i had to super-crop a photo from the construction phase. you can see the black sharpie on the studs.

i long to show God's love daily in the way i live. do i mess up? fall down? absolutely.

but i have a savior. his name is Jesus. the son of God who died for me. and THAT is love.
the fact that God's allowed His son to die for me? for you? for us?

when i start feeling froggy about something not-so-great in my life and maybe wonder "really? this situations stinks big time" i think about how God IS love.

He is pursuing little 'ol me!

i can wallow and try to take charge on my own or i can surrender and love him more.

i can grasp and feel His love. its a very good thing.

everyone has trials. some worse than others that's for sure. i have had trials. and i STILL have trials.

grasping the truth and reality of the death of Jesus on the cross and the resurrection from the grave....
i just can. not. imagine. my life with out my precious Lord and Savior. He has moved mountains
in my life.

HE has LOVED me. and that is all i need.

boys bunk room update

2011-10-10T08:50:00.000-05:00

i finally put the new bedding on all the bunks.

the striped duvets are from west elm and the pillow covers are from etsy.

i still wouldn't change a thing about these bunks. the boys love them.

they're roomy and the individual light is so practical.

i still stand my ground that these beds are no more difficult to make than my girl's twin beds.

the boys have a fitted sheet and a duvet cover. no in between sheet. its just easier this way.
if they need an extra blanket we keep a stack in the closet.

courageous. the movie.

2011-10-04T07:23:00.000-05:00

we saw this movie last weekend. it will turn a lot of emotions and definitely make you think.

i cried.

i laughed.

it challenged me to be a better mother and for my husband to be a better father.

and i think we ALL have room to improve. whether you have your own children or not.

this movie will tug at your heart to ponder the way you raise your children.

have you seen it? what did you think?

Courageous the movie trailer

its fall. and i love it.

2011-10-02T16:23:00.000-05:00

we started out with a trip to chicago for our 12 year anniversary.....i love my husband! cheers for many more years :)

fall brings fresh apples......and yummy candles. i've been burning this hazelnut by swan creek candle and it is a. maz. ing.

fall decorations are out. and i found white pumpkins and hobby lobby. so cute.

the fall mantle. so easy and simple. here is last year's mantle. you'll see where i used these vases last year as well.

fall means extra hot salted carmel mochas and sunday paper after church.

fall means going to the pumpkin patch....

happy fall!

first day of homeschool 2011!

2011-09-12T17:28:00.003-05:00

deanie is 10 1/2

dancy is 8 1/2

boone is almost 7

hank is almost 5

homeschoolers are so ummm....different. *smile*

the night before i set the school table

each of the four big kids (the ones actually doing school) got a package of fun pull apart erasers and smarties.

of course dubs got a pack of smarties too :) the kids had so much fun going into the schoolroom in the morning and finding the surprises.

english was the first subject we tackled for the day.

this is my area in the schoolroom. i found this desk over the summer and painted it gray. i love having my own spot. and yes indeed, we had to pull out the teacher's manual for math on the first day! :)

a couple other new things this year are the big white board and the stick on world map, both from the office supply store.

boone was so excited when he completed his first real english lesson!

one of the many joys of homeschooling right here people! opa came over to bring lunch and stopped in the schoolroom to check out all the work that had been done. :)

hop on over

2011-09-03T10:54:00.000-05:00

to a la mode....

shelli is hosting a little home tour of august fields today.

her blog is awesome so i'm sure
you'll love perusing around a bit...and say "hi!"

have a great weekend!

summertime roundup

2011-08-30T22:16:00.000-05:00

the three big kids recently played piano at a local coffee house.

their teacher wants them to experience playing outside the home besides the recitals.

they loved it.

i did a lot of canning this summer! my first time ever.

now i'm done.

well....this zucchini relish is awesome so i will actually be making up
another batch with my frozen zucchini.

did i mention we had zucchini coming out of our ears? my goodness....i had
no idea that one raised bed would yield so much!

dubs got his first haircut by a professional.

i really want this buffet for our downstairs bathroom.

it's at the local consignment shop. well it was anyways....i took this picture with my phone
awhile ago...shoot. i better go check out the situation. isn't it amazing?

i found this (old) picture on my phone too....it reminded me that we have added
quite a few fun touches to the house. 1, 2, 3.......

guns and butter. butter and guns.

2011-08-22T22:16:00.000-05:00

i heard that term "guns and butter" so many times in my college econ classes.....seriously.

couldn't the same curve be shown using "lipgloss and chocolate"?? ....i digress........

the other night i asked my husband if he would run to the store for some butter and milk.

he took boone with him.

this is what they came home with.

an airsoft gun (it shoots plastic bb's). and of course butter.

i mean gander mountain IS right across from the grocery store.
this little guy was pumped.

the other kiddos were all smooshed to the windows.
wishing they could be outside during the training session.

of course it was hank who paved the way.
snuck right out with this cheeky grin.

daddy gave this $12.00 bad boy its trial run.

oh yeah.
time for boone to shoot.

he has a pretty dang good shot.

i kid you not.
THIS was his expression after he shot.
he is so excited to have a gun. (only to be used with daddy)
boone also saved enough for a bow and arrow set from vision forum.
its on its way in the mail.
let the boys be boys! they love it!

and here is his fan club.
each one sneaking down but having to stay on the towel.
i do NOT need anyone shooting an eye out.
let the fun begin :)
makes me wonder what they'll come home with next time we're running low on butter?

how i use pinterest.

