random raves and rants..

i'm sO frugal. it's not funny. seriously. it's not.

hee hee..

i sO *heart* this website. the girl is CRAZY. she spends no money on her creativity. \

she's my idol..

but, wait.. the Bible says don't have idols.. sOoo.. she's my friend.

yea.. that's it.

okayyy.. sO i don't REALLY know her. but she's cool. so, if i refer to her as my friend, that means she has gained my approval. which is sumthin not to be taken lightly!

;)

look at a few of her posts. good stuff.

anyway.

the tree is done. i don't buy new ornaments. matter of fact, i barely buy anything new.. except for shoes. (used shoes?? EW GROSS..)

sO, i'm thinkin' tonight as i'm decorating the tree..

Q: WHY is it that i have the SAME lights that i had like 7 years ago...?

A: 'cuz it's friggin' *i nvrrr say friggin' btw..* awesomeee!!

Q: WHY is THAT friggin' awesomeee??

A: 'cuz it's friggin' frugal! LOL

WHY am i cracKin' myself up right about now?? LOL

yea, sO the tree is pretty cute. same Christmas stash, new look.. red, gold & good 'ol balsam green. i like her. :)

Q: WHY do people refer to Santa *which is Satan if u switch the letters around* Clause as magical??

A: i have NO idea.. but i went to the mall with my kiddos last week & the dude was holding lil' kids and LYING to them.

BOOOOooooo!!!

i am sO not a santa *satan* subscriber, supporter, or anything else.

**BUT**

because i grew up supporting the liar, i find songs about him quite enjoyable.

Q: does that make me an oxymoron?

A: shutchO mouf.

i can't wait until Christmas. ^.^

is it just me??

or are the days seemingly

ZOOMING by...

*gulp*

(photo credit)

thank-full!!

as u may already realize, i failed big time with my *EVERYDAY* posts 'til thanksgiving thing.

i'm not that great at this stuff, but i enjoy it, sO.. i keep goin'!!

;-)

the truth is i have a LOT to be grateful for. and although i may not be that great at keepin' up with commitments, i know someone who is. & that's Jesus!

NOooo, i'm not trying to turn this blog into some big, huge religious zone... but i AM a Christian!

& anyone who's in love with ANYthing/one tends to talk about that thing/one who has captivated their hearts... no?

of COURSE!

sO, yea.. i talk about HIM. Jesus is His name. He taught me a valuable lesson about friendship and forgiveness this week.

(imagine that.. THANKSGIVING week..)

i have a friend whose mom just went to heaven. she shared with me the week before her mother's death that she was sick. with cancer. that stuff is evil.

we prayed. i cried at the thought. it was only about a week later if not even a week that she called me again to let me know her mom was gone.

that quick.

a good friend would make sure to reach out to one whose dearest family member has passed away, right?

you'd think so. but i was sO self-consumed to even remember what being a good friend looked like.

i'm embarrassed by this. but grateful. God taught me a LOT in that week.

how to FORGIVE myself - for failing my friend

how to BE forgiving - through my sweet friend

& what a true GOOD friendship looks like. - she exemplified that to me in her reaction.

i may not do well next week in displaying EVERY sweet quality of a good friend.. but i'm learning.

and for that, i'm grateful. :)

(photo credit)

thankful #5..

i'm definitely thankful for a few more HOURS..

i'm starting to look like this..

photo credit..

thank-FULL!! #5

i'm sOooo VERY grateful for a SAVIOR.. wait.. i meant THE SAVIOR!!

His name is Jesus CHRIST!!! are my priorities out of order?? O_o

OF COURSE NOT!!

honestly, this guy gets the glory like NO other in my life!! i'm happy to have met Him.. i'm even happier that He accepted me & calls me His own!! ^.^

how can one resist such a supernatural love!? obviously, i couldn't. it took a while for me to discontinue living for myself.. but He changed me!! & i can't deny that He gets all the credit for my new life!!

sO, yea.. this is number 5, but the truth is, i'm grateful for Him EVERYday. i hope that i'm able to display this gratitude properly on a DAILY basis.

cuz, honestly, at times.. i suck. ewww!! i mean REALLY suck.

and yet, u know what??

HE STILL LOVES me!! *... smh this love is amaZinggg!!*

what kind of MAN is this?? the disciples asked this question & it's sO appropriate.

we'll never fully understand this guy.. nor will we completely understand HIS love..

but we should be grateful for it. :)

EVERYday.

thank-FULL #4

provision..

something that we all take way too lightly at times.

i'm guilty. =_=

but, i'm realizing more and more that i AM grateful (& that i should express it WAY more often) for God providing for me & my family.

