truths in the sky

This morning as I was about to wake up, in that frustrating tossing & turning state, I had a disconcerting dream. I dreamt that Chad died suddenly. It was a very vague dream, not a lot of details, but the most difficult part of this dream for me was that in the dream I was not emotionally affected at all - it felt so cold and clinical as I made decisions for what to do with my life and the lives of my kids without a husband. There was no sadness, no tears.

I woke up without my alarm, I was completely disoriented and had an empty feeling inside. It was dark out, darker than it should have been for 6AM - what was going on? I need to burn some weird-dream-energy, so I immediately got dressed for a run and stepped outside.

Ah, here's why it was dark - half the sky was covered with dark, heavy, grey storm clouds... but the other half was just white poufs with blue sky. Which was it going to do, storm or clear up? I couldn't tell, so I decided to run half a mile to get a feel of the weather and see what happened, then keep going if there was no lightning.

As I did, I kept mulling over my dream. What would I do if my husband passed away suddenly? I have thought about this before, actually. I don't like to think about it, and I don't want to be morbid, but it is a possibility all married women should consider from time to time, so that we don't have to make a bunch of decisions out of nowhere if such a terrible crisis should arise, emotions could get in the way. But I have thought about it before, so why this dream? What was going on? While some people do have prophetic dreams (dreams that foreshadow the future), I don't believe that my personal dreams are prophetic. I do, however, believe that God sometimes speaks to me in my dreams. Are you trying to say something, Jesus?

The sky seemed to be clearing, so I turned a corner, headed east, and caught my breath as I saw red and pink blazing everywhere above me- the half of the sky that wasn't under the storm cloud was the half where the sun was rising. It was a breathtaking site. I enjoyed it for half a block, and then had to turn again at the end of the street.

Could it be? To my right, suspended at the edge of the storm clouds, was a brilliant strip of rainbow! I stared at it for an entire block, then turned around to go back, sad to think that I wouldn't get to look at it anymore for this portion of the run. As I turned around, I was stunned. Behind me had been the rest of a beautiful rainbow arch, gracefully adorning a huge portion of the sky, and I hadn't even known it.

There are several thoughts that came to my mind at this point.

1. Storms in life are hard, sometimes very hard, like losing a husband. "Why" is a question often asked. But without the clouds, there would have been no spectacular sunrise, and no rainbow. God can make beauty from anything if we will let Him into our pain. His love is perfect, unlike human love, which means He has the best of intentions and He follows through with them by keeping His promises.

2. If I had kept my focus only on that one strip of rainbow, I would have missed seeing the rest of the beauty behind me. The big picture is not mine to see all the time, but I will miss it if I don't keep my eyes open.

3. God knew I needed to hear from Him this morning - I didn't want to wander around all day wondering & thinking about the dream, my imagination running wild. He woke me up when my alarm wasn't set, to go running and see as He painted across the sky to show me again how He loves me, and if He loves me that much to express it in such a way, I can trust that He'll take care of me in every other detail of my life, regardless of my so-called plans.

The rainbow faded. I headed home. And for the final 3/10th of a mile that I ran, a gentle shower rained down on me. It was too much, my heart was full to overflowing - I broke out in a crazy, love-struck smile - He loves me!

...See if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it. Malachi 3:10

200th Post Celebration & Giveaway!

This is my 200th blog post! I never knew when I started this blog that it would be so much fun to be out here in the blogging world, and that I'd connect with so many interesting people.

So I'm not going to let it pass without some more F U N!!

(press play to set the party mood!)

I am celebrating with a giveaway for all my readers, friends, and customers!



Inspired by a little denim tote my mom made for me when I was in first grade (and I still use today), I made this:

This tote is perfect for carrying books, magazines, small sewing/knitting/crocheting projects, or whatever else you can think of.

I use it all the time to carry things I'm reading or working on when I go to the pool, to visit friends, office visits, and wherever else I may be going.

Or, it would be ideal for what my mom originally designed it for - a child's bookbag! Claire wanted to keep it for herself when I took this picture of her.

What would you use it for?


