Thanks . . .

for all your prayers and well wishes! Just a quick update - I went to the doctor yesterday and I seem to have either a bulging or ruptured cervical disc. We won't know until I have an MRI done. I got a cortisone shot and I'm taking ibuprofen. That seems to be helping for now. As long as I'm careful, I can manage pretty well! No lifting or major crafting for a while until we get this straightened out. Have a Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!!

A Pain in the Neck . . .

Literally! I injured my neck a couple of years ago and have had neck pain on and off since then. I woke up yesterday in serious pain. I could barely turn my head. I have a Dr. appointment tomorrow, so prayers are appreciated! It's uncomfortable to sit at the computer for very long, so I may not post again until after Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and God bless!

You Can Go Home Again

For those of you who know me, you know what a difficult time I had moving from my hometown 2 years ago. If you're in that situation right now, please let me encourage you for just a moment.

When we packed up and moved to our new town, I felt like I had lost something that I would never have again. You see, I've never had to make friends. I know that sounds silly, but I was "born" into most of my old friendships. We'd all known each other so long, that I can't remember a time before they were a part of my life. My family has lived in that small town for several generations - in other words we had a long history that I literally mourned the loss of after we moved away.

For the last two years, I've floundered around meeting new people, but not really trying to form any deep relationships. What was the use? I could never have friends like my old friends again. God knew better. About three months ago, for some reason that only the good Lord knows, those precious friends asked me to come share with them at their annual ladies' retreat.

I knew without a doubt that God wanted me to go, but I was very scared. I love writing, but speaking is NOT my thing! Picking the topic was the most difficult part. I thought I had the topic picked out two different times, but God didn't let me settle! See, He knew that I needed to learn more from this retreat than anyone there. He led me to an in-depth study of friendship.

Throughout my three months of studying and preparing for the retreat, I found myself applying what I was learning to my new relationships. I looked at my "new" friends through "new" eyes and my old friends with a deep appreciation for what we've always had and will continue to have.

I know I already told you girls (ladies!) how much this experience changed some things in my life, but I just feel the need to say one more time, "Thank you". I know now that I can carry both my old friends and new friends in my heart at the same time - God carved out a special place for each one of you!

"The Retreat Girls"

Hanging Out For a Few Days

Happy Monday! I've just spent a wonderful weekend sharing with some long time friends at a womens' retreat. It was so nice to spend some "girl time" away in a cabin. Thank you again sweet ladies, for the faith you had in me!

Since the retreat was near my old hometown and Darrell happens to be away on business, the kids and I decided to hang out with my parents for a couple of days. My mom has dial up so forgive me for not visiting your blogs or posting - I've been spoiled by my cable internet!

I SO appreciate each comment on our bathroom remodel! Many of you said you were inspired and that means so much to me. The whole purpose of this blog is to share, inspire and encourage. I know I'm inspired and get many ideas from all of you - it's just a great little community to be a part of!

I'll post again at the end of the week - have a great one!

Bathroom Makeover on a Budget

Several weeks ago we decided to do a little makeover on our small hallway bathroom. We thought it would just be a weekend project, but it turned out to be a little more complicated! It's finally done and we love the way it turned out.

Here's a picture taken right before we moved in last year- and after the makeover-

Like I said, it is a small bathroom, so it's really hard to take pictures of the whole room at once! I took several pictures from different angles. I LOVE the beadboard. Darrell had his work cut out for him because our walls are not level, but he did great. I painted the cabinet black and we also added a beadboard panel to the side.I'm really trying to keep things simple and easy to clean in our home. With two kids splattering soap and toothpaste everywhere, I have to keep it simple in here! Everything I used to decorate with in here was either something I already had or was purchased from Goodwill or on clearance. I got the toilet paper stand on clearance at Lowe's. It was originally $40 and I got it for $11 - a steal!! The towel ring was a .99 cent Goodwill find that I did a little makeover on. This was definitely a budget makeover! We replaced the floor throughout the entire house before we moved in.We framed the mirror with a Mirr Edge kit that I bought on clearance at Lowe's. Very inexpensive - I think it was around $10. The china platter on the wall belonged to my grandmother. I've been searching for months for a place to hang it, and it just went perfectly in here. I made the "family" sign and I already had the punched tin lamp and the tart warmer stashed away in a closet.The light fixture and faucet were the only brand new things we bought. The light fixture was pretty inexpensive, but I'll have to admit we did splurge a little on the faucet. When it comes to things that get used and abused, it's important to us to buy quality items! We buy better quality when it comes to faucets and appliances even if it means we have to wait a while!This little saucer was a Goodwill find. It is the whole wheat pattern by Mikasa. I added some twigs & berries fixins' and some handmade glycerin soap that I had on hand.By now, I don't even need to tell you where I got this wall basket for 1.99! I picked the golden rod from the field beside our house and dried it. I tucked in a coffee stained linen napkin and some spanish moss. I love the willow tree nightlight and the tart warmer when they are all "aglow"!

