Hair today....

....Gone tomorrow!

I haven't cut my hair since I got sick in August. {As in not even a trim!} It was getting really and I was dying to have it cut. Especially since the temps have been near 100 lately. I was hoping to be able to donate it again like I did 2 years ago, but with a wedding at the end of the month I decided I didn't want to risk it. Ended up cutting off about 8 inches. I think its going to take a little while to get used to short hair again, but we both love it!

P.S. I am NOT loving the affect Prednisone is having on my cheeks and weight....yeah gotta work on that!

Botanical Gardens Date

Roderick and I love to take a walk through our local botanical gardens. {So much so that we decided to splurge on a year long pass!} Thankfully there is lots of trees for shade on a hot day. There's nothing quite like taking a slow stroll through a gorgeous garden with your Honey. Life has been too busy and this was just the "date" we needed!
Here's a few pics of our most recent trip:

{Loving all the different varieties of  hydrangeas - my favorite flower and the Columbine's that remind us of "home" -Colorado's state flower}.

Sunshine and Answered Prayer

Today was yard sale day. It was a little earlier than we usually do it, because life is too crazy in April. We've been watching the weather and praying since we scheduled it a month ago. This time of year the weather fluctuates 20 to 30 degrees from one day to the next. There's also quite a bit more chance of rain. Weather.com reported different weather every day this week, but always a 30% chance of rain. Yesterday it predicted 40% chance of rain for the first two hours of the sale. Well.... they were wrong!! We did get some quick sprinkles around 7, but that's it. It was pretty chilly though for most of the sale, but we did get lots of sunshine! I actually only took off my coat to take this picture. It did get pretty warm while we loading up though. If it wasn't for the wind we probably would have stayed out there longer.

The Lord also answered our prayers about a large semi that kept parking and blocking the street view. It's been there off and on for months now (More on than off though), but we asked the Lord to have him not park there today. Guess what, we got there this morning no semi! It's the Lord good to answer even our smallest requests.

Overall we had a great turnout. Much better than I would have expected, especially since it was so cold. I only came home with one small bin of stuff. I also made more than my highest goal! Yeah for more money to put in the New York fund. I'd still love to one day sell it all...but I'm perfectly content with what I did sell.

Oh, and my money pouch worked wonderfully. I'm not sure how I ever had a sale without it! The hat my friend Kristen crocheted worked wonderfully as well. She's not quite finished with it as she's still going to add a flower, but I'm SO glad I had it today. I would have been pretty miserable without it!

Enjoying the little things

This saying has really been on my mind and heart lately. I feel like the Lord has struck me with the thought and desire to enjoy the life he's given me, whatever it may be. When life is all comfortable and speeding by, I often forget to "stop and smell the roses." Since I've been sick that's about all I can do.

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because I didn't want another "I'm still sick post." However, I decided that it was time to post again whether I'm still sick or not. Today marks 3 months of sickness. I've been told that mono is like really bad morning sickness... I'm hoping like morning sickness it will go away after 3 months. (Tomorrow would be nice.) Too bad the "reward" in the end isn't the same!!!

Here's one the little things that has become a big thing lately:

With me stuck in the house most days, outings have taken on more of a gargantuan occasion status. For the last month or two we've had the tradition of going to 3 Amigo's every Saturday. I truly look forward to it! Roderick drops me off at the curb and I either sit on the bench outside (Centerville) or on the benches inside (Battlefield) until he parks the car. By the time he comes in I've gained a little strength again. We ALWAYS share the same thing. When, I say always, I mean always... At both locations the waiter/waitress has placed our orders for us. We love that it's "healthy" and cheap.

I'm hoping when the Lord chooses to heal me from this mono, that I will continue to thank him and enjoy the "little things".

Are there any little things that you've realized really are big things lately?

