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I am SO done with winter


Winter is lasting FOR-EV-ER this year.  I know I'm not the only one feeling it either....but it feels like it'll never end.  Tomorrow's May 2.  Guess what's in the forecast.....flurries.  Seriously?  So done.


Photo: (Alex) Touché. http://oak.ctx.ly/r/4igy

One of the reasons it's getting to me so much, I think, is that for me....summer is my creative time.  I only work September to June and so in July and August, I have quite a bit of time to do creative things:  make cards and scrapbook,  sew and alter things,  and more recently - paint and upcycle furniture.  I LOVE redoing furniture.  Somehow all that creative stuff feeds my soul.  I know...it's not exactly putting anyone through college $-wise....but it energizes me.  I could stay up til 3am painting something in my garage in the summer.  In winter, 8pm rolls around and I'm wishing my kids would go to bed so that I could too.  Last year I painted my first piece during Spring Break (outside, on my driveway, in shorts).  This year the weather has just not cooperated and I can feel myself getting a little anxious...and maybe more just impatient about it.


Today I gave up.  I'm not waiting for summer anymore.
I sold a dresser and a desk this evening (That is energizing for sure!) and I have one dresser which is sold but I'm painting it before it gets delivered to it's new home - housing scrapbook supplies in a LSS (a worthy calling For Sure!).  So, I pulled said dresser (and a few other pieces) into my kitchen and cracked open a new can of primer and went to town, so to speak.  Here are a few pics of what I was working on this evening....can you guess what some of these will look like when I'm done....or where they'll end up?



 This is the top piece of a 2-piece hutch that I got for really cheap.  It's not the nicest piece of furniture for sure - plain and boring....but I've used it for 5 different things which in furniture economy is pretty good :)  This photo is the top of the hutch.  You'll never guess where it ended up - holding up a Bearded Dragon tank in my daughter's room - exactly the right height to give her a bookcase headboard and a secure place for the dragon.    The doors (larger middle door and 2 side glass panels that never opened) came off and I took out the glass.  This summer I'm going to cut wood to fit inside these "frames" and paint it with chalkboard paint!


 Photo: My new craft room is starting to take shape!!
The bottom of that hutch was the perfect size to sit under my scrapbook paper shelving and raise them up to table height.  You can't really see it but it's there and it's perfect. 




 This is the lovely lady who will provide much-needed storage at a Scrapbook Store!  I'm so jealous she gets to live there full-time.  I'm giving her a simple coat of white and putting this amazing hardware right back on from whence it came :)  It's going to be stunning. 




 This frame I found at a moving sale at a neighbour's house down the street.  I guess giant canvases with ornate frames don't fit in brand new condos-for-two like they did when you had a home big enough for a family.  Their loss.  I haven't decided where to put this exactly yet.  I would love it in my scrapbook room but I'm not sure I have a wall space big enough for it.  Maybe....we'll see.  The canvas I'm selling....the frame I'm going to hang by itself so I can display different things inside the frame when the mood hits.




This long skinny shelf is one of 2 that I scored from a neighbour who found them in the crawl space of the house she just bought.  She thought they were supposed to be pantry door inserts for bottles, or little items but they weren't installed when they got the house and they had no intention of doing it.  So, for the low-low price of 3 chocolate bars, they became mine.  What am I doing with these?  I have a boy who needs some lego display shelves on his wall.  These I think will be perfect.  I'll post this again with an "after" picture when they're painted and hung.

That's it.  Back with more soon!!
Cathy









Post-Sound of Music

My youngest was cast as Kurt in our community's production of The Sound of Music.  From the very first audition, to the very last curtain call - he never, ever stopped smiling ear to ear.  He was completely smitten with the whole singing/acting world and now, a week after it's over, we still start each day here with some crazy rendition of "The Lonely Goatherd" or "How do you solve a problem like Maria?"

Here are a few photos from the very last dress rehearsal and one of the performances:

 The Von Trapp family singing in the festival at the end of the play

 Egan (Kurt) singing his heart out - before I got around to fixing the buttons on the rental vest

 Everyone commented that he had a huge smile/was always smiling.  He's had so much fun becoming this character on stage!!