2011-08-10T14:08:00.000-05:00

the pinterest craze is here to stay in my book. from a marketing brain i think its genius. from a consumer brain i think its genius. and from one diy decorator to another.....genius!

you can follow my pins here.

this is an example of how i use pinterest. one day i wanted to change up my mantle. so i went to pinterest and put "simple mantle" in the search box.

here is my mantle before the mini makeover

here is my mantle AFTER the mini makeover

and here (below) is the inspiration picture i used from pinterest.

elements i replicated: two jars on the left. two candles on the right. small vase of flowers. and instead of the airy coral piece (which i didn't have laying around the house) i layered a small mirror

i also found this super cute idea of tees in a jar awhile back and pinned it. here is that idea come to fruition.

family time at the beach.

2011-08-09T20:07:00.000-05:00

on sunday afternoon two weeks ago my husband asked me if i wanted to go to the beach with the kids.....um yes! a total impromptu trip.

one bag. 5 suits. 3 towels. 2 chairs.

the kids changed into their suits in the car when we got there and had a blast in the waves.

daddy and i sat in our chairs and watched the fun. relaxing and happy. it made me feel like a good mom.

summer nights.

2011-08-05T06:22:00.000-05:00

summer nights we often drift outside after dinner for a little ice cream or popsicle.

can you just hear him saying "more.....moooorrrre".

ice cream time carries over into a little golf time.

dubs already knows have to call out the shot.

and this is his reaction to a "miss".......falling on the ground, not getting any sympathy, then getting back up to try again. :)

oh wait! "look a ladybug!"

okay....and THIS is what happens when the lawn mower runs over the golf balls left in the yard. i have a feeling this will happen for the rest of our lives.

then to top off the evening grandma and grandpa came over.......and the kiddos migrated downstairs to help us snap beans.

i really do love the long days and the quiet nights of summer.

the garden is rolling deep

2011-07-21T08:18:00.001-05:00

like crazy amounts of zucchini and beans deep! the basil has been going full force for awhile now. the garden has been such a blessing. not only is it yielding amazing amounts of vegetables but it is giving our family a whole other activity. we are in the garden every day! pulling weed, watering, mowing, and picking!

zucchini

beans

cucumbers

corn. the far box was planted two weeks after the box closest to you in the picture. this was so that all the corn didn't come at once. also our poor corn was leveled in a really bad storm last week. look how well it has recovered!

so this was my kitchen yesterday! i had planned on making zucchini relish but my mother in law came over and found the garden overflowing with veggies! so she stayed and picked beans, snapped them, blanced them and put them in the freezer.

yum.

i did make zucchini relish (it had to set overnight before canning)

we also shredded most of this zucchini and froze it. whew!

i'll tackle the cucumbers today.

this basil was transformed into deeeeelicious pesto!

i did sneak a few cucumbers to make this easy salad for dinner. shredded cucumbers, sugar, white vinegar and some water. ohmyword.

i am using these two books right now to help me with canning and for my relish and pesto recipes.

Q&A: answers

2011-07-20T08:16:00.001-05:00

make sure to watch the videos at the end that answers more questions!

#1 "I would love to know what curriculum you use and what your typical homeschool day looks like!!!! PLEASE :)"
answer:
make sure to click on the homeschooling label to look back on several posts re: our homeschool.

i have a 10, 8, 6 year old doing school work. hank is 4 and i'm teaching him to read using 'teach your child to read in 100 easy lessons'. dubs is 2 and loves to be read to, puzzles and just playing!

math - horizons. we tried teaching textbooks this year and i didn't like it. great program just a personal preference of computer vs. workbooks. horizans won. we're going back to it.

science - daily science. plus this year i'm going to start stockpiling the 'in the box' experiments i just spied at hobby lobby! over by the airplane model aisle.

history - mystery of history (JUST bought this and switched from story of the world.)

english - rod and staff. i purchase the hardcover book for each child and have them write the answers on lined notebook paper which goes into their binder.

spelling- spelling skills workbook

reading and writing - spectrum workbook

handwriting - a reason for handwriting

as far as our schedule....i LOVE the crates we use. each of the big kids gets a new binder every year and i print out a weekly schedule for them. after breakfast they get going on their school work mostly independently while i clean up and keep the little guys out of the school room. i'm always around to pop in and answer questions.
dubs takes a nap after lunch at 1. i'll do hank's reading lesson with him right after i lay dubs down. then i do the bigger stuff (history, read aloud, etc.) after that with the big kids.

#2 'What a cutie!! I would love to see some more pictures of the garden & I am still hoping for a video tour of your amazing house!'
answer:

garden post is written WITH pictures and will publish itself next!

i've received lots of requests for video tours and i'm still contemplating how to do this. i'm thinking i will break the house into small sections.

#3 'i would love to see the floor plan'
answer:

i have received this question a lot! unfortunately, we're not going to share our floor plan. i've been involved online for long enough to have heard one too many crazy stories and for safety reasons i don't really want to share the floor plan. BUT....i hear ya! :) i am always happy to answer specific questions and give suggestions if needed about specific floor plan flow questions.

#4 'curious if your girls bunk room has the same beds as the boys or did you do something different?'
answer:

the girl's bunk room does not have built in bunk beds. it currently has three twin beds. i have not done an update post on their room in a long time! you can see the basic layout and the posts that i do have by clicking on the 'girl bunk room' label.

#5 How do you handle meal plans and grocery shopping!?! Do you take all the kids when you go shopping for you?
answer:

i don't really meal plan. i keep basic meat/fish selection in the freezer (chicken breast, ground hamburger, steak and tilapia). i do like the magazine 'healthy cooking' so if i find some recipes i want to make i'll add the ingredients to my list. after several years i have figured out the staples that i need to keep on hand to make a meal that the family will enjoy. things like: boxed pasta, flavored bread crumbs, canned peaches, crushed tomatoes etc.

i don't like to have a ton of everything stock piled (2 of something is plenty) and i also don't like the "big sized" things...like a huge ketchup bottle or a huge mayo. that's just my preference.

the kiddos have all come with me to the store and they do well. lately though either mr. daddy or i go grocery shopping in the evening because we need the cart space! :) someone usually comes along :) during the day if i want to run to target or wherever i for sure will bring the kids. they're used to running around with me and i always tell them how well they behaved when we get back in the car.