Each time we complete a project like this, I feel a little more at home. We're slowly working our way through the house as money and time permits. I hope I didn't go into too much detail on all my little trinkets that I used in decorating. I just wanted to emphasize that you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your home warm, welcoming and beautiful!

Homemade (and Thrifty) Gift Ideas!

Happy Monday morning! Most people don't like Mondays, but I love them. After a busy weekend, Monday feels like a fresh start - full of possibilities!

Just about everyone I know is trying to keep the Christmas spending to a minimum this year and I'm definitely joining the club. It's not just about the money - homemade things mean so much more to the recipient as well as the giver. I'd like to share with you a few simple, inexpensive gifts that I've been working on.

I have to give credit to Nancy for this idea. I "borrowed" her creativity here!Monogrammed note cards - these couldn't be simpler! I bought a pack of 50 blank note cards w/envelopes at JoAnn's and stamped away! I already had the stamps and ink so this was super inexpensive for me. Pretty presentation is simple too - just tie up the groups of cards and envelopes with some raffia and they're ready to give away!

I've found yet another use for tiles! Dry Erase Tiles - These are the really inexpensive glazed ceramic tiles from Lowe's. I think these range anywhere from .14 - .24 cents each! Write your message . . .and wipe away! Just stamp the corners and leave the center open for writing messages. You must seal the stamped images with a clear spray on sealer to keep them from wiping away. Endless possibilities here. If you have a large stamp collection like I do, you will never run out of fun ideas for this one! You can buy inexpensive easels at Wal-Mart or any craft store. Give a dry erase marker along with it also.

Address signs - We have tons of scrap wood in our garage leftover from building projects. I never let that go to waste. I had Darrell cut the boards to the size I needed and then I just painted, stenciled on the numbers, sanded and stained. I gave these a good coat of spray on sealer since they will be hanging outside. I made my own stencils because I'm cheap like that, but you can buy them if you'd rather!

Finally, this one is for you knitters. This my all time favorite scarf pattern. It is super easy and I LOVE the texture of this Homespun yarn. I've made several of these this year, in different colors. Here's one I'm working on now- Here's one I made for myself back at the beginning of the year-I consider myself a beginner when it comes to knitting and this pattern is very forgiving! In other words, you can hide mistakes easily! I have about $5.00 or less in each of those scarves. That particular yarn was on sale at JoAnn's last week, so I took advantage of that!

I hope I've got you thinking "homemade" and "thrifty" now! You CAN give beautiful gifts that you'll be proud of and your family & friends will love - even on a tiny budget!

Marthas, Let Me Clarify!

I think I may need to clarify my last post a little! First of all, thanks to each of you who left a comment - I love a good discussion like this!

I never meant to imply that we should literally just sit around and do nothing. Of course as wives, mothers and Christians, we have lots of responsibilities and I enjoy having things to do. Again, let me stress that I am a Martha. Being a Mary in my opinion is a state of mind and a matter of the heart. That's what the book was saying. Mary was attentive when it really mattered. My body can be busy, busy, busy but my mind should be focused on what's really important.

Many of you mentioned that balance is the key. I completely agree! My problem is, I tend to get way off balance and Martha takes over. I also agree that things would not get done if there were no Marthas. When I refer to sitting at Jesus feet, I'm talking about my heart being in the right place no matter what the task is before me.

I'm honored to have such wonderful women of faith to discuss this with - you all are the best. Keep those comments coming. I love hearing what you have to say!