experiencing the world

I'm holed up in my office right now....typing away.  I've been listening to the chatter of four Mexican men laugh and gab while they work.  That's right they are working for me:)  I've always been a do it yourself kind of gal, but this girl is tired.  Nine moves will do that to ya. 


One of the conditions of moving to Virginia was an agreement with my honey that this time we would hire someone to paint the house.  YIPPEE!!!  I admit I feel just a little guilty hiring someone to do what I can do myself, but nah I'm over it.  Who am I kidding?  This is freaking awesome!!!!!

I'm a little beside myself actually.  What will take them 4 days would have taken me 4 months.  So the most stressful part was picking out colors for every room.  It's an investment painting your house.  I don't want to screw this up.  I think I did pretty good.  Honey was absolutely no help at all.  I got nothin'...just blank stares and crickets chirping in the background.  Where are my girlies when I need them???  Anyhoo we went with lots of soothing grays and blues. 

YES I LOVE YOU PAINTER MAN!  HA:)

So last night I was fixing supper and little chick bounds into the house from playing with the neighbor girls and proudly proclaims they've been in the woods.  Now not to sound over protective or anything, but I'm not necessarily comfortable with my little one playing in the woods.  This woods thing is pretty new to me and all.  There are critters out there.  Lots of them...and spiders and such.  I asked her why she would want to go in the woods and play and she blurts out...like she's been thinking of the perfect answer...I'm experiencing the world.  Well there you have it.  She's experiencing the world.  Who can argue with that!

So I while the painters were here today I decided to check out what's been going on in those woods, and I have to say it was a delight to see.  I followed a little red haired girl in.  She was more than eager to show me what they've been up to:)


There is a whole living room...complete with cooler and pretend beverages.  Oh wait maybe they have beverages too.  Hmmmm;) 

They've been busy decorating;)

It's a wonderful thing...this experiencing the world.  This playing house and making things pretty.  That's what I'm doing too and it feels so good.

BTW I got the sweetest package from a reader this week.  Many of you have sent me house warming gifts and I so appreciate it, but this one made me laugh SO HARD I just had to share.  A while back someone wanted to send me holy water to bless our house with.  I'm not Catholic or anything, but hey I can always use some holy water, so I sent her my address and when it came in the mail yesterday there was NO water.  Nada...nothing!  It must have evaporated or something. 


I don't know why this made me laugh, but it did.  So thank you sweet Sheri for making me laugh.  God knew I needed to.  Not even going to read anything into the no holy water thing, or think about how this sweet woman had her priest bless this water especially for me and then went to such love and care to wrap it and mail it all the way to Virginia and then there was nothing in the container.  Nope not even going to think about it;)   She included candy too God bless her!!!

Have a blessed day.

24.  rice crispy treats.

25.  the sound of paint rollers on my walls.

26.  sweet neighbor girls with red hair.

27. thrifting with a new friend.

28.  laughing until it hurts.

29.  for thoughtful people who send me stuff, write me notes and call me.  so so grateful!

30. for my Lord who hears my heart's desires and who will give them to me in time:)

progress

They say that it takes 21 days to form a new habit.  Not sure who "they" are or if this is a true statement, but it seems slightly off to me.  We pulled out of Minnesota one month ago.  Can't believe it's only been a month.  Feels like we've done at least 6 months of living in those few short weeks.


Every morning when I wake up I'm reminded immediately of the huge change we made to our comfortable lives.  The trees outside my bedroom window greet me as if to say hello this is your new home.  This is where you are and where you will stay for a very very long time.  I say that because we are here.  There isn't a plan B.  If I think about that scenario for too long it freaks me out.  How in the world did we do that?  How did we decide to uproot and leave everything we knew for the complete unknown??  Knowing we would be here for like...ever!  Talk about some crazy faith, or just some major crazy. 


