This & That!

Recently saw an adorable canvas print with a bird in a tree.  It was the right price, but too large to take on a place ride home.  I made one myself at home.  Found a tree online, printed it out and added a circut bird.

 Painted a Coffeemat creamer white and added a face to make a cute little snowman!

 Yarn balls...yarn wrapped around styrofoam balls.

 Purchased these plastic plates last Spring...recently added Cricut tea pot & cup with the cricut. 

A year ago I bought this jar for $10.  I had M&Ms in white, red & green in there for a year.  Too many people wanted to eat my decorations - so I found these marbles & beads at Michael's in the Christmas Clearance.  No one will want to eat these anymore and I have year-round cuteness.

This was an ornament the little ones made on Christmas Eve in the nursery.  It's a plastic bulb, filled with pom poms and a Cricut Baby Jesus on the outside.  It's so adorable I needed to make one for myself.

My own "Ikea Hack"

We recently hung our tv over the fireplace and were finally able to get rid of our dumb tv stand.  We gave that to a friend and headed off to Ikea on their sale day - we got 2 Expedit 4x cubes for $20 each to hold our dvds.  In order to make room so we could use them for other storage, I needed to figure out a way to use the space wisely.  Last week Target had Little Cuties on sale and most cashiers had the cardboard boxes in their trashes.  I asked 2 cashiers for the boxes and they gave me 10+.  I used 2 cartons before cube, stacked on top of each other.  I painted the top one black, to blend in with the shelf.

Window to my Printers Tray!

For Christmas I received a printers tray! Woo Hoo!  For years I've been collecting little items to one day store & display in my very own printers tray.

Next to that, we hung my new window.  My mom was getting rid of 2 long old windows and I traded one for a smaller one to a friend last month.  

Now it displays photos taken by my brother and myself...and 3 Cricut trees.

Candle to Coffee

At our cousins house Christmas Day and I noticed a cute canister with a candle in it.  I asked K what she was going to do with the canister, she was going to toss it...so it came home with me! :)

I burned the candle until it was easy to remove all of the wax.  Washed it out and ideas started formulating on how I could use it......

An idea came to mind and my good old friend, Cricut, came out to play!

Now my Via coffee packets have a cute new home on the stove top!

Christmas 2011 Decorations

 Entryway Shelf

 Dining room

 Tree

Living room

Kitchen counter & shelf

Nativity Candles made with my Cricut

Merry Christmas 2011 & Happy New Year 2012

Merry Christmas 2011 & Happy New Year 2012

We started out 2011 on a trip to Disney World with part of Christine’s family.  The last night in Disney Christine was taken by ambulance to the hospital in severe pain. After 4 hours in the ER, the diagnosis was kidney stones.  We guess all the jostling from the Rockin’ Roller Coaster bounced a sharp little stone out of her kidney.  Thankfully the pain meds allowed her to sit on the plane comfortably the next day, but also caused her to be nauseous and use 3 airplane sick bags.  Yuck!

The rest of our year has been busy with church activities.  We had another busy summer with kid’s camp and vacation Bible school.  Christine keeps busy with lots of crafts, enjoying turning Goodwill & garage sale finds into new treasures.  Michael has been busy working multiple part-time and temp jobs this year.  In October he started school, going for a one-year Accounting certificate.  As we reach the 2-year mark of his unemployment, we got the news that in January he starts a permanent part-time job at church as the maintenance/janitor.  He’ll also continue a part-time evening job through community ed, while attending school.   When Michael isn’t running all over, he’s done some great work on our house, updating and painting a few things.  He’s currently helping with childcare a couple mornings a month and coaching a Bible quiz team at church too.

Christine became licensed as a pastor this summer and has 8 classes to take in the next year for her ministry degree.  She loves working with the kids and planning all the awesome outreach events.  Christine also spent a week in northern MN on a mini-mission trip with the Joni & Friends organization for their Family Retreat. 

Labor day weekend Christine’s 103-year-old-grandma Clara passed away.  We had a great service for her in Glenwood, MN and buried her at Fort Snelling with Grandpa Sigurd.  She lived a long, amazing life and we’re so happy she’s in Heaven with Jesus.

We look forward to a great 2012.  Christine will perform her first wedding, marrying her brother Steven and her friend Kenyari in April.

We hope this year ahead is filled with all the blessings you can hold!

Blessings,

Michael & Christine

Wimperings, Whisperings and Ramblings

I'm coming to a fork in the road, a slight stand-still, in my personal journey through life - I can either change or continue on this path.  I'm desparate for a change.  This past year has been very tough emotionally on me.  I've been very unhappy in some areas of my life that I have NO CONTROL over.  As a person who likes control, schedule and routine it's been horribly painful and hard.

