I used this silver plated copper wire (non-tarnish!) and some tiny round colorful beads in my favorite colors. You can also get a nice sterling silver chain at a good price, especially when using a 40% off coupon at Hobby Lobby.

Here is another project that was quick and fun to work on. These Yo Yo balls from Made by Joel made it into the kids’ stockings and they have had so much fun with them! They worked up really quickly and I enjoyed the minimal hand sewing that was involved.

I also learned about glass etching from a dear friend. And what a super simple way to personalize a great gift! (I plan on bringing this out a lot in the future, so watch out, you people in my gift-giving vicinity. You just might be getting some personlized glass-something-or-other in the future.) I had some (okay, dozens) of canning jars hidden in the treasure trove that is beneath my house. After a couple good cleanings, they were sparkly and I etched designs on them (with husby’s help, due to the fumes) and then filled them with homemade granola for some neighbors and friends. Sorry, no pic. Trust me, they were cute.

A couple pairs of handwarmers and a scarf, all made from felted sweaters just about rounds off all the craftinessI was able to accomplish during the Christmas season. I look forward to getting back into “creative mode” once this sweet baby girl makes her appearance…we’re within the 3 week range!

Firstly, If you don’t look at any other links on this page, please do yourself a favor and read this post from Rachel . It contained so much of the perspective that I have been in need of lately. So familiar on so many levels. Good grief.  Here’s an excerpt:

I’m sure most of you have noticed the magnetic power of what you clean. Clean the bookshelf up, and everyone wants to read. Organize the little toys, and everyone wants to play with the things they have been callously walking on for days. This is a sign that you are succeeding, that your people love your work. Think of it like food, because that is how it is getting used.

Also enjoy some lovely and insightful conversations here between father and daughter on lots of motherhood topics. (You’ll see additional video links at the bottom of the page) Great stuff!

Books Should Be Free! (As my husband is a writer, I’m not quite sure I totally agree with this statement, but it doesn’t stop us from taking advantage of free audio books!) Check out all these children’s classics from the public domain. (HT Ann Voskamp)

Design Mom’s Living with Kids Series It’s all about the design of houses where children live. My goal for our home is for children to feel welcome and engaged. But I do have an eye for design and I think the two can be happily married. Warning: All the rooms are pristine, but don’t get a complex. We all know that we have to actually LIVE in our houses so they can’t be perfect all the time. I’m sure even these moms have clutter and laundry and Legos to deal with on a daily basis.

This ‘Living In’ post from Design Sponge. Don’t you just want to open a door to another world sometimes? Oh, Narnia…

Here’s a great tutorial about how to get started on Pinterest.

I always look forward to The Long Thread’s collection of favorite tutorials from the past year.

Have fun and don’t get lost!

1. Find a picture you like and try to copy it.

2. Practice a lot. Just keep drawing and drawing and drawing.

I also met the fellow that illustrated this scene from The Hobbit, Justin Gerard, aged not-12. So, we have a pretty good source to aspire to. (Aedan also had plenty to say about his admiration for Justin’s work.)

Click to see image enlarged.

This may seem daunting, especially if you have littles who are, well…little. So another great option would be to find some of your favorite picture books and let your little artist choose a picture he or she likes. We love Arnold Lobel, of Frog and Toad fame. This is a bit more accessible, yes?

Obviously, there are just so many styles of art out there. My daughter is more drawn to “girlie” stuff (like you might see from Sarah Jane ) and bright colors, as seen here at Elvie Studio. The main thing is to provide inspiration for our children in any area of interest. Set them up for success and enjoyment. And, even if they are trying copy a Justin Gerard illustration, help them laugh off the idea that they can really copy Justin –at least now. Remind them it’s a journey and big part of the whole thing is to have fun. The Louvre can wait.

Ashley had a great summertime post with an array of links for summer activities and inspiration. I was especially charmed with Martha’s suggestions.

And what about these jars? How fun for the kids’ bedrooms on a summer evening! I need to find some of that glow paint. ASAP

My husband caught the kids in the throes of some serious hunting last week. Perhaps that activity will end up on our list…

How about you? Got any great summer plans or traditions?