#6 How do you shop for your kids? What stores do you love? Do you take them to the store so you know it fits? Or order online?
answer:

i shop all over! a couple favorites are boden, tea and gymboree. i'll also pick stuff up from target, tj maxx, marshalls and the children's place. there is a local boutique that i like to shop at too.

as far as taking the kiddos with me...if its shoe shopping for sure (or i'll trace their foot) but otherwise i'm comfortable picking stuff up without them. the girls have started asking to come along shopping with me more often which i love!

for me i like: banana republic, ann taylor, modcloth, jc penney, the buckle (for jeans), tj maxx, marshalls, boden, and local boutiques.

#7 any laundry tricks?

answer:
no. do you? hee hee :) seriously...my best advice is to just do it! man, if i let one day go by without doing at LEAST one load, the pile just grows. so just do it. all the time. :)

#8 Do you have help with cleaning and cooking, etc?

answer:
yes and no. yes, the kiddos and my husband all help with everything! my husband will often take on the kitchen. cleaning the floor doing the dishes etc. and yes, for this summer we hired one of my husband's sisters to cook some meals for us.....awesome!!!!

that will come to an end shortly. i don't have a cleaning lady (i did in our previous home though....so i'm all for it!). with my children growing older and more capable we seem to be able to stay on top of things ......MOST of the time! :)

#9Do you have a nanny?

answer:
for the summer my husband's other sister (shout out for big families!) babysits twice a week and one weekend night for us. i LOVE summertime!!

during the school year i have a babysitter come one day a week from 12-5. i have done this for several years and will never go back. it is so helpful to know that every monday or every tuesday there will be a chunk of time for appointments and errands.

i'm also blessed with a mom and mother in law that live close by and give me breaks!

#10,11, 12 & 13 what was your journey in deciding to homeschool your children?

Have you dealt with any criticism regarding homeschooling? How do you deal with it?
What are important components that you considered when putting together your homeschooling room?
What did you wish you knew your first year of homeschooling?

answer:

when our oldest was three people started asking me where we were sending her to preschool...??!!!! what? we had always said we would send our children to the local christian school. i (immaturely) thought homeschoolers stayed inside all day and wore long skirts. :) *news flash* we don't!! anyways, i was encouraged to look into homeschooling. the short story is that once i looked into it (met with other moms, went to a local support group meeting) i never looked back.

we don't get much criticism, mostly curiosity and questions from people. we love it so much that is fairly easy to deal with. i just share honestly from my heart.

as far as the school room design.....i wanted natural light, a work surface type floor, a sink and storage.

the first year of homeschooling is a treasure to me. i received so much wonderful advice to keep it simple and not dive into a ton of stuff...but i just felt like i had to work it out for myself. i purchased the complete k/1 curriculum from sonlight and all the math manipulatives. we followed a schedule. was it a little overboard? probably. but i had to start somewhere. i wouldn't change a thing. i'm just so glad we stuck with it!!

#14 Can you tell us the color of paint in your family room and the bonus room? Exterior?

answer:

check out the 'paint colors' label.

the exterior is seacoast gray by cabot stains

#15 I would love to know some of your favorite stores/resources for home decor

answer:

marshalls and tj maxx. i really like home goods but we don't have one close to us :( . i've also purchased items from: target, pier one, hobby lobby, flea markets, furniture consignment shops, ballard designs, ikea, overstock, etsy and shades of light. i try to source items in my posts too...so looking back you might find some other stores i like :)

#16 I would love to know your favorite thrift stores.

answer:

i love the 'treasure chest' section at our local goodwill for milk glass and dishes. there is also a couple of local furniture consignment shops that carry a good selection. i've found a couple of things on craigslist as well although its not my fave. i also like to go to barn sales :)

*****here is a 3 part video series answering more questions!****

part one

part two

part three

Q&A. stuff.

2011-07-10T14:48:00.001-05:00

***i'm closing the comments so i can work on the answers! you guys rock! so many questions :) :)
i should write a book!***

you ask the questions and i'll post the answers!

post your questions in the comments over the next couple of days. i'll compile them up and answer them next week.

*********************

our summer is flying by! this july heat means sprinklers, kiddie pools and water balloons pretty much all day every day.

********************

the garden is amazing and the plants are huge! everything is ready to burst. the tomatoes are almost ripe, the peppers are popping, the corn is flying high, and the zucchini plants are enormous. i can't wait to start whipping up some fresh salsa.

********************
this little video shows a typical happening at about 10:00pm, one of the children will come downstairs out of bed. they have an important question, need a drink, or just need to bust out into dance. (hank had daddy's birthday card up in bed with him. it was a musical card that played 'celebration' when you open it) apparently this little dance routine was important enough to justify getting out of bed. seriously. it doesn't get much better than this people.

a vintage 40's wedding

2011-06-29T12:09:00.000-05:00

we're back from st. louis where we celebrated my brother in law's wedding. remember the bride and groom are heading for san antonio, texas?

the wedding was a lot of fun. several guests donned 40's attire and music was intertwined through the ceremony and reception. the groom sang, friends and family sang and performed. good times.

julie is a gorgeous smarty pants doctor and luke is a good looking smarty pants lawyer gone full time musican! our best to you both!

my husband and his 6 siblings.

now we're home and back into the full swing of summertime!

