my oh my.

can it be true?

i'd like you to meet:

pure happiness.
total bliss.
impulse.
too much of a good thing.
an empty wallet.
hours browsing.
endless homeschool resources.
unadulterated joy.
the love of creativity.
the love of all things pretty.
and sparkly.
and, and, and…

together, held by the same steel beam.
together on the same slab of concrete.
together.

did they know they’d make such a beautiful team?

yes, i am a complete and utter hobby lobby geek and now, a newly found mardel's nerd. and very happy to be both.

stewardship chart.

i'm really excited to start this new journey with jess now that she's five. we feel it's about time she starts learning what it means to actively contribute to the running of this household {on a five year old level}, what the difference between chores and required daily tasks are, and earning an allowance for the work that she completes - which will further introduce tithing, saving, and spending.

i just picked up the poster board this evening at michaels {as well as an A-dorable pink metal dress form for their room decor that has nothing to do with this project, but ah-well, it is cute!} and will start charting out the weeks, the work, and the acts of stewardship that she will contribute.

there are three things that she will complete each day to be a productive member of our family {productive as in work-worthy...we all know her to be a productive member in loveliness and geniality *wink}, including; make her bed, pick up her toys, and put her laundry away {all things she genuinly likes doing already}. each task will earn a sticker on her chart, adding up to fifteen stickers a week [monday - friday]. there are several chores in which she can choose from to add five more stickers to her chart for the week, totaling twenty stars per week. the chores chosen to work towards her allowance are dusting, cleaning with lysol wipes, and putting the silverware away. i'm trying to think of a few more five year old worthy tasks that she could choose from as well.

at the end of the week, she will receive her allowance depending on the work that was completed and i will instruct her to put it in her piggy bank. at the end of the month, we will talk about tithing, long term saving, and spending if she chooses.

i felt it was a good time to introduce this to her because she has been eagerly wanting to help in every way that she can...which makes me excited to help her work towards something profitable, teaching instruction and the value of a dollar. she's also spotted an ariel mermaid doll at the store that she dreams about {it's so cute when she wakes up and tells me her latest dream about playing with her new ariel doll}, giving her something to save her hard earned dollars towards.

if there are any other suggestions in how to go about introducing this into the family or how you yourself have done it in the past, i am eager to receive more creativity! i really think jessa is going to enjoy seeing her efforts on her chart...i'll keep you posted on how it goes! *smile

loving it.

i think i want to be done packing and cleaning and moving again and be a little more crafty and creative. yes?! sound good? i think so.

head on over to [pieces] for an uber fabulous chair makeover. and stay awhile and browse all of her adorable 'transformation' projects. you'll be hooked and want to run, literally run, to your closest thrift store.

ready.

set.

go!

drenched.

so, here i am again. entranced with the happenings from my perched view of the busyness down below. thankful that i'm not amidst the hustle and bustle of this soggy, drenched morning. i'm feeling content, though a little behind on things, with my warm environment.

i have quite a few things that need 'catching-up-on'. the girls need their dr. check-ups with their new pediatrician {which includes shots - bleh}. i need to find myself a new physician {always fun}. a costco run {more like a marathon, i haven't been in almost four months}, a grocery trip, a bank drive-thru, and a paper scavenger hunt. then there's always laundry, organizing, and the never-ending attempt at finding fun, new, creative things to make for dinner. am i right? or are all of you culinary artists in disguise? in that case, it's time to come clean and SHARE!

moving on.

i've also been dusting off my scrapbooking webs and giving it a go on my friend's grandbaby album. i have to say, i'm feeling my blood bubble as i delve back into this passionate hobby of mine. poor miley girl still only has about four 8x8 pages done in her honor. one of these days...one. of. these. days.

well, with a few more things on my mind that could potentially move mountains unlike grocery trips and dr. appointments, i must be going for now. praying that each of you find a sliver of the grace we receive from living under the arms of a loving King. because if you do? you'll find the strength to rise no. matter. what.

here's the word.

i've been more or less sporadic in my posting lately and i'll tell you why...

for the last month, my friend {rachel} and i have been correlating and planning to launch a preschool in my home for preschool age kids in our housing complex. unfortunately, due to insurance liabilities and regulations, "joyfuLiving preschool" could not be formerly instituted. basically, we were trying to be a 'licensed business' when we are obviously not. my love of organization and presentable forms were a bit much and it looked too much like a formal preschool. like i've said to many already, rachel and i completely understand the issues before us and comply fully with the given information. it also leaves a big bummer behind but, what can you do?

