this is how we worship

Merry Christmas Eve sweet friends.  We are getting ready to head out the door for our Christmas Eve service, but before we go here's our card for this year:)  I was really slow in getting them made (thank you PicMonkey and Walgreens) and almost didn't this year.  But alas...the San Francisco trip turned out to make a great treasured memory.  Walking that bridge was such a bucket list thing for me and sharing it with my favorite people made it so special.


Okay so side note...Sunday morning when we turned to leave our seats after church a sweet gal sitting behind me grabbed my hands and said loudly over the music...

"I just love watching your family praise.  I have three little ones and I hope they turn out just like your girls."  

I thought about those words the rest of the day with a smile in my heart:)
More than anything else I want my life to be used.  
What better example can I be for my girls than to teach them about Jesus?  To share with them His word, His truth, and watch that relationship become real and vital in their lives!  What greater audience and platform for ministry do we have than our own family?  It starts at home.


Standing next to them in church my heart swells.  Their hands are raised high.  Their eyes are closed...their mouths are open in worship.  It's real!  They love HIM.  It brings me to my knees in gratitude.  Sometimes I feel like I can hardly contain myself.  This is what it's about!!!


Thank you Lord!!!  Thank YOU!!!  You so deserve our worship and praise.  Thank you for coming to us in human form.  For giving your life as a living sacrifice.  Thank you that you remind us that greatness isn't wrapped in luxury and materialism.  It walks humbly and in love.  It covers our ugliness and sets us free.  We love you.  We worship you.  Oh how we need a savior!  We sit at your feet in adoration.






Please take a minute and listen to this song.  My friend Lissa sent it to me, and every time I hear it I break down, completely overwhelmed by His presence.  It's anointed!


  May we worship Him fully today and every day.  





Love you girls.
Taking a week off to visit family.
See you next year!




Be a blessing.

i lived

(stinky paperwhites...finally had to toss them:/)

Good morning friends.  I didn't really mean to disappear, but low and behold I took an unplanned siesta:)  I finally feel inspired to share something for the first time in a couple weeks.  Life has been crazy busy with the moving of my studio and fun holiday get togethers etc... Blogging just felt like work.  And if it feels like work that's a good time to back off.

We were watching the taped finale of the Voice last night and One Republic sang their new song I Lived.  Have you heard it?  Oh it made my heart soar.  I love a song that inspires and makes you want to live passionately.  That's what they should all be in my opinion.

Hope when you take that jump

You don't feel the fall

Hope when the water rises

You built a wall

Hope when the crowd screams

They're screaming your name

Hope if everybody runs

You choose to stay

Hope that you fall in love

And it hurts so bad

The only way you can know

You gave it all you had

And I hope that you don't suffer

But take the pain

Hope when the moment comes, 

You'll say

I, I, I

I did it all

I, I, I

I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places, the things that I did

Yeah with every broken bone

I swear I lived

(fun hope letter (letters purchased at Joann Fabric) project for the studio)

I, I, I

I did it all

I, I, I

I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places, the things that I did

Yeah with every broken bone

I swear I lived

Hope that you spend your days

And they all add up

And when that sun goes down

Hope you raise your cup

Oh, oh oh

I wish that I could witness

All your

 joy

And all your pain

But until my moment comes

I'll say

(progress)

(barnwood vinyl flooring)

(moving day!)

I, I, I

I did it all

I, I, I

I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places, the things that I did

Yeah with every broken bone

I swear I lived

Oh whoa oh oh oh oh oh (x4)

With every broken bone

I swear I lived

With every broken bone

I swear I

(neighborhood luminary walk and local living nativity performance)

I, I, I

I did it ALL

I, I, I

I did it all

I owned every second that this world could give

I saw so many places, the things that I did

Yeah with every broken bone

I swear I lived

Hope you are living to the fullest.  Taking it ALL in...enjoying every precious second:)  We are moving into a holy week. HOLY!  Praying our knees fall and we take in the beauty of that sacred night.  

Love you all to pieces!!! Don't forget to follow along on Instagram...farmgirlpaints:))

Be a blessing.
Merry MERRY Christmas!!!

