Blessing #206 - Word of the Year

Hello friends that happen to read this blog....

Wait! Before I go any further, I have to stop right there.  

My Aunt Ruthie got internet and reads the blog now! So I must stop and say, "Hey Aunt Ruthie! Love you!"

Okay, I'm back. It's been a month since I blogged last.  We live in the boonies, and while I love the peace and quiet there is one thing that I hate about the boonies...the internet.

There is no high speed internet available in our area so we use a mobile hot spot.  Over the past month, that hotspot has been terrible! We didn't have a signal at all! My phone internet would work, but not this hot spot!

After Shad had many phone conversations with Verizon, it seems like we have internet....for now.  I really don't trust it though.  If the wind blows a certain way, a solar flare explodes, or construction starts up near our house again there's a good chance we will lose our internet again.

As frustrating as it is, if bad internet is the cost for being surrounded by beautiful fields, I'll take that deal any day!

Last week, I celebrated my 31st birthday! For the past three years around my birthday, I pick a word of the year.

Most people pick a word of the year at the start of the year.  If you've never heard about it, you can check it out here. 

When I pick a word of the year, it's kind of my motto for that year.  For my 29th year, my first ever word of the year was "shine," and this word is really my life motto.  Shine will always be a special word for me.

The Bible verse that represented this word for me was, Matthew 5:16, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." 

For my 30th year, my word was "abundant." The Bible verse that represented this word for me was the last part of John 10:10, "I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly."

For my 31st year, my word came to me shortly after Collin's accident, grace.  Grace has just seemed to echo in my thoughts over the past few months.

The verse that represents this word for me is 2 Corinthians 12:9, "And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.  Most gladly therefore will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

I think in the past, I have only focused on one aspect of grace. Saving grace, that amazing grace the hour I first believed, but since Collin's accident I have seen how much grace is in the everyday. How much I need grace and how much I need to give grace.

Ann Voskamp said, "Grace isn't some soft ethereal, notion. Grace is a noun, it's a verb, it's concrete, it's like air. Just try living without it.

Later, I hope to share more about what this word means to me, but today I just wanted to share my word for the year.

Do you pick a word for the year, or have a word that means a lot to you? I'd love to hear it.

Blessing #205 - The swooping y

I mentioned Wednesday, that I've been making more signs lately.  A couple of weeks ago, I made my friend this sign for her little girl.

When my other friend saw this sign, she ordered one for her daughter, Katelyn.  Excited about a new order, I set out to work on the new sign, but there was one problem....the swooping y. 

Let me explain. Blake has no swooping letters like p, q, or y, but Katelyn has that swooping y right towards the very end.  Because of that swooping y, I couldn't put the last two names underneath without that swooping y interfering.  That swooping y drove me crazy.  

I mentioned my problem to my friend that ordered the sign, and offered a few solutions. Apparently changing the spelling to Katelin wasn't an option, so I told her I would send her a few new designs.  

As I was making new designs, I thought of a solution at the last second to that annoying swooping y. When I shared it with my friend, she loved it.  

Here is the final sign....

Oh! I just loOoOove it! The "...wonderfully made" just makes this Momma's tender heart just melt.

Suddenly, that swooping y was no longer an annoyance, but the perfect break between the verse and the reference on this sign.

Ever since I finished this sign, I have been thinking about that swooping y.

(Warning: Hokey application to real life approaching) 

That swooping y made me think of all those annoyances in my life.I'm not talking about the life changing devastating stuff, but the little annoyances.  Those annoyances that I just wish I could change and they would be gone.

Maybe I think "the sign" should look one way, but God may have a different plan all together for the sign that is me. (See, I warned you, hokey.) Maybe, I see something as an annoyance, but he just might have that annoyance, that swooping y, in just the right spot.  He gives beauty for ashes. Who knows how beautiful he can make my swooping y's?

Blessing #204 - Treat Cards

Today, I am sharing one of my secrets of awesomeness. Yes! that's right I do have one secret to awesomeness.

For two years, I have been using the website Treat cards to send all my cards. They are not paying me to write this blog post. I don't even get any perks, but I just really like their cards and had to share.

Have you ever tried to go card shopping with a toddler? Just as I'm trying to concentrate and find just the right sentiment to show my love, the buggy moves a little to close to the cards, and Collin has a card throwing free for all.

When I order my cards from Treat, I can do it from the privacy of my own home, or even use their app on my phone to send one on the go.  They will even mail it to the recipient saving me a trip to the post office.

My favorite part of Treat cards is that you can customize them and add pictures.  Last month, I sent a thank you card for Brandon to some friends that took him on a "funday Sunday." (I messed up with the double commas)

You can even customize the inside of the card with pictures and your own message.

And the back of the card is a nice little surprise.

I made a cards for my mom and Shad's mom after Collin's accident.  I love that I can use the same card and customize the words and message for each mom.

This one I made the outside all black and white with and the inside color.

I know what you are wondering right now. How much do they cost? A Treat card is $3.99, and if you've been to card shopping, you know that's even cheaper than some of the store cards.

With mother's day and father's day coming up, I knew we would be making a lot of cards. I joined the card club at Treat. That is where I bought 18 cards all at once, but the price of each card was only $1.99! I don't have to use all the cards at once, but the cards are credited to my treat account.

When I send a Treat card, the recipient usually calls me and thanks me for the card. It's such a nice surprise. These are the cards that people keep and put on display.  With Mother's Day next Sunday, trust me, be an all-star and send your Mom a Treat card.  