we were happy to hear that they do not want to discourage us to have kids over to play with activities and crafts still provided. in other words {cause it's all about 'wording'}, we have invited the interested parties for a joyfuLearning playdate. we're excited to meet new children and their families as we minister through, what i like to think of, a small group for kids. *smile

i'm also looking forward to posting the fun activities and crafts that the kids do together to share with you! to me, the most impacting activity we're doing with them are bible portfolios {a wonderful idea i got from my friend, jaci [an awesome homeschoolin' mama], over at "consider it all joy"}. each week, we'll focus on a specific bible story or bible hero, read about it, sing a song, and then the kids will create a piece of artwork that emphasizes what they learned from the story. each child will have a binder with plastic sleeves holding their treasured work. these will also include bible verses i write out for them on large ledger paper, with them choosing to color or trace over the given verse. by may, they'll have a 'scrapbook' of the bible in their own 'words' {ie. 'art'}. i can't tell you how excited i am for this part of our playdates!

so this is what's been going on for the last several weeks. waiting for words. waiting for okay's. waiting. waiting. patiently waiting. a few disappointments later, i am seeing how the Lord is working through His plan for His ministry with these children.

i still plan on focusing on one-on-one preschool time with jess to teach her how to read using "teaching your child to read in 100 easy lessons". i love to see the eagerness and glow in her face when we talk about learning and school. she is so ready and i love it.

if you have any other fun ideas/activities you'd like to share...please do! comments are always open! and so are the minds of eager children...*wink.

fruits of a beautiful day.

i got something in the mail! i got something in the mail! {as she sings with a bit of taunting in her voice}
my creative friend sent me this oh-so-lovely gift. how did she know to make it tealish in color with birdies perched all over it? oooh...maybe because sheee letmepickitout!

thanks ness for my super uber adorable new journal that sits beautifully on my nightstand waiting to be filled with all of my daily whims! your talent inspires and your friendship refreshens! i miss you!

pop on over to the bestnesst {in my sidebar --->} to check out ALL of her creative ideas - from there, you can link to her etsy shop {which is entirely way too cute all on its own!}. now...i just need to figure out how to get her birdie button on my blog. hmmm...

our evening ended with a live video chat with these two handsome gentlemen: technology is the coolest. i felt like i was literally sitting in the same room, except one thing: i couldn't physically squeeze huddy's adorable chubalub cheeks! i thought for a minute his big beaming eyes of gorgeousness were going to melt the screen right off my computer...gosh! he's cute! i miss my family. all of them. can you tell?

part two.

our peaceful bedroom. the best part? i'm standing in the doorway of our walk-in closet. also something i've never lived with. also something i will be very happy with.
our bathroom. it's hard to get a good view, but it is HUGE in comparison to our past loo. i'm just sayin'. it's awesome.
our dining area that adjoins the living space. but still offers ample room for family meals.
a piece of their princess haven. it ended up being a little bigger than i imagined and fitting both bookcases was a big success.
thanks, dad, for all of your master hanging skills in every.single.room and saving the hubby lots of headaches!

tah-dah.

part one.

our living room.my favorite thing about the living space is our view from the desk. day or night, it offers a peaceful place to computer play.

my second favorite aspect of our home is the built-ins featured in both hallways.
our perfect little kitchen. to the left of me features another fabulous "accommodation" - a.k.a. - a dishwasher! this is the first time that i have lived with one and i think i'm gonna like it. *wink. the sink and more spacious counters with two counter bars are also to my left.

giveaway @ best nesst.

go join a super cute giveaway from my creative friend over at the best nesst {in my sidebar --->}

giveaway @ best nesst!

go on over to the best nesst {in my sidebar - for all things handmade and crafty} to enter a fabulous journal giveaway! a perfect plug for one of my last posts about adoring handwritten journaling. so go enter! or don't cause i totally want to win!! *wink.

creativity break.

this is the result of a stressful...i mean, extremely fun and relaxing night out with the girls. *smile. i told you that it does something to my nerves that only my perfectionism brings out in me. but, wha-la! i think it actually turned out pretty cute. thanks ness, for making the white dots just perfect! and thanks tammy, for organizing a fabulous event (i still think it should have been a big birthday party for you. if only i knew. *wink).

okay, and THIS!