• i get to stay at home with my kids *full-time* (and i gripe about it at times... O_o)

ewwww!! i should know better!!

• i homeschool my kids. (and i have griped about that at times... O_o)

i like homeschooling now! LOL

• i'm in a happy, healthy marriage.. ^-^

which, i've heard that that ALONE is a miracle of provision!!

• i have 3 smart, healthy kids..

Yes! God's been an awesome provider.. and HE continues to be!!

i'm amaZed!

writing is sO helpful. LOL.. i'm sure i'll have to read this post for the rest of my life! ha!

sO, why are we such brats at times?? thinkin' that we deserve STUFF!?

God's faithfulness is awesome by itself. everything else is sorta bonus, ya know? :)

*sO, i'm grateful*

photo credit

thank-FULL

okay. i missed a day. it's fine.

this is MY blog. ;-)

today.. it's still Sunday to me.. (i didn't go to bed yet)

i'm thankful for SUNDAYs in Manhattan. not icecream. that would be sundae. eh heh..

i'm thankful for EVERY opportunity to worship with the body of Christ. i attend Times Square Church in Manhattan.. and i'm really grateful to God for placing me in such a fruitful place.

God's presence is uniquely awesome. and it's always refreshing to enjoy TRUE fellowship with the family of God.

visit!!

thank-full #2

i'm thankful for God's faithfulness!!

today is day 2 of my things i'm thankful for posts.

i do NOT do well if i'm overwhelmed.. at least not always.

lots of times i shut down.

a friend has "hired" me to make a party dress for her & i REALLY wanted to have it ready for her so that she could try it on tomorrow. so far, it's not even cut... and that sucks. *just a lil' bit*

it's 11:35 PM according to my clock at the moment.. and i really don't have the desire to go start cutting. *ugh*

it's all good.

sO, i'm thankful for God's faithfulness. 'cuz even we're not faithful, the Bible says that God STILL is.

TRUE STORY!!

& i'm thankful for HIS faithfulness!!

-on THAT note-

i'm gonna try my best tonight to get somewhere with this dress.. i've been challenged by the character of my Savior! if He is faithful.. & i'm supposed to be like HIM.. then i need to attempt to show a faithful character as well..

lesson learned!!

i love this life! :)

THANK-full!!

i decided JUST NOW that i HAVE to do a things i'm thankful for list!

as a matter of fact, i'm probably gunna start a THANKFUL THURSDAY!! Yay!

what a great way to be reminded that we shouldn't be selfish, self-centered bratty kids who throw tantrums over the littlest lack.

-__-

bleh.

i'll do one thankful thing a day this week.. then on Thanksgiving, i'll try to make a top ten list.

this is already fun!! ^.^

(or maybe i'm just a dork.. O_o)

eh heh.

anyway. today, i'm thankful for thrift shops.

money is tight.

i'm ok with that.

the reality is that we all need to be okay with that..

it may just get worse.

but this post is NOT about tight money.. (HA! witty, right??)

i LOVE thrift shops. i think i'd be the ONLY millionaire shopping at 'em if i WAS a millionaire.

don't get excited. i'm NOT a millionaire. *honestly*

heh heh..

anyway... in being *thank-full* for thrift shops.

i SCORED big time today!!

i'm sO happy.

u see those FLY-girl shoes?? TEN bucks! LOL..

i don't buy second hand shoes. i think that's YUK. for VERY obvious reasons. i get *squeamish* in just goin' bowling.. O_o ick.

blehk.

these are NEW shoes!!! i'm a happy girl. :)

if u give a mom a muffin..

there's a GREAT book called If You Give a Moose a Muffin...

this poem is a spin-off of that great book.

it's cute.

makes me wanna write my own.. :)

If You Give A Mom A Muffin....

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer,
She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan for supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook ("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The check book is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two year old's diaper.
While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
And chances are...
If she has a cup of coffee,
Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

i hope u get to eat your muffin today. O_o

(poetic creds)

boldness.. and transparency.

something that we should fight for. there is an absolute dearth of integrity in this world, if you ask me.

& yea, i know u didn't.. LOL..

but i gotta tell ya. i just read THIS article and i'm amaZed at Melody's honesty. yea, so the pain has passed... but the woman has a story to share! and not about some fluffy bunnies either.

she has experienced something that has seemingly left her longing for a sensitivity that she sO needed to experience during her time of trial.