summer vacation - michigan style - part 2

2011-06-29T06:07:00.001-05:00

click here to see part one of the vacation.

someone asked me why we chose northern michigan for a vacation. well it was close enough to drive to in one day, the lakes are clear and beautiful, its not the "city"...it's more relaxed and calm, the scenery is beautiful, its affordable, and there are so many quaint little towns to meander to.

we took two days of our vacation to drive around northern michigan.

our first stop was at black star farms. we drove through a gorgeous driveway surrounded by vineyards to end up at this beautiful inn and winery.

we were there on a thursday morning, so it was not very busy at all.

we stopped in to the retail shop/wine tasting room/cheese making viewing area.

dancy found the sparkling grape juice to be delicious.

dubs liked watching the cheese makers.

oh so many wines. now, i am not really a wine drinker myself. if given a glass, i will tend to sip on that one glass all evening. i do find the process fascinating though.

we came across one white wine that even i found to be delicious! it is the late harvest riesling. again, not a big drinker, but we did purchase a couple of bottles for gifts and a couple for ourselves.

there was an extensive farm area for us to walk around. we visited the goats, pigs, horses, ducks, and roaming chickens.

then is was back in the car and down the road a bit to sutton's bay.

isn't this phone booth too cute? there was a working pay phone in it.

there were several art galleries and quaint little shops.

i really enjoyed the unique book stores in each town.....this one did not disappoint.

for lunch we ate at martha's cafe. a MUST stop for a fresh, delicious lunch.

this is martha! she was so sweet to all of our kids :) we visited with her a little while and she shared the story and her love for martha's cafe.

this was my chicken salad with asparagus and ham sandwich.

of course i peeked my head into all the little home decor stores. this one was my favorite! at home.
those blue candlesticks are now in my front foyer :)

here they are in clear. the ladies will gladly ship them to you! :) :) give them a call. 231-271-4664. i wish i got their names, they were so helpful and kind.

what a cute storefront!

of course a stop at the candy store is a must. we keep it simple. one item, nothing that spins or takes batteries. the suckers and rock candy held us over until we reached our next destination.

leland, michigan. otherwise known as "fishtown".

i really liked leland. several of the stores are built up on the wharf with gravel walkways.

there are also several stores up on the streets. another cute bookstore!

we found a pottery store in leland that i really liked! the artist, ben maier, was not there but much of his work was just my style.

several light colored pieces with simple lines.

this technique really caught my eye. we came home with some soup size bowls that looked like this vase. white with grey edged sections. i would love to add more ben maier pieces to my collection!

we took the kids out to the marina and looked at all the ships. there are fishermen everywhere!

we loved spending time together, exploring michigan. this vacation spot will definitely be repeated!

summer vacation - michigan style - part 1

2011-06-23T22:41:00.000-05:00

we just returned home from a northern michigan vacation. if you have never traveled these parts, please put it on your list of places to vacation!

full of fresh water lakes, adorable towns full of boutiques and local eateries, wineries, and gorgeous gorgeous scenery. gorgeous.

we rented a house for the week on one of the several beautiful inland lakes. take your pick from glen lake, silver lake, torch lake and on and on......

oh, and if you're into fishing....well kevin vandam IS from michigan :) boone caught this fish.

seriously, moments like this melt my heart.

there was lots of kayaking, paddle boating, tubing, boat rides and turtle catching. the water is so clear and i love not worrying about the salt getting in eyes and mouths.....

we painted the back of one turtle with nail polish :) maybe someone else will find him one day....

on to the eateries! in traverse city we ate at poppycocks. it was fabulous! fresh, eclectic and right up my alley! the grilled eggplant bisque was de.lic.ous.

another great stop is the blue tractor. yummy grille type food in a cool atmosphere.

downtown traverse city is full of wonderful boutiques, bookstores, restaurants, art studios and home stores.

as you drive along you'll notice several barns! this was taken while we were driving out my car window. someone could definitely make a picture book photographing all the cool barns in northern michigan.

oh! and the antique shops! there are so many, and they are great! this one, lilacs antiques, is in elk rapids. i am collecting plates for a plate wall so plates were what i was on the hunt for this trip.

while in elk rapids we ate at pearl's for dinner. spicy, new orleans menu that was wonderful! they have a very friendly kid's menu as well.

this is the crawfish & corn chowder. delish!

to be continued..............

how to build a 4 x 12 raised garden bed. plus garden pictures.

2011-06-11T14:14:00.002-05:00

here is a tutorial for the 4'x12' raised garden beds that are in our garden. we used pressure treated pine.

for each raised bed we used:

2ea. 12in. x 12ft. boards

2ea. 12in. x 4ft. boards

4ea. 4in. x 4in. x12in. posts

screws

drill

muscles :)

these were super easy. basically, line your 4x4 posts up with one board and drill.

enlist some helpers to speed things along.....

line up another side and drill into your 4x4 post. i told you it was simple!

this is one finished raised bed. we lined each one with landscape grade bed liner from lowes.

then brought in the dirt. we used a mix of soil and mixed soil. i threw some fertilizer in there too and raked it in. it started pouring rain while my husband and i were filling/raking the last 4 beds. i was a wet and muddy mess!

here is a close up of the gates before we added the mesh fencing and trim pieces.

here you can see the mesh fencing that we (my dad and husband) stapled up. my dad added trim pieces as an added layer on top of the mesh for a more finished look.

this picture gives a good overall view of the garden and the layout of the raised beds. i've already started adding pots of flowers and the "crops" are growing! i'm usually out there with the kiddos in the late afternoon....watering, weeding, and just adding little touches.

little dubs found the water again :) isn't he a love?

window box update

2011-06-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

i snapped this picture on june 3, 2011.