i only paid $1.63 (one dollar and sixty-three cents, in case you missed that. after tax) for this 16x16 wood ornate frame (if you click on the pic, you can see the cool scroll detail). i put little hunny in it - the day we brought her home from the hospital one year ago. it was originally $39.99 (that would be approx. $43.43 after tax) and on clearance because of some scratches that i just took a pencil eraser to. they came out perfectly! i couldn't be more excited! it's these kinds of things that make me proud to be a girl. haha? oh, and it was at kohl's...they are having a HUGE frame clearance. there are many tasteful ones to choose from and remember, if there's one you don't like, just take a can of spray paint to it. happy hunting!

paying goodies forward...

because i played on a friend's blog and get to receive some "surprise goodies" during the year, i get to put it out there for YOU! plus, i just like a good reason to give gifts (could be my love language?). paying goodies forward...leave me a comment saying 'hi!' (you don't have to be a google member/or have a blog, just sign in as anonymous and leave me your name), be the first three, and receive something from me in the mail during the year. it may or may not be something crafty? you will then need to leave me your address (if you know i don't have it) at some point - preferably through email at shootforseminary{at}hotmail{dot}com. you can choose then to post a similar message on your blog to further the fun. yay for giveaways!

creativity hour.

here are the results of the creative bugs that happened to flutter out of me last week. or was it the week before? who knows...it's all smooshed together.

diaper cake for sister-in-law's baby {boy} shower (whoo-hoo for babies and parties!)
i love monograms and any excuse to alter one! to make the blue rings, i painted the end of a toilet paper role, turning it into a stamp.
i had the itch to create something last night and made this little clipboard for a friend. i thought it would be cute with a memory verse, quote, or picture clipped to the corner.
joy in creativity is found in the simplest of ways.

nine ambitions for oh-nine.

a few creative and other-such things that i want to strive towards during the glorious year of oh-nine. always in hopes of bringing the Lord glory in what i do.

1. when the Lord lays someone on my heart to call or send a love note to, do it! don't hesitate or put it off. make the time. follow through. be purposeful. let people know how i feel about them more often. make one card a month and give to someone i am only acquainted with. build relationships. in other words, always be more 'others-oriented'.

2. plan, create, and follow through on more creative projects/games to do with the girls. learning is key (for the three of us).

3. turn off the tv more and turn up the radio. and maybe even just dance a little more too.

4. complete jessa and miley's baby pictures into scrapbook albums. the complexity or simplicity is completely up to me. have fun in the creative process. don't panic. remember to breathe.

5. decaffeinate my body (because caffeine is not my master! what? really?) and strive towards the other "health" goals that are associated with my body. because the health of myself affects the health of my children (and repeat seven hundred million times over).

6. continuously (without ceasing) pray for my husband. follow instruction from the Word to guide me in my time before the Lord. after all, there's nothing like the power of a praying wife!

7. make a conscious effort to make right decisions, in everything. it is usually the right decisions that are the hard ones. in using my time. in surrendering a want to gain a need. in choosing the correct attitude. and having joy, genuinely, in making the right choice!

8. take a chance. do one thing this year that is out of my comfort zone (besides-moving-across-the-country-to-unknown-land-with-unknown-people-far-far-away-from-loved-ones-only-to-live-in-the-blistering-heat-of-the-scorching-sun. yeah. besides that.) something that i can look back on and say, "wow, i actually did that." of course, something that is totally and completely morally and legally sound. of course. duh.

9. rely on the power of God. expect Him to do great things in my life and the life of my family. expect Him to use my trust for His glory. expect Him to follow through on His word. expect Him to supply our daily bread (because that is enough). put my expectations in God alone. His guarantee is a warranty for life.

my desire is to look at this list throughout the year with faith that i can do it. i want most of these things to simmer in my heart as each day, most likely, will swiftly pass. by the end of '09, i want to smile at what the Lord has accomplished in me. i want to laugh at the things He's conquered in my heart. i want to have complete joy in Him. here's to a blessed and fulfilled year!

simplicity of a dime.

i wanted to share something with you that i've been doing since my senior year in high school. at the time, it was a friend who was in college that passed this great idea on to me. it's called a dime jar.

for three years, i collected all of my dimes from loose change (and others contributed) into a whimsical jar of my choice. each time i made a small ten cent deposit, i was making a bigger deposit into my prayer life. i would lift up a prayer for my future husband or for myself that correlated to keeping pure spiritually, emotionally, physically...etc. it was a great reminder that the Lord had someone promised just for me and to keep my thoughts on His heavenly plans. obviously, i am no longer doing this for my future husband. however, i did start one for the girls. i have explained its purpose in toddler terms and jess just loves plopping dimes into her special jar. she says a simple prayer and then happily runs off. at this point, i think it is mostly for her mama...me. to remind me to pray for their future spouse because hey, it can never be too early.

