April Fool Supper

Remember last year? I fooled the fam real good with the April fool dinner of "strawberry pie" (really meatloaf pie) and "shamburgers" - the little burgers made with Nilla wafers and peppermint patties. SO FUN! Take a look at the food and Dave eating his pie- Here.

So this is the menu for this year:
*fish sticks- (wafer crackers covered in PB & cornflakes)
*peas-(green laffy taffy rolled into little balls)
*ketchup (seedless strawberry jam)

See recipe: Faux fish sticks dinner- from Family Fun

And for dessert- "cupcakes!" (meatloaf covered in mashed potatoes)
see recipe- Meatloaf & mashed potato cupcakes (also from Family Fun)

trash 2 treasure

Kari & Kijsa are having a trash to treasure party at their creative blog- what fun! Thought I would join in with a few before and afters:

Little paper caddie thing from Goodwill. Black paint + scrapbook paper + mod podge= a little more fun and color.

Wooden framed mirror and red self from Goodwill (that was a really good day at Goodwill). The red shelf just needed to be cleaned before it got the paper and mod podge treatment. The mirror got a coat or two of black paint, and then the paper patches.

Pedestal bowl from (where else??) Goodwill. Again- paint and mod podge (do you see a trend here?)

Bread box that my parents gave me (from the garbage? The dump? They are good at finding treasures). Just paper and modpodge this time.

Our mirror in the upstairs bathroom- acrylic paint made all the difference. I can't tell you how much fun it is to paint on mirror and glass- try it! If you mess up you can wash it off and try again.

Thanks Kari and Kijsa for the fun party!

Don't forget the giveaway- the 2 winners will be announced tomorrow.

....An Apology.....

Oh dear! I am such a work in progress....

I wrote a defensive post the other day and have to apologize for it. That post was written in the wrong way, and I am so sorry! I hope that you, my readers will realize that I do struggle in the area of wanting everyone to love me. I am learning to realize that everyone in the world does not love my "over the top" decor...that is OK- and I need to take that criticism. It is OK for you as a reader to comment on this blog and tell me the truth!

The reader that left "the comment" did not mean any harm- and she was just very sweetly giving her opinion- (which I asked for :)

This is further teaching from the Lord, and I am thankful to the friends I have in my life who are willing to #1 disagree with me and #2 tell me when I have not responded in the right way.

I have taken I Corinthians 13 as my chapter for this year- Love is Kind- Love does not seek it's own- Love does not boast....is not jealous- and on and on......

How much I need these verses every day!!!!!! How I need to rely on God and His wisdom and not my own!

Please forgive me if I have offended you.....remember this post?!?!?!? Hmmmm, I need to read those more than once a day :)

stuff

Rings! Soon to be in the shop.

We escaped the loony bin yesterday to have lunch at Cracker Barrel.

Sadie is as cute and sweet as ever. Here she is enduring some strangling.

We are complete poodle lovers at this point and cannot imagine life without her.

New Prints!!!! Giveaway!!!!!

I am so excited about these prints! Getting prints back from the Printer is almost like having a baby. Not quite- but exciting none the less :)

Leave me a comment and your name will be put in a hat to win whichever new print that you choose! In your comment tell me which one you will pick if you win:
#1- Brown Patches
#2- Be Still & Know
#3- Jesus (perfect for Easter!)

I will pick 2 names. 2 winners! The names will be chosen sometime on Wednesday. I wish I could send you all a freebie. I really appreciate you all, my customers and blog readers. You are such an encouragement to me!! Thank you.

I will be working on getting these prints and cards loaded onto Etsy, and will let you know when they are up for sale.

work

Who knew work could be this fun?!?!?

Soon- (I *hope* in less than a week)- I will have new prints for sale and a giveaway. The *two* winners will get to pick a free print out of the three new ones. I am so excited!!!!

freedom to be yourself!

A few days ago I got a comment from someone asking me if I ever stop decorating and that it was a little too much. I had to laugh because I do not intend to stop until the day that I die! My family and I love our house and the color. We feel happy and energized, but also relaxed and cozy. Our house is not the place we go just to sleep- it is the place that we grow in and learn&play and laugh& love and cry in. It is our place.
We each need to decorate our home for our family. Each family is different- that is what makes the world go 'round! That is how God made us! That is why we have architects and doctors and writers and mathematicians....we are all different and fill a different need.


I have an easy time being myself in my art and decor- that part comes easy. It is a bit harder to be myself in all that I say and do. But as I grow older, it is becoming a little easier to say things because I feel they need to be said instead of saying only what others want to hear or expect to hear.

All this rambling to say- please don't let someone else tell you how your house must be decorated. This also means that is someone really likes their walls bare- that I must not criticize either! We are all different, thank the Lord!



Just one last note: if you want to see a house calmly decorated in subdued colors- you better not come and visit this blog- it will only get brighter as the days go on.......:)

Happy!

I love Leslie Grainger's art. So happy and unafraid of color! Cute and whimsical! You will enjoy her blog if you visit.

Hello!

It was such a nice treat to have Kim & David & family stay with us this weekend. We are friends from college- and they are home on furlough from their mission field- Brazil (notice David's message on the chalkboard). It is so exciting to see what the Lord is doing in Sao Paulo. You can see more here at TheHuffmans.info.

