Proud To Be An American!

Hope you all have a happy Memorial Day today!  We are spending time with my side of the family over at my parents this afternoon.  I also wanted to take a moment to honor all the veterans that fought and troops that still fight for our freedom.  I am proud to be an American and live in a free country.  I pray for our country and it's freedom daily. 

~ Happy Memorial Day ~

Ok, Simply A Bible Verse

This week I choose not to do a "Red Letter Friday" post again.  I started out sharing Bible verses that were in Red.  Then, last week decided to share one that was not in the "red".  This week, the same.  Am I phasing out of the red?  No.  Just from time to time, I will share a verse that really spoke to me this past week and I hope it will speak to you, too.  Enjoy and have a great weekend!!!!!  I'm really excited about mine. 

And, before I go, I realize I never posted about the Canton Flea Market.  Well, there is really nothing to post without me sounding very negative, disappointed and frustrated.  On the upside (because I'm trying to stay positive, you know), we did sell some frames.  Just not as many as we anticipated.  The good news is that it was not just us...it was all the booths (that really doesn't sound like good news does it?)  Every vendor there was having a "bad year", in their words.  Oh well.  I'm personally not into that.  I told JT we need to stick to marketing to a different sort of crowd, if you know what I mean!

Oh, and one more thing before I go!  :)  Thanks so much for not calling me out on all the grammatical errors and misspellings the past few posts.  Normally I get JT to proof read, but that just hasn't been an option lately....you know, since he's still in bed! {wink wink} Sometimes I really am feeding the baby when I'm posting.....or listening to my 2 year old at the same time telling me about what Elmo and Thomas are doing on TV.  It's a wonder I don't just start typing about which train is the bravest (if you've seen Thomas the Train, you know what I'm talking about).  And why does Elmo talk in 3rd person?  Ok, that's for another day.....

And just for good measure....one of you said you'd love to see the picture.  Here is the little Princess Pie going down the slip-n-slide.  I have to be the bearer of bad news when I say that I thought I got a picture of her the first time she went down with JT and the water was splashing up in her face and she was being all dramatic about it.  But, I didn't.  Guess I was laughing too hard.  Here she is on her second time down and she is trying to enjoy the ride and take in the scenery.  {she really does have her hands prissing like this all the time}

"Whoever forgives an offense seeks love,

but whoever keeps bringing up the issue separates the closest of friends."

Proverbs 17:9

Birthdays Coming Up

My babies have birthdays 2 weeks apart, exactly.  The number one question I get is did we plan that.  The answer is no.  I like to start planning for things like this early.  I've actually had in my mind for months that I wanted her birthday party to be a Tea Party.  A lot of people have said that I could have their birthday parties together, but ummmmmm, no thanks.  I went ALL OUT for my son's 1st birthday (I'll post about it one day), so I'm going to do the same for the little Princess Pie.  :)  My mother-in-law and sister-in-law were nice enough to give me an adorable white table with 4 little chairs and I'm thinking she'll just be getting into using it when she turns one.  I would love to get her this tea set for her birthday to go on her little white table.
I've been collecting inspiration photos for her party and so far, this is what I have....

Ok, maybe the cake on a smaller scale.  But, I think these cakes are adorable!

I really want it to be simple and elegant, but I always tend to go over board!  I'm really inspired by these photos of a sweet little girl's 4th birthday party that I happen to remember her mommy and daddy from our old church home before we moved......

{I really love the fact that Paula has the vase setting on a stack of children's book....so sweet!}

Yes, now these make my heart skip a beat.  Perhaps a more simple & elegant cake like the one above.  I love the little banner across the bottom of the cake stand.  And, you know I'm a sucker for beautiful and creative floral arranging!

For her gift, John Taylor WILL be building her this:

How cute is this kitchen!!!!!!  Oh. My. Goodness.  I think I may design the fridge to be a little more retro, but all in all it is the best toy kitchen I've ever seen! I love all the detail and the little sink skirt.....Oh!  Adorable!  And so easy to make.  For more pictures and a complete tutorial, click HERE.