you may be asking...what do you do with the dimes once prince charming arrives? great question. i used my dimes to purchase jacob's wedding ring. to help purchase his ring. it actually added up to a pretty impressive amount after only a few years of collecting. jessa and miley will have enough to purchase their own rings as well when their time comes. *smiles.

i appreciate the concept of what really matters. since my senior year in high school, i have had a completely different view of a dime. it's not just a measly ten cents. it's a deposit into the heavenly realms of what the Lord has planned. it keeps my mind on His desires for our future, which are always optimistic.

half of the fun is finding a cute jar to keep the sentimental dimes contained. for the girls, i originally had a starbucks glass jar (because i couldn't find anything else). this evolved into a cute plastic heart jar with a twisty lid. then i found this,
a crown for their prince. how appropriate.

this can obviously translate into a crown for a prince's princess as well, for you young little boys out there.

i look forward to painting it and giving it a little jazz and pizazz. i know jessa does too. i will post our end result.

'shoot for seminary'

i have had quite a few requests to do shoots for families for the holidays and just because. through my blog and outside sources. which is fantastic. after an overwhelming amount of positive feedback (thank you so much!) from my last photo ops, i've been throwing ideas around on how to go about making this happen.

photography is obviously a passion of mine. it is something i enjoy doing for people. it is also something that takes a lot of time, in uploading and editing. with these facts in order, i think i've come up with a great way to meet the needs of friends and family, and others, through an outlet of creative photography. ie, not your everyday 'portrait' poses. while also making it beneficial to my family - outside of meeting my creative needs, in which it does.

shoot for seminary is what i like to call my big idea.

as i schedule shoots for people, i will hand them a card that explains the plans and goals, in short, for our family as we prepare to go to seminary. they will have the choice to donate towards our adventures. this amount can obviously range in what they feel comfortable to give. plus, they will walk away with some {hopefully} great family pictures. *wink. i plan on making a portfolio as well.

i want to use this opportunity to give God the glory and use it for something that He has planned for us. i think this is a great way to further that goal.

tell me what you think of my big idea. questions? concerns? let me know! thanks! *smiles.

*update*
i have just created my very own email address for inquiries and appointments. appropriately, it is,

shootforseminary{at}hotmail{dot}com

please use this to make times for me to meet and capture your family. and i don't mean kidnap. *smile. also, for any questions you may have. i can respond quickly and efficiently having a designated place. thank you for the opportunity and hopefully, i will see you on the other side of my lens soon!

two shoots today.

as i spent a couple-few hours editing my two shoots i had today, i came to a realization that 'yup. this is totally awesome. i want to do this for-ev-er.'

i think this is what people, color and angles were created for. to capture within a lens. to freeze in a moment. it's how holidays, celebrations and everyday happenings are meant to be long-lived. we are visually stimulated, remembering more clearly through picture.

and families? a whole other story. gah. how fabulous to get asked to shoot a moment like that? snuggles and love. smooches and giggles. feet. hands. smiles. whispers.

here are just a smidgen (ok, a little more than a smidgen) of my favs from the day. enjoy. and thanks, guys, for the opportunity to get a better glimpse into your beautiful little family. what a blessing. *smile.


i will later post the other shoot of adorable mikey surrounded by punkins.

choices, options and decisons to make.

i've been creatively contemplating my, i mean our, christmas cards for the season that is quickly and unexpectedly approaching. i am so excited for what this time of year means. even though the outside brings below freezing temperatures, the warmth of the season brings so much joy.

i usually try and send my christmas cards out the day after thanksgiving. because we all know that once our tummies are stuffed from turkey and mashed potatoes, it's full speed ahead towards christmas. i took the girls to the park yesterday to take advantage of the beautiful sunshine and to capture a few of these; and the first two are not at the park, as you can see.

i know this is completely fall in every aspect, i just liked it for some reason--it can also be turned black and white, which i liked.
again, fall.
love winter hats. jessa's eyes look a little droopy in the first one, but you can see more of miley. or

and then there's the option of individual portraits with
you'll have to let me know which one favors over the next because for me, this is always the hardest part. it's good to get an outside perspective when you want to include all of the above in a 3 1/2 x 5 christmas card. after editing them, i quickly realized that i might just have to take a few more. when you have an image in your head of exactly how you want it to turn out...it's hard to accept anything else. at least, that's the way i roll.