For the past 2 weeks I've cried at the drop of a hat...OFTEN.  It's time to stop laying on the side of the road, curled into a fetal position and get up and get going.  Because this year has been so hard on me I've let some things go, one of them is close friendships.  Due to my husbands new and unpredictable work schedule we had to temporarily give up having a small group in our home.  Well, the temporary turned into a long-term thing.  We let friendships and having fun fall down on our priority list.  I have gone into a pattern of just maintaining daily life...going from check list to check list...and even that has gotten tough.  I'm angry, I'm sad, I'm mad and I've felt like throwing in the towel.  I'm not happy!  There I said it.  In the back of my mind I wonder, why don't I have the joy of the Lord?!?!  I'm a living breathing child of God - I did nothing to deserve Him, nothing to earn it, didn't ask for it. Yet my loving Father God handed over his precious son Jesus to die...die a horrible death, just so I could no longer be separated by my sin.  Sheesh...that alone is BIG - HUGE!!!  

I love receiving gifts, love when people think of me, love seeing what they thought I would love.  Some of my favorite gifts ever received are "A Steven for a Day Coupon" that my brother made me, actually I got 5 of them.  They are funny, original and all mine!  There is a little girl at church who often has brought me her prized Tinkerbell possessions and handed them to me to keep...because she knows I love Tinkerbell. I'm blessed with so many other gifts, but those gifts cost nothing to the person, just thinking of me.  Wow.  Just thinking of this brings me to tears....and God did so much more.  Where's my joy?!?

When you go into a holding pattern, nothing clicks, nothing works.  The simplest tasks take the most energy.  I'm currently enrolled and taking some classes.  These classes are self-paced with a time-line of 9 months for each one.  At the beginning of this summer I set a goal to complete one class every 3 weeks.  It's been 8 weeks and I've only completed 6 chapters of one class.  The guilt has weighed me down.  I've lost drive, determination and a little of myself.  I have all the time in the world and can't accomplish anything outside of daily survival mode.  Where did I go, what happened to ME!?!

I don't sleep well, I waste a lot of time doing mindless things, I've lost patience with myself and others...put this all together and it's not a great combo.  Sometimes I don't even want to be around me.

I knew I couldn't continue like this, but didn't know what to do.  I went to God asking for friendships and He provided an opportunity to join a women's Bible Study/Book club 2 Saturdays a month.  I went to my first one last week and cried through the whole thing.  The leader of the group has been on a similar journey and was sharing her story and it was ME!  These wonderful ladies stopped everything and prayed for me.  I couldn't speak, they didn't know exactly what was going on, but the Holy Spirit led them to pray words I needed to hear.  Ironically the study we're doing is "The Search for Me" by Kristie Kerr.  So appropriate, since I've lost my identity in Christ, lost who I am in Christ...when I lost that, I lost my purpose and truths in Christs love.  I can't wait for this study, to draw closer to God, to unload some baggage I put on myself and form new friendships. 

Also in talking with a friend she mentioned a book she read that helped her.  I rarely purchase a book - I love the library.  But I couldn't stop thinking of this book and the library didn't have it.  I wanted to order it online, but it'd take too long.  I ended up paying for it at a book store and reading it in 2 sittings.  This book really spoke to me, I relate closely to the Israelites wandering in the desert, and not remembering all that God had done for them - they keep forgetting and then start whining again.  The book is called The Land Between by Jeff Manion.  It relates our disappointments to those Israelites and how God brings new life in the most barren times, if only we learn and apply his truths to our lives.

I've been reading the story of Job...again.  Job is the hardest story in the Bible for me.  I don't get it..on so many levels.  I don't get how in all of that pain and suffering he didn't sin against God.  I feel like he goes on and on an on and on.  All those words and none of it was bad.   This time I'm reading it just the parts where Job is speaking or defending.  It doesn't matter what the people around him say to him, I want to know his perspective.  I've read Job 10 times in the past 2 years, in different versions (NIV, ESV and The Message...even kids Bibles) and I'm still not sure I get it.  If anyone can recommend a good study guide or blog or commentary I would love it.  Anyways, I will continue on my fact finding mission.

The other morning I woke up with the song title "I surrender all" in my brain.  It was a whisper through my head and it hasn't left me.  I've been singing it to myself since. 

Just this morning I woke up with a whisper, hearing "I will supply all your needs according to Jesus."  Thank you for God's whispers of love to me in the morning. I didn't know where it was in the Bible, but I found it.  The whole book of Philippians 4 should be my mantra.