Life Happens

I had lofty goals of posting before the end of the week, but obviously that didn't happen. Life has thrown a couple of curve balls our way. First of all almost immediately after I posted the last post I spilled almost an entire glass of coke on my keyboard. Although I tried everything I could to clean it, the spill resulted in the TAB, the letters QWERTY and shift no longer working. The crazy part is that the spill was mainly on the 10-key section of the keyboard. Nevertheless typing on that computer has been quite difficult. Thankfully we have Roderick's laptop. However, he's been on it a lot this week.

This brings us to our second "curve ball." Last week Roderick began complaining of some pain in his back and thought he'd pulled a muscle. A couple of days later I noticed something strange in that same area, but thought it was just a bump. The following day it was a little larger, but we still decided to watch it. After work on Monday, Roderick mentioned that his back was still painful, but really itchy too. Upon seeing the rash beginning to wrap around his side I said, "I think you have shingles." I think this was of the Lord, as I'm not very medical. A quick search on mayo.com helped to confirm my suspicion. So, he's now on some medication, and has joined me in staying home this week. Thankfully he's getting better.

Thankfully I seem to be improving again as well and have been able to help out around the house a little. I can tell I'm starting to get better by my strong desire to clean and straighten my house. Two months take a tole on a house and it could really use a deep clean. On Wednesday I spent the day sitting in my bathroom and scrubbing everything I could while taking numerous breaks. At least that room feels better now. I can also tell I've been in my house too long by my desire to redecorate. I think my bathroom will be getting a overhaul soon!

Fall finally arrived in our home this week. Melody brought me an adorable pumpkin with a nifty ledge that is "perfect for a ribbon." She left it on our doorstep as she hasn't had chicken pox and she doesn't want them! (I certainly don't blame her!) Today I had Roderick get out the fall decor box and it's starting to feel like fall around here. I love it!

 

 

I loved all the comments on the last blog. So many new comments from friends I had no idea were reading the blog..love you NellDell and Aunt Debbie. Melody I know you read my blog, but it meant a ton that you commented! Rachel it was fun visiting your site and thanks for commenting. Sara I always love your comments. So without further ado I'll announce the winner. With Roderick home I decided to have him do the honors. I had to laugh when he pulled out this name...



Sara seems to be the lucky one when it comes to my giveaways! I'm pretty sure she also won my last giveaway as well! Sara, I know I had your address at one point, but I need it again.

Hope you have all had a great week! Next week I hope to do a couple posts throughout the week, but you never know what a week can bring!

:100th post: Jewlery: Giveaway:

This is my 100th post! It's hard to believe. Thanks to those of you who are my faithful readers. I love hearing comments from you! I believe my most faithful follower is my mom. I'm not sure if you notice or not, but she  comments on almost every single post. (And I happen to know she checks the blog almost every single day too!!)

In honor of her faithfulness, I've chosen to use this post to show off some of my Mom's amazing artistic skills. She has many different talents, painting, decorating, sewing, crafting. In this post, however, I'll focus on her newly acquired skill of jewelery making. She began by creating jewelry for friends and family, but is now attempting to sell a few, rather quite a few. She's calling her little business, Feathered Nest Creations. (No, she does not have an etsy shop or a blog...yet that is. My sisters and I are trying to encourage her to do so.) I'll be attempting to sell some of her creations along with my paintings in November at the ladies conference.

Feathered Nest Creations was started in January when my Dad broke his leg in a freak accident taking down the Christmas lights. It was meant to be a quite small hobby my Mom could do as he recovered. Three surgeries, maybe even four I can't remember, and 10 months later he is still in the recovery stage. He is now cast free and walking on it, but its still a long road to complete healing. Actually, he is currently waiting to hear from the doctor if there is ANOTHER infection. Prayers would be greatly appreciated! His Aunt, my Great-Aunt, and a very dear sweet Christian lady went to be with the Lord yesterday after struggling with a bout of pneumonia. So knowing the results of that test will, I'm sure, greatly affect their travel decisions in the coming days. Okay, I digress....not sure why I mentioned all that, but we would all be very grateful for the prayers!

