Blessings...

Today I hosted a baby shower for one of my dearest friends. The thing I love most about planning and putting together a party like this for someone I love is the ability to show them how much I love and cherish them. And I DO cherish my friend Michelle. I truly desired to honor and bless her today. To honor the mom that she already is, the friend she has always been and the sister in Christ that I have been so very blessed to know and love and to have speak truth into my life. I love her because she is real. I love her because she will tell me what I need to hear and not what I want to hear. I love her because we are different and that often challenges me. I love her family. I love her laugh. I love her faith. I love the unique things about her that make her Michelle...and nobody else. I don't think I know anyone else quite like her.

I can't believe she is having another baby! This one is number FIVE...and her current youngest is 7.5 yrs old. Her youngest are the exact same ages as my kids. Our girls were actually due the same day...but mine decided to cook for nine extra days! I literally watched her daughter be born on my daughter's due date....lets just say it made the next nine days VERY bearable!! LOL!
When she called me to tell me she first asked if I was sitting down. What came out of her mouth next...trust me...I was not expecting! As soon as she said she was pregnant I literally just started laughing. And as I laughed she TRIED to say, "it's not funny!"....while SHE was laughing. I quickly told her I was NOT going to be joining her on this one! I think we giggled for about 30 more minutes on the phone. Well...I may have laughed in the beginning, but now I simply can't wait to meet this little bundle of JOY! Of course I will have to because I can't go to the hospital now that they have all the restrictions thanks to swine flu! But you can bet your bottom dollar that I will be heading over to her house as soon as she brings that sweet baby girl home!

I am so thankful for my friend. I pray that she felt very loved and very blessed today!
Sorry....no pics today...come back later this week. This post is not about my party planning details...it's about WHY the details were important in the first place....to honor and bless the friend I love!

Something to post about

Well....more than a month of no blog posts. One friend who lives out of town emailed me to make sure everything was ok...(and I LOVE her for that!) My dad left me a phone message wondering if I was ever going to post again and then called the next day with an idea of what to post about! Oh dad...I LOVE you!

So, let's see...my dad mentioned something about a kmart commercial that took the Lord's name in vein. I haven't seen it...but it sounds inappropriate to me...and obviously to my dad as well!!

I'm currently sitting at my laptop which has no pictures or images in it to upload and frankly...I'm too lazy to get up and go into my office. But I've been up to a few things lately.

Blog Designing.....here are some links to some of my recent designs:

http://www.frugalcouponliving.com/

http://thriftydecorchick.com/

http://siriouslysweet.com/

http://www.beamsoflightministries.org/

http://kidfriendlymommyapproves.blogspot.com/

http://jkphotographyblog.blogspot.com/

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I spent lots of time this fall on the soccer field...well...the sidelines actually. My son played soccer for the first time and he was amazing! It was lots of fun to watch him and the team was really great. All the kids just really had fun and the parents were really great! As the season went on I became more impressed with my son. He's got that natural hustle and go get 'em attitude and he had some skill to back it up! He scored lots of goals! As much fun as he had....he was ready for it to come to an end. The week after it was over he asked if he had to go to soccer practice and I told him "no". He said, "Yay! I don't have to be busy anymore!" I think the main issue was that his practices were on the opposite days as his friends, so they didn't get to play much this fall. I'm looking forward to the rest of the year being fairly mellow. Then it will get crazy in January with CYT for my daughter.

I've also been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a few people to the "neighborhood". One of them is literally my neighbor and the other one just moved 5 minutes away from me...she used to live across town. I stopped by her house today and we chatted for 30 minutes. I'm so glad you moved to the east side Meredith! And LeeAnn...I'm so thrilled to have you as my neighbor. I look forward to some walks for excercise and some morning coffee talks!

That's it for now people!

I'm still here

Still here! promise....just been buried with work. Finally feeling like I can breath again. Promise to post next week....pics from my son's birthday and my nannual girls getaway trip.

what have I been up to?

work.....both kids in school all day....birthday parties.....learning illustrator......learning more about wordpress.....MOMS group......friday night football games......soccer practices.....soccer games......enjoying all the new fall tv shows.........playing with the kitties..............anxiously awaiting my neighbors house to be finished so they can move in and really be my neighbors.....denying the fact that my daughter is a full blown tween.....running......missing family that has moved away......enjoying family that moved to town........LIFE!

Vote for Me!

Please vote my my design! There are prizes for voting!

http://win.shopify.com/sites#http://gemsbygeorge.myshopify.com/

My latest designs

Just thought I would share some of my latest work.

The first was for LeighAnne of Your Homebased Mom. It's kind of exciting because this is my very first install on the Wordpress platform (rather than blogger...which is my normal gig!)

Then I continued on with Wordpress and did this customization for Sara from Sublime Photo Art

Kim has a tennis fixation and I designed a blog to showcase that for her!

Laura is known as the Duchess of Reel. She's got some fun reviews!

This one was for Tammy in Montana!

Another photog blog, but this one was for Katherine over at Furnished Photography

Out with Papa

My little guy spent the day with his Papa recently and they went on the Sternwheeler. Colt got to drive that big boat and he thought it was pretty cool! Is he the cutest or what!

