Regardless

 

shirt: old navy  dress: tjmaxx  shoes: kohls

A few weeks ago when I was having a rough week, a good friend dropped off a package with this beautifully framed poem in it.
The words were perfect and comforting and I've read it over and over again.  

Regardless of the circumstance, 

Regardless of the fear.

Regardless of the pain we bear, 

Regardless of the tear. 

Our God is in control 

Performing as he should, 

and he has promised in His word

to work things out for our good. 

But as a loving Father would, 

He sometimes let's us cry,

To cleanse the hurt from our heart, 

To wash it from our eye. 

Yet he gently gathers our tears, 

within His hands to stay, 

Until he turns them into jewels, 

and gives them back someday.  

I realized what a huge impact this small gift had on how I felt.  It made me feel comforted, loved and encouraged.  It has encouraged me to look for opportunities to make someone else feel the same way.   One of the blessings of the trials from this year is that I'm learning how to better love and encourage those who may be suffering.  

After reading this post, I love the idea about having goals for the week regarding how to make those around you feel loved.  This week I want to make it my goal to go out of my way to make someone feel loved and special, like my friend did for me.  

Cup Half Full   On your heart Tuesday
call me blessed   life on a mission

fire alarm

(Now this outfit is far from post worthy, but I got my hair cut and colored and my friend that cuts my hair curled it and I loved it. So I figured my lazy Saturday outfit would have to do for a picture.)

I need to start by saying that I have an extremely low tolerance for loud or annoying noises. 

I'm convinced that I hear them louder than others.
Which make Chris' annoying sounds like scratching his throat unbearable to me.
But that could be a whole other blog post.
(Oh wait I kind of did that once already.)

There have been strands of time where one of the fire alarms in our house would beep sporadically and I can never figure out which one it is.  I'll stand under one and wait and then nothing.  I move away and hear it again.

Well yesterday it happened again.  I finally figured out which fire alarm it was and I had to get a ladder from the garage in order to reach it.
It took me forever to get it off and get the battery out.
Put a new battery in.
Climbed up to put it back.
Walked back into the kitchen and more beeping.

Took it out again, took the battery out and set it on the counter.
Walked away and it was still beeping.
With no battery in it.

I felt just like this:


(If you don't know this episode - watch the clip here)

But instead of throwing it down a garbage shoot it is sitting in my garage.
With no battery in it, and probably still beeping.

Linking up to: Mingle Monday & Mingle Monday

High Five for Friday

 

dress & jacket: Old Navy   flats: Target 

1. I was happy to discover that I could wear this dress like a skirt, expect for the fact that there is a little tie as part of the dress around my waist.  Hence the string going down my shirt, and it annoyingly kept hanging out all day. 

2.  Did you notice the sweet new links and buttons on my blog? I am SO happy with my new design.  I was lucky to find Chelsea, who just started a blog, and has some awesome graphic/designing skills and helped me out.  She sent me the images so fast and told me how to add them to my blog.  You should go check out her blog too!  Thank you Chelsea - you are awesome and appreciated!

3.  I made this chex mix for Lauren's bachlorette party.  It was delicious.  

Chris even said it was the best dessert ever.  

But if you recall that happens often. 

recipe here

4.  I pretty much turned into Viola Swamp at school the last two days.

Do you know these books? 

  

Summer countdown: 27 school days 

5.  I found two different bird canvases that I liked and combined them to make this:

It is now hanging on my wall right above my sewing machine.  

I love how it turned out and love the reminder that God is my refuge.  

Happy weekend!

High Five for Friday
One Artsy Mama

claim to fame

 shirt & belt: old navy  pants: gap  shoes: ?

 I've been meaning to write about this since I started blogging but somehow kept forgetting. 

I may just be a little famous. 

See I am pretty much related to the inventor of blogger.  

This may sound a little removed but it's kind of a big deal.

My grandma's sister's  husband's cousin is the inventor of blogger and twitter - Evan Williams.

I should include the small detail that my grandma is actually my step grandma so while we aren't officially blood related,
I'm still going to count it.

And I'd happily take any kind of inheritance in the future for being an extended relative.

And maybe that means I should join twitter too. 

Linking up to:

  Rolled up Pretty  momma go round

Rae Gun Ramblings
pleated poppy  the letter 4

sometimes I'm a really good wife

pants: express (at least 7 years ago)  scarf: gap  shoes: dsw

(please ignore the fact that my pants are in desperate need of being ironed.  oops.)

 Overall I think I'm a pretty good wife.  And thankfully Chris makes it really clear that I make him happy.

Chris is actually pretty easy to make happy, which I appreciate. 

But sometimes, something makes him so incredibly happy and he can't stop talking about it.  After a lot of searching and debating about what lawn mower to buy, he finally found a great deal on a John Deere riding mower.
Now we don't need a riding mower. Our yard is not that big.  

But despite the slight increase in lawn mower budget and that it is not a huge need, I agreed with Chris that he should get it. 

I feel pretty good about my decision after I saw how unbelievably excited he was.  

All within 10 minutes he said to me:

"Did you see my mower?" 

"Did you go sit on it in the garage while I was gone?"

"Want to go sit on it when I get home?"

"Aren't you just so excited to ride around on my lawn mower?" 

"I'm going to go hang out in the garage with my John Deere."

Happy Husband.  Happy Me. 

and posts like this have to make up for ones like this, right?


linking up to: true beauty files

Bachlorette Party Success

dress: forever 21  shoes: dsw  

Despite my old lady ways, I had a great time at Lauren's bachlorette party this weekend.  

It was fun to celebrate with her and her friends, and I am SO glad she is going to be my sister!