Leave me a comment as part to join in my 200th Post Celebration! If you think I should try listing more totes like this on etsy, let me know (especially if you would buy one *wink*!)Everyone who leaves a comment will get one entry to win this tote! International posters welcome, too! If you do not have a blog that your post comment will link to, please be sure to leave your email address in your comment, so I can contact you if you win (don't worry, I won't use your address for anything else beyond that, ok?)

Mention it on your blog with a link to my blog, and I'll give you 3 more entries to win. Let me know you posted on your blog in your comment here, so I can visit your blog, too!

Celebration S A L E!! I am offering everyone 20% off all ready-made garments & hair flowers in my etsy shop (through Saturday, August 2nd). I have already adjusted the prices in my shop, so all you have to do is add to your cart and checkout! Plus, every purchase made during this sale from my etsy shop will get another 5 entries to win the tote!

Comment, post & link back, or make a purchase - all get you chances to win!

Winner will be chosen after 7PM CST on Saturday, August 2nd, with the help of a random number generator.



Thanks for joining the celebration!!

I'm looking forward to 200 more posts, and beyond!

get ready...

...it's almost concrete time! There sure is a lot that goes into preparing for a foundation, isn't there? It's not just a slab, as some people refer to it. It does feel oddly small, at this stage, though, and I have to remind myself that it will look like it's supposed to when it has an actual house on top.

(Forgive the bad collaging, but I had my zoom lense on the camera, so I had to piece the pictures together to get the whole view...)

two more...

The last of my Simple Summer sets

have been added to my etsy shop tonight.

Just I, Myself, and Me

I gave a little party

This afternoon at three,

It was very small,

Three guests in all,

Just I myself, and me.

Myself ate up the sandwiches,

While I drank up the tea,

And it was I who ate the pie

And passed the cake to me.

{A poem that sent my girls into giggle fits -
from Some From the Moon, Some From the Sun by Margot Zemach}

my first time

OK, I'm a bit excited because it's my first time

to be included in an etsy Treasury!

Click here to go see...

cousins and bubbles

more books!

Chad took the girls to the pool for a long afternoon on Saturday - it's not like I hadn't been to the pool with them every day all week, I needed a break from the chlorine and splashing - so I stayed home to read. I ended up starting a new book and finishing that day as well! I haven't done that since before my oldest was born - I guess the Summer Reading Groupies challenge has really got me going with reading again...



I'd never read a book by James Patterson before, but I did read online that this one, Sam's Letters to Jennifer, was not like his usual writing style. Therefore, I can't make a comparison to his other works. I can say that really did enjoy this story. I like stories with romance, history, struggle, and a satisfying ending. This had them all.

Now I've started his other somewhat-similarly-styled book, Suzanne's Diary For Nicholas. So that will be book #4 - I've made my goal & then some, and it feels great! Thank goodness for the library, because I can't find the box that I packed the books I had planned to read for #3 and beyond.

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I also have a quick recommendation for the kids - The Missing Piece Meets the Big O, by Shel Silverstein.



Despite its simplistic black & white illustrations, my kids found it quite entertaining. Beneath the silly story is an easily drawn line between what happens to The Missing Piece and what should happen with each of us as we mature in our friendships and relationships with others. This book goes on my Must Reads For Kids list!

We also borrowed a fun book called Sweet Dream Pie by Audrey Wood - what a fun book, thanks for the recommendation, Nic! We made our own pie (also Nic's idea), using some ingredients we had & went to the store for the rest: Nilla Wafer crust, crumbled up brownies, marshmellows, Hershey's Cookies & Cream candy bar, M&M's, colored sprinkles, hot fudge sauce, and cool whip! Let's just say it was sweet!

What are you thankful for today?

I am so very thankful for indoor plumbing. And progress!

There was lots of digging at The Lot this week, and pipes were installed!

Movie Friday!

Today I took the girls to see...

We loved it!

Nicole has read the books, and she says it wasn't the same, that some of the things in the movie weren't in the books, and vice versa. But she seemed able to overlook it :) I had read some critic reviews, and I was disappointed that they would be so hard on a movie that has such wholesome messages for kids - much better than a lot of the animated features that come out geared toward children. It may not be as action-packed, or as visually stimulating, but both my girls were completely taken in.

Joan Cusack is wonderful - her physical comedy and her facial expressions are priceless!