There is a window of quiet in the morning.  I'm still getting used to the East Coast time difference.  I can't call anyone because it's too early where my people are, so I have no one to talk to except God.  I know He loves this.  This desperate hour when I'm lonely and He's all I got;)  It should be my first inclination to run to Him, but it's not.  I need to start a routine of opening my Bible and starting my day right.  I'm just not a morning person.   

The trees are growing on me.  They really are beautiful.  As I go over the hills and through the woods...I sing that song to myself daily;)  It's changed the course of everything.  When I get in the car I can't just zone out and daydream anymore.  I have to be focused.  I have to concentrate or I could seriously drive right off the road.  That is what makes it feel like we are so far away from everything...the paying attention.  Maybe that's why it feels like these last few weeks have been SO long.  Because we can't just coast through life any more.  We have to pay close attention.  No wonder I'm tired all of the time;) 



I spent the other morning in the DMV.  I was putting it off and Honey just kept nagging at me to get it done.  It was the last tie to Minnesota.  I remember like yesterday when I went in to have the MN driver's license done.  It was raining and I so wanted to look pretty for the picture.  When I got it in the mail a few days later, I literally squealed with delight.  I think it was the best picture I'd ever had taken!  I loved it.   Fast forward to VA and the cranky government worker lady behind the counter telling me not to smile.  What??  I HAVE to smile...I look awful if I don't.  I just know it's going to be this weird half smile...half grimace look on my face.  I'm sure I'll be squealing when it comes too, but not in a good way:(

You don't realize how much work goes into moving every little thing you have and resetting up another house until you do it.  The weekends are full of hanging curtains and changing out lights.  I love lights and knew that would be a way to make this brand new canvas ours.


I'm so grateful to my Honey for working so hard and spending his free time on house stuff.  I know that's not really his thing.  He'd much rather be playing his drums...which he has yet to set up.  He's been such a trooper.  There is something so appealing about seeing him on a ladder.  Got to say that is what "works" for me;)  It must be my love language.  Seeing him help me.  Love it! 





It's coming together.  We are progressing.  Even my dreams are mellowing out a bit.  When we first moved in every night I had dreams of vampires chasing me through the woods or lions attacking my tent.  WHAT??  Hmmmm...think there's a little anxiety there? 


Last night I just dreamed about my friend.  That's almost harder.  I miss the face to face connections the most.  I guess God knows that and gives me time with them in my dreams.  There could be worse things...like vampires and lions;)  So grateful for how He's helping us.  Each and every day we are moving forward and habits are being made.  Routines are forming and it's getting easier.  Not too shabby for just one month in a foreign land.

Have a blessed day.

17.  getting things crossed off my to do list.

18.  IKEA

19.  little girls keeping me company.

20.  sunny days.

21.  dvr programs to watch with my peeps.

22.  sweet frog.
23. packages on my doorstep from precious friends.

Light fixture is from IKEA.

The Oilcloth Addict

You know how when you are in blogland you can kind of fall down a rabbit hole and pretty soon one thing leads you to another, and then you go to that place and you end up somewhere else??  Well I fell down that hole and I'm so glad I did.

I happened upon the coolest picture of a covered table here.  The table was covered in the prettiest oilcloth fabric.  It was like a eureka moment for me.  I knew I had to learn more.  I'm in the process of pulling together my studio, and girls it is going to be FABULOUS!  It will be by far my favorite room in the house.  I can't wait to show it to you.  But it's not finished, so you can't see it yet...I'm funny that way. 

My search of oilcloth on Etsy brought me to the most amazing store called The Oilcloth Addict.  She had tons and tons of cloth to choose from and immediately my head started to swim.  Heaven!  Then I saw she lived in Richmond, VA and I just knew!  I knew I had to meet this gal.

She just wrote a book and it is full of awesome oilcloth projects like labels, bibs, aprons, totes, pillows, party banners etc...  Seriously there isn't anything you can't make with this stuff and it wipes clean.  I'm going to cover my work tables in my art area with it.  YAY!!