My sister...a budding photographer and good one at that (not that I'm biased or anything).... took these photos of Mom's work. Here's a few of my personal favorites....

So why do I show you these beautiful photos? Well, in honor of my this landmark post, my Mom has graciously allowed me to giveaway this gorgeous pair of earrings!

So how can you win it? Well, I'm going to make it easy... simply comment on this post telling me your favorite post or topic or something you'd like me to post about in the next 100 posts. Only one entry per person, but I'm fine with multiple comments if you'd like. = )

This giveaway will last one week. Next Friday, October 15th, I will pick the winner the "old-fashioned way," by writing down the names of all the entries and randomly choosing a winner.

Thanks to all of you for being readers! I hope you have a great weekend.

*Disclosure: My mom did offer to give away one of her earrings, but she had no idea I was going to brag on her talents in this way. She is not paying me to do this giveaway and all opinions are mine. = ) I love you, Mom!

Life is "Sweet"

No, this is not the post in which I tell you I am finally over mono...actually quite the opposite as I fear I've had another resurgence of the symptoms this week. However, it is the post in which I tell you God is good, life is great, and He's given me so many sweet blessings this week I can't help but post them.

Replacement sunshine flowers from a sweet friend

The resurgence of symptoms actually began last Friday after a very fitful night of sleep. So on Saturday I slept until 2! (Yeah, 2 in the afternoon...however, I will say that I did wake up umpteen times, but I was always able to go back to sleep.) Upon waking my husband tells me he thinks we should go out to eat and suggests Olive Garden. (As he knew I had been craving their soup, salad, and bread sticks. Sweet thing #1) I then preceded inform him I will just take a shower and not wash my hair as it's chilly outside, I don't want to add more symptoms by going outside with wet hair and I don't feel like I have the energy to blow dry my hair after the shower and then go out. (Wow that was quite the run-on sentence....) He then tells me to go ahead and wash my hair and he'll blow dry it for me! Which he did very well I might add! Sweet thing #2

When we finally made it to the car I declined my seat, as car rides seem to take a lot out of me these days. My husband opened the back windows and turns up the heat a little, "so you can get fresh air, but not be too cold." Sweet thing #3

After a wonderful, albeit tiring, meal at Olive Garden, we proceeded to CBTS (my husband's school) where I stayed in the warmed car while my husband picked out a book to read for fun. He choose Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin. Which brings me to Sweet thing #4, my dear sweet husband read that book to me until his throat became raw. At which time he would take a little break, read silently for a few pages, and then began reading out loud again.

While he read that wonderful book, I worked on this sweet picture I had begun several days before.

I had a wonderfully sweet time searching out a verse to put on the bottom of the cupcake. Try doing a quick search of sweet or taste in the Bible and you will find several verses talking about how sweet the Lord's words are to us, or how sweet they should be. Such  a good reminder and Sweet thing #5.


We have continued to read a couple of chapters of Pride and Prejudice every night when Roderick gets home from work. Plus we've been watching the long A& E movie, in sections as they go with the book. Sweet thing #6.

One evening, I believe it was Sunday, I was craving something sweet and my husband found an unopened container of chocolate Haagen-Dazs in the freezer. I know it sounds crazy, but that shared sweet was simply marvelous! Sweet thing #7.

Sweet thing #8 has to be mentioned as well. That sweet thing is the number of you that took the time to comment on my last post. (So many first time comments as well!) Ah, life is sweet and those comments mean the world to me!

I must admit that there are SO many more sweet little things I could post...like a friend stopping by last week to give me a stack of the most delicious ginger cookies I have ever eaten (Fall exuded out of every bite!), or another friend that added a pumpkin cake to the meal she brought to us because she knew I was craving pumpkin.....but I think I'll stop here for now.

As this week has progressed and I have remained feeling pretty blah, my husband has done so many sweet things. Just little things that if it were not for my illness and my specific thought process on taking notice of the sweet things, I may have taken for granted. Although I would never have wished to be sick for this long, I can say it has drawn my heart closer to my husband and has caused our relationship to be sweeter. (Which I wouldn't have thought possible as we already had a sweet relationship.)