 Christmas party with my FGP girls:))

My friend Tamara made this.  It's a cookie jar, Epson salt, mini trees, camper ornament from World Market, string and Washi tape for the bunting... and LED strand lights.  CUTEST gift award!  Does she know me or what?!?!!

Surprised the girls with the Nutcracker.  First Ballet performance:))

peace seeker

I've been a stress mess lately.  It takes me a bit to come off the Etsy shop frenzy I guess.  It was a mega whirlwind and I'm already thinking about February.  Which is ridiculous I know, but it's how I'm wired.  I've never been good with having deadlines.  I stress out easily.  Great attributes for someone who owns their own business;)  If there is something that needs done I'm on it and it's a tad ridiculous.


For instance...we finished cuffing last Monday.  Tuesday I did laundry, packed, prepared for Asheville.  Wednesday we drove...in the middle I bought all of our Christmas...Saturday we drove home.  Sunday we did laundry and unpacked.  Monday I decorated the house.  Tuesday we did the tree and wrapped gifts etc...  Add painting in the basement, working out, attempting the Paleo diet, blogging and making gift returns and you get just a little glimpse of the go go. 


And my mind is even worse.  I have a constant to do list running at all times.  I know I'm not alone.  We are all so busy at this time of year.  But I was telling my honey yesterday sometimes I feel like I'm going to blow a gasket.  Like literally my head is going to explode from the stress and craziness.  I want with everything in me to slow down.  To not be running full speed all the time and I don't know how to get off the merry go round.

You know what he said. 

You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:3

Boom!  In a millisecond I felt the tension lift a little.  My mind is on everything I have to get done.  All the million to do's.  Including fixing everyone's problems....being super mom, worrying about my girls, friends, readers with issues etc...  I'm taking it ALL ON and I simply cannot. 

There I said it.

It's time to let the ball drop and have Him lift it for me. 

I should have done it weeks ago!

I think it's similar to how we go through the motions of tradition to remind ourselves of the past...the good memories.  We need to center up and focus on remembering our spiritual history and all the good things He's done.  How He's carried us when we were weak.  How He's met our needs...even if it's not how we saw it going down.  How He saved us when we were lost.  How our strength and ability ultimately comes from Him.  That is the peace I'm seeking.  That is my only goal right now.  Find that peace and hold on tight.

**BTW wanted to let you in on a HUGE give-away. 

Casey Wiegand is hosting a BIG ONE on her blog.  

A cuff and a gallery wrap print are in the amazing line up:))

Be a blessing.

bacon

gift bags

old time Christmas music

cozy twinkly lights

a husband that speaks truth over me

December 3, 2013

Good morning friends.  Just a snippet of our Thanksgiving weekend to Asheville.  Once again, for the third year in a row, we spent it with our sweet little fill-in Hutchinson family.  Love them to pieces.  See that little cutie in the top left pic?  She's OUR baby.  Yep we were there when mom and dad Hutchinson gave the big reveal and announced her impending arrival.  I blogged about it here.  Needless to say she really was the center of our attention.  Amazing how last year she wasn't there and this year we couldn't imagine life without her.  God is good!

 The quirky Early Girl Eatery in Asheville, NC

I know it's over and Thanksgiving is old news now, but I want spill out what I'm thankful for.

I'm thankful:

that i'm forgiven and have a Savior who is right by my side

for being a momma

for these girls that make my heart sing

for loving my husband...and that he loves me back

for having a home

for an income that pays for that home

for my past, my childhood, my parents who helped shape who I am

that my honey doesn't travel anymore

for friends that love me

for a furry creature that is always right there

for creature comforts like comfort food, a cozy bed and a hot shower

for sunshine

for gloomy days that make me appreciate the sunshine

for my business

for helpers that keep me company and keep me from sinking

for health and breath and life

for every little thing that I take for granted every day because I know they are gifts from Him...I'm thankful.

And I'm thankful for this basement, and that will become my new cuff shop/art studio/happy place.  It's been a stressful time of year to mess with it, but I know it's going to be an amazing blessing once it's done.