For some reason, early in the week I was just all over the place emotionally. I had a really good parenting day, followed by a really bad one and was just feeling pretty insecure and unsure of myself. However, I was surrounded by people who were telling me the truth the whole time. I’m telling you now, THAT MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE. Even on my bad day, I was able to look back to the day before and see how God was already working my situation for good. I’m very thankful for the fellowship and encouragement of someone sweet and wise and helpful to me that day. And when my dad called on the bad day and I may or may not have fallen apart on the phone with him, he was able to calmly reassure me with the truth about my life and who I am. (Whether or not I proceeded to blubber to my children after that phone call about how much I loved them even though I am a big fat failure sometimes will have to remain a mystery to you. I’ll never tell. Or is that what I just did?)

Anyway, I just read an article that a Facebook friend recommended entitled, The Pitfall of Perfectionism. Again, it was just what I needed to hear and is full of just the sort of things I need to be telling myself on a daily basis. Things like, “Because Jesus was strong for you, you’re free to be weak” and “Because Jesus succeeded for you, you’re free to fail.” I am just overwhelmed with thankfulness for the life I have been given and for the many ways that God reveals himself to me daily. I’m indeed blessed and it wouldn’t be right to keep these things to myself. I hope you are surrounding yourself with the truth these days. Because the truth is out there and we need to hear it. A lot.

Now, about these lovelies in my kitchen right now…

I am off to make Shelly’s Strawberry Pie because I really feel like strawberries + red dye = the answer to all of my problems right now and it is just. so. good. You should do it too. I’m telling you the truth!

After: This is what you see when you walk in the front door.

Looking straight ahead, you can see into our music/sewing/school room area, which I will show you another time.

And here is the other side of the room. I’ve wanted to put guitars on the wall for sometime, for aesthetic as well as practical reasons. Ever since seeing Emily’s displayed in her “small cool” living room,  I have been scouting out the perfect spot for ours. These brackets seemed to be the most cost effective, from what bit of research I did.

I do love the finished product. It’s so fun and rewarding to see the progression from that first picture, then to this, and now the big reveal. Thanks for playing along!

Can I show you my shelves a little closer? When time permits, I’d like to do a little display of the kids’ art work right under that left one. The space there just looks a little empty and I think a minimal, creative display of their art will add some personality and playfulness to the room.

We have been trying to spend as little as possible, so I used some things I already had on hand, or moved some in from other places in the house. I really like the outcome.

And as I was visiting a friend the other day, I noticed that she had used scrabble tiles to write messages on her mantle. Brilliant! I came home and immediately duplicated it. Thanks, Jena! (I’ve seen lots of people crafting with scrabble tiles these days and love the idea, but  have never really wanted to break my game apart. This way, we have a changeable display, and our game is still intact.)

One more little detail I’ll share is this space beside the doorway. I needed something there to add some more color to the wall and to balance the picture on the other side of the mirror. Shelly suggested something round to contrast with all the rectangular shapes I already had on that wall. She was totally right, and as I contemplated it, I remembered these little numbers that I had come upon a good long while ago. Enter the piddly stash of embroidery hoops that I picked up at a yard sale last spring and my ever increasing selection of fabric scraps and BAM. Problem solved. Maybe some wider hoops and a few more bright swatches in the future, but for now, this will do just fine.

So there you have it…just a little of what’s been occupying my time of late. Stay tuned. There’s more to share.

It’s interesting, also, that Pinterest is helping me hone my “style” when it comes to decorating. Who knew that I was really drawn to white? Well, now I do. I think it has something to do with light. I like LOTS of natural light around me. You?

Now….how does a person choose an area rug? This one has me stumped. I’ve never really shopped for one before, so now I feel quite inadequate for the task. Can’t wait to start showing you some pics, though.

But for now, here are some things I’m thinking about/appreciating/enjoying/whatever.

The process of downsizing. I really do enjoy this and am proud of my kids (and myself and hubby) for letting go of things (and books!) I think we all just have too much stuff!

Birthdays. Celebrating has been a good escape for us.

Helpful friends and family. I’m overwhelmed by the amount of help we’ve received, from watching kids to jumping in and doing grunt work, to bringing us meals, to helping me with my responsibilities outside the home. We’re undeserving, but oh so thankful.