 Curtain clothes :) and his "father's" obvious disgust at them

 Dress rehearsal photo - the lederhosen I made for the boys before I had a chance to tighten up the straps so they'd fit better.
 Hair and make-up everynight

 Do-ME-ME, ME-so-so, ray-fa-fa, la-ti-ti

 Yodeling his line in "The Lonely Goatherd" 

 Trying to dance with Maria.  By the last performance he confided to me that he was having to consciously NOT know how to dance because he was actually getting good at it LOL.

 All the kids collapsed on Maria on the couch after first "learning to sing"













Feeling Creative again :)

It's been awhile since I've made something for fun....not for sale, but just because I have a little time to play and some new stuff to play with.  Paper Smooches banner dies & stamps - you are my creative inspiration this week!  Thank you!

Valentine's Day

So, Valentine's Day has come and gone :)
The chocolate was divvied up (and mostly eaten already during an American Idol-catch up session)
The cards were made (and delivered to both stores on time this year!!)  I'll go this weekend and see what the amounts were but I'm expecting to have sold quite a few.
And thanks to inspiration from a co-worker....we had a Love-themed supper as well this year:

Heart-shaped Pizzas :) 


Cheese pizza was the obvious choice....and we also tried a new one:  Chicken Alfredo with sun-dried tomato and basil.  

After supper, we were all very tired so we spent the evening playing Draw Something with each other and just hanging out.  The perfect Valentine's night.

Happy Valentine's Day!
Cathy

A New Year

Ok, a New Year's post on January 22 isn't really considered timely, I know....it's been awhile...but, what can you do?  Somethings give when you're prioritizing and sadly, this blog was one of them.

But, today I'm inspired to start the year off right.
I read Psalm 136 today in morning devotions.  Here's a snippet - in case you need a reminder of this great Psalm (complete text at the bottom of this post):

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.


So....I was reading this text again - like I've read it many, many times before but this time I was actually reading the words outloud.  All of them.  Even the repeated refrain "His love endures forever" which I (and I'm probably not the only one) skip over or just read in our heads.  It struck me as I read all the good, and bad things in the first parts of the stanzas that ALL of them ended with "His love endures forever" no matter how wonderful or horrible the action seemed - creating the sun, or killing kings.  

And then I wondered...WHAT IF I read my life like that.
I mean, I KNOW it in my head - that God's love endures forever; that he loves me; that he works all things together for good....
but what if I actually SAID it outloud like that - attached to the good, and the bad.


I woke up this morning wide awake and breathing.
His love endures forever.
My coffee was great and devotions were challenging
His love endures forever.
It's -43 with the windchill outside and I have to walk to school.
His love endures forever.
My van is in the garage and getting it back today will mean a big bill
His love endures forever.
My son got a part in the community play "The Sound of Music."
His love endures forever.
My daughter did not get the part she auditioned for.
His love endures forever.     

You see how this could go on and on....I could list every good or bad (in my perspective) thing that happens in my day/life....and still, His love would endure and every little thing in my life would filter through that understanding.  I think this would change my perspective on a lot of things.  I think I might start to see many more things as gifts from my loving Heavenly Father.  I also think I might begin to see HOW he's working things together for my good instead of being frustrated that I can't always see it. 

I need to mull this over a little :) 


Here's a little peek at what I'm doing Scrappy-wise this year:
  I'm starting my 3rd year of Project Life!  I'm so excited to do it again.  I have a few friends playing along this time and considering it's mid-January and I'm not too far behind yet (LOL), I'm feeling great about it!   I am hoping this is the year I can start scrapbooking and making cards for more than just necessity again too - I miss it so much and my new craft room is set up and ready to go!!  Wish me luck :)

Hugs to you! 
Happy New Year!!
Cathy



As promised:  the entire text of Psalm 136

Psalm 136

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by his understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights—
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand and outstretched arm;
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea[a] asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
17 to him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land as an inheritance,
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance to his servant Israel.
His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us from our enemies.
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.

Merry Christmas - from us!