(Find the Fall on your knees sign here & the Silent night sign here)

And I'm thankful that Christmas decorations are out and almost up;)  It was SO tempting to not fuss with it this year, considering the mess everywhere else.  I have glitter in every little crevice of my floors.  It's everywhere...but aside from decorating the tree it's up...happy, warm and cozy and for that I'm extremely grateful!   Glad we did it anyway:)

It's whizzing by.  Can you feel it?  This year is almost over.  The busyness can choke out my joy in a millisecond if I let it.  I don't want to let it.  It's December 3, 2013.  The only December 3, 2013 there will ever be.  I'm going to sit in it for a minute.  Let it drape over my shoulders like a warm blanket...then I'll fold it up and get back to the to-do's of today.  But for now...

Be a blessing.

 surviving black thursday;)

 meeting a reader...amy bruce in my favorite store in asheville

catching fire!

scattered

 

Whenever I get back from a trip I usually wake up the next morning and impulsively decide to quit everything.  The piles of laundry...smelly fridge...dusty surfaces and overwhelming stuff everywhere feeling about does me in.  That's where I'm at today, but yet here I am sitting at my computer editing pictures...sorting through memories.  Capturing and documenting my life.  It's what I do.  It's weird.  As much as I want to walk away sometimes and not have more to do... I just can't. 

 

 

 

Traveling home was exhausting.  It always is, especially at this time of year with everything else.  But in the end I'm always glad we took the time and made the effort.  Being with my people at the holidays is important to me.  We all lead such different scattered lives.  My brothers are a bit like strangers.  I hate to say that, but it's true.  The age difference doesn't help and living so far away has made it hard. 

I can't help but think about the future.  I think about when our folks are gone and wonder how often we'll come back.  I know this bubble...this time right now is precious.  I want to freeze it.  I love the ages of our girls, my parents...honey and I.  It scares me to think of how all that will change. 

 

We've moved away.  We've set up shop in a state far away, so I think about things.  I'm praying that friends will morph into family.  That church will become our second home.  That our girls will stay close and we'll have that unit...that core.  I know none of that is for certain...and so I have to just close my eyes and whisper a little prayer and trust that God will take care of the details.  See...going home makes me sappy. 

This week we revisited the past a bit.  We drove the girls by our old apartments and the church we got married in.  That house in the middle is a blog post on it's own.  May have one brewing.  We zoomed all over my hometown...no traffic jams.  No hustle and bustle.  That's one of my favorite things of all. No traffic, and all the ties I have with every area of town.  Good times...sweet sweet memories.  


And can I add that I had a list of goodies I was looking for and literally every single one of them miraculously ended up in my car...and for practically nothing.  It was an antique shopping high!!!  Yep God was smiling on me:) So I guess if He cares about those little things (and I really believe he does) on my want list...maybe just maybe He's got the big things like the future and our family situation covered.  I'm thinking I need to stop thinking;)

OH AND THE WINNER of the Trader Joe's give-away is: 

Michele at Hello Lovely Inc.!! 

Congrats girlie. 

Thanks everyone for your awesome beauty tips. 

Can't wait to try some of them:)

Be a blessing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

930. my bed

931.  my shower

932.  my sweet birds...who missed me 

933.  Virginia sunshine that greeted me this morning

 

Trader Joe's give-away!

 

Picmonkey posterize effect...the back of our Christmas card

 

Good Morning peeps!  We're getting ready to take off for Illinois and I thought I'd leave you with a fun little giveaway. 

 

 

The inspiration just came to me. I love Trader Joe's...maybe you do too.  So I went and gathered up some of my favorite things and put a little something something together for one of you:)



BTW see that coconut oil up there??  I am officially addicted.  I've been using it on my face at night to remove my makeup.  It works amazing and smells SO good.  The smell motivates me to wash my face!!  Just this morning I mixed it in my coffee instead of creamer.  You can use it as a moisturizer, deep hair conditioner, lip balm, mixed with chia seeds for an energizer...the list is a mile long for uses.  I'll include a list in the goody bag.  It really is a cool thing. 


Oh and the chocolate covered pomegranate seeds and roasted plantain chips are my kryptonite.  I only buy them on special occasions because they seem to disappear the second they enter the house.  The cookie butter I've never tried, but I've heard it's the bomb, so I threw a jar in there and then there's the new jute Trader Joe's bag.  It's just the cutest thing...I had to give-away one of those too. 

To enter just leave me a comment telling me your favorite beauty tip/product.  I'm always up for trying something new:)

 

 

 {our Christmas card 2012}

I'll announce the winner when I get home.  I hope all of you have a very Merry Christmas. 