this was may 13, 2011. only three weeks earlier!

i knew the flowers had filled in but when i see the pictures side by side....wow! i can't wait for july and august :)

vintage texas bridal shower

2011-06-04T19:40:00.001-05:00

a very warm and balmy saturday afternoon made a perfect backdrop for a vintage texan bridal shower. this couple is bound for san antonio, texas in a few short weeks. luke is one of my husband's brothers. he is an amazing musician, so watch out texas!

my morning started off with a starbucks mocha and mango salsa preparation.

i was in charge of the cake. i went chocolate...full force. four layers with dark hershey chocolate frosting between each (i used the recipe from the cocoa container for frosting).

i was not messing around. serious chocolate cake business going down this morning.

um. yum. i was inspired by a cake that i pinned on pinterest. do you pin? you should! and find delicious cakes like this.....

salsas, fruit salad, guacamole, deviled eggs, tortilla wheels, chips, bean salad..........

me and my future sister in law.......

we wish you both all the best in texas!

just a bunch of cowgirls and their boots..........

me and my cowgirls :)

the raised bed garden. close to completion.

2011-06-01T20:03:00.000-05:00

we're so close to being done!

this garden has truly been a family project. from cutting the wood, to filling the beds with dirt, to planting the seeds.

tomorrow we will be installing the fencing that will prevent the little critters from getting in.

when we first looked into a design that would emulate my inspiration picture, we realized it would take forever to build! the 8 foot fence height was mandatory. i loved the dramatic feel of it AND it is high enough to deter the deer.

my dad came up with this design that was a bit more simple yet still very aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

you can see the beginning of the process here.

this little guy would find water in a desert! he always finds the puddles....

and as you can see here deanie was having quite the time in front of the camera while my dad and husband were hard at work!

these kids are hard workers!

my favorite part of this whole project is that my children are making memories with their opa. i know they will always remember opa building the garden.

it's all coming together!

i'm so happy with the way the gates turned out. we put two swinging gates in the front end of the garden and two in the back. for safety reasons.

we have twelve 4x12' raised beds. i will do a more detailed post on that very easy process.

and that's it for now. tomorrow it will be done. well the "structure" of it will be done. i will forever be working on the interior grass, adding flowers and making it look lovely.

building the garden - that will hopefully keep deer out.

2011-05-25T07:50:00.000-05:00

the garden has been started!! we had this truckload of wood and a pallet of cement delivered for the fence.

my husband stayed home and helped! this was so great for so many reasons....1. it went way faster
2. he loves doing this kind of stuff and its a great stress reliever for him 3. our entire family participated and made this memory together!

i was so happy that evening, when the day was done, thinking about how our children will always remember building the garden with opa and mom and dad and their siblings.....

here is the first hole being drilled. the men had to drill 26 holes for the posts.

setting the four corner posts was the most crucial. it was great to see my dad and husband work so well together. actually, there was one corner that they debated if it was square or not....but that was just funny! :) sorry.

okay...this was my job. i had to paint sticky, black tar on the bottoms of all the posts! i also nailed eight nails into the bottom of the posts before i painted them. i'm not sure what the nails were for but i just did what my dad said :) he's built more fences than me.

i am currently, as a result of this project, sporting a lovely farmer's tan that i must take care of before a family wedding...yikes!

twenty-six posts means twenty-six bags of 80 lbs. cement. again, so glad my husband was around! i carried two of these bags and retired from that job.

another funny. at the very end of the project we realized the pallet of cement was short 1 bag. by that point i was covered with black tar and looking very dirty and wearing a huge straw hat. i was voted to go to the local hardware store, grace them with my presence, and purchase the needed bag of cement. lovely.

each post was set to precision. dancy helped with the hose and was the "water girl" while boone was the "level man". here mr. daddy is pushing the water around in the cement.

dancy helped push the cement on several of the posts.

deanie helped pound nails in the bottom of each garden post.

these two little boys just took it all in. they caught a toad, walked through a mud puddle to soak their socks, and road bikes around in the woods. no, dubs can not ride a bike yet, but he wants to so bad!

this post hole digger attachment was the life saver of the day.

almost done with a days work. storms are rolling through today so we're hoping to get back at it on thursday.

we also finalized the size of the raised beds to go inside the garden. there will be twelve 4x12 beds laid out in two rows.

to see the inspiration and early prep for the garden click HERE.

friday favorites: another video

2011-05-19T21:32:00.000-05:00

i have another video of favorites for you! i decided NOT to go with the sweaty headband look.....you're welcome :)

1. MiO liquid water enhancer - i found mine at the grocery store but i saw it at target today.

2. Large Family Logistics by kim brenneman. since making this video i've found that kim also has a blog. you can visit her HERE

3. Bible studies for each book of the Bible by Warren Wiersbe. i am using the one on the book of daniel right now.

to view more of my favorite things click HERE

*****************

i am heading to a homeschool convention this weekend with some girlfriends and i am SO excited! this is where i purchase most of my curriculum for the next year. a follow up post with what choices i made will come soon.

have a great weekend!

garden inspired by lisa bynon

2011-05-15T20:59:00.001-05:00

this month's issue of house beautiful showcased this gorgeous outdoor garden owned and designed by landscape extraordinaire, lisa bynon.

eight foot tall wooden fence with wire, enclosing raised bed gardens. isn't this garden amazing??

me and my big ideas. my husband cleared the area and that pile has been burned. my dad came over and scouted out the land.

my dad designed an awesome fence and gates inspired by the lisa bynon gardens......i'm so excited!! we're hoping to start the week of the 23rd. i'll keep you posted. :)

creating a charleston-like window box

2011-05-13T13:08:00.000-05:00

i like my window boxes full of flowers, overflowing, abundant....well, you get the picture.