Her birthday is not until September.....like I said, I like to plan ahead.  :)

*first cake images - via google images

*E birthday party images - via two ellie, Paula's blog

*toy kitchen images - via Knockoff Wood, Ana's blog

Big Boy Room

As you know, I'm collecting inspiration photos for my little Buddy's big boy room one day soon!  We are still in transition mode since we are renting our current house and I can't wait to paint and make everything our own.  I do love these photos I posted the other day for big boy rooms, but I came across this post and I have to say.....it takes the cake!  I love everything about this room, I'm just in love with it!  I hope Sarah doesn't mind that I copy her just a little bit.  :)  I've always been told that copying is the highest form of compliment.  Here are some photos that Sarah was nice enough to let me share of her little big boy's room.  Enjoy!  I'm sure you will as much as I did.  I could just look at these photos all day.

Don't you just love it!  It's so simple and stylish, yet functional at the same time.

Love this storage system.  Great problem solver for small spaces.  I believe she got this shelving system from Ikea, but I may just get mine from "JT's Workshop".  Ha!

I love creative ways for storing toys!

I read in Sarah's post that her son loved cars!  Ummmm, that sounds familiar!

Again, so creative with the storage.

*Sigh*  Even the name has my whole heart.

I love how this shot shows the detail in the bedding.  It's Seersucker, which I am a big fan of!

s

Just had to include this shot because we have this toy and I love it's placement.

Yes, this room will be filed away as my inspiration for our little big boy room.  Hopefully we'll get to build it soon.  Thanks for stopping by and happy "Hump Day"!  :) 

*all images from Jack and Izzy, Sarah's adorable and addictive blog

how HE'S speaking to me lately

God is speaking to me lately.  Sometimes I head His voice in church.  A lot of times I hear Him on the radio.  But, the most common way God gets my attention is through words in a book.  I don't read novels.  I have read novels and there are novels I love, but I really love other types of books.  I guess you could call them "self-help" books, but I hate that title.  We'll say "Inspirational".  Yes, that's better.  :)  I guess I like to read anything that I feel is going to make me better, wiser, more mature, smarter, more confident, stronger, closer to Him.  The book I'm reading right now is by far the best book I've read.  Inspirational book that is.  And I've read a lot.  Let me just start by saying I love Beth Moore.  And I'm not talking I love like "I love pizza" or "Oh, I love the beach".  I'm talking I want to be Beth Moore.  She has been a huge part of my Christian walk and has played a part in my growing closer to God.  By that, I mean she has nudged me towards Him in many different occasions and let me tell you, this time it's no different.  I'm so excited to see how God is going to continue speaking to me through Beth's words.  I'm currently reading So Long Insecurity and here are some quotes from Beth Moore herself.  I'm a "underliner".  Meaning, I like to underline parts that I read that really stand out or hit close to home.  I would like to share my underlines with you.  Perhaps it will speak to you in some way or perhaps it might make you want to go out and purchase her book today, which I highly suggest.  :)  Enjoy!

*All line in italics in this post, quoting Beth Moore: So Long Insecurity

"These are perilous days to be a woman, but to be sure, they're the only days we have and they're passing quickly.  We can sit around like victims, talk about how unfair all the gender pressure is, and grow less secure by the second, or we can choose to become well equipped and get out there and do some real living.  This book is for any woman who courageously chooses the latter over her own strong compulsion of insecurity in a culture that makes it almost irresistible."

"We're going to have to let truth scream louder to our souls than the lies that have infected us.  that's what this book is all about."

"Men are not our problem; it's what we are trying to get from them that messes us up.  Nothing is more baffling than our attempt to derive our womanhood from our men..."

"I say this with respect and great compassion: we're attempting to get our security from a gender that doesn't really have much to spare."

"...The worse part of it is, I could still be thinking about what he said a solid week later while he remains oblivious...."