So the girls and I loaded up and headed into the city to meet her.  I was slightly nervous.  It was my first time driving into Richmond by myself.  We live in the burbs.  There are toll roads and I HATE toll roads.  Then I got lost and I HATE getting lost.  But this gal was worth the drive.  She was pure sweetness.  Her name is Kelly and she is the mastermind behind that awesome store and another one called Modern June...love!

She had an awesome chalkboard fabric.  Have you ever heard of such a thing??  I love chalkboard anything, but fabric?...AWESOME!!!  I'm going to make banners or something with it.

She had me try it out...I wrote hello.  I looked down a minute later and Big Chick had written God is bigger.  Made me smile.  Love that my girls know He is bigger.  That's pretty amazing to me.

So there you have it.  One awesome adventure.  Lots of inspiration.  Go check out Kelly...oh and if you want to meet her for yourself she's selling at the Country Living Fairs in both Columbus, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia this Fall.  Oh how I wish I could go to those. 

Have a blessed day.

11.  doing it afraid.
12.  meeting a new crafty friend.

13.  the orange red moon outside my window.
14.  cheese puffs.
15.  Chick-fil-a
16.  curtains getting hung.

awakenings

It finally happened.  The creative bug bit me and I have to tell you it felt so good to make something again.  It's been over a month since I touched a paint brush.  Over a month since I let myself go and felt that rush of adrenaline at creating something pretty.  I was overdue.

It's not completely finished.  I still want to frame it.  It's going in the hallway up our staircase, so I can have that song in my head all day long:)  You've heard it right...by the David Crowder band??

It's one of my very favorite songs.  I especially get choked up with the lyric "I am like a tree...bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy".  What an image!  His love so strong that it bends us...oh that's powerful!  I got the idea from this blog...she had the lyrics written out on a chalkboard.   

 

Okay so today was a new day. Yesterday was with riddled with sadness.  Today I woke up in a better place and I swore we would do something fun.  Seek out the sun a bit and enjoy the warmth of Virginia, so with a pool bag in hand we headed to a local swim club.

A few months ago I won a give-away from this precious gal.  You've probably all seen this book in blogland. I know many of you have read it, but I'm just getting around to it.  When I first started I was a little overwhelmed with the heaviness of the the first chapter.  The author...the amazing Ann Voskamp, is one of the most poetic writers I've ever read.  Each sentence is a meal...if that makes sense.  It's heavy.  It takes some chewing and when I first began I wasn't hungry enough.  I gave up and put it aside.  I have no idea why I picked it up again and threw it in my bag today, but I devoured it.  It was like an arrow to my heart. 


In a nutshell she talks about giving thanks, and how thanksgiving always precedes the miracle.  I can't even begin to scrape the depth of what she said or how she says it.  She masterfully weaves an understanding of how important making note and paying attention to the gifts that God has given us is.  How realizing what makes us happy and what we love can in fact be a prayer lifted up to Him on a daily...hourly basis. 

I've always done a pretty good job of this. I appreciate the little things in life.  I pay attention. I'm thankful.  Really I am, but lately with this move I feel upside down. Like my focus is on my lack, instead of my blessings. So when I started reading this book it was like an awakening moment. This is my answer.  This is what I need to be doing!!  My inward focus is robbing me from my miracle. I have to start with thanksgiving. There is so so much to be thankful for.

So with that said my list begins.  I've seen a lot of you write your lists and it's time to start my own.  I'm sure it won't take long to exceed one thousand gifts....just a few at a time at the end of my posts. I may never stop:)  They are for me, but you can read them if you want.

 

1.  hawks that soar in the sky and remind me of His ever watching eye.

2.  the sound of the wind whispering in the trees. 
3.  sunlight filtering through the clouds

4.  my children's eyes that light up when I play with them...if only for a minute.

5.  wrinkly pruney pool toes.

6.  critters that sing in the night outside my window.
7. tight hugs around the neck when we say our good nights. 
8.  paint encrusted fingernails:)
9.  finally meeting the gal that lives right next door...she talked my ear off today.  sweetness:)
10.  blog friends who carry me with their prayers and cover me with their words of blessing!

Have a blessed day.