The illness has also seemed to draw my heart closer to my Saviour. I still see my need for growth so acutely, but I am thankful for the sweetness of my current relationship with Him. My desire is still that my love for Him grows to be wider and deeper. I am so beyond undeserving of His love it sometimes crushes me. Yet I know that despite that unworthiness, He looks at me and He sees the payment His Son made for me on the cross!

This post is not written to make you think I have a perfect life. That is very far from true! It is written to encourage you, and myself as I read this later, that blessings, little and small, abound and we should strive to take notice of them.  Such an effort can cause such great encouragement despite the fact we are at our "lowest" or maybe because we are there. The Lord is good and life is Sweet!

Have you taken the time to reflect on the sweet gifts the Lord has given you this week?

A VERY Random List of Thoughts

I love random lists about people and I decided to jot down a few random thoughts I've had today.... 


1. I love Christ, but recently I have been struck by my need to be "in love with" Christ more. Oh, that my relationship with him will grow to become fuller and wider and deeper!


2. I am VERY tired of being stuck in my house! Lord heal me quickly! PLEASE!! But in the mean-time cause me to love you more during this time.


3. I am loving the beginning of the fall weather and the rain we've had the past couple of days. Makes me want to light a fall scented candle, decorate the house, bake something pumpkin.... Too bad that isn't a "wise choice" right now, as my husband gently reminds me!


4. I love it when my husband randomly sings a chorus to I Never Had a Dream Come True....Although, when we listened to the actual song today, I found out his version is MUCH different than the original. I can't help but smile when he tells me he loves me with this song!


5. I love to clean and organize my house. Really I do!! After almost 2 months of being down I'm very ready to be at it again. Thankfully my husband loves a clean, organized house too, so the house isn't too bad despite my illness!


6. I can't explain why I am crying making this list...maybe its the rain!

7. I LOVE to paint. I'm finding inspiration in everything these days...Scripture, Magazines, Online....


8. It's my dream to one day fly first class... I don't know why I just think that would be fun.


9. Speaking of dreams.... I'd also like to go on a cruise someday with my husband. I don't care where....Hopefully I wouldn't get sick!


10. I love reading comments from my readers. After posting I anxiously check my e-mail hoping for a comment.


11. I am so thankful for friends and family that have provided us with a few meals lately. You guys are the best!


12. Speaking of friends, my dear sweet friend Melody has gone above and beyond the call of duty lately. Stopping by to check on me and folding clothes while we talk, emptying the dishwasher without the slightest request from me, shopping for me, requesting meals for us since she knows we could use them, dusting and washing my bathroom mirror.... The list could go on and on....She's the best! So thankful the Lord has given me SO many friends like her here in Virginia.


13. I'm so thankful for the ability to see my little buddy yesterday after such a long time! A rare cuddle while we read a book yesterday, pure smiles and giggles.....there's nothing else quite like it!


14.I love my little garden on my back porch. 14!!! tomatoes growing on my tomato plant!


15. I love that the Lord gave us such a beautiful upstairs apartment with a wonderful view out the living room window!


16. I've felt very compelled lately to be a better hostess. I can't count the number of times I've neglected to offer a guest something to drink...how easy is that?!?! I'm reading a book called " A Life That Says Welcome: Simple Ways to Open Your Heart & Home to Others." Felling very convicted and finding I have a lot of work in this area.


17. I'm Very ready to be done with mono...Oh, I guess I already mentioned that!


18. I'm so thankful for my husband and his great sacrifice lately. I'd be in a very sorry state if it wasn't for him!


19. I love reading blogs...especially right now because it feels like I'm socializing with others. Just gotta be careful of the discontentment that can start creeping in from doing so!!


21. I love couponing and saving money. It has truly become my passion and I find such joy in a good buy!

22. My husband and I have talked a lot lately about someday adopting...even if we have a little one(s) of our own. I can't help but get teary eyed when I think of the little ones out there without a loving home! I just wish that option was a little more inexpensive.