 

My favorite thing I made for the party:
bra and underwear sugar cookies.
I am quite proud with how they turned out! 

Congratulations Lauren!  I can't wait until you are officially part of our family in three weeks!

High Five for Friday

pants: jcpenney  shirt: target  jacket: loft  shoes: old navy 

1. I got this jacket a few years ago on clearance and remember debating if I should buy it .  

I just found it again in the back of my closet and am glad I did!  

2. My tree necklace.  Found here. 

3. The other day I was helping a student answer a question about how to prove if a statement about the Summer Olympics was true.  She said she would just ask me.  When I told her I was no expert on the Olympics, she said, "Well you did run in them?"  So glad that running a marathon is the same as the Olympics in the mind of a third grader.  

(and don't be fooled - Chris did not run the marathon.  Or did his khaki shorts and video camera in hand give that away?) 

4. I bought a groupon the other day for a mystic spray tan.  I'm going to test it out to see if I'll do it for my brother's wedding.  I'm slightly terrified because all I can think of is this: 

watch the scene here. 

5. And then that reminds me how much I miss Friends.  I am in serious need of another show to watch.  Preferably one that is funny, slightly dramatic and overall happy.  And on netflix.  Any suggestions? 

Have a great weekend!  Remember I'll be putting on my party shoes on Saturday!

One more day to enter my giveaway on Melanie's blog!

drab to fab   5 days 5 ways
High 5 for Friday

Dear Lauren,

shirt: Old Navy  skirt: Target  boots: dsw  

I am glad you convinced me to buy this shirt many months ago, even though it wasn't on clearance.  I definitely got my money's worth.  Worn here, here and here.  

I wore the bracelet that we bought in Mexico two summers ago.  I so badly wish we were going back this summer!

(I think this is my brother's first appearance on my blog)

I think I need some serious psychology work done in my classroom.  I may just have some of the weirdest students this year that ever existed.  Here's an example:

After many times of me asking these two girls to put away a piece of red string that they were always playing with, I told them they needed to leave it at home.  This string had a name and was treated like a pet. 

Not too long ago the string came back.  I told the girls they could not bring it back and one of them asked in all seriousness, 

"What if it is invisible?" 

To which I raised my eyebrows and widened my eyes and she replied, 

"I mean what if I put an invisibility cloak over it?" 

Invisible or not.  Leave it at home. 

You may be thinking that these girls just have a good imagination.  If you interacted with them daily you would think it was way past a good imagination and into incredibly weird.  

Want another really weird story?  Read this post.  Same girls.  

They also have secret codes and half the time I'm convinced they are saying and writing mean things about me.  

I think I'm turning into a crabby paranoid teacher. 

Maybe I'm the one that needs the therapy. 

Either way Lauren, come do some work in my classroom with your mad counseling skills.  

I'm starting to feel like the end of the year is far away.  

I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you in less than 4 weeks!

P.S. Want to win this headband from my shop?  Check out Melanie's blog. 

Linking up to:

  Rolled up Pretty  momma go round

Rae Gun Ramblings
pleated poppy  the letter 4

Random facts

shirt: forever 21  pants: Old Navy  shoes: Kohls

I'm at a loss of what to write about today, so . . .

Are you ready for some completely random facts? 

In high school I wore sweatpants or soccer shorts about 5 days a week.  Now I think I am just making up for lost time.  

 I love almost all reality TV shoes, but survivor is my favorite. 

I set two alarms every day I have to work because I'm afraid I won't wake up, even though I've never overslept. 

I love Ben Stiller and any movie he is - I'd marry him if I wasn't married to Chris. 

My toenails will be forever changed because of three marathons - but it was worth it!

I want to be a back up dancer for a rapper.  

One of my life goals is to be on the Price is Right. 

I hate the word "reimburse" and the phrase "it's all relative."

Chris is the only boy I've ever held hands with. 

I want to be one of the Fanta girls in the commercials, but I can't sing and am not tall with skinny legs.

I'd rather spend money on clothes than food any day. 

I use to say I wanted three weddings when I was younger (all to the same person) just to get married again.  And I kind of still do.  

I want to work in an orphanage at some point in my life and I'd like it to be in Jamaica. 

definitely random

Happy Tuesday!

Check out Melanie's blog for a chance to win one of my headbands!

Bean Bag Tutorial

 jacket: Kohls   tank top: Old Navy  jeans: Rue 21  wedges: some shoe outlet I can't remember :)

I kind of felt like a watermelon in this outfit.  At least that means it is almost summer right? 

I made these bean bags a few weeks ago for a friend's son, and decided to make them for our friend's twin girls' 1st birthday.  I took some more picture this time in case you want to make them!

And I made some owls to go with them: 

First cut out your squares for the bean bags.  I cut mine 6 inches by 6 inches.  

 

Then cut out your letters from iron on/transfer paper. 

 (Make sure to cut your letters backwards. Luckily that didn't matter with the name Ava.)

Follow the directions on the transfer paper.  For mine I ironed it onto the black fabric, peeled off the paper and then ironed it on to the bean bag square.  

Do this for all your letters: 

Lay your fabric pieces facing in.  Then sew around the edges, leaving about 3 inches on one side open to fill it with beans.  

Turn your bean bag inside out.  And fill it with beans. 

Fold in the extra few inches and pin down. 

 I did a zig zag stitch around all four edges. 

Do this for all of your bean bags. 

 I also made these little owls.  I just used felt and hand sewed them. 

 I found these cute buckets at Target. 

Added a book, the bean bags and owls and love how it turned out! 

live laugh rowe   the sasse life

  Sunday Social  so creative

craft o maniac    c.r.a.f.t.    ask anna