"they" say experience is the best teacher.. WHO is THEY??? well.. anyway, "they're" telling a partial truth.

i pray that we'd ALL learn from this type of situation.. whether by reading Melody's story OR just seeing the NEEDS around us. God is giving me a new sensitivity for people around me.. a burden of sorts. to forget about myself. and think about and PRAY for others.

i know that it's what God wants. what good is a selfish, self-centered bratty girl?

none.

Jesus Christ deserves ALL of the glory in our lil' lives. 'cuz he's bigger. a LOT bigger.

:)

writer's block..?

that's what i'm dealing with right now. i just finished a project & i TOTALLY forgot to post about it. (it sure would come in handy right now..)

instead, i'm left with tonight's "exciting" happening.

repair work. *bleh*

i'd rather leave you with a cool quote. i think that would be more fun..

An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.

Edwin Land

great words to live by.. i hope your day is creative!! :)

(photo credit here.)

cute story time..

this one's a lil' extra for all u kid lovin' bloggers..

it's hailing here right now.. thundering, lightning, raining... AND hailing.

interesting.

sO, j-boy #3 comes to me and says, "Mommy, i FEEL the lightning in my window."

sO naturally i wanna know what lightning FEELS like.. so i asked him.

his answer, "it FEELS like nothing."

heh heh.. eh heh.

i LOVE the age when the senses are all discombobulated..

(and i LOVE the word discombobulated)

my favorite example of this **discombobulation** EVER is from this convo..

same kid.. different moment.

someone leaves the bathroom.. j-boy #3 responds when he goes into the same bathroom..

"it smells HOT in here."

i STILL don't know what he meant by that, but i probably shouldn't WANT to know either.. O_o

i hope your tomorrow FEELS wonderfully yummy. =)

photo credit here.

GAP

wow.. this one is unbelievable.

i hafta admit, i would've never seen this one comin' in a million years. & i'm sure i'm not the only one to feel this way.

some things just feel right..

other things just give you the impression of someone trying a lil' too hard..

i'm honestly disappointed.. but, who am i?? these people have been through HOW MANY years of successful business venture?

nuff said.

sO, although almost 90 percent of people dislike the new logo, i'm sure GAP will survive..

unlike the lil' green alien girl.. lol

i need this!!!

THIS pillow is awesome.. i HAVE to wake up earlier..

look at me. it's 1:00 in the morning & i need to wake up in a few hours to homeschool my kids.

BUY me a pillow. it's for a good cause. LOL!!

RED sails to Capri..

a wonderfully told story of life on the island of Capri in Italy..

& what a delight to finish it today with my kids only to discover that at least in part it is a true place.. with some true stuff happenin' in there!

^_^

my heart is tickled.. lol

here's a pic of the *special* place in the book that got me googling..

the BLUE grotto!! :)

i'm blown away.. great story.. i recommend it. it's by Ann Weil.

pic credit to Wikipedia.org. ;-)

new recipe book..

cute, huh?

i have lots of recipes that i'm attracted to.. that i'd like to make & haven't yet tried, cuz their on lil' scraps of paper tucked away in my cupboard.

BUT.. if i had this lil' recipe nook book, i'm sure i'd be alright.

;-)

dancing in the minefields..

new video... i tell my single friends that marriage is not all rosy, unless of course you include the thorns..

but the rosy parts can be VERY flowery indeed.. marriage is quite enjoyable.

sO, here's a sweet song.. to echo that thought. ;-)

enjoy.

=)

*stress*

yea.. i have two new stressful undertakings to add to my already sO busy life.

two NEW dresses for friends.. one is back for a second go-round! i'm happy about them, but realizing with my schedule that i'm craZy for saying yes.

i look forward to working on projects like these, though..

cutest lil' animillows! (i made that up..LOL)

a too cute floral purse!

a cute lil' giraffe friend who needs a new photo opp AND some added color.. (but still cute)

it definitely gives me sumthin to aim for. this year it's handmade Christmas gifts again..

i've done some VERY needful de-cluttering & still there's LOTS to be done, but i guess what i'm *trying* to say is that i hafta remember that STRESSED backwards is DESSERTS!!

yup. desserts.

sO, i'm *probably* gunna need a lot to make up for all of the stress goin' on in my life right now.