23. I'm sitting here looking at my sunshine flowers and wishing they were still sunshiny. Too bad they couldn't have been longer lasting. A least they were beautiful for a week!

24. I LOVE polka dots, flourishes, damask patterns... BUT especially polka dots. I don't think you can have too much of them in your house!

25. I'm starting to run out of random thoughts and am wondering if I should stop now.


26. I love a good yard sale...both selling and buying. I can't wait till the Women of CBTS yard sale on the 16th of October... I'm praying that I'm able to participate.

27. Speaking of yard sales, I don't think there is ever a time that I don't have a box of stuff for a yard sale. If I find something we no longer need or want it automatically goes in my box.

28. I'm always amazed at how much stuff makes it in that box before a yard sale. The Lord has blessed us so abundantly more than we ever deserve!

29. I am amazed if you have stuck through to the end of this randomness! I guess I'll stop here since I'm currently this old. How did that happen???! = )

Friday Favorite: Frugal Rosette Shirts

I am in love with the current trend of putting cute rosettes on shirts, sweaters, etc. I love everything except the price tag that is usually attached to these beauties. So I found a solution...remember my idea post with an idea on how to make this cute shirt by Hope Studios?

Well while we were in Colorado my Mom and I had a day together and we tried our hand at creating them! It was definitely an quick, easy, and fun project that even someone who doesn't really know much about sewing {like me!} can perform. The best part about the project is that my mom was able to find cute shirts in several colors on the clearance rack of Target for $4! So I made 3 cute shirts for about $8 a piece! {Sure beats the $50 + price tag I've been seeing!}

Here's how we made them based on these instructions: - Unfortunately I didn't take step-by step pictures, but hopefully you'll still get the idea.

*Buy 2 shirts of the same color or mix and match colors {Look on clearance racks - the second size doesn't matter since you will just be cutting it up}

*Take a piece of scrap paper and cut out templates for your circles. {I folded the piece several times and then traced the bottom of a pop can [or soda can for my east coast friends] to get my large circle. Once you cut out that circle(s) you will have several templates the same size. You will need at least three. I then decreased one of the large circles to be a medium circle and another to be a small circle. These don't have to be exact, but I found it nice to have at least a template for cutting}

*Take the second shirt {cut up shirt} and begin to cut out your circles. {I found it best to cut out squares of the fabric and pin the template on the square before cutting. My fabric was rather stretchy and when I cut directly from the shirt the result looked nothing like a circle! Again the circle doesn't have to be exact to look good on the final product, but you probably want something in a general shape of a circle. = ) }

*After cutting out 7 sets of circles,  begin sewing them by hand to first shirt {wearing shirt}. {I found it easiest to create a rosette by bunching it together before beginning the sewing. You'll still need to bunch and try to catch more after that initial stitch, but I found it helped. This was definitely a trial and error for me...i.e. don't look at the undersides of my shirts, but at least the final product looked good!}

*Try different methods with your circle sets - close bunch, single rosettes. My guess is no two will be alike! {With the single rosettes I started with the middle template and just created a smaller template so my rosettes were not quite as big.}

Here's our results:

{All necklace created by Cindy with Feathered Nest Creations [my mom]. We are still working on creating an etsy shop after I attempt to sell some of her beautiful creations at the show in November. I'm having a hard time not keeping them all, but I don't need 60+ necklaces and bracelets! Plus I don't have my ears pierced and can't enjoy all her beautiful earnings that come with the sets} 

Such a fun project and I still have lots of leftover shirt in all three colors to make more! Let me know if you decide to try out the project. I'd love to see your pictures!!!

Botanical Gardens Date

I think we might get a season pass here next year. We had so much fun walking around, taking photos, and just generally enjoying God's scenery! It was a really hot day, but all the trees really helped it be more comfortable weather. Unfortunately most of the hydrangeas, my personal favorite, were past there season. I want to return when they are in season!