Book plates.

 



 







I've been having fun play around with photo apps today and made up some book labels. I think they would be super cute printed out on some nice card stock packaged with a glue stick, pen, and a book mark or some washi tape. Feel free to print them out for your own use and have a great weekend!

 

** I used elements from the A Beautiful Mess app as well as a background from the Rakuga Cute app to create these.

Giving Thanks

Psalm 37:25
I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children begging for bread.

 


Thanksgiving ALWAYS preceded the miracle.

 


Choosing to give thanks, knowing He will provide.



Choosing to see life through the eyes of saints and poets.

30 Before 30.

 

 



So tomorrow is my birthday and I finally finished making my 30 before 30 list. It was harder than I thought. Trying to come up with 30 things I wanted to do in the next year that were PRACTICAL and DOABLE. I mean sure there are a TON of things I would love to do but for various reasons (money, baby coming this summer) it's just not possible. But eventually I did it! The interesting thing is, without meaning to I ended up picking a LOT Of things that fit well with my new years goal.

2013 Goals:

To be more intentional...

*In relationships

*In finances

*At home

*In memory keeping.

Not everything fell into one of these four categories but a lot did. So without further ado....

30 Before 30

Personal:

1. Memorize 30 verses.

2. Read, finish, or get rid of all MY unread books.

3. Fill up my half-used journals/smashbooks.

4. Sew the Super Tote pattern by Noodlehead.

5. Do one Show.

6. Make 500 things.

7.  Cook a recipe a month off of my pinterest boards.

8. Visit Bush Garden's again.

9. Submit an article to be published in a magazine.

10. Plant SOMETHING.

11. Learn How to drive stick shift.

12. Try at least 6 tutorials off of my pinterest boards.

Relationships:

13. Invite our neighbors over for a cook out.

14. See one of my far away friends again. (Missy, Amber, Mary, Andrew, Laura, Colleen)

15. Go away with Josh for a night.

16. Send 30 snail mail letters.

17. Go away with friends/sister for a weekend.

Finances:

18. Pay off 3 debts.

19. Save $1,000.

Home.

20. Establish some of my favorite childhood traditions in my family.

21. Purge 100 things from my house.

22. Plant SOMETHING.

Memory Keeping/Blogging:

23. Attend a class/seminar/conference to improve my blogging.

24. So SOMETHING with all my photos.

25. Learn how to really use my camera.

26. Post a tutorial on my blog.

27. Write/Finish a list of 1,000 gifts.

28. Spend a day taking a photo every hour.

28. Take the same photo once a month for a year.

29. Take a photo a day.

30. Blog every day for a month.

I am great at  making lists but not very good at sticking to them, so we shall see how it goes. I've actually already broken a lot of the goals down into smaller ones, like how many verses I need to memories each month and how many cards I need to write so that I don't get to next April and realize I'm really behind. As always with me one lists leads to another so I am already making a decent dent on number 3 as I make list after list.

What would be on your list for the next year of your life?

Noticing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is so easy to look around at our life and think "This isn't what I signed up for" or "How did I get here?"

We look at our big plans. We look at our facebook feed. We look at our favorite blogs. We wondered what happened. We wonder why we don't have the life we so desperately want when every one else makes it look so easy.

The funny thing is, I think if most of us slowed down and looked around we would realize that we are in fact living the life we wanted. Our lives, for the most part, aren't that different from the blogs we drool over. We bake, we take walks, we go for ice cream, we do special activities with our kids. The difference between our lives and the lives of the people on the other side of the glowing screen and polished blogs is documenting. The ONLY way that "other" woman is different from us is that she taking the time to notice, document, and dwell on the little moments. She takes time to make much the life's small celebrations.

Like ice cream for dinner on a hot Thursday night.

Baby's in diapers on hand-made quilts.

A big jar of pop beads.

A baby dedication.

The first watermelon of the season (even if it is a bit early).

Hot dog fingers.

So here is to noticing my life more. Lifting up prayers of gratitude for simple moments. And capturing the beauty in the mundane.

Looking Forward

 



With 2012 now nearly 24 hours in the past and 2013  upon us, it would seem the thing to do is take a look back on 2012. However, I feel like I have done quite a bit of that this past year. With so much having happened this year I feel like I have already one a good bit of reflection. If you would like to read those posts you can here and here.

At this point in time I am ready to look forward. I am ready for a new adventure. I am ready to dream, plan, set goals, and draft a map. I'm ready for change.

I'm not entirely sure what exactly I want these goals and plans to look like. I know I will be taking some time off for my shop and drastically reducing my custom spots when I do. I want to focus more on creating as the mood strikes, sewing for my girls, sewing for friends, making what makes me happy, finish the huge pile of WIPs.

I want to focus more on my writing. For The Clutch Guide for The Motherhood Collective for my own blog, and journaling. I want to make a point of being a memory keeper. I love the idea of Project Life. Not sure if I will attempt 365 days strait, but would love to make a habit of at least weekly capturing the stories we are writing now, as well as those that come to mind from the past.