As you can see - they are just the same as in college :)
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On a different note, thanks for the Lemonade award, Stephanie :) (visit her blog to see some really creative stuff that she has made: Jonquils and Ladybugs)

Thanks to Keeling for the Kreativ blogger award. You will want to visit Keeling too:Confessions of a Mommy Blogger

With this award you have to list 7 things you love.....
Seven things I love:

1. God who so amazingly created this beautiful world for us to enjoy everyday

2. My sweet husband, Dave, who washes the dishes every night (I loved you even before you did that, so don't say anything :)

3. My kids who delight in the smallest things. Whose love and smiles and words and color bring joy to my life everyday.

4. Paint!!! What would I do without paint??!? Also: paint brushes, Styrofoam plates used as palettes, Sharpies, & canvas.

5. Our church- we just love to go. We love the spirit and excitement at our church about the Lord. It is a happy place.

6. Scripture verses and inspirational quotes

7. Spring. Sunny, breezy weather. Everything smells good- the sounds, the colors, again- God's creation- amazing!

7 is too few! I would add: our new puppy- we LOVE her. Also; cake, corn chips, lemonade, steak & potatoes, watermelon, polka-dots, red & orange together, Target, Archiver's, colorful quilts, & books.

Speaking of books, has anyone else read The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers? It is a reallllly good one. I just found out it was made into a movie- looks good!

family nite & the puppy

Last night's family night: Jello Jigglers, pigs in little blankets, crunchy banana splits, & a cartoon. What could be better than that??!?

Crunchy Banana Splits:
Combine
*2 & 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
*5 tsp butter (this is what the recipe says- but who measures 5 tsp. of butter? I used 5 TBSP- why not? It sure did taste good. I am sure I will regret it when we all have heart attacks)
*4 tsp. chopped pecans

Drop vanilla ice cream by 1/2 cupfuls and roll in mixture. Put in bowl with banana halves. Top with chocolate sauce, whip cream and a pecan. makes about 5 or 6 bowls.

Sadie and her new friend the big stuffed dog.

Look at her little crossed legs :) She is so spoiled!

some questions I need to ask myself everyday

Dave's Mom found these questions. Pretty convicting stuff!!!!

Do I have pride?
Am I dead to all desire for praise?
Do I have the presence of God in my life?
Am I free from the fear of man?
Do I embrace the cross in every way it presents itself to me?
Am I willing to give up my ease and my convenience to minister to others?
Am I ready to give up a point when I am contradicted?
Am I content with whatever is or may be, feeling that God, the Author of all events, does and will do all for my good?

Puritan writer, John Fletcher

I am having some struggles that are glaringly evident when I read this list. Of course I want praise- don't we all?? My prayer for today is that I seek God's approval - and measure "success" in His eyes. It is not important how much art I sell.....it is important how I lived this day showing love & obedience to our precious Lord and to others.

Can you even believe all of this cute stuff that Allen Designs is giving away?!?! Visit Michelle my Belle to enter.

speaking of paper napkins....

How cute is this! You can see how to make decoupaged Easter eggs using paper napkins here with Martha.

Who is coloring eggs this year? I think we will try that decoupaged idea or maybe these from Family Fun:

bubble wrap effect

glue dots and colored sand

who needs wallpaper when you have paper napkins on hand?!?!?!

When you come in our side door- which is where most everyone comes in- this is what you see. The pantry. Except sometimes the doors will be open, and this is disastrous. The pantry is where we keep food, art supplies, shoes, paper, school supplies, sport equipment, etc, etc. It was drab and messy and chaotic.

We had some leftover patterned contact paper that I slapped up there and then I found it- the paper polka-dot napkins! Yes. Very fun. A little tape and that was all it took to make me happy and not embarrassed when the pantry doors are open.
Napkins and contact paper both from Target. The box on the floor needs a little polka dot makeover doesn't it?!?

Alright, now it is not that I didn't like all of the advice that you gave me about the back splash. It is just that it was a fun little experiment to tape up the napkins and cover with contact paper. I will never ever buy real wallpaper again! The good thing is:

*it took 15 minutes to do
*it cost all of $3.00
*it is very easy to remove

I think at some point the rest of that wall will get painted green.



Dave's comment was that at this point I may as well just use packing tape on the wall too :)

So what do you think? Would you tape paper napkins to your wall??!?

wise words

Here is a quote from Dave's Dad:

A Parent’s Greatest Legacy -- The most important thing you can do for your children is to help them know God and to teach them how to know God. There is nothing that is even a close “second” to this important job. You can give them the best clothes, education, car, or the best “whatever,” but if you fail to help them know God, you have eternally failed your children. Please help your children to give some serious time to Bible reading and prayer and make sure they are attending a Bible-teaching church each week.

Lately I have really been thinking about this subject and how incredibly blessed I am to have 3 children. How blessed that we have the opportunity to sit down everyday with God's word and read it together! Where else do we want their wisdom to come from? God's Word is so important. I hope you have time this weekend to spend with your children- helping them to understand what they are reading- taking time to discuss issues with them. It means so much to your kids when you are there for them and want to talk.

little hands

::beads::

::shaving cream::

::play dough::noodles::buttons::

::snacks::