Day's Off

This weekend was a quiet one for us. 

Sunday was cold, nasty, and it rained the entire day. 

But today was President's Day and the kids were off from school. 

It was a sleep in and have fun just doing whatever the kids wanted kind of day.

So after lunch we decided to go down to the park and take a few pictures.

It's still chilly enough to wear a beanie hat and not yet warm enough to wear flip flops.

I'm longing lately for days of Summer to be here but trying to soak the last of Winter up.

Because I'm sure when we're having the days of 100 degrees I'll be dreaming of cooler ones to come.

Funny how that all works.

It's been awhile though, since I've played with my camera in the sunlight, outdoors.

And it's so the best. 

Indoors I find to be such a challenge to get the lighting just right and to achieve the look that I want. 

But it's so much fun getting out in the sunshine and just going with it.

That's what we did today... we just went with it and "it" was beautiful.

I'm so happy to be linking up today with Laura from Bits of Splendor.

You should go over and check out her blog and get to know some other awesome bloggers all linking up and sharing their splendor in life.

Happy Monday!

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.

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.

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.

I "see" You

This little machine youngest got for Christmas and was one of her favorite things! I really think when she's older she'll wind up doing something that has to do with food. Cooking_ baking_ ingredients_ getting to make something herself_ she's into it all. She loves every part of it. Well this DQ maker allows her to do it on her own and then the end result of course, is yummy ice cream. We've tried it out a few times and it still gets the same thrill. I just wish they made non fattening you won't wear it later on your bum ice cream. One of the best part's of this whole thing though, is that she gets to give some to all of us. You can see it on her face as she makes a cup and then gives them to each of us to taste. And I love getting to sit back and watch her do the very thing that she enjoys. Times like these I really get to "see" her. As a momma, a covering for my kids_ I can't imagine ever not enjoying or welling up with thankfulness at seeing my children get to do something that brings them joy... even if it's as simple as making ice cream in a little DQ maker. Happy Monday ya'll! :)

heather.

Our Christmas Boy

As we sat in church last Sunday and listened to the message on giving I knew the Lord was speaking to me. Our church had taken 100 kids (100 names) from the system that would soon be placed within a foster home to commit to giving them a Christmas. I wasn't aware of this, but they explained how between Thanksgiving and Christmas is usually when the biggest influx of children get taken out of homes and put into the system but because of the timing they can sometimes be the hardest to place within a home. 

 Just 3 weeks prior, while out shopping at Hobby Lobby with my friend Nina she had told me how she had filled out the paperwork_ they were going to be foster parents_ she had been praying about what the Lord would have her to do in this season of her life and both her & her husband had felt like this was it. 

I was blown away because this was the first time she had mentioned anything but so overwhelmed with hopefulness for the kids that I knew her family would be such a blessing to_ I began to picture those children in my head that would get loved on_ taught_ that would have stability.

So here I am sitting in church_ my heart already ripe from walking beside Nina & her family with fostering and the pastor is talking about these children and I know we need to sponsor one...but I'm so nervous because I know that we have just enough money to get what we need to have for our 3 children and family for Christmas... so I lean over to oldest and say "Grayson would you, middle, and youngest be willing to not have a stocking this year for Christmas so that we can take one of these children?" and immediately without hesitation he starts shaking his head yes... he knew too...

We get a 2 year old little boy who loves the Pittsburgh Steelers and wants a basketball goal_ basketball_and a football. Coincidence that this little 2 year old boy wants the same thing that my 12 year old son wants.... we don't think so. It all stands as confirmation to us that this was supposed to be our Christmas boy. And the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers {Pennsylvania} hold such a special place in each of our hearts....not a coincidence. 

I cannot even begin to tell you how excited my kids were for this. 

I wanted it to be their thing. So they were the ones who picked out each item and they added 

everything up as we went along. We were able to get every item our Christmas boy had down on his list. Is this to boast in us and say look what we did...nope, it's to say look at Jesus and what He has done. This is the least we could ever do and I know people who took 4 & 5 kids home to sponsor which is so awesome... I pray we can eventually do that. I know our hearts are there. 

And I know this Christmas my kids eyes & affections were hopefully turned from themselves onto someone else as we talked about our little guy and what Christmas morning will be like for him now. 

And there hasn't been a day that has gone by that we haven't prayed for him_ called him by name_ wondered what he may be up to. 

When we dropped the gifts off to the location my kids kept asking if they were going to be able to meet him and I had to explain why they weren't going to, etc. They were so disappointed.... but all I could think about was one day we just may get to meet our Christmas boy..... one day. :)

Linking up for 

heather.