I want to focus more on our home. Not entirely sure what all that means but I I want to declutter our home and make space. Not sure for what, but space is always good. Getting rid of excess helps me breath easier. I also want to be more intentional about what I bring into my home. (Does it serve a purpose, do I already have something that could serve the same purpose ect) I am hoping this will help with being a better steward of both our money and our space.

Ultimately I want to invest in what matters most to us. Our faith, our families, and our friends. I want to live more intentionally and be more aware of how I am using our resources.

What are you goals for 2013?

Rambelings

I'm not sure what it is, but every time I sit down to write I just can't quite bring myself to actually do it. Nothing seems to flow quit as easily as I would like. Maybe it's this nasty cold settling in my chest, maybe it's my weird sleeping schedule lately, or maybe I'm just to lazy to put in the real work of writing.

It's easy to say "I write" or "I blog" but just saying those things doesn't make it so. Real writing happens when you are willing to put in the time, day in and day out. When you sit down and take pen to paper (or fingers to key board) even when your mind feels blank. And so today that's what I am doing. Simple writing, because not writing doesn't feel right.



As you might remember I did a post sponsored by Tinyprints a while back. I finally ordered my products and got them in the mail this week!



I wasn't sure I was going to keep the calendar notebook for myself so I put a favorite family saying on it rather than my name. As soon as I opened it up I new I would have to keep it!



It's so bright and colorful. I normally like weeks laid out and you can get that if you get the Erin Condrin Life Planner. Because it doesn't have the weekly break down I'm not sure I'll use it as a planner or if it will be more of a catch all for lists and deadlines ect. Either way I truly do love it!!



I may not be writing much here but I am writing daily. I have been participating in 30 Days of Thank You and I have been writing a thank you note every day to some one I treasure. It's been so much fun.



I've also been journaling on a pretty regular basis. I've been processing through the misscairiage a lot and am almost ready to share some of my thoughts in this space. I've also been writing for a few other blogs!

You can read about how having 5 women in my family suffer from cancer has changed how I live my life over at The Clutch Guide.

I will also be writing for The Motherhood Collective a few times a month starting this month. My first post doesn't go up for a few more weeks but if you want to check out their blog they are doing a give away featuring The Goose Beary Shop!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I'll be back soon with thoughts on my Abi Bear turning 5!!

On Memmory Making and Keeping!

I have shared a few times on this blog about the very cool local magazine I am writing for. You can find the magazine blog over here. Today is the first time my stuff has appear on the blog. The article I write for the magazine is called Vintage Diaries and is a bi-monthly interview with an older women in the community. I spend some time with her and then attempt to share at least part of her story with our readers. Today on the blog I shared some of the tools my family use for keep track of our own stories. You can read the full article here. I thought I would also share here a few of my favorite story keeping tools. Enjoy!

 



Christmas Journal

 



Gratitude Journal



Travel/Vacation Journal

 

Hope this inspired you to find a way to keep track of your own stories. Would love to hear what you all do to make sure you remember the little things! Comment bellow and who knows.... you may just win a prize. ;-D

Today I am linking up with:

 Whatever You Want Wednesday over at Pretty Free Things

and

My Picks of the Week over at Deep Roots

Weekly Five

1) The drama of the past few weeks has not only ceased but look as though it is all resolved. The money is back in our account, the insurance check came int he mail, the new debit cards arrived, and the brick guy is on his way to fix my house as I type.

2) I started working on my office/studio space this week for real. I am so in love and can't wait to finish!!

3) I won a $100.00 Coach gift card from Coach themselves this week. Hoping it shows up in the mail before I head to Gatlinburg Tennessee and the Coach outlet!!

4)Abi has now completed bother her first and second day of school. First day she cried hysterically when I left. Today she threw a fit when I came to pick her up at half day because "She wanted to stay and rest like the other kids." We may be looking into full day. Thought it was a bit sad to see her take this first step, there is a large part of me that can't help feeling that it all felt so RIGHT!  Abi and I are both so very ready for this stage. She is ready to stretch her wings a bit and I am ready for the freedom and routine that comes from having her in school.

5) I am a bit in shock at how busy and popular my shop has become this season. I actually have people seeking me out to be part of shows ect and it looks like we will sell out of custom spots before the October 15th deadline. I am humbled and encouraged by this. :)

Does It Get Easier?

Since miscarrying our baby back in February a friend has had a still born baby, another friend miscarried and a former member of our Sunday school class miscarried.  The other day the friend who miscarried was asking me if it got any easier. With out thinking I wrote a her a reply that I hoped would help. It wasn't until later that I realized I was writing exactly what I wish some one had said to me 6 months ago. What I still wish more people would come out and say. And so, as hard as it is I am putting this out there, for those of you who may be wondering "Does it get better."

It does get a bit easier. But not as soon as every one else thinks it has and not as soon as you wish it would. There are still moments when it's hard for me. Have grace with yourself. It's ok to be sad. You lost a child. Maybe not one you have held, but one you loved none the less. It's ok to say no to things. It's ok to excuse yourself from situations. I've ducked out of gatherings a number of times because it's just too hard. But it does, oh so slowly, get easier.

Photo Credit http://www.sincerelylizblog.com

Does It Get Easier?