i've been playing around with ideas of captions and color combinations of sparkly paper. i usually pump out about eighty plus cards. i keep my usual list handy to pull out when this time of year rolls around. and i usually have a few new names to add to it before it comes time to sit and address the mound of envelopes. it makes me giddy really. to crank out card after card in my mini self-made assembly line. i might just have to take some practice runs on my creativity and post a few options.

so what picture speaks the joy of christmas to you?

i must say.

there is a first for {almost} everything. my husband put his hands to a roller and produced a newly painted porch in one day. i just have a little column work to do throughout the week during my "free time". so, dad, there you have it. jacob is now a painter. you'd be proud. real proud.

i don't think i ever mentioned how it went with our realtor. she came back on saturday night to consult and give us her true word on her assessment. it was good. it pretty much fell where we were expecting it. especially with the market kind of on the fritz right now. september is supposed to be a good month for buying and selling so we'll see if that works in our favor. jacob is a homework doer for sure so we might have that big wood sign in our grass sooner than later. eek.

i must say i was looking quite trendy at one point this afternoon. please don't tell me if you passed by and were blinded beyond all belief. i was sporting my painter sweats from like...umm...seven or eight years ago? yeeeah...pretty hot. especially with my tush sticking straight up in the air trying to fill those cracks...and no, not that crack. sheesh, mom! but it's not like i'm going to jump in my sunday best to slap paint on the porch, right? exactly.

thank you to my hubby's parents for gifting me with an azteca gift card for the twenty-seventh. looks like this little lady won't be cooking after a long day's work. thank you.

creative passion? where?

i've been thinking about this one alot. pondering. rationalizing. trying to figure out why i don't delve into my creative side more often. perhaps i've just defined it in other ways...for now. i miss scrapbooking. i miss my little family that i worked with. felt like living with at times, in the early years. i've met up with, hung out and ran into many members of this family over the last year. i'm not sure if my sentimental flashback is based on the fact that we're coming up on a year of 'closin-up shop'. mid-october will be a year.

i can't explain the feeling of knowing i had a place to go to and surround myself in yummy goodness of color, paper and embellishments. to be able to pick up a piece of paper and feel its texture. see its vibrancy of color. you can't get that from shopping off of a computer screen or flipping your fingers through a magazine. not even close. you can't even find it in a general craft store that 'happens' to have a scrapbook section in the corner. it just doesn't offer the same feeling. the same rush. i easily know i'm not the only one that feels this way. we had quite a following of customers and friends that walked through those doors on a weekly basis. it was a hang out. a place of comfort. a place to relax. chill if you will. it sparked creativity even in the ones who called themselves "uncreative" (and i am one that doesn't believe in that word). it had something to offer everyone.

my little shop i've set up for myself at home is now being put away into sheltered boxes. having to say goodbye for awhile is probably why i lack the juices flowin'. i've turned my creative energy, what's left of it, into thrift shopping, blogging and...more blogging. honestly, i think i've pumped out two or three 8x8 pages for miley's little album so far. how pathetic is that? really. poor girl, good thing love isn't defined in how many scrapbook pages you produce for your child by the time they turn five months.

i know i haven't {and never will} completely lose the passion for scrapbooking. because, after all, to me, it's celebrating the everyday. it's capturing the moments that i too easily forget. it's remembering the little things the girls say and do. it's lifting up the personalities of people in my life. it's documenting the challenges we face together. realizing that everyday is a gift. a blessing. a chance to give glory. and yes, i do believe i can give God glory through scrapbooking. because i do. and i guess that's exactly why i want to do more of it. it keeps my eyes open to my world. it gives me an attitude of gratefulness. creativity gives me a new set of eyes, looking through a lens of sheer beauty for life. i would get such a 'creative high' when i would teach my classes. i loved being a tool to help empower women (and a few men) to reach a goal they thought was unattainable. to watch their faces shine with creative pride. it's a thing of beauty.

for me, this is a step in the process. blogging. journaling. documenting the flow of words and thought. one of the most important steps to the process, i might add. it's the meat to the finished product. the heart. the feeling. however, i do understand that words do not always add to a picture. sometimes a picture really is worth a thousand words. a thousand unspoken words. ahh...pictures. sacred eye candy that should be saved for another precious post. okay, where was i? oh yes, words. scrapbooking. creativeness. all the things i feel i am missing in emptiness at the moment.

let's just hope my passion didn't get boxed up along with my pictures, paper and punches. i would really like to see it again in the next four years...