Love you girls!!!

**If you want follow along with us on Instagram...farmgirlpaints:)  See you soon.

Be a blessing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

923.  Trader Joe's;)

924.  the smell of coconut

925.  my little chick's school party

 

926.  rag roller curls for my baby...she said "momma do you ever feel so pretty you get nervous?" right before she bounced onto the bus!  sweetest words ever!!!

927.  basement projects coming together

928.  time with my family

929.  happy mail that came from a sweet friend at just the right time...

present day

 

 

I'm sitting in my office.  It's starting to turn dark outside.  The house is quiet.  My honey is at the gym, and the girls are outside playing.  Today we celebrated our little Christmas.  We had to.  Next weekend we will make the long drive back home to Illinois.  And even though we can't wait to squeeze the neck of family and friends I think this may be the last year we leave home for the Holidays.  I just miss home.  I want to be in my Virginia home!  It's where I want our Christmas memories to be.

 

 

It's been a stressful week.  In so many ways I wish I could go back and have a redo.  Do you do that?  Wish you could rewind and do it differently??  I've officially closed my Etsy shop...until February.  It was with a huge sigh of relief that today the vacation mode was finally turned on.  I had no idea how busy it would keep me this year.  Such a financial blessing...thank you!!!  But also a very unexpected stressor.  Part of the stress revolved around my supplies not coming in and orders piling up.  NIGHTMARE!  Oh the joys of figuring out kinks.  Anyway next year I will hire helpers.  Next year I will close December 1st, so I can do everything else.  Next year...  It's so easy to look back and see how you'd do things after the fact.  Anyhow next year I will be more prepared...and have a different supplier:) 

 

 

But today was Christmas and we have a fun little tradition where we wake up and in our jammies go out for donuts. 

Then we come home and sing Happy Birthday to JESUS!  It's all sorts of good.  We get centered on Him and then completely pig out. 

Afterwards we open gifts.  The girls always make us some sort of card and give us something they either made, bought at school or found in nature.

Little Chick's gift:)

Big Chick's gift:)

It was so much fun watching them get spoiled this morning.  I know it's not about the gifts.  It's not about stuff...but it really did make me light up like a Christmas tree watching them love what we bought them.  And you know the best part...they kept saying thank you...over and over again.  They were blessed...but we were blessed even more by their grateful hearts.  The hugs alone were worth it!

 

I was painting the basement yesterday when Honey called and told me about the school shootings.  It did what I'm sure it did to most of you...it completely made me sick.  I was on my face sobbing for those families.  On my face pleading with God to cover them with His peace and comfort.  It is so beyond anything I can imagine.  I felt panicky inside...like I wanted to go to our schools RIGHT THEN and bring my babies home and keep them there safe forever!!

 

 

What made it even worse was finding out one of my Instagram friend's kids went to THAT school!  She was able to get her kids home safely, but they lost loved ones.  Out of all the schools in the country I actually knew someone whose kids were in THAT school!  It's just too close.  It's too much!  I could hardly sleep last night without being consumed with complete and utter despair for those families. 

 

 

I know we are living in the end times and this world is fallen...the only thing that gives me peace is knowing there is a PLAN.  Knowing HE is in control.  The enemy is out to steal, kill and destroy, but our LORD will conquer all!!!  Let's remember to keep close to Him.  Let's remember that this life truly is fleeting, but eternity is forever.  There will come a day when every knee shall bow and every tongue will confess that HE IS LORD.  I'm praying that as Christmas draws near...people will draw near to Him.  We desperately need our Savior...the one who was sent as a baby that day so long ago.  The one who took my sins and yours, and yes even that troubled sick man...He took them all. Thank you God for sending us your Son!! 

 

 

 

 

**My friend's name is Laura...Instagram name...Punkalotta.  Her blog is here.  I'm sure she'd love to hear how you are praying for her family and community.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be a blessing.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

911.  my family safe at home with me

912.  that my friend's family was spared

913.  for the blessing of Christmas gifts

914.  chocolate cake donuts

915.  a spa certificate that i desperately need to use...thanks babe;)

916.  for my savior that was sent to save this fallen world

917. for peace that passes all understanding