AMEN! (and I feel like in my life, this feeling isn't just with men but with everyone that I'm insecure about)

"...Now that's a key word that raises an important point.  Are we honestly going to insist on drawing our security from people --- men or women --- who are oblivious to the inordinate amount of weight we give to their estimation of us?  Seriously?  Maybe others in our lives are not so clueless.  Maybe they revel in the power they hold over us..."

Ahhhh, never thought of that before.....

"As if the battle isn't hard enough, we sabotage ourselves....How often do we think to ourselves,

'I should be handling this better'?

A lot!

"Often when a situation warrants a minor case of injured feelings, I tend to respond with a classic case of devastation, 'I know better than this,' I chide.  'I can't believe I've fallen for this again.  My head knows good and well that this doesn't define me.  Why can't I get that message to my heart'?  Setbacks just make me feel weak and stupid: 'I should have conquered this by now'."

"I hate that I can still be so easily shaken, and somehow I convince myself that if I could just develop a healthy enough psyche, life couldn't touch me."

"Maybe we're all just sick to death of taking three steps forward and two steps back.  Call me a mate wizard, but isn't that still one step forward?"

"I'm sick to death of insecurity.  It's been a terrible companion.  A very bad friend.  It promised to always think of me first and meticulously look out for my best interests.  It vowed to stay focused on me and help me not get hurt or forgotten.  Instead, insecurity invaded every part of my life, betrayed me, and sold me out more times than I can count.  It's time I got healthy enough emotionally to choose my lifelong companions betters.  This one needs to get dumped."

AMEN TO THAT SISTA!

"not me!" Monday

Feeling guilty for letting your toddler eat Cheez-Its for breakfast?  Don't!  Today, I'm participating in "not me" Monday!  I'm just going to be brutally honest about all the things I've done the past two weeks, so get ready!  I have a feeling this week is going to drop some jaws!!!  Feel free to join in the fun.  Simply write your own "not me" post, go to Mckmama's blog, scroll down to the bottom of her "not me" Monday post and link up!  Ok, here goes nothing.....

I have not been using Suave men shampoo/conditioner every since I ran out of my regular shampoo/conditioner.  I'm not lazy and I certainly don't like the way it cleans my hair!

I'm also not lazy in the sense that I keep our kitchen well stocked with baby items we need.  So, when we did not run out of Playtex Drop-Ins for my baby's bottle, I so did not wash the liner out and re-use it!  NO!!!! Not me! 

And, I most certainly did not wash it out again and again and again until we had a chance to go to the store and buy more!  That would be terrible!  I was not in a super big hurry to make it to a party Sat. morning and that did not override in importance of Playtex Drop-Ins.

Once I got to the party I was attending on Sat. morning, I did not discover that the mom that lived in the house (my sister), had Playtex Drop-Ins and I did not take a few to hold me over until we got more at the store.  No!  I would never do that!

I'm a mature adult and I'm SO not addicted to a TV show called LOST.  I would never spend over an hour per week watching a drama that consisted of smoke monsters and time travel and love triangles and mysteries....soooo, I really did not try to put my 2.5 year old to bed 30 minutes early so I could concentrate on the series finale.  And, while he was still up, I did not pretty much give him anything he wanted just to keep him quiet!  No!! I would never give him more milk when he just drank 1.5 sippy cups full!  Nor would I ever give him Cheez-Its or juice right before bed time! 

While riding in the car I let my son watch a DVD on his portable DVD player.  I started it in the front seat of the car and then I did NOT proceed to drape the player on the passenger seat head rest UPSIDE DOWN!  I did not drive miles and miles before noticing.  My son did not have his head cocked sideways, as if he were trying to watch a movie upside down with a confused look on his face!  I did not laugh at his cuteness or at myself!

When my 2.5 year old son started driving his hot wheels up my back, I did not take advantage of his imagination, I did not lay on the sofa and I did not tell him to drive them on the "streets" (my legs) because it did NOT feel sort-of like I was getting a massage!  Nope, not me!