have you ever been to charleston, south carolina? i haven't. yet.

but when i see pictures of charleston it never fails to include homes with window boxes that are spilling over with glorious color and full to the brim of floral goodness.

for my color scheme i stick with red, white and green. it is very traditional (which fits the style of our home) and it makes my time in the flower greenhouses go much faster. i go right to the red, whites and greens.....

this is how i filled our two window boxes this year. i can't wait to see them fill out and mound over!

back row left to right: 1. Calliope Dark Red Geranium 2. Cornerstone Phormium Spike Plant 3. Calliope Dark Red Geranium

front row left to right: 1. Lemon Licorice 2. Snowstorm Giant Snowflake 3. Fame White Petunia 4. Snow Princess 5. Fame White Petunia 6. Snowstorm Giant Snowflake 7. Lysimachia 'Aurea'

these window boxes are the nantucket window planters from Grandinroad.

for my soil i used a mix. the bag on the left is a lighter weight, fertilized mixture from the garden shop. the bag on the right is regular potting soil.

i layered the two soils until the planter was almost full

i also sprinkled osmocote slow release fertilizer throughout the soil.

i always start from the middle and work my way out.

when all the plants are in i give it a good water and wait! :)

mother's day and a half marathon

2011-05-11T09:52:00.000-05:00

we did it. we ran our first half marathon...on mother's day no less!

my husband did awesome....he really wanted to finish under two hours. he ran it in 1:55. i ran it in 2:15.

i already want to do another one for a better time.

my mom's side of the family wore lime green shirts and cheered us on. my husband's side of the family cheered and my father in law took the kids from 5am to the finish line.

here is my husband throwing his over shirt to deanie. there were thousands of runners and music and bands every couple of miles!

that evening after everyone took a nap, we go together for dinner to celebrate mother's day. this is my beautiful mom.....i love her!

and this is my beautiful mother in law (who also ran the half!) and i love her too :)

half marathon update - keeping it real.

2011-05-03T17:17:00.000-05:00

****since making this video God had answered a prayer! you'll hear me express my anxiety regarding a specific part of the 1/2 marathon course. this afternoon a friend from church, who lives ON the hill, told me they are staying home from church to cheer on the thousands of runners. including me! she even offered to run up the hill with me. all i can say is 'thank you God'....truly. i MUST trust that He will give me the strength. *****

well, i'm attempting another video. and keeping it very real. i figure it will either one, make others feel more comfortable in their own skin or two, totally backfire making people cringe with the lack of makeup and slightly heavy breathing. take your pick.

************
on a side note: the weather is finally turning the corner around here. the drawer fronts of the dresser in the music room have been painted for almost one month now! i'm hoping to finish up the base and have a music room tour soon. :)

easy chicken salad

2011-04-26T19:06:00.000-05:00

here is a quick and easy chicken salad that i like to make. its yummy on sandwich bread, on top of a bed of lettuce, or as a stand alone main dish.

i use a 4.99 roasted chicken from the grocery store (they're typically under a heating lamp).

ingredients:

1 roasted chicken

grapes (red or green)

cashews

mayo

shredded cheese (cheddar or mozzarella)

celery

separate chicken meat from the bones. discard bones and majority of the skin into a separate bowl.

meat on the left, bones and skin on the right.

if you want, you can dump you bones and skin in a big pot with water and boil it for awhile. strain for some yummy chicken broth. i like to make rice with chicken broth instead of water.

back to the chicken salad. chop up some celery...i used 3 stalks.

add mayo to your liking.

cut up some grapes. typically, i like red but i only had green on hand.

sprinkle in some cashews. again, to your liking.

add some cheese.

a little bit of lime juice.....

a bit of pepper.....

i like to serve this cold. one chicken makes about a 8 inch dish. enjoy!

happy easter!

2011-04-24T13:31:00.000-05:00

this video is amazing. the ending has me nodding my head and my heart jumping! thank you Jesus for the sacrifice of life and the amazing gift of grace through your death and resurrection.

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." John 11:25-26

friday favorites: a video!

2011-04-22T13:47:00.000-05:00

okay friends. i decided to make a video version of my friday favorites! kind of nerve wrecking.....but whatever.

so in the midst of trying to pull this together i totally forgot to talk about the clean and clear 3 in 1 cleanser. next time.

also, i'm not sure how to "flip" the image after making a video. so, unfortunately, all the wording on the products themselves is backwards...

do you like the video? should i do more? i'd love your feedback.

1. secret wonderland shower creme from bath and body works

2. shea cashmere hand creme from bath and body works

3. ion flat iron spray from sally's beauty supply

4. nyx lip gloss from ulta

5. clean & clear 3 in 1 exfoliating cleanser (i forgot to show this in my video but i use it at night)

hank's first tennis lesson

2011-04-21T21:06:00.000-05:00

today was hank's first tennis lesson. his first actual 'anything' really.... he has never had a lesson or class of any sort so he was super excited! he is four.

7am he was dressed and ready to go. his class was at 10:30am. :)

he listened to every word the coach said. do you like his wristband? love this little guy!

seriously. not bad. pretty sweet forehand son.

me in the car on the way to tennis: "hank what do you think you will do at tennis class today?"
hank: "push ups"

in class he asked the coach when they would do push ups. coach said: "pshh..right now buddy." they all dropped and did five :)

me in the car on the way home from tennis: "hank, what was your favorite part of tennis class?"
hank: "push ups"

weekend furniture painting and questions

2011-04-08T15:28:00.000-05:00

tomorrow the forecast is sunny and 70!! what?? this little lovely will be going outside for a little painting pick me up. and that pick me up will be as much for me as it is for this dresser. go away rain!

this dresser is in our music room and will be painted a very pretty yellow. benjamin moore's vellum.

here is a swatch of it. i'm really looking forward to this transformation!

now, i have two questions.