You can find their selection of Mother's Day cards here, and their great selection of thank you cards here.
 

Blessing #203 - Toolbox Transformation

Today, I have a quick make over that I really love!

Over the past few weeks, I have been painting more signs.  My supplies normally stay in my chalk board dresser, but when I'm working, I just leave my paints out in the middle of the table.  That can cause a problem when my tools seem to walk away.

The other day, I decided to use this tool tray that I got from a yard sale over a year ago.

I put all my paint supplies in the tray and it worked great, but it just didn't seem creative enough for all my tools.  A little teal paint later and....

I just love it! I love that this tray was used for tools and hard work and now it's all bright and pretty!

Originally, I was going to put the create label right in the middle, but I like it so much better down in the corner.

Oh! But it gets better! I looked through my shelf paper scraps and....

They match perfectly! I knew I saved those shelf paper scraps for a reason!

Now my tools are much more tidy.

 A bright color, some shelf paper, and a label! So many of my favorite things on one piece!

I'll be sharing this project with these great sites. 

Blessing #202 - A Father's Love

Pop,

On Sunday, you will be turning 60, and I know you are not looking forward to it very much.  C'mon Dad! It's just a number.  I don't know anyone who had trouble with a birthday.  I definitely don't know anyone who did something crazy just to make turning 30 a little easier.

Okay. Maybe I do know somebody like that. Okay!!! Maybe it's me.

Maybe a fear of birthdays that are multiples of ten is a hereditary thing.

Anyway, I know when I was struggling with 30, I tended to look back and only focus on my missed accomplishments and failures.  In the midst of turning 30, I had a hard time focusing on the good I had done.

As an eye witness to the last half of your life, let me raise my hand and share with you something you got right.

In all my thirty years, never have I ever doubted that you loved me.  You love me not for the things that I do or don't do, but you love me fiercely simply because I am your daughter.

I know that may not sound like a big accomplishment, but trust me, as the one who has had the assurance of your love, it's a big accomplishment.

The older I get the more I've  learned how important your love was for me, and the more women I talk to, the more I realize how lucky I am to have your love and acceptance.

To be honest, I know you didn't have the greatest example to show you love, but as something only God can do, you showed me your love not only in words but in actions my entire life.

Your love and acceptance molded me into the confident and strong woman that I am today.

I could go on, but my words don't seem to do it justice.

Happy 60th birthday Pop! I know you've had many more accomplishments than the one I mentioned, but that one means the most to me.  I love you, but even more importantly, I know you love me.

Love,
Bubba

Blessing #201 - My New Pantry Door

Last week, I took one more step in ridding my house of paneling.  Here is a quick reminder of what my kitchen looked like before...

And now!!!

Seriously! My dark little kitchen is so much lighter! I am so, SoOoOoOo happy with how it turned out!

It took me six weeks to paint my dining room, but I had to get this room done in a week.  Sometimes, when I see a makeover on a blog, my mind fills in the blanks.  I assume the woman worked on the makeover all day, cooked supper, and kept up with all the laundry.

Let me help you fill in the blanks. Last week, I painted the kitchen....and that's it.  I am not super woman. I can't do it all. For one week though, I focused and got this job done, and when it was finished, I took a day to dig out of the disaster that was my house. Now, things are running back in normal order....as normal as it can get around here.

Originally, I planned on painting the walls blue gray.  I spent 40 minutes in Sherwin Williams with two workers helping me pick out just the right shade of blue gray that matched my dining room too.  (Reason #357 that I love Sherwin Williams)

Once I found just the right color, I took it home a sample and painted a big part of the wall, and....I hated it! Hated every bit of it.

I don't know what it is, but I'm just a fan of having neutrals on my walls.  I did find a good use for that blue paint sample, and it is my favorite part of the kitchen.

I just love my blue pantry door.  I originally saw this on The House of Smiths. I spray painted the door handle with my favorite dark bronze paint and roughed up all the edges on the door.  Making the door look a little older really fits the character of this 150 year old house.

The new door even makes my pantry look better.

I still have a few projects to do on another wall, but for today, I just wanted to share my pantry door.  It's amazing what a difference a little paint can make.

Blessing #200 - Spring Mantle

Last week was crazy! I decided to paint my kitchen in one week.  It took me six weeks to paint the dining room so painting a paneled room in one week was quite a feat for me.

Sometime this week, I'll show part of the kitchen redo, and I can't wait. I loOoOoOove it! The hard work is not so bad when you get such a good result.

For today though, I thought I would share my quick spring mantle.

I raided my stash and just combined different elements that I already had to come up with this spring mantle.

 I got the fake plant things at a yard sale for $2 last year.

Since we've moved into the house, this little corner beside the fireplace has stayed the same, but this week I added a little element that I love.

A few weeks ago, a friend was throwing out one of those wooden calendars, and she asked me if I wanted it.  I knew I would do something with it, and immediately said yes.

I planned on remaking the calendar, but I ended up white washing some of the numbers and putting them in my little shadow box.  Each row is one of our birthdays.

I love having our special days on displays, but I really love having numbers incorporated into our living room.

If you know me, you know how much I love numbers and math.  It means a lot to me to have something I thin is beautiful on display at my house....Wait. I realize you are probably saying one of two words right now, "Nerd" or "Crazy," but that's okay, I would have to agree.