Yesterday was the Day!

School started yesterday. Both the kids had a great first day. Kind of weird not having my little buddy around today! Missin' my random hugs and kisses.

Don't they look so much more grown up from last year?





what about the year before that when Em was in 3rd grade and Colt was just starting pre-school



My how time flies!

It's almost here...

The day that has always seemed so far off in the distance is almost here. As of Wednesday I will have two kids who attend school all day...leaving me at home all day by myself. I never imagined a few years ago that when this day came I would basically have a full-time job that would keep me super busy and make the days go by very quickly. It's all so surreal honestly.

I'm determined to do more than just work though. I'm planning on doing a bible study one day a week and also getting involved with the MOMS ministry at church again. I will also be taking some continuing ed classes at the local community college so I'm thinking I will be plenty busy. And let's not forget trying to have some sort of schedule to maintain all of this chaos AND get in my daily chores around the house! Oh and while I juggle all of that I will be training for the half marathon I just signed up to do in February.

Yep...I'm officially insane! But my hubby and I are going to do it together! It's on our 12 year anniversary...so we are going to kick off year 13 by running 13 miles!

Fun Teacher Gift Idea

I found this unique teacher gift over on Nichole Heady's Blog. It's called a teacher's journal jar. There are questions that you can print to put in the jar and they have some free downloads to go along with it. There is a full description on Nichole's Blog. (I'm finding some fun things over there! Nichole's blog was one of the very first creatively inspiring blogs I came across in blogland a couple years ago when I first started blogging!)

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This would have been perfect!

Just came across these today! They would've gone perfectly with the baby shower theme I just posted about!! You can download a free template and see the instructions over at Nichole Heady's blog.

Baby Shower - Bless the Nest!

here are some pictures from the Nesting Baby Shower I recently threw for my SIL and nephew.

The invitation

The guest of honor...my SIL

A little birdie made of colored chocolate sitting on a bed on chow mein noodles for the nest atop the cake. I literally had to hand paint SEVERAL of them with food coloring to get a color variation in the next. Then I threw in some coconut for good measure as well.

The table setting with all the goodies and a bird cage for all those gift cards.

Baby Sundaes were a yummy treat!

Especially for big sister, Miss D.

Some nesty goodness... sent my dad to the store to get blue jelly beans...he came back with orange.
To his credit...they were out of blue, but ORANGE? Love you Dad! =)

It was a gift card shower because she was moving across country a couple days later. So we filled some of the time with a couple rounds of bunco! Good times

Recent Home Pics & Purchases

Before you see the front family room I wanted you to see a couple new purchases I'm excited about...
This is the fantabulous mirror I just bought that I'm planning on hanging above my fireplace! I walked into HomeGoods and instantly fell in LOVE! It should really play off the 12' ceilings in that room quite nicely.

This is the bell I bought that my hubby will be haning on the front pourch. We live on 5 acres and at times it can be hard to find my kiddos when they are outside playing...so this will be what calls them in from now on! Don't you just love it?

The rest of these pics are all from the front family room. Just some of the details of the room. Once I can actually get my hubby to hang the new mirror I will take a picture of the fireplace wall and post it! but for now...here's what you get....

Here you go Beckie...more home pics!

I was talking to my friend Beckie who lives across the country the other day and she was saying she wanted to see MORE of my home...so here you go!

Guest Bathroom

Guest Bathroom Details

A shot from the outside

The back patio

My Son's Room

His reading corner

the lights by his bed (yes that is dust you see...just keepin' it real people!)

the mud room....I told you the mud room was boring Beckie!
yes...there is a framed corkboard on the opposite wall...but it fell down last week and I have yet to put it back up! =)


For the post and pics on my office / Design Studio
click here

For Pics of the entry and front Den
click here

For Pics of the front room and my daughter's room
click here


The front room has change with some new furniture additions and rearrangement. I will post those pics in the next couple days.

Aren't they cuuuuute!

Meet the newest residents of my back patio....

Now she's pole dancing!!!????

Are you stinkin' kidding me???!!!!

Reason #79510989017091849 Why I chose from the very beginning NOT to let my daughter watch Hannah Montana!!! Miley Cyrus - proving to be another Disney DON'T!



this was at the Teen Choice Awards tonight. Oh and did you see what she was wearing when she presented the award to Britney? Her boobs were totally hanging out!! Sorry. It just totally frustrates me to NO END!!

Prayer for my friend Beth

This is my friend Beth's home. This happened last week. Their house was struck by lightening at like 5:30 in the morning. They have been so blessed by their neighbors since this day but obviously it's a life changing event!



Can you even imagine???!!! To see pictures go to www.camalamaphoto.com

this moves me!

It's not one of those slow songs that can tug at your heart...but it speaks to me and often makes me teary eyed when I'm driving in my car. It's like an anthem or something. LOVE IT!

