A Par-tay and a Friend

Meet Shon from the 

Sunflower Mama Chronicles !

I didn’t know what to expect when signing up to take part in the New Year’s Blogging Party with Alycia, Casey, and Danielle. All I knew is that it’s always fun to meet someone new and there was a gift involved. Mail! I would get to send & receive something fun in the mailbox….and you all know my love affair with mail. 

Shon and I were paired up and we got right to it. 
We immediately started emailing back & forth to get to know each other better and quickly found out we have a lot in common. 
She lives in the same State as I do along with other things like she likes to sew, she enjoys thriftin’, she loves Jesus, she’s a momma to 3 kids, and she is just a sweet, sweet person. 


We have talked about meeting up and having coffee some time in the near future. 
That is full circle for me, and gets me giddy just thinking about it.

 So thoughtful that Shon purchased something hand made for me. 
My card and the colors I could eat. I like it that much! 
My necklace has 3 little birdies in it and is pure wonderfulness. 
Thank you Shon for my "happy" and thank you for being my new found friend.

heather.

To Dance or Not?

Middle had a "First" Friday night... her first school dance.

You would have thought it was like the Senior prom. It was that big.

And i get it bc I remember being there. The hair had to be just so and the outfit just right.

Only it wasn't just right at the beginning. She really had her heart set on another top she wanted to wear but they winded up selling out. At the last minute we had to scramble and make things work.

But we made it work and at the end of the night i think she would have told you it turned out more 

than just alright.

To my girls:

Being at this 5th grade dance made me think about some things

that i need you to know_

 don't worry so much about what others think of you. 

I know it seems hard but if you like it, wear it. 

When you're comfortable with who you are and what you like,

others will be too. 

You're beautiful not only to me and dad but to Jesus. 

And not bc of any outfit you could ever put on or hairdo you could ever style up.... you’re beautiful bc you’re you.

Believe it and never forget it.

Sometimes life will throw you a curveball of disappointment but know

that it is making you into the woman you are going to be. 

You will be stronger bc of it and better able to handle things that are thrown your way in life.

Don't ever look down or make fun of anyone...never exclude,

always include. 

Even it's not the popular thing to do, it's the right thing to do.

And dance girls bc it's fun and it doesn't matter if someone's watching you. 

They're watching bc fun looks good. 

And you won't have the opportunity to do this again no matter how many times you may wish you could. So dance.. so that at the end of the night you have no regrets.

And when you see me look at you all teary eyed or taking a ga-zillion pictures know that you have a momma that's so proud of you i can't help but have it spill over into my eyes. The only way i can stop time briefly is by snapping a few more pictures of you that way I have no regrets.

i love you my girls, momma.

Oh, the Stories They will Tell

Hubs drove up to the school to drop the girls off and they hurriedly scurried out of the car and away. Youngest forgetting a poster board {her project due} laying behind on the car seat. Hubs called her name several times and she ignored him as she tried to get away as fast as she could.

   Jode is a layed back_ do his thing_ likes to play_ kind of guy. And when it comes to the kids… he likes to play around a lot. For instance, at Christmas time he found it funny as he’s walking into Target to belt out a line or two from Jingle Bells. Just for the shock factor of nothing less but to embarrass our kids. Or he’s been known to turn on some Lynrd Skynrd and sing loudly as he’s pulling through the drop off line at school. Some may say he’s giving them a complex but we like to think he’s building character.

   So back to youngest forgetting her project in the car and hurrying away_ the above explanation is why. She did finally come back when another student stopped her to tell her the deal-y-o.

    And youngest is funny in that she pretty much does her own thing. In what she thinks is cool, etc. Like in PE at school they’re covering and doing a little dancing…. Do se do, line, etc. So she comes in the other day and her and middle are discussing how they were partnered up and who they had to dance with.  They’re still at the age where they would rather dance with a girl than be put with a boy bc they’re so gross & smell bad. Youngest pipes in and says “ I made him hold my wrists”. “Nu,uh, I told him not my hands” and she showed us how she offered him her wrists. I told her you go baby. I’ve heard of the no kissing before marriage but I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the no holding hands…only the wrists.

     Oldest is a short time away from turning the big 13 and being a full blown teenager. And some time ago we were on the topic of circumcision/covenant/ all that deepness and he asked if he would have to be circumcised. Hubs jumped on the opportunity and for a few weeks oldest has been thinking when he turns 13 he will have to have that little procedure done {which for the record he already had at birth}. So we’re sitting in church Sunday and pastor starts talking briefly, but still about the scripture and circumcision. Hubs and I are sitting there knowing what is running through oldest’s head and wanting to laugh out loud. I don’t think he moved a muscle or hardly blinked the whole service….hubs fessed up and told the whole truth later when we got in the car. Oldest laughed_ was relieved_ and probably slept a little better Sunday night…

Kids are funny and sometimes they say and do the funniest things and I forget. Like I don’t make a mental note to remember so that I can tell about it later. Or maybe when we're old & grey they'll want to tell about us later, either way. One day they’ll be married and we’ll all be sitting around the table or they’ll be sitting with their counselor and it’ll be funny to reminisce and think on these times…hopefully.

Ya’ll today I’m honored to be guest posting over at Leslie’s blog the top of the page.

She asked me to write on what grace is to me. So when you get a chance, go give her some blog lovin’ . She’s full of wisdom and does a series each week called Grace on Thursdays. I always look forward to her posts’ and take away something of goodness each time.