Philippians 4:4-20

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you. I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account.  I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

I still have a ways to go in this process, but I'm thankful for God's promises, hope and truths.  I can not change my circumstances...or control them.  The only thing I can do is surrender it to God and know that He will meet all my needs. I have a few other things that I need to do to, but that's for another post.  I've opened myself up tremendously and as someone who is currently taking everything personally, because my emotions are so raw, I hope that people remember to be kind to one another.

Things I'm thankful for:

-God

-My loyal, patient, steady husband

-An amazing job in ministry

-An amazing church

-Wonderful family

-My health

-My home

-Laughter

-Creativity

-Chocolate

The colors are changing...

I love, love, love Fall.  I love jeans, sweatshirts, no bugs, and having the windows open for a crisp breeze.  I love honeycrisp apples and apple cider...and love that I live in a state with changing seasons.

I looked around my house and thought the colors were a little too bright in some areas for Fall.  Headed over to Michael's craft for 50% flowers and picked up 2 bundles of fall colored flowers: orange, yellow, brown. cream & green...gotta love a $4 change.  While at Target today on an errand for work I came across metal stars on stands in the Dollar Spot for $2.50 each.  I picked them up, put them back and then went back to get them.  I purchased 2 green & 1 red.

Very subtle changes, but I feel like I did something! haha.

Also thought it was appropriate to bring out the Tink jack-o-lantern.

Earlier this week I saw an idea with candles in jars.  I already had the candles & jars...but thanks to a great idea I have a new center price.  The white rocks I picked up at Ikea several months ago.

T-shirt Upcycle

I've been searching for a short-sleeved brown cardigan all summer with no luck.  I bought a $5 t-shirt at JcPenney's last month.  I cut half of it off from the bottom and cut up the middle.  I had brown shoe laces that I cut down (burned the cut ends to keep them from raveling) and sewed into the V-nceck of the shirt.  Simple and goes with all 3 sleeve-less dresses that I needed to cover up.

Next shirt, just didn't fit well anymore.  I was going to give to Goodwill, but decided to experiment on it.  All I did was cut up the middle to the buttons.  I tried it on with 3 different outfits.

Here is another shirt exactly like it not cut and the cut version.

Shirt #3 I got a little fancy with.  I cut off the bottom hem and cut up the middle to the buttons.  I sewed the hem into a ruffle and attached over the buttons.

Identical shirt not cut & new shirt:

Bi-Fold be gone!

Over the past month we've replaced curtains and all the bi-fold closet doors.

This is our 2nd bedroom/office/tv room about a year ago:

Here is as a tv room last week.  We repainted a blue, added painters tarps as curtains for window & closet.

Bedroom a year ago:

Last week.  Curtains & rod from Ikea.

We can't believe how much extra room we have to get into the closets without the doors in the way.  We saved them in our attic, just in case we ever move (not like it's going to happen anytime soon).

Pantry love!

We've been in our house for 9 years.  When we moved in their was a coat closet in the dining room and none anywhere else.  We turned the closet into a pantry with plastic shelving for about a year, then put in a closetmate kit.  8 years later we finally turned into a much more efficient pantry.


We rescued some 2x4's that were getting tossed, purchased a 4'x8' sheet of plywood at Home Depot and they even cut into the dimensions we needed for no extra cost.  Only took the guy 2 mins to cut it, would have taken us hours.  Plywood was $12.


We sanded and painted the shelves a leftover light brown we had.  Much to his dismay, hubby painted the whole closet interior a left-over lime green we had.  We took down the bi-fold doors and added a curtain rod ($2 at garage sale) and curtain (already had) as the temporary door.  I have a real door on my Christmas list so we can hang the broom, swiffers, etc on the back of it.  At this time the curtain is nice, but not childproof if we have any little ones come visit.
  
I went to the Dollar Tree and purchased $12 worth of organizers. I had a ball putting everything in it's new home.  Total of 12 hours work time and $25 in materials and I have a new happy pantry!

 Before

 Took everything out

 

Painted

Curtain "door" & Shelves

 All filled & organized

 Bottom 2 shelves: Cat Food, Step Stool, Recycling bin & brown bags

  Next 2 shelves: canned goods and all cleaning cloths, baggies & hand towels, etc

 Top 2 shelves: Pizza oven, plastic shopping bags, picnic items, etc

 Curtain closed (needs to be steamed - kinda wrinkly)

Moved tupperware to cupboard we used to have all the canned goods in kitchen