Sorrow and Rejoicing

It's been a very shocking, draining, revealing couple of weeks. A beloved wife and mother from my church unexpectedly went to be with the Lord. Wendee is not someone that I knew well on a personal level but I have known her since I was about 15 years old. She and her husband served at the youth camp I attended every summer and I have attended the same church as their family since that time.
From the moment I heard the news that she was on the way to the hospital I was instantly ROCKED by it. She has a loving husband and 4 children. As a wife and mother myself I was instantly affected by the whole reality of it all. The few days she was in the hospital before she passed were emotional and prayer filled for so many people that I love and care about. My neighbor and Wendee have been friends for THIRTY years! SO MANY people I love were going through so much pain, and it was overwhelming! But while I was overwhelmed with emotion I was also overwhelmed with the Peace of God and the knowledge that He alone is sovereign and in total control.
Although I personally didn't know Wendee well, I had something to deal with that was hard. About 3 years ago my family kept running into their family at least once a week. We just kept seeing them everytime we would go out to eat. I felt God nudging me. He was nudging me to seek out a relationship with Wendee and her husband and to have them mentor my husband and I. I was a bit intimidated by this....so I kind of ignored God's nudge. Then we would see them again...NUDGE...IGNORE! Then we finally stopped running into them and I didn't have to ignore the NUDGE anymore. To be honest...I never even told my husband. OK..OK...I know!! I was totally disobedient to what God was calling me to do!! I have no excuse! I was just plain disobedient! And NO....feeling intimidated is NOT an excuse!
So when I found out that Wendee had passed away I was quickly reminded of my disobedience. Now, I'm only left to wonder what God had to teach me through her and I'm left with the consequence of knowing that I missed out on an opportunity to REALLY know an amazing woman of God.
Talking about her to people who knew her well and loved her deeply has really shown me what I missed out on. Her Celebration of Life service really demonstrated that as well. WOW! I really screwed up! She had so much to offer and I missed it! The more I hear...the more I KNOW that God was calling me to seek her out and I can already see just SOME of the things that God wanted to teach me through her.
So I've shed many tears in the recent weeks. Tears for her family. Tears for my friends. Tears because of my own disobedience and the "what if".
I've been praying a lot for her family and friends. I've also been asking God to be merciful to me for my disobedience and to somehow teach me through her death what He wanted me to learn from her when she was alive. I truly think I'm seeing some of it already and I look forward to more.
As I and many others grieve her loss we also rejoice. We rejoice because we have hope. Hope in the Lord and the sacrifice that His son Jesus made on the cross. This was what drove Wendee in her daily life and it was a privilage to attend her Celebration of Life service and hear about the impact her life had on so many. We Celebrated not only her life...but her HOMECOMING. For she is truly at home now as she is with the Lord and rejoicing is his PRESENCE!
They talked at the service about how when her kids or a friend would being going through a hard or frustrating situatation she would always ask the question, "What do you think God is going to do through this?" So they turned that around and asked all of us to apply that to her death. Wendee would say to all of us, "What do you think God is going to do through this?" So I'm praying and seeking God for that answer in my life. I look forward to the answers!! One thing I know for sure...it's been a lesson in disobedience for me. God calls on us to be obedient to Him. It's a lesson I try so hard to daily instill in my children and I chose to ignore it for myself. I can't do that. None of us can. The consequences can be too great, and more importatntly....we miss out on what God has for us!

A few new designs

I just finished a few designs. Thought I would share them with you.

First is a fun party blog for Jenn of Parties by Hardie. She sells really fun partyware.



The second is a fabulous blog about design and home decor for Kimm at Reinvented.

New Portfolio

Check out my new design portfolio!!

Continued prayer for the family

Please be praying for the family of Wendee:

The family would like everyone to know that Wendee arrived in heaven today. She is enjoying the presence of God and the fellowship of friends gone before her. We can only imagine the fields and pastures that she's exploring for the heavenly hosts of horses that she will now get to enjoy. The family would like to thank everyone for their continued support and prayers.

Urgent Prayer Request!

We have a woman in our church who is a wife and a mother of 4 who is currently fighting for her life. She was found unconscious in the family pool and was rushed to the hospital yesterday. The next 24 hours will be very critical to Wendee's recovery. Since she has been at SWWMC they have been keeping her body at a cold temperature to help aleviate some swelling on her brain. At 5pm they will begin the process of SLOWLY warming her body up to a normal temperature. The warming process is crucial and how her body responds to this process is a key factor in her recovery.

Tomorrow morning they will begin taking her off sedation as well. Those hours where she is coming off of sedation and having her temperature raised are the MOST critical.

Please be praying over the next 24 hours that this would be successful and that her body's response would be favorable.

Please pray for a MIRACLE!!!

If I only had a brain!

Oh...I am so the scarecrow these days!!!



Yesterday I opened up a drawer in my kitchen where I keep my bag clips. what did I find in the drawer??? A moldy bag of green beans with a clip on them. Yep...I clipped the bag and put it in the drawer instead of the fridge.

Today, I put a cake in the oven. Checked the cake and it needed 5 more minutes. I set the timer. Then proceeded about a whole new task with took me outside only to come in like 15 minutes later to a house that smelled like cake! (thank goodness it didn't completely BURN!!)

I'm not feeling like my head is quite screwed on right these days!