Julia Ormond is one of my favorite actresses. She is incredibly classy, and her voice and presence are so elegant. Such an amazing choice for Kit's mother.

My eyes teared up within the first few minutes of the movie - I was surprised at how much the storyline depicted human interest, particularly the situations many people found themselves in during the Depression. It is good for kids to see that part of life, and I hope they are as inspired as I am by the resourcefulness and courage people found to deal with those situations.

It has begun...

The forms are in place for the foundation!

more simple summer sets

...added to my etsy shop tonight,

and I have a few more for tomorrow as well!

Check this out!

I just entered a wonderful giveaway - Dana at Old Red Barn Co. is giving away this amazingly colorful quilt! Yes, a whole quilt! Run over and enter for yourself, by clicking here.

simple summer

As I unpacked & arranged my fabric & sewing stuff last week, I realized how many tank tops I have waiting to be paired with fabric and turned into sweet outfits. So I have been sewing & listing on etsy like mad, with many more to come... please stop by my etsy shop to see what new skirts & ruffle pants show up with the newly embellished tanks!

more post-move posts

With the dsl not hooked up here until Monday, it took a lot longer than I'd hoped to watch the Bachelorette finale' on abc.com. But I finally did, and it was worth the wait. Jesse looked great in that grey suit - such a romantic ending, wow. Well, except the part where she had to tell Jason no, which was sooo sad, geez.

Now back to real life, people.

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We took the girls bowling on Saturday with one of their reward cards from our library's summer reading program. That was a hoot - the girls idea of bowling involved dropping the ball with a loud thud, followed by the ball rolling toward the pins with speeds that would lose in a turtle race. Don't laugh at our scores - it's been years since we grown-ups have bowled!

Daddy shows us how it's done...

Nicole - Go, ball, go!

Claire - she stood like this to watch her ball at almost every turn

Yeah, that's me - it's great how bowling is like the only sport where all pictures show what usually can't be seen easily without a mirror. And Chad took lots, so now I have 20 or so pictures of my bee-hind, sheesh.

Yay, Daddy!

Self Portrait Challenge - Skill {painting}

This month's Self Portrait Challenge theme is "Skill". Whenever people speak longingly of how they wish they could sew like I do, I tell them I completely understand. I've wished since I was in grade school that my art skills were better than, well, a grade schooler. My drawings are laughable, my attempts at painting aren't even worthy of the title "abstract".

But give me a piece of furniture or a wall, and I will give it a topical makeover - that's the kind of painting I am good at!

And if moving last week from our home of 9 years to a small apartment wasn't enough, I decided to take on the project of painting my china cabinet. Since it was empty, it seemed like the perfect time (except for all the packing and stuff I was supposed to be doing...)

Here it is before it was emptied:

And here is the finished project:







The beautiful glass knobs and floral appliques came from The Bella Cottage over on eBay. She was very helpful in getting them shipped out to me before we moved - Thanks a bunch, Michelle!

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While I was unpacking last Thursday, the girls ended up spending the whole morning creating with markers, paint, beads, pompoms, pipe cleaners, glitter - basically they unloaded the entire craft cabinet to hone their artwork skills.

moving (of a different kind)

Now that we are pretty much settled into our apartment, and I have dsl as of today (yay!), I thought I'd post an update for my Summer Reading Groupies!

I finished Anne Frank - The Diary of a Young Girl yesterday. It is difficult to put into words what it was like to read this book, especially when it started off so shallowly (it begins as the diary of a 13 year old girl, after all!) and ends with such a sad reality. Bittersweet, perhaps?

Anne was a wonderful writer. I easily related to her poignant account of life as a girl transforming to a woman in those difficult early teen years. It was fascinating how such things are universal, transcending time and circumstance.

By the time I reached the end, I was moved in a way I have rarely experienced before. I experienced something similar when I visited the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C. about 10 years ago, and when I watched The Hiding Place, a movie of the experiences of Corrie Ten Boom (the first movie I ever remember crying about, when I was about 10 years old). The wretchedness of what happened to millions of people at the hands of evil is hard to fathom.

I was interested to find the website for the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, where you can read some brief history of what happened with the family, their hiding place, and what happened to them after they were discovered & imprisoned.