;-)

then i'll have to find out what FAT is backwards.. hee hee. eh heh.

photo credit here.

furry friend..

we got a new kitty. his name is Meowy. (pronounced Maui)

he's as skittish as they come, but quite the affectionate feline.

cute, huh? =)

laughter..

• 1. • 1. i can't go through life without experiencing at LEAST one good laugh every day.. here's a good one for you..

• 1. =)

American King James Version
A merry heart does good like a medicine: (proverbs 17:22A)

A person who can bring the spirit of laughter into a room is indeed blessed.
Bennett Cerf

A sense of humor... is needed armor. Joy in one's heart and some laughter on one's lips is a sign that the person down deep has a pretty good grasp of life.
Hugh Sidey

(source)

"The most wasted of all days is one without laughter."
-e.e. cummings

dear hippie dress:

she doesn't deserve you. price does not indicate your value. love does.

i loved you first.

honestly, i didn't have $400 layin' around. i tried to tell you that.

maybe you could sneak away. when you get this letter, send me a private message thru facebook and i'll send you my address.

the internet is just too creepy.

i still love you.

p.s. the REAL free people should've known that you and i belonged together. oh well. find me. i won't stop calling you mine.

hmmm...

(photo credit here.)

funky decor!

... and of COURSE, it's from a free people store. i seriously can't get enough inspiration from this place! ha!!

u would think i have a wardrobe full of their clothing..

unfortunately, i don't.

i can't afford it.. LOL..

*BUT* we can ALL afford a few strips of polyester scarves cut and braided together to hang from our ceilings..

OR.. some old yarn tied around some "found" vessels to put on a dusty shelf..

OR..

some old bandannas from the thrift shop shredded to wrap around SOMEthing useful.

anyway you look at it, there's some AWESOME color awaitin' you.. if you're willing to be adventurous.

hmm.. QUESTION: what funky decor should i work on next...?

:)

puggy funny..

i found this lil' guy eating from my bird feeder, sO... i wanted to see if it would eat from my hand.

well.. it didn't. but he DID pose for the pic. heh heh..

cute one, ain't he? LOL

okayyy.. he didn't REALLY pose. ;-)

balloon man..

this is insanely interesting. LOL

enjoy. =)

necklaces??

or those WAY COOL hair wraps that i always wanted & was never brave enough to get??

i say *both*

YEAH, homie!

:D

color is VERY exciting, no?

i'm gunna try to do a hair wrap. and some necklaces.

and look like a nice lil' bohemian girl.

^_^

pillows.

ok... sOoo.. this post is NOT really about the pillows. it's the COLOR!!

am i on some kind of a *high*??

NO.

u hafta admit, the pic as a whole rocks. look at those glass bottles. perfectly paired with awesomely funky throw pillows. and the rug, too.. just when u thought u had seen enough.

i rest my case.

free people. or freepeople.

i have decided that i seriously need to get an internship at freepeople. i mean, come on!! they're RIGHT in PENNsYLvaNia!!! there's no reason why i shouldn't be able to go & hang out with them.. i LOVE being around fun fabrics.. trims.. and COLOR!!! OMGness.. i'm in love with COLOR.

i truly think i could live in a fabric swatch warehouse making patchwork stuff ALL day.

maybe i'm just a lil' too emotional right now..

free people.. freepeople. however u say it. ROCKs.

;)

images from freepeople blog

i need a job..

'cuz this is aBsOLutELy insane!! =)

it's unbelievable how much space i would have if i just could put ALL of my beds and shelves inside of the wall.. you know what? i'm gunna stop writing.

you GOTTA see this:

eye candy?

i think so. :D

but wait!! there's MORE...

the lil' things..

yea.. sO, if u read my last post about enlightenment, passion and all that good stuff, you now KNOW that my joy/passion (wutever u wanna call it) is to work with youth.

Assata asked for a lil' handmade gift... for her birthday.

anyway, i made this lil' box for my cute friend Assata.. one of the junior high girls that i work with.. and she let out a VERY high-pitched squeal!! talk about makin' a girl's day..

i told Nadine that i don't make things for my own gratification, but as i write this, i can't help but wonder if there's a slight bit of joy received when we GIVE from our hearts. needless to say, Assata liked her lil' presents. =)

awakening.. err.. enlightenment??

as if i needed it..?

i guess i did.

today my good friend Nadine & i had our regular convo about what's good craft-wise.. only THIS time, the convo took a VERY necessary turn for good.

i've pondered for YEARS the thought, "why am i sO stuck when it comes to being creative?"

and i'm tellin' u.. it hit me like a BRICK.. a soft brick.

we should not be lookin' for God to bless the work of OUR hands, but instead, we should look for what HE's blessing and work on that! sounds sO simple.. and it IS!!

i felt freedom today in this thought process..

don't get me wrong, i LOVE crafting.. finding a good, fun project to work on is awesome..