1. this tea table is on the other side of the room. i'm pretty sure i'm going to keep it in it's natural state but rub it well with mineral oil. would you paint it or leave it?

2. i have been looking for a rug in this room for a long time....please help me! the couch is a true charcoal gray. the walls are benjamin moore gray cashmere. the motif on the drapes is more teal than turquoise. the rug needs to be an 8x10. i can't wait to see what you all suggest!

potty training

2011-04-03T21:56:00.000-05:00

it's that time again.......

some say boys are faster to train than girls. or vice versa. i'm in a tie.....so this little guy could go either way. it could take forever........or he could figure it out in a week.

i'm thinking it might take more than a week. :)

training for a half marathon. after 5 kids.

2011-04-02T12:51:00.001-05:00

its true. on may 8, 2011 i will be running in my first 1/2 marathon.

i am up to eleven miles.

i am in physical therapy for my knee.

i soaked in the tub, drank a recovery drink and iced my knee for 45 minutes after my run this morning.

when i started training in january (in the snow) i begged to stop after 2 miles.

did you know there are supplements with caffeine runners use? i think i took too many this morning as i was sprinting my last mile. ha! whatever it takes.

i have lost zero weight. say WHAT? its true.

i'll keep you updated!

***********************

also, alaina over at recycled interiors posted a really nice interview with me! head on over and say hi.

friday favorites

2011-04-01T07:59:00.000-05:00

1. tressemme extra hold hairspray.

i have been using this exact hairspray for about 5 years now. i buy mine at target or meijer.

2. tressemme fresh start dry shampoo.

i am still on my first can of this product but it is awesome! basically, on a day my hair feels oily at the roots i just spray this along the root line and it brings my hair back to its starting point. its such a strange product. i'm pretty sure the can will last a while because i only use it once a week. definitely worth a few dollars to have this stuff on hand!

3. tressemme no frizz shine spray.

i spritz this on a bit while i'm styling my hair and after. its light weight and i really like that its a smoothing product in spray form.

well, this ended up being a tressemme commercial. believe me, they don't even know i exist. i just really like these products! and they are reasonably priced. i tend to spend more on shampoo and conditioner so i like to keep the cost of my hairspray and finishers down.

you can check out my other friday favorites here

happy 10th birthday. a tennis party.

2011-03-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

we celebrated deanie's 10th birthday. i really love her so much, and when i think back to the day she was born, i think about how i have loved every year of her growing up.

since she is turning 10 and she loves to play tennis, we both thought up the idea of a 'ten'nis birthday! :)

dinner was yummy and fairly simple. homemade cold chicken salad, potato pie, fresh fruit, and layered salad. i also ended up putting a big bowl of tortilla chips in the middle.

the cake was so fun to make! its always a highlight for the kids to see how there cake turns out. i use betty crocker super moist white cake mix for this one.

the little bar like treats were a huge surprise for deanie. they are almond pasteries from a dutch bakery about 45 minutes away that daddy picked up in the morning. she has had them at my sister's house before and never stopped talking about them. she was so excited that we remembered!

i still think solid colored balloons are the easiest way to decorate!

the day before the party dancy and boone cut out paper tennis balls and rackets and hung them from the chandelier. they love being involved in the planning and i thought they did a stellar job!

boone wrote out some simple rules that every party-goer should acknowledge. i didn't even know signs were being created until they were hung up.
1. no shaking presents
2. don't go outside barefooted
3. obey! (i cut that off the picture)

dancy made an agenda. she did ask from the schoolroom while i was in the kitchen,

"how do you spell adenga?"
"you mean agenda?"

i love it. i love the british spin on the word 'outside' as well. or whatever oteside sounds like to you when you say it.

ready for the family!

we did a penny hunt....fun! we hid a lot of plastic eggs around the yard. they each had a penny in them.

we had a pinata! this is a big deal as i think i have said "no" to this for the last 10 birthday parties. we filled it duggar style. little plastic bags prefilled with each person's name on it. so when they all fall out everyone just finds their own bag.

the pinata eventually fell off the tree. they didn't care......the beating continued on the ground.

present time. deanie received so many fun gifts!

walkie talkies with an 8-mile range! the kid's have been determined to try to communicate with each other with walkie talkies while one person is running errands with mom and the other person is home with dad. :) they also use them in the yard.

such a great gift!

an archaeologist kit to dig for treasures and bones on the property. lovely. really though she has an interest in archaeology and this has been a fun gift!

more books from the 'dear america' series! yay!

her first tennis dress.

and an official junior sized racket.

during this moment when she was blowing out her candles i just watched her and ingrained that memory into my brain. she didn't do one huge gusty blow this year. she them out in three soft breaths. on purpose. so calm.

growing up. able to explain her feelings. determined to finish what she starts. loves planning surprises for other people. i love you more than the stars in the sky sweet girl. i love that you love Jesus, you love others and are such a big helper. you are so smart and i pray that you will always give God the glory for the gifts He has given you.

the pantry has been cleared.

2011-03-29T21:24:00.000-05:00

this pantry cleanup cleared out a lot of stuff! i found myself using the pantry as a catch-all. in doing so, the food storage area was becoming messy and disorganized.

phone station before:

phone station after:

- threw away several outdated papers

- hid the cords to the sound system

- moved all the appliance manuals to a basket

- donated 1 vase

three drawers after:

- top drawer is aprons. donated one.

- middle drawer is the snack basket. emptied all the crumbs.