I had a realization yesterday after finishing the book. I am like a bridge between my grandmother's generation (who were there, they lived through World War II and know firsthand what happened) and my children's children, who will not have contact with that WWII generation by the time they are born. I will know both, and I feel a sense of duty to this revelation. We must never forget what happens when an attempt to appease evil is made to keep peace, and we must pass this experience on to our children, and their children, so it will not be repeated.

I definitely recommend this book.

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"I don't think then of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains... I've found that there is always some beauty left - in nature, sunshine, freedom, in yourself; these can all help you. Look at these things, then you find yourself again, and God, and then you regain your balance."
-- Anne Frank

s l o w l y

First of all, we are moved in & 95% unpacked as of tonight - yay!

Secondly, something got messed up with our change-over for our DSL, so it will not be hooked up until Monday (arg!!!) I am using Chad's cell phone to connect to the internet with the laptop, so my connection speed is much like dial-up... slow! Please don't be offended if I can't respond to comments or emails with my usual speed - I get to use his phone to do this once a day, usually at night, so please be patient... thank you!

Finally, I thought I'd share a bit about our moving experience. I have moved a lot in my lifetime (this move is #16 if my memory is right), yet I learn new things with each move. Here are a few things I've learned this sixteenth time around, some of which you'd think I would have known by now...

1. Your refridgerator is a lot dirtier than you think it is. You might use it every day, but you don't really realize how icky it has gotten until you take everything out and look at those white walls & glass shelves and realize that once a year is just not often enough for a good cleaning.

2. If you wait to clean the aforementioned fridge until an hour before your estimated move out is complete, it will inevitably take longer than an hour to get it clean, and you'll be sitting on the kitchen floor at 10 o'clock at night with water dripping down your elbows as you try desperately to get little bits to come off on the paper towel (they've moved all around the shelf when you rub them, why won't they come OFF???) Make your life easier - clean it days beforehand, and just eat out after that. That takes care of packing dishes & silverware a few days ahead of time, too.

3. You can never have enough boxes. Especially smaller ones. Otherwise you end up packing your entire pantry in low, wide boxes that end up being so heavy that it takes two people to lift each one.

4. Plastic grocery store bags may not be environmentally friendly, but they are an invaluable moving tool. When you run out of the too-large boxes while packing your kitchen food, grocery bags are the perfect size to reload those groceries into your car to take to the new place. And you know all of your neighbors have some hanging around, so it's easy to get more in your time of need!

5. Pack the garbage bags in one of the first boxes you plan to open - otherwise you will end up using the aformentioned plastic grocery bags for trash, and those fill up fast when you're using paper plates & plastic cups (because you still can't find the box with your dishes, along with the one with the garbage bags!)

6. Make a rough map on a printed floorplan of where you would like the big pieces of furniture to go, and give copies of it to the the people moving your furniture. Especially if those "people" are your husband and his brother, who are being fueled by pizza and beer. And especially if you are still going to still be at the old house the whole time with all the kids while those "people" are at the new place, dumping all of the furniture, boxes, and plastic grocery bags wherever they think seems fine.

7. And finally - wear sneakers. It doesn't matter if it's 125° plus humidity, bare feet for packing and cleaning in the house and flipflops for when you're driving back and forth & unloading stuff (from 7am to 10pm) are just not a good combination. You will end up with sore, blistery feet, not to mention they will be very, very, very dirty. And it will take everything you have to put your feet in the bathtub at the end of the day to wash them off, so you won't dirty your freshly made bed.

gonna miss it...

I am going to be late posting about the Bachelorette finale' - I am moving today and tomorrow, and will not be near the TV when it airs, so I will be unable to see who she chooses :( I hope to watch it asap on abc's site... no spoilers, please!!

as if I don't have anything better to do tonight...

I made an etsy Treasury of beautiful art photographs of bridges found around the world.

maybe someday I'll get to see one in person...
**sigh**

Self Portrait Challenge - Skill {no secret}

This month's Self Portrait Challenge theme is Skill.

For this first week, my offering regarding one of my skills is no secret.

But you might be surprised, as I was, that the taker of this photograph was, in fact, not myself with a tripod or some other concocted method - it was my 8 year old daughter. I have seen some nice skills developing in her lately, and it excites me to see what develops further with her as the years go by.