BUT...

there's sumthin' AWESOMER.

PASSION.

this is what ol' man webster says about it..

passion |ˈpa sh ən|noun

an intense desire or enthusiasm for something

.. and when u got it.. you KNOW it!! and that's eXactLy the word to describe my feeling toward working with youth. i've worked as a jr. high youth worker for the past twelve + years.. and it hasn't grown old at all! i LOVE young people. they're wonderfully unique in EVERY way.. they know how to have fun.. they're not "too old" to have fun.. they're not "too young" to take serious matters seriously... they're such balanced people. and they've stolen my heart time and time again. no matter where i go, if i see a junior higher, we automatically "click" ... no work involved. it's like they KNOW. lol.. Jesus did this in my heart! it's not sumthin that i worked up.. it actually is a very "natural" desire. and i think it will be for eternity. ^_^

i wish i could've been honest with myself & stated this a LOT sooner..

this blog MAY just be changed a lil' bit.. cuz i luv young people sO much. =)

thanks, Nadine.. for being a wonderful Christian.. and friend. <3

photo credit here.. titled "the dance of youth"

monstrosity.

ain't he cute? =) well.. sort of. don't ask me WHY i liked him. i'm a sucker for multi-colored beings. heh heh..

ok.. what about his brother?

well..whatever! you can see their WHOLE family here!

to say the least, i definitely found them interesting.. and FULL of character. :D

**QUILTS**

am i 'spoze to be a quilter and i didn't know it or sumthin??

mannnn... this quilter is AMAZING!! i know it must've taken her YEARS to complete the thing.. and now, honestly.. the thing should be in an art gallery somewhere.

it's AWESOME.

and so, yea.. go figure. i have a "new" love interest..

i wanna make a quilt. =)

something cute..

yea.. sO, i know i'm doin' a pretty lousy job at keepin' you guys interested in my blog..

i have seasons of frustration.. lookin' at my surroundings. remembering that i'm a work in progress.. and so is my house.

:D

needless to say, i found something oh so cute, that i HAFTA share it.. i mean, him.

He has to be what someone imagines their dreamboy to be like.. he's cute. cuddly. and talented.

who wouldn't want a man that could serenade you???

=)

the only problem is he's shorter than you.. (whoever you are.) yes. you. he's shorter, believe me.

and he's a yermit.

don't. ask.

but he IS adorable... and WAS 75 bucks.

not bad.... not bad.

coasters!!

i have "inherited" a HUNORMOUS amount of magazines.

yes, i know hunormous is not a word, but ever since J-boy #2 started saying it when he was five, it's stuck..

anyway.. don't distract me..

as i was saying, i have a hunormous amount of magazines.. the thought of getting my fav mag subscriptions for 5 bucks sounded awesome at the time, but when ur in danger of embracing your "inner packrat," all you end up with is more JUNK.

(did i just say junk?) i meant treasures.. *heh heh*

and just as i was having an epiphany regarding throwing them out so that i could become more organized, along comes the EVIL plot against me to create coasters! *gasp*

i was sO NOT lookin' for this.. but, honestly, i cannot resist at LEAST trying this tutorial for coasters as attractive as these..

i'll put up my finished projects.. one of these days.. summer is here and that means i need to put my creativity to work or i'll go crazy with regrets when the season is over..

wish me luck! =)

wallet #3

N girl is just that.. a girl.

she wanted a wallet, too.. a feminine one.. i took the fabric remnants from some baby clothes.

fun. =)

wallet #2

j-boy #3 is cute..

and funny.

he just wanted a wallet. he could care less about how his monster looked.. i think his thoughts went sumthin' like, "mommy, u know what it's supposed to look like, right?"

let's just say, his monster is slightly embellished.. heh heh..

there's fire coming out of his mouth, but it's not supposed to be like that on his wallet..

i felt that he needed some accessories.. sO, i hooked him up with a military-style vest.. =)

i confess.. my craftsmanship is lacking. i needed to get these done quickly.. tomorrow we go out on the town.. with lots of cool cash.. the j-boys will be needing their wallets.

;-)