 Christmas Eve 2012


 I'm embarking on a 4-day adventure at home, over Christmas, by myself (ie: no kids).
I think it might be wrong to be so excited about it but I can't help myself LOL.  I have a list a mile long of things I'd love to get done (knowing full-well that most of them won't ever get crossed off the list) including paint touch-ups around the house, building shelves into a couple of dressers-turned-consoles, cleaning up 6 months of un-albumed photos, baseboards, door frames, toilet paper holders, dishes, laundry....etc.  I think I'm off to a good start.  I've made cinnamon buns (baking as we speak), thrown in one load of laundry, and completely prepped my 2013 Project Life album.  This will be my 3rd year doing Project Life and hopefully (3rd time's a charm, right) this will be the year I more-or-less stay on top of it.    Working full time this Fall really put a cramp in my scrapbooking/card-making/Project Life style LOL.....but the hope remains.  I even joined a PL Facebook group and am following a few blogs of some ladies who've got this thing Figured Out! (jealous).


 I know my blogging has really taken a hit.
I'm hoping this is the start (again) of a better season for that.
And for scrapbooking/card-making/PL.

Hugs.
Cathy

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Why am I so surprised??

Why am I so surprised when God answers my prayers?

I totally KNOW he can.  
I believe he loves me and wants to answer my prayers. 
I accept his grace as a gift. 
 I come boldly to his throne and ask with confidence.

Then why, when he does answer my prayers, am I completely blown away every time?

Here's a little backstory - too long for a Facebook post so if you're here from Facebook, thanks for coming to read the whole story :)
About a month ago, I wrecked my knee at school playing tag.  The chiropractor said he thought I tore the patellar web - the muscles that surround and hold the knee cap in place??  I just quoting because I leave medical type things like that to people who know, and care.  It hurt like crazy.  And I couldn't straighten or bend it really. I wore a brace like this one:

About 4 days after it happened, I realized....I hadn't prayed about it.  I'd prayed "with" my kids at night but I hadn't really prayed about it myself.  Strange revelation.  I did a little soul-searching that day and came to the conclusion that it was 1 of 3 things.  Either I...
1. Didn't think God could do it and that's why I didn't ask.  This is not the issue - I know he can.
2. Didn't want him to.  This was a bigger conversation with myself - do I like having "something" that I can complain about and people can feel sorry for me about?  It was a humbling conversation but in the end I'm pretty sure I feel better being known for better traits than being a victim; injured; etc.
or 3. I didn't think I deserved it - that I have lots, and can't ask God for more grace.

As soon as the word Grace came up in my mind, I realized that was what it was - not feeling worthy of MORE things from God and not feeling like I could ask because I didn't deserve more.  

That lead to an almost month-long search and study on the word grace and what it means to be on the receiving end of God's unmerited favour.  I read through every verse that my concordance could throw at me and all the related verses those led to.  It was fascinating.  And humbling.  And a good reminder that everything I have is grace from healing, to eternal life, to actually just waking up breathing in the morning.  A good reminder that my God is LONGing to give more grace; that his wants me to ask (confidently, boldly) and he gives it (abundantly, overflowingly, lavishingly - I love these type of words and all their forms in the Bible).  

Anyway, the funny part of the story for me is this:  I've prayed that God would help my knee heal quickly.  But at the end of my Grace study yesterday morning, I really, really prayed, boldly, confidently, with faith and thankfulness - for healing - for strength in my knee, etc, etc.  Now I should preface this again with:  my knee has been steadily getting better for about a month.  The chiropractor is already impressed with how well it's doing and how quickly (I told you right, that other people are praying for my knee). But there were still a few very specific things I couldn't do with my knee.  So, last night at the chiropractor I told him, I still can't kneel on it and I can't crouch (like beside a student's desk when I'm working).  So he says, "let's see..." and I get up, and kneel - no pain.  I crouch - no pain.  "Hmm...." I say.  "I couldn't do that yesterday."  
(there are still a few positions that aren't completely back to normal with my knee - but that may be because I am not 16 anymore LOL....and the chiropractor said that it wasn't a bad thing that I couldn't sit on my heels and spend a long time cross-legged anymore).  

I left the chiropractor with this funny grin on my face I think....wondering again why I'm so surprised when I actually pray for something and it happens.  Blown away again by how much he loves me and wants the best for me.  Surprised by his love and surprised by my own surprise.