And last but not least, I did not let my husband take our 8 month old down the Slip-N-Slide with water splashing up in her face and I did not snap a picture!

These Kids Are Adorable!

I actually took these pictures at the end of last summer, but their mommy had a new baby and they bought a new house, we we are re-visiting them! I'm so glad we did because it gave me a chance to edit some and make them even better! The above are a few of my favorites.

This Week's Red Letters (without the red)

Today I'm sharing a Bible verse I really love, but it is not the words of Jesus.  Just a verse that really spoke to me this past week.  I get a Bible verse automatically emailed to me every morning from this site.  It never fails that it's just the words I need to read that morning when I check my email.  So, today's red letters (without the red) are:

Romans 5:3-4

"We know that suffering creates endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence."

Happy Friday!

Canton Flea Market

Below are pictures from the Canton Flea Market.  Everyone seemed to LOVE our frames!  Especially the round ones.  A lot of people commented on how they had never seen round ones.  Yes!  That's what we were going for.  Enjoy the pictures! 

{click on pictures to enlarge}

{no details listed on above frames.  please contact us if you're interested in one shown above ~ kiwiwoodwerks@gmail.com}

Running Out Of Time!

Now that my baby girl is 8 months, I'm starting to run out of time to finish her nursery!!!  I probably need to clarify from my last post about her room.  Did I make it sound like I had done NOTHING?!  :)  We have done a lot.  In fact, I counted how many things I had left to do while rocking her the other day.  Yea, I'm weird like that.  I then went and made a list of those things.  Seeing things on paper makes it better in getting those things done.  And, my friend Angela once said it so well --- "I get great satisfaction from crossing things off my list".  Me too these days.  So, all the major things are done.  The room is painted.  The baby bedding is complete (my mom and I made it!).  All the furniture is in there.  Here is what I lack:

- Throw pillows for twin bed
- Foot stool cover for in front of her rocking chair
- Paint her changing table (which is now a dresser since I no longer use her changing pad)
- Hang a few items such as picture frames and a shelf
- Finish making the doll bedding for her doll cradle

I will share pics of the whole room when finished, but for now here are a few more of the details.....

These are greeting cards given to us in order to welcome baby girl into this world.  The colors of these two cards go so well with the colors I'm using in her room --- pink, powder blue, sage green & tan.  I found a PERFECT paisley fabric that had ALL those colors.  More on that later!

I've mentioned before that I also have a twin bed in there.  It's the same bed that was in my son's nursery.  I have another headboard and plan to put both of them in her room once she's grown out of her crib.  {Claudia Headboad from Pottery Barn}

I knew I wanted a mobile because I used one with my son so much.  He loved it!  But, I couldn't use his....it didn't go with the decor.  I searched online because I wanted a funky one, but couldn't find one with the right colors.  Then, I came across this on ebay for $11.00!!!

It has all the colors I'm using AND it had opening for pictures of family, etc. for baby to look at.  You know I love pictures!  :)  It was little more traditional than I wanted at first, but once I thought about it I realized the whole room is traditional.  So, I guess I can't stray away from what feels right no matter how hard I try.  {The mobile is originally from Red Envelope}

hows abouts a little home inspiration today

My last two posts were long.  And full of information.  And I'm almost sure you didn't read all of them.  (wink wink)  Today, wanted to file away some more photos I've come across that inspire me.  These photos get me even more excited about buying a house -- hopefully the house we're living in.  I can't wait to get the kids rooms exactly like I want them.  Here are a few photos I'm filling away for children's rooms.....JT could SO build any of this!  Today I'll do boy's spaces. 

So fresh and so clean, clean.  And LOVE the color of the walls!

This one just really hit close to home because of the wooden train track.  And love the colors.  I'm an earth tone kind of girl. :)

Just for good measure, had to throw one in there that JT would love.  It's not too mod for me.

Love this!  How cool!  Wouldn't you love to have this room as a kid?

*all images via skoots and cuddles, Erin's blog