- bottom drawer is reusable grocery bags. got rid of 6. i now have 8 plus 2 thermal bags.

pantry before: woa nelly!

it was getting out of hand. just setting stuff wherever when i was in a hurry.

when in doubt, shove it on the floor.

okay. get the picture? very 'stackish, hodgepodge, whatever mess'.

so here is what your kitchen may look like if you too decide to clean out your pantry. notice, i cleaned mine out at night. daddy played with the children before bedtime and put them to bed so i could finish once i started without too many interupptions. i did NOT want this mess in the morning!

oh yes. soak it all in.

after:

- wiped down the shelves

- vacuumed the crumbs

- discarded old food.

- realized we had 3 syrups.

as much as i would love a cutesy pantry with labeled baskets, it just isn't practical for how often we're in and out of here during the day.

food and dishes must be easily accessible.

i do keep popcorn supplies in a basket only because we eat microwave popcorn like twice a year :)

coming up for air....

2011-03-23T21:58:00.000-05:00

i've been cleaning out my pantry, mudroom, cabinets and laundry room......it's got to get messy before it gets clean people.

i'll be back tomorrow with some more encouraging 'after' pictures.

okay....going back under.

40 bags in 40 days: in action

2011-03-11T08:51:00.000-06:00

my friend amy came over the other day with her adorable kiddos. we talked about lent and made these gameboards to track the days until Easter. i found the idea here.

we added Jesus (attached with poster putty) that will move along each day.

amy went home and started her 40 bags in 40 days journey. she blogged about it here.
go visit amy and you will see that they didn't end up pulling their hair out....they were successful!

her pantry is simplified, clean. i'm sure that her mind doesn't have to think about that anymore....leaving more room for GOD! and THAT is awesome.

are you blogging your 40 bags in 40 days project? please let me know!

40 bags in 40 days. preparing for easter.

2011-03-09T06:45:00.000-06:00

today is ash wednesday. the beginning of the season of lent. 40 days until Easter (not counting sundays).

this can be a time to clear the house and make more room for God.

when i was younger i would hear of lent in church and maybe jump on the bandwagon of fasting t.v, or pizza, or chocolate. i never remember the fast lasting very long, and i don't remember it meaning very much to me.

as i have grown deeper in my faith, lent has become a time of fasting for the purpose of giving more to God and knowing His grace. participating in a fast of any kind does NOT make me more worthy to God or a better Christian. my choosing to celebrate these days holds the purpose of glorifying God, giving more to others, making LESS of me.

i first heard about the 40 bags in 40 days from sarah. it intrigued me and we did this last year. it is a commitment and pairing this with devotions, prayers, discussions and activities relating to lent can really make the season more meaningful.

this process allows me to feel the buildup to Easter physically. Easter the day to celebrate the fact that Jesus arose from a 3 day death!

would you like to join me in the 40 bags in 40 days?

1. make a list 1 through 40. write down areas you want to go through and simplify or purge.

2. each day go through the designated area and decide what you will throw away or donate.

3. glorify God for who HE is. what He has accomplished. Love Him more and show His love to others. its not about me. its about Him!

August Fields

a glittery 9th birthday.

christmas 2011.

merry christmas to you!

cozy nights of christmastime

winner.

cabbages and roses pillow cover giveaway

christmas 2011

downtown disney.

thanksgiving 2011.

thanksgiving eve

giving thanks - always and corrie ten boom's strength.

Friday favorites: toys

shabby apple giveaway winner!

Operation Christmas Child: Fill a Shoe Box! part 2

birthday boys.

shabby apple dress giveaway!

edie's kitchen, happy reformation day, and birthdays!

operation christmas child: fill a shoebox!

mudroom decor.

fall days

master designer.

“I AM A MASTER DESIGNER.I LOVE BEAUTY;I SEE POTENTIAL AND I WANT TO FILL IT WITH BEAUTY.I AIM TO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL THAT IS WORTHY OF JOY.DESIGN IS A HIGH CALLING, ONE THAT CAN IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS, BE A MEANS TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, AND ADD MUCH JOY TO MY FAMILY.

*{VERSE REFERENCE, MATTHEW 6:19}

friday favorites

adding a little gold.

all you need is love. love is all you need.

boys bunk room update

courageous. the movie.

its fall. and i love it.

first day of homeschool 2011!

hop on over

summertime roundup

guns and butter. butter and guns.

how i use pinterest.

family time at the beach.

summer nights.

the garden is rolling deep

Q&A: answers

Q&A. stuff.

a vintage 40's wedding

summer vacation - michigan style - part 2

summer vacation - michigan style - part 1

how to build a 4 x 12 raised garden bed. plus garden pictures.

window box update

vintage texas bridal shower

the raised bed garden. close to completion.

building the garden - that will hopefully keep deer out.

friday favorites: another video

garden inspired by lisa bynon

creating a charleston-like window box

mother's day and a half marathon

half marathon update - keeping it real.

easy chicken salad

happy easter!

friday favorites: a video!

hank's first tennis lesson

weekend furniture painting and questions

potty training

training for a half marathon. after 5 kids.

friday favorites

happy 10th birthday. a tennis party.

the pantry has been cleared.

coming up for air....

40 bags in 40 days: in action

40 bags in 40 days. preparing for easter.

“I AM A MASTER DESIGNER.

I LOVE BEAUTY;
I SEE POTENTIAL AND I WANT TO FILL IT WITH BEAUTY.
I AIM TO CREATE SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL THAT IS WORTHY OF JOY.

DESIGN IS A HIGH CALLING, ONE THAT CAN IMPROVE THE LIVES OF OTHERS, BE A MEANS TO FOSTER RELATIONSHIPS, AND ADD MUCH JOY TO MY FAMILY.