Linking up with sweet Casey today

heather.

Valentine Inspiration

Just because Valentine's Day is right around the corner and i love any holiday to do with 

L.O.V.E

Here's some cuteness ideas I hope to get around to making.

Source:  boutiqueit.blogspot.com

Source:  thirtyhandmadedays.com

Source:  etsy.com

Source:  vivafullhouse.blogspot.com

Source:  designsponge.com

Source:  colormekatie.blogspot.com

Source: designsponge.com

Source:  52mantels.com

heather.

Uwin... {Use What is Near} Curtain DIY

Since moving into our home there are still windows that stand bare & exposed... they're naked = they have no curtains hanging on them. And not because i don't want curtains hung. They're that way because curtains are expensive and i want to get what i really want. So i wait until i can do so.

While we're talking about this i just thought of why they may call them "window treatments."
I'm thinking because they can either be a treat for you...to look at. Or not, maybe. I dunno. What i do know is i want my"window treatments" to reflect who i am in some sort of way. And if it has pompom tassels they're sure to be a treat to me...

Later in the week i will hopefully be able to give the full reveal of the craft room but today we're talking about U winning. When you "Use What is Near" i have found it to be a win-win. And in the times where I've had little resources to work with is some of the most creative and resourceful. That's what happened to me this weekend.

I started thinking... hard about how i could make some curtains. What did i have on hand? How could i get them to be fun and creative since they'll be clothing my inspiration room windows. What could i take apart that I'm not using? And here's what i came up with.

I dug around the house and found this tablecloth purchased back at Christmas from Dirt Cheap that was originally from Target. Ya'll if you've never been to a Dirt Cheap or Hudson's, oh my. Can i just say it is the best of the best for finding bargains at yes dirt cheap prices. I think the stores go from Alabama and downward South. Crazy the things that you can walk away with there. Shoes for $1.99_ tablecloths for $5_ table runners for $3_ curtains for $5...just cray cray, i tell ya.

 I also found a pair of white tab top panels I wasn't using_ grabbed a remnant of polka dot fabric_ some pompom tassels_ annnnnd a red velvet grommet curtain that I had gotten a few years back from Dirt Cheap but had never used. 

I cut a piece of tablecloth and sewed it to the top. Cut a piece of velvet and hot glued it to the bottom because i wanted some extra length and added texture. Cut strips of the polka dot fabric and hot glued it to add some funkiness and then added some yellow pompom's.

And I'm not sure why but I always end up sprawled all over the floor with my things.

The curtain rod i had is like 12 years old... i'm not even exaggerating. It came from Wal-Mart years ago and i found it in a box in the attic. That pour thing has been through some moves....

I'm tickled pink with how they turned out and the best part is that i used things i already had on hand. I've been learning this lesson more and more lately. To first see if i can use what is near me that maybe i haven't given some thought about instead of purchasing something i may not be totally pleased with long term and having it be a waste. This weekend... iwon;)

The last picture was taken in the middle of the day with the sunlight coming through. Amazing the difference in lighting and how it changes the way the wall color looks:)

Funky_  homemade_ pompom tassel_ velvet_  curtains always makes life more lovely;)

Linking up with a bunch of great blogs.
Whipperberry

heather.

Friday Favorites

What I'm

and enjoying so incredibly much!

What I found at the thrift store

and was super excited about.

What I got with birthday money 

and makes me smile.

What I'm carrying lately

What works so well in my

to tame the frizzies.

What I bathe with

and it makes my skin super soft and smells a-mazing.

What project I'm working on this weekend

and can't wait to show you the "after".

Also, if your looking for colors and want to play a game to find out which color you should decorate/paint with... go here to take the Color Sense test.

My hubs works for this company and I found it to be fun answering the questions but

most importantly, very informative.

That's what's up with me on this Friday.

Have a great weekend!

heather.

Dream a little...

Do you dream?
When is the last time you allowed yourself to?
Maybe it's a small dream
or maybe it's big
or maybe it's something you wouldn't even want to speak of yet
But do dream
allow yourself this
you're worth it
your spouse is worth it
your kids are worth it
So dream
about things to come
about things that can be
about things promised 
but dream.... do dream.

heather.

Do you like Pancakes?

German Pancakes??...

My husband's grandmother and great grandmother were of German decent.

 I never had a chance to meet them but whenever Jode and I first got together his mom would cook 

pancakes for us called German pancakes. I had never heard of them, let alone ever eaten them.

But as it turned out I liked them and now my kids really, really like them.

So whenever I go to make pancakes around our house it's usually these that make it to our table.

They are thin and kind of remind me more of a crepe-of-sorts. 

Hubs says you are supposed to lay the pancake out flat_ fill with syrup_ then roll it up_ and enjoy.

Thought it'd be fun to share the recipe with you this morning beings my kiddos are home from school today for MLK Day. This is probably what they'll ask me to cook them for breakfast.

Grandma Hubert's German Pancakes

Ingredients:               1/3C sugar

                                           1/4C cooking oil

                             2C milk

                                      1C plain flour

Blend real good with blender on high speed eggs, sugar, oil, and milk. Then add in flour and blend.

Mixture will be real thin. Pour enough batter into greased skillet to cover the bottom.

Flip when they start to brown around edges and cook other side.

Take out and enjoy with syrup or powdered sugar and fruit.

heather.