Since miscarrying our baby back in February a friend has had a still born baby, another friend miscarried and a former member of our Sunday school class miscarried.  The other day the friend who miscarried was asking me if it got any easier. With out thinking I wrote a her a reply that I hoped would help. It wasn't until later that I realized I was writing exactly what I wish some one had said to me 6 months ago. What I still wish more people would come out and say. And so, as hard as it is I am putting this out there, for those of you who may be wondering "Does it get better."

It does get a bit easier. But not as soon as every one else thinks it has and not as soon as you wish it would. There are still moments when it's hard for me. Have grace with yourself. It's ok to be sad. You lost a child. Maybe not one you have held, but one you loved none the less. It's ok to say no to things. It's ok to excuse yourself from situations. I've ducked out of gatherings a number of times because it's just too hard. But it does, oh so slowly, get easier.

Photo Credit http://www.sincerelylizblog.com

Bucket List Update

It's been such a full and busy summer it feels like. And yet when I look at the girls bucket list hardly anything is checked off!! Some things just aren't going to happen. The zoo and Abi visiting my sister probably won't take place as schedules have changed and shrinky dinks are hard to find!. However, many of the things can still happen. Today I am printing out paper dolls and letting the girls work with my markers (GASP!) I got an ice cream maker from my parents and ordered a fun doll pattern to make dolls with the girls. This weekend the girls are staying three nights with Grandma and Grandpa. Then it's time to get to work staying home and having fun!

Girls Summer Bucket List

o   Zoo

o   Finger paints

o   Water fight

o   Make Popsicles

o   Dollar Movies

o   Splash Park

o   Make ice cream

o   Sidewalk chalk

o   Photo booth

o   Bean Bag Toss

o   Fireworks

o   Make Shirts

o   Library

o   Potato stamps

o   Farmers market

o   Art project

o   Make Cards

o   Pillow fort

o   Mini golf

o   Sprinkler

o   Visit Grandma and Papa

o   Visit Nana

o   Visit Aunt Tabi (Abi)

o   Visit Aunt Marge

o   Cereal Necklace

o   Sleep in tent

o   Play Dates

o   Twister

o   Make Pizza

o   Make Box Car

o   Download games on Nook

o   Make Cookies

o   Plant Something

o   Play Memory

o   Collage

o   Picnic

o   Mommy Mummy

o   Build-a-Bear

o   Fun Center

o   Shrinky Dinks

o   Go Swimming

o   Bubbles

o   Paper Dolls

o   Make a doll

o   Fairy Jar

Summer Bucket List 2012

So I finally sat down and put together two bucket lists for this summer. I am a huge list person. I would venture a guess that you could tell more about who I am from my lists then my journals. Or at least as much. So for the first time I have made a summer bucket list. I made one for the kids as well. But I am to lazy to type it up at the moment. So today all you get is my personal list.

So far we are doing pretty well. I've already read a new book. I love it and will most likely end up reading the entire series this summer.

Last week I finished a skirt for a friend FINALLY! I love getting WIPS marked off of my to do list.

We also made our own bubbles from my Summer Fun Pin Board last week. Still haven't used them yet and have no idea if they work, maybe we will have to try that out today! 

What's on your summer bucket list??

Weekly Five

 1) I didn't do a weekly five last week becuase the week before felt so blah it didn't really feel worth it. This week has been SO much better! Josh has had an amazing week at work. He had two days this week where he sold two cars. A total of 5 cars this week. Amazing!

2) My sister and a good family friend did an Easter Basket exchange this year. I also had a good friend surprise me with some Easter treats. So good to be known by others.

3) I was interviewed for a local magazine on Tuesday. They are doing an article about women who create and asked me some questions about my Goose Beary Shop.  

4) I am enjoying writing more lately. Nothing big but it feels good to be doing something I enjoy again.

5) Went to the Good Friday Service, had friends over to watch The Passion of Christ on Saturday and went to Easter service at our church on Sunday. I enjoyed it all but it made me home sick for MD and Cedar Brook.

I would love to hear y'alls weekly five. What do you all think of a link up? 

 

Spring has Sprung

It has been crazy warm here for March. We have broken 80 degrees on more than one occasion. While I am thoroughly enjoying the early spring I am a bit worried about that this means for Summer time in Central VA. But we will cross that bridge in a month or two. For now I am very much enjoying the warm weather.
Like the plants, and like my mother, I am happiest in the sun. Fall and winter have their certain charms, and I truly love baking bread and working on quilts while the leave change. However, I come alive when the weather turns warm.

I am rediscovering old loves. My sewing machine is getting used again, and I am writing with a desire and enjoyment that has been missing for a very, very long time. I have been updating at my other blog Grace and Manna, journaling, and even working on a writing project that I am not quite ready to share about just yet!

I am also discovering some new pass times like mixed media journals Smash books are my newest love! You as you can see over at my Pinterest boards. I am also starting a garden this year.

I thought I would share some before and after and sprouts in progress pictures with you all.

The plot before I started working on it.

The plot now!

My first ever attempt at starting seeds!

A few weeks later I actually have some sprouts!

So what has the first few days of spring brought for you all?