Clean spaces. I’m so appreciative of a clean counter top or table top or floor space or a neatly organized shelf in the midst of little messes everywhere. You know how sometimes in order to organize, you have to make a bigger mess before things are back to order? Yeah, that’s annoying.

Familiar places, Like the road where I grew up.

Imaginative kids. They’ve had more time on their own than I normally like, but they’re filling it beautifully with great imaginative play and very little complaints, at that!

Health. Haven’t really had our usual spring onset of puking or croup…knock on wood.

Plans, lists. It’s nice to see what needs to be done and know how it will be accomplished.

Things getting marked off of lists. Oh, sometimes I feel like things will never be back to normal until I look at how much we’ve accomplished so far!

Creative inspiration from other places. Sometimes I just need more perspective and fresh ideas from some place other than my own brain.

Freshly cut grass.

The smell of brush burning.  Did I mention s’mores? No? It was an oversight on my part, then. S’mores!!

Leftovers. I’ve wanted to be able to feed our helpers, so the meals I’ve been making have been pretty large. It’s nice to have something already made in the fridge so I don’t have to slow down to cook all that often. (Also, processed food. There. I said it.)

New life. Ahhh…babies in the family. I had forgotten how much I love getting those “she’s here!” kind of phone calls.

Funny kids. Oh, wow, they keep us in stitches.

Supportive husband. He brings me chocolate and tells me it’s all gonna be okay. He puts the kids to bed and teaches them how to clean up after themselves so I’m not the only one harping. He works really hard ALL DAY LONG.

Daily chores. Routine is so nice.

Netflix. Does Liberty’s Kids count as a history lesson? Don’t answer that.

Reading this. Love love loved it. Need, need, needed it. I don’t know how many times over the past few weeks I have lost patience with my kiddos for little things, even fussed at them for little annoyances, all as a result of my own stress and expectations.  As much as it grieves me, I can claim a small victory in the fact that I am starting to get really good at making things right, almost as soon as I have gotten them wrong. I think Lizzie’s advice on this is great:

Do not let things run out of control and burn off, waiting until you feel really bad and want to get it right. Get it right as soon as you get it wrong. Your emotions will follow. You don’t need to spend a certain amount of time in the midst of the fail. Get back out of it as soon as you get in.

This morning, as I sit here enjoying a few minutes of quiet before everyone wakes, I am really thankful  to be writing in this space again. I’ve missed it. I’ve missed all of you!  Thanks for waiting on me…

I know I posted this video on my blog a couple years ago, but when this site launched, somehow it got lost in the transition. We pull it up every once in a while just for inspiration and because it is so fun! And then we get out our watercolors. Today we’ll be painting a couple of these adorable pictures that Molly linked to on her Facebook page. (She’s always linking to really great stuff.  You should “like” her!)

It’s Bird Week at The Magnifying Glass.  This means a whole week of posts about birding and it’s just up our alley. Everything from photos, to book recommendations, to tips for winter watching.  And how neat that The Crafty Crow is full of ideas for bird crafting and bird food today. We’ve been loving this site for recognizing bird calls, especially since we have noticed lots of singing out there in the last week. All of this, just in time for the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend. Convenient indeed. One more thing: this teacup bird feeder is just darling.

Speaking of birds, check out Birch and Bird Vintage Home Interiors and be inspired. (Speaking of vintage, I must confess I am addicted to American Pickers.) And speaking of inspiring interiors, this will do it for you, and this place is definitely drool-worthy.

It seems February might just be a down month for lots of homeschoolers. I appreciated reading Amy’s thoughts about rebooting and Molly’s ideas about charts and mom-guilt (so glad I’m not the only one!). For some great ways to get you going in the right direction, this list from Ann is fantastic.

In the food department: I loved this handy Guide to Cooking for Others.  These chocolate/peanut butter cups are delicious. And what about these kid friendly breakfasts? I also want to try this Roasted Root Jumble, because I love veggies and can’t say ‘no’ to feta cheese.

Also, it’s Celebrate the Boy month over at Made and Made by Rae. Can’t wait to see all the sewing for boys they have planned over there.

That should be enough to keep you busy for a while. Happy weekending!